#sorry for having higher standards than “shes so nice to me”

[angy-grrr]

Don't take this as a hate, I don't have any problems with bakudeku or any other ship. But I feel like a lot of your guys 'confusion' comes from you missing the point and setup of the romance of Izuku and Ochako. You guys say that they're boring but what matters in the story is if it makes thematically sense or not. Izuku and Ochako don't have to be at each others throats or be rivals for them to be engaged in a romantic relationship at the end. Their dynamic makes sense because they've always supported each other and uplift one another. Ochako was literally one of the first people to accept him and treat him kindly. From that point their relationship increased and their dynamic turned into something more. It's often that we fall for the people who treat us with kindness and genuenity.

I appreciate bakugo's development but like, he literally bullied Deku for years. Yes you can argue he made up for his actions later, but a lof of his actions already happened, and Bakugo's actions for Izuku during the story comes off as him trying to redeem his past mistakes. Even All Might points this out by saying that Bakugo wants to help Izuku because of his past actions. It's great to see him develop but I don't buy the notion that they could be something more than friends who managed to fix their crap dynamic from their childhood days.

It also doesn't make any sense for Ochako's feelings to be discarded narratively because she's been consistently portrayed as selfless and a good person. That's why the story gives her a nice closure where her feelings are returned.

We cant keep having the same argument over and over again. We just cant, Im going to just ignore the "he bullied him and he is just trying to redeem himself", tons of ppl already talked about that. I appreciate you wanting to not insult shippers and all of that, but I dont really understand why you send this anyway -you want to understand the perspective some of us have?-.

believe me, most of us knew about the "setup" -many of us have been here since the beginning-. Personally I had no doubts about it becoming canon for years bc "boy and girl and they are cute and this is shonen", expecting more development in the future -however, then their moments started looking more and more platonic, Izuku's feelings became vague in terms of romance and ochako's character was made to match himiko instead of him, making them look like friends with similar goals, but in the end needing to work on their own instead of together. I see his arc, I see her arc, and the conclusion I get isnt "they should date/need to date/deserve to date each other", but that Izuku really appreciates her and Ochako grieves Himiko in unhealthy ways, needing support.

The problem is the main thing this ship has going on is "she helps him a lot", to the point that thats exactly everything Deku has to say about her importance -in the two character charts that mention relationship status, while Ochako's involves romance and denial his is the exact same, "she helps me a lot". That's just not enough to convince most ppl of actually enjoying this pair outside of "its shonen what do you expect", specially considering they took away Ochako's storyline to be the literal same as deku's -they both lost their villains they both dont ask for help they both isolate they both prefer others' happiness over their own, etc. They dont have to be enemies or fight, but they need depth of some short -making them just have the same idea of heroism, not bc of the other but just bc their personalities and their relationships with other characters, doesnt make it profound or interesting. Its not like what Himiko said, about imitating the ones you love, bc they just naturally are like that even before they met each other.

What's that "more" their relationship became? For the most part we see how Ochako struggles to work as a hero when it involves him, and only gets to actually move on her own when her focus shifts onto Himiko instead -she literally says she cant move when Deku was in danger and Sir Nighteye needed to be saved-, and from deku there isnt much -we lose most of his thoughts, but he behavior tell us he has no problem supporting her like with his other friends. In 431 we are told how they dont really talk that much anymore, and how Deku, the oblivious and flustered nerd, tells her she he wants to talk more from now on, and blushes when she falls on him. Then they have a bro hand shake.

How do you want anyone to be actually invested in a main relationship for a story whose main thing going on is "they are kind to each other". Or in real life, im sorry but I do believe its not good to send the message of falling in love with the literal first person that helps you and is nice to you is the way to go -being kind should just be normalized, and I think the end of BNHA agrees with this notion.

I dont understand why ppl believe her feelings needed "closure" (as if she didnt talk about it with Himiko), yet agree that 431 gives her that -she doesnt confess anything. She doesnt go for what she wants and tells him "I love you". She agrees with talking with him more -she didnt confess. I know some ppl believe this is a true confession, but this is nothing like what Himiko showed her before -a literal one, without any doubts, saying her feelings with her whole face. She. thought about wanting to talk to him more, he then told her that, and she said "I was thinking the same!", so how does that give her romantic feelings any closure when theres a huge chance of plausible deniability?

You dont have to share any of these opinions, but I just dont see how the "main pair" is still just "oh yeah they could date", this isnt real life where some ppl like to date copies of themselves or just decide to do so bc they kinda like each other -the narrative has to actually tell us how this not only makes sense, but how it fits both characters' arcs. And giving her all the romance just makes it look one sided.

I dont really need you to answer any of these questions, and I wont discuss the complexities I see in bkdk, their storylines, and how the narrative has treated Katsuki more like Izuku's heart than a rival with some history, I already talked about it -instead, I want you to know something simple about the internet: if you dont like it, block it, even if you dont particularly hate it. Reading the first line of the ask, it comes off as kinda insulting coming here just to explain to me why I "shouldn't be confused" about 431 basically. I know about the "setup", I know about the bullying, I know about her supporting him, and I know about the redemption, you dont have to go and tell me any of this-.

You dont know about my account, my thoughts or the perception I have about any of these ships, I think you probably went into any bkdk account to say this bc idk, you "had" to "clarify" how "great" it was for these characters this, and how bkg just wanted to redeem himself (as if his character hasn't show over and over again how much his focus is on Izuku in general, more than him and any redemption, which is exactly what separates him too from the type of redemption other characters have tried to pull off), but believe me, most of us already know about this arguments and dont agree with them partially or entirely. I still answered just in case, but I wont respond another ask you send -I'll just block, as I dont see why should I "defend" my perspective in my own account. Just enjoy the content you enjoy.

[bmpmp3]

tbh the biggest thing that drives me towards synthv and cevio/voisona 2.0 isnt even the smoothness and clean "realism" of it all, its actually the fact that said realism allows for more variation in vocal provider pronunciation mouth and tongue positions etc to shine through. i know people in da vsynth scene often use "character" to refer to a voice's robotic or engine noise-y elements (i assume because of piapro and such) specifically but i think the character that comes directly from the vocal samples/training itself is a little underappreciated. cevio ia's か゚-y がs <3

[frannyzooey]

Down the Hall

Frankie Morales x f!reader

Tags: Explicit, age gap because you know what I'm about (Frankie is your mom’s boyfriend, he is in his 40s, you are in your mid-20s)

A/N: Yea….so this is dedicated to @intheorangebedroom who inspired this entire idea and to @whatsnewalycat whose beautiful brain and writing inspired me as well. Thank you to @astroboots for cheering me on, to @bageldaddy for the super in depth beta and to @the-ginger-hedge-witch who soothed by "does this hit" worries — your minds are golden and I am so happy you support this utter filth. Ily ❤️

He thought that dating someone his own age would ground him, steady him. Not that he ever paid much attention to the age of the women he dated, but he thought with someone who had their own shit figured out, he might be inspired to do the same. 

Unmoored and unattached since he joined the army in his twenties, he was pushing forty now and craved some kind of routine. Living alone gave him too much time for thinking, too many hours spent inside his own head. He knew that living like that for too long could lead to bad decisions and thought he might hold himself to a higher standard when he saw how they held themselves to one. 

He met her at a bar – the most cliche of meeting places, but for good reason. She was out with friends after work and from the start, he was attracted to the way she smiled with her whole mouth. Everything about her seemed sensuous and fun, so inviting that he found himself drawn in and when he asked if he could take the seat next to her, he matched her smile with one of his own. 

When she invited him home that night, he buried himself deep while feasting on that generous mouth. 

He stayed that night, and then one night became twice a week, became three – and before he knew it, his lease was up on his apartment and he moved in. It was nice to come home to someone after work. To know that someone was there, wondering how his day went. To have a warm body curled up next to him in bed. 

She was so independent, so driven. A corporate job that required her to dress in slippery blouses and pretty skirts with heels; the same he loved to strip from her when she came home all stressed out the way she did sometimes. And she had a kid – a daughter – already in college somewhere on the east coast, but that didn’t bother him. Dating in his forties meant people already had their own histories, and he was no exception. 

Sometimes after she fell asleep and he had time alone to think, he still felt something that itched beneath his skin. Something that pulled at him from within, something that remained unsettled. He told himself that it was just an adjustment period after so many years of being unattached, and shoved those feelings deep down inside of him, determined to ignore them until he taught himself a new way to live. 

Her breathing deep and steady beside him, he told himself that she was good for him. 

That was what counted.

He was all for it when she told him her daughter was coming home to stay the summer between semesters. He liked the idea of having another person in the house – another distraction, another responsibility to take him out of his own head. 

He worked odd hours, and during his off days, Frankie took up the task of preparing her daughter’s old room. Light pink walls, a creamy bedspread dotted with delicate flowers: his mind supplied an automatic image of the little girl that lined the hallway in frames. He knew she was older than that now, but the way her mom talked about her, he couldn’t help imagining a little kid. 

Tasked with picking her up from the airport the day she arrived, he had just stepped out of the shower when he heard the doorbell. Frowning, he tugged a shirt over his damp curls, and opened the door.

Jesus Christ. Speechless, he stared at the prettiest woman he’d ever seen. 

“Sorry I didn’t call,” you apologized, tugging a heavy bag higher up on your shoulder. “I got in early and thought an Uber would be faster.”

He stood there for a moment, just staring, his mouth slightly parted in confusion. And then he saw it: the shape of your eyes, the curve of your lush mouth. The resemblance stamped across your delicate features.

“I couldn’t find my key.” You stood there, looking uneasy on your own doorstep. “You must be Frankie. Or is it Francisco? My mom said you’d be here. It’s nice to meet you.”

At the rounded sound of his full name coming from your mouth, his gaze snapped back to meet your eyes while you hung there, clearly waiting for him to say something. His body was slow to catch up with his brain, the little girl his mind supplied was gone, replaced by the vision that stood in front of him. Still young and fresh-faced, but grown nonetheless and so, so fucking beautiful. 

When you gestured towards the house behind him, he finally shook himself from the initial shock.

“Shit,” he apologized, stepping back out of your way. “Yea, it’s Frankie. Nice to meet you.” You gave him a half smile, and when you stepped inside, he reached for your bag. “Here, let me grab that.”

His hand dragging through his curls, he stood in the entryway and watched you make yourself at home: your shoes immediately kicked off on the doormat, your jacket hung neatly next to his own like it had always belonged there. 

“Do you know when my mom gets home?”

He cleared his throat, trying not to stare at the length of your legs underneath the hem of your shorts. “Uh, she said probably around six? That’s when she usually gets home.”

You nodded, holding your hand out for your bag and for a split second, he wondered if he should bring it upstairs for you. It would be the polite thing to do, but the idea of entering your room now felt like overstepping. You weren’t a kid, you didn’t need him like that. The boundaries had suddenly blurred and shifted, and he whisked away the image of you settling into your bedroom just as fast as it popped into his head. 

When you grabbed the bag from him, he felt relief. 

It was easy to avoid you for the afternoon while you got settled. Instead, he mowed the lawn, prepared dinner, all the while with his ears attuned to the sound of you walking around above him. He felt on edge, anxious. The excitement he thought he would feel with someone else in the house had turned into unease. 

He made himself an outsider, even more so when your mom came home. Not wanting to intrude on your time together, he stayed in the kitchen to cook dinner for the two of you and delivered it to the living room, placing your plates on the coffee table. 

“Thank you, baby, that’s so nice.” Your mother scooted forward, tilting her chin up towards him in a silent request for a kiss. 

Granting it to her, he felt her familiar hold slip around the back of his neck to keep him in place for a moment, keenly aware of the way you were right there. For a split second while his lips were still on hers, he glanced up at you and it was clear that he caught you watching by the way you hastily looked away the second he met your eyes. 

He fucked her hard that night, his hand over her mouth so you wouldn’t hear. 

She was gone in the morning when he made his way downstairs, and he was pleasantly surprised to find coffee already in the pot. 

“I made extra,” you said, from your perch on the chair at the table. Sleep shorts high on your thighs, an oversized tee shirt covering your top half. The way it engulfed you made you look younger than you were. 

He looked away, busying himself with pouring a cup. 

“I drink a lot, so I made a lot,” you explained with shy self-deprecation. 

“Sounds good to me,” he replied, sitting down at the table. “Got any plans for today? Or for the summer, I guess?” 

Wading the tentative waters of getting to know someone, he watched your fingers play with the edge of the paper. 

“Just relax for a bit, I think? Catch up with some old friends? No plan really. I just didn’t want to hang out on a deserted campus.”

He nodded. “Makes sense.” 

And so began the morning routine you would both share for the next few weeks. Hesitant and quiet around each other in the beginning, sliding into something normal fairly fast. Your mother was early to rise and early to bed, but he had never been and neither were you. 

He joined you in the late morning at the kitchen table, the curve of your soft cheek highlighted in the slant of light through the window. On the couch at night, a different kind of illumination from the light of the TV, yet hitting your cheek just the same. Your things scattered around the living room, your toothbrush next to his in the bathroom, your clothes mixed with his in the wash. 

Your proximity was what he blamed for the constant thoughts he had about you. 

Every morning he admired how rumpled you looked, how sleepy and soft and inviting. It was endearing, but soon other thoughts edged out the more innocent ones: thoughts about your legs wrapped around his waist, your slender fingers wrapped around something other than a coffee cup. 

The want he felt for you pooled in various places inside him: his brain, his chest, between his thighs. It spilled down the shower drain and spilled hot across his stomach. 

It flooded your mother’s mouth, and she was none the wiser.

Afterwards, she tucked her face into the meat of his shoulder, pressing a kiss against the skin there. Sated and content, she curled herself around him. “Let’s do something this weekend together. Actually make use of that pool we have for once.”

A barbecue. She’d been talking about having one for a while. 

“We’ve been working so hard. I feel like I barely even see you, honey.” 

Something akin to guilt tugged at him, thinking of the shifts he had been picking up in an effort to avoid you. Your eyes, your smile, your stupid sleep shorts.

He hummed his agreement and she kissed him in thanks, her breaths eventually evening out as she fell asleep. 

Frankie lay awake, the image of your closed bedroom door stuck in his mind. 

–

“Jesus Christ,” you murmured as you watched Frankie climb out of the pool. 

Broad, bare shoulders, tanned swathes of skin, cute little dimples just above his ass. Water ran down over his tanned skin, the thin material of his swim shorts stuck to his ass and when he turned around to grab a towel off a nearby chair, you were glad for your sunglasses.

Fuck me. 

The material of his shorts molded to every inch of his thick cock, the shape clearly outlined. Oblivious, he ran the towel over his curls, over his shoulders and arms, down his torso – and when his hand gingerly pulled the material away from his crotch, you memorized the swirl of dark hair that surrounded his navel and led down.  

“Can you help me with the grill, honey?”

Your mom’s voice pulled your attention away from him. 

Her boyfriend, you reminded yourself. Frankie was her boyfriend.

“Yea,” he called back, chucking his towel on the chair. “Be right there. Let me put a shirt on.”

The shirt he shrugged over his head was the same one you folded that morning. The material was threadbare and super soft, the muscles of his back shifting underneath the thin fabric as he sauntered over to the grill. You knew the way it felt in your hands, and at the thought of his body heat through the material, you pressed your thighs together. 

The afternoon sun bathed you in warmth, but it was nothing compared to the heat that pooled inside your bottoms as you continued to watch him from your recline by the pool. His brown curls glinted in the sun, his throat bobbing with a swallow when your mother brought him a beer. 

When his eyes flashed over to you, you finally looked away. 

You saw those deep, doleful brown eyes in your sleep. 

You felt them on you all the time: in the dark living room during family movie time, your mother curled up against his side. In the kitchen after dinner, when you loaded the dishwasher while he put away the food. In the mornings, when you pretended to read the paper while he snuck hooded peeks at you and drank you in. 

Startled by his handsomeness from the very first time you laid eyes on him, your crush only grew with every passing day spent in his company. He was so thoughtful, so attentive and kind, but it was something else buried within his gaze that drew you in. 

A barely restrained want that shone clear on his face every time he looked at you. A need simmering under the surface, you saw the way he fought it. 

You thought about him constantly: imagined him crowding you against the counter in the kitchen, saw him pulling back the shower curtain to join you, pretended your fingers were his in your bed at night. 

Born out of your own need, you pushed him. Played with the limits of his self control, desperate for him to make a move. No action overt enough to be blatant, the way he stared at you made you feel confident, bold. The want pouring off his skin when you hung around him was obvious and thick, filling the space between the two of you until he inevitably excused himself. 

When it’s time to eat, you take a seat next to him on the bench, your thigh pressed hot against his. You waited for him to pull away, but he never did and the intimate sensation of the hair on his leg brushing against your own smoother skin made it hard to eat, though you missed it when he got up. 

Your mother, one margarita too many and giggly and loose, pulled him into a dance under the stars that had just begun to come out. He humored her, wrapping his arms around her waist to hold her close, smiling at every murmured secret she slipped into his ear. 

You watched the scene unfold right in front of you with a fond, humoring expression, and his eyes kept finding yours, flashing in the darkness. 

You pretended nonchalance, but the entire time, you wanted. 

He took her to bed while you cleaned up the kitchen. 

You knew he fucked her – you heard it sometimes. They tried to be quiet for your sake but sometimes a whimper would slip down the hall, the deep reverberation of a groan in the dark. 

Climbing into bed that night, your mind lingered on the image of his wet swim trunks. The dark swirl of hair, the heft in the outline. 

You wondered what he fucked like with a cock like that. 

–

“Something’s going on in the Arizona market,” your mom explained, tossing items into her suitcase. A silk blouse spilled over the side, and you tucked it back in with the rest. “I’ll be gone through Thursday, maybe Friday? Hopefully not the weekend, but I’ll let you know.”

“Do you need a ride to the airport?” 

Smiling at you, she stepped forward and cupped your cheek with her hand for a moment. “That’s sweet, honey, but I’m good. Frankie’s got it.”

Apprehension swirled with anticipation, the joint feelings settled low in your gut. You’d been alone with him before, but never for this long. Never truly alone, for days on end. 

