#that being said it is a quality horse right now

[threecowsusingthistoreadcomics]

hornse gorpson

[11cupids-tarot11]

★Your Future Spouse's Favorite Thing About Sex With Y♡U★

1 -> 3 ꒒ ০ ⌵ ୧ ♡

Cupid's Master-List

Cupid's YouTube Channel

My Kofi shop ♡ tips are appreciated, thank you guys so much!! Ily >< I still have two more available spots for my sale on Channeled Love Letters from your future spouse 18+ only, so check it out!

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Pile 1- Nine of Cups, Knight of Swords, Nine of Coins, Seven of Coins, The Emperor, Knight of Wands, and Queen of Wands.

Hi my pile 1 pookies ><

So this person hesitated a lot and although I usually do my readings starting off with pile 1 they made me skip them and work on pile 2's and 3's first instead? I think this person is really nervous about something. Kind of in a cute anxious way like 😅 but I had to listen because no cards would come out no matter how hard or long I shuffled. What's with this person? 🥴😭

Alright so this person feels very watery and emotional about you, I think their very thing about sex with you is definitely when you're on top, taking control. I think they really like the intimacy of the positions like cow girl or reverse cowgirl, they really like when you straddle their lap in general even when you two aren't having sex and just chilling on the couch. They really like watching your face as you ride them, they like watching your body move against them, they have the perfect view of you they said lol how cute eek ><

So if you don't want kids, that's okay, it's just in this person's fantasies they want to fuck you til the point the two of you actually want to take the condom off or maybe you both forget you have to pull out because you're both so emersed in pleasure and fucking each other? They want to get you pregnant but in such a wild way, they might not actually be ready for a kid yet, but the idea of it excites them so much they're hoping that you feel the same way and also want to have their babies.

This won't resonate with everyone but I'm picking up on a situation where you guys could already be married or just have children together already, this person could really like making babies with you, the sex that leads up to all, all the love that went into it!!

I think this person really enjoys angry sex, when you're mad at them and they get off their high horse and apologize first and they love to make up with sex afterwards, this person kinda just caves cause they love you and don't really want you to stay mad at them.

This person also likes it when you surprise them with sex, they love foreplay, they really like it when you two draw out sex and don't give it to each other right away, lots of teasing and just being playful until maybe you or them starts begging the other to do something more. I think this is partially because they really like spending time with you, this is only one of their favorite ways to spend quality time with you.

So this person could be a coworker or you might meet through work, something about business here. This person right now is at the top of their career, likes to present themselves as an Emperor. This person could really want to move forward in the connection with you if you know of them already, they're brainstorming lol. They really like you, they see you as a queen in their eyes, you could present yourself very carefully, like you have this clean look about you and you're pretty I heard! You take good care of yourself and your person really loves that about you! They're bananas for you? They said some cute cheesey pick up line or maybe a punch line that I'm unfamiliar with? ><

♡ Messages from them: "The way I have treated you was wrong."

"You are so different from everyone around me."

"You've triggered me."

"I can't handle your love."

I hope you enjoyed this reading!!

Pile 2- Seven of Cups, Three of Cups, Knight of Swords, Two of Pentacles, Seven of Coins, The Empress, and Ace of Chalices.

Hi my pile 2's!

So right away I feel like there's a message here for someone that you might know of this person already, that won't be for everyone so if it doesn't fit let it fly 🪽

So your future spouse might like how different you are in the bedroom than you are irl. Like you could come off as very shy or just someone that's not very kinky and your future spouse might've perceived you as inexperienced but your person loves it when you surprise them, take the lead and I'm hearing ride them lol. They like it when you're more dominant in bed, you don't have to be the dom every time but your person loves it when you are, they'll love for you to ride them until your thighs give out lol.

This person loves close sex, sex that's very emotional and clingy to one another. I think this person will have an emotional attachment to you, like even if you don't get married in 20 years this person will love you literally the same, even if you decide to take a break, this person will still carry so much love and respect for you! They love showing you how much they care for you during sex, they'll hold you a lot, and take the lead in bed most of the time to show you, they're very emotional when it comes to you. You guys might like to have sex in bed a lot, during the day, first waking up, because your person loves being close to you. I feel like they might like it when you lay there a lot while they give you oral, they love it when you're a pillow princess and they can bring you so much pleasure.

This person loves rough sex with you, the kinda sex the two of you can't keep your hands off each other and just can't get enough. They'll still be mindful and gentle with you, they love it when you communicate your needs and let them know what you want, they'll want to indulge in your kinks and make your fantasies happen, this person is safe to explore with. I think they might like to spank you if you're open to the idea! They're not super into bdsm but they're not vanilla either, I feel like this person actually wants to see how freaky you can get and they'd just match your freak so the sex will be better and better, it's never the same really, this person can be soft one night and super rough and wild another.

This person could love missionary a lot, bringing you to an orgasm in missionary so they can see your face, they could just love seeing you orgasm in general, in pure bliss beneath them, it's like it turns them on knowing they're the ones making you feel good. This person also likes that you're an Empress, you can stand your own ground with or without a significant other, they could love to watch you masturbate. I think this person loves chasing after you, it could turn them on lol! They love the idea of pleasing you, impressing you. They really want you lol how cute.

♡ Messages from them: "I know that we have a soul connection."

"I fantasize about you."

"They will never compare to you."

"You deserve better than them."

I hope you enjoyed this reading!!

Pile 3- Four of Pentacles, King of Pentacles, Queen of Pentacles, The Lovers, Three of swords, Page of Coins, and Three of Cups.

Hi pile 3!

So right away I heard a funny little message that this person actually likes it when you yell at them, they said it in a hushed way so I feel like this person doesn't want you to actually know that 😭 lol, this person will do all kinds of things just to see you a bit angry and frustrated with them just because they find it hot? Kinda sadistic if you ask me 🥴

Your future spouse is kind of a wild card, but you might be too. I think you wouldn't imagine in a million years to settle down with this person because they always feel like they're on the move and really hard to stay in one place because they're constantly thinking of other things to do, they're very work oriented or something but I feel like at first they might not pay much attention to the relationship, they might even go as far as seeing other people but this is only in the beginning of the relationship obviously, this person will feel very drawn to you and will feel like you're they're missing puzzle piece, suddenly they don't have to be on the move anymore because no one is as interesting as you to them, you'll fill their senses I'm hearing! They'll just suddenly be so enamored with you.

I think when the two of you are intimate this person will become selfish, they'll only want you to come to them for everything, they'll really want to be your knight in shining armor, even during sex, this person will be all touchy and very sensual, they like having passionate sex with you, even if they are usually rougher you've made this person want to be all soft with you, maybe not during the whole time, but this person will definitely slow down suddenly and start giving you slower and deeper strokes, they love intimacy with you and just want to savor the moment and make sure the both of you will remember it, they want you coming back to them for more and only them. Even if this connection starts as friends with benefits this person would slowly come to hate the title, and realize they're scared of you choosing someone else over them because the title isn't permanent enough.

This person could really want to rip the clothes off you, they could rip your underwear right off you and it might surprise you. This person really loves your breasts, regardless of size they really like to suck on your nipples.

This person likes when you let down your guards for them, it could be a flex for them that they actually get to touch you in a way that this person admires you a lot and in their head they're yelling at themselves like "omg I can't believe I get to sleep with THEM, THEY'RE ACTUALLY ALLOWING ME TO???848&(_(_(&!'(&(!_(" This person thinks you're adorable, they just adore you! You could catch them staring at you a lot, like a puppy with big ol puppy dog eyes, it's the sweetest thing ever.

Even if you don't like this person the first time around or something happens that you two decide to break it off, this person would try really hard to come back around, I heard they love you even after you break their heart.

With the Page of Coins I feel like this person is actively working on the things in their life right now, all the things they want to get done they're getting done, they might be a student and they could be focused on studying a lot right now as well, but I feel like this person can't wait for the day this all pays off and they can finally reconnect with not only themselves but with friends as well, they could be in a moment of isolation right now because they're so busy studying or working.

They feel sad and lonely and their favorite thing about sex with you is being with you, they want emotional and healing sex with you, just to be close and feel the warmth of you, something about not feeling as lonely anymore with the comfort of you. :(

♡ Messages from them: "I feel lonely."

"I don't want to be alone."

"Emotions overwhelm me."

"I am better with my mind than my heart."

I hope you enjoyed this reading!!

[jacaeryslover]

KING OF MY HEART: a jacaerys targaryen one-shot.

SUMMARY: jace sits the iron throne, his children want to play with him but he's busy being a good king! reader explains and plays with them.

the ends of your deep blue dress slips against the cold floor of the red keep, you are looking for two little brown haired heads, your children. when you finally arrive to the nursing room, you see lydia trying to play with your eldest son, lucerys, she seems like she's trying really hard to make him feel better.

today is that day of the week, jace is supposed to spend some quality time with his heir, they use that time to play, read or even have lectures about the importance of his father's job, and in the future, it will also be his.

"luke, is everything alright?" you ask tenderly, you knew what happened, but you wanted your own son to tell you, or at least his sweet sister.

lucerys was a lot like you, he was bold but sweet, he had a strong sense of duty. his hair was brown like his father and his cheeks and nose were adorned with tainted freckles, your daughter rhaegan on the other hand was just like her father, she was sweet and caring.

"yes" he mutters quietly, almost like a whisper, but it was enough for you to hear it. his eyes dancing between the wooden carved horses and fishes that lydia swung in the air, in the attempt of making the child play with her.

rhaegan on the other hand, was busy drawing. she had a taste of drawing every type of things, bugs, spiders, castles, and people. she once said that portraits were her specialty.

"rhaegan, do you care to tell me why your brother is sulking?"

the quiet girl finally speaks, lifting her head from her drawing to look at her mother's sweet eyes. "he is sad because father couldn't play with him".

jacaerys never missed the opportunities to play with his children, everyone knew that. so something important had to come up for him to do so.

"well, luke. your father must be very busy, you know he loves to play with you" you say, trying to make your son a little bit happier.

"you know your father works very hard for the people of the realm, his job is of very importance"

"i know, but i miss him" luke says, and it breaks your heart. you knew it was going to be hard, balancing family and the realms duties, but it has to be done nonetheless. and you were proud of your husbands work so far.

and just as he appeared in your thoughts, he stepped into the room with a big smile, ready to dedicate the rest of the day with his children. his apologetic look did not go unnoticed by you.

"i'm sorry, my children. i had some important business to attent to. it will not happen again" he said, taking a place next to you, catching his son's hard gaze "i'm sorry luke, please forgive me" his soft voice directed just to his older son, while bringing his right hand to play with luke's brown hair. a mirage of his own brother.

okay i apologize for this, it's awful but it's been sitting in my drafts for months now and im just letting it go

[fairlyang]

mystery girl 🕷️

w/c: 2.2K

pairing: miguel o’hara x f!reader

tags: 18+ smut. pure filth, desperate to be fucked, amazing friend shows you the way, male glory hole, choosing the thick one, age gap (20’s & 30’s), sucking dick, save a horse ride a cowboy (kinda)

a/n: bro it’s been a month since I had this idea but I was so preoccupied with the other 183749272 of my wips she was left behind🥲 but alas the reverse rookie finally (i was gonna write abt clothes but it flew past me- I was imagining a dress!)

part 1.2 — part 1.3

you were growing tired of the endless swiping on tinder and absolute douchebags you stumbled across, all that just to find someone for a small fling was way too much

at that point you’d have better luck finding someone at a bar but you also weren’t in the mood to converse with someone, especially whilst ovulating when you just needed to pounce on someone, no questions asked

so when complaining to your friends about your hungry need but lack of sex, they told you to go to a nearby sex toy store because they had gloryholes in the back. you were so stunned to even say anything because you couldn’t believe something like that even existed, let alone so close to you

one of them even offered to go with you that same night because you were already squeezing your thighs together in desperation and so you wouldn’t feel so nervous. you said yes of course and that was when she told you they also had an adult theater and you nearly fell off the couch

after a short drive of five minutes tops, you had arrived and you thought maybe you’d look around or something but nope your friend just grabbed your hand and went straight to the back. she waved at the cashier and gave him a smile, “hey al, is it busy tonight?”

al shrugged then nodded and she gave him a thumbs up before dragging you past the door and taking a right turn. “he doesn’t look like he’s meant to work here of all places.” you joke and she laughs

the man had two long braids, a tie dye shirt and what looked to be camo shorts with sandals. just absolutely random but she waved you off

“al’s cool, this is his part time-“ she utters, making you snicker

“fucked him too huh?” you tease making her roll her eyes

“and what about it?” she says playfully earning herself an eye roll

she led you the whole way through now taking a left and entering the first door, loud moans immediately being heard

“these over here are straight men and the others are gay men.” she explains and points to each section

you both walk over to the left side to where the straight guys would be and it was better quality than expected

instead of it being literal holes on walls it had a fancier getup, the men’s torsos were sticking out of a hole while laying down on some sort of table and their upper half was hidden behind black fabric. they all had pictures above their hole with a picture of their faces and their ages

“this is insane.” you mutter and she excitedly nods

“go have your pick! and don’t be afraid to be picky, choose what you need girl.” she says making you roll your eyes

she says that when there’s only two available guys anyway. There were three other guys with girls on top of them, riding away and letting out the craziest of moans

so you walk directly to the first available guy and look at his picture. a cute white guy, looked mature, thirty three years old and his name was Peter

he must’ve sensed your presence because his cock twitched. he was very long but not so thick

you preferred the girth so you went on to the one next to him and your eyes nearly fell out of their sockets

this one was fucking long and thick. so fucking thick you thought it’d be impossible to fit inside you

but anything was possible

so you looked at his picture and were pleasantly surprised to find a latino, not only that but a fine one. he was thirty four years old and his name was Miguel

how the hell both of these man were in here is beyond you but you’re so feeling so fucking lucky because Miguel’s cock was exactly what you’ve been needing

you just want to be filled to the absolute brim, feel a cock stretch you out as if it were the first time

so you climbed onto the table and Miguel’s cock also twitched out of excitement. meanwhile your friend jumped on top of Peter and was already positioning his cock to her entrance

crazy girl

you were wet but you felt like you had to be fucking drenched to be able to take him all so you scoot down his body and taking a hold of his cock. you kitten licked the tip causing for precum to leak immediately, poor guy must’ve been waiting a while..

you decide to not waste anymore time, for both your sakes and spit on it, letting it dribble down his length before stroking him with both hands. you were nearly drooling just looking at it but you couldn’t really be blamed

miguel was already moaning mainly because the girls were looking past him because he was just too thick and they couldn’t handle it. so he had to give props to his mystery girl that was hopefully going to give him a proper shot

he was already cheered up just by you knowing what you were doing. if this was all he was gonna get he’d be content with it

but you didn’t come here to please a man, that’s never top priority, top priority is taking care of yourself. though hearing his moans were just slightly changing your mind on that, you were already starting to drip through your panties

maybe it was the fact that you were only stroking him and he was moaning for you just from that, or maybe because he was a hot older man and you never had the confidence to go for men like him

definitely the latter

you figured it was enough teasing and started to take him in your mouth, or at least tried to because it was much more than you were expecting

for now you were able to take a little bit past his tip, which wasn’t too bad considering you hadn’t sucked a dick this thick and his groans weren’t exactly saying you’re doing a bad job so you continued

you started to stroke him as you tried to take more of him then pull back and going back for more. this only had him trying his hardest to not push his hips up

you bobbed your head back and forth, now able to take half of it which was for sure an accomplishment. you only prayed your pussy could do the same

he continued with his melody of grunts and groans, then some praises came along

“fuck just like that baby.”

“taking this cock so well.”

