#soaking up all the things you like and mixing it all together on a page

[jjkamochoso]

Imagine… Making Lemonade for Levi on a Hot Summer Day

Fluff

Postwar!Levi Ackerman x gn!reader

Warnings: none

The summer heat was scorching down on you as you stretched out on a lounge chair in your backyard, soaking up some sun. You were enjoying your lazy day, getting some much needed Vitamin D. You flipped through a magazine, your mind still blown by the fact that the glossy pages had entertained people for much longer than you had even known they existed. There were many things in Marley that were completely new to you and every trip to the market was filled with enchantment as you learned of all the wonders that had been held from you in your previous life in Paradis. Now, you and your boyfriend Levi were living it up together in your cottage and you couldn’t be happier. Speaking of Levi, you had a fantastic view of the raven haired man while he was hard at work, tending the garden. His white shirt was clinging to his sturdy back as he dug the spade into the dirt, his arm muscles flexing with each movement. When he was finished planting, you saw him lean back a little as he wiped the sweat that had accumulated on his forehead. The extra moisture made his whole body glisten; he looked absolutely divine and you couldn’t tear your gaze away from him. He cocked his head, finally acknowledging your unbridled interest in his figure.

“Didn’t your parents teach you that it’s rude to stare?”

“There’s no harm in admiring the spectacular view in front of me,” you said, cheekiness apparent in your tone. Levi scoffed and rolled his eyes, getting back to the task at hand, but you could tell that you flustered him a bit with your flirting as the pink tinge that now graced his face wasn’t just from the heat. You tried putting your focus back on your magazine but you started to feel quite parched. You decided to go inside and make some lemonade for yourself and your handsome boyfriend. You gathered everything you needed and began to squeeze the lemons. When you got enough juice, you made a simple syrup on the stove, then poured both of those and lots of water into a giant pitcher, mixing it all up. Taking out two tall glasses, you filled them up to the brim with ice and the lemonade, enjoying the relief of the cold that seeped onto your hand. You left your glass inside so you had an empty hand to open and close the back door and headed into the warmth of the outdoors.

“I got something to cool you down, hottie,” you greeted Levi, this time earning a groan and an eye roll.

“You’re ridiculous, you know that?” he chided, shaking his head when you attempted to wink at him. Though he found your antics silly, he also thought you were completely adorable with the way you showed your affection toward him. Putting words to his feelings was never his forte so having a partner like you, comfortable in expressing your attraction to him, was something he was extremely grateful for. You reached out your unoccupied arm to help steady Levi as he stood up from the ground, his legs shaky from exertion. You held up the glass of lemonade for him to take a sip from, hoping he wasn’t dehydrated from his time under the sun. He put his lips around the straw and took a long drink, eager to quench his thirst.

“Y/n, that’s really good. Thank you,” he said, giving you a close lipped grin.

“Of course,” you replied, brushing a stray piece of hair from his face. He suddenly got shy from the intimacy of your gesture, opting to study the ground instead of your face, though he still leaned on you as you helped him walk over to the patio where a chair in the shade was waiting for him. You sat him down and retrieved your own drink from inside the house before sitting in the chair next to him.

“Thank you for all your work,” you told Levi, a kiss lovingly placed onto his cheek. “The garden is beautiful. The flowers are going to look phenomenal this year.”

“Not as phenomenal as you look now,” he observed, meeting your eyes once more as you gasped.

“Levi! How uncharacteristically suave that was!” you exclaimed, playfully holding a hand over your mouth in faux shock.

“Tch. I can be romantic, you know.”

“Wow, I can’t believe I got the Levi “Loverboy” Ackerman to fall for me. How lucky am I?” you asked, swooning. “Ooh, maybe next time you can garden shirtless and give me a real show. It’ll be like those romance novels Hange always told me about.”

“Just drink your damn lemonade,” muttered the man, failing to hide the tenderness that appeared on his facial features at the sound of your laughter. You couldn’t contain your giggles, trying your best not to choke on your drink and Levi wrapped an arm around your shoulders, pulling you closer and enjoying this carefree moment with you. The lemonade was the perfect drink for the perfect day with the perfect love of your life.

[tadpolesonalgae]

High Lords and their kinks

a/n: this got so out of hand so quickly

Warnings: smut. just so much smut

Rhysand:

We all know he has a breeding kink, and with a smart mouth like that he definitely knows how to put it to good use on you

He has those lovely, deliciously sensitive, big illyrian wings at his back—practically a walking weak spot. And after all the teasing he puts you through with that cruel, silver-tipped tongue, you’re perfectly entitled to put him through his own set of trials

You cannot tell me he doesn’t get off on showing you off—at least a little. Whether it’s subtly matching jewellery pieces, having his scent marking your clothing, or having you astride his thigh before his court in the Hewn City, he delights in letting everyone know you’re one another’s.

Helion:

Is there anything I can actually add that isn’t obvious? He has a whole library at his fingertips, and knowing how much of the internet consists of porn in various forms, you cannot tell me there isn’t a secret alcove he has or even a whole other library (private, for your and his use only, of course) dedicated specifically for his personal interests.

He’s definitely familiar with sex toys, are you kidding me? He could go from cooking meals for you and letting you try on his golden snake armband, to having you gently spread apart for him on his bed, thighs pushed open, forearms bound at your back, eyes blindfolded as tears of pleasure spill down, a vibrator secured perfectly over your clit while he latches his mouth over your pretty nipples, keeping himself deep inside your dripping cunt.

And he’d use them outside the bedroom, too.

Sharing erotica that has heat spreading through your bodies—whether it’s reenacting scenes together, or being told to read a page aloud as he applies himself to you, it’s something both of you take pleasure in, finding equal enjoyment in the physical intimacy as well as the emotional side of getting to discover and share new experiences together.

Thesan:

Hear me out on this: threesomes.

We already know he has a male lover, so sharing you with someone else—someone he cares for and trusts—isn’t an issue. Quite the opposite.

Getting to watch as both his partners touch and explore one another, kiss and discover, or turn their sights on him—absolute heaven. Especially after a long day of work, dealing with High Lord business, then getting to just relax into his lovers’ arms? Utter perfection.

And it’s non-sexual too: waking up with a warm body pressed either side that’s been softened from sleep, sharing meals and nabbing pieces of food off each other’s plates, swapping clothes and sharing scents until they’re so thoroughly combined no one would remember what belongs to who since they all smell the same.

Kallias (and Viviane):

Temperature play.

Hot baths, a thick lather of bubbles looking like foam across the surface, heat soaking into your body until you’re sweating, all the while he’s running cool fingertips over your skin, so perfectly sensitive as he plays with you leisurely, brushing teasingly over your nipples, dipping between your thighs to press the cold pad of his digit flat to your clit.

I might be biased, but I feel like Kallias would also have some hints of a breeding kink.

Sinking into your warm, wet heat—how could he resist filling you up, hoping that you take to him, latch on and keep him tucked away inside.

Now, adding Viviane into the mix, things get so much messier.

Nights that would start off clean cut and strict would slowly devolve into sloppily grinding against one another, turned dumb and pliable by relentless pleasure. Kallias often finding himself rolling his hips to one of you, the other placed atop their mouth. When it’s not that way round, it’s him who’s lying on the bed, panting and fucked out while Viviane rides his cock, you keeping him docile and distracted beneath your cunt while your hands explore her breasts, cupping and thumbing across her nipples, mouthes latched together intimately.

Tarquin:

Oh boy, we’re touching on some monsterfucking here, no way around it. I mean, come on, his whole theme is to do with the sea, of course tentacles are going to come into play one way or another when he partially transforms.

Hundreds of small suction pads settling across your body, bath water lapping at the sides while you lean into him, panting with heat and need. It’s like having tiny mouths licking and suckling at the best spots across your skin, one placed deliberately over your clit while his fingers work you apart, then switching between using his mouth and his tentacles to tug and suck at your nipples, loving how you cry out for him.

I also think he’d absolutely love seeing you in lingerie—lovely pale green lace with creamy white frills, reminding him of sea foam. How you’ll sometimes adorn yourself in pearls, their pale shine complimenting the threads of your underwear, making him desperate to touch you, to at least feel you against him in some way.

Beron (+Eris, separately):

He is an utter control freak but in the best way (cannot believe I’m saying this—kind of struggling)

Anything from collars, to leashes, to chains, ropes, ties, even his belt, he knows how to use them on you, to wrap you up in such a way that he is in complete and utter control over your body, deciding how much pleasure to doll out that night. Going as far as to have a little bell attached to the collar, just to add that edge of humiliation.

Now, despite how dominating that might sound, he loves flipping you on your back, keeping your thighs spread apart even as you try to shut them when he spins you into overstimulation. And why wouldn’t he?

Using his mouth on you, reducing you to such a blabbering mess gives him ultimate control over you—who needs daemati abilities to shatter minds when you have heated fingertips and a mouth that knows how to put its harsh properties to use?

Eris—he knows his strengths, and plays to them.

While others might spend precious minutes going around, lighting every candle, he can do it with a fraction of a thought, filling your room with a soft glow, helping you settle into that mood.

It’s taken a bit, but you’ve managed to narrow down the selection of scents to a specific combination—reaching the point you’re no longer able to smell even a hint of vanilla without utterly soaking your underwear. Though maybe that had been part of a secret plan of his, to get you to associate a scent so powerfully with pleasure that you’d be at his mercy with little more than a candle to blame.

While he can be teasing, and a little mean at times, he enjoys slowly kissing his way down your body, murmuring how much he adores you, how he cherishes you, how he loves the way you thread your fingers through his hair. And you love hearing those whispered confessions from his lips, because it means he feels safe. Safe to speak with you, to trust in you, to allow himself to be comforted by you. He has someone to be with.

Tamlin:

Obviously, monsterfucking again

Probably in possession of a wicked power kink as well as in favour of some predator play. Getting to chase after you beneath a full moon—there’s something so ancient and ritualistic about the practice that just eases some tension in his beast’s bones. Catching up with you and clasping the nape of your gown in his jaws to raise you from the ground as you squirm helplessly, unable to do much against such a massive creature.

I do think that behind closed doors, he wouldn’t mind the power imbalance going in the opposite direction though… Being forced to just sit and wait patiently while you strip yourself of your clothes, teasingly tossing your underwear into his lap while you lay back on the bed, pleaded with how his fangs have subconsciously pushed from his upper lip, pupils dilated with ferocious hunger—needing to bed you.

Hybern:

Loves getting head

We’re in unfamiliar territory over here, but he knows his way around some nasty spells. Incantations that have you riding him desperately, aching for release after release, grinding tight against his hips so he touches those spots that have you sobbing.

Potions are also frequently incorporated—that make you need him with every part of your being with such an acute intensity he makes a mental note to lessen to liquid’s concentration next time.

He also like seeing you in different crowns, one time putting you in one made of bone, then ordering you to remove your dress without dislodging it—if it was nudged, he’d edge you until you were crying, but if it fell… Mother save you.

general taglist: @myheartfollower @tcris2020 @mali22 @amygdtjhddzvb @sfhsgrad-blog @needylilgal022 @hannzoaks @hnyclover @skyesayshi @nyotamalfoy

rhys taglist: @azrielshadows1nger

[persephoneflouwers]

Hi doc, I'm desperately looking for ABO fic (Alpha Louis and Omega Harry ), I've been stuck with "Light, Spark and Fire" for months because it's so good, gimme a rec

I found just a few! You’ll see I have some favourite authors and I read all of their works haha anyway this is what I found for Alpha Louis x Omega Harry. Maybe this will need a part 2. Let me know if you want more.

