#some of you may have seen parts of this before

[soulhollow]

I grew up in a very rural part of Maine. Think, a fifteen minute drive on a tiny two-lane road to get to the closest town, where a single traffic light got installed when I was a teenager.

Maine is (or at least, the part of it I was in), entirely trees, or sparsely-dotted farmland, or dirt roads. If you're willing to drive a few hours, you can get to rocky rugged glacial coastlines that you have to walk carefully on (if you can get to the beach at all, most are more like cliffs). I knew this was beautiful, in a way, but it was forever humid in both the winter as well as the summer. I loved winter because we'd get snowed in multiple times (and by snowed in I do mean the snow was occasionally taller than I was). A few times, I went to school on my dad's snowmobile because the school administration didn't call snow days very often, because it was Maine. We were accustomed to -15F and deep snow.

In the summer, it was as humid as Louisiana, as Florida, and every horrid biting insect imaginable came out, because Maine was their land before it was ever populated by people. The news had 'mosquito advisories' because very small children, short-haired animals, and the elderly could literally die from how dense the mosquito clouds were. May-September were bug-net seasons, you had a net around where you slept (because they'd come inside each time the door was opened), and besides whining around the room like midges, they carried diseases that people also died from every year.

I couldn't really go outdoors from May-August because, on top of all that, I was allergic to mosquito bites. :) I'd puff up with quarter-size welts and develop a persistent fever for days, from just 1-2 bites. If I got 10+ (normal), I was in hell for about a week at a time. Maine basically kept me housebound until I could drive (because, yeah, bug spray is a thing but they'll bite anything that stands still long enough).

And then I moved west. I moved to Colorado. I know there are mosquitoes here, people have said you encounter them if you go into the mountains, but I've seen two of them since 2008.

Two mosquitoes.

Colorado's the first place I've ever truly gotten to see for its beauty. The sunrises and sunsets are very frequently gorgeous here. Breathtaking. You never get accustomed to it. The mountains, snowcapped for most of the year? Amazing. I didn't get to see mountains very often, back in New England. Everything was drowned in trees, it was often hard to see the sky at all.

I'd dreamed of desert, and Colorado's semi-arid with some desert, but this region felt more like home from the first week I arrived in it than Maine ever did. The climate is unbeatable. (When my partner and I leave it, in time, we're hoping to go north, if finances work out. If not, we might have to go back east-ish, which would be alright, but I know I'd miss this climate belt. My heart wants to go north, to remain in 'semi-arid' land.)

[pita-vegeta]

2nd Castlevania Nocturne Rant: Mizrak's Anger

Here's my second observation on Castlevania Nocturne Season 2.

I have one request for the series: that Mizrak apologize to Olrox. Throughout both seasons, we see Mizrak lash out at Olrox when he has yet to do anything to deserve that amount of anger, that amount of hate. Calm conversations turn with hate-filled language and accusations when again, Olrox hasn't done anything. I believe it is all internal on Mizrak's part.

Long before Olrox brought his beautiful ass to Machecoul, Mizrak's faith, self, and sense of security were shattered by the vampires and what he and Abbot were doing.

Then along comes Olrox, whom Mizrak broke his vow of chastity to be with. It's as if Mizrak knew he would die and be punished for his deeds so why not go out with the baddest baddie he has ever seen?

If you listen closely, the lashing out at Olrox speaks volumes. It's directed at Olrox, who Mizrak believes has no soul, so he cannot hurt him (this we know is not true), but the things he gets angry about are his internal struggles and guilt.

In season 1, the iconic moment between Mizrak and Olrox, when Mizrak said some of the most awful things, was because Olrox stopped him from sacrificing himself for the "greater good".

Mizrak is the only non-powered human we really get to see other than the abbot, but he wants to fight and knows he will die and he has kinda accepted this. His raising his sword to Erzsebet is a sure death, but a death he believes will maybe erase some of the sins he has committed.

This happens again in season 2 when Drotla attacks the army. He cries clutching Olrox but then turns on him with spiteful words.

Take Episode 4 (18:54) he begins this interaction with Olrox saddened, worried that Olrox has gone over to Erzsebet's side having been branded; he states that Olrox will fade, but I don't think he was referencing Olrox with this but himself that he (Mizrak) will fade.

Then seconds later he is angry at Olrox about killing Julia Belmont and speaks about dishonor and being a murderer, however, this could be his guilt. He and Abbot are taking human corpses and turning them into night creatures virtually murdering human souls and dishonoring the church and God. He gets called out on this by Maria in Ep 2 (13:55).

Then the one that gets me riled is Ep 5 (13:28); we have Olrox telling Mizrak about his people, his Gods, and about how Spanish Christians came and decimated his home only for Mizrak to state that (Olrox) "...Gods were the problem", you see Olrox flinch when this is said, but Mizrak doesn't see cause he's looking away and I believe once again Mizrak is putting his quilt more specifically his religious guilt on Olrox.

Olrox takes this and even asks Mizrak to leave with him, here's my opinion on Olrox throughout the seasons. He does not want to be alone. 250+ years is a long time to be isolated with his vampirism even Alucard expressed his loneliness in this season. Olrox is willing to take the hits so to speak if it means having a companion.

His last lover was taken from him only to find what he was looking for in Mizrak. Olrox has a type, bleeding heart, fighters, strong-willed with big hearts. He finds that in Mizrak.

Now my view of Mizrak being turned, I believe he accepted it, his fear of death and the awaiting punishment he believed he would receive enough of a reason to not "die"; however, that does not mean he is happy about it and may not be for years to come.

We see that same anger after his turning and we also see that Olrox is ready to take it all to not be alone.

Mizrak has been hurting this whole time we can tell, he is hurt, and scared, feeling angry, and guilty, but that doesn't mean he has to take it out on Olrox.

[eempyreall]

♪ 444 𝑏𝑦 𝐴𝑠ℎ𝑙𝑒𝑦 𝑆𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑛𝑎 ♪

༺༺ Devour ༻༻

Oneshot ~ Bonten x Female Reader

Summary ~ You are devastated to learn that your soulmates are power-hungry monsters entrenched in an illegal industry. Despite knowing they only seek to consume your life source, no matter how fast you run, you can never escape fate.

Featuring ~ Sano Manjiro, Hanemiya Kazutora, Sanzu Haruchiyo, Kokonoi Hajime, Kakucho, and the Haitani Brothers

Extra Notes ~ *Slight Language Barrier

*I didn’t mean to make this story as angsty as I did.

This story should only be posted under eempyreall on my tumblr and ao3. Report if you see it posted under anyone else but me.

l apologize if I get any Japanese etiquette or culture wrong, I literally have to research the culture for some of my fandom stories so if anything is wrong, please excuse my ignorance.

Warning ~

You and the characters are 21+. Although I picture the reader as a black cis-gendered female, physical appearance will not be described at all.

Content within this story may not be realistic or factual.

I do not condone any of the behavior displayed within the story.

There may be dark content such as: gore, violence, triggering topics, graphic scenes, vulgar language, explicit content, sexual content, non consensual and/or dubious consensual content, etc.

That being said, this story is for 18+ only.

Your breathing is ragged as the platform of your shoes slam against the pavement. Liquid runs down your face as rain pours from the nightly firmament. You rub your eyes to clear the drops of water from your eyelashes so you can continue making your way through the crowd.

You’ve finally escaped your prison with nothing but the clothes on your back. You have no clue what to do other than run through this foreign city.

It was supposed to be a normal trip. An impulsive decision on your part. You decided to stay in Japan for a week just to take a break from your work life back home. Truly, you had grown bored of your everyday routine and decided to up and leave.

Your friend reprimanded you out of love, knowing you tend to act impulsive despite your overthinking tendencies. You ignored the small voice in the back of your mind and said, “Fuck it,” before buying your ticket, packing your bags, and disappearing.

What you hadn’t expected was to finally meet your soulmates.

It was a beautiful night in Tokyo. The lights of the city shimmered as busy people—tourists and natives alike—walked the streets. You strolled alone, leaving a random bar as you made your way through the crowd.

Suddenly, you feel a pull in your chest, eyes locking on the red ribbon that protrudes from the middle of your chest. You watch in awe as it spreads out in front of you, the soul tie flying through the air before splitting into seven strands.

“Seven?!” you breathe out in disbelief. You can’t fathom finding one soulmate, let alone seven.

You spent years bitter and lonely when you couldn’t find them. It was a normal occurrence to find your soulmate on your eighteenth birthday, as everyone else did in your town. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen for you.

Considering you never even felt a slight pull from your chest, it was concerning. You thought that maybe your mate had died tragically, or perhaps you were one of the unlucky individuals who could never find your mate.

You spent many nights crying yourself to sleep, as this occurrence was seen as something very tragic. You wanted to be loved. You wanted to be cared for, and you were tired of the loneliness consuming you. So when you finally felt the pull and saw the ties in a foreign setting, you didn’t hesitate to follow where they led you.

“God, I’m so stupid!” you exclaim as you recall the memory. The months you wasted being nothing but a fucking energy source caused tears to mix with the raindrops on your cheeks.

You feel broken and used. You never knew how awful your soulmates could make you feel. You should’ve known when you figured out who they were—what they stand for and their tainted morals.

“I—is this the real reason why you all accepted me? Am I truly nothing but a pawn to bring you more power?”

Your heart ached, your stomach heavy as you felt nausea build in the back of your throat at the statement Kokonoi just told you. You bring your fingers to your mouth, biting your nails as you await his response, your eyebrows furrowed.

“You are fulfilling an important role for Bonten. You can never leave.”

Your eyes widened as the platinum-haired male kept his arms behind his back, intently eyeing you with an unreadable gaze. You glare at him with anger as you step forward, his office lamp shining the only light into the dark room.

“It all makes sense now. Whenever I gave myself to any of you, I always felt pure weakness after. For days I couldn’t move after you took from me, and yet somehow you all were stronger than ever. You never even bothered to replenish me. You lied. You all lied to me!”

You fight the tears threatening to fall as you feel your face heat up with anger. The cold look Koko gives you really hurts. Where was the man with the content smile who asked you to give him a show when he had you try on new outfits? Where was the man who was a romantic? Had you really been deceived all this time?

“We did what we had to do. In order to receive your life source to the fullest, you must be happy with the circumstances, so we made you comfortable,” he said with impatience in his tone, stepping closer to you.

“You say it like it’s some sort of transaction,” you respond, disgust prominent in your expression and tone. You look at him with wide eyes, a scowl fixed on your face.

“It has always been a transaction, Y/n.”

You continue to run to nowhere, passing by citizens as you shove them out of your way, apologizing swiftly in the process. You knew that you had to at least find a place with a phone.

“I’ve been here for a while, Rin. Don’t you think I should learn more Japanese instead of you guys being my personal translators?”

The purple, mullet-haired man wraps an arm around your waist as he keeps you pinned to his lap, the rest of your legs lying on the seat of the sofa as he leans back in his seat. He ignored you while his lips grazed your neck, sucking the skin as he fed from you, the soul tie wrapped around your figures.

“Rin!” you exclaim as you try to catch his attention, pulling back from him slightly as he sighed, giving you a lazy smirk.

“You don’t need to learn any language. T’s not like you’re around anyone else anyway,” he responds before his hand meets the back of your head, forcing you into a heated kiss as you feel the drain of your energy. You obliged as you weakly kissed back, pathetically yearning for the touch as he was rarely affectionate aside from feeding. The soul tie tightens as the kiss deepens.

You grab your own scalp at the unwarranted flashback. God, you felt so stupid. It had been right in front of you the whole time and yet you missed it. Then again, maybe you hadn’t really missed anything at all. You just ignored that familiar voice in the back of your head. You blamed the unsettling feeling in your stomach on your own nerves and insecurity.

“I don’t want to see this shit anymore!” you scream at Sanzu, shoving his chest as you turn away from the limp body in front of you.

He snatches your wrists, pulling you closer to his chest with the maniacal grin growing on his expression. His enlarged pupils almost replace the blue in his irises.

“Yer gonna fucking kill him, Y/n.”

You preferred when Sanzu was sober.

Although he was still sadistic, he seemed much calmer and more collected. He was especially gentler when feeding from you in the bedroom, despite his erratic and rough behavior when he was high.

"No, I'm not! Let me go, you fucking asshole!" you yell, yanking your arms from his grip, only for him to twist you around and force you to face the kneeling man who was barely conscious.

You glare at the deep lacerations and bruises on the man’s skin as Sanzu forces you to hold the gun. His fingers are wrapped around your trembling hand as he aims the weapon at the male’s head.

Before you can react, he forces your finger to pull the trigger with his own. Your body jolts at the loud noise as the blood from the man splatters on your own legs. You begin to hyperventilate while eyeing the dead human, something you’ve never seen before.