“such a good fucking girl.”

as soon as the first praise left his lips you started going faster, hearing the other two only left you moaning against him

he groaned and subconsciously lifted his hips up making you take nearly all of it

you closed your eyes and started to go lower, stroking the last bit that you couldn’t fit

you swirled your tongue against his underside as you bopped your head up and down faster resulting in him moaning even louder

at this point you were absolutely drenched and you could feel him twitch in your mouth so you fully pulled away

he thought that was it so he was preparing himself for the worst while you sat up and climbed on top of his lap, hovering over his dick as you pulled your dress up and slid your panties to the side

you lowered yourself down, grabbing his dick, and positioning it to your entrance

first you swirled the tip against your folds, just so your wetness can act as lube because you’ll need it

you then decided to grind against the entire length and it felt so amazing

you moaned and shivered as he brought a hand out just to put it on your hip, lightly squeezing the skin

finally it was time and you prayed for the best

you straightened his cock and positioned it to your entrance again, except this time you slowly were moving down. his tip alone was a painful stretch so you just stayed there biting your lip until the pain went away

it took a few more minutes before you moved down the tiniest bit. he was so much thicker than you antipciated. you thought your toys would’ve prepared you but they were to no luck helpful

you took a deep breath then let it out before going down a little more, probably not even at the half way point yet

it was starting to feel better so you brought yourself up then went down to where you could take it. you sighed after doing it again, now feeling a mix of pain and pleasure but mostly ignoring the pain

you took a good two inches when you finally felt comfortable so you went even lower, finally hitting the hallway point. “you’re doing so good baby.” he murmured, fighting back the urge to cum right then and there

you clenched against him making you both moan which was a good sign

you decided enough was enough and slammed down, whimpers escaping your lips as Miguel moaned in bliss

his hand rubbed your thigh softly as you slowly come up then slam down again. “Fuck-!“

it was now fully pleasure and you could feel him fill you entirely. his cock felt perfect inside you and you should’ve complained about your sex life sooner

you lower your body down, arching your back as you move your ass up and down. you closed your eyes and moaned every time you went all the way down

his tip was nearly grazing your sweet spot and if you went any faster both of you would be goners

but for now you took your time. it was so sensual as well as hot. Miguel had his arms behind his head just wishing he could see you. he also wanted to kiss you as he pounded into you so he could feel you moan in his mouth but it was a glory hole for a reason

you finally started moving a bit faster now, your ass smacking against his thighs each time you came down. the sounds were driving him insane

you sounded so wet and your voice was so angelic. every noise you made had him wanting to hear more of you

so he did the logical thing to be able to do that and thrusted his hips against you, taking you by surprise. he wanted to be selfish, he’s been dying to cum and you’re the first girl who dared to try his cock out today so he started to thrust his hips upwards.

he was now pounding into you as you held your position because there was no point in moving now. he groaned as he started going faster and harder, you just felt so fucking good he couldn’t help himself

he needed to have all of you so bad

he was going at such a brutal pace you thought he was going to fully come out of the hole just to fuck you properly but he didn’t

instead he took his other hand out, stopping for a solid second just to bring your ass down and wrapping his arms around you. he held on tightly and before you could object, he went back to pounding into you, no point in waiting so he went at the exact same pace again

you moaned out as he fucked you harder, the sounds from your corner being the loudest out of the whole room but you didn’t care. the sexiest man you’ve ever laid your eyes on was fucking you as if you were his to take and you weren’t going to stop him

you’ve been so desperate for a hookup like this you should’ve known to look for the older men over guys your age. of fucking course a thirty year old was gonna know what to do over someone in their twenties

you were already thinking far ahead to think any time you’re horny to just drop by since it was so close and just let him fuck you however he wants in the adult theater

but the current moment was perfect too

he was mumbling dirty nothings as he mercilessly pounded into you, feeling that familiar feeling in his abdomen already. it wasn’t his fault you had such a tight pussy that must’ve been made just for him. like a missing puzzle piece

he was a groaning mess and you could just tell that you were creaming on his dick because of how wet it sounded. “fuck please don’t stop-“

his eyes rolled to the back of his head and his grip on you loosened. he changed to now doing deeper thrusts which was a perfect switch because he was hitting your g spot with every thrust and you were feeling so close to your orgasm

you tightened around him which only made him go even faster as you both moaned for one another. that did it for him and he came inside you. you whimpered and brought your body back up just for your orgasm to hit you hard and lift your hips up as he filled you completely

your heart was racing, your body was shaking, and you just closed your eyes to calm yourself down while still having him inside you

he pumped you full and you couldn’t even be bothered to complain or fight him on it. it’s what you fucking craved and deserved so maybe you gotta thank him instead

next part

[axelsagewrites]

Sandor Clegane*Brat

Pairing: sandor x f!princess!reader

Kinktober Day twenty-three: brat taming with Sandor Clegane – after growing sick of a princess’s bratty attitude Sandor decides to teach her how to behave

Word count: 2147

Warnings: brat taming, secret relationship, teasing, reader being a brat, jamie slut shaming, fingering, p in v sex, rough sex, spanking, degrading, swearing, smut 18+

Masterlist Here

Kinktober List Here

Your footsteps were somehow both silent and quicker than his horses, something Sandor loathed as he chased about after you. being your personal guard was apparently an honour however the past two years of this honour made him consider if locking princesses in a tower was still socially acceptable.

While sure you had your moments of being tolerable, sometimes even pleasant, to the giant they called your guard dog, right now was not one of them. Usually, he appreciated your sarcastic remarks to your younger brother Joffrey, agreeing with most of your snippy quips, however today it had led to a fight between you both.

This then led to you storming around the castle, with Sandor falling behind, then to a fight with your mother which Sandor had to listen to through a door despite being absolutely starving, then when he could finally go and eat you decided to go on a walk through the forest unannounced and he had to track you down and bring you back.

“Try not to get lost again princess,” Sandor said through gritted teeth, trying not to let his stomach grumble.

You rolled your eyes as you sat on your love seat in front of the fire. “I was never lost. You just couldn’t find me,”

Sandor rolled his eyes as he went to leave however Jamie fucking Lannister decided to stop him. “The queens requested for you to stay in this room and guard the princess,”

“What about my fucking break?” Sandor spat back, not having the same gentle voice as your uncle.

“Well, it will have to wait. There are Dornish ambassadors riding into court and we cannot risk her getting…lost again,” Jamie said, and you couldn’t help stifling a laugh making Sandor want to fling you out of a window. Jamie leaned in closer, whispering to Sandor and getting his slimy breath all over him, “Prince Oberyn is coming, and we cannot risk her sullying her reputation,” he said however only Sandor was able to hear him.

“But me staying in her room all night is fine?”

Jamie looked the hound up and down before putting on his most cunty smile, “Don’t worry. I don’t think anyone will question your activities. Goodnight Clegane, best behaviour princess,” Jamie called to you before leaving, the door slamming behind him.

Sandor Groaned as he began to strip off his cloak. Like fuck was he gonna be kitted up all night in this. “What did he whisper?” you asked, reaching over to grab a grape. Sandor couldn’t tell if the way you popped it in his mouth made him more hungry, horny, or fucking angry.

“Prince Oberyn is coming to court,” Sandor said as he tossed his cloak on a chair, “So I’ve to guard you all night so you don’t go falling in his bed,”

Most women would gasp or swoon or deny the accusation, but you just barked out a laugh. It was another one of your few redeeming qualities in Sandors eyes. “How much of a whore does he think I am?” you joked, picking up your wine.  Sandor stomped over to the table, snatching the wine from your grip before plopping down in a chair. “Hey!”

“Hay is for horses,” he grumbled, gulping down the wine, “You’ve been a fucking brat all day, the least you owe me is a drink,”

“My, my, swearing in front of a lady, a princess no less,” you tsked at him as Sandor began to unbuckle his armour, “Not very honourable of you ser,”

“I’m no ser,” he said, discarding the battered metal as he reached for the next piece, “And besides I’ve done far less honourable things to you than curse in front of you,” this was of course his favourite quality in his princess. Even when you annoyed him to his core you were still the best fuck he’s ever had. “Fuck you’ve said worse things than I have,”

“Like what?”

“You know what,” he chuckled, beginning to undo his breast plate which would leave him in just a shirt and trousers. “You and that dirty mouth of yours,” he said, thinking back to all the thoughts and whimpers you’d moaned in his ear.

He did his best not to meet your eyes as they travelled down his frame, “Watcha gonna do about it?” however sent a spark down his spine. Prince Oberyn was not the one they should be worried about sullying your reputation.

Sandor dropped the metal breast plate, ignoring the clatter in made as it hit the floor as he moved to stand in front of you. his hand gripped your jaw, easily holding your whole face as he made you look him in the eye, “Don’t test me princess. You’re already on thin fucking ice,”

“Why would I want to be on ice when I could be on your…” you said, eyes trailing down his frame with a fiery spark.

He growled as his lips smashed into yours for a brief kiss that knocked the air out of your lungs. He broke the kiss, pushing your frame back into the love seat making you gasp. Within seconds his boots were off, and his arm was around your waist, hosting you over his shoulder making you squeal. Your back hit the soft bed as you desperately tried to sit up, but he was already on top of you.

“How expensive is this dress?” he asked, his fingers trailing the neckline.

“Your annual salary,” you replied and gasped when a tear ripped through the air, “Sandor!” you gasped as the cold air washed over your bare chest, your nipples perking at the feeling.

He’d ripped it just enough to be able to pull it off your body without having to hassle with any ties or laces, “Please as if you wont just pout and get a new one,” he scoffed.

“I don’t pout!” you objected, now feeling more exposed under his hungry eyes.

Sandor laughed, his eyes moving from your tits back to your face, “All you do is pout princess. All fucking day,” he said, his hand cupping your jaw as his thumb tracked over your pouted lip, “And all day I’ve been having to look at these fucking lips,” he said, his thumb prying open your mouth so he could stick his thumb inside, pressing down on your tongue, “and think about how much better they’d look around my cock,”

His words sent a shiver down your spine that didn’t go unnoticed by Sandor. “Is someone excited?” he asked, his hand gripping your thigh before slipping between them. His fingers trailed up your slit and you felt his chest rumble as he chuckled, “So wet for me already,” he said, his smile dropping for a moment, “Suck,” he commanded.

Instantly you complied, sucking on his thumb and trying not to whine as he rubbed slow circles on your clit, “Good girl,” his head dipped, moving to kiss along your collar bones as his thumb slipped from your mouth. He rubbed the spit over your bottom lip before his hand moved to tilt your jaw up, giving him space to kiss softly up your neck.

You bit your lip, slight whimper escaping as he worked on your bundle of nerves. When his fingers slipped away you whined but gasped when you felt him push two in, “Cmon don’t act like you cant take it,” he chastised, nipping at your skin enough to make you gasp but never to leave a mark, “I’ve seen you take far bigger,” he said, grinding his bulge against your leg to emphasis what was to come.

His fingers began to curl slowly inside as his thumb rested over your clit. When you whined again, this time louder and enough to make his cock twitch in his trousers, he moved his other mouth to clamp over your mouth, “Quiet,” he grumbled, curling his fingers deeper making you moan against his hand, “You know the rules princess,”

You nodded, meeting his eyes for a moment before they shut as his fingers began to brush against a familiar spot. You could feel your peak soon arriving but when you felt him pull his fingers out not even his hand could fully cover the loud whine you made. “Gods you really are a desperate thing,” he chastised, his hands moving to squeeze your hips tightly.

Before you could protest, he’d flipped you on your stomach, hand coming down on your ass leaving a stinging slap. “Hey!” you whined only to be met with another slap.

“Behave,” he chastised, keeping one hand on your ass, fondling it as the other moved to push down his breeches, “Maybe if you behave I’ll let you finish around my cock,” he said, gripping it with one hand and with the other forcing you onto your knees, ass presented perfectly for him, “Bet you’d like that wouldn’t you? me fucking you silly like some whore,” he said, running his tip up and down your wet cunt making you whine.

Instead of responding you grabbed a pillow, moving to lay your face in it when Sandor suddenly grabbed your hair, “I asked you a fucking question,” he growled, his tip pushing in slightly as your back arched.

“Yes,” you stuttered out.

“Yes what?” he asked, pulling your hair tighter, pushing slightly further in.

“Yes, I want your cock please I need it,” you whined, your hips trying to move further back onto to be stopped by Sandor, “Please I’ll be good,”

Sandor let go of your hair, your body lurching forward as you fell back into the pillow, “Wonder when I’ve heard that before,” he grunted, his hands moving to squeeze the soft flesh of your ass refusing to push his tip any further in.

“I promise,” you whined, gripping at the pillow, “I’ll behave I promise I-fuck,” you whined as you felt his cock sink further in.

Sandor hissed as he felt your cunt squeeze around him as he pushed his way in till he felt himself fully inside. He left one more slap to your ass, smirking at the way you bit the pillow instead of protesting at the stinging slap, before he started to set a steady pace.

His thrusts were slow and precise at first, making your whole-body lurch forward as he fucked you and your fingers tightened in the sheets. He could hear the stifled whines you let out and reached forward to grab your hair once more, this time gentler as he turned your head till the pillow muffled your mouth. Before you could question him, you moaned into the fabric as his pace began to quicken.

His slow thrusts had turned into heavy pounds that shook your body and made a knot grow in your stomach. His spare hand moved to squeeze your hip one more time before slipping forward to rub fast circles onto your clit. His grunts and groans were like music to your ears as your legs began to quake but falling was not an option.

Sandor cursed at the way your cunt squeezed around his cock, sucking in breath as he screwed his eyes shut. Despite how hard it was for him not to finish right there he had a job to do. He bit his lip, opening his eyes to appreciate the sight beneath him.

He could hear your muffled moans through the pillow and felt the way your body jerked and squeezed around him. “Aw is my little princess gonna cum?” he teased, his thrusts growing harder, “does she deserve to cum around my cock?” he asked but your response was muffled. Sandor pulled your hair, lifting your mouth up from the pillow, “I asked you a question,”

“Please sir,” you moaned like music to his ears, “Fuck please let me please,” you begged.

“Do it then,” he grunted, shoving your face back into the pillow, “Cum around my cock like a good whore,” his words were all it took to push you over the edge as your peak crashed around you.

However, this was not going to make him stop. Instead, his thrusts became harder and less precise as he fucked you mercilessly chasing his high while you rode yours out with eyes rolled back into your skull. It didn’t take long for him to feel the familiar twitch and suddenly pull out. With only two more jerks his seed spilled across your ass as his eyes screwed shut. “Fuck,” he gasped once he felt he could breathe again. Gently he moved his arms to lay you down on the bed.

You were too busy catching your breath to notice him searching for something till you felt him running a damp cloth over your ass to clean you up. “Still think I’m a brat?” you asked, still trying to catch your breath.

“Fuck yes. But you’re my brat,”

Taglist: @clairacassidy @nyotamalfoy  @valeskafics

[anna-proxx]

pretty please can we have arthur morgan falling in love with hyperfem! reader? ur stuff is always so so yummy,, no pressure ofc! ૮꒰ྀི∩´ ᵕ `∩꒱ྀིა

⭒✧⋆｡guns n' bows ✧⋆｡⭒

pairing: Arthur Morgan x hyperfem!reader

genre: fluff, slight angst (good ending)

summary: Arthur finds himself adoring a dainty woman who joined the gang a while ago. It suddenly becomes clear to him he has fallen in love.

word count: 3294

tags: high honor arthur, fem!reader, (mutual) pining, arthur being a sweetheart

a/n: thank u so much, dolly! i had a few ideas on how to approach this and decided to make it more story-based and focus on arthur's inner process as he realizes he's in love with the reader (as i would imagine it to go). if you'd like something a bit different, lmk! i've been wanting to write a hyperfem fic for a while now, so i had fun with it. also, i'm thinking about writing a pt. 2 where i'd focus more on the reader's pov and have arthur express his feelings more (be a cutie around her) and confess his love. <3

dividers by @saradika / @saradika-graphics

✮ masterlist

Arthur Morgan wasn't used to being gentle with people. His hands were rough and calloused and his muscle memory trained to draw his guns and shoot. They were meant to be a weapon, to protect and harm for the people he considered his family.

Perhaps he had it in him, but there was no reason to be soft and gentle ��� the world was just as rough as him and he was assigned the burden of fighting against it. The softest he could get was between the pages of his journal as he wrote about his thoughts and sketched owls and beavers and when he patted dogs and talked to his horse.

But most of those were away from prying eyes and frankly, the role of a dense criminal prized for his brawn comfortably fit around his overlooked qualities, as that was all he needed to be. To survive, to fulfill his role.

And yet you saw right through it. Of course you did, you had a good heart, open to whoever you saw goodness in. While some might write Arthur off as a rugged criminal only, you noticed his edges weren't as sharp as he tried making them seem to be.

His duties were violent, sometimes brutal, the earth soaking up blood of his enemies and his image reflecting in their eyes as the last thing before they closed them forever. To some, he was their biggest nightmare. He wasn't a good man, to believe so would be naive and foolish, but he wasn't all bad either, as some would think.

Your heart was big enough to accept his sins and leave the judgment to whatever was above, meanwhile you sought his presence as it brought you a strangely warm sense of security and comfort. Like moth to a flame, his different nature allured you. Hardened on the outside and soft-hearted on the inside.

Perhaps that was the reason you found yourself liking this big outlaw. Scooted towards him at the campfire, or sat nearby and watched him as he lied on his cot and scribbled something into his journal.

You might've been fragile and soft spoken, but you weren't stupid and your intuition on people was like a radar you could wholeheartedly trust. So you did.

Arthur didn't exactly know you sometimes looked for his presence, but he did notice you were comfortable around him.

It baffled him a little – you were so small compared to him, wearing lace and frills and cute little bows in your hair and yet you didn't seem to be intimidated by his appearance or demeanor at all. It sparked joy inside of him whenever you'd come to him blabbering about the rainbow you saw or gave him a soft smile as your eyes met.