The man himself poked his head around the corner of the doorway, the width of his shoulders filling out the frame. He glanced at you, and then his watch. “You about ready, baby?” 

She bustled around the room, tossing things here and there onto the bed and he looked at you again, a slight frown pulling between his brows. 

His expression gave something akin to frustration, and for a split second, you thought it was because of the time your mom was taking. When you felt his dark eyes drop down the length of your body involuntarily and then back up again, you turned away with a small smile, knowing it to be something else. 

–

For the first couple days, he stayed away from the house as much as he could. Kept his distance until he ran out of errands, until he drove down the same stretch of road too many times. He didn’t trust himself to be alone with you, and he hated himself for it. 

Self loathing creeped in every time he thought about the way his jeans tightened even thinking of you alone in the house. His girlfriend’s fucking daughter, half his age. The whole thing was fucked up. 

And yet, he couldn’t stop. 

He felt bad, thinking of you suddenly being all alone after spending so much time with people around, but he told himself that you probably loved having the space to yourself. 

He came in the shower that morning to the thought of your mouth wrapped around the base of his cock, and he was unable to look you in the eye when he saw you in the kitchen afterward. Your hopeful expression lingered in his mind all day as he stretched out the hours. 

The sky turned from light blue to dark, and he finally caved. He couldn’t stay away forever. 

The house was quiet when he walked in, tossing his keys on the entryway table. He crept around, looking for any sign of your presence, until he heard the shower running upstairs. Light spilled down the staircase, and heading into the kitchen, he tried to push down the thoughts running rampant in his head. 

He drank a glass of water, listening. 

The shower turning off (your naked body, damp and warm), your footsteps padding down the hall (that smooth skin, hidden under your towel), your bedroom door shutting (the towel dropping onto your floor). 

He stayed downstairs, turning the TV on to distract himself, the air in the house charged with a magnetic pull from your room. He waited until there had been nothing but silence for the better part of a half hour, then dared to venture upstairs. 

He’d just say goodnight, that’s all. Just so you knew you weren’t alone. 

His knuckles rapped against your door, and he pushed it open when he heard you say come in. 

“Hey,” you greeted him, slight surprise on your face. Stretched out in bed, the inviting cloud of your comforter was plush underneath your body. You paused the movie you were watching, and sat up on your elbows. “Haven’t seen you in a couple days.”

“Yea,” he replied, leaning against the frame of your door. His eyes followed a slow path up your bare legs. 

“Work been crazy or something?” you asked.

“Something like that, yea,” he answered. His hand stayed on the knob of your door, an anchor that kept him from crossing a line. “I actually just stopped by to say goodnight. I’m gonna turn in.”

“Already?” you teased. “It’s pretty early, isn’t it? Aren’t you gonna live it up while my mom is gone?”

He huffed a laugh, shaking his head. “I’ve lived it up enough. I’m an old man, remember? We don’t do that kind of stuff.”

“Forty-five is hardly an old man,” you scolded with a smile. “You wanna watch a movie instead?”

You patted the bed next to you, and his face sobered. You didn’t see it, instead reaching for the lotion on your bedside table to work some into your hands and the image of you jerking his cock with that same lotion flashed across his mind. He frowned. 

“In here?” 

You shrugged, laying back down. “I mean, I’m already all set up in here…”

You left the offer hanging, and even though he knew - he fucking knew he shouldn’t - he found himself nodding. 

You looked surprised at his answer for a split second, and then pleased. 

“Let me go get changed.”

He walked down the hall towards his room, scolding himself the entire time. Don’t do this, don’t do this, don’t go back into that fucking room. Don’t think about how smooth her skin is and how much you want to kiss her.  Don’t think about how her sheets smell like her, don’t think about how much you want to lick her cunt. 

The thoughts ran on a loop as he peeled off his work clothes. 

They echoed in his head as he pulled on his sweats. 

They followed him out of his bedroom and all the way down the hall, stopping at your doorway.

You turned your head, looking at him expectantly, looking so fucking lush and innocent, so eager to have him join you. 

He swallowed hard, mouth watering and left his guilt in the hallway, joining you in bed.

–

Pretending to ignore the heavy blanket of tension pulsing between your bodies, you kept your eyes fixed on the screen. 

Stretched out next to you, he kept a respectable distance, but you felt the heat that poured off of his skin. He looked so large in your bed, so much like a man. His long limbs splayed out over your girlish comforter, his masculine scent filled the space and when he crossed his arms, you admired the way the hem of his sleeve stretched around his bicep. 

Lightheaded and trembling with a heady want that ached between your thighs, you made it through the whole movie – until the room descended into darkness, until the credits rolled and the screen went black  

Until it was just the two of you sitting side by side in the dark. 

The sheets rustled when you rolled onto your side to face him. 

“What did you think?” you asked quietly. 

He looked down at you from his slouch on the bed, and your fingers twitched with the need to smooth away the crease that rested permanently between his brows. You would think he was mad if not for his eyes: those always look conflicted more than anything. Constant turmoil, roiling deep within the dark depths. 

Not answering, he stared down at you for a long moment before shrugging. 

“Okay, I guess. Well, have a good night.”

He then started to slide off the bed. 

Disappointment flooded your chest, the tension that you’d been feeling for the last two hours releasing restlessly through your limbs. Already making plans to get your vibrator from your side table to use while burying your face into the sheets he was just sitting on, he stilled. 

Your eyes fixed on his broad back, you could almost see the decision being made and he quickly turned before he could convince himself to stop. 

Bending down, he kissed you. 

It was consuming. The brush of his mustache, the taste of his mouth, the weight of his solid body as he pushed you into the bedding, draping it over yours. His tongue slipped into your mouth to slide against your own, and he swallowed the soft sound that caught in the back of your throat. Pushing himself into the cradle between your thighs, he forced them open wider as he deepened the kiss, and his dry, calloused hand slid underneath the hem of your shirt, wrapping around your hip. 

You knew you should push him away, but your hands only dragged him closer, grabbing everything you could touch: the slip of his curls, the curve of his whiskered jaw, the rounds of his broad shoulders. You dug your fingertips into his sides as he ground his hips against yours and your knees hitched higher around his torso. 

His hand wrapped around the top of your shin, pushing down to hold you in place.  

“Jesus,” he breathed into your mouth between kisses, his fingers tightening in their hold before sliding down to touch everything he can: the meat of your hips, his big hand cupping your ass with a greedy squeeze. Need rolled off of him in waves, his touch betraying just how long he had thought about this and his mouth shifted down to devour the long line of your neck, tasting the sweet hollow of your throat. 

Your pulse beat fast under his tongue, speeding up when he let out a groan against the sensitive skin. 

“Take – take this off–” he sat back on his ankles, his hands fumbling with your shirt.

As soon as you pulled it over your head, his mouth latched onto your nipple. His tongue swirled around it, sliding over the peaked bud with a suck. His beard scraped across your sensitive skin, leaving a wet path that glistened over the plane of your chest as he dragged his mouth to your other breast and his heavy hand reached down to cup you wholly over your sleep shorts. 

His fingers dug into the dip of your entrance and the heel of his hand ground hard against your clit. 

“I can’t stop thinking about this pussy,” he confessed. His fingers rubbed harder, and he groaned hot against your skin. “I can already feel how soaked she is for me. How much she wants it.”

You nodded with a whimper, rolling your hips into his touch. “God yes. Please.”

He pulled back just enough to stare down at your face, his pitch black eyes sliding over your features to settle on your open mouth. “Tell me you want this. Tell me how much you want my cock.”

“Yes. Please, please,” you begged.

“It’s gonna be a lot, baby.” He wetted his bottom lip with his tongue, his hand working, working, working. “She’s gonna need to be wet to take what I need her to take.”

A fresh wave of arousal washed through you, and your sleep shorts clung to your center with every grind of his palm. His thick fingers nudged the fabric to the side, exploring. 

“Oh fuck,” he groaned, releasing a heavy breath. “Fuck.” 

His eyes fluttered shut with a frown as his touch slid through your soaked seam and kissing you again, he timed the slide of his tongue with the slick stretch of two fingers. 

Your thighs opened wider around his waist, a whine crawling out of your throat when he pushed them deeper and when he started a smooth, audible stroke, you started to ride his hand. 

You’d been watching his fingers for months: wrapped around the steering wheel in the car, loosely cradling the neck of a beer bottle, drumming against his thigh when he watched TV sometimes. You’d imagined them tucked inside you so many times, buried in your mouth or your cunt, and as he worked a third one in, you let out a filthy moan. 

“I gotta work it open, baby,” he soothed, pulling your earlobe between his lips. “It’ll be okay. I know you can take it.”

His hips started to follow the rhythmic roll of his hand and when he seemed satisfied with how much you could take, he slid his fingers out, reaching to tear his shirt off over his head. When he pushed his fingers into his mouth for a moment, his lips wrapping around his knuckles as he sucked your taste off the thick digits, his hooded eyes took in the way you scrambled to take your sleep shorts off. 

Following your lead, he dumped everything onto the floor beside your bed, and it felt like heaven when you felt his bare skin against the inside of your thighs. So broad, so firm and strong, his body pressed you into the mattress and you felt the hot, pulsing heft of his cock pushing against your cunt. You clenched at the teasing sensation of what was to come, and reached down to grasp him, but his hand caught yours and pushed it into the bedding above your head. 

“Let me do it. I wanna watch your face when I put it in,” he confessed, resting his weight on top of you as he reached down with his other hand to guide himself in. 

Sticky slick smeared between the both of you, and when the tip of his cock forced you to bloom around him, his eyes fixed on your face. Greedily, he devoured the sight of your mouth dropping open, a tiny tiny frown appearing between your brows and he thickened inside you, pushing forward.

“Fuck,” you moaned. “It’s so much.” So much more than you ever thought it would be, even with all the months spent imagining it. 

He bottomed out and the air froze in your lungs, your cunt stuffed fuller than it’s ever been. 

“Shhh,” he soothed, staying in place to let you adjust. “It’s okay. You’re okay. You’re so fucking tight, baby. So tight.”

Squirming underneath him, you hitched your knees higher around his torso and he rocked his hips to slide halfway out before grinding back in with a weighted push. He gave you a minute: a tense minute, a minute thick and full of wanting, a minute where all you could focus on was the stretch of his cock and the heated bulk of his body and the firmness of his chest pressed against yours. 

He brushed his lips against yours, and gently rolled his hips. 

“Do you know how much I’ve thought about this? About fucking you, in this bed?” His voice deep and breathless, it sounded overwhelmingly intimate breathed against your cheek. 

You shook your head. 

“I thought I was the only one,” you admitted. “I used to think – oh fuck – I used to think about you coming down the hallway in the night. Crawling into my bed and fucking me just like this. Just like I can hear you fuck her.”

“You listen to me fuck her?” His hips rocked forward a little faster, picking up pace. 

“I can’t help it,” you whined. “The sounds – the sounds you make. I wanted to make you make them. I wanted to be the reason.”

His fingers pushed through the hold of your own, locking your hands together above your head and he dug his knees into the bed for leverage. Your breasts shifted underneath him, bouncing lightly as he fucked into you harder and his eyes dropped down to watch. “You are, baby. You are. I think about you all the time.”

Building steadily underneath him, your head pushed back into the bedding and his mouth found your throat, his teeth scraping against the tender skin. His hips never stopping their filling grind, you pushed your fingers through his curls and when he bit down with a suck, a slurred yes slipped out of your outstretched throat. 

You imagined your mom seeing it, asking you if you went on a date with someone. 

His strokes got harder, harsher, his hips snapping against yours and digging your fingers into the soft globes of his ass, you forced him deeper. When you clenched around his thick length, he looked down at you, wrecked and desperate. 

“I wish I tasted you,” he groaned. “Next time, okay?”

You frantically nodded, unable to focus on anything but the bright, shining edge of your release. 

He could see it, feel it in the squeeze of your soaked cunt and his vision blurred around the edges, his own want building at the base of his spine. 

“You gonna come?”

You are. The sounds he’s making above you and the way he feels inside you and the scent and need rolling off his skin and those fucking pitch black eyes that have been in your dreams for months – 

Slick dripped down the curve of your ass, your hips locking up underneath him and when you came with a silent cry, he groaned deep and loud, fucking you right through it. 

“Tell me I can fucking come inside you. Say it,” he pleaded, fingers gripped on your chin to hold your gaze on his. His words punctuated by the snap of his hips, you nod your head. 

“Do it,” you whined.

Your fingers threaded through his curls, it’s the tug that you give that does it. Coming harder than he had in his fucking life, he filled your tight cunt with thick ropes of his spend. Endless, smeared over the shaft of his thick cock as he continued to pump into you because he couldn’t stop, slipping out to drip onto the delicate sheets below. 

“Christ,” he groaned, his jaw clenched as the veins in his neck strained above you, his hips stuttering. Slowing them into a languid roll against your own, his softening cock was still a thick, filling weight inside and when he looked down at you, you recognized the guilt that already flooded the brown depths. 

You stared right back, holding him tight. 

“Stay,” you murmured, holding him in place when he started to roll off of you. 

You wanted to remember this. The hot press of his skin against yours, tacky and slick with sweat. The warm gust of his breath over your lips, the rapid beat of his pulse under his flushed neck. The wild curls that stuck damply along his hairline, the brush of his fingers as he tenderly thumbed at the curve of your jaw. 

He swallowed and you could see the war in his eyes, something you recognized as being there from the start. His hand curled over the crown of your head, and you pressed a kiss to his throat. 

“You can’t –” he started, eyes fluttering shut at the press of your mouth. “You can’t tell your mom about this, okay. We can’t say anything.”

We. You reveled in the sound of the word, your head nodding underneath him. A secret to share. Something for the two of you alone. 

“I won’t,” you promised. “Just don’t leave, okay?”

You felt small and vulnerable asking, and when he looked down at you, a glimpse of the girl he imagined on that very first day tugged at his memory. Not the age he pictured of course, but the way you needed him. 

The way he wanted you to need him all along. 

His face nuzzled yours, his nose sliding across your cheek. A kiss pressed against the soft, youthful curve of your cheek that he had admired for months, he nodded with your sweet taste still lingering on his tongue. 

“I won’t, baby. I’m not going anywhere.”

[priyajoyy]

Devil wears prada part 2

Dark!lottie Matthews x reader x dark!shauna shipman x dark!jackie taylor x dark!natalie scatorcio

this is just a bunch of story building cause if I fit meeting Lottie into this part it would be way too long im sorry

Warnings:

Dark characters, power imbalance, toxic workplace, mental health problems, fat shaming, beauty standards, etc (more in later parts)

“Now you’ll technically be reporting to me, I’m situated on the 24thth floor where you’ll spend most of your time, though it really depends on where you’re needed” Mari told you as she guided you towards the elevator once again.

You’d viewed the offices on the 15th floor, which Mari had told you, you would sometimes need to go to on the odd occasion. You were now on your way up to one of the higher floors.

“If you need anything you can come to me, though the other secretaries are very friendly so I’m sure they’ll be happy to help.” She continued, “you report to anyone above you really, you’re not anyone’s personal assistant so they can all use you when necessary”

The elevator dings and the doors finally open. And Mari wastes no time, walking straight through the offices.

“The likelihoods are you’ll only be dealing with lower-level management, because the others have their own girls for their important stuff so it will never be anything too difficult.” 

Everyone was dressed so nicely; you were certain you were going to have to splurge on a new wardrobe of much nicer workwear when you got home.

“Miss taylor is in the big corner office of this floor and Mr Martinez is in the other corner, they’re the ones you’re most likely to be working with. Well, more likely their personal secretaries, Laura lee and robin” she tells you.

“This is miss Taylors office” she says as you reach one of the roomier ones, with fancy glass walls and a desk in front of it with a blonde sat at it.

“This is Laura lee, Laura lee this is the new hire, miss y/n y/l/n” Mari told the girl, who smiled at you brightly in return, standing to shake your hand.

“Hi!” she says cheerfully, she seemed like the nicest person you’d met here yet.

“Laura lee here deals with all of miss Taylors stuff, her personal Calander, meetings and such, you’ll have access to most of the head execs calendars on the system, though you won’t be able to adjust anything, so if you do need to, bring it up with Laura lee here” Mari tells you, and you nod along, trying to take mental note of all the information she tells you.

She then takes off in another direction, not so much as saying goodbye to Laura lee, who you quickly chuck a wave before trailing after Mari.

The older woman’s heels click against the floor as you both make your way back towards the main area of the floor, leading you towards a trio of desks that greeted you as you exited the elevator.

“And this will be your desk” she told you, gesturing the empty one of the three in front of you, “feel free to organise it however you want but we like to keep work areas clear and uncluttered at all times so please don’t…mess it up”

You weren’t really sure what you’d have to go on it other than some pens, a notepad and your laptop, but you nodded along to her request anyway.

“you’ll start officially on Monday, I’ll send you over some of our policies I need you to look over and sign, I’ll also send you everything else you need to know, attire rules, scheduling, so on” she listed off, to which you yet again nodded along to.

As soon as you got home, you were already scowering online sites for new clothes. Given you hadn’t been paid yet it was a little tricky to get anything too expensive, so you had to settle for some simpler choices. Though you were sure you’d have another search on your next payday.

You friend, insisted on taking you shopping that weekend, dragging you along to a million stores to try on expensive outfits and shoes you could barely walk in.

You weren’t exactly a hater of fashion. You thought you looked pretty presentable from day to day. But you were definitely used to much simpler clothes, more comfortable and plainer. Definitely not the designer blouses and skirts she had you trying on and buying.

By the end of it, you had a collection of new clothes in your wardrobe or on the way, and a dangerously low bank account, verging on entering your overdraft.

By Sunday you’d already planned out your outfits for the week, ironed all of them to perfection and prepped your lunch for Monday and Tuesday. Knowing you didn’t have the money after your little shopping spree to be buying lunch, even if it did make you look a little silly…

By the end of it you were running out of things to so and prep really for the week to take your mind off the nerves you were feeling. So, you spent the time trying to forget and watching tv, failing miserably at both.

Mari had sent you a collection of emails as soon as you had left on Friday. Consisting of your contracts as well as log ins to different systems and lists of responsibilities.