ABO FIC

Say something (106K) by kingsofeverything ( @kingsofeverything ): At fifty years old and recently divorced, Omega Harry Styles isn't interested in dating. When his doctor suggests a heat and rut matching service, he signs up out of necessity. It’s the only use he has for an Alpha in his life. Twenty-eight-year-old Alpha Louis Tomlinson aims to change that.

Actions and consequences (95K) by HelenaAzure: Harry is a prince. Louis is a King. They are destined to be together. But things are much more complicated than it meets the eyes. Throw in a war, a life long secret born of deception, a quiet love, a treason of the highest sorts, a mysterious child of royal lineage and a considerate yet troublesome horse into the mix, and you get a legend which resonates through the pages of history

Face your fears (92K) by SadaVeniren ( @sadaveniren ): Harry is a single father, pretending to be a beta after his alpha mated him and left him. He’s getting by just fine raising the twins when Louis walks into his bakery. Too bad him and Louis will never be a thing.

Love in the dark (90K) by brightgolden ( @brightgolden ): Where Louis is an ambitious Advisor Council that is reluctant to find a mate, and his father takes the matter into his hand while Harry is the valedictorian in his kingdom destined for better things than an arranged marriage.

A distant hazy light (76K) by green_feelings: Life’s pretty ordinary for Harry. He lives with his best friend, got into university just like he’s planned, and manages to support himself just fine for an unbonded omega. If he sustains that lifestyle by getting paid to help alphas through their rut every now and then, that’s nothing to be hung up on. Until he’s hired by an alpha that turns everything upside down.

Si pudiera volar (70K) by softfonds: When Harry’s fiancé leaves him for his cousin, he looks the other way for the sake of his happiness. He’ll do anything to forget about him, including joining a monastery. It isn’t until his cousin’s former lover, a pirate, appears that he realizes everything is not as it appears, and an honest pirate might be the only person worthy of his heart.

Everything to lose (70K) by stylinsoncity: harry is a global popstar who's convinced the world he has it all -- a happy marriage to a devoted alpha, two beautiful children, two grammy awards, three platinum albums, and a budding film career. But some aspects of his image aren't as true as they seem. Like the fact he's been separated for over a year, uses meaningless flings to cope and occasionally forgets responsibilities or commitments to his family. He and louis once commanded stages together. They tackled any challenges to their future and no matter how hard things got, they always returned to one another. harry would always return to louis. until one day, he finds he can't.

Wolf boy (like no one else) 70K by cristalrush: the one where Harry leaves his old pack in hopes to find his soulmate. And that’s when he meets Louis, an alpha who doesn’t believe in soulmates.

I like the way you say my name (when you soak it in grace) 66K by louisismycat (tifamomet): Louis is transferred to a new city to temporarily cover for his counterpart while he is on maternity leave for the next six months. His new co-workers talk endlessly about Harry, the omega who he’s covering for. And Louis finds himself jealous of whatever alpha as snatched him up. Until he learns Harry is actually an unmated omega three months out from becoming a single parent.

Glitters in the sky, glitters in our eyes (59K) by softfonds: What happens when a Duke who will only marry for love and a courtesan who only sells it create a public ruse? Well, nothing boring for sure. An Edwardian AU.

Here’s your perfect (54K) by brightgolden: In the world where mates are assigned to everyone and deposited to their door when an agreeable partner is found for them, Alpha Louis has recently been given his. However, he is nothing like the type of alpha that the omega academy prepares Harry for.

The money mark (52K) by brightgolden: Where Louis is Harry’s first sugar daddy who dumped him over text and their paths cross, seven years later.

Eucalyptus (46K) by docklands: Harry didn't mean to get pregnant at all. When little Agnes comes along, his bachelor life takes a turn and he has to figure out how to single parent, with the occasional help from his best friend and co-worker, Zayn. Everything is running smoothly until Agnes starts acting strange, crying non-stop, sleeping at the most unconventional hours and not caring that she's ruining Harry's life. Agnes' new paediatrician, Louis Tomlinson, is enthusiastic, passionate about his job and a little too charming for Harry's lonely heart to take. More than figuring out what's wrong with her, Louis ends up revealing secrets about Harry's life he had never even dreamed about.

I sail with you (36K) by AFangirlFantasy: a classic!! Against his wishes, Omega Prince Harry Styles is arranged to mate with someone he doesn’t love, much less knows. Though he pleaded to his parents incessantly, they not only refuse to comply but force him to depart on a ship days later. Harry prays for fate to step in, to change what’s to come, however, the answer he is given is not exactly in the form he had hoped. Enter Will Tommo – deadliest pirate captain of all seven seas.

Chemistry is like candy to me (35K) by CuckooTrooke ( @larrydoinglaundry ): Harry is 8 months pregnant with a poor balance and traitorous nipples. Unfortunately for him, that is precisely when he meets a beautiful alpha in a packed London Tube. Fortunately for him, the said alpha might just be the best thing he has ever come across.

Rooms on fire (34K) by softfonds: Ten years ago, Louis helping Harry through a heat was the start of a romance that ended in heartbreak. Now, Harry's marriage is over thanks to his husband's very public infidelity, and Louis is fresh off a Golden Globe win. The last thing they both expect is to be cast in the same movie.

Leave your mark on me (32K) by kingsofeverything: When Chef Harry Styles’ unbonded Omega designation threatens to derail his career, he does the only thing he can, and goes in search of a black market bond.

English rose (32K) by harryanthus_annuus: Louis works on the 19th floor. It’s such a cliché to fall for the elevator girl, but no one resist Harry Styles

Want it flowing through my streams (30K) by screwstyles: Wimbledon ABO AU: Harry has just qualified for his first Grand Slam, and he’s prepared to make the most of it – that is, until his heat unexpectedly hits him only a few days before his first match. And it’s just his luck that Louis Tomlinson, the resident bad boy of British tennis, is the only person around to help him.

Tread lightly on my ground (20K) by fairytalelights: the one where Harry is having Louis' baby, but Louis doesn't know it's his.

Breathe me in, breathe me out (14K) by lunaheslwt: Louis is drawn into a quaint candle shop in his desire to find ways to soothe himself while struggling with touch depri. It takes him two more run-ins and with the lovely alpha sales assistant, and a drop, to figure out the source of the scent that imprints upon him and calms his omega. Idiots to lovers

It’s been ages (13K) by 2tiedships2 ( @2tiedships2 ): lots of pining. Lots of fluff

Come in and change my life (12K) by lightswoodmagic(sarah_writes): Harry and Louis become friends when Harry looks after Louis' cat during away games, until one night at a party changes everything between them. It's just a shame Louis' going to be away for the FIFA World Cup for three months.

I love this feeling (but I hate this part) 7K by lululawrence ( @lululawrence ): roommates, friends to lovers, usage of alpha voice for experimentation purposes lol it’s cute and fun

Lost in your paradise (6K) by SadaVeniren: Harry and Louis have a one night stand.

Scent partner (4K) by amomentoflove: The name of the company was horrible: Scent Partner. Whoever was on the marketing team should be fired immediately for green-lighting that name. But the instructions were simple. Alphas wear a shirt for three days and nights. The shirt gets sent to omegas nearing their heats to pick the alpha who smells the best to them. The company notifies the alpha and gives them the opportunity to say no. If both parties agree, they meet at a heat room for the omega’s heat. Everything is safe and consensual.

Baby, don’t apologize (2K) by Neondiamond: Harry being an asexual Omega means his Alpha Louis has had to spend his ruts alone for the past decade despite being mated. He’s not sure who feels most hurt by it.

[mxdarling]

[happy ending: reached]

or a old poem i wrote after getting together with my ex.

year old writing, written when i was in-love, 473 words, short.

[a/n; saw this in my old drafts in the google docs so i decided to clean it up a bit and post it here, plus it has been a while since i posted my own writing that aren't fandom related!]

I never imagined achieving a happy ending. Someone such as me does not deserve to be in or feel the happy ending I've seen countless times in books, TV shows, and movies. All those sweet moments together, the comforting sense of having someone to lean on, and the emotional hug that makes you hold this person tighter out of fear that they're going to leave are all cherished memories.

Once that final moment comes into play, that ending, that scene where both characters confess that their care for one another reaches a whole new, deeper level, the thought of being separated serves to them as a nightmare that they wish not to come true. As the credits roll in, the movie ends with them happily together. I've longed and longed for so long for something like that to happen for me. Heartbreak after heartbreak: every time it happens, I put my heart into my efforts to make it work, yet it never does.

Adding to the count, every night I spent sleepless because my mind couldn’t rest and I was too busy producing tears for my bed to soak in. Till now, I just got used to reality disappointing me and getting my hopes up, only for them to be crushed down by the palms of cruelty. Meeting her, I thought no better; she was merely a phase, something that will soon pass, something that won’t mean anything other than my friend, and I'll move on with my life, searching again for that happy ending I sought out, or so I thought. 

Waves started turning, pages of a new book started flipping, and I was struck by Cupid's bow once again. Oh, what a journey I went through this year. I never thought I would be this out of breath. She left me with mixed emotions whenever she happened to invade my thoughts in the middle of the day. Confused? Why would I feel this way for someone? Why am I feeling this way for someone? Why am I harboring feelings for someone like her? I haven't found the answer yet.

Terrified, this is a sign of yet another heartbreak coming my way. I shouldn't chase this feeling if I wish to be greeted with shattered pieces of my heart. Surprised, you were the last thing I expected to encounter; you were someone I didn't think would make a lasting impression on me, yet you proved me wrong. Unexpectedly, you are the matches that lit a fire in my heart, burning so brightly that I'm afraid you'll get serious burns if you go near them.

If you could ever be so kind, let me be the one you'll spend your forever with. Even if we'll never reach forever, at least let me cherish what I have with you, just a little longer, please.

PLEASE DO NOT COPY, REPOST, SHARE, TRANSLATE OR REUPLOAD ANY OF MY WORKS TO OTHER SITES WITHOUT MY PERMISSION + REBLOGS AND COMMENTS ARE APPRECIATED.

[expectiations]

Ohh I love headcanons. Okay, uhm...

River Song and number 2?

Level 2 Headcanon takes elements from canon and explores them in a transformative way, and views canon through a lens outside the intended way it was written. [it's from this post btw]

Because I am who I am, I'm gonna bring my favorite "River is Patience" headcanon into this and include time babies because I can.

River has a secret family with the Doctor hidden somewhere in the universe. These children have aspects of both Time Lord and Child of Time abilities and have their own adventures across time and space, subtly influencing major events in the Doctor's timeline without his (or early versions of River's) knowledge.

I have, unfortunately, forgotten my tags for my 'River is Patience' yappings 😭 glares at self but anyway...

The Doctor barely talks about their family on Gallifrey, of Susan, Susan's parents (her father is his firstborn child apparently according to TARDIS wiki), of his first wife.

So what I know is based on the TARDIS wiki, which apparently got things wrong with Patience? idk i have yet to listen to the audios where Patience appears. I did get into an argument because this one person insisted that Patience, the Doctor's wife, and Patience, who emptied the Sea of Life because she wanted a baby, are different people and just got mixed up.

Patience, the Doctor's first wife, and Patience, who broke Pythia's Curse, may be different people. Or not. (e.g., the Woman who Murdered the Doctor and the Woman who Married the Doctor ended up actually being the same person).

That's the thing with being a legend. People get things wrong and mix things up.