You never treated him with judgment or revulsion, despite knowing very well your morals were against everything he was doing. Just how big of a sweetheart were you to do that? He never said it, but it meant a lot to him.

He felt as though you weren't even a part of all this. You were like a gem among roughened stones or a flower growing in gravel, reading in your tent and braiding your horse's mane while he washed blood off his hands.

And truth be told, because of that, he found you to be soothing and healing for his battered soul. It was so different, to be around someone like you.

You brought out a side of him he didn't know he had, one that was more tender than he was used to be. He didn't feel so angry or cynical, even after a job gone wrong. When he was with you, being gentle was easy.

At the beginning, when you first fell with the gang, it was doubt and hesitation he felt towards you. You were so... untouched by the world's cruelty, so innocent and open-hearted.

Arthur assumed you were naive and feeble, not only in the physical sense but mental as well. The world posed a huge threat to someone like you and he was worried you wouldn't survive in such circumstances. He was convinced you'd run after a few weeks but you did no such thing.

As the months passed, you stayed with the gang, patient and resilient while remaining soft and feminine. You helped where you could and offered a listening ear to anyone who needed it; even managed to get Arthur to open up to you when you two were alone. And you barely ever complained, even ate all Pearson's stews though you must've been used to eating fine food. And you lit up the space wherever you went. Your optimism was invincible. How the hell were you managing to do that?

It dawned on him he must've terribly underestimated you and his doubtfulness turned into admiration and intrigue. You were one fascinating little thing.

Things have been going quite downhill, so he kept checking up on you and you always had a warm smile to offer. You were still sweet and charming, even with the law on your tail.

You were his polar opposite, gentle waves of the sea splashing against hard rocks hot from the sun. Soft clouds concealing the sky after a raging storm. A calm rain on a hot summer day.

Arthur had no intentions of falling in love ever again.

But his heart was a sneaky little traitor.

Dusk softly illuminated the lake's surface when he found you sitting on the pier, your feet splashing in the water. You put your shoes beside you and held the skirt of your dress at your knees to avoid getting it wet. It was your favorite, white and pink, the corset decorated with little bows at the front. Your locks curled loosely over your shoulders, a light pink bow tying some of it at the back of your head.

You looked so vulnerable and cute lost in your thoughts like this, your feet creating creases in the water as you idly watched them. You had no company with you, only a couple of ducks swimming nearby and butterflies fluttering their wings around your head.

Arthur wondered what your mind was occupied with and before he could properly think it through, his steps directed towards your small frame lit by warm light.

You were pondering on the events of the past few weeks when the heavy steps on the wooden planks caught your attention. Turning your head to look up at the person coming, your eyes lit up as you saw it was your favorite one.

"Arthur!" you called out, your big doe eyes digging a pit in Arthur's stomach.

"[Name]. How are you?" His gaze lingered on you as he stood before you, his hands placed on the gun belt around his hips. You found the concern sweet. Instead of it being a casual phrase, his eyes studied you for an actual answer.

"Good, I think. What about you?" Your voice was smooth like honey and inviting, giving the outlaw something to lean into.

"'M alright," his voice rumbled as he shifted on his feet, his gaze dropping to the ground. "Ya like this place?"

You shortly looked around, taking in the view of the trees and dim sky reflected back in the peaceful lake.

"I do, it's such a charming spot." You looked back into Arthur's face, catching a hint of a smile on his lips.

"'M glad to hear that."

You could almost hear his goodbye that would follow but before he had the chance, you spoke.

"Come on, join me." You patted the spot next to you and slightly turned your body towards Arthur when he sat beside you.

Arthur was a bit at loss of words, always quick with his witty responses but uncertain around you. Your flowery perfume overcame him, then the sight of your rosy cheeks and full lips. You looked like a doll, looking at him through your long lashes with the most innocent look in your eyes.

For a moment your company made him forget about everything. He felt like just a man instead of a sinner, leaning into the silent acceptance you provided him.

You swung your feet in the water. "What did you do today?" you asked kindly, no trace of judgment.

Arthur sighed, recalling the day's events. "Robbed a stagecoach, had to shoot 'em guards. Met a few of the O'Driscoll boys too."

He wasn't one to sugarcoat things, especially when there was no reason to. You knew what kind of person he was and despite you never expressing disgust, he knew you must've had certain sentiments of him and they were all true. He was no better than the crooks he fought. And yet, with you, he wished he was.

Your gaze found his hand resting over his knee, barely dried blood on his knuckles.

"Oh, Arthur!" You took his hand in his, examining the damage with focus as you held his palm with both your hands, yours small in comparison to his.

Arthur's breath faltered in his throat. A lukewarm feeling settled in his chest and slight panic ran through his mind as he was slow to realize just what was happening. The warm touch of your smooth fingers was unusually intensive and he wished for the moment to never stop, as if he ever cared for such things.

He felt silly for it. What was happening with him? Why did he feel such fondness at your delicate hands cradling his, the slight blush on your cheeks, the flyaway hairs around your head?

He furrowed his brow at the unfamiliar tightness in his chest, the rhythm of his heartbeat picking up on pace.

He hasn't felt this way ever since...

"Your poor knuckles," you mumbled while gently running your finger over the bruises. "You know, I don't think I've ever seen them healed."

Your tone was nothing but caring, as if Arthur hadn't used the fist to break someone's jaw. You put his hand away, putting yours in your lap as you continued bathing your feet in the water and watching the thoughtful look on Arthur's face as he softly looked at you.

Arthur cleared his throat, chasing all the crazy thoughts away. "And how's yer day been?"

You tactfully ignored the change of topic and played around with your necklace as you spoke. "Well, it was alright. I've been doing chores almost whole day, then went to Rhodes for some supplies with Tilly and Javier. He also taught me a bit of one Spanish song!"

Oh did he? A pang of jealousy struck him. What the hell was wrong with him?

"Arthur, everything okay?" you asked, your brow furrowed at the sight of his troubled expression.

"Sure, 'm... just tired, that's all."

You nodded, looking at the sky coloring itself in blueish grays. "Yeah, I might go to sleep earlier today as well, I reckon."

Pulling your feet out of the water, you started putting on your shoes while Arthur stood up, offering you a hand by the time you were done. You smiled up at him and accepted his hand, being effortlessly pulled up to your feet.

"Thank you, Arthur."

Your voice wouldn't leave his head, even after you walked towards your tent, disappearing from his sight. He walked to his own one in a trance, left with many unanswered questions in his head.

This wasn't like him, even less to be so confused by his feelings. And yet, as he lay in his cot that night, he kept going back to the moment at the lake, imagining what it would've felt like to brush his fingers through your soft hair or cup your cheek.

Another heavy sigh.

Only yesterday you were still just you. A kind girl they had rescued when she had nowhere else to go, a young woman who–

No, who was he kidding. The warning signs had been there long before; the warmth in his chest whenever he saw you, that little jump his heart did when you said his name, the joy he felt when you asked him for small favors.

It gnawed at him, the sense of knowing he tried pushing away.

He fell in love with you. Somewhere along the way, without taking notice. As complicated and messy it would make things, in a way, admitting to himself the feelings he had for you felt relieving.

How was he so stupid not to realize sooner?

He loved the way you got excited over making flower crowns and how you'd weave some for the girls. He loved when he saw you consoling and comforting Karen into putting the bottle away, or even being kind to that bastard Kieran. He loved when he found you playing with Jack, letting him put flowers in your hair. He loved your feminine gaze, the one that would capture all his attention, or how your kindness towards him made him feel. As if there was still hope for him, as if he wasn't damned after all.

But there was a tight knot in his stomach. He might've set himself up for another heartbreak. How could you want someone like him?

Arthur fell asleep riddled with contradicting thoughts that night.

The new reality of being in love with you gave him a sort of solace. But it wasn't until morning that he decided he could only do one thing – keep his distance. For both his and your sake.

You were beautiful and dainty like a rose, but he was the thorns.

Arthur did as he promised to himself – despite the stolen glances and wishful thoughts split in half, he would avoid you, though it wasn't as apparent as he's been so busy lately. Not like he would complain about that, if anything, it took his mind off you, even if not for long.

Above all he wanted to return to camp after a difficult job and be close to you, talk to you, feel your calming presence.

What he didn't expect with his plan was how much it would wear him down.

But the last thing he wanted was to hurt you, which he assumed would eventually happen, or lose his head for someone who wouldn't reciprocate the same feelings back.

He returned to camp late today. In the middle of the night when everyone was already asleep. He wanted nothing more than to lie down in his cot, his shoulders slouched as he got down from the saddle and patted his horse a good night, unsaddling him to give him some rest too. The night was quiet and tranquil, like peace after a storm, given how Arthur's day went.

It has been weeks since Arthur had realized he had feelings for you by this point and looking towards the tents, he couldn't help but wonder whether you were alright. He hasn't been around much lately, so he could only guess you continued to be true to who you've been since the beginning. With ribbons in your hair and a dreamy look in your face.

He sighed at the image. What a lovestruck fool he was.

He missed your sleepy eyes and the little wrinkle between your eyebrows when you were confused.

As if something listened to his wishes, a small figure emerged from the shadows and he realized it was you.

Wearing your undergarments, bloomers with frills and lace, you made your way straight towards him. Your hair was in two braids tied by pink ribbons, though a bit messy from sleep, and the loose strands of hair tucked behind your ear.

He froze in place, watching you get closer while his heart went a little crazy. A part of him was happy to see you approaching him, whatever the reason for that was. It made him feel fuzzy inside and that scared him more than any gunfight.

"Arthur!" you called out for him with a slightly shaky voice, not stopping your steps until you stood right before him.

Arthur fought the urge to reach out for you as he saw you small and vulnerable, looking up at him with need, his heart struck with fear when he noticed the little tears in your eyes.

"[Name], what's wrong?" There was urgency in his voice, a worried look in his eyes and panic coursing through his veins.

You held a sob as you spoke, hugging yourself with your arms, a few of the loose strands falling into your face.

"J-just a nightmare. I woke up so s-scared." You started to shiver as you recalled the frightening images. As soft as you were on the outside, you had a vivid imagination and your nightmares could get very eerie and gruesome, causing chills to travel up your spine every time the memory flashed before your eyes.

Arthur's instincts now clutched his heart tightly, a knot tying itself in his stomach. He hated seeing you like this, helpless, afraid and trembling. The sight of you awakened every bit of his protective nature and he didn't want anything more than to hold you and never let you go, even put his life on the line just to keep you safe.

He didn't think twice.

"Aw, c'mere," he proposed in a low warm voice, enveloping you in his embrace gently enough to give you the option of changing your mind.

But you snuggled into the hug instead, a small sob escaping you as you wrapped your arms around his torso, your arms barely connecting behind his back.

He was so warm and firm and you have never felt safer in your whole life. The anxiety was slowly mellowed out, filling your heart with affection instead.

Arthur breathed in your scent and it made him feel lightheaded, and to feel your soft warm body pressed against his felt like a dream.

You were so delicate in his arms and your exposed skin made it hard for him to keep his thoughts straight. He was a gentleman of course, but his heart raced nonetheless and he feared you could hear it beating against your ear.

"It's okay, t'was just a dream." His voice was soothing and warm, and it worked like a charm. He consoled you with strokes on your back, his big palms hot through the thin layer of your undergarments.

"What horrible thin' did ya dream 'bout?" Arthur asked, his embrace not loosening around you. He was quite happy like this, protecting you between his arms, as if you always belonged there.

You kept your face nuzzled to his chest, comfortably leaning into the hug.

You started talking about the dream and he listened. A monster, you said, something big and deranged sneaking its way around to its victims. You rambled about the details, your descriptions a mess as you spoke in loose tangles.

Arthur slightly smiled at your stuttering, it made you even more adorable than you already were, though he didn't know it was even possible.

He would kill anyone who'd dare to touch you.

"'M the only scary thing 'round here 'm afraid," Arthur muttered, his chest rumbling under your head.

"As if," you retorted with your voice muffled, certainty in your disagreement.

It caught Arthur off guard a little and nervousness arose in him as he asked the following question. "You ain't scared of me?"

He knew if there was even an ounce of fear in you, it would've killed him.

You looked up at him, your eyes big and glossy. "I feel safe with you, Arthur."

His heart dropped and he looked into your eyes completely baffled, not grasping how such a sweet creature like you could say such a thing to him.

You felt safe with him.

You did.

He felt vulnerable under your gaze; not even heavens could make him feel so exposed. He was afraid you could read his thoughts with that pretty mind of yours as you held the eye contact, that you could recognize how much he was now melting and crumbling inside.

So much for being a tough hardened criminal.

He felt like a teenager again. The sweating hands, tingles in his stomach, it was all back.

Arthur tightened his embrace, cuddling you closer.

As he held you under the starry sky, your tiny arms wrapped around him, he was sure of one thing.

He could do many things. But staying away from you was not one of them.

[ellllsia]

Levi's main love language is acts of service. It's all about the smallest things, which would be second nature to him. You're having trouble with your gear, he will have it fixed without you even knowing about it. You said you were hungry, and a peeled apple would be waiting for you on your desk. If he ever sees you crying, he would simply wave his tissue in front of your face, prompting you to take it. If you try giving it back he would wave you off claiming that it's too dirty with your tears. But the truth is he just wants you to have something that's his, something that would remind you of him. If your horse is acting up ? No worries, Levi will calm it down and even help you get on it again. Right, he wouldn't miss a chance to get close to you.

So, moving on to his second love language: physical touch and proximity. Levi is very much touch deprived. Hence, he seeks comfort in your touch or at least in being close to you. If there's a meeting, he always makes sure to sit next to you. If you all are on mission in the woods and there's a bonfire, just know that no matter how close to the fire you could be or how far, Levi will be seated right next to you. He couldn't care less about the cold because one look from you and he's feeling so warm, inside and out. He would always pat your head. Once you start dating, hugging you would be his favourite thing to do, from the back with his arms draped around your waist or shoulders as he kisses the top of your head or nuzzles your neck, (I'm blushing so hard right now ).

Next in line is quality time. He just adores being with you, by your side, giving you his undivided attention, though very subtly that you don't even notice. But he does. He listens, and he cares, storing everything you say somewhere in his memory. He watches so carefully and takes many pictures with his grey eyes that he stores deep in his heart. Also, if you're ever focused on him, he would get a tiny bit flustered, and his ears would go red. He solely cherishes the way you look at him. He wouldn't, couldn't look away.

Levi doesn't strike me as much of a gift enthusiast, but like always, you're the exception to the rule. I believe he would treasure the littlest thing you could gift him, and in return, would give you the world. If there's a pretty flower or leaf around, he would pick it and march towards where you're seated and would place it on your lap, muttering about how it reminded him of you.

Levi doesn't really vocalise his affection much. But, one day you would be training and pushing yourself a bit too hard and when Nanaba asked what was wrong, you would explain how you've been feeling useless due to all your comrades dying and you not being able to do much about it. Levi ,who witnessed the whole scene, came by your quartes later, looked you straight in the eyes, took your hand in his caressing them, oh so softly, "You are enough, you are doing good by staying alive and fighting in the name of all that we've lost, don't you start questioning yourself after we- after I have put my trust in you. You who has always been so bright and hopeful, don't doubt that we'll make it in the end, together, "he whispered, looking so fond. He then turned around and left you awestruck and teary-eyed.

[undiscovered-horizon]

"Espionage" - Kaz Brekker x Reader

SUMMARY: Lord de Witt is throwing an exclusive banquet for socialites - just the perfect opportunity for Kaz to put his hands on whatever the aristocrat has in his safe. Fortunately, being an ambassador's daughter, you can easily smuggle him in but the two of you must pretend you're engaged to avoid suspicion.

WORDCOUNT: ~ 3.7k

>>Grishaverse-inspired playlist&lt;<

If Jesper didn’t know Kaz, he’d think he was having a laugh.

“When you said you know someone, I was expecting everything but the daughter of an ambassador.” Then, in a slightly anxious manner, he turns to look at you apologetically. “No offence.”

There is something quite amusing in his uneasiness as though Jesper is expecting to be decapitated for as much as giving you a sour grimace. You’re probably the closest thing to nobility he’s ever been around.

“Worry not, sir,” you reassure him with a polite smile on your face, “I will try my best not to spoil your criminal quality.”

His eyebrows furrow and he leans towards Inej. “Did… did she just call me ‘sir’?” he asks quietly.

“Don’t get used to it,” she answers half-heartedly, busy pondering something else.

“How do you even know each other?” Jesper points between you and Kaz but the moment his index finger is directed towards you, he quickly puts his hand down. “I doubt you’ve been to the Barrel before.”

To any passerby, the sight of you and the Crows standing next to each other must look like a skit. With your expensive, light-coloured dress and back about as straight as a broomstick, you really do stand out like a sore thumb. Are those lowlifes bothering a proper lady or is she perhaps noble enough to offer them a few coins?