The way the pieces of brain and blood have splattered on the floor — the way the man’s head dropped and his body limped. The dullness of his open eyes. The bullet split his skull open, the skin no longer concealing what’s beneath. His face was almost unrecognizable, split open in the top middle of his features.

Once Sanzu released his grip, you dropped to the floor, body shivering as the hairs on your arms stood straight. You couldn’t stop staring at the bloodied corpse in front of you. The smell made you sick.

Arms hugged you from behind as legs trapped you from both sides of your body.

“You killed that man in cold blood,” he chuckled, lips meeting your neck to begin sucking your energy. The red ribbon forms around both of your figures, locking you in place.

You finally reach a structure that looks inviting, with its lack of people and a bright light.

You rush to the entrance, pushing the door open swiftly. A black-haired man eyes you with concern, his hand gripping a broom.

“I need help!” The man seems to understand your distorted Japanese as he nods before walking toward you.

The palms of your hands cover your eyes as tears smear against your cheeks. Kakucho strokes the middle of your back as you both sit on the edge of the bed.

“I’m tired of being trapped in here, Kakucho! I just feel like this is some sort of trick or something. Do mates really act like this over here? Everything is so much different back home. I feel like a prisoner who’s used for labor here. I can barely feel my arms and legs at times.”

He pulls you closer, causing you to straddle his thighs as he wraps his arms around your waist. You continue to cry on his shoulder before his hands rub up your torso, slightly pulling you back so you’d make eye contact.

“I want you to know that you’re important to us. Without you, we’d be weaker. We need you, Y/n,” he says before pulling you into a kiss, the soul tie returning as it traps you both together.

Your eyebrows furrow at his words. Although they were meant to sound sweet, there seemed to be a hidden meaning—or… was it really that hidden?

“I need a phone!” you exclaim, pointing at the device lying near the register. “I need to call someone! Please!”

He nods before handing you the phone.

“Thank you!” you respond before walking to the back of the store, erratically dialing your friend’s number.

“F—F/n! I need your help!”

You hadn’t been able to contact her for months, considering you weren’t allowed a phone. They told you it was because they couldn’t afford any leaks to their whereabouts, considering what they do for work.

“Y/n? Hey! Are you okay? What’s going on?”

“I found my soulmates! But I’m in trouble! They aren’t who I thought they’d be, and they’ve been holding me captive for months! I—I need you to get me out of here! I have nothing! Please!”

You felt bad for bringing her into this, but you had nothing. No money, no phone, not even an extra pair of clothes. You didn’t have time to grab anything. You had to leave immediately or else you might have ended up killed.

After you stole Ran’s gun when he fell asleep, you immediately rushed to the guard who would be taking you to Mikey’s headquarters, contemplating your next move as you sat in the back seat. They hadn’t noticed the gun in your back pocket nor when you slowly pulled it out while eyeing the rearview mirror. Before they could even begin driving, you shot both men who sat in the front of the car, killing them accidentally considering you had a bad aim. You hadn’t had time to think about the fact you had just murdered two people.

“Y/n,” the voice sings behind you.

You freeze in your spot, eyes widened as your friend calls your name. Slowly, you turn to see Kazutora standing there, a grin on his face. You shakily snatch the gun from your pocket and aim it at his torso.

“Stay away from me,” you hiss with a mix of anger and fear. You watch as the soul tie forms, connecting both of your chests, the red ribbon stretching in the space between you.

“Aww, are ya really gonna shoot me? That’s not very nice,” he chuckles with mock disappointment.

At that moment, you realize that you can’t shoot him.

Why don’t they ever say it back?

The lump in your throat burns as you drop the phone, staring at Kazutora with a crazed look on your face. His grin shifts into a frown as he watches your movements with caution, the ribbon vanishing.

Is this all I’m ever good for?

“Put the gun down, Y/n,” he says calmly.

You scream, your throat gurgling with blood as you try to snatch the scissors back from Ran’s grip, the bathroom floor covered in red as he forces you on your back.

“Are you out of your fucking mind?” His smooth voice is filled with unease.

You tried to cut the soul ties by stabbing your own chest. You don’t know how you survived but the medic must’ve arrived in time, rushing you to Bonten’s underground hospital.

“I don’t want to go back,” your voice breaks as your breathing becomes erratic, bringing the gun to your head.

Your eyes shut tightly with your teeth clenching.

Why can’t you just let me go?

Before you can pull the trigger, a hand roughly knocks the gun out of your grasp before yanking you from behind. A hand on your jaw forces you to face them, your teary eyes fully exposed.

Your eyes widen at the crazed look Sanzu gives you, his grip on your jaw tightening roughly as you feel his hand tremble slightly.

Neither of you says a word as he glares down at you before roughly releasing you and snatching your wrist.

Before you can begin to struggle against his grip, a syringe is gently pressed into the skin of your neck. Your shocked gaze shifts to Kokonoi, who simply gives you a disappointed look before darkness engulfs your vision.

"If you try that again, I'll keep you chained to my bed for as long as you live," Mikey warns while you lie barely conscious on your bed.

You stare back into his dark eyes before he lowers himself, his lips pressing against your forehead.

[nanamiscocksleeve]

Homecoming Wings Thoughts

Disclaimer: These are purely my interpretations, thoughts, and predictions. You are in no way obligated to agree with me, or even have the same opinion. Do not send me hate messages or correct me unless I made a CANON error. Buckle up buttercups because I am about to take ya'll on a joy ride through my nebulous brain.

Aight aight, that was truly a wild ride, but based off the trailer, we all expected just as much. Now despite EVERYTHING, I'm still going to say, Caleb's obsessive behavior towards the end might have a deeper meaning. I believe Caleb pulled a Snape.

Yes, that's right, a Snape. Now at the very end of Homecoming Wings, Caleb goes on another mission into the deepspace tunnel and essentially tells MC there's a good chance she might not see him again (lol, we know that's not true but anyway). Then in the last part, we see him landing at some sort of base for Ever, where it's revealed that they made some sort of exchange for Caleb, essentially saving his life after the blast and giving him that bionic arm.

Caleb gives the professor information about MC's whereabouts and though this makes him sus af, I believe this is his Snape-ness showing up. In Deathly Hallows, Snape purposely reveals to Voldemort the correct date that Harry was moved from the Dursley's because according to Dumbledore, Voldemort believed Snape to have played his role too well and any misinformation from him would have raised suspicions. Similarly, Caleb purposely leaked as much accurate information to Ever as he could to throw them off the trail. Also, Ever could literally end him if they suspected he was trying to be on MC's side.

That crazy, insane, possessive, weirdly hot scene that everyone is calling Caleb's 'true yandere moment' may have been engineered. While I don't doubt that he might be unhealthily in love with MC, I don't believe he is a true 'yandere' in the sense that he would hurt MC physically or mentally. He may have been showing off his power and saying those crazy things to ensure she doesn't come looking for him again. He might be aware that Ever has turned him into a weapon perfect for killing her, and the only solution he can think of is to get her to stay away from him. He knows he can't do it by himself because any attempt from her to reconnect and he'll buckle (have you seen the yearning in this man's eyes oof).

So it's easier for her to be mistrustful and scared of him rather than him trying to constantly keep her at arm's length. He seemed truly relieved when they were reunited in that first scene and he doesn't seem to show any creepy possessive behavior in his other memories before joining the Farspace Fleet. He knows she's a hunter and that despite her getting injured so frequently, she's a tough woman and can survive anything. Before the kaboom, his complaint was that she wasn't sharing things with him like before, not that she wasn't letting him protect her.

The kids that Ever seemed to be experimenting on. It looks like Grandma Josephine had a change of heart and defected with her team and MC at some point and Ever had been trying to pinpoint them ever since. It reminds me of the experiments Aizen did on hollows to make Arrancars (that's right, ya girl is a Bleach stan). Ever seems to be trying to mutate humans into wanderers but has been unsuccessful because the protocores they're using don't stabilize, and that's why they branched out to Onychinus hoping modified protocores could be the answer, but those also fail. They are stuck, and hence, need MC's heart to figure out why her aether core is stable and theirs isn't.

I legit thought there was going to be a moment where Zayne and Caleb crossed paths. Like what are the chances that Zayne was there for a conference and was also monitoring Mia's case? I was thinking MC was going to call him for help and then he gets the shock of his life when she tells him Caleb is alive.

The chips that were mentioned...maybe Caleb is chipped but not in the way we think. Perhaps his arm hurts him if he doesn't do Ever's will? Kinda like Pettigrew in Harry Potter when Voldemort gives him that silver hand and when he refuses to kill Harry in the end, it chokes him to death and he had no control over it. Hence why Caleb was so reluctant to tell MC about it (Painful Signal).

The events of Exclusive Aftertaste confused me. I don't think this was after the events of Homecoming Wings but before. I think this was after Caleb graduated college and was living in Skyhaven, and MC had also moved out of their grandma's house into her apartment. Perhaps she had been busy with her missions and had quit contacting Caleb as much as she used to? And his insecurity made him visit her? But the ending at the train station...why did he turn her around and tell her to leave and not look back? Was it because he was worried she would be more upset watching him leave? Ugh the angst and longing between these two is killing me.

Overall, I still like Caleb, I think he's a complex character and this was just his intro. We felt suspicious about Sylus as well, but it wasn't until we started getting bond memories and then his limited myth that we really put the pieces together. There is definitely more to Caleb, but I like the idea that Caleb doesn't have a past connection to her and this is his first life with her. It makes their relationship seem so much more purer in a way. I wanted MC to punch him in the face when he said he was leaving though. He just left her, despite knowing how much she didn't want to be left alone. He was the last bit of family she had, and he took that tiny bit of comfort away from her. Super assy move Caleb. (but I still love him).

End rant. Feel free to drop your thoughts, opinions, and predictions either in the comments or my inbox. Thanks for listening to me ramble.

[artist-kreating-stuff]

You’re as Beautiful as the Day I Lost You

“I… I know what you’re going to say, General,” Cody started out slowly. “How could I have done it? Kill you after everything we’ve been through… or at least, attempt to?”

His commanding officer… no, former commanding officer only stared at him, wide gaze unreadable. His face looked worn, his hair was more white than auburn, and even the humble desert structure behind him seemed wildly out of character. Yet Cody would never forget those bright blue eyes that put every sky Cody had ever seen to shame.

The stifling silence prompted Cody to continue. “W-well… I was given an order, General! F-from the Emperor… n-no, the Chancellor himself!” He had to remind himself that Palpatine was only the humble High Chancellor of the Republic at the time of the order. The simple fact reminded him just how drastically the galaxy had changed that day. “Good soldiers follow orders, that’s what we were always taught! Follow orders or risk being decommissioned! I was acting on instinct - we all were! I’m not even sure we were entirely aware of what we were doing at the time. If we knew what would become of the Republic, I promise you, we never would have done it!”

It was somewhat of the truth, though not the whole truth. The whole truth was that he wasn’t exactly sure what had happened. Before the order from the Chancellor came through, he had been excited about the potential prospect of the war finally ending. After the order came through, all he could think about was shooting down his General and every other Jedi he saw. Part of him at the time had screamed traitors, enemies to the Republic, shoot them down, kill them all.

The other part of him, which had been much quieter than the other part, had whispered why, how could you, they were your allies, your friends.

The only traitor here is you.

He shook himself to rid himself of the memory. It was the truth, yes, but it wasn’t a good enough explanation.

Though for what he and his brothers had done, he feared that there never would be a good enough explanation.

“I-I know I wronged you very badly…” He stuttered, having not thoroughly thought out this part of his speech. Part of him had doubted he’d even get through his poor attempt at an explanation for his actions before his former Jedi slid his lightsaber through his chest. “A-and I’m sorry that it took me so long to question the order. I thought that the Empire sought to bring the peace that the Republic failed to, we all did… most of us still do, I believe. Though the things I’ve seen have caused me to think to the contrary…”

With a start, he realized just how close Obi-Wan had gotten to him. Somewhere during his clumsy speech, the former Jedi had started moving towards him, his boots moving like whispers along the sand. His hands hung limply at his sides as he continued to stare at Cody; he wasn’t reaching for a weapon, yet, but Cody felt his panic spike all the same.

“What we did - what I did was wrong, I realize that now!” He claimed loudly, scuttling backwards two steps for every step Obi-Wan took forwards. His escape attempts were quickly shut down - one flex from Obi-Wan’s fingers and he was stuck in place, his limbs refusing to listen to his frantic commands to move. He may have been living on Tatooine, the hellhole of the galaxy, for years at this point, but he was still every bit the Jedi Cody had fought beside.

Had commanded his men to shoot down.

Obi-Wan still hadn’t said anything, his expression betraying nothing as he kept Cody in place with nothing more than his mind. Cody found his patience wearing thin. With everything that had happened, with everything that he was laying bare in front of him, he believed he was owed some emotion. “Stop being such a Jedi, sir!” He growled in his face. Obi-Wan was quickly closing the distance between them, causing Cody’s tone to switch from annoyed to full on frantic. “Go on - shout, scream, say something!”