We know River herself is a legend, is part of countless legends, is the cause of legends. Putting that in mind, I don't find it far-fetched that she somehow turns out to be Patience. Also, what we know of Patience seems steeped in legends and myths (very River-coded, yes?). Even her name, Patience, was coined by Tegan Jovanka. So she quite likely is known by another name (again very River-coded).

The following excerpts from Patience's TARDIS wiki page has held my interest for so long:

Despite Pythia's Curse, Patience wanted to have a child. She sought out experts all around the Capitol, but none could help her except the Stranger on Mount Perdition, who handed her an empty sack to fill with water, instructing her to draw from the Sea of Life. According to the Eighth Doctor, she emptied all the Sea of Life in her attempt, though the sack bore a hole. When all of time had soaked up on the shore, she found a child there. She broke the Curse. (AUDIO: Patience)

Her husband, one of the first to explore the Time Vortex, married her upon his return to Gallifrey. Together they had thirteen children. Their eldest child together would become Susan Foreman's father.

Also this excerpt made my River-coded mental alarm bells go crazy.

Patience's body vanished; the Doctor believed her to have simply died, (PROSE: Cold Fusion) but in actuality, Omega had used his control of history to take her into his anti-matter universe and restore her ability to regenerate. (PROSE: The Infinity Doctors) Indeed, the Ferutu told the Doctor that "it's not the first time you've met her, nor will it be the last". (PROSE: Cold Fusion)

and oh yeah she was also married to Omega. who else do we know has had multiple spouses? I'll let you all ruminate on it.

"It's not the first time you've met her, nor will it be the last." Who else do we know has had multiple "first meetings" but no actual "last meetings"?

"Despite Pythia's Curse, Patience wanted to have a child." Who else do we know wanted a child?

Also keep in mind that this was "according to the Eight Doctor" who is notorious for his Swiss cheese memory, so errors are bound to happen.

"According to the Eighth Doctor, she emptied all the Sea of Life in her attempt, though the sack bore a hole. When all of time had soaked up on the shore, she found a child there. She broke the Curse." Who else do we know has broken something (time and space) because she wanted to accomplish something (tell the Doctor he is loved)?

I believe the Doctor has mentioned that their entire family died in the Time War(?) a long time ago. Since we're making River his first wife on Gallifrey, we're also insisting that his entire family is alive and well, thriving and multiplying like rabbits across the universe. They have got to be masked like River used to be when meeting younger Doctors.

One last thing before I end this yapping session (isn't there always?), I headcanon that the child Patience found after emptying the Sea of Life is actually pre-Library River's child.

This may be a reach but I don't care. I love River. I love twisty myths and legends and playing with time.

[arrow-guy]

Within the Ashes (2/??)

Summary: You’ve spent your life working for someone else. You watch their back, you protect them, but you’re left feeling empty and unfulfilled at the end of the day. What happens when a freak accident transports you to a different dimension, very nearly identical to your own?

A/N: Hi guys! Chapter two is here and it’s time to learn more about the reader and what’s happened to them. If you’re squeamish about burns/injury, please please please read the warnings. I didn’t hold back with the Ick with the reader’s burns and I don’t want you to either read something that’ll make you feel sick or uncomfortable. That said, please enjoy!

Page dividers by @carryonmyswansong​

Pairing(s): StevexReader, background Spideytorch

Word Count: 2.2k

Warnings: Graphic descriptions of burns (fresh and healing), disorientation, interrogation (not intense), different realities

Part 1

“Are they actually alive?” Tony asks.

Steve inches closer and faintly hears the body whimper.

“For now.”

“Christ, that’s gotta be painful.”

“We need to get them to medical.”

“They could be trying to kill us.”

“They can’t do much of anything right now, Tony.”

Tony rolls his eyes and gestures to a set of drawers. “Third down, there’s fresh sheets. Grab one.”

“You keep sheets in the lab?”

“Sheets, drop cloths, same thing at the end of the day. Doesn’t matter, just grab one.”

Steve does as he’s told and they work together to bundle the body up in the soft fabric. The pink-ish ooze of freshly healing burns immediately soaks into the sheet anywhere it touches the wounds. Steve only notices when he scoops them up in his arms. He frowns and turns to Tony.

“Does it look like they’re healing?”

“What?”

“It looks like they’re healing, Tony.” Steve pulls back a corner of the sheet to reveal their shoulder. “That’s not what fresh burns look like. Especially ones this bad.”

Tony’s expression is a mix of disgust and fascination as his eyes flit over the body. The burns on their shoulder slowly, very slowly, skin over with a milky white ooze that could easily be mistaken for infection. It’s not yellow enough, though. Whoever this person is, they heal inhumanly fast.

All Tony says is, “They’re probably in a lot of pain.”

Steve nods and hurries out into the hall, unmoving body clutched to his chest. Tony follows close behind, issuing commands for F.R.I.D.A.Y. to pass along to their medical team.

Steve barely has one foot in the door before someone whisks the body away and someone else places their hand squarely on his chest to stop his momentum. He tries to protest, but his arms are already empty.

“We’ll take it from here, Captain,” they say. “If they heal as fast as Mr. Stark says, we have to move quickly to ensure they’re not permanently stuck in the fetal position.”

Steve nods numbly. “Alright.”

“Any updates we have, you’ll be the first to know.”

“Ah-thank you.”

They nod and quickly move to the bed where the body was placed moments ago. The medical team begins moving their limbs and Steve can’t hear his eyes away out of morbid fascination with the sight. Only when they whimper again does he remember what he’s watching. He averts his eyes and turns back out into the hallway. Tony’s leaning against the wall to Steve’s right, tapping away on his phone.

“They’re in good hands, Steve,” he says. “They’ll heal before you know it and we’ll get our answers.”

“I’d hate to be them right now.”

“Any sane person would be.” Tony pushes off the wall and walks off down the hall. “Lemme know if there are any changes.”

Steve scrubs his hands over his face and slowly walks back to his office.

(Y/N) doesn’t know where she is. Can’t really move her limbs or open her eyes. She’s tired enough that she doesn’t really want to try. She does know she’s in a hospital of some kind. There’s the distant, pulsing beep of a heart monitor and she can occasionally hear the sounds of pen scratching on paper.

The bed she’s lying on is anything but soft and the sheets make her itch all over. She’s cold, initially, but she’s not awake enough at any given time to complain anyway.

Eventually, when she finally feels herself coming back to her body, she’s moved to a different bed. A smooth garment is slipped onto her body and she’s placed on top of sheets significantly softer than before. She’s still sore and pain occasionally flares up around particularly tender areas, especially where her skin is thinnest, but she finds that she’s more comfortable. It’s easier to let herself rest.

When she can finally open her eyes, it’s not for very long. Staying awake takes too much energy. She rolls over, ignores the way her left arm won’t move and the pressure around that wrist, and goes back to sleep. She can worry about it when she’s more lucid and the steadily growing pressure behind her eyes dissipates.

Unfortunately, she wakes up with a pounding headache and something about the bright, buzzing fluorescent lights only serves to make it worse. So, she attempts to cover her eyes with her left arm, only to be stopped short. (Y/N) frowns and tugs against the resistance on her arm. Same distance, but it's followed by a feeble, metallic rattle. Her frown deepens and she cracks one eye to investigate while rubbing the other with her free hand.

She finds her left hand bound at the wrist to the hospital bed railing with a length of gray fabric. The material has very little give and the knots at either end are tied well. Even knowing this she tries to pull at the loop around her wrist. She puts a little extra strength behind it. Even so, unsurprisingly, it does nothing.

"Huh."

She's looking a little too closely at the knot at her wrist and thinking about using her teeth on it when a man appears at the foot of the bed. Startled, she jumps and accidentally smacks herself in the face with her left hand. She makes a small noise of disappointment and rubs at the point of impact.

“Sorry,” the man says. “Did I startle you?”

“A little,” she mumbles.

“I need to ask you a few questions.”

(Y/N) watches him fold his arms across his chest and wishes she could poke his biceps. She might have super strength, but she’s never had the resting muscle definition to prove it. Johnny always teases her for staring at Jen Walters for a little too long. She sighs and briefly wonders if he knows where she is.

“Miss?”

“What? Sorry. I’m a little spacy.” She moves to run her hand over her hair, but only finds the stubbly peach fuzz of regrowth. “Weird.”

“With the state you were in when you showed up, I’d say you’re lucky to even have hair.”

“Was it really that bad?”

“It was pretty grotesque.”

“Oh. Sorry.” (Y/N) clears her throat and sits herself up. “You have questions?”

“Right.” He squares his shoulders. (Y/N) thinks it’s to make him more intimidating. It doesn’t work. “Who sent you?”

“Sorry?”

“You appeared out of thin air in our lab. It’s hard to believe that would just randomly happen. So, who sent you?”

(Y/N) shakes her head. “No one.”

“I don’t believe you. So I’ll ask again; why are you here?”

“Okay, well I don’t know where here is, so you have me at a distinct disadvantage.”

“You don’t know where you are?”

“No.”

“Where did you plan to be?”

“At home, in my bed, reading a book.” She looks around the room. “Where am I?”

“Avengers tower.”

“Tower?” Confused, she frowns. “I thought the Avengers operated out of a mansion somewhere in the city.”

“What mansion?”

“Y’know, that posh mansion with a bunch of floors below the ground that too many people know how to get to.” The man doesn’t give any indication that he does, in fact, know. “Tony Stark funds everything? Captain America is the figurehead?”

“Sounds right, but the location is wrong.”

“How would you know?”

“Because I’m Captain America.”

The corner of her mouth quirks up. “No you’re not.” The man raises one eyebrow. “Are you?”

“I am.”

“But you’re so…” Handsome, soft, almost approachable, her brain supplies. “And he’s so righteous, buzzcut, quarterback.” Her eyes go wide with realization and her hand flies to her mouth. “Oh God, Reed. What’d you do?”

Had Reed’s transport actually worked? Even with chunks flying off, even after exploding, had it sent her to a different dimension? It seems like that’s what happened. This man claims to be Steve Rogers, but he doesn’t look like the Captain she knows. Well, that’s not entirely true. He does look like her Steve Rogers, but not enough for her to think they’re the same person. But who’s to say anyone’s equivalent in a different reality would match them perfectly?

“Who’s Reed?”

“My boss. Reed Richards.”

“Am I supposed to know who that is?”

“You don’t know him?”

“Can’t say that I do.”

“He’s lauded as one of the smartest humans on the planet. Right up there with Stark and Banner.” The Captain just shakes his head. “What about the Fantastic Four? Mr. Fantastic, the Invisible Woman, Human Torch, the Thing?”

“They don’t sound familiar, no.”

She presses the heels of her hands to her eyes. “I must sound like a lunatic.”

“Yes, you do.” A man with dark hair and perfectly groomed facial hair strides into the room. “But I have heard of Richards, and I’m particularly offended that you’d compare the two of us.”

(Y/N) would know that goatee anywhere, but the face is wrong. “You’re-”

“Tony Stark.”

She nods. “Right.”

“Why don’t you explain what’s going on here.”

(Y/N) presses her fingers to her temple. “I’m Reed’s lab assistant. He’s been working on interdimensional transportation for months now and finally settled on something he was sure would work a few days ago, but when we went to tests, the entire thing malfunctioned. Thing literally blew up. From what I can remember, I was caught in the blast. Now I’m here.”

“Hilarious. Tell the truth.”

“I am.”