“That’s quite right. When my father was fraudulently accused of conspiring against the crown, mister Brekker,” out of pure habit you vaguely gesture towards him, “had been so kind as to solve this perplexing hoax. It is only fair that I agree to help him when he asks.”

Kaz checks his watch. Then, his expression suddenly becomes stern, focused, and you know exactly what it means.

“We should go,” he states. His eyes have a strange glint of both coldness and concealed worry to them. “There’s no backing out now.”

Your polite smile doesn’t falter. “I wasn’t considering such a thing.”

The dearth path around the lawn in front of the manor is blocked with countless carriages - horses of one freight have their nostrils pushed against the rolling stock of another cart. It seems as though Lord de Witt has invited half of the continent to his exclusive banquet. Half of them, one might assume, came out of courtesy or simply because of the other guests sure to attend.

Mixing into the crowd of rich men and aristocracy, choking on the powder and perfume, you tell Kaz the basics of banquets like this:

“Let me do the talking. You’re accompanying me, which among socialites makes you akin to a show horse. Of course, someone might ask you a question but it will be pure courtesy. They don’t actually care, because they don’t know you. Answer shortly and politely.”

“Will it not raise suspicion that the ambassador’s daughter is engaged to a no-one?”

“Not if he’s a First Army veteran, wounded on the front lines by a Fjerdan savage,” you say in a theatrical manner. His perpetual frown elicits a chuckle from you. “Oh, don’t look at me like that. I’m sure you can sell it. Besides, if you seem grim enough, which shouldn’t be a problem honestly, the guests won’t dare ask any more questions.”

The porter nods knowingly in your direction. Despite his old age, he’s quick to recognize the little lady you once were. You offer him the invitation but he waves his hand in dismissal. His fingers tremble slightly, making you wonder in all of your melancholy whether he’d still be able to do all those small magic tricks he used to entertain you with.

Following the mob of guests, you end up in a spacious ballroom. Crystal chandeliers reflect candlelight, causing ethereal rainbows to dance across the frescoes painted on the ceiling. Some of the artwork presented landscapes, other battles and even Saints - all of them equally breathtaking. The hall is filled with a plethora of scents: vertigo-inducing perfume, imported fruits, freshly-cut flowers, braised meats. To Kaz, this is the smell of wealth but to you, the ballroom only smells of home.

Appearance-wise, Kaz falls a bit behind compared to the three-piece suits and cylinders but the difference is not stark enough for people to give him contemptuous glances. In all honesty, this will help you sell the yarn you’re spinning. After all, what veteran has enough money to buy a whole suit for just one evening?

“Come on, we should say our greetings to the host,” you say quietly while gently nudging his arm.

As though you are something of a Grisha yourself, the middle-aged man in question suddenly appears in front of you. His face has gained a few deep wrinkles since the last time you saw him but still, his prominent laughter lines are the first thing people notice about him. Considering what kind of person Lord de Witt is, it’s a reliable first impression - a rare occurrence among thieves and noblemen alike.

The man’s face beams with happiness when he recognizes you, his eyes nearly disappearing in a genuine smile. “Ah, принцесса!” he exclaims, opening his arms. “You’re more beautiful every time I see you.” Holding your hand, he meaningfully leans down but never presses a polite kiss against your skin. Instead, he curtly nods while maintaining eye contact, uneasy at the thought of such a gesture.

“I thank you for the kind words, Lord de Witt,” you answer. “It is a pleasure to be your guest.”

He furrows his eyebrows and dismissively waves his hand. “Nonsense, you’re not just an ordinary guest. Tell me, how’s your father? Is our ambassador in good health?”

“The weather is terrible on his knees, I’m afraid. Only laudanum and nettle curb his pain enough to let him work. If I may inquire as to where Lady de Witt is? I haven’t seen her among the guests.”

Lord’s face grows brighter once again but this time there’s a sense of longing in his tired, grey eyes. “My dear Betty left for Novyi Zem just a few days ago. Ever since Lady de Serre expressed interest in her antique collection, she’s been eager to go back.”

Kaz, so far unnoticed by the aristocrat, glances between you and the man. You’re exchanging mere greetings and courtesies, yet he’s learned quite a few interesting things in just those few sentences. Nobility, as it seems, will say everything and anything as long as they think they’re talking to an equal.

His inquisitive thoughts must have pushed some Saint’s hand because Lord de Witt suddenly turns his attention to him, although continues talking to you. “The dapper young man is your husband, I presume?”

“Not yet, unfortunately,” you say with a bashful giggle - very ladylike, even if forced. “Igor Dreesen,” you introduce him. Kaz shakes the Lord’s hand without ever giving away that he’s never heard that name before. “He has fought in the First Army, on the front lines.”

“You have my eternal gratitude, gentleman.” Lord de Witt has an iron grip on Kaz’s hand, holding it significantly longer than Brekker is comfortable with. “May we all have your bravery and loyalty. Please, enjoy the evening.”

Kaz waits for the Lord to be out of earshot before turning to you. “He seems to know you well.” Maybe you’re reading too much into it or maybe there is a hint of suspicion in his tone.

“When I was younger, I used to come here every week. Valeriya de Witt, Lord’s eldest daughter, taught me embroidery. I know this manor like my own home.”

“Then you surely know where the safe is.”

“It could be in his bedroom or in his office.”

Kaz cocks his head. “So you don’t actually know.”

“I’ve met quite a few noblemen and state officials, Kaz. The older the money, the less we’re careful. De Witt’s office is next door,” you motion your head to the side.

Strolling through the ballroom towards the office door, weaving your way between gold-threaded gowns and made-to-order suits, you can’t help but wonder about the master thief by your side or rather what the world looks like through his eyes. You can recall so many gossip exchanges where a group of complete strangers would discuss their wealth and business, believing that their secrets are safe among socialites similarly to unaffiliated thugs discussing their commissions over a pint of watered-down beer. In a thief’s world, you’re something of an encyclopedia on fast enrichment. Maybe telling a secret or two could be treacherous of you but in the grand scheme of things, you think it’s not nearly enough to cover your debt.

You lean towards Kaz, speaking in a low voice. “See that lady with a scandalously huge hat? That’s lady Maria de Bouvier, harbors so much contempt towards her stepmother, she’d probably be elevated if some of the jewelry was to disappear.”

Brekker spares you a questioning glance but doesn’t say anything. 

“Or that retired soldier by the pillar? Next to the girl dressed in all-white?” you ask him. His keen eye quickly finds the dark green jacket with an obnoxious amount of medals attached. “Captain Geoffrey van der Greiss, earned most of his fortune from smuggling. Open any crate with fish at the Eastern harbors and the sides of the box will be filled with cash. Yours to take if you can bear the smell.”

Kaz suddenly steps in your way, stopping you. His usual frown appears more like a scowl now. “Why are you telling me all of this?” he spits out. “You’re so eager to point me towards easy wealth. It’s not just about returning a favor, is it?”

You look away for a moment - you should have expected that if someone was to notice your motive, it would be Kaz Brekker himself. His face is still contorted into an expression of contempt or anger when your stare returns to him.

“Have you ever, even for a single second, considered what would have happened to me had my father been found guilty?” you ask in a hushed tone.

“I can’t say I have.”

“I often do. He would have been locked up in Hellgate or simply killed. The family fortune would dwindle rather quickly as my mother and I would live off of it. Then one day the money would run out, we’d have to sell our house and live modestly if not on the streets. No one would employ us because of the scandal and soon we’d find our place in a brothel. All of that did not happen because of you, Kaz.” His expression visibly softens, even if he’s doing his best not to show it. “I owe you my life.”

“I don’t want it.” 

Without waiting for you to continue, he resumes walking towards the office door. Although off-limits to the guests, the manor staff is simply too busy to pay attention to anything else other than restocking drinks and food. On the other hand, the guards employed by Lord de Witt are so convinced drunk aristocracy doesn’t need nannies that they’re playing cards in some dark, isolated corner and drawing lots when someone has to go swipe some alcohol and lamb from the kitchen. Perhaps they are paid to complete much different tasks but if someone is familiar with de Witt’s banquets, they wouldn’t be exactly surprised - a scandal is yet to happen inside his manor.

You meet Kaz’s gaze but immediately regret it. There’s something both chilling with determination and burning hot with focus, making you feel rather flustered at the intensity of it all. 

“Make sure no one comes in here,” he says quickly before swiftly crossing the remaining meters and sliding inside the room. For a man with a limp, he’s exceptionally agile.

Minutes go by while Kaz is absent and you begin to worry. What if someone caught him? Or if he got injured somehow? He may be something of an atelier of theft but he’s still a man, after all.

Debating whether to go after Kaz or trust his expertise, you don’t notice a young man approaching you:

“Excuse me, my lady, but you are the ambassador’s daughter, are you not?”

Torn out of your spiraling thoughts, you look up at him with wide eyes. He has a kind face with strong features. His tanned skin is in contrast with his creme-coloured suit, creating a quite enticing sight. Warm, brown eyes study you with interest.

“I am, master…” you make a meaningful pause.

The man immediately picks up on your cue. “Tolkov Ilya Romanovich. My father is the legat of Ketterdam’s Merchants’ Guild.” Contrary to Lord de Witt, Ilya doesn’t hesitate to plant a kiss on the back of your hand.

“Oh, I have heard about you. Horse racing enthusiast, is it not?”

He gives you a flustered chuckle. “My vices precede me, I see. As does your beauty, if I may say so.”

You feel your cheeks warm up. There’s something about Western men’s charm that really gnaws at a lady’s heart. “That’s very kind, master Tolkov.”

“Lord de Witt spoke of you with exceptional fondness. I thought it only appropriate to witness your marvel myself.”

At the same time, Kaz is slipping back through the office door into the ballroom. Judging by the lack of interest he attracts, none of the guests even noticed his disappearance. He is making his way back to you, when he catches the sight of a rather dignified man politely kissing your hand. Although you don’t look swept off your feet, there’s nothing akin to discomfort on your face either. Kaz feels sudden uneasiness in his chest like he’s watching something he shouldn’t be, while being unable to place his gaze elsewhere. He doesn’t even know his face has turned into a grimace of distaste.

“You’re finally back, my love!” you dramatically exclaim when Kaz reaches you and the stranger. His expression is rid of anything pleasant but you decide to play along for now. “Master Tolkov, this is my fiance, Igor Dreesen. Darling, this is the son of the legat of the Merchants’ Guild, Ilya Romanovich.”

Legat of the Merchants’ Guild? Finally someone worth knowing of.

Kaz shakes Ilya’s hand but that marks the extent of his politeness. “I do not take kindly to anyone descending on my lady,” he says in a stern voice.

“But of course, sir.” Tolkov nods curtly. Annoyed or not, he’s proficient at keeping his face blandly kind. “My sincere apologies.”

Ilya gently bows his head towards you before leaving the two of you alone. Your gaze follows him until the man disappears among coiffures and cylinders. Then, you look at Kaz with hardly hidden amusement:

“You play your part better than I was expecting.”

Kaz, however, completely ignores your comment. “The safe isn't here. It must be in the bedroom. Where is it?”

“Upper floor. There’s the grand staircase in the vestibule but we can take the kitchen stairs, there won't be many people in that part of the mansion.”

The presence of ground floor guards is revealed only by loud laughter from behind the door leading to the staff rooms. All of the guests could just leave at once and none of them would notice. Still, you’re exceptionally careful when sneaking between the tables that are bending under the weight of food - even a small misstep, nudging one of the silver platters, could cause a cacophony loud enough that someone might hear it, even if not the guards in question.

You’re leaning against the wall when walking up the spiral stairs. Cocking your head to the side, you’re trying to look into the hall on the first floor but there’s not much you can actually see. As it appears, theft takes a lot more faith than you had previously thought.

The upper floor guards are out of sight but you don’t let yourself give in to the sudden feel of relief - this is only the first step into this little big scheme. There’s still a safe to find and an exit to make.

There’s a long, red carpet covering most of the floor. Although it muffles Kaz’s cane, it also makes the steps of the guards hardly audible. If you do see one, you’ll have to rely on quick thinking and a certain level of stupidity accredited to aristocracy.

Left turn. Pair of doors. Two right turns. Another left and another right. And then - footsteps.

“Someone’s coming,” Kaz whispers. His keen eyes are scanning the long corridor to find anything remotely close to a hiding spot. Decorative cabinets could well work but only if the unwanted passerby doesn’t walk past them.

The idea, a true testimony of quick thinking and aristocratic carelessness, hits you like a bolt out of the blue:

“Push me against the wall,” you order him.

His head snaps towards you, eyes wider than you’ve ever seen. “What?” he stutters out.

“No one likes clingy couples.”

There isn’t any time to discuss and ponder as the footsteps grow louder. Visibly displeased, he puts his arm against the wall next to your head. At first you’re wondering just how enraged your father would be had he heard about this but then you smell Brekker’s cologne and suddenly one nervousness is changed for another, a more bashful one.

The footsteps, as one might expect, belong to a lonely guard patrolling the manor. His face is grim even before he notices the misplaced lovers. When his eyes do glance at you and Kaz, the soldier’s cheeks visibly raise and the frown quickly becomes more of an expression of disgust. Passing by the two of you, he grunts in distaste or irritation and continues walking farther down the corridor.

Kaz, to your surprising displeasure, wastes no time in putting more space between the two of you when the guard is out of sight. No words are exchanged like a collective agreement to pretend this little embarrassment had never taken place. But, it can’t really hurt him if he doesn’t know you’re thinking about it, can it?

With a confident push, you open the ivory-coloured door, their golden decorations glistening in dim lighting.

Lord de Witt’s bedroom is strangely dark compared to the rest of the house. At first glance, there is nothing that stands out as a possible hiding spot for a safe: a bed that could easily fit five people, a vanity with boxes of jewelry and cosmetics, a small desk with private correspondence, a cold fireplace, a folding screen. The artisan taxidermy hanging on the walls only adds a touch of grim macabre.

But a master thief is not so easily dissuaded. You watch Kaz in a slight confusion and interest as he walks through the room, gently knocking against solid wood or carefully. brushing his hand along some surfaces. More than once he tapped different parts of the floor with his cane, only to let out a short sigh as if the strange rite gave him some kind of information but not necessarily the one he was hoping for.

Then, as though he had known all along or played a secret magic trick, he pulls the base of a taxidermied boar’s head. The decoration, for a lack of better word, moves on hinges, revealing a strongbox - one of those that will survive explosives as the manufacturer promises. The safe has a dial and a handle, rendering any kind of traditional lockpicking useless. But Kaz Brekker, as you’re about to witness, is not much of a traditional thief either:

He puts his ear against the iron box, turning the dial a few times in one direction and the other. Then, he lays his other hand on the safe’s door, his whole body leaning against it. Kaz begins slowly turning the dial in one direction. A silence falls between the two of you.

You can’t be sure whether the tension you’re feeling is because of the hallway perplexity or because he’s so determined to open this strongbox but either way, you’re completely uncomfortable with that. “To be honest, I used to be intimidated by you,” you throw at him in hopes of some kind of conversation, no matter how pointless.

“What changed?” he asks in an absent voice. His hand stops turning the dial only to start rotating it in the opposite direction - whatever he’s doing, it seems to be working.

“You have turned out to make a rather lovely spouse.”

A loud click resounds in the room and Kaz immediately pushes down on the handle, opening the strongbox. He reaches inside, pulls out some documents and quickly reads through them. Some he puts back, others he stuffs between his waistcoat and shirt.

“Such nimble fingers you have. I know a market for that,” you joke partially expecting the thief to say something sultry enough to get you to be quiet for the rest of the night.

He spares you a glance and goes back to rummaging through the contents of the safe. In an unexpected act of goodwill, he takes only some of the cash. “Are you trying to flirt with me?”

“Even a lady of my sort has her weaknesses.”

You wait for his answer but Kaz doesn’t as much as look over his shoulder at you as though he hasn’t even heard your words. Although awkwardly, you patiently wait for him to be finished with whatever selective theft he’s committing. That tense silence again.

After a longer while, he closes the safe and locks it again. When he turns around to face you, something glistens between his fingers - a string of pinkish pearls. They flow along the shape of his hand as he offers you the necklace.

A quiet sigh escapes your lips. “I don’t want a payback, Kaz,” you shake your head to accentuate the refusal. “You have helped my family tremendously, this,” you make a vague gesture with your hand, “is the least I could do for you.”

“This isn’t payment,” he states.

Your eyebrows furrow. “Whatever do you mean?”

His intense gaze bores into you for a minute or two before he slowly answers. “It’s a bastard’s inclination.”

With a flustered ‘oh’, you take the string of pearls from him, feeling blood rushing to your cheeks. Still feeling his passionate gaze gliding along your face, you’re a little too abashed to meet his eye. Who would have thought - a thief with a heart!