With only a few inches between them, Obi-Wan did finally do something. He reached out and laid his hand on Cody’s cheek.

Cody’s eyes went wide at the contact. He still couldn’t move, but the same could not be said for Obi-Wan. His calloused fingers twitched over Cody’s skin, tracing the ridges of his scar and the new wrinkles that had popped during his service to the Empire. His bright blue eyes scanned Cody from head to toe, taking in his unruly streaked hair and the desert attire he had thrown together from various sources. His chest and torso, the latter a little thicker than the last time Cody had seen him, heaved with quick, short breaths.

The entire time, Cody couldn’t move, couldn’t blink, couldn’t breathe. He didn’t dare to, lest he break whatever spell was currently keeping Obi-Wan from killing him. He couldn’t tell if it was the Force or his own desperate will at this point.

It was only when Obi-Wan finished his inspection of Cody did he finally show emotion. He fixed his bright blue eyes on Cody’s wide brown ones and smiled warmly. He brought his face, weary and lined from the years spent in the desert, close enough for Cody to count the tears starting to drip down his cheeks. His cracked lips separated and he spoke in a mere whisper, “My dear Cody… you’re as beautiful as the day I lost you.”

A broken gasp filled the air between them, and it took a minute for Cody to realize that it had come from him. The Force hold that had been keeping him in place finally dissipated, but it didn’t matter. With those simple words, the dam he had been building since he had first met the great Obi-Wan Kenobi came tumbling down. Every lovesick emotion he had beaten down, every declaration of devotion he had swallowed, every small act of kindness he had convinced himself was one of duty instead of love, every overwhelming feeling of guilt he had felt since the day he’d ordered his execution… it filled him up so completely that he couldn’t move even if he wanted to.

The crushing wave of emotion reached his eyes, causing his own tears to well up and fall. Unable to deal with it all at once, he squeezed his eyes shut and allowed his head to lower until it rested against his chest. From beyond the darkness of his eyes, he heard Obi-Wan exhale a shaky breath of his own. Cody felt him move his fingers down his cheek until he was cupping his chin, gently pressing his face upwards. He thought that would be it, but he suddenly felt the soft pressure of two lips meeting his own, accompanied by the warm brush of facial hair.

Cody allowed himself to relax into the sensation, allowed it to tame the wave of emotion. When he felt Obi-Wan pull away, he finally opened his eyes, though made no move to wipe his tears. The warmth of Obi-Wan’s fingers disappeared from his chin, trailing down his chest to interlace with his own. The two of them simply stood there amongst the sand and the heat, smiling through their tears at each other.

Cody thought he would never be here. During the war, it had been unspeakable - he was a clone, one of many faces, whereas Obi-Wan was a Jedi. After the order came through, he had been positive Obi-Wan was dead, had seen him tumble off the cliff himself. When he finally started to question the order, he was devastated that he’d killed Obi-Wan without ever telling him his feelings. It wasn’t until he’d heard the passing mention of a desert hermit by the name of Ben Kenobi that he finally allowed himself to hope.

The Empire was still a problem, he was very well aware of that. Both of them were wanted men now, Cody even more so because the Empire was at least aware that he was alive. But now, with the sands of Tatooine around them and the twin Suns shining overhead, the threat of the Empire seemed so far away, and Cody couldn’t care less.

Because after so very long, he finally had his Jedi.

—————

After reading so many Codywan fanfics, I finally wrote one of my own! That one scene from How to Train Your Dragon 2 has always been one of my favorites from the series, and I wondered how it would look as a Codywan scenario.

Codywan fans, how did I do?

[f1gur4t1v3]

Sort of a Part 2 of my “Jason and his many parents” post

I will forever love the idea of Harvey “I lost all that I loved due to a freak accident, so I will be the dad who stepped-up” Dent, and his adopted son, Jason “My past father figure and I get into physical fights weekly and I need someone who won’t abandon me for who I am” Todd.

Bruce Wayne played an important role in both Jason and Harvey’s lives, Bruce was the man who took Jason in and failed to save him when Jason needed him most. He was also Harvey’s best friend, supported him through out his campaign to become mayor, and then failed to save Harvey from the acid that made him the man he is now.

Harvey understands the pain Jason feels, they both resent the same man and it makes it easier for them to bond. Jason doesn’t think he’ll ever see Harvey as a father figure no matter how hard he tries, the last two he’s had hurt him more than anything in the world, so maybe if he doesn’t believe Harvey is his dad he won’t hurt him as well.

Of course with a super villain dad you get some fun though, Jason doesn’t help out with heists but he doesn’t exactly stop them either. He’s sorta just there eating a sandwich or stalking Harvey from a far off building to make sure his other family doesn’t beat the Two Faced man to hard.

And then you obviously have the crime family. Aunt Harley and Ivy come around often to have tea with Jason, Harley likes to talk with him about life and just making sure he’s doing alright in general.

Obviously you also have Uncle Cobblepot as well, Jason’s not the biggest fan of him. He feels odd calling someone who owns the club he’s seen Bruce stripping at before in his Bruce Wayne persona uncle. That doesn’t stop him from seeing him as a part of the crime family though.

Who could forget Step-mom Selina as well, she helps Jason catch up on Bruce and his siblings lives. He can’t be there to experience it but just hearing about what’s happening from Selina is more than enough to make him happy.

Last but not least you have Edward and Crane. They’re not exactly uncles to Jason. They’re better than Penguin though because he’s never had to see a naked Bruce dancing for them before. He helps Eddie out with Riddles, giving personal hints about the Batman’s life to spice up the stakes. Then he is able to study Scarecrows latest Fear Toxin remake before he goes and holds some poor guy hostage.

To say Jason wasn’t spoiled either would be an understatement. From necklaces that compliment his eyes from Selina’s latest burglary, to Penguin setting some of his men up around Crime Alley to keep Batman out of his territory. He may not be the kid any of the major Villians wanted, but by god do they love him.

He’s their giant ball of pure muscle who looks like he could snap you in half, but inside he’s just a sweet boy who’s been looking for someone who’s willing to tolerate and love him, especially when it feels like nobody will. The villains refuse to let another soul stray down the path they did, so they all take the broken Robin under their wings and teach him how to fly again with hopes that one day he’ll rejoin the bats in their nest.

[cherie-doll]

Could we please have a part 2 on the vampire cod men + victorian era + vampires.

Maybe with reader moving to the countryside abd being the towns new school teacher instead?

yep! link to first part is here for anyone who hasn't read it

i rlly wanna write a whole fic off of this plot i've built up bc i have SO MUCH LORE but idk how it'll fare

𓆩♡𓆪 Headcanon: Them As Vampires #2

 ๋࣭♱ Price, Ghost, Soap, Gaz, Roach, Alejandro, Rudy, Phillip Graves, Makarov, Keegan, König, Horangi, Nikto

Price

The ripples of hysteria that had been caused by what the people believed were vampires preying on vulnerable people could barely be felt in the countryside, he had resided here for some time, surely there was no need for caution here

He was respected among neighbors, honored for his service in the past and now lived rather peacefully under protection of the wealth he had acquired in his youth

You had become an interesting individual who had dismantled his idyllic life, you were youthful, so full of vigor and life being around the children and instructing them

He sensed maturity and sagacity from you, and you revived what he thought had been dormant for a long time; lust and violent devotion, the need to possess and protect you

And passing through the final threshold you'll see he is actually the gentlest, using his many years of wisdom to guide you, convincing you to settle with him and despite the tumult you've found yourself in by being the muse of multiple vampires, he'll provide all the support and help you need to pursue your passion of teaching

Now, when accepting a vampire's offer, you must be very careful, for you may end up indebted with them and their requests may seem unreasonable, but he is not cruel, he only requires you to lend him your love for one lifetime, to save him from his many long years of solitude, that's all he asks of you

Ghost

Here was the worst of the unsalvageable, the damned, the condemned and the poor, forgotten souls of the departed beings trapped on earth, he was barely a person; a remnant and a corpse

He despises himself due to the curse he was to live with for eternity lest something put him out of his misery, the cycle of turning others into that he was; a monster, a corpse, a despicable creature

Yet the first moment he saw you, he knew he needed you, that overpowering sense of going after what called for him, he wanted you to understand his pain, of being different from everyone else because of an ugly past

It's not like you to be frightened but the scare he gave you on the first encounter was one that could have had you turning away from him had you not seen him in a moment of weakness, him doubled over, pain overtaking him, in his wild and crazed state you saw how forlorn his eyes were, half-starved was he and all you could do was observe his erratic breathing

you want to know his thoughts, you don't want him to hide any longer and to live as he's never lived before

He too, is drawn in by your soft nature, in this isolated pocket of earth, hidden from the bustling of crowds in town, you have all the time in the world to heal him, all you did was show sympathy and he took and he learned to not seize it as if you were to never offer it again but ask for it in return

Soap

He considers his bloodline irrelevant to his value, disregarding the riches his family has wanted to hand down for him to manage but he knows that as the eldest and with an eternity ahead of him, he'll be held down by earthly possessions from doing what he truly desires

He'll be more than pleased to donate some of that money to you without his family's knowledge so you can use it to give the poor children an opportunity to study without their having to pay, he knows a good natured person when he sees one, you're more good than all those bloody guilty and deceitful men who can walk by a starving child and only tip their hat in greeting

Just as he spends a great amount of time studying plants he finds himself wanting to learn more about you, observing every detail and habit of yours as if another species to learn about, he wishes he could take you home like he has done with many of his plants and keep you under his watchful eyes constantly

Stepping into his rather large estate can prove difficult due to the overgrown plants stretching and overtaking the place, they have crawled up the walls and creep into cracks which can easily get you lost if you were to enter alone

He'll give over any amount of money if you agree to have dinner with him as he gets rather lonely in his grand place he's inherited, he was to get a wife along with the passing down of the estate but he declined saying he already had his eye set on someone

Gaz

He's the most passion driven soul you've come across, his entire being emits warmth and sincerity, never would you have guessed he was half cold had he not told you so

His douceur nature is what attracts you to him, more tightly bound is this simple gesture than honeyed words of seduction which are commonly used by vampires for their victims, but his human half does not allow him to be completely consumed by carnal desire

Despite his better judgement he spends many evenings with you past what is proper of "good company" only, knowing sooner or later you'll grow curious at the mask he wears to hide what truly pains his soul, you seem to so easily read his emotions from his work as an artist

It captivates you how beautifully he can compose a dulcet song or write the pains of his melancholy on bloodstained paper, you want to mend the anguished heart within him before his sanity deteriorates and the madness awakes and takes away the human in him struggling to live with this feeling of alienation from being different from both halves

The only solace he knew before you was getting lost in the hills of this quiet countryside scenery and taking in all of what is good for the tortured senses, standing in silence to marvel at the moving clouds and sky, but now he is glad to find someone who is not only passionate about learning but also teaches the young children

Roach

How cruel had fate been to thrust him into this unchangeable course for the remainder of his days, it is terrible knowing there is something sinister living inside of you just waiting to claw out and shed your old skin, when he just wishes to live his idyllic life which is why he's even moved out to the countryside in the first place, town is no place for him, especially not a vampire

He wishes for a somewhat normal life, he sees you can your ability to be loving without being afraid of of the repercussions, he seeks the very things that may destroy him in the end if he does not learn to proceed with discretion

He is a fledgling; his lack of expertise and experience prevent him from going on with his life normally, finding it extremely hard to find the rhythm of this merry go round without the help of the sire who turned him this beast of blood

The fear upsets his heart as he ruminates on it but with time and your showing him how to prevent it from getting to him release his mind from the prison he's set for himself, he devotes his care to helping as best as he can to others

He finds a lively imagination that he can use to his benefit and it is this animated spirit that demonstrates how much he wants to live despite the cold in his body

Alejandro

He's felt a growing need to seek sanctuary in things that other vampires are unlikely to show an interest in, while others may seek riches and wealth he seeks power through ways people may be less heedful of

Just like him, humans will seek the approval of something, someone greater than their kind, and no matter how many times he is thrown away into the abyss to be forgotten he will dig through and find a way to live and make something out of himself

He just wants to avoid being forgotten about, and he is especially interested in how you are able to so easily make a place for yourself in this little countryside small town without making so much of a commotion, you quietly slipped and fell into a constant pace without clawing at anyone or having to bare your teeth

But for him to know this he must first step down from the podium he's positioned himself upon and learn to live in control of his sinful nature, the recollection of his nature and controlling it is still something he must come to terms with, especially if he's outside of the strict environment he's hidden away in for years

In time he learns to treasure those moments that will wither away with the people if he does not let them sink into his mind as he cradles your reassuring hand in his palm, enveloping your hand to remember the everlasting feeling of what amity must feel like

Rudy

He'll gently hold and savor every moment with you in his hands because chances like these only come once in an eternity, with a life like yours which is so fleeting you must allow him to admire and keep this to himself, it is not jealousy if he worries about you

Your unchanging smile that beams a little brighter for him than the others is more than enough to prove to him that there is light in the world he has seen so enclosed in darkness and seclusion, that there is no reason to hide away like all his other companions do

It is like a new world unfolding in his mind as he gets to know you, how marvelous it feels when you allow him to gaze into your eyes full of liveliness unlike the dimmed eyes he's been accustomed to seeing, you are alleviating to him like the cool shade on an overbearing summer's day

To him, it is such a beautiful thing to witness life from a human's perspective, because life for them is so fleeting and fast anything that happens is worth waiting for, unlike the same routine based lifestyle he's had to put up with for he doesn't even know how long, he only wishes to know simplicity

He is glad to finally have found someone as deserving of love to value nurturing he had kept within him for years

Phillip Graves

Will you choose the man everyone advises you not to go with? Even the undead seem to avoid him and he has few who outright declare to know him, obviously against your better judgement you will because you know no better, he has that tantalizing manner of luring you in

In a moment where you are alone, he finds you, soon as your eyes meet there already is a whole evening's worth of conversing said between the both of you and it's as if he is able to easily control your inquisitiveness to lead you astray from everyone who wishes to protect you and walk right into his arms

"It's all lies, darling" he whispers into your ear when you express worry of what others may think, truly you mustn't believe them, they just don't like outsiders, and he's been one in every place he's been to, seemingly hated or disliked by everyone except you, you make him feel welcome in your home, or so he says

There is now a tether between you and him, a bond unable to be broken so you may never want to be apart from him, why when he has everything you need in this life and the next?