“That technology doesn’t exist yet. Not to mention the fact that your entire body was one massive third degree burn. Yet you’ve miraculously healed. Explain.”

“I have a healing factor that’s just a smidge weaker than Wolverine’s. I wouldn’t survive a nuclear blast, but full body third degree burns are manageable, I guess.”

“Wolverine?”

“Nigh unto immortal Mutant? Legendary X-Man?” Both Rogers and Stark shake their heads. “Seriously? He’s been alive since before the civil war.”

“Doesn’t ring any bells.”

“Great, you don’t have the X-Men.” She drags her hand over what little hair has grown back. “The only explanation I can come up with, and I apologize for my limited knowledge, I’m just the muscle, is that I was transported to a universe or reality adjacent to mine. Which… would only serve to prove Reed’s theory about a multiverse.”

“Seriously? A multiverse?”

“I don’t know, ask Doctor Strange. I’m not an expert by any means, but I know that this is one of the many intersections of science and magic.” She pauses. “Stephen Strange is the Sorcerer Supreme here, right?”

“He might be.”

“Okay.” She nods, mostly to herself. “Okay.”

“What’s your name?” Rogers asks.

“(Y/N).”

“Last name?”

“(Y/L/N),” she answers. “There might be another me in this reality, but I don’t know how closely realities mimic each other, so… who knows.”

Rogers hums and turns to look at Stark, who just shrugs and says he’ll look into it. He then leaves with the promise of contacting Strange and (Y/N) is suddenly alone with Rogers.

“I’m sorry,” she says. “I know this is a lot for all of you to deal with.”

“It’s fine.”

“Okay.” She bites her lip. “How long was I out for?”

“About four days.”

“Oh shit. That’s way longer than I’ve been down in the past.”

“You were barely recognizable as a human being when you appeared. I think that gives you a pass on healing a little slower than usual.”

“Mm, you’re probably right.” Rogers nods absentmindedly. “Wild question; could you untie me?”

“Hm?”

“Could you untie me?” she repeats. “I know it’s for everyone’s safety, but I'm not going anywhere, and I’m pretty sure I’ll accidentally break the railing if I fall asleep like this again.”

"It's pretty sturdy."

"Could you break this pretty sturdy railing?"

"We'll, yeah-"

"Then I'd be able to break it." He raises his eyebrows and she gestures to herself. "Pretty-sturdy-railing will meet pretty-strong-burn-victim, and the burn victim will win."

“So you heal quickly and you’re super strong?”

"Yes, exactly."

"How?"

(Y/N) shrugs. "Luck of the draw, I guess. I mean, how does anyone get their powers, if not by chance?"

"In my experience, through a lot of scientific experimentation."

“Mm, I guess so. You said you don’t know about the X-Men, right?”

“Right.”

“Hm, then I guess you don’t really have anyone who’s genetically predisposed to having powers, then.”

"Maybe we do and we just haven't met them yet."

"Maybe." She stifles a yawn. "The government likes to beat back anyone they see as a threat with a stick, so I wouldn't blame anyone for hiding their powers."

"They do that where you're from?"

"Mhm." Rogers quietly approaches and unties the knot around (Y/N)'s wrist in one smooth motion. "Thank you. It's cyclical, sometimes."

"Can't say it's much different here." (Y/N) yawns again and tries to sit up a little straighter. “You should get some rest.”

She shakes her head and absentmindedly rubs her left wrist. “I’m sure you have more questions.”

“Nothing that can’t wait till tomorrow.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course.” He pats her shoulder and heads for the door. “I’ll make sure some food is sent up for you.”

“Thank you, Captain Rogers.”

He nods and disappears into the hallway.

--------

Part 3

Alrighty, so the reader character isn’t dead, huzzah! But now they’re stuck in an alternate reality. Could this prove to be a Bad Thing? Or maybe it’s just a brand new adventure. You’ll have to tune in next time to find out.

As always, I’d love to know what you thought of this chapter! Are you surprised by how careful Steve was with the Body? How do you feel about the Reader character being tied to their hospital bed? Was Steve as intimidating as he thought he was? Be sure to reblog, comment, and/or shoot me an ask and tell me all about it!

Tag List:

@ghostlyhamlet, @claws-of-vibranium, @creaturefeatures101-blog, @imagine-assembling-the-avengers, @buckysendoftheline, @ptprocrastination, @1950schick, @amayasymone23, @arfrona-and-marvel, @ek823, @fanaticfangirl001, @furrywerewolfcollector, @kissofvenom922, @dawn-phantomhive, @fangirlwithasweettooth, @mairhof1, @starryeyesbadguys, @trap-house-homiecide, @buckywhitewolfbarnes, @kaepm981, @howdoesoneadult, @pcdmesamidala, @thefandomplace, @sian22redux. @skeletoresinthebasement, @lady-thor-foster, @feelmyroarrrr, @jazzcutie, @gaytonystark, @hermionie-is-my-queen. @darling-loki, @geeksareunique, @nyxveracity, @lemonadeorange73, @princess-unicorn124, @tofeartheunknown​, @queenoftheunderdark​, @avengerscompound​, @patzammit​

This fic:

@brattymum96​

[night-dark-woods]

ID. photo of a whiteboard with bullet points written on it, titled "Stocking Reminders."

Top stock goes in the same 4' section as the stock.

Each SKU's overstock should be all in one spot. (below this point there is a diagram of a shelf with colorcoded boxes, one mixed up and one with the colors together)

Don't overfill hooks/shelves. There should be one straight line of product! If it won't hang nicely that is too much.

End ID.

end of my fucking rope tuesday. this won't stop my coworkers because they can't read but the amount of topstock i found in fucking random aisles today was truly absurd. like we've graduated from putting it in the same aisle 16ft away on the opposite side (annoying but at least line of sight) to putting it in topstock in its unlabeled cardboard shipping box, three aisles away, in a different department.

other highlights of today:

i asked this kid to downstock One Aisle and he spent 3(?) hours standing over there doing, as far as i can tell, nothing. which dgmw i can respect. minimum wage => minimum effort but my man that wasn't even CLOSE to the minimum and you are actively making everyone else's lives more difficult!!!

hardware mgr tried to have someone else (the aforementioned kid who can't even put stock in the right spot!!!) do counts on stock, BEHIND MY BACK, AGAIN. so i started off the day with an argument with him. bc if im not shooting outs regularly enough for you fucking TALK TO ME. and i will tell you what i need, which is you to do your fucking JOB and MANAGE YOUR PEOPLE. and get on their asses to actually maintain their sections!!! i could do the whole fucking store in an hour if literally anyone else did their jobs!!!

got a new rope assortment in from a new vendor, hardware mgr packed up the old stuff for buyback but ALSO managed to pack up a bunch of the NEW stuff with it despite the packaging being a completely different color AND saying the new brand name, so i had to go digging in 15 different taped-shut boxes to find it back.

just some truly atrocious and annoying customers. girl if youre in a hurry that is YOUR problem for not planning. i cant read your mind and i cant give you an answer if you cant explain your problem to me.

got called "ladies" collectively about 8 times today by my coworker who a) does ABA as his other job b) asked me if ozzy was my "real name" and c) said he used to be a liberal but he thinks there are more important things than peoples' identities. we're mostly copacetic now though bc he sees how much work i do and also we've commiserated about the state of the educational system & when he was talking about how "boys and girls learn differently" i very lightly floated the "well, i don't think that's inherent necessarily, you know, like we're raised and taught certain ways to be from SUCH a young age, and kids pick up on stuff pretty fast," and he was like huh ive never thought about that. ill have to think about that. so not unsalvageable! just a particular Kind Of Guy.

they're doing work on the roof and they fucking broke the ancient drainpipe that runs through our upstairs backstock area, so theres like three totes worth of roof-water-soaked merchandise that i have to take out of inventory tomorrow. and everything else in that backstock area has a fine coating of rust flakes from the disintegrating ceiling. and i was paged up there to help sort thru the stock and like. there are THREE PEOPLE here today who actually have a manager title, which I DONT!!! so why cant the three of you take care of it!!! and i KNOW its bc im good at problem-solving and don't really say no and would do it faster than anyone else but god. come on. its putting wet stock in totes.

also in the last 30 min of my shift (in the hardware dept!!! doing inventory counts!!!) my coworker walkied Me, Specifically, even though i knowww they were fully staffed in cashiers and housewares today, to pick up a call from a specific problem customer ABOUT A HOUSEWARES PRODUCT. bro i know FULL WELL you are doing fucking nothing but online shopping on the work computer, you fucking handle it!!! im on a DIFFERENT FLOOR and im busy doing other shit!!!

and its only tuesday!!! yippee!!!

[keshetchai]

Fountain pen ink bottle: $4 /ea

pocket sized sketchbooks or notebooks $2 (yellow & brown strathmore drawing/sketch are bundled together for $2)

The three larger sketchbooks are all $5 /ea

various mini canvas packs $3 / ea

acrylic paint pad $8 BNNU

mixed media toned paper pad $6

gel print and roller $8

tortilla pencil roll $2

cheapie brushes bundle (seriously these are CHEAP brushes, they aren't good quality. they're meant for watercolor or acrylic, and I keep cheapies on hand for things like applying masking glue, gesso, spattering, yknow...there's all kinds of reasons why you want sort of terrible brushes. the handles can mix stuff. any time you might end up destroying the good brushes, these are the sacrificial lambs!) $3 for all of them.

brushes box $14 BNNU

brush washer, paint keys (bundle), sanding sponges, letters stencil, clip-on cups to hold medium -- $3 /ea

golden open acrylics set BN swatched and tested like once, got some oil paints on tube but otherwise great. this is the traditional colors set of 6. $30

palette paper (white) BNNU $8

soho, grumbacher, & turner watercolor bundle: $15

marie's gouaches bundle and storage box I had them in $6

Lukas gouache bundle $25

QOR watercolor (remaining paint in squeezed out tubes (1 tube missing), and the paint poured out into a funky pink pill box with a cool skeleton on the front and washi tape decoration. the watercolors left to dry in the pill box rewet nicely. $15

union square watercolor pad $6

Filofax Original A5 size organizer in Dark Aqua WITH loads of interior pages - some bought from an online etsy shop (in rainbow colors, "QUESTS" instead of "to-do lists" and "heart" boxes, plus regular white or colored lined papers as well. it's stuffed full!) No actual calendar pages but does have numbered dividers with tabs. $130

pencils box $2

that white palette $3

art supply carrier tote bag thingy $10. it does have like, graphite, pastel smudging on the insides and all of that, but honestly you're just going to add more, right?

NOTE ON GOUACHES AND WATERCOLORS:

I will not do returns for dried gouache or watercolor in the tubes. Some of them will need to be reworked! (like I can hear one of the marie's gouaches rattling inside the tube, lol)

The fix to a dried out or drying out watercolor/gouache is incredibly simple: add water. You can cut open the tube to act as a cup, or cut them open and pour them out into a plastic paint cub or reused glass/plastic cup with lid. or right into a palette. add just enough water to fully soak the dried paint. wait a few days for it to soften up. add more water as necessary. if it's still a bit thick, you can add a drop of plain glycerin to the paint and mix it in to help it retain the moisture it's soaking in. this will also make it easier to rewet as you go on.