[cambion-companion]

whenever you have time, i NEED you to write something based on that ask you got about vhagar being super attached to aemond's girl 🥺

These requests are from November, so yes I am still working on the messages I have received! Thank you for them :)

I would love to expound more upon Vhagar bonding with the reader (you) especially after you and Aemond get married. The idea of dragons being intelligent enough to feel/recognize the bonds their riders have with other people is something I'd love to be canonized.

When Aemond could not find you within the walls of the Red Keep or honing your body in the training courtyard, he knew by now you were well outside the confines of King’s Landing, spending quality time with your newest best friend.

“I thought I would find you out here.”

You looked up with a smile at Aemond’s familiar velvet voice.  Your back was pressed against the iron dragonskin of Vhagar’s neck, a book of Targaryen history propped open upon your knees as you had been regaling the dragon with tales she would’ve been well familiar with.

“I needed to escape the stuffy sitting room for a while.” You agreed, feeling the rumbling purr growing within Vhagar as she acknowledged her rider’s presence.

You scooted into Aemond’s embrace as he took a seat on the soft earth beside you, peering briefly at the book you had been reading. “And what does Vhagar think about today’s reading material?”

You looked sideways up along the endless expanse of Vhagar’s neck to where her yellow eye watched the two of you.  You caught Aemond’s eye with a smirk. “No complaints so far.”

“Hmm.”  Aemond took the book from you, closing and setting it aside before taking your hands in his.  He leaned into your space, brushing his nose against yours before finding your lips in a chaste kiss. “One day I’m going to seek you out and find you’ve taken her out for a ride.”

Your heart stuttered in mild fear at the very thought. “That’ll be the day.”  You laughed as Aemond breathed a soft chuckle, tucking your head beneath his chin, his warm breath rustling your hair.

He held you for many moments as you basked in the warmth of his body and the continual rumbling of Vhagar as she shifted slightly at your back.

The three of you were alerted to the sound of many hooves thundering upon the earth as several riders cleared the hill.  Upon seeing the massive island-sized dragon laying before them their horses reared in fear, nearly sending several soldiers toppling to the ground.  Vhagar’s head became visible from your periphery as she growled low and deep, moving to position her snarling teeth in between where you and Aemond sat and the newcomers.

“Vhagar, gida.”  Aemond calmed the dragon with a word, though Vhagar did not move her head from its defensive position.

Aemond gave you a strange look which you mirrored right back at him. “Has she acted like this before?”

You shook your head, glancing to where you could see the sun glinting off dragon teeth the length of a man’s body.

“My prince!”  The leading rider called, unwilling to come any closer. “The king requests your presence at once!”

“Duty calls.”  Aemond sighed, rising to stand and brushing sand off his clothing. “Would you like to remain here or accompany me back to the city?”

You took his proffered hand and he helped you rise to your feet. “I’ll come back with you.”

At your movements Vhagar grumbled another deep sound of displeasure, her tail this time slithering around to block your path forward, even separating you from where Aemond stood.

“Vhagar!”  Aemond said almost reproachfully, looking to where Vhagar’s gaze was still fixated on the soldiers.  He shook his silver head in annoyance. “Seems she has become incorrigibly possessive of you overnight.”

“Vhagar.”  You called to the ancient she-dragon gently.  The yellow eye flicked briefly to you. “Nyke ȳgha.”  She seemed to relax at your Valyrian reassurance, allowing you to take Aemond’s hand again and proceed closer to where the soldiers waited.

“I haven’t a clue what’s gotten into her.”  You muttered to your husband.

Aemond shook his head in agreement as he glanced back toward where Vhagar still was growling low. “Perhaps she decided to take you on as a sort of dragonling…” He stopped mid-stride, color draining from his face as he turned to face you. “A child.”

“I am hardly her child, Aemond.”  You snickered, your smile dropping when his expression remained serious. “What’s wrong?”

“Are you…” Aemond shot a look to where the riders were obviously trying to listen in, he lowered his voice and leaned closer to you. “Are you with child?”

Your stomach swooped as shock coursed through you. “I-I don’t know.”

“Let’s pay a visit to the maester after dealing with whatever my brother wants.”  Aemond squeezed your hand briefly, unable to keep an excited grin off his angular face. He looked again at Vhagar, this time in mild wonder.  The grumbles and groans of the dragon faded away as the riders escorted the two of you back to the Keep.

Nine months later the kingdom welcomed the birth of their newest Targaryen princess.  

She grew to be very much like her father, in mannerisms and visage.  When she was old enough Aemond didn’t waste any time in introducing her to Vhagar.  

The old dragon seemed to already know who she was.

[youremyheaven]

Saturnians Who Love Animals 🦆🦀🐟🐂🐒🐼🐱🦊🦁🙀

In my first post about Saturnians, I had included examples of several Saturnian individuals who were known for abusing animals. It is a very sensitive topic and I did not intend to say that it is the nature of Saturn to abuse animals, only that it's one of the violent, brutal "dark" or "negative" manifestations of the planet. Claire's research had shown that Ketu ruled naks were most prominent among serial killers but that does not mean every Ketuvian is a potential criminal. Every planet and nakshatra has good and bad manifestations. The same qualities can be projected differently by different individuals. Saturn causes delay and obstructions, some pay turn to devotion and discipline in the face of it and others may turn cold, cruel and bitter. How you manifest your chart depends on what is in your heart as a human being.

All that said, I thought I'd include examples of some Saturnians who are complete animal lovers<333

Lisa from Blackpink, UBP Sun & stellium (Venus, Saturn, Ketu)

She has 5 cats (Leo, Luca, Lily, Louis, and Lego) and one dog (Love)

Salma Hayek, UBP Moon

Hayek loves animals and has over 30 pets, including dogs, cats, alpacas, parrots, chickens, fishes, horses, geese, rabbits, hamsters, one owl, and more.

Mariah Carey, UBP Sun at one point had 8 dogs. I am not sure how many she has right now but she def has at least 2 dogs

Jin from BTS, UBP Moon and his iconic dog, Jjangu

Miley Cyrus, Anuradha Sun & Mercury

She currently has eight dogs named Angel, Barbie, Happy, Bean, Emu, Kate Moss, Tani and Daisy, a pig named Puddles, two Horses named Pumpkin & Dumplin and three Cats named Lilo, Kiki and Harlem.

Angelina Jolie, Venus & Rising in Pushya

In my last post I had cited an interview of hers from the 90s where she openly admitted to hurting animals when she was younger but things seem different now that she has kids of her own.

She and her kids have a bunny, snake, and lizard. As of 2020, the family had an English bulldog, two pugs, and a Rottweiler.

Jane Goodall, Anuradha Moon & Rising

she is an iconic primatologist and anthropologist

Chrissy Teigen, Anuradha Moon & Mercury

 She has four dogs and a bearded dragon

Selena Gomez, Pushya Sun & Rising

She has 2 dogs, Daisy & Winnie

Kaley Cuoco, Anuradha Sun & Stellium (Mercury & Saturn)

At Cuoco's ranch in Thousand Oaks, northwest of Los Angeles, there are horses, donkeys, chickens, goats, cows and pigs. she also has 4 rescue dogs.

[gorbo-longstocking]

Do Not Blame the Sea | Chapter 4

Pairings: Emperor Geta/Reader, Emperor Caracalla/Reader

Summary: The emperors’ call upon you to humiliate yourself for their entertainment, and in your anger, you let your tongue loose. The consequences of such an action are not very fun.

Tags: Mentions of period-typical slavery, spit drinking, it’s gross and Caracalla is horny about it for a second, threats of eye trauma, both Geta’s and Caracalla’s anger, medical innaccuracies, very very small implications of past suicidal thoughts and diabolical levels of the ‘I can fix them’ mindset

Word Count: 6.7k Words

Read on AO3

Masterlist

Caracalla did not come to the clinic at the time you had specified. He didn’t come the next day, nor the day after that. You were starting to believe that either he had forgotten, or that he had never intended on returning in the first place. With a sigh, you scooted back your chair, the wooden legs scraping loudly against the floor. The noise grated on your ears. A headache from a lack of sleep had begun to pound behind your eyes a day ago, with no sign of letting up. Most people would take that as a sign to rest. You were far too stubborn to be considered ‘most people.’

After the emperors’ physical, you were led to the room where you would be sleeping. It was located not far from the emperors’ own personal chambers in case a medical emergency arose in the night. The room was far too lavish for your tastes, not large by any means, but more than enough room for yourself. With tall ceilings and a balcony overlooking the gardens — an addition that felt wholly unnecessary — you found the bed was a horrid mix of both too firm and too soft. Worst of all, the room was filled with slaves ready to tend to your every need. You quickly, and kindly, informed them you preferred to attend to personal matters on your own. The idea of telling a slave what to do made you viscerally uncomfortable, so you intended to avoid doing it at whatever cost you could manage. As unrealistic as you knew that goal was considering how many slaves were within the palace walls and how commonplace it was in this time period, you intended to stick with it. A part of you wished that your brain would have skipped this part of living in the Roman Empire, but, of course, that would be too much to ask.

While it made sense for your personal quarters to be near both the emperors and the clinic, you wished to be closer to Aelius and Marianus, both of which were stuck bunking with the ever stringent praetorian guard. A part of you felt a bit guilty. Here you were with a room, all to yourself, while they were stuck sleeping with ten men at a time. At least, that was what Aelius had told you. Marianus was still somewhat miffed about you lying to him when you first met, so he wasn’t talking to you. Even after you apologized and tried to explain yourself, all you got was a grunt in response. It was kind of annoying and far too childish for a man you assumed was in his late thirties, early forties, but you digressed.

Right now, it was about ten o'clock in the morning, judging by the position the sun was in outside the grand windows of the — your? — clinic. You had pulled yet another all-nighter. It took time to refresh your memory on ancient medicine and techniques, and it took even more time pouring over texts that were written in a language different from your mother tongue. If you were going to do this, you were going to do it right, even if that meant hunting down the emperors in their own palace to give them some of your, very high quality, if you said so yourself, advice.

Maybe you were looking a gift horse in the mouth here. With the emperors nowhere near you, whether they were uninterested or simply forgotten that you existed, you were free to do as you pleased without fear of retaliation. That would be true if your ever observant self hadn’t noticed that you were being trailed by no less than two praetorians wherever you went. You didn’t know which emperor set them upon you — though, you figured it was Geta — but it meant that you couldn’t look like you were goofing off. Not that you would if you weren’t being trailed, anyway. Perhaps this was a test of sorts. To quantify your work ethic through the eyes of the emperors’ personal guard. You intended to prove your worth the best you could, even if you were sure it didn’t cast a flattering image of your skills as a physician to be carrying armfuls of scrolls and wax tablets on medicine from the archives to pour over the entire night.

First and foremost, you had to find Caracalla and determine his symptoms. Much to what you were sure to be his annoyance, you also had to perform an examination to see if they had worsened as well. If he had come to you when you asked, this wouldn’t have to happen, but he hadn’t. That meant that he did it to himself and you would feel no pity for him, no matter how he whined or threatened.

Then, you would find Geta to check his blood pressure once more. If it was still high, you would prescribe him an hour of relaxation and a half-hour of exercise per day. Along with that, you would like to tell him to limit his consumption of alcohol, however, you feared even uttering the idea he should drink less wine was an executable offense.

Another miserable sigh puffed from your nose as you stood. Your body protested the movement, your bones aching and cracking as you performed a few cursory stretches. There was little you wouldn’t give to shotgun a RedBull right about now. As much as you hated the taste of most energy drinks, they were an age old friend of yours. Until now, in your own dream, where you were denied even the simplest of luxuries. With the heels of your palms, you scrubbed the crust from your eyes before massaging your temples to regain some semblance of awareness. You were thankful it seemed to be spring — when you asked for the date, all you received was a babble of Latin that sounded more like nonsense to you than anything substantial. Thankfully, the word Aprilis was familiar enough for you to understand, at the very least, what season you were in. The idea that it would only get hotter made your skin crawl. It was already sweltering in the afternoon, you didn’t need it to get any worse.

You stared at your cluttered desk. Before you left to search for the emperors, you really should organize yourself a little better. Staring at the pile of scrolls and wax tablets, some in Latin and some containing your own English notes, you shrugged. Whatever. There would be time to clean later. If you delved head first into your own clutter, you would use it as an excuse to avoid your actual duties. As much as the emperors intimidated you, their health was in your hands, and that was something you took very seriously.

Slipping on your anachronistic shoes, you marched out of the clinic with as much energy as your exhausted body could muster. With dark bags under your eyes, a prominent slouch, and dragging feet, you must have looked a sad sight. Definitely not anywhere near how a physician, let alone an imperial one, should carry himself, though you couldn’t bring yourself to care. After today, you would sleep. You had updated your knowledge on herbal remedies enough for you to feel comfortable treating Caracalla’s symptoms, and anything else that arose in the near future.

You let out another yawn as you trekked down the halls. They were both oddly barren and lavish in a strange contrasting way that made your head spin. What little furniture and decorations a room had were all worth more than what you made in a year, which was nothing to sneeze at considering you were a surgical resident. It was strange to see such extravagant busts and tapestries doing little else aside from collecting dust.

Once you finished your necessary tasks for the day — the only one’s being your care for the emperors — you could go to bed.

Surely, they couldn’t be too hard to find.

It wasn’t until three hours passed and you were both drenched in sweat and frustration did you realize how big this stupid palace was. You took a few steadying breaths as you fanned yourself with the collar of your tunic. It was a good thing that you had been provided a few other articles of Roman garb — though your favorite, for sentimental reasons, was the one Aelius gave you — so you could change rather than mildew in the same linen for however long.

You had been through almost the entire palace. Passed the emperors’ chambers, through the slaves quarters, down each and every hall, to the gardens, then the kitchens, there was not a stone you left unturned. Yet, you could not find the emperors. You were miserable and hot, the midday sun shining through almost every window in an attempt to cook you even further. If you found out this was all a game and that the emperors were hiding from you, well, apologies to Aelius and Marianus, but you were going to kill those God forsaken twins yourself.

“Medicus,” A soft voice called out from behind you.

Your frustration made you turn around harsher than you intended, and the woman who had called your name took a nervous step back. In an instant, you schooled your expression into something more pleasant. “I apologize, you startled me, and I find myself in a foul mood. What did you need?”

The woman gave you a small smile, though she kept her eyes cast downwards. “The Caesarēs request your presence.”

Of course, they did. You spend all morning looking for them, only for them to send another to fetch you when it struck their fancy. A part of you recognized that if you had simply asked one of the many people who littered the palace halls where the emperors were, you wouldn’t be in this predicament. The bigger part of you squashed that thought like a bug.

“Lead the way,” You responded.

She returned your smile, meeting your eyes for a mere moment, before turning and leading you away. Much to your unending dismay, it didn’t take long for you to reach the room that the emperors were lounging in. Geta was reclined on a lectus, settled on his side with his back to you as he popped a grape in his mouth. Caracalla, on the other hand, was on his back, facing the door. His smile grew cruel when he laid eyes on you. With a sharp flick of his wrist, he gestured to you, causing Geta to sit up. For once, he seemed pleased to see you.

It put you on edge.

“Alga,” Geta began. There was a flush to his cheeks, visible under his makeup. Next to him was a pitcher of wine, and judging by the glassiness in both emperor’s eyes, it was sure to be half empty. “I see you come when called.”

“Like a dog,” Caracalla piped up with a cackle.

You pursed your lips into a thin line to keep your irritation from showing. After a few nights of very little sleep and half a morning in search of the very two who laid before you, it was hard to keep your annoyance to yourself. It was a good thing that you were good at holding your tongue.

For the most part. “Woof.”

Caracalla found your response to be hilarious, clutching his stomach as he laughed, while Geta took the sarcasm for what it was. His dark eyes narrowed, though his smile was still firmly in place. He looked like he knew something you didn’t. It was frightening enough to make you want to run.

“Come here, doggy, there is a task that we require of you.” Geta held out his hand, motioning with his index and middle finger for you to come closer. Against your better judgement, you obeyed. Caracalla was watching you, expectation and barely contained mirth dancing in his blue eyes.

From a nearby table, Geta grabbed a jewel encrusted cup and held it out for you to take. You wrapped your fingers around the stem, but didn’t look inside. Instead, your gaze flickered between both emperors. A bit of laughter squeaked from between Caracalla’s lips, while in his inebriation, Geta’s own lips quirked upwards as you held the cup in your hand.

“Drink,” Geta ordered.

Any other day, any other moment, you would have been intimidated into obeying without hesitation. This was not one of those days, however. On principle, you refused to look into the cup as you ground out your response through clenched teeth, “Why, Caesar?”

Caracalla snickered, his expression triumphant despite your questioning. It looked like he believed that he had already won. He may very well have. “Because my brother asked you to, Alga. Would you truly deny an emperor such a small request?”

Your own response, that, yes, you would, died on your tongue when Geta smiled. “Our praegustator is currently occupied. We need you to taste what is in that cup for our consumption. You wouldn’t want your emperors poisoned, would you?”