Makarov

It seems death itself follows you no matter where you go, once someone in the family has been in close contact with a vampire, it is hard for the vampire to leave the members of the family alone, for it hopes to find another impressionable heart to overpower and you have been the one with the susceptible heart

He asks you to ignore all the ignorant fools, they're far too brash to bask in your kindness that you give too easily, he is by far the one you are scolded at for even thinking of going near, there have been many rumors of what he does to those who are too naive, those poor victims who have been discarded, their veins sucked dry

He could easily make you surrender completely to him, but you have placed yourself under his care so benevolently that he has felt no need to forcefully subject you to him, with your gentle caress you have made him tremble and quiver out of what can be the closest thing to love as a vampire can experience

And it is with this fragility that you have found in his heart, that you now are in control of him, what happens next is determined whether you will let it taint you by reciprocating the manner in which he has approached you or will you show it purely

Keegan

He has no interest in what humans have got to offer, he finds their existence pitiful if all their efforts are in vain for they do not live very long, he holds a certain hatred for those who are greedy and succumb to every want of theirs

Yet, you arrive without any evil in your heart and you present yourself without filter to hide your intentions, he is curious of this when most of what he's known is greed from others, he keeps mostly to himself and is rarely involved in the affair of others

Still, curiosity is a vampire's greatest weakness, he stalks you nightly to know your persona, he is there to see your disposition in helping others, your kind heart when helping the children, you've displayed more fondness than a mother

In the light of the moon he becomes aware of his senses, the turmoil soon to brew under the stars that will watch as he divulges under susurrus that catch softly in the wind and drift into your room at night through the window; the whispers of confession that you don't quite catch while awake but rather find a way to manifest in your dreams, not sure if they are a nightmare or of a terrifying reality

His deep eyes that catch the light from the candles illuminating the room as he silently observes you

König

Despite the relationship between their countries, there still seems to be some sort of tension between König and the other vampires, the alliance they once had had begun weakening and he is distrusted, just when he is ready to completely untangle himself from this mess you drew him in

Gathering all the violent tension within him and burning it away, letting his rage dwindle and water it down to nothing in the pure night where no one can observe and reprove of him

You soak him in unfathomable amounts of amour and he does not find it within him to bite back, his breath catches in his throat at this feeling he cannot name, he can barely imitate you as a meager way of loving back

You sacrifice all the love you can give for him and he marvels at how you are able with so little you have received in life to give it up to an immortal being who's lived for so long yet received so little

He holds your hand to his face, closing his eyes to remember these moments of a mortal and to not let them be erased by the wind which can so easily take

Horangi

Your curiosity shall surely be the end of you, you spoke to a gentleman at a function for one night and now he's always lurking around you whether you like it or not, you don't even know of it

A vampire's adoration can go to great lengths when they find a human they are infatuated with, other than this he has no reasonable motives, he wishes you would accept his advances, only a vampire can love you forever, he has no difficulty entertaining you with promises exchanged at midnight

This nocturnal romance which tarnishes you, whether it destroys you for nothing or everything you are worth, leaving a deep scar within your heart which you can trace with your fingertips as your ache for him to return

You venture the uneven terrain where angels fear to tread, along the long desolate hallways of an uninhabited home where no other dares to enter, you maintain there waiting and trusting that he'll return every so often to adore you like always, you may go mad but it is something you look forward in the cycle of everyday life

Nikto

In order to escape deep solitude that has turned into loneliness he takes to watching over you like a butterfly on your shoulder when he cannot be there during the day, he seeks the pulsating of your heart, the tremors that run through your bodies when together

You don't draw back in fear like the others do, and this was the first time he was truly loved, in all your fantasy, you always knew he wasn't a monster, he could love, he could be tender and gentle, there was no need for desire or selfishness to consume him entirely, there was a time for him to live the life he deserved, the one you showed him

Still, there is a darkness he cannot fight that comes when listening to your tranquil breaths, the temptation he feels growing and gnawing within him to drink and confine you to the grasps of everlasting immortality, because it truly is terrible to love something that death can take away from him

He can already see the image forming in his mind; the fog that comes from the shaky breaths escaping your lips, the rise and fall of your chest stained with droplets of blood, letting you go cold for a moment before you join him in eternalness

He can only contemplate this as he watches the sun rise over the hillsides through the curtains that shield him from the rays of light

[fizzyapplecandy]

The Nerd in the Washroom

Ateez Seonghwa x Female Reader imagine

Genre: neighbours to lovers, classmates to lovers, slight fluff, smut, oral (f & m), lovely Seonghwa has a crush

Word count: 16k (I got way into it) (Not proofread, editing on the way)

Ever since you've moved to Korea to study at university, you've been curious about your neighbour Seonghwa. You know him as the nerdy guy on campus who has a Lego Star Wars themed backpack, big glasses, and a new fluffy sweater for every day of the week.

Others might find him boring, but you found him intriguing. You couldn't help but think there was something more to him than his nerdy looks.

You were certainly proven right while bumping into him in the laundry room of your complex - chest muscles on display, and an obvious huge bulge in his grey sweatpants.

.

.

.

"Oh my God, here he goes again. I wonder if you can catch his nerdiness in the air?"

She scoffed and continued to snicker with the boys behind her. Their target - Park Seonghwa.

"I think you're being a tad dramatic Jiun."

His appearance never bothered me, so I didn't engage in their gossip. Maybe it's because I never shared the same opinion as them. Jiun is my friend, and if it weren't for her I'd be stuck in a corner without friends. That didn't mean I shared all of her opinions.

"Don't you think you've talked about him enough? Jesus, he's just a guy. Besides, I've seen him around my building, he seems pretty normal."

The silence that followed my statement was ice cold. I could practically feel Jiun's stare.

"Y/N, sweetie, are you okay? Do you have a fever? Here, let me check, because what you're talking about is disturbing."

I slapped her hand away as she came for my forehead. Did I mention she could be a bit pushy?

"I'm fine. I just don't get why you would bother to talk about him so much. It kind of gives "middle school" vibes " I grabbed my pen and started taking down some notes. I was done with their nonesense.

"Woah, it seems like somebody has a crush on the nerd. Didn't think you went for that type of guy Y/N."

I scoffed and tuned out their snickering. Me? Having a crush on Seonghwa? No way. I just felt bad about the way they were talking about him. They didn't even know the guy. And hey, he may be a super nerd, and he may carry around a Star Wars backpack, but... Yeah, well that didn't make his case better.

I looked at him, sitting in the front row. He jutted something in his notebook before highlighting it with a pink pen. He seemed satisfied with it, a small smile gracing his features. He looked... Pretty.

Before I got list in my thoughts, the professor came in. Time to face reality.

Ironically, we lived in the same off-campus building. I've seen him around, wearing his pink sweatshirts, white headphones on his head. He always smelled nice, like a flower field. Made me question what kind of detergent he used. We never spoke, but he always nodded politely when we crossed paths.

.

.

.

"I've got to stop piling up laundry."

In my defense, I am a full time university student, with a part time online job. I don't exactly have time for laundry. Not to mention I don't even have a washing machine in my apartment. I would have to go three flights of stairs down to the basment, where our laundry room was located. It was old, a bit run down, but hey, it got the job done.

With a huff, I picked up my basket and made my way down. It was getting hotter as the days went by. We were approaching July, and my usual home wardrobe consisted of pyjama shorts and a white tank top. I left my bra in my bedroom, beacuse I haven't seen anybody use the old washroom besides myself. Occasionally, Seonghwa, but we've never been down there at the same time.

"Jesus, my arms hurt."

I opened the door with my butt, having my hands full. As I Iifted the basket I couldn't see a thing in front of me.

And as I finally put it down, I was in for a surprise.

There, with his eyes wide, pants low on his hips, pecks on full display stood none other that Seonghwa.

My expression became a mirror of his own, eyes wide and mouth open. I made the grave mistake of glancing down. Right at the surprisingly massive buldge in his gray sweats.

Holy shit.

Who knew nerdy boy was like Hercules underneath all of the pink fluff.

Before I could help myself, I gasped.

"Oh my... Sorry. I..."

He grabbed a shirt from his (surprise) pink basket, putting it in front of his chest.

"No! I mean... I'm sorry? I don't know, oh god."

"You're... Wow" What? Come on Y/N, get it together.

"I'm...? Thanks? I guess."

My eyes grew wider, flapping my hands around.

"No, no, no. I didn't mean it like that! Well, kind of, but... Did I? I don't know."

Seonghwa's ears and cheeks turned red and he flicked his own forehead.

"Of course you didn't mean it like that. Sorry, you caught me off guard." He smiled bashfully, looking at the ground now.

"Talk about catching people off guard. Dude, you're ripped."

My amazed expression could not be kept at bay. Boy, oh boy, I could feel myself getting hotter by the second.

" I wouldn't say that, but... Thanks, I guess?" Seonghwa smiled, this time looking at me. Or specificly, my tits.

I guess going without a bra has its benefits.

"Seen something you like?" I teased, putting my hands behind my back, jutting out my chest.

"Well... I... I have to say, I've never seen someone as hot as you, so..."

I hid my surprise behind a smile. Was he trying to flirt with me?

"I think you should come closer to take a better look."

I honestly thought this would be the moment he backed off, but again, he managed to exceed my expectations.

Without a word, he put down the shirt in his hands, walking over slowly. He stopped a foot away from me, his eyes locked onto mine. I had to strain my neck to look up at him. He was tall, and I liked that.

"Now that I'm up close, I can definitely say it. I've never seen someone as hot as you, Y/N."

I took another small step towards him, almost making our chests touch. His breathing was shallow, and I knew he was trying to keep his cool.

"Tell me, Seonghwa... Are the fluffy jumpers and nerdy backpacks only a cover-up? Why are you hiding this delicious body from the world? Hm?"

I slowly placed my index finger on his chest, bringing it down his stomach, only stopping when I heard his sharp inhale. His muscles contracted, and you could count his abs perfectly.

"Well, I... It's easier this way, I suppose. I don't particularly like attention."

I nodded. "Ah... A bit shy, are you? It doesn't seem like it to me. But I could be wrong."

"I am shy. You're just too pretty, and I like pretty things. I guess I also have a bit of a crush on you. It's stupid, I know. You'd never be with someone like me, but it's wishful thinking."

A crush? On me? I guess my dumfounded expression wasn't as well managed, because Seonghwa giggled a bit.

"How on Earth could I have known that? You never even speak to me. And, hey! Give yourself some credit! You're like, super smart, and you're handsome. It's quite ridiculous how good looking you are. Even with that backpack of yours."

"Which one, the Lego or Star Wars?"

I laughed out loud this time, patting him on the chest.

"You're funny. So, what do you want to do to me? I have to say, I am more than open to prove you wrong about your 'wishful thinking' if you want."

I could feel his heartbeat under my palm, and it seemed to pick up with my question. He gulped before opening his mouth, closing it, and opening it again. He seemed at a loss for words.

"I... I never thought I'd get this far, to be honest. But, God... The things I'd do to you...

Before I could tease him again, his lips were on mine.

I don't know if someone has ever kissed me with such passion. His hands were all over me - first my hair, my throat, my arms... He settled them over my hips and pulled me towards him. I couldn't help myself eather. My arms went around his broad shoulders. Our kiss grew urgent, and the hair grew heavier with each sigh of pleasure we left out.