I will say the lukas gouaches all appear squishy still in tubes, the acrylics are perfect, and the sohos/turner seem mostly fine, but there's some they may need re-constituting and the marie's may have some dry ones as well. lastly, the QOR's don't have much left actually inside the tubes, so you might want to cut the tubes open anyways to paint directly from. they're nice paints tho, and i of course am bundling with where i poured all the paint into.

also: sorry the lighting is weirdly yellowy. I laid out a white curtain that I am not currently using to try and take pictures on and it's just...this whole house has terrible lighting in every room lol. i promise you those curtains are white.

these can't be shipped media mail, so just keep that in mind!

[x-gon-give-it]

Anon from before I’ve just subscribed to a bunch of ur works ig my first question is how do u come up w all these ideas ???? I’ve only read maybe four but they’re all widely different it’s amazing. Ur work page is like a big fic rec in and of itself

Awww thank you!!

A lot of my inspiration for my fics comes from comics/media I consume.

From the comics, I come across specific arcs, what-if storylines, and alternate universe, and soak in all the little details I like and end up taking that concept, but making it Spideypool (or some other ship I like). I have WIP’s based off of “Night of the Living Deadpool” (Spideypool zombie/apocalypse fic), “Superior Spider-Man” (a ‘what if Wade and Peter were dating when Otto took over Peter’s body and how would that impact the rest of the comic arc’), and “Assassin Spider-Man” (a role-reversal where Peter falls head over heels for Deadpool first, instead of vice versa).

My “Invisible Man” and “Hide N’ Seek” fic was actually inspired by the 2020 “Invisible Man” movie, a specific comic panel where Chameleon admits to Peter Parker that he loves him (I’m not even kidding, it’s a real thing), and the “Deadpool Annual #2” comic where Chamelon is playing ‘cat and mouse’ with Spider-Man, and Deadpool switches costumes with Spidey. I just mashed all three concepts together because they fit so so well XD

“Wade Wilson’s Guide for Studying Your Spider” was created out of my love for Man-Spider (Spider-Man when he mutates) and my utter delight in Peter Parker having more spidery attributes. I also love Wade being more observant and intelligent than people give him credit for, and Spider-Man being more terrifying and violent than I often see recent Spider-Man media.

So, yeah, I kind of just soak in the stuff I watch, pick out the pieces I especially like, mix in a ship/dynamic that I want to see, and I kind of end up creating plot around it. It’s fun and one of my favorite parts of writing is actually plot-development and figuring out where the story is going to go.

Also, my work-page being compared to a fic-rec list is one of the best compliments I’ve ever had, thank you ❤️❤️❤️❤️

[littlehen]

Recipe: Spiced Lamb Meatballs on Sourdough

Lamb mince was on sale, so I looked up this recipe on Youtube: link

In the description box, it has the ingredients list and a link to the recipe on the Waitrose website, but the link just goes to Page Not Found, so I'm writing it here.

Shopping List:

400g lamb mince 2 tsp sumac, plus extra to serve 6 tbsp toasted pine nuts, chopped - I used pistachios because pine nuts are too expensive, make sure to chop them small 25g pack flat leaf parsley, leaves finely chopped 1 tbsp olive oil 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes - I could only find cans 'with herbs' but I don't think it detracted from the overall flavour 2 tsp dried mint 4 thick slices sourdough bread 4 tbsp natural yogurt (+ an egg)

Method:

1. Place the lamb mince in a big bowl. Add the nuts, sumac, most of the parsley, S+P. The recipe doesn't mention anything to bind it together (???) so I also added 1 beaten egg. Bring the mixture together and use hands to roll and press it into walnut-sized meatballs - can use a tablespoon measure to judge size.

2. Oil in a flat pan, medium heat. Brown the meatballs. Turn occasionally to get them evenly coloured. Then pick them out and rest them on a plate. You're not trying to get them cooked right through here, they will cook in the sauce later, so don't worry if there's still a little bit of pink visible.

3. To the oil in the pan, add the sliced garlic. Cook for about a minute, don't let the garlic go brown.

4. Add two cans of tomatoes and the dried mint. Simmer on low for about 7 mins.

5. Use tongs to place the meatballs back into the sauce. Stir them gently or spoon over some sauce, you just want to get their heads wet. Put the pan onto a small ring / low heat. Cover with a lid and let cook for 15 mins.

6. Toast your sourdough slices. The lady in the video toasts these on a griddle pan. I tried this. Firstly, it takes a lot longer to toast bread on a griddle than it does in the toaster, as it's one side at a time. I could only get brown sourdough, which is denser, so maybe that was the problem. Secondly, you can't get many slices in the pan. I was aiming for two slices each (it was a little loaf) for three people. I ended up putting them in the toaster because I realised they would never all be toasted before the sauce was ready. The char-bars of the griddle pan look great but once it's under the meatballs and sauce, you're not going to see them anyway.

7. Spoon the meatballs onto the toast. Add plenty of sauce, so it can soak into the bread.

8. Drizzle on natural yoghurt, sprinkle parsley, and dust on a pinch of sumac.

This was delicious, and pretty easy, and I'd definitely make it again. The only thing I changed was adding egg to the meatballs, and I'm glad I did because they were pretty fall-aparty, and I think without the egg they would've just crumbled into mince. Which wouldn't be a disaster, it would just become a meaty ragu sauce. But what I know about meatballs is that you need something wet to bind them together, and a filler like breadcrumbs so the fat can be retained in the ball and not all leak out, leaving it dry and tasteless. I don't think the nuts really served that filler function. So I might experiment a bit with the meatball mix in future. But the tomato sauce meant it didn’t matter that the balls were a little dry.

Also: the lamb, sumac, mint and yoghurt tasted great together. However the recipe is versatile and I think you could switch it up - use baharat instead of sumac, or beef and garam masala, with paprika instead of mint. It would be a fun one to play with.

[prettyboykatsuki]

✮ tags ; gender neutral reader, vague organized crime setting, lots of horirble shit ( oliver is threatening), references to sex work, and depictions of violence, 18+

✮  a/n ; i didnt have a point in the fic to mention it but the organization barou and oliver are apart of are at odds with the yakuza lol. not relevant but felt like it should be somewhere/

You're a book keeper.

That's all there is to your job, really.

Of course, you didn't become the book keeper for the Japanese branch of a global crime syndicate overnight. Before this you were laundering money and right before you got put away, you snatched up by your local organizations head.

You're meticulous, good with numbers and know how to lie. That's why your boss wrung you out from the hands of the police and welcomed you.

You're a book keeper, and that's all there is to your job. And even back when you were laundering on a smaller scale, it was rare anyone every took interest in you specifically.

Your boss is sitting on the edge of the desk covered in blood. There's a trail of bodies knocked out in all corners of the room and some loose teeth, mixed with the smell of printer ink and leather couches.

You didn't think he was going to be the one to wait with you while you looked over records.

He's usually too busy to be here for anything domestic. He leaves that work in the hands of Barou, who you've worked with a lot before. Barou is a good boss, albeit a little scary.

You didn't think today was gonna be any different.

But he's here, anyhow - sitting on the edge of your desk with his shirt barely over his shoulders, covered in blood and loosely holding and unlit cigarette.

And he's staring at you. Hard.

Barou had mentioned it. That the boss was interested in you after your exploits in the Shizuoka firm, finding some inconsistencies in their documents that could've cost him a lot. That was months ago so it slipped your mind he'd even known.

You pause as shuffle through pages and pages of written records, reorganizing loose records. Fucking criminal orgs and their dogshit filing system.

You tap a stack of papers against the table, feeling the pressure of Olivers gaze.

You sigh.

"Boss," He pauses when he hears you talk. He smiles wide. "It's a little hard to focus with you here."

He stands to his feet and looks ten times more intimidating than usual. He blood soaked dress shirt gives up hanging off of him loosely and falls onto the flloor. From the neck down he's covered in tattoos, all color. There's more flowers on him then you thought there'd be. You flit your gaze back to your papers as he walks up besides you, sitting directly next to you on the desk instead of on the edge.

He's quiet for a long stretch of time, unresponsive - so you try your best to continue your work.

When he puts his hands on your chin, you freeze. He tips your face up to him with a look you can't read and you wonder what you're supposed to do. You've experienced an average amount of harassment in your time here but that was mostly form grunts. Barou doesn't like stuff like that so you usually just tell on them.

You can't really go against Oliver though, can you?

"Aw, don't look so scared. Just taking a peek at the merchandise as they say."

You furrow your brows. "Merchandise? I'm not a prostitute. This is my only work here."

He laughs a little. At your indignant choice of words. "No I know that. I'm messin' around. You could make a good living that if you wanted to make some extra cash you know?"

You look at him flatly. Barou rarely has good things to say about him, but he does respect him. You currently can't help but wonder why.

"No thank you."

He pauses again and you wonder if you've pissed him off. It's not like you want to give him lip, but you really don't want to let him intimidate you either. You hold firm as he holds your gaze, lids dropping. He grabs your face with one hand, squishing your cheeks together.

"Got a lot of nerve, don't you?"

You make a confused face at him but you don't fold. Guys like him are all the same. You give them an inch they'll take a mile. They're out for blood after all. The first sign of weakness and they'll bang down your door.

You hold your ground, even against some greater instinct to do as he says. You can't. You couldn't even if you wanted too. You've been in the business for a long time and you intend to stay that way.

The stalemate stands for so long you wonder if the people laying at his feet will manage to stand back up. But you don't give.

And then, after a while he lets go. Your face almost stings form how hard he was holding it but he just... drops it and goes quiet. You brace yourself for whatever comes next, since you're sure something will but he—

He laughs.

For a while too. You don't really know what to make of it so you keep to yourself as he does. A hand comes ontop of your head and rubs, and you sort of feel like a dog which you don't like. Shaking him off, you scoot back. He's still watching you, still bloodstained, still broad and imposing, still tattooed and silent. Bu something lingers.

And, for a reason you can't name, it's the thing that makes a pit of dread form in your stomach.

Maybe you're reading too much into it. Maybe it's just you being self-absorbed. But you know, you've seen it before. Greed is the devil you dance with everyday and it's there. On his face. If it was about the money, you're sure he'd just make it about the money.

You'd know if it was about the money.

He pulls a lighter from his pants pocket lights his cigarettes as he smiles at you. He glances at the clock, at one of the bodies at his feet, and then his eyes land back on you. Upturned, crinkled at the corners, blood smeared. He looks and looks and looks. You know what it looks like when someone is desperate for money. Or when their greed makes a fool of them.

You're just a book keep, though. You keep your head down.

It's the first time since you've been born that you've seen this kind of face. An almost uncharacteristic kind of thrill and exhilaration simmering under the surface.

It's the first time you've had someone take an interest in you like this.

He puffs out a long cloud of smoke.

"How long do you have left here?"

"Uhm. A while sir."

"About dinner time, yeah?"

You nod. He hums.

"Right. Then. We're getting dinner afterwards so try and hurry up, kay?"

You get the feeling it's not really a question, so you sigh.

"Yes boss."

He smiles one more time, contented before turning to leave. You wonder if it's too late for you to retract. You get the feeling it is.

having horrible evil thoughts about oliver as a mob boss

[wildcards1407]

Travel Documents 119: The Chronicles Of Saint Mary’s

by Jodi Taylor

Genre:  sci-fi, time-travel, romance, adventure

The Dust Cover Copy

If the whole of History lay before you, where would you go?

When Dr Madeleine Maxwell is recruited by the St Mary's Institute of Historical Research, she discovers the historians there don't just study the past: they revisit it. Meet St Mary's - a group of tea-soaked disaster magnets who hurtle their way around History. But one wrong move and History will fight back - to the death. And Max soon discovers it's not just History she's fighting...