You’re main role was helping guests and staff from other departments from the front desk of the floor you’d be at. Greeting them and helping with their problems. You were glad you weren’t likely to have to interact with the head management often. The idea of dealing with them seeming terrifying.

“morning” you squeaked out nervously to the girl at the front desk yet again, this time a different girl greeting you, seeming more friendly than the one you had encountered last week.

You had worn something nicer for your first proper day, a smart looking grey pencil skirt and light pink blouse with your nicest shoes, trying to make a good impression. Yet you still felt inferior stood in front of the gorgeous ginger sat at the front desk. 

“Um I’m y/n? Mari Ibarra said you’d be expecting me for a keycard…” you told her nervously, to which she nodded and looked at her computer.

“of course,” she said with a reassuring smile, looking back up and standing to turning to grab something from a draw nearby, “this will get you into the building each morning and activate the elevator to take you to all floors except 7 and 15, they don’t require special access”

She hands you a grey lanyard, with a keycard hanging from it, a picture of you and your name and info staring back at you from it.

“you’ll also need it for photocopying, printing and such, you won’t tend to need to access any special rooms, or anything so don’t worry too much, but any you do need to…and have access to, will open with this too” she continues.

You nod along to her, taking it from her grasp and smiling nervously. She must have noticed your nerves because she continued.

“don’t be nervous, it’s all quite easy really, and the girls upstairs are nice enough” she tells you, a pretty tilt to her head as she does, “you should head up now, Mari will be waiting for you on the 24th floor”

Taglist:

@theoreticalfreak @nats-w1fe @clairvoyantstuff @modernvenuss @moonyxstars

[berryz-writes]

Perfectly serious

Summary: Matheo's jealousy and want for you increases after seeing you with Theo to the point where he finally/kind of confesses

Matheo Riddle x reader

His arm wrapped around my waist, bringing me even closer to him. "Come on, let's get you to bed" Theo murmured. I looked up at him confused "I'm not drunk". My head might feel light and I might feel extremely happy and sad at the same time but I was most definitely not drunk.

"Yes you are" He took my hand and led me away from the groups of people dancing together, taking his time to weave us in and around the drinks being passed around. Everyone gave me a smile as I left, Pansy giving me a wink as we passed "I bet he fucks good. Have fun babe!" She said, her words slurring slightly, her voice loud enough for Theo to hear. Maybe if he heard it he would act on it. I wouldn't mind getting in bed with him.

We soon reached my room, the music faded to a low sound coming from below us and the lights softer than the harsh party lights of before.

"Well...night y/n" Theo said.

"You know" I started, my voice low and sultry. "I wouldn't mind if you joined me, made things more interesting. Hm?" I tilted my head waiting for his answer, his eyes searching my face. For what I didn't know.

He gave me a soft smile "Your drunk. And when drunk, your ideas aren't really your own. So as much as I'd like to follow through with your idea, it's best you get some sleep"

I rolled my eyes at him being who he always was. I wished for once he would push the boundaries. "Fine. Night Theo"

"Sweet dreams" He dropped my hand and waited for me to close the door. I could hear his receding footsteps, probably to go up to his own dorm. I was relieved in a way. Maybe I wasn't actually ready to fuck him and it was just the alcohol making me want something more. We were good friends. I didn't want to ruin that for something that I didn't really want. Chocolate brown eyes crossed my mind. Curly hair that would feel so nice running my hands through-. Something that would never happen.

*Potions the next day*

"I didn't see you yesterday" I said to Matheo referring to the party yesterday. Stirring in the crushed up leaves into the steaming potion, I turned to look at him, his eyes were icy and cold as if I had done some personal wrong against him.

"Of course you didn't. You were too busy trying to estimate your chances with Theo. Heads up, princess. He has higher standards"

I ignored the nickname that would usually make me swoon and instead my mouth opened in shock. How fucking rude of him. Was he ok?

"Are you being serious right now?" I stopped stirring the potion and crossed my arms. I could take a joke but come on. He had taken it too far.

"Perfectly serious. Why? Did you think I was nice?" He stood up to tower over me, his minty scent washing over me. His chocolate brown eyes were like daggers into my soul. It hurt knowing someone I was good friends with could switch up so fast.

"No actually, I didn't. Your just like everyone says you are. You get with a girl for your own pleasure, lead her on and then leave her with a broken heart. Your a rude fucking asshole and nothing more"

His jaw clenched at what I said, waiting for me to say anything else. I didn't actually mean it but I would never let anyone disrespect me and not expect anything back.

I realised soon how close we were. If only he were to move slightly closer, I could have tipped my head upwards and kissed him. The fact that I was thinking about that even though he had insulted me was annoying for me. I shouldn't still like him. Not anymore.

"You really mean that?" His voice came out soft, his jaw no longer clenched. As if he understood what I had said. I hesitated. Of course I didn't. How could I? I liked him for fucks sake.

I sighed "I don't know"

He sat back down as if he were tired of our argument. As if he didn't want to argue with me.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said-"

"Let's just forget about it. Ok?" I didn't want to argue either. Maybe he was angry and took it out on me. Fine. I would give him a pass just this once seen as though we were such good friends. (If only we were more than that)

He nodded his head and we worked in silence for the next few minutes. Until he cleared his throat and looked toward me again "Listen y/n. I don't want us to ruin our...friendship for something I've said so let me treat you. Will you be free to come to the diner at eight?"

I paused and raised an eyebrow, smiling slightly "Are you asking me on a date or just as friends?" Confident of me to ask but I wanted to know where we stood.

After a pause he replied with "I'd be happy with either, as long as it's with you"

I thought about my next question "And if I want it to be a date?" I asked quietly.

He smiled "I was hoping you'd say that, princess"

[brookediamonds]

I love you, I'm sorry | Axel Kovačević x Fem! Reader

Summary: After years of tense, banter-filled rivalry between you and Axel, things begin to spiral when you start dating someone new leading to jealousy and bitterness and even some overprotectiveness

Word Count: 3k Warnings: None, allusions to sex, no smut though, enemies to lovers

Masterlist

gif is not mine

You skipped into the back of your home dojo, completely blinded by the new relationship that has begun in your life.

It was the happiness that made your head spin in a million directions, a buzzing feeling running through your body from excitement.

"Sam!" You shrieked as you spotted your curly haired friend standing along with Tory.

"Someone's happy," Tory takes notice to your wide grin and preppy attitude.

"He did it!" You yelped running up to your two best friends. "Ian asked me to be his girlfriend!"

"Oh!" Sam’s smile froze, just for a second. Her lips parted in surprise before she quickly adjusted, forcing a brighter grin. "That's great!"

"Wait, Ian Matthews?" Tory interjects. "The guy from the baseball team?"

"Yeah!" You confirm for her rocking back and forth on your feet. "We had been talking for a month now, and yesterday we watched a movie at his house last night and he asked me then!"

Sam and Tory glanced side ways at each other, both of your friends sharing the same thoughts and worries.

"Nothing happened," you disrupted their thoughts a small laugh escaping you. The girls relaxed at your statement. "He kind of tried but I told him that's not something I'd do for a while."

"Good, I'm glad he respects you," Sam gives you a half smile trying not to linger on the fact that he in fact still tried to do something with you.

"If he doesn't I'll kick his ass," Tory responds bluntly making you laugh.

"Don't worry about me, I can handle my own," you assure your overprotective friends. Squeezing Sam's elbow, you turn to walk away towards Sensei Lawerence, leaving the two girls to grumble.

"Why him?" Sam mutters under her breath as she crossed her arms over her chest in annoyance.

"He's the biggest dick," the blonde agreed. "Can't believe he pulled her."

"I'm keeping an eye on this dude, I don't trust him," Sam says watching you talk with the older sensei about a move she was having trouble with.

"Trust who?" Miguel comes up to his girlfriend's side catching the end of her comment.

"Ian Matthews," Tory answers, her voice dripping with bitterness. "He's got our girl."

"Nooo," Miguel drags out the 'o' dramatically looking over at you with remorseful eyes. "He ended up asking (Y/n) out?"

Sam nods responding with a low "mhm."

"He's such a—“

"Dick," they all say in unison.

As the three talked about how they could plot steering you away from the danger, Axel stood behind them listening to every word of the conversation having heard everything from the minute you arrived.

A scowl was creeping across his face, his jaw clenched as he thought about you and Ian together. It made him fume. His sharp eyes tracked you as you laughed and grinned, a strange, uncomfortable feeling twisting in his chest.

As class begun, you fall into line, Axel moving to stand behind you.

"So," you hear Axel whisper from behind you. "Ian Matthews, huh?"

You rolled your eyes, trying not to let him put a damper in your current mood.

"What about him?" You ask not sparing him a glance.

"Nothing," he says rather quickly. "Just surprised you'd fall for a guy like him. Thought you had higher standards than the baseball jock stereotype." 

You could practically see the smirk in his voice.

Exhaling sharply, you glance over your shoulder to give Axel a pointed look. "Not that it's any of your business, but Ian is actually a really nice guy."

"Right, nice," he snorts. "That's definitely the word I'd use for someone like him."

You clenched your fists, refusing to rise to his bait. "Why do you even care?" you shot back under your breath, your tone sharp.

"Trust me, I don't," Axel scoffed. You shook your head putting your focus back on Sensei LaRusso.

Sure he didn't care for you (at least he pretends not to), but that guy? Seriously? You could do better.

And while he wouldn't admit it, Axel too would watch out for you.

------------------------------------------------------------

It's been a few weeks and things had gone smoothly so far with Ian, he was always paying you compliments and gifting you flowers, it made you feel special.

But what you hadn't noticed was the way his eyes would trail to the girl behind you or how his crude remarks went over your head. All things your friends caught on to.

You were blinded by the honeymoon phase. However things begin to take a turn when Axel catches wind of something he didn't want to hear.

Axel was in the boys locker room changing into his normal clothes when he hears your name.

"She's only been letting me feel her up when we make out, but I think she's gonna let me hit it by the end of the week," Axel recognizes that douche voice from anywhere.

Peeking around the corner of the row of lockers, Axel confirms his suspicions when he sees your boyfriend Ian sitting on a bench talking a with a few guys from his team.

"Dude you got till the end of the month to complete that bet," one of his teammates says. "Don't rush that $100."

What bet?

"I know I just feel like every time I think she's gonna let me, she backs out," Ian complains.

'They better not be talking about Y/n' Axel thinks already beginning to feel his blood boil.

"Y/n is a tough one to crack when it comes to shit like that, that's what makes her a fun challenge," another guy pipes in.

Axel could feel his hands start shake from the fury he was feeling, to talk about a woman like that is disgusting, but to talk about you like that?

It was enraging.

Does he confront them and beat the shit out them like he wants to? Does pull Ian specially aside and knock his lights out? Does he do both?

As the boys left the locker room, Axel can only think about one thing: You.

He ponders how to approach you with what he heard, having not the best history with you.

As Axel made his way out of the locker room, he sees Ian at your locker holding you close to him.

He felt a pang in his heart as he watched you smile so tenderly, pressing a quick peck to Ian's lips.

"He's wrong for her."

Axel startled slightly, turning to see Sam standing a few feet away, her arms crossed and a knowing look in her eyes.

"What?" Axel asked, his voice a little sharper than he intended.

Sam raised an eyebrow, tilting her head toward you and Ian. "You’re staring," she said simply.

Axel scoffed, shifting his bag higher on his shoulder. "I’m not staring. I’m just… keeping an eye on things."

"Right," Sam said, a small smile tugging at her lips. “You know, for someone who acts like Y/n is the most annoying person on the planet, you sure spend a lot of time watching out for her."

Axel glared at the short girl next to him. "I’m not— I just don't trust this guy."

He paused, his jaw tightening as he debated whether to tell her what he had overheard in the locker room. Something like this isn't something that needs to be spread or heard from another source.

Sam nodded in agreement. "We don't either... That should be you."

"Come again?" Axel whips his head around.

"Oh come on, before this little rivalry started, you two had a thing going," Sam reminds him with a slight eyeball.

Axel frowned, crossing his arms. "We did not have 'thing' going."

Sam raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Really? Because I remember you two were pretty much inseparable when she first joined the dojo."

"Before your father put us together for that competition," Axel huffs remembering the event that ended up sparking your rivalry. He adored your bright smile and outgoing personality.

Your opposite personalities made things fun between you two, until Sensei LaRusso decided to partner you up for a karate partner competition.

Your approaches had clashed, egos had flared, and the loss had cemented the wedge between you. Now, instead of sharing inside jokes and camaraderie, all you shared were sarcastic remarks and eye-rolls.

"I know," Sam winces the flashback of you two arguing on the mat coming back to mind. "I'm sorry. But that doesn’t mean it has to stay this way, Axel. You still care about her, I can see it, even if you won’t admit it. And I know she cares about you, too, even if she’s too stubborn to show it."

Sam gave him a pointed look before walking away, leaving Axel alone with his thoughts. He feels a pang in his chest as he watched Ian slide his arm over you shoulder, you had no idea what this guy was intending to do.

Axel exhaled sharply, grabbing his bag and slinging it over his shoulder. He had to approach this carefully. If he came at you too aggressively, you’d probably just brush him off or accuse him of being jealous.

He couldn’t risk that, not with something this important.

--------------------------------------------------------

You're texting back one of your siblings about dinner plans when you hear your name being called. Glancing back, you see Axel jogging up to you.

Unphased, you spare him a quick glance continuing to type back. "What? Come to critique my footwork again?" You tease him.

Axel didn't give you his playful smirk like he usually does when you two banter.

"I need to tell you something," he says, his tone unusually serious.

"What's up?" You frown giving him your undivided attention.

Axel hesitated, running a hand through his hair as if trying to figure out how to say it.

"It’s about Ian," he says lowly.

"What about him?" You stood up straight, eyebrows furrowed.

The tall boy sighed, his gaze flicking to the floor for a moment before meeting yours. "I overheard him and his friends talking about you."

You felt the heat rise to you cheeks, a million things swirling through your mind.

"Saying what?" Your throat feels tight when you speak.

Axel shifted uncomfortably, his usual confidence faltering. "He made a bet. With his friends. That he could… you know… get you into bed by the end of the month."

The words hung in the air, heavy and cutting. You could feel your heart fall to the pit of your stomach, embarrassment coming over you.

Of course the one guy that shows interest in you is from a bet, and you had to hear from someone that despises you. Great.

The worst part of this was, Axel wasn't your enemy, he was someone you actually really liked. So when you two fell off, you thought Ian would be a good distraction.

You blinked, stepping back as if he’d physically hit you. "That’s not funny, Axel."

"Y/n, I wouldn't lie to you about something like this," he said urgently. "I know we've had our differences, but I would never tell you this if I didn't know it was 100% true."

You shook your head, your chest tightening with a mix of anger and disbelief. 

"You can't expect me to just believe you, you've never liked him, hell you don't even like me most days! How do I know this isn't some diversion to mess with me?" Your words dripped with anger.

Axel took a step closer to you, his expression earnest and almost pleading.

"I feel anything but dislike you for you, trust me," he said firmly, his voice quieter now but no less intense. "This isn't a joke to me, the dude is lucky I didn't knock his lights out."

Your breath caught at his words, but the anger and humiliation still bubbled in your chest, clouding your thoughts. "Why do you even care?"

"You deserve better than that," Axel says softly. "Better than him. I care about you more than you think I do."

"Axel..." you started, but your voice faltered. You didn’t know what to say, how to process the sudden shift in his tone, in his words.

You're unsure if he's saying what you think he's saying, but too much has been said and you needed a minute to think.

"Think about it, I know I'm not the best source but it would've killed me to keep that to myself, you deserve respect," he assures you.

Respect.

He turned and walked away before you could respond, leaving you standing there, heart racing and thoughts swirling in chaos.

--------------------------------------------------

You spend the rest of the evening going over the last few week in your end, cringing at the moments you should've picked up on Ian being insincere with you and your friends.

The Saturday nights you had spend with Ian at his house, he had attempted to go further than just making out on his couch. You didn't realize how frustrated he was when you pushed him away or got up to use the bathroom.

You had chosen to ignore all the warning signs, the looks of annoyance, the backhanded compliments, it all made sense to you now.

Axel was right.

The next morning you take your time getting ready, making sure you looked your best and headed to school.

When you walk into the school, you immediately spot Ian upstairs by his locker surrounded by his group of good from the baseball team.

"Y/n!" Tory and Sam greet you, the brunette beaming a smile.

"Good morning," you chirp, your gaze going back to the boys upstairs. The girls notice your eyes trailing upstairs making them frown.

"Oh, we'll let you go be with Ian," Sam feigns a small smile attempting to sounds sincere was possible.

"Actually wait for me," you spoke making them perk up. " This will only take a second."

Tory and Sam look over at each other sharing the same confused look before you turn to walk up the stairs.

As you approached the dark haired boy, Ian's friends nod their head at you, making your boyfriend turn to face you.

"Hey, Ian," you greet him, giving him your flashing smile.

"Hey babe," he grins walking up to you pecking your lips lightly. He slings an arm over your shoulder, pulling you close to him.

"Hi, guys!" You peek over his shoulder giving them your million-dollar smile.

"Sup," they all say back returning your upbeat energy.

"So, how was practice yesterday?" You ask innocently.

"It was great," Ian responds nonchalantly, the guys behind him nodding in agreement.

"Make any good bets lately?"

The boys stood frozen in their spots when the question leaves your mouth, a red tint coming across Ian's face. He glances at his team, all of them shaking their heads.

He looks down at you.

"W-What?" He stutters, his lips tugging up into a smile.

Ian stiffened. It was subtle, but you caught it—the way his grip on your shoulder tightened for just a second before he quickly masked it with a laugh. "What are you talking about?"

You let out a small chuckle, shaking your head as you gently shrugged his arm off you. "You know exactly what I’m talking about."

Ian glanced around, clearly realizing that some of his teammates were watching. "Look, Y/n, whatever you heard, it’s not—"

It was true.

"You didn't make a bet that you could get me in bed by the end of the month?" You raised your eyebrows. Ian's mouth falls open at a lost for words, his eyes going back and forth between you and his friends.