As Geta spoke, Caracalla was trying to hide his laughter behind his hand, his eyes focused on the chalice that you held. Even Geta seemed to have a hard time keeping the mean grin from his face. Horror bubbled in your gut when you realized what exactly this meant. These two drunken schoolchildren had tampered with your drink. It wasn’t as if you could say no. Whatever was in this cup, you would have to swallow. With growing disgust and exasperation, you finally looked down at the cup to see what was inside.

Not even a beat passed before you choked on a gag. It was spit. The cup that Geta gave you, expecting you to drink from, was nearly halfway full of clear, frothy saliva. Unable to stop yourself, you jiggled the cup and watched the liquid wiggle and slosh, far too thick for your liking. Caracalla — and this was Caracalla’s spit, you doubted Geta, for as funny as he seemed to think this was, would debase himself enough to spit into a cup simply to humiliate you — was dehydrated, and you hated your doctorly mind for filing that information for later. Watching you with rapt attention, he was grinning so wide, his teeth were showing.

In the wake of your silence, Geta decided to remind you that he was there. “Our last praegustator did not last long, given his occupation.” He turned to his brother. “What was his name again?”

Caracalla shrugged. “I don’t know, I didn’t care to learn it.”

“You want me… to drink this?” You finally asked, voice distant.

“Of course we do, medicus, why else would we ask you?” Geta said, far more pleasant than you expected, given your hesitation. When you glanced at him, he smirked at you, his eyes shining with victory.

Caracalla circled his wrist. “Go on then, Alga. I promise you that is our finest spirit. You will enjoy it immensely.”

There was nothing to be done about it. You were trapped between a rock and a hard place. Squeezing your eyes shut, you raised the cup to your mouth, and took a sip. Caracalla’s spit was still warm, whether it was from sitting in the sun or because it was fresh from the well, so to speak, you didn’t know. You didn’t care. All that mattered was that it was thick, and warm, and tasted like salt and wine. It was, quite possibly, the most vile thing you had ever put into your mouth. To say it took everything in your power to swallow wouldn’t be an understatement.

A small ‘eugh’ escaped you as you pulled the cup away from your lips. While Geta had the decorum not to laugh in your face — however, not enough to keep the grin from worming onto his features at your obvious disgust — Caracalla did not. He cackled, kicking his legs childishly, all while you forced a smile so as not to glare.

“How did it taste, medicus?” Caracalla managed to ask once he had calmed down.

You set the cup on a nearby table. Not so subtly, Geta picked it up and dumped it out in a nearby plant. With a small smile and an eyebrow twitch, you replied, “Divine, Caesar.”

Whatever reaction you expected from Caracalla given your sarcastic response, it wasn’t what you got. Where you thought he would laugh again, or perhaps snap at you, you watched his flush darken and his pupils dilate, his smile becoming a bit too perverse for your liking.

“Do not fret, Alga, there is always more where that came from.”

The skill at which you ignored Caracalla’s blatant arousal should have been lauded. “Is that all, Caesarēs?”

Geta gave you a small sneer and flicked his wrist to the exit. “Yes, medicus, you have entertained us enough for now. You may go.”

You turned to leave, when you paused, your fists clenched at your sides. They would not win. You would get what you came for, whether they liked it or not. The emperors had just made you drink spit, you refused to let that go unpunished.

“I would like to see you both at the clinic. Tonight,” You said. Your tone was firmer than you intended, but you couldn’t care less at the moment.

Geta blinked in surprise before his features slipped into irritation. “And what is it that makes you believe you can demand anything of us?”

“I am your physician, and it is not a demand, it is a strongly encouraged request,” As you spoke, you kept your gaze on the far wall so as not to be open with your blatant disdain. “Come together or separate, but I expect you both by midnight.”

Geta slowly sat up, his eyes narrowed. “And if we don’t.”

“Nothing will happen,” You replied with what was intended to be a casual shrug. “You will simply have a very angry physician, Caesar. A physician whose duty it is to hold your life in his hands when you are at your most vulnerable, ravaged by sickness or injury.”

“Is that a threat, medicus? It is not wise to threaten your emperors.”

“Of course not.” You turned to Caracalla who was watching the exchange with foggy eyes. “And, if it is of any motivation to you, if you do not come to my clinic tonight, perhaps I will have a conversation with your brother in regards to what we discussed previously. My promise is rendered null in the wake of your health and safety, Emperor Caracalla.” It was a lie, you would tell Geta nothing, but Caracalla didn’t know that. Unable to stand the weight of his glare, you flicked your gaze back to Geta. “That is my number one priority. I cannot perform my duties if neither of you will allow me. Cooperation is all I ask for.”

“It seems our dog has a bit of a bite, brother.” Despite laying, Caracalla tilted his chin to glower at you.

Geta didn’t look amused, though his lips twitched. “Alga Catulus. What a fitting name for a fitting puppy.”

Straightening your back, you refused to back down this time, even as your palms shook. To hide the display of your nerves, you curled your hands behind your back. “I will see you tonight, Caesarēs.”

Before either could respond, you stomped out of the room, the inside of your mouth burning. Neither called for you to stop, merely watched. Their glares burned into the back of your skull.

It wasn’t until the door shut behind you did you clutch your chest, your breathing ragged. Behind your breast, your heart hammered a frantic beat. What the hell had you done? You knew what you did, you challenged the emperors who held your and your friend’s lives in the palms of their hands. Stupidity seemed to be your strong point in comparison to everything else. Not your intelligence or your stubborn generosity, all of that paled when it came to your stupid, traitorous tongue. This was what you got when you didn’t sleep, if you ever got to sleep again.

In an effort to hide, you kept your pace brisk on your way back to your clinic. Once inside, you pressed your back to the wall and covered your face in your hands. A low groan rumbled in your throat as you slid to the floor. This was where you died. Dream or not, surely there would be some terrible consequences in accordance to your demise.

A few tears leaked from behind your eyelids.

You hoped Aelius and Marianus could forgive you.

It wasn’t until the sound of the clinic doors slamming open startled you awake did you realize you had fallen asleep. It was dark now, almost pitch black in your clinic as you had been far too preoccupied sleeping to have any torches lit. You were alone, for once. That, or the praetorians tasked with following you didn't care enough to put on a light. Almost on cue, there was a snap, and, at the hands of another man, the room began to light up. With bleary eyes, you blinked up at the red-haired emperor who had entered your clinic.

Standing in the doorway, was an irate Caracalla. There was something clenched in his fist, his jaw set as he stared down at you.

“I am here now, medicus,” He said, his voice low and raspy. “Are you ready for your examination, or do you intend to continue to sleep on the floor like a dog?”

That was all it took for you to heave yourself to your feet. Playing with your fingers, you tried to look Caracalla in the eyes. You quickly found that you were not above simpering. “Caesar, I want to apologize for how I spoke to you and your brother today. It is not excuse, but I have not been sleeping—”

“You are right.” Caracalla cut you off, his fist clenching even tighter. “It is no excuse.” He moved closer, almost gliding in his long robes. “You promised me you would say nothing to my brother, and yet you threaten me with his knowledge.”

You sighed and pinched the bridge of your nose. It was impossible to stop your hand from shaking. He eyed the offending appendage, a pleased sparkle in his blue eyes, hidden just under his fury. “It was an empty threat. Everything I said was empty. I would never break my promise to you, Caesar.”

“How am I to believe that when you are capable of tossing your word away on a whim?” Caracalla countered. He bared his teeth at you. “My brother was right about you, you are a liar and a snake.”

You took a step back, determined to put some distance between you and Caracalla, only for him to follow with a step of his own. “What is in your hand?”

“You will soon find out,” He said, a small grin twitching onto his face. “On your knees, medicus.”

Unsure if you should obey or not, you remained standing. For far too long, your jaw worked, no sound coming out of your mouth as you fought for what to say. “I— If you had come when I had asked, we would not be here. I thought you would not come to the clinic without incentive, so I lied. Caesar, I apologize.”

Caracalla was not so easily swayed. His voice raised in both pitch and volume, bouncing against the cavernous walls of the clinic. “Kneel before me, medicus! I will make you, if I must!”

“I— I have not broken the promise I made to you. I have not told Emperor Geta a word and I have no intention to,” You said, while slowly lowering yourself onto your knees. “He has not approached you, has he? He is not here, angry with us for hiding information from him, is he?”

Caracalla paused, his closed fist shaking. “No, but he asked me what you were being so vague about, medicus. For hours, he prattled! Your idle threats have piqued my brother’s curiosity.”

“So, he does not know. That is exactly what I am telling you.” By now, your breathing was harsh, coming out in sharp pants. “I have told him nothing, like I swore to you. Even if he threatens my life, I will tell him nothing.”

“What of now? Will you tell Geta that I frightened you tonight?”

“Everything that happens in this clinic is between us, Caesar.”

That answer seemed to calm him. A flicker of disappointment crossed over his face as he took a few steps back and motioned for you to stand. “Never lie to me again, medicus.”

“Never, I— Never again will I lie to you, Emperor Caracalla.” On shaking knees, you forced yourself to stand. The terror coming off of you in waves made him smirk and tilt his head back so he could get a better look at your trembling body. “Caesar, I… Do you know what it means to be a physician?”

“Why would I know what it means to be a physician?” He meandered towards your desk, and glanced at the contents before he set whatever he held in his hand flat on the wood. You didn’t get a chance to see what it was. His attention was back on you within moments. “Stupid questions do not entertain me.”

“It means doing what I can for my patients, no matter the cost. No matter the lie, or the price, or the suffering I endure, none of it matters so long as my patients are healthy and taken care of,” You said. Every few words, your voice would crack, but you kept talking in spite of that. “You and your brother are my patients now. I will never harm you, not only because you are emperors, but because your life is in my hands. E—Everything I do, it is for the people in my care. I cannot help you if you do not allow me to. That is— That is why I lied. That is why I said what I said. All I want is to help you.”

The silence stretched on for what felt like an eternity. Caracalla stared at you from beside your desk, his fingers playing idly with the item that he had placed there. It didn’t seem like he believed you, his doubt almost palpable, even when he left behind whatever it was he was toying with to take your chin between his fingers. His grip was firm, almost painful.

“I want you to prove it to me.”

Unable to meet his gaze, you focused on his nose. He pinched you, harder and harder, until your eyes were on his. “I will, Caesar. I will.”

Finally, he let go, pleased with your deference. “Good. Good.”

You were nervous to turn your back to him, though you knew you had little choice. With the way he was positioned, your desk behind him, you would have to in order to get to your notes. Your legs felt like they were made of jelly as you circled around Caracalla, his predatory stare following you all the while, to grab your wax tablet with the emperors’ information.

When you looked to see what he had placed on your desk, what he had in his hand while you kneeled before him, you swallowed a gasp.

It was a needle.

He had truly intended to make good on your promise.

“I- I, uh—” You stammered as you grabbed your stethoscope. Its familiar weight helped ground you. “Tell me your symptoms, please.”

Caracalla sighed and flopped onto a nearby lectus, the same one where he ate his figs a few days before. “My nose has stopped up and I have a slight cough, along with soreness on the inside of my throat. Whenever I go outside, I am beset by fits of sneezing.”

When you motioned to the collar of your tunic, it took Caracalla a few slow blinks for him to understand what you were asking. Just as clumsy as before, he struggled out of the top half of his clothes, revealing his chest to you again. This time, you noticed a few pimples dotting his skin, almost hidden by the red hair on his pectorals.

“Breathe for me. In and out, as deeply as you can.” As Caracalla obeyed, you listened for the telltale rattle of mucus. It wasn’t a lot, but it was enough for it to be uncomfortable. “And these symptoms, are they recurrent? Perhaps during the changing of seasons, particularly spring?”

Surprise made Caracalla’s eyebrows furrow. “How did you know?”

It was just as you expected: seasonal allergies.

“You have…” Pausing, you removed the stethoscope from your ears, letting it hang around your neck, as you fought for a way to explain this. “When the seasons change, flowers bloom, and they release a yellow powder. For some people, when they breathe this powder, it makes them sick.” A bit of anxiety crept into your tone as you reached to press your wrist to Caracalla’s forehead. You waited for him to nod before you pressed your skin against his. He was cool to the touch. You breathed a sigh of relief. “There is no cure. In spite of this, there are ways to manage the symptoms to make it more tolerable. Has your brother not noticed you get sick with the seasons?”

Caracalla groaned and rolled his eyes. “Notice? My brother hardly leaves my side when he believes I have fallen ill. He has this delusion that I will die. We are always together, yet, somehow, he manages to supersede even that with his worry.”

“That sounds very frustrating, Caesar.” A truth. It sounded very annoying to hardly get alone time simply because of allergies.

He grinned down at you, less cruel than you’d seen it, though still at your expense. You were crouching at his feet so you could meet his eyes more comfortably. “See-zer. Even when corrected, you still speak funny.”

“It is hard to remember…” You muttered with a flush. Coughing into your fist, you changed the subject back to what you were most comfortable with: medicine. “Take a hot bath to help clear your sinuses and thin the mucus in your lungs. The more steam, the better. To help with your sore throat, I will make you a drink of chamomile and honey—“

Caracalla cut you off with a beleaguered whine. “And it is sure to taste awful, like all physicians' remedies.”

“No, no, the honey makes it sweet,” You said with a laugh. “I like chamomile, it tastes flowery and gentle. It will help you sleep as well, so be sure to take it at night.” Perhaps some thyme as well, if only to help him cough up some phlegm. It was a natural expectorant and thankfully available in Rome. “If the hot bath does not work, I will use thyme to help clear your lungs.”

Caracalla nodded, finding your explanation acceptable. “That is all?”

“Come to me if your fever worsens, and I am trusting you to do so. If you break this trust, I will find you everyday, multiple times a day, until your symptoms stop.”

There was an odd look in his eyes when he nodded. “Are you done?”

“I am done.” Your joints cracked as you stood, a small smile adorning your face. While Caracalla still frightened you, especially knowing what he intended to do to you when he first arrived, he was still yours to care for. Yours to heal. “That was not so bad?”

“No, I suppose not,” Caracalla relented. He started for the door before he froze, as if remembering something. With hurried steps, he made his way over to your desk, and took the needle back into his closed fist. You fought a shiver.

“See you next time, Caesar.” Somehow, you managed to keep your tone pleasant.

Caracalla looked at you over his shoulder, that strange, unreadable expression on his face once again. “Yes. Yes, next time, medicus. Next time.”

With that, he was gone, leaving you alone with your racing thoughts. You swallowed hard as you stared at the place the needle had been. On instinct, you pressed the tips of your fingers gently against the rim of your eyelid. They were still there. Somehow, you had managed to calm Caracalla’s anger, and, to your horror, you doubted you would be able to do it again.

A sob bubbled from between your lips and you felt white hot shame build in your gut at the weakness. Caracalla didn’t hurt you. He wanted to, but he didn’t, that had to count for something. You dug your nails into your palm. The pain helped ground you as you stuffed your emotions into a box deep inside your chest. All you had to do was never betray Caracalla’s trust and you would keep your eyes. You couldn’t stop the whimper that pulled from your throat. Geta was sure to demand an answer for what you had implied earlier, and once again, you would be trapped. Either Geta’s wrath or Caracalla’s, it was yours to pick.

The answer came to you easier than expected.

Furiously, you scrubbed your face dry and began to organize your desk. Despite the clutter, it was an easy task. Everything had a place, everything had a purpose, and you would see to it that each tablet and scroll would be of use. It was evident now, more than ever, that you had to be at your best. No faltering, no letting your tongue loose, you had to be perfect unless you wanted to suffer dire consequences. It was almost how it was when you lived with your parents and you had managed that for two decades. They expected more from you than these emperors, yet you survived, even when you thought you wouldn’t. You could do it again, for however long this dream lasted.

It wasn’t until you had put away your notes did Geta enter the clinic. Unlike his brother, he didn’t throw open the doors hard enough for them to crack against the walls, but he did enter in a way that was befitting of his status. He swept into your clinic, his gaze hard, growing even harsher when he saw the exhaustion radiating off of you in waves. His jaw set, lips pressed into a firm line.

“Medicus, I demand you tell me what my brother is hiding from me. Now!”

No beating around the bush with either emperor, you realized. You almost wished they weren’t so blunt with their displeasure, it would make navigating this game of emotional chess easier.

Instead of wincing, you managed to confine your anxiety to a minute twitch of your fingers. “I apologize, but I cannot do that, Caesar.”

Geta drew himself up, managing to become even bigger than his elegant robes would allow. The fire in his dark eyes would have frightened you if you hadn’t been threatened with blindness not even ten minutes before.

“And why is that, Alga?” He spit your nickname out like it was a vile poison.

“I promised him that anything I learn about him inside this clinic will stay between us. It is the same promise I offer you,” You kept your voice steady even as your hands trembled by your sides.