The Scene

Worldbuilding

Okay, heads up: I am covering a THIRTEEN BOOK SERIES in this review. Yep. Thirteen books. A fourteenth out next June. And a delightful number of short stories between the main books. So, there’s a LOT I’m not covering in here, because I’m not writing a thesis on Jodi Taylor. But let’s just state, for the record, that I have listened to the whole thing via audiobook four times, to date. That tells you a bit.

Reading this work is like going swimming in the local watering hole. On the surface everything is rollicking fun and sunshine. Beneath, dark things swim in the murk of human history and the human psyche. From the moment Maxwell walks up the stairs of Saint Mary’s to the very last page of Book 13, you will be delighted, appalled, surprised, grossed out once in a while, educated now and then, and made to laugh about every other page.

So, the world. Somewhere in the near future, somehow, someone figured out time travel. That initial genuis’s name is lost, but in order to prevent idiots and cowboys trying to warp time to their own ends, an organization of very professional idiots was created. The Saint Mary’s team is an incredible bunch of goofballs, geniuses, nutcases and ne’er do wells who, if you squint, look like a family. They travel in small, apparently stone huts called pods; perfectly innocuous on the outside, smelling of hot electrics and cabbage on the inside. And they are such fun to read about. These are not cowboys racing through time to Undo A Disaster, oh no. These are highly trained academics and professionals paid to observe historical events in contemporary time (for godssake don’t call it time travel), find out what actually happened and document it to break up all those nasty little disagreements that tend to fuel dictators, start wars…you know, that sort of thing.

The worldbuilding is based on a lot of historical research (beautifully if cheekily done) a lot of theoretical physics (nicely handled in the finest Star Trek fashion) some great thought put into what our next 50-100 years may look like, and a lot of experience as a member of a professional organization (absolutely HILARIOUSLY portrayed). But what a wonderful edifice has been built on those foundations. The organizational and interpersonal details make the whole thing feel so much more believable. Seeing time travel explored from the point of view of the trainee dealing with the (evil) training horse, or the harried manager who’s moderating between a member of Wardrobe asking for someone’s head on a plate after a 16th-century court dress came home shredded and a Historian crying ‘but there was a crocodile!’, that was a stroke of mastery. Exploring time as a settled organization with strong bonds and a real sense of devotion to duty allows for all sorts wonderful interpersonal details that are the connective tissue of this series.

Throw in some troublemakers out to make a buck, a crazed ex-Historian bent on vengeance, an evil co-worker or two, a metric ton of forms to fill and a PA who won’t make the tea, and you’ve got the whole bag of cats.

The Crowd

Characterization

It’s the characters who really make this story. So, I shall present just a few of them as the series does. Dramatis Thingummy

Dr Edward Bairstow: Director of St Mary's. Tall, authoritative. Losing his hair (for obvious reasons). Holds together a volatile mix of technicians, historians, kitchen staff, security teams and the sometimes explosive Research and Development Section. Dr. Bairstow is a fascinating character in the spirit of Professor X: walks with a cane, limps, and has absolutely effortless poise. Handles his team without even really trying. The best man you could ever work for.

Mrs. Partridge: PA to Director. Not to be crossed. Possibly (?) actually the Muse of History. As in, a goddess. As in, don’t mess about.

HISTORY SECTION

Max: Madeline Maxwell, Historian. Short, red-haired, engaging, impatient, self-deprecating, with a murky past and a precarious future.

She is at various points a Historian, the Director, and a mad ginger bint bent on mayhem (as she describes it). Max is the point of view character throughout the series, and she is fascinating; tough and brittle, funny and harsh, full of knowledge and always keeping a close eye on the locked door in her head where The Bad Things of childhood lie. When Taylor writes the serious stuff, it’s SERIOUS, but Max generally stays in the sunny waters of snarky good cheer on the surface of her personality, and is a delightful POV voice. Oh, and don’t piss her off. She’s devious.

Tim Peterson: Historian. Tall and shaggy. A good friend.

Kalinda Black: Historian. Blonde and blue-eyed. Looks like a Disney princess. Possibly drinks the blood of recently qualified trainees. Recipient of Mr. Dieter's affections.

TECHNICAL SECTION

Leon Farrell: Chief Technical Officer. Dark hair, blue eyes, competent, calm, quiet. Leon is one of the main characters in the series: he’s deeply in love with Max, carrying his own personal baggage full of pain and loss, smart as a whip in his areas of expertise and occasionally thick as a brick sandwich. A really lovely man.

Mr. Dieter: Farrell's number two. Built like a brick shi – a very large young man.

MEDICAL SECTION

Dr Helen Foster: Medical doctor and with the people skills of a root vegetable. Smoker of many cigarettes. Recipient of Mr. Peterson's affections.

Nurse Hunter: Pretty as a picture and ruthlessly effective. Recipient of Markham's dubious affections.

SECURITY SECTION

Major Ian Guthrie: Head of Security, whose unenviable task it is to keep St Mary's safe, despite all their best efforts. An incredibly competent and on-the-ball man.

Mr. Markham: Security guard. Small, grubby and disaster-prone. Reputedly indestructible – which is just as well.

Big Dave Murdoch: Gentle giant.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Professor Rapson: Head of R&D. Lives in his own world. Responsible for the destruction of the Clock Tower and the disastrous Icarus experiment. Apparently unaware of the properties of methane.

Doctor Dowson: Librarian and Archivist. Also not quite up to speed re methane. Makes very good tea. And sympathy. And strops, if you mess up the books. Incredible strops.

IT DEPARTMENT

Isabella Barclay: Head of IT. Professional bitch. Short, spiteful and redheaded. Gossip says she harbours an unrequited passion for Farrell.

Polly Perkins: Technician. Sweetheart.

OTHERS

Mrs Mack: Kitchen Supremo. Do Not Cross. Sweet and treat-dispensing once you get on her good side.

Jenny Fields: Kitchen Assistant and dodo advocate. Very quiet, very brave.

Mrs De Winter: Retired schoolteacher. Possibly (?) also a Muse. As in, goddess. As in, don’t ask don’t tell.

Rosie Lee: PA to Max. On paper. Possibly (?) a harpy. Do not ask for tea. You will not like the results.

Turk: Officially a horse. Possibly (probably?) demonic

THE VILLAIN: Clive Ronan. Dark, nondescript, impassive and deadly. Straight up stone cold son of a bitch. With brains. Was a Historian, went rogue, turned completely round the bend. Dies repeatedly and impressively, keeps getting around it via timeline shenanigans.

ALSO CAST

Assorted armies, raptors, crocodiles, stonemasons, woodcutters, nobility, notable figures, royalty, rabble, and hostile contemporaries too numerous to mention.

Writing Style

Rollicking on the surface, racy at points, and rocky with emotional craters in the depths, this series is like a bag of potato chips. Once you start, you just can’t stop!

As you’ve probably intuited already, the style is chatty, approachable, raunchy, funny, dry and BRITISH. As in ‘I have the attention span of a tea bag’, one of the series catch phrases. Saint Mary’s ribs each other constantly in love and comradery. If they’re being polite, they don’t like you. And Max’s narrative voice is full of comments like ‘and then I got it. I’m not bright. I mentioned I’m not bright, right?’

It’s satisfying, it’s giggle inducing, and it is a ton of fun.

The Moves

Plot

The series is structured as an adventure-of-the-day, with an assignment forming the basis of each plotline. Whether they’re headed to Troy or Tudor England, the assignment takes center stage. But there are always references to what has come before…or after…or…it’s complicated, when you travel in time for a living. The incredible weirdness and amazing entanglements created by things in the future causing things in the past, an individual’s personal future involving a trip to the Cretaceous, and all such shenanigans, and things get WILD. For all its entanglements, Taylor always keeps ahold of the thread. And when the author pulls and all the pieces fall right into place, it is a sight to behold.

Overall Rating

A rollicking, racing, tea-soaked British delight. You’re in for a treat.

[skimmeh]

oh here's a tip ...from my own experience with art

If you find you really like your sketches...but find your lineart always looks way more stiff and empty, and you miss the messiness and shapes you had in the sketch

Try-

instead of doing the classic, draws a sketch, lowers the opacity of sketch and draws the lineart on a layer above. Just draw into and erase at your sketch layer. Make your sketch layer into your lineart layer.

Play around with it, there is literally no rule on the 'proper' way to lineart your work. You'll have so much more fun with art if you just let yourself explore different ways of drawing ..rather than the stereotypical way.

I get this might be an obvious statement....but this is more advice that young me needed to hear, and might be helpful for some artist out there.

There is no rule to drawing. If you were finding drawing lineart the way you thought you was supposed to, really boring and unsatisfying. You could just not do it all together, find your own way where you're having fun with it.

I get that some people might find my art style annoyingly messy or not appealing. But I enjoy drawing this way, with how I mix lineart and sketches together, and I'm glad that some people also like the look.

[tarotwitchy]

{pick-a-card readings}

Pile 1 → Pile 2

Pile 3 → Pile 4

🔞 Minors DNI with this post! 🔞

I am back with another PAC, sweethearts! And this time, we'll be doing an 18+ NSFW Channeled Message from your Future Spouse.

Also, I just want to thank every single person who followed, liked/reblogged, and interacted with this blog. I am so thankful for all of you. This shout-out goes out especially to those who purchased my paid readings. Your continued support and trust in my readings have really alleviated my lack of funds, and you guys have no idea how much difference it made in my life. Thank you so, so much to all of you! 💛

♥️ If you are interested in getting a personalized tarot reading, check out my Paid Reading Services!

Pile 1

Death • 9 of Cups • 4 of Cups • 5 of Wands • Ace of Cups • 7 of Pentacles

— "I want to kiss your luscious lips so badly, it's the only thing you'll think of for days."

— "I know you're very independent and content with yourself. But give me a chance, and let me in."

— "We'll be making love and fucking for hours, I'll be sure to make you soak the sheets with our mixed fluids."

— "I want to drink your cum from the source. So... please make sure you cum a lot for me."

— "If you'd let me, I'll put in the work and eat you out/suck you until you're shaking and breathless. You'll be seeing stars by the time I'm through with you. And by then, we're only just starting."

— "I'm sorry to admit... but making you mad and riled up turns me on so damn much. I love seeing you angry because it summons this animalistic side to you, and sex becomes mind-blowing with you."

— "I can't believe I found someone with the same kinks and fantasies that I have. I love exploring them with you. I'm ecstatic seeing your eyes roll behind your head when we do things that most people could only dream of doing."

— "Your body is a canvas of our lust. I love painting you with my cum, and I feel loved when you do the same to me."

— "Seeing you sprawled on the bed, naked, satiated, and panting with breathlessness makes me want to ravage you all over again until both of us pass out."

•��•—•—•

This person truly loves seeing you fucked out, as they say. The type of sex you'll be having with your Future Spouse is truly life-changing. You'll feel touched inside and out, no area of your body and soul left unturned. And so, if you're not ready for this kind of loving, you most likely not meet your Future Spouse just yet. There needs to be a certain level of mental, emotional, and most of all, physical preparation to deal with the sexual energies they'll demonstrate unto you.

Notable kinks they might have: Water sports (lots and lots of squirting and even golden showers), Cum play (they love seeing both of yours and theirs mixed together), Leaving marks where people can see the proof of your lovemaking (Hickeys, restraint marks, etc.), Marathon sex (or going for an extra round even though you're both exhausted), Lots and lots of Oral sex (even in between moments of penetration, they might go down again and again).