You laughed, rolling your eyes.

"You're an asshole, incase you haven't heard it already from the rest of the school," you scoffed. "We're done."

When you go to walk away, you see Axel standing just a few feet away from you, his expression soft.

You met his gaze for a moment, your heart pounding from the adrenaline of what just happened. Ian was already stammering behind you, trying to save face in front of his friends, but you didn’t care.

You held Axel’s stare, your breath still a little shaky. Meeting each other in the middle, he sighs giving you an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry," he says lowly.

"Not your fault he's a jackass," you shrug, avoiding his eyes.

There's a silence between you as the hallway buzzes from the people around you. You shifted on your feet, suddenly feeling the weight of everything settle in.

The adrenaline was fading, leaving behind a mix of frustration, embarrassment, and something else you couldn’t quite name.

Axel seemed to notice because, for once, he didn’t push, didn’t tease. He just stood there, watching you carefully.

"I should—" you motion behind you with your thumb.

"Yeah, right," Axel nods seeing Sam and Tory staring up at you from the first level sharing words with each other.

For a second, you wanted to say more but didn't know where to start. Your relationship with Axel was complicated, while you two bickered and fought over everything, you still felt a drawn connection to him.

And unbeknownst to you, he still held a soft for you. But with last year's disastrous competition that was supposed to bring you two closer, did the exact opposite.

You gave Axel one last glance before turning on your heel and heading toward your friends.

"You okay?" Sam asks worryingly reaching out for your hand.

"I'm good," you reassure her with a soft smile, laying your other hand on top of hers.

"What did he do? Do I need to handle him?" Tory threatens already glaring up in Ian's direction who was still throwing a hissy fit.

"No need," you smirk at her. "I already did."

Sam and Tory nodding holding an impressed expression.

"As for what he did..." you trailed off a slight frown raising to your face. "I'll have to explain at lunch."

The girls nodded in understanding, Tory walking over to stand by your side as she hooked her arm around your shoulder to give you a reassuring squeeze.

"Well, whatever it was, he’s an idiot. And trust me, you can do way better."

Sam nodded, giving your hand another gentle squeeze. "Agreed. And just so you know, we’ve got your back, always."

You felt warmth spread through you at their support. No matter what happened, you weren’t alone.

"I know," you respond softly, someone else popping up in the back of your mind.

Axel watched from the upper level as your friends engulfed you with love and support, his heart aching in his chest for you.

He didn't know where you two stood after this encounter, but there's a lingering feeling that you two could start over and maybe, just maybe, you can give him a chance to show you how you deserve to be treated.

Kindly, and respectfully.

-----------------------------------------------------

Part 2

(a/n: I love me some frenemy chaos, I think I might make this 3 parts but not sure. Like, reblog, comment, I love everyone whose been loving comments, thank you all for the love!!)

[moooncats]

✿ Astrology Observations ✿

✿ Through the eye's of a Virgo 🧿 ✿

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✿ Sun in Aries ✿

Funny, Confident, Fighter lmaoo (don't talk ish about anyone they consider family cause they'll knuck and buck in 2.5 seconds bwahaha), Attractive!!! 🔥🔥 Aries are usually loud/opinionated and have this lets live life like its the last day we're alive. They are usually the ones who will dance like theres nobody watching hahah very tik tok star vibes. Go go go energy. You guys love to travel! ✈️ Its giving me Carmen Sandiego Vibes. ʕ￫ᴥ￩ʔ

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✿ Sun in Leo ✿

Popular (Irl & Online), Funny af never met a leo that wasn't good at jokes. Great hair/makeup/style 💅 oh and music taste gives me hype in the club vibes. Creative! Never met a leo that didnt dabble in the arts. Ya'll really love to spoil your love ones and friends and as a virgo I appreciate you! Seriously so sweet and caring. Gift giving is most likely your love language. (✿◠‿◠)♡ I would also like to add SOOO good at making food/pastries like this one leo friend I had would make flipping macarons in hs and they were BUSSIN BUSSIN. I also know its super hard to make them? Like sheeesh your creativity never fails to make a presence! Keep it up my lovely leos! ♡

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✿ Sun in Capricorn ✿

2-3 jobs lmfaoooo, boujee, yall are secretly freaky af!!! Most capricorns I know have only fans on the side yall aint fooling no one with that good girl fascade hehe do you tho! Make that money puuur. 💰💋 Homebodies unless they're out with their lover yall settle down QUICKKK bwahah. 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 It's giving me I'm busy at work and I'll get to you when I get to you vibes. 🫡 Also lets not forget most Capricorns I know are lowkey know it alls! Lmfao yall try to hide it but your expression gives it all away. There was this Capricorn that I could never beat at Skip Bo (a card game) she really knew the in's and out's of all numbers. ʕ￫ᴥ￩ʔ So quirky!

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✿ Sun in Taurus ✿

Grounded, Stable, FOODIES. If they cook or share food with you they really fucks with you. Can be stubborn but I think it's awesome they just know what they like and its usually of ✨️ higher taste✨️. IYKYK. Lover of art but usually natural art or anything natural. Anything to do with the 5 senses they are IN THERE LIKE SWIMWEAR. Homebodies af. Sleep is their go to de stresser with eating, skin care, spas, hikes, anything nature that looks beautiful lmao it's giving me ethereal fairy vibes. (๑ > ᴗ < ๑)

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✿ Sun in Scorpio ✿

Always needs to be the coolest person in the room, secretly wants to be loved but has high AF standards lol. Usually has lots of piercings/tattoos they LOVE to color their hair lmao. Probably can be the spoke person for Manic Panic or any other hair dye company. Scorpios can drag someone to filth and it always makes me laugh cause they're straight up and to the point with it. They don't just spend their time with anybody they're picky af. 🤷🏾‍♀️ Most scorpios I know are in the LGBTQ community. It's giving me I know I'm the prize and I'm cool as shit vibes. ʕ⊙ᴥ⊙ʔ

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✿ Sun in Cancer ✿

Loves to match vibes with people, usually quiet unless they feel comfortable with the energy, good afff music taste deadass I can play any song from my random playlist and they'll know it word for word haha. That's about it tho- sorry I don't really know much about cancers personally. It's giving me- very nice and formal vibes & will understand the assignment (can be loud/chill/outgoing/whatever you want them to be) vibes. 🦀🦎 Chameleon.

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✿ Sun in Aquarius ✿

Eccentric AF in a good way bwahaha ʕ⊙ᴥ⊙ʔ, very IDGAF energy we loveee, caring they only bad mouth people who have wronged them in a bad way other than that- they usually can see both sides of a situation yall give good advice, very humanitarian vibes. Aqua's also are so good at technology! Leave it to an Aqua to find information on ANYONE on the internet they keep receipts also lmfao. Most Aquas I know are apart of the LGBTQ community. 🏳️‍🌈 It's giving me Alien hacker/detective vibes. 👽 Also side note, every aqua I know eats this one thing thats soooo random for ex one of my besties, eats pizza with no cheese just sauce and veggies lol. Random af I love it.

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✿ Sun in Pisces ✿

Never met a pisces who didn't sing lmao! Come thru vocals (you're going to hollywood!). Yall usually draw too or do poetry/sew/paint anything artistic. ╰( ▪‿▪)╮ Yooo I noticed yall always have drug addictions too tho. I honestly think that's why your head be up in the clouds/ lost in the sea void 24/7 😆 Quick Tip: Did you know that when you're under the influence things just hit harder? So why be in that toxic relationship/situation and intensify your emotions when you know it'll be harder to come back from it as a water sign... ahhh. Lemme give you a hug you'll get through this! 🫂 It's giving me XXXTentacion Vibes (listen to his lyrics you'll get the vibes yuh). 💀 Seriously Pisces lemme give you another hug. 🫂 I'm rooting for you, you'll get out of the haze surely enough.

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✿ Sun in Libra ✿

Boujeeeeee!! Never met a libra that didn't dress nice af. Usually uniquely too. Hair game is always on fleek. Yall love to play devils advocate though. I don't think I've ever had any libra talk bad about anyone they were friends with they're loyal and good vibes. Libra's can also be sooo funny!╰(◕ᗜ◕)╯ They love to make everyone feel included so they will play the part to make sure people aren't left out. It's giving me Actor vibes. Also most libra's I know smoke mary jane 🍁 and are on top with their workout routine. Lmfao munchies who??¿ Also Libra's are a lover of beauty never seen a libra date someone who wasnt aesthetically pleasing to the 👁🖼. It's giving me main character/actor Vibes.

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✿ Sun in Gemini ✿

SMARTTTT. Yall know so much in that head of yours. Seriously never had a boring conversation ever with a gemini, great story tellers as well! So effing creative, If you really get to know a Gemini you'll find that they're so good at every flipping hobby like I honestly feel like their mind is hardwired differently from most people. Also very friendly and CHILL. (ﾉ≧ڡ≦) It's giving me, Golden retriever vibes! 🐕

(Sorry reached the gif limit but picture a cute fluffy doggie! Nyaaa! (: )

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✿ Sun in Saggitarius ✿

VERY ACTIVE/OUTDOORSY but accident prone bwahaha! Why are yall always in the damn hospital or sick? 😅 (ᓀ‸ᓂ) Be careful while skating/doing sports/LIVING damn. GOOFFFYYYYYY. Yall have jokes for days lmao. You know so much about philosophy and other topics its refreshing to have deep non surface conversations with you. As a virgo it's giving me if I was stuck on an island I would survive and probably understand the hidden meaning of life in a fever dream I had from eating poisonous berries vibes. 😆🫐

(Sorry reached the gif limit but imagine a cute wandering explorer not caged down by society! ╰( ▪‿▪)╮ Yuhh)

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✿ Sun in Virgo ✿

Wallflowers.(๑･◡･) We love to observe everyone/everything while also making sure we look the part. We can deadass find anything that's lost. 🔍 Lover of art as well, we love anything to do with the aestethics. Book worms 🐛haha, also we always have one thing/hobby that were really in to that we focus on almost 24/7 in a weird obssesive way. This can be good and bad. Good if its a hobby, bad if its a person RIP. Most virgos I know are popular and chill gives me grounded vibes. It's giving me I'm okay with being a side character unless you want me to be the main character then I'll pop off vibes.

(Sorry ran out of gifs but imagine a hermit who was idulging in books and anything that could make them better themselves as a person ʕ·ᴥ·ʔ)

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✿ Mahalo for reading my 2nd ever tumblr post! How exciting. Hope you all enjoyed this, it was really fun to articulate my feelings as a Virgo sun. Who knows, maybe I'll make more astrology observations hehe. Till then, take care my beautiful earth angels! Moooncats out. (. ❛ ᴗ ❛.) ✿

[staenless]

STEDDIE LUNCHBOX FIC PART THREE

It was a week be

Sorry this took so long Ive been busy with beauty school and struggling with motivation tbh lol. Looking back at the previous two parts this needs a LOT of editing but honestly I don't think I can rn so you'll all have to suffer through unedited chapters for now, sorry! Anyway I'm very tired rn so I won't hold up with authors notes anymore, I hope you all enjoy this and please share your thoughts (they fueled this chapter tbh)

It was a week before Tommy passed his lunch on again. Eddie sat in his cubicle nose flaring at lunchtime everyday, a pavlovian response to the clunk-tick of the bento box popping open. He could smell meats, vegetables and fruits, cheesy pastas and salt-buttered rolls. Under it all he could smell that sugar sweet ginger and floral scent, Steve.

Eddie's own lunches were rare, and when he did lower himself to eat at the company café he always found it wanting. Nothing quite matched up to a meal made painstakingly by hand. He wondered if this was part of Tommy's cruel mockery, to hand him something he was unworthy of to let him taste heaven, then snatch it away and leave him stranded in a world of bland flavorless slop.

That wasn't to say the café food was bad. In actuality it was surprisingly good. The young woman who ran it had been part of a government program to teach underserved highschoolers skills, and her meals were wholesome and tasty. She had baked a cake for the company holiday party, and when she say Eddie savouring the bites she confided her secret: a third of the flour was substituted with corn flour to give it a texture. It was the best homemade cake Eddie had ever eaten, though he had very little to compare it to.

So no, the food at the café, the bar and the grocery store and - godforbid - Eddie's own kitchen wasnt bad. It was of a higher standard he was used to, and it was filling and tasty, and he ate what he liked instead of what his guardians decided he should eat. But none of it had the taste of Steve's hands on it, and so none of it could ever compare. He mindlessly shoved forkful after forkful into his mouth, chewed and chocked it all down. He missed Steve's food, after only tasting it once.

The day Tommy decided to grace Eddie's desk with the tin lunchbox again hadn't started out special. In fact as the clock slowly ticked into the luncheon hours Eddie had long resigned himself another cafe meal when Tommy's cackled echoed across the floor.

"Nah, he's going into heat soon so he's been extra bitchy... I've had to pull late night's just to get some damn peace"

Eddie's hackles rose. Omegas in preheat needed stability, reassurance. Spending hours away would just make their preheat anxiety worse, something Tommy was either too stupid to realise or too cruel to care.

"Aw c'mon man," one of the stuffy suited alphas beside him gave Tommy a heart shoulder clap, "heat is the whole point of marrying an omega, right? Man what I'd do to get to fuck one, is it true they can't think of anything other than cock?"

Tommy's low chuckling makes Eddie grit his teeth,that was basically conformation. He's out here discussing his omegas private, vulnerable moments like it's water cooler gossip. Barely containing a growl Eddie peaks over the cubicle and finally spots the group by the - oh for fucks sake - gathered around an honest to God watercooler.

"Yeah the fucking is great, he always bitches about wearing a collar but once he's in the heat of it," smattered giggles, "he forgets aaaalllll about it. Almost makes the week before worth it. Almost." The last line sounds almost spiteful, but his cronies don't seem to take note.

"How'd you even bag him? I mean sure omegas aren't that rare but I hardly see any that aren't mated, especially a nice tame one that'd pack me lunch."

Something in the air turns sour, and when Eddie peaks over again in a bizaar mimic of an old whack-a-mole game, he can see Tommys face twist and turn in on itself. He seems torn between frustration and pride, like a dog showing off its gold plated collar.

"It was a family thing," he says, the vague answer telling just enough for his buddies to drop it while still answering their question. He glances down at the lunch box in his hand and his upper lip twitches in disgust, then his eyes rove over the office cubicles before locking onto Eddie. Shit, too late to duck down, and Tommy marches over, smarmy smile stretching over his too-white too-straight teeth.

"Munson!" THWACK. Ow. "You not having lunch?" Tommy leans down, weight on Eddie's shoulder where his fingers dig in just enough to make Eddie want to bite him. But the possibility of getting his paws on that lunch box, on Steve scented food, outweighs his instinct to fight the alpha trying to impose himself.

"Shit man," his grin is all teeth, "I hadn't even noticed the time! Guess I'll have to run down to the cafe and pick something up, huh?" It's fake. It's so fake and they both know this conversation is just a formality, the conclusion already known.

"I'll save you the trouble," Tommy should have persued an acting career, the script sounds so natural as he straightens up and clacks the lunch box onto Eddie's desk, "I'm heading out to lunch with the boys, you'd be doing me a favour." The last part doesn't sound like a lie, and if Eddie wasn't so desperate for the lunch he'd wonder why Tommy was so desperate to get rid of it.

"Thanks man," he spits out to Tommys retreating form. He mutters something - likely demeaning - to his cronies who titter, then leave together like a pack of cackling hyenas.

Eddie launches from his desk and flies to the rooftop, lunchbox clutched desperately in his hands, cigarettes forgotten. Once he reaches his usual spot his pops the lid, thrumming with excitement at the sight of another note. Ignoring the food over the sweet omegas words he plucks the folded yellow paper and gingerly unfolds it.

"please come home early"

His heart plummets. Right. Steve is in preheat, he obviously wants his alpha. But Tommy said he was avoiding Steve, and now the note confirms that. Please come home early, but no "I miss you" . No "love Steve". It seemed impersonal, something like an order, or begging, but without the hope either of those entail. He recalled Tommys other statement. It was a family thing.

Eddie was familiar, though distantly, with the idea. Arranged marriages were hardly a thing anymore. The star charts, the burnt herbs and entrails spread out beneath a crones trembling hands was far too gouche for modern metropolitans. The payments in silk and bovine too backwards and simple for their forward thinking ways.

Marriages were a more democratic affair for the rich and wealthy, planned out in wood panelled offices with huffing cigar breaths, Alpha to Alpha, the prospects of mergers and inheritance trumping starsigns and blood types. Arranged marriages was for backwards, superstitious folk, agreements were for the rich to keep the money in arms reach. Steve and Tommy were an agreement.

And by the looks of if; no mating bite, avoidance during preheat and the tone Tommy musters when discussing his spouse? Not a particularly blissful agreement. Still. Please come home early, Steve must find some comfort in Tommy's general existence if he wants him around over a trusted family member or close friend. Or pup. Tommy never mentioned a pup, but whether that was because he didn't have one or didn't care much to talk about it was somewhat up in the air.

Eddie brought the note to his lips, just toughing, and breathed deep. The ginger of Steve's scent was less sweet now, his preheat brining out the spice. Something like pepper ticked the back of his nose, pulled the air from his lungs and a final floral smell brought him back in, the sweet aftertaste of a spicy treat. The flowers smelt fresh, Eddie could recall the lily's at his mother's grave smelling the same. Somewhere in his mind he knew that comparison should scare him, but the memory of her grave after the funeral had always been rose tinted by Wayne's kind smile when he took his hand and gently lead him away. Eddie pulled the note away and his lips twitched up, that floral after taste was definitely lily's.

Eddie spared the food a glance, and as delicious as it look, he had something else on his mind. He looked down at the note in his hands, his hind brain sparking to attention at the scent of the omega, and the idea of him home alone in preheat. Eddie wanted to comfort him, to sooth his nerves and let him know he was safe and loved. He wanted to pace the door in front of their den, while Steve nested inside, to protect him from any intruders and serve him. To hold his hand, his waist, to pillow his head on Steve's chest and listen to his heart beat and bathe in his scent.