“Your promises mean nothing to me.” Geta’s nostrils flared. It was obvious that he didn’t get denied often, and for a foreigner to do so, it was enough to stoke his flaring temper. “I want to know about my brother’s health, and if you deny me again, may the gods have mercy upon you because I will not.”

You wanted to curl up into a ball and die. At least then it would be on your own terms. Letting out a sharp sigh, you ran a hand down your face and hoped being vague wasn’t enough to earn Caracalla’s wrath. “Your brother is fine, Caesar. I have already worked out a regimen for both you and him that will bolster your health. I am too tired for threats from both Caesarēs in one night.”

“Caracalla was upset with you?” Judging from the upwards twitch of his lips, that pleased him. “Considering how long I hounded him for answers, I am not surprised the second I let him go, he came to you. Shall I leave you to lick your wounds, medicus?”

You waved him off and grabbed your sphygmomanometer and stethoscope. “No need, I calmed him down.” Gesturing to the lectus Caracalla was seated on earlier, you herded Geta in its general direction. “Sit, Caesar There is something I must check.”

To your surprise, Geta looked almost impressed as he obliged. “You managed to calm my brother from one of his rages?”

Great. That implied that Caracalla was prone to outbursts. You felt more tired already.

“It was no easy feat,” You muttered. When you held out the sphygmomanometer, Geta eyed the tool with a look of disdain. “Roll up your sleeve, please.”

“Ah, the vice.” He narrowed his eyes at you, but presented his upper arm to you all the same. “I am well aware how difficult Caracalla can be. I have known him my entire life.”

After wrapping the cuff around him, you began to pump, allowing it to tighten around his upper arm. Geta’s eyes bored into you the entire time, almost waiting for you to lash out so he can call for the praetorians nearby to take your head. Of course, that never happened. You placed the end of your stethoscope to his brachial artery and listened.

Once you were done, you let out a small puff of air from your nose. “Still very high, Caesar. That is not good.”

“What exactly are you measuring,” He asked, a single suspicious eyebrow raised.

“How effectively your heart is beating.” Gently, so as not to startle him, you removed the cuff and slid it around your wrist. “You are very stressed, Emperor Geta, and that amount of stress can affect your health. I want you to take one hour a day to relax, without the aid of wine. No thinking about the empire or your brother, this is time I want you to take for yourself and solely for yourself. Along with that, I prescribe you thirty minutes of exercise per day.”

Geta blinked, as if he had been expecting anything but what you said. “No elixirs or remedies?”

“That may come later if this does not help,” You replied. Like before with Caracalla, you were crouched by his side to remain eye level with Geta. “I want you to return once every three days so I may measure your heart. If this regimen does not work, then I will come up with another option.”

Geta covered his arm up with his robes once more. “And if I do not come?”

“Caesar, please help me, help you,” You said with a tired sigh. “Nothing will happen if you do not come. There will be no retaliation or spite in my care, I simply wish to prevent any issues from arising in the future. I take my job very seriously.”

After what felt like hours, he relented. “If I find the time, I will come.”

“Thank you.” You stood to allow him to leave, when you remembered his other issue. “The sore in your mouth, how is it?”

Geta did not turn around as he spoke, “I did as you instructed and it is gone.”

A bit of pride welled in your chest. It wasn’t praise, but it was as close as you would get. Once Geta was gone — and with a flick of his wrist, he left only one praetorian behind — you recorded your notes on his health before tossing the wax tablet haphazardly on your desk. The text was in English, so there was no worry that anyone unsavory would be able to read it.

It was finally time for bed.

A/N: Okay so, funny story. The Caracalla needle scene wasn’t originally planned, it just sort of happened. My fingers took a mind of their own in the Google Docs app and when I awoke from my writing trance, he was ready to make good on sticking a needle in Alga’s eye. And, somehow, it turned out to be one of my favorite scenes. Aside from the spit cup scene, which is actually the first scene I thought of for this fic. Originally, it was going to be wine Caracalla hocked a loogie in, but I needed them to be meaner and grosser. Will there be more spit in the future, in a more blatantly sexual context? Yeah. Just a heads up.

I think this is probably my favorite chapter I’ve written! I’m starting to get into the groove of writing Geta and Caracalla and how I want to characterize them, though I will still have a slight worry they’re OOC. We march on, however! I am having soooooo much fun writing this fic, y’all don’t even know.

Also, sorry Geta lovers, my bias is showing, but the next two chapters will be Caracalla centric. At least according to my plans, who knows, I might get visions of a Geta scene that must come to fruition. We shall see.

As always, comments and feedback are much appreciated!!! They mean so much to me, and I’m going to be so real, they help motivate me to write more. But, ultimately, just reading means the world to me. Thank you so much for sticking around!! <33

Taglist: @snazzynacho @t6gse370 @cherrysweets-world @justlibra

[vicariousresearcher]

cw: unedited

Loser!Reader who can’t quite get socializing down. Can’t quite figure out how to make a joke land, doesn’t know what qualifies as small talk or what is too much detail. Who fidgets in your seat because you doesn’t know what to do with your hands and always looks a little panicked because you don’t know what the right amount of laughter is or now much eye contact is supposed to be used 

Toxic!Kyle is the complete opposite. He loves bringing you out. Being a social butterfly he is, why wouldn’t he bring out his sweet little thing? Like a prized horse you stand there and smile as he drags you around. Only to end up on someone's couch sitting there kind of looking like you’re a part of the conversation that’s happening next to you when you haven’t said a word yet.

He knows how others look at the pair of you. So different. You’re something to be met with pinched brows and polite smiles, darting eyes and never quite sitting alone with. Its like everyone can tell theres something just a little bit off about you. Setting off their radars as something odd. Something he is so kind to put up with. 

Its like they’re all in on some form of secret language that you aren’t privy to. You say something and you see how Kyle looks over the rim of his glass to one of his buddies. Inside jokes clipping you enough that you know there's something you don’t understand but it’s never enough to actually understand.

You’re his pet project. Someone he’s improved, upped in quality by simply daing you. Yes he loves you, god he does, he loves your niche little references and the way you move your hands when you’re passionate. He loves how you ramble till you’re out of breath and how embarrassed you get when he has to redirect you in a conversation. He loves bringing you out to see you flounder and get so worked up, coming to him with desperate eyes and too shallow of breaths.

You’re tugging at his sleeve trying to prompt him into leaving, trying to whisper about feeling overwhelmed, head on a swivel for every noise, feeling eyes burnt into your skin.. He just brushes you off if you’re lucky. Other times saying “You can’t handle one night out for me? We do everything on your terms, can’t you just do this for me?” 

It’s only when you’re holding back tears, panting into your hands outside that he finally joins you. Ushering you into the car, cooing bout how “you should’ve just told him that you were feeling this bad.” 

Gets you home and into bed. Cradling your face in his hands while peppering nicotine stained kisses into your skin. “You did so good tonight.” “Wasn’t it fun?” “I’m so glad you came with me.” Stuffed knuckle deep with his fingers as he coaxes an orgasm out of you as a reward.

He doesn’t let you sleep until you’re agreeing with him, nodding your head that you enjoyed yourself. Nerves tugged raw yet he just keeps playing till he gets what he wants. You all mushy and sensitive from the rollercoaster of emotions of the last few hours. Like a puppet with its joints unhinged but still jerking to its strings. Doing anything for his reassurance after you embarrassed him in front of his buddies.

[mothdruid]

Love in the Saddle

pairing: Rhett Abbott x fem!reader

summary: the two of you didn't mean to forget about valentine's day, but to make up for it you decided to have a day of riding together.

wc: 2.3k

warnings: fluff!!!! allusions to smut at the end

a/n: happy valentine's day!!

A loud huff passed through the air of the barn. You chuckled and ran the front cinch through the buckle, tugging it lightly after Teaspoon let out another huff. It was a shockingly warm day out, which was good for you and the horses. Teaspoon shook her head from side to side for a moment. Her auburn hair shook about, catching small bits of sunlight through the doorway.

“That so?” You finished the front cinch before moving to the chest strap. You buckled the chest strap into place, having made sure it was snug but not too tight on her. Teaspoon stomped her front right hoof lightly on the dirt. “Excited for the sun? Cause trust me, I bet Sterling is too.”

There hasn't been much sun around within the last few months. Snow had been dusting the ground for months, making it hard to take the horses out. It wasn’t that you couldn’t, it’s just neither you or Rhett were fans of long cold rides. You kept their exercise up though, letting them out into the gated field and taking them into the big round pen. You had been taking them on actual rides more recently since the snow had started to melt, leaving cleared areas of pasture for long rides.

Which is what was happening today. A long ride with Rhett. The two of you hadn’t had a lot of time lately for each other. Rhett had been helping more and more at his parents' place. Royal had started to pester Rhett about needing to get the cattle out on the pastures. Which Rhett hadn’t had too much of an issue with at first, but then it changed into helping with rebuilding fixtures and god knows what else. You had been busy with your own work as well, doing some land survey and mapping. By the time the both of you were home, you were both beat and just wanted to melt into the bed.

By the time Valentine’s Day rolled around you were both flustered, having forgotten. So, Rhett made it a point that the following weekend would be a weekend for the two of you. No jobs, no family, no responsibilities except for each other.

You grabbed the back cinch, pulling it up and tightening it, then threading it through the buckle. After placing the bridle on her head, placing the bit in her mouth and draping reins back around her neck, you gave her a pat of encouragement.

“That’s my girl,” you praised, rubbing her neck.

Rhett was still in town, that you knew of, having said that he had a few errands to run. You took it upon yourself to saddle the horses up, wanting to get right into the quality time he had promised you. You couldn’t help it. You missed him, missed your big strong cowboy. Missed his gruff and grit, and the way it all melted away for you. That soft man that not everyone got to see, the one that came out for you and only you. The goofy little smile he gave you when you laughed a little too hard, or the way he would encapsulate you in the kitchen and sway with you back and forth. Yeah, you missed the sex and being physical regularly. But you really just missed him.

“Stay,” you told Teaspoon after leading her outside.

Sterling was more than excited for you to pull him out. He let out a loud whinny, and shook his head. You smiled and gave him a few pats of excitement. A part of you thought that the horses might be more excited about the little ride today than you or Rhett. You have Sterling a sugar cube, the same you had done with Teaspoon after pulling her out. You had placed the saddle pad and turned around to get the saddle when you saw him. You hadn’t even heard the truck pull in.

“Saddling my horse now?” Rhett let out in his gruff voice.

“Hope that’s not a problem,” you chirped back.

“Thought I would be the only thing you ever saddled up,” Rhett started walking towards you, one arm behind his back.

“Well, if you’re lucky I’ll saddle you up later too,” you gave him a wink, “what’re you hiding?” You went over to where you had placed Sterling’s saddle earlier while getting Teaspoon’s out. Just as the leather was about to touch your hands, Rhett stopped you. His calloused hand wrapped around your wrist.

Rhett pulled your attention from the saddle, guiding you to turn towards him. As you turned to him, the arm behind his back came into view. It was a small bundle of flowers, a bundle of wildflowers. There was a simple small cream colored ribbon holding the collection of wildflowers together. You could make out the off white of the baby's breath, bright white and yellow of the daisies, the soft pink of a flower, and some purple tones of lavender. It made your heart swell seeing the flowers in front of you. Rhett had never been one for buying flowers, but he had a habit of buying them for special occasions.

You went to speak, mouth opening only for Rhett to stop you from speaking. “They reminded me of you.”

“Rhett,” his name was the only thing you could say. Maybe it was because you two hadn’t spent any quality, but the swell in your heart had multiplied at his words. Rhett had never been the best with emotions, but you had seen so much from him over the years. “Thank you.”

Rhett smiled softly, leaned forward, and placed a kiss on your cheek. He felt your fingers creep around the base of the bouquet, brushing against his. Rhett could never get over the way how your hands were still so soft compared to his. You always told him that it was because you moisturized, but he was just convinced that you were perfect with or without lotion.

“Go get Teaspoon warmed up,” Rhett nodded towards the Teaspoon, who was now peeking around the corner of the doorway at the two of you.

“‘Kay,” you gave him a smile with a small nod as you fully took the bouquet from him.

The sound of him moving the saddle hit your ears as you got to Teaspoon. You turned for a brief moment to look at him, fastening the front cinch and whispering to Sterling. The words were indecipherable, but you could hear the gruff of his voice no less. A huff broke your train of thought, pulling you back to face Teaspoon. She took a few steps forward only to shake her head up and down. A toothy smile broke out across your face, amused by her response. It was in moments like this that she felt like a child, being able to read the room between parents.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m coming,” you chuckled.

Your fingers wrapped around the left side of her bridle, then guided her away from the stable. Her steps were heavy next to you, hooves digging into the barely warmed dirt below her. When you stopped you undid the ribbon around the flowers Rhett had got you. You tied one end of the ribbon tightly around the stems of the flowers, keeping the bundled with as little length needed. The other end of the ribbon was being tied around the horn of your saddle. Once done, you stepped back to look at it.

“How’s that girl?” All Teaspoon did was barely tilt her head in your direction, looking back ahead without a sound. You rolled your eyes, “I’ll take that as a ‘fine’ then.”

You gripped the horn with one hand, grabbed the back of the seat, and placed one of your boots into the left stirrup. After a few readying bounces, you launched yourself up and swung your leg around to get your other boot into the stirrup. After shifting to get a little more comfortable, you gathered the leather reins in your hands. A tug to the right side of the reins had Teaspoon moving, taking heavy step by heavy step in the direction you’d chosen. As you had started to take a lap around the dried out grass, Rhett led Sterling out of the stables.

Rhett adjusted his cowboy hat after getting up in his saddle. A part of you wished he would have left the hat in the stables, hair out on display for you. Either way you knew you’d be seeing it sooner or later. Those light brown locks that had you daydreaming, imagining the feel of them between your fingers and tugging on them ever so lightly. Once he was half way over you noticed him moving towards you. He had one hand on the reins, the other resting on the horn of the saddle.

The two of you happily moved over to the gate, Rhett hopping down to unlatch and open it. After that the two of you took off in the large expanse of pasture. The sun was shining down intensely in the open space. Sterling’s gray mane was shimmering, Teaspoon’s looking like rays of sunshine. There was a soft crunch of dry grass under the hooves of the horses. It was obviously one of the first days of spring peeking through the veil of winter.

It started as a small trot between the two of you, taking your time to just bask in each others presence. It had been a while since you two were allowed to just ruminate with each other. Being able to be out in the pastures again was exhilarating, almost like a kid in a candy store. There was so much space to run and go, it’s like the possibilities were endless. The trot quickly turned into a gallop, then a race. Laughter bubbled from the both of you as your horses sprinted. The flowers Rhett had got you were resting against your knee, bouncing every now and then depending on the gallop. With each small nudge from them you were reminded of why he got them. Once you were finally ahead of him a small bit, you decided to call it.

“I win!” You shouted and looked back at Rhett. He was wearing a frown already, eyebrows knitted together.

“We didn’t even choose a finish spot!” Rhett yelled back amidst tugging on Sterling’s reins.

“Doesn’t matter,” you jested, guiding Teaspoon around and back towards Rhett.

Rhett relaxed back and let out a huff. He stopped Sterling next to you, Rhett’s eyes locked with your own. You feigned an innocent look, trying to act as if you didn’t randomly decide with the race was over. There was a smirk starting to form on Rhett’s face, making one start to form on your own face.

Appreciation was flowing through your veins, keeping your heart beating in that very moment. All you could do was stare at him and take in the features that you had spent days, weeks, months, even years memorizing. No matter what part of life he was at, he was always catching your attention. When the two of you were on the playground in kindergarten, across the lunch room in high school, how he looked after a bull ride, and even now, looking at you with a smile and smitten gaze. You leaned in, hoping he would too.

His lips met yours halfway, closing the gap between the two of you. It was anything intense, the position and space preventing that from happening, but it was loving anyways. Lips ever so soft, especially after he actually started using the lip balm you had bought him. Rhett smelled like it too, honey butter. It was the only scent you thought that wouldn’t be too bothersome. You pulled back slightly, leaving about an inch or two between your face.

“I missed you,” he whispered, as if he didn’t want the horses hearing.

“I missed you too,” you replied, then gave him a soft peck on the lips.

Before he could pull back fully, you snatched his hat off his head, placed it on your own, and took off. After a small chase you both came to a stop. You couldn’t help but smile, a playful thread weaving through you. Rhett stopped Sterling, hopping down, and walking over to you with Sterling’s reins in hand. You followed suit, getting down from Teaspoon and guiding her over near Rhett with you. Rhett looked at his hat on your head, flicking the brim of it up with his finger. His hair was a windblown mess, but you loved it.

“I think you got something of mine,” Rhett’s voice dropped, kindling a fire inside of you.