His tongue prodded into my mouth, caressing mine. I don't know who pulled away first, but thank god, because I needed some air. And I needed to do something else.

I looked into his eyes as I dropped to my knees. My head was perfectly aligned with his impressive buldge. He was a bit taken aback, lips red and puffy, eyes wide.

"You don't have to do that, you know. I am perfectly content kissing the shit out of you for, like, forever."

"Seonghwa?" "Yes?" "Shut up and drop your pants."

"Yes ma'am."

With that, he pulled down his sweats, and surprise surprise, there were little starships and baby Yodas printed on his boxers.

"Please, for the love of everything sacred, and my pride, do not say anything about it now."

I pretended to zip my mouth shut, grabbing at his boxers to get them out of my way. I was a woman on a mission.

His cock was as pretty as the rest of him. Big, with a pink tip. I slowly carresed the head, making it pulse in the air. Seonghwa left out a breathy moan, putting his hand on my head. He didn't urge me, he simply slipped my hair though his fingers.

"I've never seen such a pretty cock before. It matches you perfectly."

I gripped him tighter, making him moan a bit louder this time.

"Thanks... I... Oh god."

He couldn't finish his sentence because I took the chance to lick his cock from his balls to his head. My lips wrapped around the pink bulb and I sucked at it like it was a lolly.

His hand soon fisted my hair, pulling a bit tighter every time I lowered my head some more. Soon enough, with a bit of a struggle, I took all of his glory into my mouth. There was droll everywhere, but I didn't care. Neither did he, judging by his moans.

"Oh my... I knew you'd be good at this... Look at you, drolling all over me. I think you can take it a little rougher, am I right?"

With that, he thrusted his hips up, and his cock hit the back of my throat. I gagged, but I wasn't about to give up. I relaxed my muscles and began bobbing up and down, going faster when I felt his first tightening in my hair.

"That's it... What a good girl... Just like that..."

His words only made me speed up, encouraging me to finish him off. It seemed like he had other plans, because I was pushed off his cock and up on my feet in seconds.

"Sorry doll, but I don't want to cum unless it's in you."

He picked me up and sat me on one of the washing machines. It creeked with my weight on it, and we chuckled before sharing another kiss. This time it was slower, more passionate.

"Do you know how pretty you are right now? With your lips all pink and glossy... I could kiss you all day long. I could also keep your mouth on my cock forever... You're too good at it."

I spread my legs to let him get closer. My shorts were soaked, and he could feel it.

"Thanks babe, I was trying to impress you."

"Oh doll, you did a fantastic job. Let me show you what I can do now."

Without another word, he crouched down. His hands went up my legs, caressing them on the way up. His touch was soft, feather like. Until he got to my sleep shorts, and almost ripped them off me.

"Impatient, are we?"

He chuckled. "You have no idea doll."

Seonghwa was a bit surprised with my lack of panties, but he was also glad. One less layer to take care off.

He slowly parted my pussy lips, eyes focused on my wetness.

"Good god... I could look at you all day."

"Seonghwa, please, look at it all you want another time. I'm gonna bust up here."

He let out a laugh, nodding his head.

"I'm gonna hold onto that promise."

I didn't get to reply because he went right in on my clit. His tongue was doing wonders, going up and down, left to right, keeping a steady pace. He sucked on my little nub, watching me carefully.

"You taste so sweet doll. I knew you would. I could stay here forever."

"I won't complain if you do."

He chuckled and went right back at it. I can't remember the last time someone was this devoted to eating me out. Probably never.

His fingers prodded at my entrance, slowly punching one inside. His tongue kept going over my clit, making me shake.

"Keep going baby, I'm so close..."

My words only encouraged him to go faster, more eager. His finger reached my sweet spot, pushing against the gummy walls. I could feel my orgasm coming. It took a sharp suck on my little nub, and I was out.

"Yes! Oh my! Oh Seonghwa..."

My moans soon turned into little cries, the overstimulation making me more sensitive. It seemed like he wasn't going to stop, so I had to push his head away.

He came up and kissed me roughly, grabbing my boobs and squeezing.

"Sorry doll, got a bit lost. You have the sweetest pussy..."

"I think it's time you use those hips now, don't you agree?"

"You are absolutely right. What a smart girl you are."

I giggled and put my legs around his hips, pulling him into me. He understood my intentions, pushing his pants all the way down. He stroked his cock a few times before slowly pushing it in.

We both let out a sigh after he was fully inside.

"My god doll, you're so tight. You suck me right it. I think we were made for this, you know?"

I nodded and put my hands around his neck. Our foreheads touched, and we gazed into each others eyes. I slowly nodded, and he started thrusting into me.

His pace was slow at first, almost as if he was soaking it all in. His hands grabbed my ass, squeezing every time his cock plunged into my pussy.

"Y/N, doll... We have to do this every day, you know? It's the only logical option."

I smiled, kissing him again.

"Yeah, you think so? I have to say...Ah... I agree."

He speed up, moaning loudly while I clenched around him. It was difficult to keep my hands at bay, so I caressed his chest and shoulders. His broad, sexy shoulders. Without much thought, I sank my teeth into his neck, trailing bites down to his shoulder.

Seonghwa gasped, squeezing me even more.

"Do that again doll. Do it harder."

I listened, putting my head on the opposite side, doing the same thing. I was a bit rougher now, leaving deep teeth marks.

"You're mine now, I left my mark." I was only half joking, but it seemed to make him even more eager in his movements.

"I'm yours. I'm yours, however you want me."

I squeezed his cock again, tightening my walls while he pushed them even deeper inside me. I could feel my orgasm approaching again, and I could tell Seonghwa was hanging by a thread.

"I'm close doll, your pussy is just so good... Come on, you've got to cum with me. I need to feel your pussy pulsating around me."

"I'm close, I'm so close. Please, please..."

He put his fingers on my clit, rubbing fast circles, making me clench even more.

"Cum for me Y/N."

With his whispered words, my orgasm crashed through me like a truck. Seonghwa was seconds behind, groaning in pleasure. I could feel his cum painting my walls, milking his cock until he started shaking.

We hugged, our breaths laboured as we got down from our highs. He took a deep breath, running his fingers through my locks.

"That was..."

"Yeah..."

"We should totally..."

"Yeah..."

He chuckled at my lack of articulate responses. I was in no shape to form a sentence.

He slowly pulled out of me, watching as his cum dripped onto the old washing machine.

"We made a mess doll."

"Yeah, well, I don't care honestly. That was just wow. "

Seonghwa grabbed my shorts, pulling them up my legs before helping me get off. My legs were shaking, so I leaned into him. He hugged me close, kissing the top of my head.

"Do you think you'd be up for a date maybe? I mean, only if you want to. If you don't that's okay, I get it. I am a bit of a nerd after all."

"Yes."

"I get it, I am reasona - Yes?"

"Yes, I'll go on a date with you. But only if you let me wear that cute pink sweater of yours."

"Well now that wouldn't be practical, would it?"

"You can wear all of my sweaters if you want."

.

.

.

"Did you see the residential nerd this morning? He's got a new backpack. And guess what? It's pink!"

"Hey isn't that Y/N?"

"What?"

Jiun turned around and locked eyes with me, and my newly acquired boyfriend. Seonghwa took me on a date this weekend, and we bought matching baby pink backpacks. Way to introduce us as a couple, am I right?

I waved at my friends, motioning to the seat next to Seonghwa's, basically telling them I'm moving.

"Not at all big boy, not at all..."

Jiun was a bit stunned, but the smile she gave me was genuine. Seonghwa glanced at me, interlocking our pinkies.

"You don't mind sitting with the nerd now?"

[kissesforscars]

toji as a friend (for now), male!user

to be honest i don't know what to feel about this, i just really enjoy imagining toji as a friend, like a normal young person without being have to deal with any zenin bullshit. i enjoy the idea of him being normal young guy. i may write a second part of it so i'm sorry if this is short. I'M ALSO SORRY FOR THE YAPPING. please enjoy <3

“You know what? I fucking hate being friends with you,” Toji said with a tone that wasn't very sweet as you walked through the yard of the collage. The sounds of your footsteps were fading against the sounds of other students made. A scoff left your mouth as a reaction to his words and you felt a strong urge to slap him at the back of his useless head. “Yeah, me too,” you said back, like a dog showing their teeth to scare the threat. “I'm a very good option for you,” he said as he adjusted the strap of his bag, his nose was freezing because of the cold weather and Toji would rather be in his small apartment, eating a large pizza and watching stupid youtube videos that told the most unnecessary things about the history. But hey, he needed to study so he could find a better job. And when that happened, Toji would have enough money to be lazy as he pleased.

“Oh yeah?” You said and your mocking tone caused him to flash a stare at you with his furrowed eyebrows. “You're too damn big, you look at everyone like you want to murder them with an axe, you're not kind, you have a dirty mouth and you're cursing way too much, you don't know how to talk like a decent human being. Do you want me to continue my list? Or were these enough to hurt your ego that is bigger than Everest?” Your eyes met his green ones, you could observe the increasing frustration in them. He could snap your neck in two, he really could. But Toji chose not to. At least you get to be alive for one more day. “Put those words on a paper, Y/N,” Toji started speaking and you knew that his words wouldn't end nicely. “So I can fold that paper and stick it up to your ass.”

You wanted to laugh but a part of you felt nervous since how serious his threat seemed. You had never seen Toji sticking things to other people's ass but everything had a first when it's about Toji. “And do you think that you're any better? You're a stupid little nerd that can't have normal friends. If I wasn't here, you'd be a quiet kid in college and everyone would talk shit about you. You're damn lucky that I'm too honest, buddy,” Toji sniffed before turning his head forward, his nose was starting to turn red as if he was allergic to the cold and the cells on his skin were trying to warn him about that. “I'm not a nerd,” you said with a defensive tone. Come on, you weren't a nerd. You weren't even that smart. Toji would think everyone was a nerd compared to him because he was too damn stupid about lectures. Actually you didn't know if he was even smart about something, about anything.

Your eyes found his profile again as you continued your little walk that would end up in your own classes. Toji's green irises were staring ahead as if they were small emerald pieces ready to turn into bullets. And it seemed like he was still freezing. Toji hated winter even if his name was related to winter. The cold was nice until he started his fingers were getting numb and his nose was becoming wet like a dog's nose. The thoughts swirled inside your head and one of them was louder than the others. You realized if you really knew Toji. Yeah, you've been friends since highschool but was this all he had? Then you mentally slapped yourself for wondering about the other sides he had, like besides being your friend. What would he look like as a boyfriend, as a spouse or maybe as a father? Would he actually show some care and affection or would he stay the same?

“What did you bring for the lunch break?” Toji's question cleared away the clouds of thoughts inside your head and you almost wanted to thank him. But instead of doing that, you thought about his question. “I made a sandwich this morning and had some fruit with it,” you said after you remembered the bag you prepared for the lunch break. Both of you didn't enjoy eating in the cafeteria since the place was full of people and it was too loud to have fun with what you ate. Toji let out a grunt as if he said something as he inhaled and he gave a nod without looking at you. “Good, I'm planning to steal your fruits to put them in between the peanut butter breads I prepared,” Toji said and his hand reached to pat your shoulder when he finally turned his attention to you. “You may be a nerd but you bring good food.”

[afyrian]

☆ chapter four - budding words m.list

    staring up a light pole, you hold up the last poster you're carrying. pressing it against the rough wooden texture, you spread out your palm, flattening it as best you can. grabbing a stapler from your bag, you press down each corner. a soft click noise releases as you push the stapler down, properly holding it up in place. you stand back for a moment, looking it over.

  it's a simple poster, outlining your curiosity, your want to know who this mysterious individual may be. behind every short message, you find yourself yearning for the love that hides in every descriptive line. with sage green hearts lining the corners, you hope that the person behind those words will finally reveal themselves. give you a chance to become more than just admirer and muse.

  however, for at least your walk home, you'll have to grow content with the idea that he may never reveal himself. your mind wandering to something much more real, kuroo tetsuro. looking towards the snow gathered along the sidewalks, it glistens under the bright midday sun. parts melting under the weather growing warmer for a few days. stopping in front of your shop's doors, you see a few people standing inside from behind the glass.

  pursing your lips, you walk inside, a little bell going off as the door pulls open. the people standing there look from yachi to you. they all immediately start speaking over each other, words muddling together. "i'm so sorry, what's going on?" you question, eyebrows furrowing downward.

  "i'm your secret admirer," all three men say at the same time, voices overlapping into a harmonic voice. 

  you look towards yachi, eyes widening into lengths she's never seen before. looking back at the men, you nod slightly, telling out a deep sigh. "well, you can't all be the secret admirer... so, how do you all think that we should go about this? actually, yachi can correspond the notes with your answers and i have flowers to deliver," you give her a smile, turning towards the back of the shop.