He couldn't. Steve was married, as much as Eddie's hind brain shouted "not mated" and Steve didn't even know Eddie, let alone allow the alpha into his nest. But Eddie couldn't help it as he pressed the note to his wrists and neck, mind whirling with ideas on how to comfort the omega. Somewhere between kissing Steves fingertips through fruit and the ginger of his scent burning Eddie's nose, the alphas heart had already pledged itself to the omega, already bared itself - pledged itself to his service. If all Eddie could offer was comfort, crossing lines of proprietary was no hurdle.

Taglist: @xxbottlecapx @goodolefashionedloverboi @stevesbipanic @monsterloverforhire @swimmingbirdrunningrock @samsoble @bookworm0690 @tinyplanet95 @idontwantmetoo @steddiehasmywholeheart @mugloversonly @persnicketysquares @morgannotlefay @lololol-1234 @greeniebean911

[howlingday]

Ruby, up and coming hero blessed with the Silver Eyes, has heard terrible news! A horrible fiend has invaded the lands! A demon, hailing from a long and cursed line, master of sorcery and steel, a silver tongued trickster, a slave master, a depraved incubus, foul crafts hiding under welcoming illusions, a keen mind of gears and schemes and plots within plots, stronger than iron and quicker than quicksilver, all this and more, has taken control of an abandoned fortress! Determined to boldly rid the lands of this foul taint, (and to prove to Yang she’s a big girl!) she sets off to confront the monster alone! (Bad girl! That’s the first rule of adventuring: don’t go it solo!)

Except, no???????? Jaune has never seen or heard of any ‘demon’ around here. He just moved in, trying to strike out on his own, but nothing seems to be cursed from what he can see. He seems nice enough too. He’s fixing up the old ruin, disabling traps, healing folks when they wander into his place, and all that. Strong, smart, endlessly kind. Talks about his family a lot, they look so happy in the photo. That crest looks familiar, but it’s probably nothing. Surely he’s not the monster, but she can sure use his help to slay the monster when she finds him!

You see, the Arcs are only labeled villains because they refused to kowtow to the government way back when. Their views on life, other races, virtues, and such also puts them at odds with the narrative. The Arcs also have higher standards before they allow their kids to go on adventures, so even the weakest is very strong even to other adventurers. Slightly inspired by the Mind Reaver comic strips by Edd Lai.

So, I decided to have a look into Mind Reaver by Edd Lai, and I have to say I love the idea. A Mind Flayer that's actually a good guy and helps people who wander into his house. It's cute, especially when his niece and... servant, I think? Anyway, it's all so cute, and I highly recommend y'all check it out. Anyway, on to the story.

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WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE

JAUNE "SALEM'S PALADIN" ARC

REWARD ON APREHENSION

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Ruby looked down at the wanted poster in her hand, carefully examining the features in the mugshot. She'd heard many stories about the Arc family, though much of it was told in the darkest of night as a warning to not stray too far from home, or to not stay up too late, or to file your taxes on time. His jawline was coated in thick hair, and his blue eyes gazed death into the soul of those who view them. There were many other tales, too, like how he'd sway any woman into being his slave, take cannon fire with his bare body, and would even subject whole armies with his sorceries.

Ruby looked up from the poster to see the baby-faced man sitting across from her at the table. She'd found him, demanding to engage in honorable combat between warriors! His response was, "Can we get coffee first?" Ruby agreed and watched as he sipped from his mug after waiting for to cool.

"Ooh!" He winced. "Still kinda hot."

"Uh..."

"Oh, sorry!" He then handed her a napkin. "I think I forgot to split our share."

"No, you already did." Ruby shook her head. "Besides, there's more important stuff going on here!"

"More important how?"

"I mean like this!" She slapped the wanted poster onto the table, earning a groan from him.

"Not another one." He shook his head. "Can we finish our coffee first?"

"I... I guess?" Ruby shrugged. "But why aren't you all... Y'know, big and scary and trying to mind-break me?"

"...Because I can't?" He asked more than he said. He then took the poster in his massive, clawed hands. Each finger was about the size of a breakfast sausage. "I really wish they would get a new picture. They make me look like a monster in this."

"Aren't you?" Ruby asked.

"Half." He answered. "Well, kinda sorta. You see, my great-great-great-"

Ruby whirled her fingers in a wheel as he rounded off each great in his ancestor's name. She'd heard a lot of tales about monsters and humans and faunus getting together, except for the Grimm, who were mindless beasts of destruction. What usually came from these unions was either monster or human or faunus, but on rare occasions, half-monsters would be born. These creatures were then cast out of the village upon their discovery, usually ending with their own demise. It was sad and cruel, but terribly not uncommon.

"-great-grandma Salem, the mother of all Grimm."

"Wait, I thought Grimm couldn't reproduce."

"They can't, but she can. Or could, since she hasn't had any kids since The Great Tear." Open in dimensions from a huge magical clash, brought monsters into Remnant, new age of war, magic, and adventure for everyone. Ruby knew it well enough from the stories. "Ooh! Still hot." He chuckled, after wincing from another sip of hot coffee.

"Okay, so then why is everyone after you? Half-monsters don't usually have posters, unless they commit a crime."

"Well, I didn't."

"You didn't?"

"He did." Ruby whirled in her seat to find a young woman standing in the doorway to the coffee shop. She stepped in with guards trailing behind her, all heavily armored, while she herself wore an elegant officer's jacket. "Jaune Arc, I am placing you under arrest in the name of the Schnee Dust Queendom."

"What did I do?" Jaune asked.

"Yeah, what did he do?" Ruby asked.

Snapping her fingers, a heavy, white book was brought to her hands. Opening it, the pages fluttered until they landed on a pair of pages with Jaune's name and mugshot on them. Clearing her throat, she began.

"Corrupting the minds of the youth."

"Hey, Mr. Whitley asked me to tutor him!"

"Silence!" She barked, her face growing a bit red. "Seducing a high ranking officer of the Schnee Dust Queendom."

"Your mother was a nice woman! She kissed me first!"

"I said shut up!" Her face grew even more red. "And public indecency while resisting Queendom duties."

"You fired a cannon at me!"

"And stripped yourself bare in an attempt to intimidate us."

"MY CLOTHES WERE BURNED OFF!"

"AND I SAID SHUT UP!" Face completely red, she tossed the book behind her in a fury. "You will surrender yourself at once, Salem's Paladin!"

"Oh, come- I don't even know Salem!" He defended. "I've never even met my great-great-great-great-"

"Great." Ruby groaned. "You got him started again."

"And who are you?"

"Ruby Rose, bounty hunter." She smiled. "Who are you?"

"Queen-Heiress-Apparent Weiss Schnee," she huffed, "and I'm taking this criminal in."

"Nuh-uh."

"What do you mean, 'nuh-uh'?"

"I mean nuh-uh."

"-great-great-great-grandma Salem!"

"Did you add two greats on there?" Ruby asked.

"Enough!" Weiss snarled. "You are both being brought into custody!"

"Aw, really? But couldn't we have... coffee?" Ruby winked at Jaune.

"No, we can't." Weiss answered.

"Jaune!" Ruby whined. "You were supposed to throw coffee on her!"

"Excuse me?!" Weiss screeched.

"Yeah, excuse you?!" Jaune reeled back. "Why would I do that?!"

"Because it'd be totally cool, like in an action comic!" Ruby reasoned.

"But it would hurt her!"

"THAT'S THE POINT!"

"ENOUGH!"

The cafe rumbled as white circles covered the walls and floors. An angry Schnee huffed in and out of her nose as she pulled out her rapier. Behind her, soldiers readied their guns on the two. Ruby glanced to Jaune, who gulped at the sight. Looks like she was going to do this alone.

"Are you sure you don't want coffee? It's really good~!" Ruby sang.

"Oh, please," Weiss rolled her eyes, "do you really think you can throw coffee on me now that I'm aware that's your- ARGH! BIG NICHOLAS FUCK!" She held her face as very, very, very, very, very warm coffee splashed onto her face.

Ruby took the cue and grabbed Jaune. Together, the two weaved through gunfire as yellow and red petals fluttered to the floor. The two had successfully made their escape, and it seemed the soldiers inside were easily distracted, too, as they began barking orders at one another. One of them actually barked like a dog, too, which was weird.

"AFTER THEM!" The barking died as the Schnee roared over them all.

Weiss used a blanket of napkins to wrap around ice dust and held it to her face. One guard remained behind, holding her book. Through her anger, she gave him an order that would turn the world upside down for Ruby and Jaune.

"I want wanted posters in every kingdom," she seethed, "and I want that Demon Couple locked up YESTERDAY!"

[stalkedbytrains]

A Dark Revelation Returns

The villain's lair, even by current standards, was trash. Some stupid fortified bunker underneath an abandoned warehouse. Absolutely no class. No style.

Shit security.

She walked up to the entrance. Hands in her pockets, didn't do anything besides walk confidently towards the hidden door.

Finding the location was a bit of a trick, she had had to call in a few favors and markers that she was sure were going to cost her later.

One flunky came out with a gun. "Stop! Who's there? What are you doing here?"

She didn't stop, but she did take her hands out of her pockets to show that she was unarmed.

Funny how there have been people with superpowers for a long time now, and the motion of showing you were unarmed still carried so much weight with people. It was an ingrained motion, hidden deep in the DNA.

"Sorry. I'm looking for my husband."

"We don't have anyone here. Get lost."

Only six. Not nearly enough.

"I'm sorry! Really! I think I may have gotten lost! This whole area is quite big and you know me I have like, no sense of direction," she said. Her voice changed. Higher, a bit more shrill. Ditzy. 27 was much better. The guard is shifting his weight awkwardly. Just a few more words to sink the hook.

"You sure he's not here? Did someone else bring him in and just... didn't tell you? My friends don't tell me things, like, all the time."

53. Much better. He's listening now. He's sweating a little bit.

Her power was starting to really sink in.

"I mean... I was told he was here by people that would know. If you don't know that he's here. What else don't you know? What else are they lying to you about?"

She watched the words sink in. Another 33 words. He was enthralled by the power and the paranoia was taking hold.

"You don't think... no... they're not planning on... well, you know," she said with too many words. More words than were necessary. She could have just said that they were planning on killing him. But that was too easy, and she needed to be wordy.

The guard took a step backwards.

"I... uh... maybe."

Too late. 86 words in a row were more than enough for her power to kick in. The fear had him.

"I would leave if I were you. Run while you can. Before they find you," she said, her voice back to normal, lower, more menacing and controlled.

The guard didn't need telling twice. Not when he was fully under her control.

He dropped the gun and ran. He ran as fast as he could.

"Wow, I've never seen a man run so... stupidly. What terrible form. Jesus," she said as she watched him run with a weird fascination. "Huh."

From there she entered the secret villain base.

It was drab, boring, and so so dull. It was gunmetal gray and looking like it was taken straight from the set of a D-list action movie from 30 years ago.

She ran into a couple of mooks, random goons for this villain. But she was already on a roll with her powers. The guard outside was a nice warm up. All she had to do was offer a quick explanation, no more than 15 words or so, uninterrupted, and she had them dancing to her tune.

-[x]-

The mission had been successful. The Union required a couple of heroes to be out of commission for a few days. They had a big mission planned in the next 48 hours and there needed to be specific people in place at specific points, and can't have the over enthusiastic heroes doing their jobs in the wrong spot.

Black Charles was pleased with himself. He managed to snag the hero Gaia's Grace almost without effort. As soon as the big Supervillain Union plan happened, he was sure that he was going to get promoted up to be closer to the big leagues.

Maybe even participate in the next big Villainy.

He was ready. And he proved it.

Black Charles walked into his main office and there was someone sitting at his desk. Her feet were up on his desk and she was just idly twirling a pen in her hand.

She was totally unassuming.

"Well well well. Black Charles was it?" she said.

"Who are you? How did you get in here?" the villain demanded. His powers started to bristle against his skin.

"That's a question for later. First, I need to ask you something: do you have someone in your life that makes you want to be better? Someone that you look at with fondness and joy and decide that you will be better to be the person that they want you to be?"

Black Charles, what an awful name for a villain, faltered. He knew better than to attack someone who just seemingly appeared in his lair without so much as a shot fired or an explosion. "No. I am my own man. I strive for perfection because I am and will be the best."

The woman frowned. She was still spinning the pen in her hand, it moved quickly and precisely despite the fact that she wasn't paying it the slightest bit attention. "How sad. How lonely for you. See, I found that person. They are not the greatest hero in the world, nor the strongest. But they are the best. The brightest. They're so goddamn good that they just inspire everyone around them, even me, even me with all the crime and evil that stain my hands. They love me, and for them I would do anything. Even retire." He lets her monologue. She loved a good monologue. All villains love a good monologue. "I own a flower shop now. We have two cats: Missile Launcher and Bartholemeow."

Black Charles started to shift nervously. He still hadn't figured out who she was yet. Which meant she really needed to thank the people who set up her retirement package. But the nervousness meant her power was working.

"Now you've taken the person that is my whole reason for nothing being a terrible murderous villain anymore and I'm having some trouble reigning in my old tendencies. I mean, you know what they say about old habits. So how about we do an even trade? You give me back my spouse, and I tell you how I got in."

Black Charles was starting to get really antsy, scratching at phantom itches. "I want you out of here."

"Or what? You can't stop me. You didn't even know I was here. You don't even know who I am."

"Fine! Deal! Deal!" He pulls out a small comm unit that looked like a walkie-talkie which she found very funny but couldn't laugh about it now. If she laughed it would break the hold her power had over him. "Release the prisoner!"

"But... boss!" came the voice on the other end.

"DO IT!" Black Charles yelled.

"Good," she said. "Now, you never figured out who I am. I don't want to spoil that surprise, I'll let you figure it out on your own. But I will say that spreading fear and paranoia is my stock and trade, and people make lots of very stupid decisions when they act out of extreme paranoia. So did the guards forget to leave the doors locked? Did someone do it deliberately? Are all of your goons and mooks trying to undermine you by letting me in? Who can say? But you really shouldn't have let me talk for this long."

The longer she talked, the more words she could string together without stopping the stronger the sense of fear and paranoia she can instill in the people who hear her. And Black Charles really just let her go. The only person to ever stop her was her husband who constantly interrupted her and asked a lot of truly valid and intelligent questions.

But Black Charles was deep within the throes of her power and was probably going to terminate some of his henchmen's contracts. That wasn't her problem. She got up, strode out of the room with confidence as the paranoia burrowed deep within the substandard villain, and got her spouse out of the small prison cell.

"Hey honey, let's go home."

"We gotta feed Missile Launcher, I'm sure she's super upset with us."

She tried very hard to stifle a laugh. "Of course. But now is not the time for you to be so disarmingly charming love."

"I am what I am," he said as he leaned on her a little bit too much.

As they left the lair together, her husband turned to her. "You're distant, what are you thinking about?"

She frowned. "I think I'm going to have to do some favors."

"You're not going to..."

"No. No more costumes and fights for me. But I can't let this just go. The villains have gotten out of control. I can't believe I'm going to say this. Fucking Adrienne was right."

"How so?"

"This whole thing was set up to keep you from doing your job and protecting people. So that the villains can succeed in something in the next two days."

Her husband didn't say anything. He knew his wife better than to argue.

She pulled out a cellphone as they got to her car.

"Adrienne. It's Dark Revelation. Yeah. I'm in," she said. "Oh don't sound so smug. I'm not putting on a costume and I'm not going around causing the terror that I used to. But these idiots tried to take out my husband and I won't let that stand."

my kofi

[prismatic-starstuff]

yknow even if miquella did plan to bewitch everybody... is that even THAT bad? bewitchment just aligns you to his side its not even really mind control. like yeah it's not the best way to go about it but the other options are things like "taint every single soul in the world" "kill everyone forever" "burn the entire world to meaningless ash" "return the status quo that brought everything bad to pass to begin with" and "leave the world to its own devices with absolutely 0 outside influence". makes "make everyone nice to eachother and love me (everyone already likes him)"

so personally, i definitely do see the tampering with free will as being a bad thing because it reads a bit too much like mind control; but! i wholeheartedly agree with what you say about the other options! and this is something i've thought about a lot before so i'm gonna go off about it a little, so— long reply ahead, i'm sorry anon!

important disclaimer: this isn't 'miquella did nothing wrong,' 'age of compassion would be best for the world,' 'ranni and/or marika are evil' or any of that. this is 'miquella is not as bad as the people who say he's pure evil claim, and the age of compassion should have been an ending option.'

the long and the short of it is... miquella isn't any worse than many of the other options we're presented with, and that gets overlooked so much in conversations about him. because yeah, if we take it that his game plan is 'i command you all to love me and each other,' that isn't great because of the tampering with free will; but...

the standard elden lord ending is perpetuating the same order that caused multiple wars and mass exterminations in the lands between.

fia's ending is the same, just with the addition of better treatment for those who live in death.

dung eater's ending curses and dooms the entire land and literally everyone and everything in it.

frenzied flame is presented through the lens of destroying everything so something better can come after, but the destroying everything part still very much happens.

we aren't really given enough information to know what goldmask's ending would even realistically look like.

age of stars still has the involvement of higher beings (moons in elden ring are sentient) and ranni leaving to let people figure it out for themselves doesn't say a lot one way or the other.

like, for all that can be said about him, miquella is outright trying to do something good for the lands between as a whole. if his plan was to bewitch everyone, then the means aren't great, no... but at least the remaining higher power would unquestionably have the goal of making a gentler world at heart. and as you rightly said, people under miquella's charm aren't full on mind controlled or changed beyond recognition; it wouldn't be a world of mindless puppets.

we're given endings where there are still higher powers around (ranni) and endings where we do bad things in the name of a better end result (frenzied flame) and endings where we perpetuate the old order that did bad things (standard, fia, goldmask) or outright make a new worse order (dung eater) so... why didn't we get a miquella ending? there are literally no other endings where there isn't some kind of higher power/force still around, he was also doing bad things in the name of a better end result, and he would've at least tried to make a new and better order; so the hypothetical miquella ending would have... literally been no worse morally than the other endings.

and if it comes down to what miquella did to mohg... yes, manipulating and killing mohg for his own ends was bad. period. no arguments. but uh... our other options are ranni who killed godwyn for her own ends, marika who has a really long list of things she did, frenzied 'May Chaos Take The World' flame, and ✨️the loathsome dung eater✨️ (not counting fia and goldmask because, sadly, their endings do come under 'marika endings' since age of duskborn is very similar except for the treatment of those who live in death, and age of perfect order is still the golden order)

so— even if we got 100% confirmation that his end goal was to charm everyone, then would? miquella?? even actually be that much of an outlier???