Pile 2

Judgment • Page of Pentacles • The Hierophant • 6 of Wands • 9 of Swords • Temperance

— "You don't have to worry about a thing. I'll take care of you."

— "I'm not going to leave you, ever. You can relax your anxieties when you're with me."

— "I want to stay inside you for as long as you'd allow me to." (Male-presenting partner)

— "I want you to be merged with me, and feel the heat of you forever. I'm so hungry for your touch."

— "Please don't hide your body from me. You're very beautiful."

— "I'll go slow until you tell me otherwise. Tell me how fast and hard you want me to go."

— "I know I sound traditional... but I want to marry you first. I want this union to signify our lifelong commitment."

— "I won't waste a drop of cum, we'll surely get pregnant from this."

— "I want your scent to be ingrained in my mind, our lovemaking is the only thing in my mind wherever I am."

— "When I come home, I want to get a taste of you immediately. I've been so thirsty for you all day long."

•—•—•—•

Your Future Spouse is definitely a traditionalist. If you're someone who is quite freaky in bed, this pile may not be for you because this person is really keen on vanilla sex, lots of smooches, cuddling while having sex, and very emotionally intimate stuff. They're the type to shower your face with kisses mid-thrust, will probably want you to cross your ankles around their hips for maximum closeness. This is the type of spouse who loves to have cute pillow talk after lovemaking, while mapping your back with light finger caresses.

Notable kinks they might have: I don't see much "kinks" here, but they may have a thing with maintaining eye contact all throughout sex, probably also wants to muffle your moans with their mouth, and perhaps, wanting to "get to know your body" even if neither of you are really horny. It's like... they want to know which parts of your body turn you on, and so they'll probably going to be like, "hey, I want to explore your body. Let's take our clothes off, and let's check each other out." And yes, it will turn sexual very fast.

Pile 3

Knight of Swords • 2 of Pentacles • 6 of Wands • King of Pentacles • 10 of Swords • Ace of Pentacles

— "You're safe with me. We can explore each other as much and as lewd as you'd like."

— "We can take turns eating and sucking each other off. There's no rush right now, baby."

— "I'll sit back, and I want you to have your way with me. Ride me to your heart's desire, my love."

— "You're tired? Lay down, and surrender your pleasure to me. Just hold on and don't take your eyes off of me. You got that?"

— "I absolutely love fondling your pussy/dick. Feeling your wetness/hardness reminds me that it's all mine."

— "We are not done until we pass out, and your pussy/cock can't cum no more. Get it?"

— "You look so beautiful in that lingerie, baby girl. I can't wait to get you out of it." (For women-presenting people)

— "Tell me I'm the best lover you've ever been with. I'll make sure you'll never think of another after I had my way with you."

— "Cum in my mouth, baby. That's it, give it all to me. I want all of it. You're so fucking delicious, I can't get enough."

— "Seeing you shaking while cumming makes me cum harder and faster. I want to take all of you."

•—•—•—•

Your Future Spouse is definitely a switch! I know not a lot of people wants to be with a switch but your FS really knows how to match your mood. If you want to be dominated, they can be a "pleasure dom." They know exactly how to take care of you. Your pleasure is theirs, no problem. But if you're in a mood to be the one who calls the shots, they're more than happy to acquiesce to your desire to have your way with them. They're also open-minded to novel ideas of spicing up the bedroom activities, so keep that in mind to have variation from time to time.

Notable kinks they might have: Mutual Oral Sex, FemDom, Pleasure Dom (on their part), Prolonged Orgasms, Blindfolding (they want you to trust them giving you pleasure, and being under their mercy), Rigging and being rigged, Unusual sex positions, and lots of cum drinking.

Pile 4

The Fool • Queen of Wands • 5 of Cups • King of Pentacles • 4 of Cups • 7 of Wands

— "I know you want to sexually explore with me but please be patient with me. I've been hurt before, but I'm slowly opening up to you."

— "You're the only person I trust to be sexual with. I love you very much, I just want you to know that."

— "I love making out with you, the feeling of your hot tongue doing a sensual dance with mine makes me want to go all the way with you."

— "We won't do anything we're not ready for. I promise to be patient and gentle with you, as I hope you'd be with me as well."

— "I want to ride you slowly, feeling your hot and flushed body glide with mine as we share each other's pleasure."

— "Hold me tight, baby. I don't want to be parted from you right now. You feel so tight around me/you feel so big inside me."

— "I love burying my face on your neck. It's my safe space. Your smell is intoxicating, and I want to have you forever."

— "I love staying inside of you (male-presenting); I love when you stay inside of me after we both came at the same time (female-presenting)."

— "I'll kiss all of the spots you deem are ugly, for they're all beautiful to me because they're a part of you."

•—•—•—•

For some of you, either one of you or both of you are virgins. Perhaps, your Future Spouse is inexperienced because they haven't slept with a lot of people prior to meeting you. But that doesn't mean they don't know what to do; they just need practice, time, and more guidance. On the other hand, {TW!} they might have experienced sexual traumas in the past. And this is why they're afraid to completely open up immediately. Please be patient with them because they will be loyal to you nonetheless. So, give them time to get comfortable with the idea of sharing their body with you.

Notable kinks they might have: I don't really see any "kinks," but I know they put Safety and Comfort at the top of the list. They're also big on Aftercare, and would love to spoil you and be spoiled in return. Once they feel more confident exploring with you, I can see the use of Sex Toys that both of you can use on one another (such as vibrators, feathers, dildos, fuzzy handcuffs that can be easily removed, etc.)

{masterlist}

[biographydivider]

Who wants some Grumpy Bruno fanfic? Me, I do. So I wrote some.

I've seen a lot of Stop Infantalising Bruno discourse recently, and I wanted to write a situation where he could be a grumpy, sleep deprived old man and still (hopefully!) be loveable. Because I personally love those little flashes of temper we get from him...plus, it gave me a chance to find some fun Spanish swears!

Also I've resigned myself to every single one of these having a book reference in them; my real life is either selling books or writing them so I guess I have them on the brain haha. You can check out more of my fanfic (and the translations for the Spanish that I got from Babbel.com) here.

“Spiders are some of the most eff…um, effic…some of the most…”                Bruno glanced over Antonio’s shoulder at the encyclopaedia. “‘Efficient’,” he said. “Don’t worry, kid; that’s a big word, even for me.”                Antonio smiled gratefully, turning back to the page. “Okay. Efffishant. Spiders are some of the most efffishant hunters in the animal ki..kingdom. They spin webs to…”                Another weeknight; another Family Weirdo Club Bedtime. Mirabel was nestled in a comfortable spot under the gigantic tree in the middle of Antonio’s room, Chispi by her side, while Bruno and Antonio were curled up together in the pile of leaves, cushions, extra bedding and general comfy detritus that made up the best reading nook in the Encanto. Bruno was half asleep, lying back against a pillow Mirabel had sewed for Antonio out of his oldest, softest, most faded ruana. Was this the seventeenth time he’d heard about how spiders catch their prey, or the sixteenth? Mmyeh, didn’t matter. Kid was getting better with his reading. Pepa was happy, Mirabel got time and space to knit so she was happy. Hence, Bruno was happy.                A shadow fell over the pair. Bruno looked up into the amber eyes of the most dangerous, unpredictable creature in the entire Encanto – including his sisters. And it was looking directly down at him.                “Um,” Bruno said warily, as Parce the jaguar edged a little closer. “H-hi, Kitty?”                “Parce wants to snuggle!” Antonio chirped, delighted.                “W-well, that’s great, kiddo,” Bruno said, edging up the cushion pile, eyes never leaving the big cat in front of him, “but Tio Bruno super doesn’t want to snuggle.”                It wasn’t that Bruno disliked cats. He just didn’t trust them. They had weird, intense stares – Parce was always watching him – and Bruno didn’t like human eye contact, let alone eye contact with a creature that could pick its teeth with his ribs. Plus, y’know, he was a rat guy. Rats and cats didn’t exactly get along.                Parce put one giant paw on Bruno’s stomach.                “Ah-heh…um…Antonio…?”                “Parce,” Antontio said – that big, innocent grin never leaving his face – “come look at the pictures with me! Look at the spider webs!”                Parce gave Bruno one last, long stare, before removing his paw and leaping over the pair in a single bound.                “Eep,” Bruno would have said, if he weren’t an incredibly brave and constantly stoic man. Which, you know. He was. Parce laid his massive head across Antonio’s belly and yawned, showing off a set of huge, white canines, before closing his eyes and dozing for the rest of Storytime. Bruno had to admit, it wasn’t his best work. His performance of the titular Frog in Oi, Frog! left much to be desired. As much as he loved spending time with Antonio, he kinda just wanted to get in his own bedroom – with his pets that wouldn’t turn on him in the blink of an eye and eat him alive – and have a good, restful night’s sleep.                And, of course, because he was Bruno Madrigal and his life was one big cosmic joke, he had sleep visions all night. Not about the jaguar, that was a blessing, at least. No; these were weird, twisted half-prophecies, showing him a mix of things from the past, blurred over with green, sandy film of time. Pepa in particular showed up a lot, that night – twenty-seven years old, in her soaked wedding dress with her hair stuck to her forehead, dancing at Dolores’ wedding far off in the future. Why was he thinking about Pepa? Everything was fine with Pepa. Wasn’t it?                Did Pepa still hate him for the wedding thing?                What if he did it again at Dolores’ wedding? What if he opened his big mouth and ruined everything?                Was that what the vision was trying to warn him about?                Shut up, Bruno. You need to sleep. Go to sleep…now. Now. Now? Please go to sleep…                In the end, Bruno estimated he got about two hours’ sleep. At five to nine, he finally gave up, dragged himself downstairs, poured himself the largest cup of coffee possible, and sat through Morning Briefing, not registering a word, barely noticing his family. As soon as the last syllable of ‘La Familia Madrigal’ left his mouth, he downed the last of his coffee, slammed the cup down, and hauled himself back upstairs to bed.                Low moods didn’t hit very often, these days. Bruno had been working on his coping mechanisms – meditating, getting fresh air, affirmations, blah blah blah. But when he was tired, they hit him all the harder. Add to that the fun of reliving the past and the future at the same time all night? Day was shot before it began. He buried his face in the pillow, curled himself up in his sheets, and prepared himself for a day of sifting through sickly green thoughts and not much else. Dios, he was tired. His head felt like it was about to fall off his neck and shatter. Couldn’t even sleep right. Tu es loco, ‘Brunito,’ he thought spitefully to himself. Loco, tarado, maldito…                About an hour later, the door creaked open.                “Hey, Bruno…”                “Not in the mood, Félix,” Bruno said, not lifting his head from the pillow, his voice muffled.                “Bro, I just gotta ask you if –”                “Vete a freír espárragos, Félix, seriously,” Bruno growled, propping himself up on one arm. “Que te folle un pez, I just want five minutes on my…uh…oh.”                There, standing in Bruno’s bedroom doorway, was Félix. Holding a scandalised Antonio in his arms.                “Félix,” Bruno said, scrambling into a sitting position. “I-I-I’m sorry, I didn’t –”                “It’s alright, Tio Bruno,” Antonio said primly. “I’m not allowed to copy bad words. Camilo taught me to say tresero, and Mamá said…”                “Okay, okay, hombre,” Félix interrupted, jostling the kid in his arms. “Hey, let’s just see if your sister can look after you today, ‘kay? Tio Bruno is…tired.”                “Félix…”                The side-eye Félix gave him reminded Bruno of his sister, which sent another spike of shame through his guts. “S’alright. Get some rest, bro.”                And they were gone. Bruno fell back against the mattress, pressed the pillow over his face, and swore some more. The really, really bad ones, this time. Well, it had taken a few months, but he finally messed up things with Antonio. The quirky, harmless image of Fun Tio Bruno had been shattered in the amount of time it took him to tell his Pá to piss off. There goes Family Weirdo Club. He’d never be asked to babysit again. He’d been doing such a good job with not using bad words around the kids, too. Stupid sleep visions. Stupid gift. Stupid him.                Somewhere around an hour later, just as his temper was starting to cool and congeal into a thick layer of self-pity (and sleep was still a thousand miles away), the door opened again. Bruno pressed his hands against the pillow still strewn over his face and let out a long, strangled noise somewhere between a scream and a sob. “Please,” he moaned, “I am exhausted, and I’m in such a bad mood, please just leave me alone to…”                Two gigantic paws hit the mattress with a thump. Bruno lifted the pillow away to find Parce staring down at him.                “Erm…h-hey, Kitty,” he gulped. “Félix send you to eat me for cursing in front of his kid?”                Parce titled his head this way and that, before hauling himself up onto the bed. The mattress groaned a little beneath the extra weight, and Bruno suddenly had images of shattered wood and feathers flying through the air. Bruno scooched up the bed, away from the gigantic cat, but Parce butted his huge head none too gently against his cheek with a deep, low ‘mmrow’. Something was tied around his neck; a green ribbon, with a scroll of paper tied to it. Bruno tentatively reached for it, snatching his hand away as soon as possible. Parce started kneading the mattress, staring into the middle distance, as Bruno unfurled the scroll with shaking fingers.                It was a drawing. A drawing of Bruno and Antonio, holding hands. Or, at least, Bruno suspected they were holding hands. Their palms kinda intermeshed. Bruno’s hair came down to his waist in long, grey scribbles, while Antonio’s manic smile went outside of his face. Bruno loved it instantly. Written in the corner in huge wobbly script, was a message.                ‘TIO BRUNO. GET WELL SOON. PARCE WANTS TO SNUGL WITH YO TIL YU ARE HAPPEE AGAIN. LOVE, ANTONIO MADRIGAL.’                In a neater, smaller hand underneath was written;                ‘Don’t worry, Parce won’t eat your rats. Unless you say more bad words. Come find us after your nap. Dolores xoxo’                Bruno felt his heart melt into a lump of warm, gooey affection. “So I haven’t totally messed up then, huh?” he asked Parce. Parce purred, blinking slowly. “Okay,” Bruno sighed, letting the drawing flutter to the floor and stuffing the pillow back under his head, “I guess you can stay and snugg—oof!”                Parce pressed his head against Bruno’s cheek again, so hard it moved Bruno’s head to the side, all the while purring even louder. “Pfffttt, ppfffbtttt, pff,” Bruno sputtered, getting a fine mist of jaguar hair across his nose and mouth. Parce didn’t smell like Bruno thought he would; like blood and viscera and abject terror. He smelled like…like a warm, clean animal. “Come on, now, settle down.” He reached up, haltingly, and held out his hand for Parce to love on instead. The big cat pressed his cheek against Bruno’s knuckles, eyes closed in contentment.                “Hey, y-you’re actually kinda cute, aren’tcha?” Bruno murmured with a small smile, his fingers getting lost in the thick, white fluff of Parce’s chest. Parce blinked down at him, eyes soft and full of affection. How had he ever thought this cat was creepy? He was just…well, intense. Plus, c’mon; it’s not like Bruno could complain about someone having a staring problem, now was it?                “Good Kitty, such a nice kittycat, yes you are…”                Parce turned around a handful of times in Bruno’s lap (“watch the paws,” Bruno winced, “watch the paws –!”) before settling down across his stomach, purring so loudly Bruno swore he could feel it in his bones. The weight of Parce across his torso was enough to help him relax, just a little bit – feeling the warmth and sturdy weight of this creature that had chosen, apparently, to spend time with him. Even if he was a screwup who swore in front of five-year-olds. “Thanks, buddy,” Bruno said with a yawn, reaching up to scratch behind one gigantic, spotted ear. Parce made a friendly noise in the back of his throat, tail twitching against the bare skin of Bruno’s arm, then laid his head along Bruno’s chest and closed his eyes. And, after a long moment, Bruno did the same.