  "excuse me-" she starts saying, following you to the back of the shop, lowering her voice to a whisper when you reach the bouquets, "you're not just dumping this all on me!"

  "but these deliveries... and i know kuroo is usually walking home around these times," you pick and prod at the flowers, looking up at yachi who has grown a wide smile on her face.

  she clasps her hands together, bringing them up to her face. yachi frees her hands and brings them, grabbing a hold of your shoulders, hoping to do some prodding of her own, "so you can 'bump' into each other again?? one of you has to formally ask out the other, unless you think he might soon."

  you shake your head slowly, biting your lip softly. "i don't know, but i do know i like to see him. so i should really get going-"

  "nope, you're gonna sit down with me and verify these guys. plus, who knows, maybe one of them will even become more important to you than kuroo," she reaches her hands lower, wrapping them around your bicep and pulling you back towards the front of the store.

  following her slowly, you start to yearn for the deliveries, something that's never been your favorite. you barely know kuroo, and yet every part of you wants to see him. his presence is calming and yet fiery at the same time. you can joke with him, knock him over, and catch him in the same sentence with a smile. but you're stuck sitting there, listening to the men introducing themselves.

  "so, oikawa. we received an order last night from the store's secret admirer. it started with 'these flowers, while not handed to you directly...'. could you please finish it?" you question, pushing the laptop's screen down so that he can't see what it says.

  yachi raises her eyebrows as soon as you say 'the store's secret admirer', knowing full well that it's for you. however, she doesn't say anything as oikawa leans back in his chair, arm resting over the back of it. "uh, are a show of my love?"

  pursing your lips, you shake your head. "nice to meet you... oikawa, but that isn't what it says. please find your way to the front door, or if you're still up for it, there's plenty of bouquets for purchase," you give him a curt smile, turning to the next two people alleging to be him. 

  much like oikawa's attempt, you never heard the words 'blossom between my fingers. they represent every swirl in my fingerprints writing out my love for you'. they feel like they slip off the tongue, beautiful and elegant. and none of the men who came into the shop carried that elegance. their voices didn't match the one that rang through your head every time you think of the writer.

  "i'm going now, please take care of the shop!" you rush towards the back of the shop, grabbing the few small bouquets still in need of delivering.

  yachi watches as you head for the front door, seeing such a wide smile grace your lips. it's beautiful to her, and seeing you with such a smile made her happy. you're finally finding someone for you that most can't find, especially when they're so indulged in their work. "you know i will. if you aren't back by closing, i'll lock it all up."

  "thank you! i'll probably be back in time, but if not, feel free to take a few flowers for yourself," you give her a wave, pushing through the front doors and onto the busy sidewalk. 

  your deliveries are the typical ones, shops around town for people who don't have time to pick them up. a couple being older individuals who you deliver to every other week. heading for the residential part of time, you pass your apartment building. the large structure holding a beautiful interior. however, you know you can't stop for a break.

  passing down a street, you look around at the sights. apartment building windows lit up with different colors. some bedrooms carrying a color through the darkness, bright purples and blues giving way for unique personalities. you've always loved people-watching, the inherent act of understanding you're not alone in the universe. 

  that people are there and trying their best. it gives you hope, hope for a better future. one that could possibly include kuroo. the idea of him walking up to you manifests in your mind, carrying that same briefcase. he smiles as soon as he sees you, feet carrying him quicker than he can even think. "l/n?" he questions and you immediately believe you'd tell him to call you y/n.

  the words leave your lips quicker than you would've cared for them to. however, as you're imaging it all, you know that the slight embarrassment wouldn't last. but much to your dismay, as the imagery leaves your mind, you still see him standing there. his same old smile still haunting his lips, "sure, i can call you y/n. if you call me tetsurō. it's only fair."

  your breath hitches, tongue pressing against the roof of your mouth. "okay- yeah," nothing coherent forms in your mind, leaving you speechless.

  "then that’s settled. it's interesting to see you here. you making deliveries?" he looks towards the flower bouquets, free hand stuffed in his pocket, the suit somehow always fitting him like a glove.

  "yeah. some home deliveries and then one of the local businesses has a book club tomorrow. so i'm just getting some in tonight. you heading home from work?" freeing a hand to reach up and scratch the back of your neck, feeling the metaphorical bugs covering you, the typical butterflies not in sight. 

  kuroo nods, looking out at the horizon and back to you, watching the sun descend in the sky. "how about we walk together? i can hold a couple of those for you," he nods, reaching his hand out to grab hold.

  not missing a beat, you grab a couple from the pile, handing it off to him. his gloved hands always make his touch feel so distant, like he's a thousand miles away. "thank you.. tetsurō. i will never stop appreciating running into you," you finally give him a warm smile, eyes still unable to stay trained on his.

  "well, every time we do, every swirl within my fingerprints will be at service to you," he whispers, something only you could hear amongst the sounds of light traffic.

  the two of you continue walking, but your eyebrows furrow, mind wandering. his words sound so familiar, so similar to that of your secret admirer. it felt memorable, beautiful within every word. "i think i can only say thank you enough," you knock your shoulder into his, heading towards an apartment building usually filled with older members.

  "okay, well, then it's my turn to say thank you if you’ll accept my company hiring you for their upcoming event,” he looks over at you, illuminated by the evening sun and streetlights turning on.

  “really? your boss is up for hiring me for the event?” you question, trying to hide the way your heart nearly skips a beat seeing him shine like that, “tetsurō, thank you!! you have no idea what this opportunity means to me.”

  he looks forward, shrugging his shoulders. “it was all your work, i merely showed it off, y/n. he loved your design and wants you to call tomorrow about some more. you should be really proud of yourself, i know i am,” kuroo follows you as you push the apartment lobby’s doors open.

  “not gonna say thank you, but i think you know how i feel.”

taglist (open): @maybespiderman @causenessus @applepi25 @softpia @bakery-anon

@nekozaki @nnnyxie @kameyyy @grassbutneo @asrichin

@boosyboo9206 @anqelkoz @rriwyu @ssabvln @thesleepingrose

@chososcamgirl @lale-txt @weezerbby @cupidsblonde

[messypansy]

Contains: Hypnosis, manipulation, technically somno?, forced masculinization, use of the F slur

This is a ramble, not supposed to be anything too accurate or well written, so be nice, please lol

If there's a tag you think needs to be here, let me know!

Just imagine:

You're dating a guy and 6 months in, everything's going well. He's really sweet, he takes you out to dinner, buys you your favorite books and new ones you've been meaning to get to, even being able to practically read your mind the way he just knows when you're hungry or thirsty. He just seems to be such good boyfriend material.

A while after, he sees you've not been putting as much effort into looking like a guy, even going so far as to wear feminine clothes and not correcting people when they call you by she/her pronouns. You've noticed the little glint in his eyes and the mild looks of irritation, but you've never thought to bring them up.

You don't question when he tells you you've got a doctor's appointment and that he'll take you. You don't question when the doctor supplies you your first dose of testosterone, nor do you realize that's what's in the "vaccine" your boyfriend swears it is. You don't question when he needs to run by the pharmacy and comes back to the car with a bag of supplies. You're none the wiser when he gives you your following doses in your sleep, waiting until you're unconscious to inject the needle into your fat.

When your attitude doesn't change in the first few weeks, still attempting to keep a hold on your femininity despite the growth happening between your legs, he decides to take some extra measures. Now, while you're asleep, he's slipping headphones on your head, allowing subliminals to fill your mind. This seems to help, so he continues to do so, even going so far as to put you into trance while you're awake and make you forget what he would do just as you come to. He starts off easy, just reaffirming the triggers he's set and putting it in your brain that you are indeed a man, but he increases the intensity more and more every day, setting in desires to be used like a man, to be seen as a man. Unbeknownst to you, when these little thoughts creep up in your mind throughout the day, you have no clue that they're because of what he's doing.

It eventually gets to a point where he's done some convincing without influence to let him try out anal with you. Even with his less than ethical methods before, he knew it needed no convincing on your part this time, and he takes care of you so nicely, having all the supplies to properly prep you for it all. Just like everything else, you have no clue this wouldn't be the first time, not that you're aware of at least.

He slips inside you with barely any effort after some prepping, surprising even you as he starts off slow. You can't help but feel like this isn't the first time you've done this, that you two MUST have done something before. Even in your moan-filled bliss, you can't help but beg the question. His rhythm stutters for a moment, almost pausing before pretending like you didn't just ask what you asked. You insist, even stating through moans that you're pretty sure he's done something.

He grabs your throat suddenly, pounding into you ruthlessly. "Of course I did. But I'm surprised you even remember." As your eyes widen, about to argue, you barely get even a word out before he's pressing more on your arteries and making your head spin from the lack of blood flow. He growls into your ear:

"I don't want to hear a word out of that mouth about it. You may be pissed, but I had to do it. You need to start acting like a man. You lost the right to your own body when you decided that you were gonna pretend to be some fucking girl and ignore the reality in front of you."

"Now shut the fuck up and take it like a man..."

Despite the still lingering anger and shock at the revelation, the way he fucks up into you is way too much, causing that still foggy brain of yours to give in despite it all, to just let him use you like the little fag you are. He whispers one little word into your ear, and although it doesn't send you into trance, it makes what he says next all the more enticing and convincing.

"Doesn't this feel good? To be used like the stupid whore you are? To be guided like this? To be shown your place?"

It all feels so good. It feels good for him to use you. It feels good when he slips his hand around and pumps your little developing cock. It feels good to hear his praises. It feels good to be called a 'good boy', to be called a 'fag'. It's what you are, after all.

"Are you gonna cum? Gonna cum from me fucking you like a man? From me stroking your cock?"

He says through grunts, already so close himself. It's all too much, the way he fills you up so nicely and the way he praises how you give in and clench with each masculine praise. You can't help but nod violently as your moans and whines practically evolve into cries and screams of pleasure. As the feeling of release overwhelms you, your body convulses under him, the only thing to stabilize you being his hands that hold your hips so tight that the possibility of bruising is a guarantee. You shudder as he finally cums inside you, painting your ass with spurts of white.

Your pants fill the room, your boyfriend staying inside you for a while before pulling out and rolling over onto his back. He pulls you into his embrace, holding your sweaty body close while he gets his bearings.

"From now on...", he starts, his speech slow and patchy. "You're...You're gonna be...fucked exclusively like this... No using that...that useless front hole. You're gonna listen to my words, to my orders...and be the man I know you are..."

You're eyes already flitting close, you can only nod slightly in response as you fall asleep against him.

As time goes on, he forces you to continue your masculinization, having to use hypnosis and trigger words on you less and less. He has you voice train as your voice drops, has you eating more of those necessary macros and making you work out, he takes you to a barber to get a more appropriate cut compared to the shaggy layers you donned before. He's even got a surgery date for you to get those lumps off your chest so you can start wearing shirts and going shirtless without a binder. He's completely changed you for the better.

And now?...

You actually believe it.

[k3nz1ekorn]

Never be Easy

This was beta read by my AMAZING friend @/kalei__co over on Ao3 and I'm thrilled about how it turned out!! Character cheat sheet: Viktor-Vladimir/Vlad, Jayce-Joel, Vi-Viola, Cait-Cathrin/Cat, Mel-Miah, Savannah- Sevika, Sky- Skyler, Powder/Jinx-Piper/Hexa, Ekko-Elijah

Summary: After weeks of avoiding each other, Vlad and Joel are forced to confront their own idiocy. With intervention of course.

Part 5 in the actor au, part 1 below and masterlist pinned on profile!

Vlad hadn’t looked up from his script since he sat down. 

The last few weeks had been tense on set, and that was putting it lightly. Ever since that stupid night at the karaoke bar, Joel had been avoiding him like the plague. It was as if the last months had never happened in the first place. Hell, it was as if they’d never met before. It felt as if he were a stranger in his own body when Joel was around; there were no more fleeting glances, no brushing hands at the snack tables. It was as if he had been yanked out of his existence and thrown into some alternate timeline where he and Joel were strangers.  

He could have cried if he wasn’t so intensely and irrevocably angry about it all. 

It wasn’t as if Vlad hadn’t been trying to get Joel to talk to him. He felt like he’d tried everything under the sun at this point! 

Well, within reason of course. 

He’d asked to run lines. Joel was ‘too busy’. 

He asked to chat over lunch. Joel ‘wasn’t hungry’. 

The worst had been when he’d flat out tried to get Joel’s attention on set last week. The man had not only not spoken to him, but when he’d touched his shoulder he flinched. Flinched! And not a small one, either; it had been one of those full body flinches. As if the mere thought of being touched by Vlad was somehow unthinkable, as if he’d been burnt. And his eyes?

Vlad’s shoulders tensed just a bit more as he thought about the way Joel’s eyes had looked at him that day. 