TL;DR: miquella isn't perfect on a moral level but, to various degrees, Literally No Other Ending Option Is so where the heck is my age of compassion ending fromsoft

[ironponynerdapricot]

This is a rant I'm very sorry

Ok so I have thoughts on the Camila thing. Propably shouldn't post it but anyway.

1st and foremost that was a very bad PR move on Lewis side but on hers?

We can agree that it was done on purpose from her side? As a mercedes ambassador she could have chosen George or another mercedes driver but she went with Lewis because he is black. Her racist reputation is sticking to her like glue and she needed to, you know " see I'm not racist, look who is near me".

Also Lewis is known outside of F1 with a huge fanbase that guarantees a lot of view for the video ( look how everyone is talking about it and the first thing they did when they posted the video is tagging Lewis first) they know and they are using it to her benefit even if the music is shit people will go watch just because of Lewis.

And they posted it just before juneteenth is probably not a coincidence + Normani has a new album right? She is out of all the other member of the group just as successful as Camila maybe even more so that could play a part....

Does Lewis need to be held accountable and or at least educated? Yes he does but the standard that are placed upon him are getting higher and higher and he is human he will make mistake, say or do stupid shit ( the dresses are only for girls bit is a perfect example) but he needs to have a little room to at least step back and learn from it and be better.

And last point about Brad Pitt, he's an asshole but he is also a big actor in Hollywood. He has the money ( I saw something like a 300 millions budget for the movie) and I need to check but I think that movie was in talks for years before it got picked because no one wanted it.

Now f1 is more attractive and people want a movie about it and the script talks about a young black driver no? Who's better than the only black driver on the grid to make sure you know what you're talking about and making the movie as close to reality as possible? Also Lewis is called the face of f1 by everyone and their mothers, that's a pretty good marketing move on both side diversity and experience for one's and shining a light on F1 and Lewis struggle to fit in for the others. There's also the fact that this movie might be a way for kids especially black kids to want to try a career in motorsports, the same way Top Gun has boosted the US air force enrollment... On a side note, Lewis owns a production company right? He just started it and he can't really afford to be picky on big production film like this one. And let's be real, Hollywood is absolutely shitty and if they weren't Top Gun wouldn't have been as successful. Everyone knows Tom Cruise is a bastard but he is also a powerhouse. It's the same for Brad Pitt. It affords the movie more exposure.

And that'it. Have a nice day everyone 💜

[buddiebeginz]

you know, the way people are acting like Tommy is the second coming of gay Jesus is actually making me hate him as a character. (Which isn't fair but it's how I'm feeling.) They're acting like he's this well established character when he's had what six episodes across the run of the show. For me it just shows, despite what they've said for years, it was never about telling a good love story. It was never about getting to see a slow burn done with two queer characters where they and the relationship was treated with the same care as the hetero slow burns. It very much feels like it's exactly what M/M shippers have been accused of for years, just wanting to watch two guys kiss.

I don't personally hate Tommy but I have issues with him both from how he was in previous seasons and some stuff he's done since he's been back. The show has this problem where it thinks that if a character has been gone for a bit and they come back and everyone is cool with them then it's fine. They did it with Taylor and also kind of did it with Buck and Chim's parents to some extent. They never really hold characters accountable for their actions. Like with Taylor we should have gotten some kind of scene when she and Buck were together where she says to him or to Bobby hey I'm sorry I was so focused on getting the story that I didn't care about saving your life. But we never had that.

Similarly with Tommy I think we should have gotten a scene with him and Chim and Hen where he said look I was struggling back then I'm sorry I was a dick. And I know they basically made it seem like he made friends with them all before he left the 118 but it would just be nice if 911 would have their characters acknowledge mistreatment more.

I honestly feel like the show and fandom try and hold Buck and Eddie to higher standards than they do to everyone else. Like I can't tell you the amount of posts I saw after Chim punched Buck where people were defending Chim yet we never a scene with Chim apologizing. Also I've seen tons of posts about how wrong Buck was on the basketball court or how wrong Eddie was in the grocery store but they never go as hard at other characters when they mess up. And back to Tommy I've only seen a handful of people even call out what he did on the date. Making that joke about closets when he knew Buck was on his first date with a guy and not out and just really panicking in that moment. I just found it really crass of him on top of him just kind of ditching Buck like he should have at least made sure he got home alright.

I'm happy that we finally got Buck's bi awakening storyline and I'm okay with that being with T*mmy even if I'm not crazy about him. My biggest issue is with B/T shippers and how insufferable some of them have been. Talking about how Buddie doesn't matter and how B/T should be endgame when they've barely known one another makes me want to scream. And it's mostly coming from former Buddie shippers.

And you're right some of these people are really proving the whole fetishizing queer couples argument correct (and I'm not saying this about everyone who likes B/T) but I think for some they just like that it's two hot guys making out and it doesn't really matter who it is. Which I hate to even say that because any time I've liked any queer couple I've had people say that stuff to me when it's always been because I've been invested in the storyline. But there isn't even any storyline yet to be invested in with B/T they kissed once and went on 1 1/2 dates and some people are talking about them getting married at some point >_<

Sorry for the long rant anon. Thanks for the message btw. ❤️Message anytime.

[autiponi]

CHAPTER 4

-Dad. I have not been a child for a long time, I think I can dress myself for a flameday party.

-Maybe. But for me you will always be maybe twenty years old, time flies too fast.

-I can just see it, don't petrify me here old man.

Agreas excitedly talked to his daughter Aj while mending her clothes once again for her hundredth flameday. By demon standards, she was already a young adult, but Agreas still liked to treat her like a just teenage child who needed to be watched over for important events.

-And how are the party preparations going? Today in the morning you were running around like crazy.

Aj looked at herself with undisguised pride in the mirror. She loved elegant outfits and wanted to wear such at every party or even without such an occasion every time. Her favorite part of the outfit, was always a small cape with various motley ornaments which, according to her, not only always looked good on her, but at the same time she could finally feel like an actual daughter of the demon king.

-Everything will be ready soon. Unfortunately, this time I invited a little less guests than usual, I do not want the same thing to happen as in the previous party... complete chaos.

-Ah, oh no! So this time instead of inviting the whole city and still all the nobles, you only invited three quarters of the city and half the nobles. I saw this huge list on your desk.... It was maybe just a little smaller than before. How will I manage with such a handful of guests?

A feisty and sympathetic smile was gently painted on her face. She loved her father, however, at the same time she was aware of his perfectionism, which she often laughed at to bring him down to earth.

-Ah... sorry my princess for so little, I should remember that such a number of guests is an insult, next time I will still call up demons from the other side of the world, I think this will be enough already?

-Of course! Sounds great! Even with such a number I am satisfied, maybe I even prefer it that way.

-This is what I thought.

-Surprisingly only few guests from the south.... They are very nice!

-I don't know if you want you to hang out with those....

-Don't exaggerate, they have such a nice dark complexion! Have you seen a demon in our house with such! They are wonderful!

-And probably at the same time they are full of germs....

-Dad, you continue to exaggerate.

-Maybe, I still prefer you to be careful.

-Whatever you want, fossil.

Further banter between them was interrupted by one demon from the servants who entered the chamber after knocking. He was carrying a letter, which he immediately handed to Agreas and then stood proudly waiting for further orders.

-From the far North a letter?

-Yes sir! They ordered to warn you to meet with.... "Him." Rumors are beginning to spread that "he" is somewhere in their lands and you need to be as careful as possible because of this! As a higher help, I also recommend not to ignore it.

-But it is, after all, very far away... and even if he were to get through here, we have such a guard that he would not survive even a minute crossing the city limits! I recommend searching, but the plans do not change.

-I understand my lord. I know it's not my head to question orders, but I don't feel it's a good idea not to change plans with such information.

-This is the most important party of the whole year! I can't just cancel it when everyone is about to arrive. Go to the guards and give them orders to guard the gates.

-Understood. I wish the king a good time as well as you, Miss Aj.

The servant soldierly stepped out of the room and closed the door behind him. Aj, on the other hand, became intensely interested in the person they were talking about and at the same time was surprised that she knew nothing about such a person, she thought her father had no secrets from her.

-Dad. Who is this... "he" you were talking about?

-Ah... no one important dear, it's just that he is not welcome here....

-That doesn't really sound like an answer to my question....

-You'll find out soon enough, I'm not going to bother you with it on a day like this... it's a matter of what doesn't concern you for now, and let's stick to that.

Agreas' answer had a completely different effect than intended, but AJ did not move further on the subject because she knew that her father was quite stubborn and would probably continue to stand by his own and not answer her questions about the stranger, despite her pleas.

The father and his daughter set off after getting ready to enter the great throne room where the party was to begin. Sheaves of white light from the ceiling added to the eerie atmosphere and at the same time there was a perfect view through them of the thrones for three people, for Agreas, her daughter Aj and once also for his royal wife Lilith who tragically died by ambush during the eternal war between bloodthirsty angels. Agreas never allowed her throne to be hidden, it was too important a memento of her for him. Beautifully decorated tables were already prepared all around, and servants were bringing out more and more beautiful and wonderful-smelling dishes from the kitchen for the guests. Agreas, however, instead of looking at the preparations closely watched his daughter who leaned her arm against the banister, she was happy and that was the most important thing for him at the moment.

-...I am surprised every time, how beautiful it is here at this time.... these flowers, tables.... it's a pity it can't be like this more often.

She looked at her father with a gentle smile. She was well aware that her father was watching her closely, but Agreas strenuously tried to pretend that this was not the case by looking off into the distance at some unknown point.

-Well, if it was like that more often you would quickly get used to it. And so I can see the same beautiful smile every year.

-You are exaggerating old man. my smile is the same as everyone else's.

-But it's my daughter's smile.... this one is special.

Aj lightly put her head on her father's shoulder.

-...Thank you. It's nice to see you happy too.

He stroked her gently on the head. At this, dishes of a higher caliber than the previous ones slowly began to enter the room. These included trays of sweet snacks as well as cakes carried by several demons. One of the demons, clearly frustrated by the work of the others, began to conduct the rest of the service to make sure nothing fell on the floor. Seeing this scene and what they were carrying Agreas looked at his daughter again this time with a face full of seriousness.

-...Just don't eat all the cream cakes again please. Others would also like to try them at least once.

The daughter's face automatically went from a smile to one full of regret.

-...I won't promise something I'm not capable of doing.

-Creator give me the strength....

-This is your fault! If they were more often I wouldn't eat so many of them!

-But these are a whole three big trays.

-Yes, So what?

-...

The first nice guests invited by the servants slowly began to enter the hall. Dignified and beautifully dressed, they also wore all sorts of masks as part of the fact that Agreas had asked them to do so before the party as a surprise. Some had beautiful floral or sun and moon symbolic designs, while most had beautiful all kinds of colors. However, among the crowd of demons as well as individuals from other worlds, AJ noticed the already familiar silhouettes she least wanted to see at the moment. -...There they are again, that multiversal abomination, also known as Magids.... These ones you might not have invited.  Every year I ask you to do so.

-Don't exaggerate, they are not so .... bad.

-They literally wished you a quick death to be able to fight for the throne.... did they really have to come here?

-...Just don't pay attention to them, they are part of the family then I have to invite them.... our honor depends on it darling. There are enough guests that you won't even have to talk to them or even look at them.

-...You know very well that Mercury is unlikely to miss this opportunity...a nightmarish asshole and even worse, a poser.

-I won't miss the opportunity to threaten him either if he gets even a millimeter too close to you.

These words lifted Aj's spirits a bit, though she still felt that hosting Magidans for such a party was not too good an idea on her father's part. He, however, was just too honorable not to do it, which she understood, but still hated.

Soft, live and energetically played pleasant music surrounded the entire room as well as the guests. Each of them was very different and strongly deviated from the norm, they were foreign and at the same time similar because they were from different worlds. Aj although she was already accustomed to guests from other worlds, she still felt a slight uneasiness as she walked past each of them.

-...It's been a while...why can't I get used to it? I feel somehow strange.... But it will be fine.... Dad wouldn't invite some psychopaths here.... right? True... certainly true, Aj calm down, they are just like you.... only... different... ugh. What is happening to me!

She spoke to herself in spirit and tried to calm her overloaded mind. To relax a bit, she stood at the food table and slowly ate the cream cakes one by one while sincerely hoping that these would somewhat calm her hypersensitive alertness today. She just felt that something was wrong, and at the same time she wasn't reassured by her father's conversation with the servant when they talked about "That Someone" and further wanted to know who it was they were talking about. Seeing a very disheveled and unsure princess, a demon with a beautiful snake on his shoulder with golden eyes approached her.

-Good evening Princess Aj-.

-I DON'T EAT ALL THE CAK!.... Oh... good evening, sorry. I mistook you for my father....

-Nothing happened! I just wanted to ask if you were okay, you look shaken. The boy took off his mask what he had on his face. He had a snake-like tongue drawn on it, as well as eyes reminiscent of the snake he was holding on his shoulder. his face also strangely had something of the reptile on it, mainly through his eyes, although in the end his facial features were very boyish and not threatening.

-Yes. yes. everything is fine.... I'm just surprised how many visitors there are here.... in the sense, it's not bad that there are so many... but at the same time it slightly intimidates me.... you know what I mean, right?

-Yes, yes! I understand... Or rather, I understand that it's just hard for you. But it's nothing wrong! It happens to everyone.

He was clearly confused and didn't know what to fully say. Only after a moment of silence did he try to restart the conversation while smiling warmly.

-I forgot to introduce myself to you, I am Serpient! I deal with snakes on a daily basis and your father is very fascinated by it, which is why he invited me here. I also wanted to meet you personally! He decided when I talked to him that you will definitely love snakes too! To this I brought with me my favorite... His name is Apophis and he loves new company!

A gentle blush appeared in the boy. However, Aj didn't even notice it, because she didn't look at him too frightened and embarrassed come on she listened carefully to what he was saying.

-I understand... what kind of snakes do you mainly deal with besides him?

-King pythons! They are so beautiful often.... that's what my friend is too, would you like to hold him perhaps?

-Sure... I MEAN-

Before Aj could voice any objection, the huge and powerful snake was already hanging on her shoulder and slowly climbing up until its head was close to Aj's terrified face. She was already expecting the worst, that it would strangle it, maybe bite it, maybe it really is a mimic that can change shape, but in the end nothing of the sort happened, the snake just licked her on the small, sharp nose and rested its head against her shoulder. -And he's already taken a liking to you! Ha!!! Actually with the fact that he likes to meet new people I lied a little, So you must be seriously special that he treated you like this! FASCINATING!

-That's for sure.... f- what a cool guy he is... but can you please take it off my hand already very please. please please please please.

...

Agreas noticed Aj and Serpient talking among themselves. He was pleased that his daughter was finally able to find someone to talk to after being cooped up for so long. He was so focused on this that he didn't even notice when a young woman approached him with a tiny notepad in her hand. -Are you Agreas, the king of all demons?

It was only when the girl spoke to him that he got down on the ground and looked somewhat puzzled at her. she was wearing a beautiful red and white mask with tiny pointed eye holes through which the coal-black empty pupils could be seen. He felt a mild discomfort with her, a strange feeling he had experienced much earlier in another situation. However, he didn't let it show in order not to come off as rude.

-Ah, yes it's me... I'm sorry I was thinking, do you expect something specific? Something to help you with?

-Not really... I just wanted to get to know you a little better. And I won't say... I feel lost among so many visitors.... I'm not used to large crowds.

The woman took off her mask and smiled friendly at him, to which Agreas himself also responded with a smile and handed over a glass.

-I think I can help you relax a bit before I have to go give a speech, do you like whiskey perhaps?

-Even very much, thank you. I didn't think demons could read minds.

-Ah, no. I was just guessing.

Agreas poured the woman's liquor into a small elegant glass. While doing so, she stared at him apparently thinking hard about something.

-This is the first time I've seen a party at a demon's house... it's often described differently in books what I know, it's apparently quieter here... without many.... strange things.

-I've never seen too many human books, but if they describe it as a fire dance and general agony, then no.... have not been like that for a long time. Rather, one doesn't see such in modern demon parties anymore.

-What do you mean by "Modern demons"?

-The mentality of humans as well as demons is changing rapidly. This place used to be not so friendly to outsiders. There were many wars, assassinations, deaths of innocents.... I am not personally proud of them, but the past, unfortunately, I will not change. Some deaths had to happen, such life.

-I understand. What must have happened that so much has changed?

-...It's quite, difficult matter...back in the days when my little Aj was just an innocent flame....

-You don't have to say how difficult it is for you.... sorry.

The woman averted her eyes slightly and looked at the notebook. A slight embarrassment was visible on her face.

-Nothing happened. I have long since come to terms with it is what I can say. It is no secret. Her mother, and my wife was brutally murdered by angels.... torn apart, stripped of any dignity... angels are horrible creatures wanting only power, death and the attentions of the higher powers.... I did not want my people, to have to be the same as them after the war, I decided that my once love of war and death I would stifle.... and live in peace with the rest of the world. I do not regret this decision, although sometimes it is difficult.

He once again looked back at Aj, the woman also looked at them and on her face was painted a picture of deep compassion as well as understanding.

-...She must have a really good life with you right?

-I hope so.... I wouldn't forgive myself if she didn't....

-I understand... It's, quite charming.

The woman finished her drink and put the glass back on the table while putting her mask back on and writing something down in her notebook.

-Sorry again for such an intrusion, but I really wanted to meet the king of such powerful beings as demons. And who knows, maybe I will make a decent research paper on your topic too, which is not outdated by the way.

-This is good to hear, I am honored. A little curiosity is always useful because it makes history! And I am glad how I could somehow help.... Unfortunately, now I must excuse myself for a moment, I want to give a speech for my daughter.