[f4irydaydreams]

rainy days | s.b.

sirius black x fem!reader

warnings: cheesy and fluffy, angst to fluff, good old friends to lovers, crying, lots of dialogue, y/n being stupid <3 (~1.5k words)

a/n also repost of an old fic! wrote this on a rainy rainy day. not well edited and written like over eight months ago lol hope you still like it:) tagging some people who might wanna see this? @peppers-analytics @sabstfu @arithmqncy @biderboy @o-rion-sta-r

leaning against the window she could hear the slight tapping on the window which grew louder as hours passed. rainy days were not something she was very fond of. she hated the humidity messing with her hair and the feeling of water hitting her skin, but today was different. she was warm, dry, cozied up drowning in a stolen sweater reading her favourite muggle book. 

the dimly lit common room was mostly empty. everyone was either studying in the library or in class. sirius had his head on y/n’s warm thighs, bored out of his mind. james was hopelessly flirting with lily again. remus was sitting at one of the desks scribbling away, seeming to be the only one concerned about their upcoming exams. 

her comfortable silence was broken when sirius yanked the book out of her hands.

“sirius!” 

“what nonsense are you even reading, im bored.” he got up and held the book away from the girl smiling as she struggled to give it back.

“Its not nonsense, its a classic now give it back”

“a picture of dorian gray” his eyes scanned the worn cover of the book.

“sounds boring.” 

playfully rolling her eyes she managed to grab the book. she set it aside marking her page with a candy wrapper. a squeak left her as large hands grabbed her waist and she was thrown over the couch being smothered with tickles from the raven haired man. 

“im going to kill you” 

“you can try darling but you love me too much” a cheeky grin found his face as she giggles were slipping out of her. 

“you’re so full of yourself black”

the banter between the two went back and forth as they tried to muffle their laughter. little did he know that her stomach was swirling with butterflies and her heart was pounding due to their proximity. stop he’s your best friend y/n. 

like many others she’d fallen for the black charm regardless of her efforts to resist it. the harmless flirting that once seemed annoying now made her heart flutter. the fact that he tackled her and teased her every chance he got did not help. 

not like anything could ever happen. for all she knew he saw her as his sister. yes they spent countless nights cuddling in the common room, yes it was his sweater she was wearing, yes her eyes lit up every time he walked into the room but they were just friends. right? 

it didn't matter anyway sirius was always around other girls. she knew that and had accepted that she could just find solace in their little moments together. as friends. 

the rest of their day was spent hiding from the rain, enjoying each others company. days like this were her favourite. 

___

walking down the corridors of the castle after dinner she heard laughter coming out of the corner. the voice was familiar, too familiar. 

curiosity got the best of her as she followed the sound to see something she wished she hadn’t. 

his frame was towering that of a ravenclaw girl as he made her laugh and had his arm around her waist. leaning against one of the walls in the corners of the castle the two of them were smiling into each others eyes.  she was really pretty. of course she was, she was with sirius black out of everyone. 

she blinked, once, twice not knowing if it was real. she needed to get away. stop. stop. you’ve got no reason to be upset, he’s not your boyfriend he never will be.

trying her best to reason with her heart she found herself standing outside, sally tears mixing with the rain. her clothes were beyond soaked and there was no reason to go back inside yet. 

walking around the castle alone was one of the things that helped her calm down. she needed distance. 

she knew she loved him. she knew she liked him more that she should but didn't know how hard it would be to see him with another girl like that.

of course she’d seen him date and flirt with girls all the time but hearing them sneak around and laugh in each others arms was too much. 

why couldn't it be me

she looked down to see the large quidditch sweater was now completely wet. the weight was dragging her down, the weight of the water falling from the sky, of her heart and that stupid sweater.   

rain was dreadful and getting wet like this would make her want to rip her hair out but there something the heavy droplets of water washing away her tears as she stood outside that was comforting. 

___

lily and the boys had started to get worried wondering where she was. 

“sirius! have you seen y/n?, lily began to question the boy the minute he walked into the room. 

“no? she’s not here?”. his eyes scanned the room searching for the girl. 

“where have you been then”  

“was trying to find out what the ravenclaw quidditch team is up to by seducing the captain's girlfriend”, he proudly explained to the boys. 

“we thought y/n was with you pads, didn't see her after dinner.” 

sirius rushed to their room scurrying around searching for something, throwing things all over the place. 

“pads! what are you doing i just cleaned up!”, remus whined while cleaning up after him. 

completely ignoring remus, sirius asked, “where's the map moony?”

“here you go,” james pulled the parchment out of his pocket and handed it over. “you could've just asked in the first place” 

quickly mumbling the incantation sirius started to look at the parchment with his eyes narrowed trying to find her name. 

“..she’s outside?! in this weather?” 

“pads-”

without hearing what anyone had to say he ran out of the building to find her. after running all over the place he made his way towards the black lake when he saw her. 

he could hear her quiet sobs mixed with the thudding of the rain. he approached her slowly not wanting to startle her in her hazed state. 

“y/n...?”

she snapped out of her trance frantically wiping away tears from her wet face with her sleeves. 

“sirius you’re all wet now what are you doing here?” she mumbled noticing his clothes were just as wet as hers. 

“what's going on? how long have you been out here?” he sat down next to her hoping to get some answers. 

she looked away unable to meet his eyes. 

“why aren't you looking at me y/n?” 

“maybe you should just leave me alone si,” her teeth sunk into her lips to keep her voice from breaking, “you’ve got other things to worry about.”

something was wrong. he knew she had been crying and by the state of her attire she’d been sitting out here for a while. 

“have, have you been crying? give me a name i’ll go take care of it right now”, he huffed, always being protective of her. 

“just go away si”

“y/n you know i hate to see you like this. just tell me what's wrong please?” 

“i can’t” 

“you can't? since when do hide things from me?”

“don’t make this harder than it is” 

“make what harder? what’s going on darling, please at least look at me?”

“please i can’t, don’t make me explain”

“can’t what?!” sirius was beyond frustrated at this point. 

“i can’t pretend i'm not in love with you anymore you idiot!” her eyes finally met his. her face was covered with a fresh set of tears mixed with rain, mascara washing off her face and eyes blurry. 

“i’m sorry i know you don’t feel the same way and it's okay i just- it just hard to see you with someone who isn't me.” her eyes were filled with emotion, sadness and fear. 

he hadn't said a word so far and her mind was racing.

fuck i shouldn't have said anything. 

her lip was almost bleeding from biting into it anxiously and her wet hair sticking to her face. 

she felt two hands cup her heated cheeks, burning with embarrassment, brining her face towards his. “angel the only person i ever want to be with is you.”

“wait..what?”

he chuckled at her confusion, “y/n are you blind? i’ve been chasing after you for months, i adore you and am absolutely in love with you!”

“really? you’re not just saying that right because if this is a joke sirius black i am actually going to kill-”

her rambling was interrupted by his lips crashing into hers. the kiss was filled with sweetness and passion, a million loving thoughts condensed into a moment. their lips moved feverishly against each other but of them slightly shivering in the rain holding on to each other. he pulled her into his lap slipping his arms around her waist as she tugged on his hair bringing him impossibly close. 

“can’t get enough of me huh?” he smirked, pulling away. 

“just shut up and kiss me black”