There was so much behind them that Vlad wasn’t sure he could name all the emotions. He probably couldn’t have even if he tried! He’d seen some the night at the bar; the pain, confusion, and fear. But there was something unfamiliar, something he’d never seen from the other, and gods he wished to never see it again. 

That catches us up pretty well. 

He’d resigned himself to letting it all go. To not try and touch him again, not speak to him, not even look at him if he could help it. He’d give everything and anything to never have to see that look in those beautiful golden eyes again. So he had to give up on his stupid little crush, on this infatuation.

On his love. Because of course Vlad was in love with him.

A gentle chime brought him out of his troubled thoughts, and he shifted to reach for his phone in the side pocket of his chair. He was careful not to jostle anything lest he knock over his carefully balanced cane. 

On his screen was a simple text from Miah. 

‘come by my trailer before you leave, I need advice on a date with Savannah.’ 

It brought a small smile onto Vlad’s otherwise sad face. 

At least his friends’ romantic lives all seemed to be going well. Viola and Cat were about to move in together, Miah and Savannah appeared to be so infatuated with each other that he’d bet they’d end up married a few years from now. He’d even heard the magazines reporting about Piper (Hexa to the media, stage names and all that) and Elijah, two of the show's most promising rising stars, being spotted here and there in neighboring cities. 

They all seemed so happy, so content. 

How he wished for that with Joel. 

He sent a quick reply to Miah, confirming he would come by, but he may not be the best person to ask for advice on the matter. He’d fucked up his own love life enough without even knowing how; he wasn’t going to fuck hers up too by letting her take his half thought out advice.

The bell was heard from the nearby set and his eyes glanced to the familiar setting of ‘Zaun,’ more specifically to the two actors occupying the corners of it. They had just finished filming a fight scene; Joel’s character kills a child and has some major revelations about morality and mortality. A pivotal moment for Jayce, he thought. 

Vlad had been asked to stay behind for the last few scenes, just in case they decided to reshoot a big scene where his character accidentally kills their assistant. He doubts they would reshoot it now, with the sun setting overhead and time ticking far past when filming should have stopped for the day. If they were to redo it, it would have to wait until tomorrow. 

As he looked over the set, gold met Vlad’s vision. He froze, unable to look away as his brain was screaming at him to, unable to even breathe properly. It felt like an eternity, time seeming to stop all together and leave just them. 

It didn’t last, of course; why would it? 

After what was probably not even a full four seconds, the eyes were ripped away from his, and he came back to reality. To the reality that Joel did not care for him, that his affections were not reciprocated, that, in fact, he was seemingly despised by the other man. 

Vlad’s shoulders dropped. Letting out a breath he hadn’t even realized he’d been holding, he let his hand wander to grip his cane. He had to go get cleaned up and change before meeting Miah; he was covered in makeup at the moment and had barely any clothing on. 

He slid off his chair and pulled his blanket tighter around him, letting it hang around his shoulders for a minute as he gathered his belongings into his bag. Phone, script, water. Then he was set to go. 

Vlad stopped himself from looking back at the set as he turned to depart, not wanting to see those eyes anymore. His gaze was kept low towards the ground while he walked to the makeup and prosthetics tent. He was dying to get all the rigid collodion and paint off, but most importantly, he was ready to get these god awful contacts out. 

````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

Vlad approached the area where Miah’s trailer was located; the skies had grown nearly dark by the time he had gotten all his makeup off. His body was stiff and tired, and he just wanted to get this over with so he could go home to his new cat, Rio. 

He’d gotten her pretty recently, although it was more like she’d decided Vlad was her new human. Since the decision was finalized, he found himself a bit more eager to get home again after a long day. Especially recently, and most certainly when his leg and back were acting up as they seemed to be today.

When the trailer came into view, he wasn’t shocked to see his dear friend standing outside of it. However, he was a bit curious as to why she seemed to be waiting so impatiently. Her foot was anxiously tapping on asphalt below them, arms crossed and a tense expression on her usually serene face. 

It was obvious Miah had been waiting for him; why she seemed so worked up about it was a mystery to him, though. 

He brought his hand up in greeting, and as he was about to open his mouth to call out, she seemed to spot him. She all but charged him, taking unusually large steps to get over as fast as she could.

“Vlad, thank god,” Miah started, out of breath, ”I lost my phone like an hour ago. I need to call Savannah! She’s at my apartment, and I need to tell her I’ll be late getting home.” 

A hand was placed on his shoulder as she reached him. She seemed… frantic, dishevelled even. That was even curiouser. Miah was overly meticulous; he couldn’t seem to remember a time she’d lost something even remotely important, least of all lost her cool over misplacing something like this. First time for everything, he guessed, but it did make sense why she was so irate about it. People do tend to be frantic in unfamiliar situations.

“Ah, I suppose you can use mine, then.” Vlad switched his cane to his other hand and shifted to grab his phone from his front pocket, handing it over to her. She took it with her unoccupied hand and mumbled a thanks before sidestepping to gesture over to her trailer.

“I already brought out the ramp before you got here, I have some coffee inside you can sip on while you wait for me, yeah?” 

Vlad gave a smile and let her lead him; with how overstimulating the day had been, it would be heaven to sit down and enjoy some coffee. Miah always seemed to know what he needed before he could ask for it. She was observant, after all, and on the harder days, it was appreciated to a degree he hadn’t yet been able to articulate.

“Coffee at nearly dark? Music to my ears, my dear. Though if you plan to have any, you better make the call quick,” Vlad teased. 

Miah opened the door with a light laugh and gave him an inquisitive smile he couldn’t quite decipher. He held the railing as he made his way up the slope and into the vehicle. He had been facing her as he passed by her, and he only turned to the interior once he was fully inside. 

“After the day I’ve had, I could drink a whole pot--”

All the air left Vlad’s lungs, his shoes turning to lead when golden orbs made contact with a matching pair on the far side of the trailer. The shock of it cut off his words before he could finish his sentence. He could feel his heart beating out of his chest. A strangled noise left his mouth before he was able to snap it closed, hand tightening around his cane. He was just barely able to steady himself before he could process the door closing behind him. 

The sound brought him out of his trance, and he made an almost squawk as he tried the knob in vain. He unlocked it from the inside, going to try again but was met with an immovable force on the other side of the door. 

Miah had blocked them in.

“Miah, open the door, this isn’t funny!” 

Vlad’s hand formed a fist as he brought it up from the knob and began to knock from his side of the door. He chanced a look over at Joel, who seemed to be in a similar state of distress further inside the room. The blinds had been pulled up from the bottom and he was leaning over the back of the couch to find the woman in question out the window. 

Joel seemed to find her, judging by the anger that overtook his face, and instantly he was fumbling with the switch on the frame to pull open the slider.

“Ha ha, joke’s over, dude. Move that fucking thing away from the door!” Joel yelled out. “Miah, I'm serious! What even is this? What are you trying to do right now?” 

The frustration was evident in Joel’s voice, and oh boy, could Vlad relate right now. This was ridiculous. He said as much to himself as he also began to move towards the window, grumbling under his breath as he limped over to get a look at the culprit of their current predicament. Another set of eyes stole glances as he made his way over, but he was too distracted to notice this, of course.

As Miah came into his view through the thin screen, Vlad noticed her holding up two phones, one in either hand. He immediately recognized them both; one was his own, the one he’d just given his friend before she locked them in here. The other belonged to the second occupant of the RV. They couldn’t even call for someone to come let them out!

Ignoring the pain in his leg, Vlad leaned his good leg onto the couch to slam his palm over the wall of the trailer, letting out a little grunt at the force of it. Joel’s question from a moment ago rung out in his head then. What exactly was Miah’s end goal here? What was she trying to do, besides absolutely and totally humiliate him in front of the one person on this planet he was totally head over heels for.

“You two need to get it the fuck together.”

What did she just say? 

“It’s been weeks of this absolute bullshit you two have been on, and I cannot keep doing this! None of us can!” Miah continued on with her tirade, arms flying around to accentuate her words. “I’ll be back in a few hours. You have plenty of food and water, and I brought some of your stuff from my place in case you have any kind of pain flare ups, Vlad.” 

She slid both phones into her bag. 

“If there’s an emergency, just bust out the front window; otherwise, please leave my trailer intact.” 

Miah made a move to walk away; however, there was a pause in her movements, and they were all met with a moment of tense silence before she looked back up at them, eyes flicking between the two men. 

“Just talk,” she finally said, her tone exhausted. “Talk about anything, but please figure out where things went wrong, and where they’re going from here, for everyone else’s sake if not your own.”

With that she walked away, actively ignoring the distressed pleas coming from the trailer now behind her. 

Vlad continued to try and call out for a few moments after she disappeared from view, but they both knew it was no use. She was a woman of her word after all, and they would absolutely be stuck here for however many more hours until she decided it was time to free them.

Vlad heard a gruff sigh from beside him, and he let his eyes wander over to the other man, who had sat back against the couch now. 

Joel’s head was leant back against the window with his arm thrown over top of his eyes. With the way his sweater was hugging his arms and chest, Vlad was nearly brought right back to that night. The before of it all, when he had been able to touch and joke with the other freely, when there was no possibility of the other lashing out at him. 

The thought of it now only made Vlad angry, because why exactly was he being punished for this? Why was he being locked up like this after such a tiring day, when he wasn’t even the one with the problem? Why was he being blamed for having his heart ripped out of his chest every waking second of the last two fucking weeks?

Vlad was sure his face betrayed his emotions by now, and he quickly turned to face the opposite direction. Getting off the couch, he moved into the small kitchen across from them to get some coffee. He could feel eyes on his back as he moved, but he actively avoided the little part of his brain telling him to turn around and face the other. He had spent weeks trying to get a word out of this man; he wasn’t about to be the first one to talk between the two of them today. 

He bent down a bit to gather the coffee grounds and filters from where he knew they were stored and felt a twinge in his back. With a pained groan, he gripped onto the counter for extra stability with his free hand, head falling forward and eyes squeezing shut for a moment to collect himself before working up the motivation to try again. 

A hand on his lower back then made him still, feeling his whole body freeze. It made his eyes shoot open, still doubled over, and he felt his breathing stutter ever so slightly.

“You should sit. I’ll get the coffee started.”

Oh…

Oh how he’d missed that voice.

Vlad straightened up just a bit and turned towards the voice, swatting away the arm that had been placed on him. That same anger that he had been trying to quell shot back through him with a terrifying new force, and venom laced his voice as he spoke.

“I do not need your help. I can make a damn pot of coffee on my own.” 

“I know you can,” Joel said, holding his hands up almost in surrender, “but for how much coffee you drink you can never seem to make a decent drip. Let me.” 

The words held an air of familiarity to them, one Vlad would have probably found amusing just a month ago. Now they just left a bitter feeling in his chest, even if he was right. Vlad was horrible at making drip coffee; he always messed it up in one way or another despite how simple the task was. Unfortunately for him, the only person in the world that seemed to know this was the man standing next to him.

Vlad sucked his teeth and let out a scoff as he rolled his eyes, but he turned back to the couch in a silent show of defeat. It was only a short distance to move before he was able to sit down on the semi-comfortable fabric, but he felt those same eyes on him the whole time. He kept his eyes to the floor even as he crossed his arms in annoyance.

“The first words you willingly speak to me in weeks and you insult me? Really?” 

He spoke with a venom he was sure the other had never heard from him before. But you couldn’t blame him here, not really, at least. 

“Well it’s true. You can’t. I’m not gonna lie to you.”

“No, you’ll just completely avoid me, right? Cut yourself off from me in any way you can?” Vlad felt his anger bubbling over, letting his words spew out without an ounce of forethought, but he was hurt. He should be allowed to speak his mind once in a while. “I can’t make a fucking pot of coffee, and all of a sudden, you’re at my side ready to breathe down my neck about it? When you couldn’t even be bothered to return my texts? My calls? I don’t fucking understand you, you know that?”

At that, Joel spun around, that same anger in his eyes that Vlad had been trying to avoid all week he now reveled in. 

“You don’t understand me?” Joel asked in an almost mocking tone.

“NO, Joel, I do not!”

The man in question brought his hand up to his face and pinched the bridge of his nose in agitation. He was still hiding it. 

Whatever Vlad had done to upset him was still tucked away behind walls and emotions that under any other circumstance, Vlad would have run from. But being here? Being stuck together like this? It all made Vlad realize just how much he genuinely missed every aspect of the other. Even now, when he’s angry and on the brink of yelling, he missed him. That was probably why he allowed himself to keep talking.

“I don’t understand what I’ve done to make you hate me so much!” Vlad moved to stand up again, but he stumbled. Immediately Joel was there, helping him up. This made him pause, anger diffusing for a moment to let confusion take its place.

Vlad let the other help him to a standing position, keeping his eyes to the floor as he tried to process the change in tone, in position, and got just a bit lost in the second physical contact he’d had with the other in far too long. 

When he was finally at a stable standing position, he took note of how Joel’s hands lingered on him longer than necessary. He cleared his throat a bit, observing the way Joel seemed to jump back, retreating to the other side of the room and the still empty coffee pot, head hung low and gaze locked on the floor.

Now this was curious. Two touches in the span of maybe a few minutes, when he’d previously been ever so eager to avoid anything and everything to do with being near Vlad.

“I don’t hate you.”

Oh?

“I just…what happened at the karaoke bar was embarrassing. I shouldn’t have confessed in such a public place…”

Huh?

“I was drunk, and it was stupid, and I wish I could just go back to normal. But I really just needed time to process your rejection.”

His what?

Vlad was truly confused now, shock and uncertainty crawling across his face.

“I figured when we came back to work, you’d give me some space? But you kept trying to talk to me, and the anger just kept coming back, because it was just so…suffocating, you know?” Joel leaned back against the counter, gripping the edges until his knuckles turned white. “Being open like that, working up the courage to confess and being shot down, especially in front of so many people-”

Before Joel could keep babbling, Vlad interrupted by saying, “Confess what?” He had barely registered moving across the small space, but here he was, face to face with Joel, and very quickly putting pieces together about their current situation.

“What do you mean ‘confess what’, V?” The annoyance in Joel’s voice was back now, lined with what could only be sadness and a hint of confusion even as the nickname left him with startling ease. “Please don’t play dumb with me here… My song? The one I sang to you at the bar?” 

They stared at each other for a moment. Brows furrowed, Vlad lips opening and closing like a fish gasping for air. The fucking song? The song he hadn’t fucking translated in the last two weeks because he didn’t think it would matter? The one Viola and Miah had been trying to talk about with him for-

Fucking Gods above, he was an idiot.

Vlad ran a hand through his unruly hair and let out a sharp sarcastic laugh. Then another, and another, until he was almost painfully doubled over in a full fit of laughter, tears streaming down his cheeks. He really couldn’t believe this.

“You don’t need to laugh at me, I know it was stupid! There’s no need to be cruel about it.”

“No no, Joel, you misunderstand-” He could barely get out his words through the laughter.

“I understand perfectly. This is exactly why I didn’t want to have this conversation before I was over you, fuck!”

“Joel-”

“You can be so mean sometimes, you know that?” Joel’s hand was pinching his nose again, a habit Vlad had come to adore.

“Would you please just-”

“I put my heart on the line like that, like this and-”

Vlad took another step to close the distance between the two, the hand not holding his cane coming up to cup Joel’s cheek. His 5 o’clock shadow left pinpricks against Vlad’s palm when his jaw clamped shut under it. Their eyes found each other, and Vlad couldn’t help the watery smile that spread across his face.

“I do not speak Spanish, Joel.”

He could see so many distinct emotions across the other’s face as Joel processed what had been said. The confused look he’d previously been sporting grew exponentially, staying for only a few seconds before being replaced with a look of pure wonder, of hope.

“Oh…”

“I had absolutely no idea what you were saying on that stage, just that you sounded lovely.” His eyes were soft as he spoke. “Why did you think I spoke Spanish?”

“I asked Viola months ago about it! She told me very clearly that you spoke Spanish.”

Vlad pulls back a few centimeters, and his face drops into a completely blank stare.

“You asked Viola.”

“Yes.”

“And didn’t double check with anyone else? Not my assistant, not Miah?”

“I didn’t think I needed to!” 

At that, Vlad pulled back all the way with an exasperated sigh and an eye roll, finding his way back to the couch for the second time. He should have expected Joel would shadow him as he made his way back with how touchy he was, especially now after weeks of no contact.

“Did you ask her this before or after you both missed call time for an arm wrestling contest? Because if it was the latter, I fear the lesson you need to learn cannot be taught.”

“Not the point! You didn’t know I liked you?” 

Vlad was finally seated as he looked back up at the other with the same unimpressed face.

“I thought I’d made that quite obvious, no? Had I known I would have said something very different when you had gotten off that stage.” 

Of course he would have, and now the reaction he’d received after complimenting Joel’s singing made all the more sense to him. ‘That’s it?’ he’d said, and while Vlad may not have understood then, he did now. Because no, that was not it; there was so much more he could have said.

“Well…” Joel cut himself off to look at Vlad with that same look of wonder he’d given earlier. “...What would you have said?”

“That I reciprocate.” 

They held eye contact, and Joel let out a breath the other hadn’t even realized he’d been holding. 

“I would have asked you out on a date, which we would have already gone on by now, and I would have kissed you.” 

Joel seemed to melt at his words, shoulders drooping, eyelids coming down to partially cover the beautiful gold Vlad was finally able to enjoy again. 

“I would have told you that was a stupid way to confess, as I am now.” Vlad held his gaze and Joel knelt before him. He could practically feel his heart beating in his throat when a hand was placed over his good knee. “I would have-” 

Vlad’s next words were cut off as a pair of lips softly met his own. They were chapped, he noted, no doubt from how often the man seemed to bite them, a habit he’d noticed days into their friendship. They broke apart for a moment, just to look at one another, eyes filled with all the emotions that were still left unspoken. 

Vlad let his eyes travel down to Joel’s mouth and then dove back in for more. The other let out a surprised noise, but it only took him a moment to find his bearings before he reciprocated the kiss, allowing all his pent up thoughts and desires to bleed into it. Vlad sighed happily, tilting his head to the side in an effort to get closer, to deepen the kiss, to show exactly how much he’d been wanting this too, waiting for it. 

He leaned his cane against the couch and brought both hands up to the sides of Joel’s face, to pull him in just a bit, before one slid to cup the back of his neck. The other slipped into his product filled hair. He felt a hand on his own cheek then, a thumb brushing along the mole under his eye, and the hand that had previously been on his knee slid up to his waist. He felt Joel shift to stand and chased after his lips as they parted, making a displeased noise and letting his hands tighten to keep their hold on the other to stop him from going too far.

“I was not done,” he said with a playful lilt in his voice, putting on a slight pout. 

Joel let out an airy laugh and sat beside him on the couch, their hands staying on each other’s faces.

“I know.”

They leant back in.