-All right, I hope there will be another opportunity to talk later?

-Of course, I am looking forward to one.

The woman waved to the demon king and moved quietly into the crowd. Agreas, on the other hand, went to his throne to make a very important speech for the kingdom, as well as for his daughter. Aj was already waiting for him and kept looking at her hand watching it closely.

-I'm usually the one who has to wait for you.... something happened?

-No... all is well, I just can't wait for you to finish chattering.

Agreas stroked his daughter's tender head with a warm smile.

-All right then, today will not be such a long speech.... I saw by the way that you finally met the snake boy.... he seems very nice!

-Yes, yes... he is, very nice. A snake too, or something.

-I don't hear much confidence in your voice-.

-Long story, I'll tell you when you're done talking.

-These flames today....

Agreas informed the servants with a movement of his hand what was about to happen. All the lights turned toward the throne and the guests, intrigued by this, immediately looked at the king and his daughter standing proudly on the pedestal.

-This day is not just important for me, but for all of you! My daughter, and our Princess Aj, has just reached one hundred years of age and thus has reached adulthood! I will kindly ask you to applaud her!

-Dad. no need... really. Aj barely mouthed anything out of a rather strong, all too strong stage fright. However, the crowd without noticing it began to clap politely. Agreas continued after the applause had already ended.

-Today's date will go down in history, but only for this reason! As my daughter is already an adult, I want to give her a gift.... Which will not only be for her, but also for all the people!

-What are you ... dad...?

-Four thousand years ago I sat on this throne.... However, I could not always consider myself a good ruler during this period.... I turned out to be a tyrant.... I led armies into wars that could not always lead to success. However, I learned my lesson.... and I proved to all of you that anyone can change! I've worked my whole life for it... and I also won't be younger anymore. I am a tired older demon who only holds the scepter in his hand.... THAT IS WHY, I HAVE MADE THE MOST IMPORTANT DECISION FOR ME, AS WELL AS FOR YOU.... AND I HAVE DECIDED, I NEED A REPLACEMENT! Aj began to look around the room in disbelief, the whole crowd began to cheer, but after a while it quieted down again to hear the end of the speech.

-AJ, MY Daughter, THE YOUNGEST AND ALSO THE ONLY OF MY FAMILY....

Aj was too confused and excited to look at her father. That's why then, she noticed a strange light what was flying from the crowd towards her father with great speed.

-SHE WILL BECOME OFFICIAL TODAY....

-D-Dad...?

-MY DEPUTY TO THE THRONE. YOUR QUEEN FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE! FOR LIGHT AS WELL AS DARKNESS!

-D-Dad something is flying in your direction!

-CALL FOR A THUNDEROUS APPLAUSE!

The light suddenly hit with remarkable precision between Agreas' legs, a portal opened under him through which he began to fall.

-D-DAD!

The whole hall began to clap and cheer, and only a terrified, and confused AJ was left at the throne.

-... She looked nervously into the crowd, she didn't know if it was intentional or not. She felt immense pride and at the same time fear piercing her, and did not know completely what to do.

The portal as quickly as it appeared, also just as quickly disappeared without a trace.

She began to look desperately around the room, while trying to mimic that she was happy.

She had only one thought in her head "After all, her father would have told her as if he wanted to perform such a show.... right?"

All the servants, however, what was around unlike her were in no way as concerned as she was, maybe it was actually intended and her father just forgot to tell her....

...

Agreas fell through the portal without quite knowing how it happened. The first thing he noticed as he fell was the darkness, a piercing shadow all around him that stung him from the very beginning and went all the way into his bones. Once he fell after just a few minutes it could only get worse, he felt a massive pain from the fall and could not move any of his limbs. he felt like a helpless animal just shot off for fun by poachers. all he could do now was beg for help

-H-Help...! Where am I...! Hello!

He tried several times to get up, but he just couldn't. his body, maimed and broken despite its usually ability to regenerate fairly quickly, refused such help. The awful big shadows, slowly circling his body and poking at his limbs to make him feel the pain and agony even more. In between the darkness, however, he suddenly noticed someone, and wanted to call out to him to give him help, but then he noticed one detail in his appearance that frightened him.... It was a large hat from under which he could see an electronic eye glowing an aggressive red.

-Hello my not very dear Agreas, I haven't seen you for a long time.... You look a little broken since my last visit! I would like to acknowledge that I am sorry, but lying is rude.... It hurts badly, by the way?

-...Where are we? WHAT DO YOU WANT AGAIN CANAL!

Agreas tried to shout, however, the pain strongly prevented him from doing so. Unlike Mike who stood impassively over him trimly.

-This, my dear is the abyss. It is such a void between worlds for a while until the "Creators" develop it.... However, this one, is not accidental, Because once here stood the capital of angels... angels who fought so long with demons that their fate had to end so tragically.... Do you remember that, or has your memory not been the same for these few hundred years? -...You were not there.... YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON THEN!

-But I absolutely know... Because you are a child of Apollyon.

Just as the angel king Cedric was then too, your mutual hatred and pride led to the destruction of this entire world!

You could not finish fighting! ONE HAD TO FINISH THE OTHER! And with all this, you did not just destroy this world!

You can also be proud of yourselves by the way, you were probably the first creatures what passed through the dimensions....Isn't that an honor?

-It was not my fault.... what is your problem with this! For such a thing you decided to attack me? and the rest of my family!?

Agreas' heart was beating very fast and aggression and envy possessed his head more and more, he was slowly losing his mind being around Mike. Mike himself took advantage of this and continued.

-You are part of the being that created the worst things of this multiverse... you are what is going to bring it all down... you are a disease, a cancer of this world what only a few know. You are worthless trash to be thrown away. NOT A SINGLE SCUM CAN SURVIVE, WHAT HOLDS THIS SOUL IN ITS CHEST!

Mike unexpectedly thrust a strange crystal into the demon's chest, followed by another, and another, and another....  Agreas felt pain again all over his body and tingling, he screamed and tried to get away from the ground or at least from Mike writhing as much as he could. However, the shadows were already wrapped around his arms and were penetrating even more with every movement. He couldn't even defend himself. -I read a lot before I decided to meet you again you know? instead of leaving your worthless carcass and existence alone....

I can store your soul in these crystals, making you never know peace, a wonderful technique.... Isn't it?

Mike, however, did not wait for an answer, and instead slashed Agreas' throat aggressively. He pierced his larynx as well as his vocal cords so that the man could no longer say anything or even scream. Once Agreas stopped wiggling and fell dead to the black earth, the crystals came out of his body and merged into one larger one, Mike looked at it and his heart started beating faster.... however, he ignored it and put the crystal in his bag while continuing to look down.

-...And as for your daughter, don't worry about her, she will find out about your death later tonight...and her death will be much more interesting than you can even imagine.

Aj stood as if she were standing at a standstill, while looking at the guests she did not know completely what to do in this situation.

"Maybe this is Dad's rehearsal of how I will handle a difficult situation?" she thought, and after this thought she abruptly stood as if at attention while trying to pretend to be confident. The crowd looked at her with curiosity, and the Madig family in the background smiled wryly at the new ruler of the demon kingdom.

-...I thank my father for such an impressive... gift. I am extremely grateful to him!Therefore, let's have fun until the morning! As long as the sun beckons in this beautiful hall! I guess.. Yea!

The guests once again clapped loudly for Aj. The joyful music, performed live by the servants even encouraged them to dance until they lost their strength.

Aj, however, stood only by the throne, anxious she could not, for a moment, shake off the thought that something had gone wrong at her coronation, she could just feel it. A shocked Sophia, her maid, came to her. She had an equally distressed look on her face as she watched the unhappy ruler.

-I saw what happened in advance. Was it planned Miss Aj?

-You don't know anything either? anyone knows?

-On the contrary. the rest of the staff is also terrified but we were told not to sow premature panic.

Fear and disbelief were painted on Aj's face after these words.

She took Sophie quickly by the hand and they ran out of the room.

-GUARDS: YOU HAVE TO SEARCH ALL CHAMBERS AND ROOMS! NO ONE IS ALLOWED TO LEAVE THE MAIN HALL UNTIL MY FATHER IS FOUND! THIS IS NOT EXERCISE! HIS EXIT WAS NOT PLANNED!

She screamed while running down the hall. The maids, squires, cooks as well as the rest of the staff, equally terrified, started searching all the rooms they happened to have on hand.

-Dad must be here somewhere.... he couldn't just disappear like that!

-Some up the hall as we watched said it was an inter-dimensional portal.... so one cannot be sure-

-I SAW WHAT HE HAD UNDERFOOT! HE MUST BE HERE! AND IF HE'S NOT, I'LL FIND HIM PERSONALLY ANYWAY AND NO ONE WILL LEAVE HERE UNTIL HE'S FOUND!

Suddenly, one of the maids opening the door to one of the bedrooms fell down with a scream, AJ automatically came over to see what happened.

...

Blackjack left the party immediately after completing the task.

The execution from her part of the plan was precise and flawless. No one noticed her and at the same time she didn't perform too much chaos which was a good sign. She waited for Mike in front of the castle gates and during that time decided to talk to Jeremy on the phone. ~Hey are you feeling well after leaving the hospital yet?

Are you sure it was a good idea for you to leave early?

~Yes, it is definitely better, although sometimes I can still feel the stitches on my abdomen a bit....

~This is what happens when you leave the hospital earlier than planned by the doctors.... you should really lie down a little longer.

~I have bed in my home jer. And in the end nothing really hurts anymore, trust me it is fine.

~All right... On another note, what are you doing now? I seem to hear music from far away.

~I am waiting for my employer after doing my part of the job.... It wasn't hard, although a bit stressful.

~At this hour? Strange this job....

~Just like any other. You yourself often pull nights in the hospital and are probably even in it now. And instead of being at the patients you talk to me.

~It's not the same. you know it yourself.

~I know, I'm just teasing.

~Mmmhm, and just out of curiosity. what did you have to do in this job?

~I don't know if I can tell you too much. It's quite... it was a strange task.

~Amelia. Don't get into some trouble again, isn't it enough for you that I've had to get stitched up a few times already?

~I'm not! Just... it's complicated, I'll tell you one day.

~You don't sound very convincing.

~You wouldn't believe me?

~Never in my life~.

~Dup.

~Liar.

~A loser from school. They laughed softly at each other over the earpiece.

It had been a long time since there had been a situation for them when they could simply laugh at each other while continuing to adore each other. Blackjack, however, suddenly heard footsteps, so she said a quick goodbye to Jeremy and looked at a slightly out of breath Mike.

-Isn't this the age to run anymore?

-We'd better get out of here quickly.... Before someone realizes.

-..What have you done-.

A demonic scream full of rage and despair was suddenly heard from the castle. Mike grabbed Blackjack by the arm and looked her straight in the eyes.

-Open the portal before someone sees us.

-Ey, I'm asking you something! WHAT DID YOU DO THERE!

-NOT NOW, OPEN THE PORTAL, IMMEDIATELY! She created a portal and they quickly ran through it.

Blackjack almost fell to her knees once they were already in London. She looked questioningly at Mike while he had his head lowered and was panting.

-As I tell you . open the portal. then you are to open it, clear?

-...What the hell did you do that someone shouted so much! And not to me in such a tone!

-I left Agreas body on the bed, satisfied? I promised him that the demons would find out about his death the same night.

-You. WHAT DID YOU DO!? IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE BLOODY DISCREET! BESIDES, WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM THAT THEY SCREAMED!!!?

-They would have found out sooner or later anyway.... I pierced his throat... and I took his soul into the crystal, he will never cause trouble again and his soul will not return to Apollyon. Unless something happened that I would not want to happen....

Blackjack looked at him with a blank stare and took a few steps back. Mike, seeing this, calmed down slightly and moved closer to her while toning his voice.

-Come on. You knew yourself that he was going to die... and as they have his body, they can at least give him a nice poke-.

Mike received a blow from Blackjack right in the face.

The one by the impact of the blow took a few steps back and his hat fell on the wet sidewalk.

-...You are insolent. He has a daughter, you know that right? WHY DID YOU HAVE TO TREAT THIRD PARTIES LIKE THIS IN THIS SITUATION! ARE YOU AWARE OF WHAT COULD HAPPEN TO HER NOW!? ESPECIALLY WHEN WE DON'T EVEN KNOW IF SHE HERSELF IS APOLLYON'S CHILD?!

-...I only do what is necessary. And his daughter probably will not feel it anyway.... She probably has a throne now because of that too....  she only wants power. She's a demon, that's what matters to her, you should know that by reading your pseudo-scientific books.

-...You once had a friend who died, and at the same time had a daughter.... and you seriously still do not understand what I mean?

Blackjack moved down the street without a word.

Mike did not stop her, he understood perfectly what she felt at that moment. He felt guilty, but at the same time he knew that this had to happen. Therefore, only one word could come out of his mouth.

-...I'm sorry.

...

A few minutes passed, for Aj, however, it felt like hours.

The medical servants took Agreas' body gently and went with him quickly through the long corridors of the castle. Aj followed them, weeping as she looked at her dead and blood stained father whose eyes were further open, only emptiness as well as sadness could be seen in them.

-Did anyone know about this beforehand? How could this have happened!?!? Who is responsible for opening the portal in the great hall, IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING YOU HAVE TO ANSWER!

-Quenn AJ, no one knows anything so far, you must wait for the right person what will take care of this matter-.

-BUT I CAN'T WAIT, I NEED ANSWERS NOW! Now...

Sophie gently stopped AJ holding her by the shoulder. The queen could not stand the emotion and began to cry harder while hugging the maid. Sophie tried to calm her down and comfort her, while stroking her like in the days when Aj was just a baby. -My Queen...

Aj. You won't be able to do anything by going after them, now you have to deal with making sure the rest of the demons find out what happened.

-...And what am I supposed to tell them! I just became a ruler.... Sophia, I'm scared...I don't want to go there! I can't go there...

-You are the queen, you have to do it. And after that we will also be able to find out what happened.... Go there please.

She grabbed Aj's hand and walked with her inexorably towards the great hall.

-...No...I can't! you hear me!?

-You have nothing to fear, you are the queen here now! Get up and tell them!...do it for the people! Do it for us...

-... Aj hugged Sophia tightly before entering the room.

She felt her fear, her shaking body and a string of tears of despair after such a sudden loss. Besides, she couldn't blame her, she understood perfectly well what it was like to lose such a close person. However, Aj was now the queen, she had to reap no matter what the situation was, keep her cool and at the same time support the people so that they began to support her as well. The music had long since stopped playing through the confusion.

The puzzled guests, already without masks, looked around perplexed and tried to understand what was actually happening now. Aj stood at the balcony, heartbroken in spirit yet trying to be a good ruler on the outside. She looked at everyone and, after taking a few deep breaths, began a big speech.

-...Your king, my father.... He has just been found.... dead, in his own bedroom. The portal you may have seen during my crowning ceremony was not planned...someone must have kidnapped and killed him then.

Faces full of fear appeared in each of the guests. At the same time, the Magid's eyes were as they always were, cold and without any sympathy. They didn't really pay any attention to Aj's words and only continued to drink the beverage what happened to be on the table. Aj, however, ignored them, took a posture of attention, felt a sudden surge of determination and wanted one to come to the people as well.

-In his last words, he entrusted me with his throne.... I am extremely grateful to him for that and I would like to thank him for that.... and I will thank him, only in a different way than with empty words. I APPEAL THIS TO YOU, MY FAITHFUL DEMONS, HELP ME FIND THE CREATURE WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS GREAT LOSS. LET HIM BEAR THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR DEEDS THAT CAN NEVER BE FORGIVEN! LET JUSTICE BE DONE! LET IT RULE OUR WORLD! LET MINE, AS WELL AS YOUR FAMILIES.... BE TOGETHER SO THAT NO MORE SUCH TRAGEDIES CAN OCCUR! MAY ALL DEMONS LIVE!

She suddenly heard applause, shouts full of determination and willingness to fight. They made her feel, for that moment, pride and readiness for what was to happen in the next few days. Suddenly, however, she noticed the Magids again, and they came to her on the balcony. Uranus, Mercury's mother looked at Aj with clear contempt which she clumsily tried to hide under an empty smile. -Are you sure... that you are up to it?

-What do you mean.

-I mean... that you are still young, and for that you are a descendant of Agreas.... I don't trust you to be competent enough to rule now if I'm honest. However, I can help you as you wish.... My son would also be able to sit on the throne, it's always extra help in the end and at the same time he is more competent to do so.

-No thanks. I think my father knew perfectly well what to do by giving me the crown.... Especially when Mercury is as old as I am and he wasn't even considered for the deputy throne. She looked from the corner of her eye at Mercury with a biting smile. A great frustration began to be clearly painted on his face, visible through his red blush. His dream had always been to have royal power and prestige, but Agreas had instead always dismissed him at every possible opportunity. Uran gently stroked her son's face and looked coolly at Aj. -As you wish. However, young lady, keep in mind that we will be watching your hands. We will not tolerate you as we did your father before, you were worth each other anyway.... weak on the throne as much as family. scandal....

-So sorry Mrs. Uran... and now excuse me, there are more important things on your mind than unfulfilled ambition.

Aj left the room to get away from the Magidans as soon as possible and, above all, from Mercury, whom she felt like killing on the spot. Sophia was already waiting for her at the door and as soon as the ruler appeared she hugged her. -You did phenomenally well! You will be a great ruler Aj... I feel it with all my heart. The maid gently began to stroke Aj, the latter no longer shook as much as before and stood upright while also hugging the maid tightly.

-...Thank you for thinking so.... Please bring out all the guests in a moment and clean the hall.... From tomorrow everyone is to be ready to seek information about what happened.

-understood... it's late Queen Aj, can you manage to sleep? How about accompanying you to your room?

-No, I can manage... I need to be alone for a while to think it all over.... Thank you for being Sophia.

-You're welcome... good night queen Aj.

...

Blackjack was walking home down a dark street. Gently crying, she thought about what had happened during the party. She felt guilty and at the same time had in her mind that maybe it was right after all, the confusion in her mind intensified more and more. However, there was also another feeling, the worst you can feel when you are alone in the middle of the night... it was the feeling of being watched.