“Do I? I don’t remember taking anything from you, Mr. Abbott,” you feigned innocence again, something Rhett loved.

“I’m pretty sure you do, ma’ma,” Rhett ducked his head to look below the brim of his hat more. He was practically eye level with you now. “Hat looks pretty familiar t’my own, and y’know what they say ‘bout wearin’ a man’s hat,” he was laying it on thick now, letting his Wyoming drawl seep into his words.

“I don’t think I do,” you cascaded your fingers down his flannel clad chest, “might have to tell me.”

“I think I’d be able to do that,” his free hand snaked around your waist, tugging you closer to him.

“You could show me too,” you leaned towards him and ghosted you lips over his.

“Course ma’am, whatever you’d ask of me,” Rhett’s breath was hot against your lips.

Just before you were about to press your lips to his, Sterling let out a loud huff and Teaspoon whinnied. The both of you pulled back a little, chuckling at the horses. Rhett leaned over and pressed a kiss to your cheek quickly. His hand slipped from your waist, making you miss the warmth of his touch immediately.

“I can tell ‘nd show ya back at home, if you’d like?” Rhett teased, keeping the character up.

“I’ll have to take you up on that offer, Mr. Abbott.”

[diorsluv]

feather , part 4

“ when it’s on a platter for you ”

series m. list previous chapter next chapter

( socialmedia!au )

yourusername

liked by lhughes_06, _alexturcotte, trevorzegras, and 29,377 others

yourusername TELL ME I ATE IT UP 🥱

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username27 OH MY GODDDDD I THINK I’M IN LOVE

mackie.samo where’s my photo creds.

→ yourusername oops

jamie.drysdale is that the necklace i got you for your birthday?

→ yourusername it is 🙄🙄

→ trevorzegras aka the necklace I SUGGESTED

→ jamie.drysdale yeah yeah we get it 🫤 trevorzegras

username13 good genes run in the goddamn family

username5 I JUST WANT ONE CHANCE. JUST. ONE. CHANCE.

lhughes_06 woah

→ markestapa bro’s in love

→ lhughes_06 hold ur horses bro

→ edwards.73 HOLD UR HORSES??? mans in fucking texas 😂😂😂

→ yourusername okay everyone needs to stop using that emoji right now

→ luca.fantilli and she just completely ignores the first reply

→ lhughes_06 what first reply? luca.fantilli

→ yourusername fr what he said!! idk what “first reply” ur talking abt luca.fantilli !!!!!

username88 the umich replies are always so weird 😭😭

colecaufield lil drizz is growing upppp

→ yourusername i should just give up shouldn’t i

→ trevorzegras you’re never living the nickname down 😁

adamfantilli THOSE ARE THE RINGS I GAVE YOU FOR CHRISTMAS LAST YEAR

→ yourusername THEY ARE ☺️☺️

→ jamie.drysdale okay so are you just wearing everyone’s jewelry..

→ yourusername yes do you have a problem???

→ jamie.drysdale no…….

→ adamfantilli how’d i get roped into family drama

yourusername

liked by mackie.samo, jackhughes, jamie.drysdale and 50,736 others

yourusername mackie stole me from my quality hughes time and dragged me to quality samoskevich time

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lhughes_06 petition to bring her back to where she belongs (WITH US)

→ jackhughes SIGNING ALL THE DAMN LINES ✍️✍️✍️✍️✍️✍️

→ _quinnhughes BRING HER BACK.

→ yourusername thought u hated me quinny

→ _quinnhughes i’d rather have you here than with……….... THEM. 😒

→ mackie.samo i’d say she likes it better being here with us 😤

→ msamoskevich yeah, WE didn’t post bad pictures of her on our public instas

→ maddysamo and we didn’t almost drown her in a lake either

→ jackhughes this means war. mackie.samo maddysamo msamoskevich

→ yourusername wait WHAT

username91 oh god

username7 HUGHES VS SAMOS PLACE YOUR BETS HERE

username10 personally i think the hughes bros are gonna win

username64 she’s always had a soft spot for mackie so i think samos might win ngl

luca.fantilli LIL DRIZZLE WHAT HAVE YOU DONE

→ yourusername I DIDN’T THINK THEY WERE GONNA FUCKING FIGHT OVER ME

adamfantilli CAN I BE THE REFEREE

→ lhughes_06 this is WAR not a silly little GAME 🤬🤬🤬

trevorzegras what the hell is happening

→ jamie.drysdale luke and mack are fighting over my sister

→ yourusername THAT’S NOT WHAT’S GOING ON jamie.drysdale

→ trevorzegras LIL DRIZZY DID YOU JUST PIT TWO FAMILIES AGAINST EACH OTHER

→ yourusername i’ve officially given up

username57 THE WAR HAS COME

maddysamo

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maddysamo us on summer vacation in 2022 because SHE LOVES US MORE

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yourusername oh my goddd LAST SUMMER WAS SO FUN i wish i could go back 😕😕

_quinnhughes oh please this is weak compared to ours

jackhughes c’mon you can do better than that

msamoskevich i’ve never seen her so happy 😊

→ lhughes_06 clearly you haven’t seen her when she’s on vacation with us

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jackhughes

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jackhughes spring break in korea 2021 when she BEGGED us to let her come with

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yourusername UM HELLO??? you guys are digging in the ARCHIVES for these photos 😦

yourusername and also i didn’t beg you, it was actually the other way around……….. don’t spread rumors rowdy 🙄🙄

mackie.samo when the fuck did you go to korea????

→ _quinnhughes in spring break 2021 keep up

maddysamo oh so YOU haven’t been on a recent vacation with her like we have, i see i see

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mackie.samo

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mackie.samo since jack wanted to be all nostalgic, here’s a couple photos from 2020 🙄

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jackhughes were subways even open in 2020??

→ msamoskevich no shit 🙄🙄 we wouldn’t have been able to even get these photos if they weren’t

yourusername I FORGOT ABOUT THESE PICS WHAT THE HELLLLL

lhughes_06 doesn’t matter bc she was at our house almost every day when covid hit

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lhughes_06

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lhughes_06 more korea pics bc lil drizzy was lookin dripped out

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markestapa bro does NOT sound like he cares about the ongoing war

yourusername luke sweetie..

→ lhughes_06 yes? ☺️

mackie.samo stop taking pics from the same vacation you’re looking DESPERATE 🥱🥱

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maddysamo

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maddysamo look at my cutie 🥰

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yourusername STOP ITTTT I LOVE U

_quinnhughes when did it turn into them flirting

jackhughes i hear a certain someone getting jealous

→ lhughes_06 really who is it????

msamoskevich I TOOK THOSE PHOTOS (creds: me 2023)

mackie.samo barely heard a PEEP from moosey poo

→ lhughes_06 istg u better not call me that ever again

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lhughes_06

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lhughes_06 some pictures i snapped out in the city the night before my draft day

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yourusername LUKE STOP IT RN. ur making me tear up 😭

→ lhughes_06 miss those days

maddysamo THIS IS EMOTIONAL BARGAINING THIS CAN’T COUNT

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msamoskevich WE WILL NOT STAND FOR THIS INJUSTICE

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mackie.samo

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mackie.samo last post, her when we took her out for her birthday last year AND HER WHOLE OUTFIT WAS CLOTHES I BOUGHT HER

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yourusername best birthday i could’ve ever asked for 🫶

→ maddysamo NO STOP ITTTTT

_quinnhughes WHAT HAPPENED TO ALL YOUR BIRTHDAYS AT THE LAKE HOUSE??

→ yourusername YOU ALMOST KILLED ME EVERY SINGLE TIME

→ jackhughes u set a girl’s dress on fire once ON ACCIDENT and u never live it down 😔

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next chapter notes ) THIS WAS ACTUALLY SO FUCKING FUN TO MAKE AND THE FEUD WAS SO CUTE not giving an actual winner tho so u guys can decide 😈 this is also like the longest one i’ve ever done (obviously) AND I LOVED IT SO MUCH but i think i’m gonna stick to two-ish posts per chapter…….

[sacchiri]

I recently bought the jp volumes of Hellsing along with the guidebook, and since I'm reading the series in its native language for the first time I might as well share some random things that stood out to me in no particular order.

This isn't meant to be an analysis of translation differences, I'm too lazy for that. Also it's been 12 years since I've watched the anime and read the low quality fan scans of the manga so some of these comments are just "Lol, forgot this was a thing"

Volume 1

... I really want to know who this guy is at the beginning, yelling at Alucard in overly familiar language to "Get your shit together!" and "You're the only one we can count on!!". We know from the style of speech that it's a dude, probably just some Hellsing rando, and maybe it's not all that strange since he has probably been working with the same soldiers for years--but it's still funny.

"I know, it's just so nice out :("

..The way "HELLSING Organization" is spelled out like this reminds me that apparently the name is supposed to be an acronym. No really.

...

God they're so silly.

Now that I think about it, the only thing Seras has done this chapter since being turned into a vampire is say "I'm sorry" over and over.... girl you got shot in the lung, why are you apologizing

Not a huge difference, but what Integra actually says here is "Leaving a corpse here for 20 years... You're a terrible person too, Father" and not "What were you thinking, Father?" as the Dark Horse translation suggests (note the lack of question mark in the raw version). I thought that might be of interest to some.

Something else I thought was interesting is the first line Alucard ever says to Integra, and how uncharacteristically polite he sounds.

O-kega wa gozaimasenka- That's two honorific 御's back to back! (He even said them in kanji, even Walter isn’t that straightlaced and he’s literally the butler.) This is also the only time Alucard uses this overly flowery gentlemanly language with her, and good thing too because it would be so annoying if he spent the whole manga ending his sentences with ~gozaimasu.

What I'm trying to get at is, after seeing this sentence in the Japanese version, I'm like 100% sure he actually heard her when she was mumbling to herself about hoping to find a knight in shining armor, and he was totally going the extra mile in playing into that role for their first encounter. Which is kind of sweet.

Lol they misspelled Alucard on the top left... or rather, they incorrectly spelled it right?

One would normally expect Alucard to be written アルカード, and indeed pixiv dict lists アーカード as a misspelling (the u sound is weak in Japanese, so it's easy to mishear arukādo as ākādo). Hirano was definitely aware of the correct spelling though, since he used it in the pilot chapter and in his old character sheets. It was only when the manga officially began that he switched to the アーカード spelling. I doubt it was because of copyright issues because there is already a long precedent of vampire characters named アルカード in various old manga, OVA, and games in Japan that have coexisted without issue (like this guy Hirano mentions in volume 1's afterword).

Most likely Hirano simply thought it looked better, or was a means of differentiating his character from the others somehow. It certainly makes life easier for Japanese fans searching for fanart since アーカード is only going to bring up Hellsing and not the Castlevania character.

Jan Valentine even pokes fun at the spelling discrepancy later in volume 2, but since there wasn't a good way of expressing this in English it was left untranslated.

(Speaking of spelling inconsistencies, there's a lot of minor details I'm noticing now, like half the time the furigana for 吸血鬼 is written バンパイア and the other half it's ヴァンパイア... anyway)

Um, just noticed literally everyone's wearing glasses What should I do

Hirano's habit of jotting random comments underneath his panels is one of the underrated perks of reading the manga

The Dark Horse translation almost makes it sound like she's looking forward to seeing this battle play out, while in the Japanese she simply sounds apprehensive. Almost as if she's worried about them? And she's going out on the field personally to make sure nothing bad happens? Aww

Ok this is a weird tangent, but I just noticed the scans of the Dark Horse version I've been looking at use a slightly larger image range than the Japanese version does. It was only noticeable when I got to this part:

The second image is what the Japanese version of the scan looks like and I can confirm that this is what it looks like in my physical volume as well. You shouldn't be seeing the messy borders of the inking on the bottom like that.

Manga manuscripts are set up so that there are a few millimeters of bleed border around each page. You're supposed to color and line all the way up to (4) while keeping in mind that printing and paper cutting may result in the image being trimmed up to (3).

Either Hirano didn't color his lines all the way to (4) (this man has been drawing manga for years but this is Hirano we're talking about so it's very possible), or Dark Horse didn't honor the original bleed borders of the manuscript. I'm kind of leaning towards the former since there was a Hellsing exhibit in Japan a few years back where you could look at Hirano's original manuscripts and there's one where you can clearly see that he spilled a mug of tea or coffee across the entire page

Anyway, it's weird, and I'm curious to see if someone that owns a physical copy in English can confirm whether theirs actually looks like that. It's volume 1, page 141.

[moonriver080]

【Funny Story Time】

I wrote an article for my 6 pictures

I tried to machine translate a paragraph and modify it.

But it's too long. I give up.

During Links meal breaks, the chains sometimes share anecdotes from the past to improve their understanding of each other ......

Well, sometimes it's not so much the anecdotes that are shared as it is the puzzles or the creepy pasts that are shared on reflection. (And some people seem to enjoy it.

It was a spring-flowery afternoon, and the sun was just right, and mixed with the sweet aroma of the chef's well-cooked courser milk soup, it had to be said that it was a very good soothing respite for Links, who had just finished a hard-fought battle, both physically and mentally.

Everything was just right, so Warriors let his guard down and picked a conversation that had left him a bit exhausted for the next week (Oh! Don't get me wrong, it was actually quite an interesting process and development /grin/)

Huh, how could he be blamed, after all the Warriors, who was more social than the other Links, was relatively adept at grasping the melodrama of the atmosphere, knowing when to be quiet and when it was better to have a chat.

They all understood that the team was, with the exception of certain ones, clamshells that had come to life one by one. (Or maybe some of the outgoing ones are actually clamshells.) (Aha! A new way of flirting with oneself is born.)

Anyway, this is why Warriors wave his spoon smugly (like a tiny flag): "...... When we triumphed, the streets were filled with petals and ribbons, and people clustered in the streets and upstairs and on the rooftops, and though, trampled by the war, both the roads and the .. were somewhat depressed ...... Well! That part doesn't matter now!"Warriors stirs the soup and takes a small sip (any more and we won't be able to start a conversation today, Wild, the

boy's food is gaggingly good), "...brave soldiers walk the streets of Castle Town, their footsteps without the thunder of applause that rises up at the first moment, and my beloved Epona kicks and stomps (and here it's being torn apart by sunlight) down the stone streets, edged in gold, and the streets are filled with the most beautiful and beautiful things in the world.My beloved Epona was kicking and stomping along the stone streets edged in gold by the sunlight (glared at by a certain few here), flowers were thrown from all over the place to send blessings to the soldiers, and the fallen flowers covered the whole road, Aaannnnnd!Of course~ I received the most bouquets of flowers~ No matter which way I looked, the screams were like the rising of the tides that rose up and down, and went on and on and on~"

Warriors grunts and laughs as he speaks, lifting his bangs and skimming the ends of his hair.

Gee, he's always showing off his hormones that have nowhere to go.Legend smacked his lips on his spoon, the delicious food immediately soothing his prickly nerves caused by the teasing, but ......

Putting aside some of his "preconceptions", Warriors was indeed a strong general with leadership qualities, and under the circumstances, it was only natural that he would be welcomed to protect the people, lead the soldiers, gather the divided world, defeat Ganon, and bring safety to the people.With this in mind, Legend picked out the fruit in the soup and took a bite.Looks like he's popular, that's really good. Well, yummy.

(Wild has fine-tuned for everyone's tastes, the golden apple chunks added late in his bowl are soft, crunchy and sweet after micro-cooking, rich in flavor, he had asked for some seeds long ago, but Wild said that this golden apples are produced by probability,. Hummm, Legend who is the hottest apple supplier in Hylia and Loria' smiles but does not say anything.)

But ......Legend chewed another bite of apple chunks, looking at him like this is really unpleasant ah.Legend was disgusted by the image that appeared in his mind of Warriors riding horses and throwing flying kisses to stir up a cheering crowd of cold shivers, ah, can not think about it, a little stomach.[I'm not sure if this paragraph is translated correctly (because I read it myself as if something was wrong, but I don't know what went wrong).]

The Chef of Peace, who had been listening to the story since a moment ago and had somehow become a bit dazed, came back to his senses and looked at Legend, who was blushing a bit darkly, in puzzlement.

【If you want to know the full text, let me know, and maybe I'll translate it intermittently.】

Eggs①: (Three photos taken by Wind) (Price:?)

Confused by the first delivery of the bouquet

Link)

(Link, who was surrounded by civilians, gave flowers and scattered petals to celebrate shyness and cover his face)

(Link who was frightened by the enthusiasm of the people and hid in the Zelda King)

Eggs②:

A week later, another tea break.

Wars looked at Time, who was being chased and intercepted, and drank a cup of sweet and sour fruit tea contentedly.

Offensive and defensive potential is also different, sapling, soldiers are not tired of cheating, plan and then move, is also for the trick. (Completely strung together.)

Wind? Wind curled his lips as he held a small part of the empty cookie bag. Wars really held a grudge.