````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

They had spent the last hour just talking, and kissing a bit of course, just setting things straight and making sure they finally, finally were on the same page as one another. Joel had fallen asleep with his head in Vlad’s lap not too long ago, and he stroked his fingers through his hair as he reminisced over their last conversation.

“I speak Swedish Joel; Swedish, Czech, French, and English.”

“So you mean to tell me everyone I knew in that room except for you spoke Spanish? I told every person in the room ALL THAT except for the one person it was meant for?”

“Yes, I believe you did.”

Vlad let out a soft chuckle to himself at the recent memory. They’d agreed on a date tomorrow night; Joel would cook dinner for them at Vlad’s apartment so he could recover from today at home while also not having to wait for their first date. Vlad also had a few more plans for the evening that he would bring up later on, of course, but until then he was content with the notion that, yes, Joel did still care for him.

“You didn’t even google the song? Like at all?”

“I was going through a lot, what can I say? At least I attempted to have a conversation about it. You practically fell off the edge of that one bridge set to get away when you saw me last week.”

“Have you seen yourself in that uniform, V?? I couldn’t handle seeing you in that any more than absolutely necessary until I could get my emotions under control.”

“Are they under control now, then?”

“Absolutely not, my heart’s been beating out of my chest since I kissed you.”

“Hm…I make you that nervous, then?” He had leaned his face in until they were almost touching again.

“You’re a menace, Vladimir…a very beautiful hot menace.”

His thoughts were interrupted as the door to the trailer finally opened up. His eyes drifted to the entrance as a head of pinned up butterfly locs came into view and familiar eyes peeked in.

“Oh good, you made up! Please tell me you didn’t fuck in my trailer.” 

He let out a bark of laughter at her as Miah came fully into view and leaned back onto the kitchen counter.

“You’re in luck, we did not.” A sigh of relief. “However, if you ever do something like this again, the odds may tilt out of your favor.”

Miah let out a slight laugh and nodded at him, her eyes falling to the head on his lap.

“I promise you, if I’d seen any other option I wouldn’t have gone this route,” she assured him. “You two are just so stubborn! We’ve all been trying to tell you to get together, since… literally since the first day on set actually, and you both just kept dancing in circles.” 

Miah looked like she wanted to throw her hands up in exasperation. 

“I told you to look up the song.” 

Oh god, he thought, she was about to start making another list. 

Vlad groaned and threw his head back against the window as he watched her lift a singular finger in the air from the corner of his vision.

“I also told you to ask him out several times over the last two months alone.” A second finger. “And I also told him-” All three fingers now waved down at Joel, still calmly asleep in his lap, “-to talk to you! We all tried our best to get the ball rolling here, but ya’ll just can’t make things easy, can you?”

Vlad glanced down at his partner with a smile. 

No. They couldn’t, could they?

[tgarnsl]

hi! Fake Married for the wip game :)

This is for Flight of the Heron, where Keith saves Ewen's life after the Battle of Culloden by claiming they're married so Ewen can get medical treatment. Technically I also have another fake married (or fake engaged) story for Hornblower, but that's a whole modern au thing where Hornblower is the Prince of Wales.

—

It was pain that roused him. Bright, sharp pain, coursing through his body, drawing him to the surface, drawing him through its silver skin, and he cursed and raged and shook against the hands that held him down, but he could neither break free, nor retreat. Slowly, the world pieced itself together again, fragments fitting together like shattered pieces of a windowpane until at last he could see clearly. He lay in a bed, half propped up on pillows, gasping for air as a surgeon in a wiry grey wig tied off a bandage on his left thigh. Where was he? The white-washed room was small and warm, nothing like… His breath caught in his lungs and a great shudder rolled through him.

Presently — though he was not quite aware how presently — it was brought to his attention that the surgeon was speaking to someone. A redcoat officer stood before the fire, his back turned to where Ewen lay, but Ewen did not need to see the soldier’s face to recognise who it was. The man stood before him was none other than Keith Windham of the Royal Scots.

So he was to be interrogated then. There could be no other explanation for Windham’s presence in this room: the Elector’s generals sought to question Ewen, and believed that a man with whom he was already acquainted was the best one to conduct such an interrogation. His hands clutched at the bedsheets. He would not do it. No word would pass from his lips that he did not wish to give, not even if they flogged him, or put him back in that foetid cell with all the other wounded and dying. No, he would die before he broke faith. His lower lip was trembling and he bit it hard, shutting his eyes against the torrent of grief and despair that sought to drown him.

When he roused again, it was to an urgent voice in his ear calling his name and a rough hand on his cheek.

“Ardroy,” said the voice again. “Ewen!”

He groaned and opened his eyes. Keith Windham stood over him, peering at him with great concern.

“No,” he murmured through cracked lips. “Leave me be.”

“Ardroy, you must listen,” said Windham insistently, but Ewen ignored him, his eyes sliding shut as sleep drew him closer. “Ardroy, wake up!” A hand smacked his cheek lightly and he roused with a groan.

“Pòg mo thòin,” murmured Ewen, his head swimming from pain and thirst.

“I presume that was an insult,” said Windham sharply. “I may well deserve it, too. Ardroy, listen to me. I must know — did you wed Miss Grant?”

It was like being thrown from a carriage. “What?” asked Ewen, trying to clear his head. “Miss Grant — Alison?”

“Yes,” said Windham. “Did you wed her?”

Ewen shook his head. “No,” he said. “No, I — she left for France.” He could still see her standing proud at the side of the ship, one arm raised in farewell, as it took her away to safety. “I would not see her a widow before her time.”

Windham frowned. “Truly, Ardroy, I am sorry,” he said, glancing away. “I cannot tell if it makes what I say next better or worse.”

Fear gripped Ewen’s heart. “Alison, is she—” he gasped, struggling to sit up.

“No, no,” said Windham, laying a hand on Ewen’s shoulder. “I have no news of her, nor of anyone else. I…” He broke off, his frown deepening. “Do you recall how you came to be here? How I found you?”

Ewen bit his lip, struggling to recall. “The parade,” he said, and turned away. He could recall little in truth, ravaged as he had been by weakness and fever, but he remembered well enough the cruel laughter of the Hanoverian officers when he had fallen, unable to walk. “But how…?”

“I said you were my husband,” answered Keith Windham. His cheeks were flushed, and he would not meet Ewen’s eyes. “I am sorry. I could see no other way of saving your life.”

[gamorahww]

This is an absolutely incredible analysis of Glinda, and I highly recommend it to everyone.

@youvebeengalindafied I think you would especially appreciate this!

[rox-of-iu]

ayoo guess who finally sat down and caught up with cultivate B)

is me. so you know what that means.

spoiler warning for cultivate ch 30-37

there was actually.... more things i wanted to draw but I already did so many I had to physically restrain myself hfsjkkdh anyway yes can you tell i love this fic very much

yet once again. cultivate by the wonderful @neonghostcat

[ohno-the-sun]

Some little doodles of Sun and Freddy’s relationship before Moon