It was quite Hard to write this…. but here it is at last! Thank you as always for reading! And I have nothing from the announcements in total, so have a nice day, and that's it! :>

[vongosh]

"anything else you wanna take?" she gibes, yanking her purse out of reach the minute it's down. the bare necessities had been transferred from her usual bag, thank god—a small personal win after the ammunition she'd been spoon feeding him all night. she can't imagine the field day he'd have stumbling onto her travel toothbrush and spare panties. the thought alone is terrifying enough to deflect the attention back to him. "s'that winter mint pairing nicely with your, um, gasoline?" but at least he has a drink. her hands feel more tethered when they're free than when she has something to hold onto. no distractions and they become too big, too empty, weighed down by fantasies of what they'd rather be doing than tapping awkwardly against a paper coaster. she toys with the idea of touching him, guessing the placement of his left nipple through his shirt and going for a flick where she knows he's pierced or maybe raking a nail softly over the fine layer of stubble dusting his jaw. then tucks her hands between her legs, resolving to put off her next drink until he's caught up. maybe she can make a case for shots if they're near-death anyway. "i was talking about the drink. why?" she asks dumbly, her lips flirting with a smirk. "afraid next time we'll slip in the shower? or were you picture something a little more catastrophic?" a slow-mo shot of them going up in flames and taking everybody else out with them.

"a far higher standard?" she echoes, stifling her delight. oh, to dig her nails into whatever locker room talk he may have heard, never mind that he's very obviously appealing to her ego. never mind that being good with her tongue isn't necessarily some glowing accolade unless the rumor came from a woman. "what's the word on the street, then? because 'best blow job i've ever had' really just means 'better than the last girl,' so i don't want you to get your hopes too high." without missing a beat her bottom lip disappears between her teeth, a cursory glance to either side then pins him with a smirk as she slowly lowers herself down. lower. at zipper level she pauses, knees straining in her effort to milk the moment of admiring the view merely a breath away before sinking the rest of the way into a crouch. "god, these straps are killing me." her weight shifts forward and her knees touch down where she makes a show of unbuckling the clasp of one heel and refastening it a notch looser. "god, that's so much better." and still kneeling, she peeks up at him. there's something frustrating about sex as the only tool in her arsenal where he has a fully funded army, but she's not above taking wins where she can. it'd work better though if the darkening of her eyes was all part of the performance and not her just falling similarly victim to her own game. she has to laugh a little, her hands sliding up his thighs, tilting back to her heels then using her grip on him to hoist herself up, fixing her hair as if by habit. "sorry, what were talking about? my reputation, was it? great licker? or... no, i think it was the whole ep you'd write. about me." she tacks on, in case he'd forgotten his implication. "and i have streamed shower, by the way." there's an earnestness that wrings some teasing out of her smile, even if she's tempted to ask how that went over with the ex. "first time anyone's written a song. about me. guess i'm kind of like your muse."

leave it to jenny to grant max precisely the reaction he's fishing for. they're both unabashed and undeterred by the tight public quarters, her squabbling for control and max digging for some loose pride rolling around the bottom of her purse. he's got his hand firmly around her phone within the confines of the bag, a rabbit in the tophat, but he doesn't reveal his trick, too amused by her desperate wrestling to end the bit now. laughing, he holds it out, away, keeping her angled just behind his shoulder. the free hand that's been batting away her wormy fingers becomes suddenly more determined when her teeth sink into the cotton of his shirt. "ow -- dickhead," max grunts, his mouth still pulled up at the edges in a childish smirk. "uh-huh," he doubts, satisfied enough to ignore her phone and instead digs around to see what else she's carrying. "just make sure to tag me when you post your spotify wrapped." despite the grin, he's mostly serious. any promo's good promo.

"don't be such a girl," he goads, eyes crinkling as he laughs. there's a long pull from her vape - duly swallowing his earlier elfbar slander - and then he's rummaging through her shit again. the drink and purse is delegated to the bar in favor of unwrapping a piece of gum stolen from her pack. "you talking about the drink or us?" it's a joke sanctioned by bourbon, skirting a bit too close to the honest side of the thin line they've been playing on. near death experience. dramatic, certainly, and therein appropriate. his head tips back in a laugh, hand groping blindly for his drink. "examine that shit for me, cohen -- admitted, did i not? if i confess that i'm a liar to you, doesn't that count as some kinda qualified immunity?" for all their hot collars and bad blood, he'd always maintained a level of honesty with her. too honest in some instances, one might argue. tongue clicks against his tongue as he faces her more directly now, awarding her all his attention. "no, because your reputation holds you at a far higher standard," deadpanned and nodding, his face steeled into a too-serious expression. then the grin breaks out. "maybe if i knew anything about your licks, i'd have a whole ep now."

[sl-newsie]

Cool Your Jets- Ch. 3: Let’s Dance (Riff x newcomer)

I finish cleaning up my sad attempts to make dinner and then go to freshen up when I hear a knock on the door.

“Riff, if that’s you I’m gonna rip your arms off-!” I hiss as I yank the door open, only to find a dark blue swing dress with a note attached to it.

Marilyn,

Anita made this for you! She wants you to show those Jets who’s boss! See you at the dance!

Maria :)

A smile grows on my face as I take the gorgeous blue dress inside. There’s a dotted pattern on the skirt and low-cut bodice, and like my other new dress it’s very flowy. I don’t know how I’m gonna be able to repay Anita for this! I slip it on with a tulle petticoat and twirl in front-a the tiny bathroom mirror. After some makeup and a halfway-decent hairstyling I think I’m ready, and I almost feel too dressed up. Back in the country, simply wear’n a dress with no mud spots on it was fancy enough, but I know city folks got higher standards.

As I head out I remember that I’ve got no clue where this place is, so I decide to go with my intuition and follow a group-a dressed up Puerto Ricans to a school. I wish I could go to school, but since I gotta pay rent there’s no use try’n to squeeze in time.

Inside I can already hear blare’n swing music and the sound-a lots-a people talk’n and laugh’n. I stick to the wall and scope the gym out, noticing that the Sharks and Jets have divided the room.

“Marilyn!”Maria rushes up, dressed in white, and engulfs me in a hug. “You came! And you look wonderful!”

“Of course she does!” Anita walks up, she herself wear’n a black and red dress.

“I must admit, amor- this it definitely the best dress you’ve made.” Bernardo smirks. “Sorry about earlier, chica. I think we got off on the wrong foot.”

I wave it off. “Nah, it’s fine. I’m new here same as you, more water under the bridge. I haven’t been to a dance in months, so let’s dance!”

We group together and walk onto the dance floor, and I notice that Anita and Bernardo take no regard for the line separating the Sharks and Jets. I feel awkward just stand’n here by myself, so I just stay off to the side.

“Hey! Ya made it!”

Mouthpiece runs up with a big smile on his face. “How’re ya supposed to dance when you’re tucked away in the corner? Come dance!” He takes my hand and starts lead’n me to the center-a the room.

“Uh I donno, Mouthpiece. Everybody here’s dancing so intense, and back home we’ve never had social events like this-”

“Just relax! Have fun!” Mouthpiece jerks my arm and sends me falling towards the floor, only to scoop me back up and twirl me around.

“Aw- oh- Oh my God!” I cry as he lifts me up. “What are you doing?!”

“I’m dancing with a pretty goil!” He grins as he twirls me again.

I chuckle sarcastically. “You’re too kind, Mouth!”

“That your new nickname for me?”

“No, it’s just that you can sometimes have a big mouth.”

“Aw!” He dramatically clutches his chest. “I’m scarred beyond repair!”

“Get over it!” I playfully push him and he takes me in for anodda dip.

“I’ll take over from here.”

We both turn and see Riff standing next to us with an amused smirk on his face.

“Jeez, boss. We just got started,” Mouthpiece whines.

“I’m sure Velma wants a fella to dance with,” Riff waves him off. Mouthpiece leaves after giving me a quick look of apology. Now Riff turns to me and offers a hand.

I put my hands on my hips. “Why on Earth would I dance with you after that? Mouthpiece invited me to a nice dance, and now you come here all high-and-mighty try’n to cut in!”

“I just wanna get to know the new goil in town. C’mon, ya won’t regret it!” He winks.

Cautiously, I look around and spot Grazi with anodda Jet.

“Won’t your goil get jealous?”

Riff follows my gaze. “Grazi? Nah, Diesel’s keep’n her company. Right now I’m all yours.”

I give him one more skeptical look, then roll my eyes in defeat. “Fine.”

He takes my waist, a lot more snug than Mouthpiece I might add, and starts waltz’n us all over the room.

“Took a while to find ya! You been look’n for me?”

“When I came I expected to find the leader of a stubborn gang.” I shrug.

He laughs. “Oh really?”

I give a devious smirk. “I’ve been trying to find him, but all I can see is a cleaned-up Jet boy.”

“Ey! Get away from her!” Bernardo comes up and shoves Riff away from me.

“You got a problem, amigo?” The Jets leader pushes Bernardo and they both start circle’n each odda.

“Guys, just stop it!” I try to break them up but it’s no use.

“She’s with us, punk!”

“That’s funny ‘cause last I checked she was meet’n with us!”

“Guys!!” I get in-between them and they seem to remember I’m still there. “I’m here for everyone! Can you guys just go ten minutes without fighting?”

“Hey, hey, hey! Everybody please calm down!” A chaperone comes up to stand in the middle of the Jets and Sharks mob. “There are beautiful goils here that wanna dance, can’t we all just get along?” He goes to talk more about social rules, but then-

“There you are!” Anita comes over and yanks me over towards Maria on the sidelines. “What are you doing? I suggest you stay with Maria and Chino until this mess gets settled.”

Maria huffs. “Anita! We want to dance!”

Anita shakes her head as she heads back to dance with Bernardo. “You can, away from the Jets!”

I sulk in the corner as a massive dance-fight takes place: Sharks vs Jets.

“¡Oye, Javi! Ponle fuego, ¡vamos!” Anita shouts.

Maria and Chino eventually join in, but me being alone leaves me awkwardly pacing back and forth.

“Mambo!”

“Mambo!”

“Go!”

As I watch the dance break out, I can’t help but be a little bit jealous of Riff ‘nd Grazi. She looks like she’s having so much fun, but Riff seems… distracted. He keeps look’n at Bernardo, and Bernardo keeps look’n at Riff. I gotta say- he ain’t a sight for sore eyes. I can understand why Grazi keeps him so close, and can’t help but feel sad that I don’t got no fella to call my own.

I make my way to the back, but then Riff seems to recognize someone next to me. He leads Grazi over, leaving me to stiffly loiter around and stare at the ground.

“Tony! Ya made it! I knew you’d come!” Riff beams with joy. He pulls me forward and gestures to a tall, dark, and handsome guy. “Marilyn, this here’s Tony. One-a the Jets’ founding members and my best friend! Tony-” He gestures to me. “This is Marilyn Jackson. Just moved here from upstate, so we’s make’n her feel welcome.”

Tony shakes my hand. “Pleasure to meet ya! I’d ask ya to dance but I promised my parole offer I wouldn’t get too involved with social events. I only came ‘cause Riff said I would-”

“And ya still came!” Riff smiles.

Tony gives him a glare. “Only for half an hour. I’s here for you, not to cause a rumble!”

Riff shrugs. “Ya can’t back outta this, buddy boy. Soon as the coast is clear we’s meet’n the Sharks to set it up.”

My face twists to a confused expression. “What’s a rumble-?”

“C’mon Riff, let’s dance!” Grazi grasps Riff’s wrist and pulls him back to the crowd, leaving me with Tony.

“Is he always this reckless?’ I ask.

He sighs. “Ever since we was kids. I was the one to hold him back, but since I’s been gone I fear that Riff’s been get’n outta hand.” He looks around the gym, then says: “I think I’m just gonna drift around ‘nd make sure the Jets play fair, if ya get my drift? You go on ahead- enjoy yourself!”

I go back to watching everyone jive and dance, and wondering what other odd characters I’m gonna meet in this city. I’m already caught between 2 gangs- what else is in store for Miss Jackson?

“You wanna dance, buddy boy?” I hear Riff jab- most likely at Bernardo.

Uh-oh.

I try to get closer to the clump-a angry dancers, but the chaperones and policemen are block’n my path. Once I do make it through, an argument’s already panning out.

“But I wanna dance! Riff, you said we could dance!” Grazi wines.

“I know, I know doll. Lemme just-”

“No! I’m sick-a this!” She shoves him and storms past, but then turns back. “We’re through!” She glares at me. “He’s your problem now!”

I just stare wide-eyed as people around me begin to argue, until Anita comes over and guides me into the hallway.

“Come, chica. This is no place for a young lady.”

I shake my head. “Is it always like this? Stupid gangs ruining social events?”

Anita nods. “I’m afraid so. All we can do is try to calm them down when it’s over.”

She goes off to the bathroom to fix her makeup, while I go sit next to Maria in the hallway. But she seems… distant.

“Maria? Are you ok?”

She nods, but then seems to rethink and shakes her head.

“Maria, what’s wrong?”

“I- I danced with a Jet boy,” she whispers. “And… I think I like him.”

I frown. “Who?”

“I think his name is Tony?”

“Oh, Riff’s friend! I kinda know him, he seems nice. What’s wrong with that?”

“Because Bernardo hates him! He hates all the Jets.”

I notice Tony walk up with Riff and the odda Jets as they go off with the Sharks.

Anita huffs. “Come, Maria. We’ve had enough drama for one night, so let’s head home. You coming, Marilyn?”

I look back and forth between the Jets that are still present and Anita. “Sorry Anita, but I’m gonna stay a bit longer and keep the guys in-check. You go on and get home safely.”

She nods and starts guiding Maria away, leaving me standing next to Tony.

“Buenas noches, Marilyn!”

“G’night, Maria!” I call back.

“Maria? Maria…” I see Tony get a dazed look in his eyes.

I wave a hand in front of him. “Uh, Tony? Earth-to-Tony? Ya with us?”

He blinks. “Marilyn? Have you ever heard-a luv at foist sight?”

“Uhh,” My eyes widen and my jaw drops. “Kinda?”

Tony gives a dopey smile. “Then I think I’m in luv! Marilyn, I just kissed the most beautiful goil I’ve ever met, and her name’s Maria!”

I gasp. “Maria? You mean my neighbor, Maria?”

“She’s your neighbor? Wow, you’re lucky!”

“She was just talk’n ‘bout you!” I hiss, look’n around to make sure nobody’s listen’n.

Tony gawks at me. “She was? What’d she say?!”

“I ain’t gonna be spill’n gossip- it’s just plain evil!” I cross my arms.

“Aw, c’mon Marilyn! Please! Does she luv me back? Did she like dance’n with me?” His smile fades. “Or- or does she hate me, and never wanna see me again…?”

I hold my hand up to steady the poor guy. “Alright, alright, fine! She luvs ya! Just don’t go have’n a meltdown on me! I got enough emotional baggage as it is!”

Tony’s face looks as if he’s been born again. “In that case, I’m gonna go find her!”

He starts off towards the exit, leaving me nearly speechless.

“Tony- Tony! Ya can’t just track her down! That’s creepy-!”

But it’s too late. Tony’s already head-over-heels and is out the door.

“Marilyn!”

Riff, now look’n more smug than ever, strides up. “Where’s Tony? He's gonna miss the meeting.”

I point to the door. “Just missed ‘im.”

Riff shrugs. “Guess I’ll have to fill him in later. Right now I gotta go meet with Bernardo.”

“Ay ay! Leave her alone!” Anita comes up and waves him off. She leads me away, but not before I look back one more time and see Riff air-kiss me goodbye.

As he turns to leave, Anita scrunches her face. “I suggest you stay away from that Jet boy- Riff. He’s no good for you. I’m going to tell Maria the same thing about her Jet boy- they’re all the same.”

“Tony’s not. He’s not like them, and he wants noth’n to do with the Jets. He’s only here because he’s their friend.”

“Once a Jet, always a Jet,” Antia argues as Bernardo strolls up to us. “Hola, mi amor! I left Maria with Chino.” She points at me. “And came back for you because Bernardo said he just scheduled a rumble for tomorrow night, and I do not want you around those Jets!” She walks off again, and that word keeps ringing in my head.

“A- A what?” I frown. “I’ve heard that word before… Riff mentioned it…”

Bernardo nods. “It’s a rumble, señorita. An all-out fight between gangs when only one comes out on top. We just planned out with the Jets for tomorrow night, so I suggest you stay in unless you want trouble.”

Bernardo storms outta the room with Anita, leaving me alone to think over this idea until Mouthpiece finds me again.

“Hey! I lost ya! Where’ve ya been?”

“Do you know about the rumble?” I ask darkly.

Mouthpiece opens his mouth, then shuts it again. “Who told you?”

“Bernardo.”

He scoffs. “Figures some PR would tell ya.”

“Is it really that bad?” My voice is uneven.

He avoids my gaze and nods. “Yeah, it can get pretty bad. That’s the reason Tony got locked up ‘cause he nearly beat a kid to death last year.”

My hand flies to my mouth. “Death? Mouthpiece… I don’t want anyone to die, is there any way to settle this without fighting?”

He smiles a little. “Ya worried ‘bout me, doll?”

“I’m serious! None-a you deserve to die! I could talk to Bernardo, he might call it off…”

“Fat chance.”

I roll my eyes. “What ‘bout Riff? If I could talk to him-”

“Ask and ye shall receive.” Riff strolls in, leans against the wall, and motions for Mouthpiece to leave. “Ya look’n for me, beautiful?”

I storm up to him and poke a finger at his chest.

“So. Tonight was all a ruse to plan a fight. And all for what? Territory? Because Tony danced with Maria?”

“That’s the broad’s name?” Riff asks with a scrunched face.

I smack him and start to breathe heavily.

“I was right. The rough gang leader was here tonight- a wolf in sheep’s clothing. You should be ashamed of yourself. They have every right to be here, same as you!”

Fed up with this, I storm off outta the gym and into an alley, all the while ignoring the faint calls from the aggravating Jet leader.