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itsphoenix0724 · 2 years ago

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Flower Power (Azriel x Reader)

Summary: Az comes into contact with a strange flower on his trip to the continent, and he begins having some strange.....side effects.

Word Counts: 3.3k

Warnings: Smut, aphrodisiac sex, oral (f receiving), unprotected sex (wrap it before you tap it pls)

A/N: Hello everyone! This is entirely self-indulgent I'm not even gonna lie. The next part of Your Heart on a Platter will be out soon, but I could not focus on it with this idea in my head. I tried to play around with different POVs, so I hope it came out okay! Please enjoy, and as always constructive criticism is welcome!

“Thank you for coming,” Rhys mutters, quickly ushering you into the small apartment and closing the door behind you. Nothing appears to be in disarray so that means that Az was at least coherent enough to get himself back to his apartment and not break anything in the process.

“He seems okay right now, but I thought you should give him a once over anyway.”

“Of course,” you nod at Rhys, “Better to be safe than sorry.” You had officially joined the Inner Circle as a healer 30 years ago when Madja retired, and you had easily grown into part of your found family. You were always closer to Az, you preferred his quiet demeanor over the loudness and boyishness of the rest of the family, and he actually was quite funny if you listened to him. You two quickly became a pair of wall flowers at social events, always holed up in some corner quietly joking about your family’s antics.

Apparently, when Az had been on a mission to the continent he had come into contact with some strange flower. Rhys had sent you the mental playback of Az falling out of the sky into a field of those flowers, and you had researched them to the best of your ability before you came over.

For Az’s sake, you really hoped this wasn’t the flower you thought it was.

“How do you feel Az?” you ask, walking into the room to find Az sitting on his bed with his elbows resting on his knees. He looks up at you in greeting, hazel eyes tracking your movements to him across the room.

“I feel fine. Rhys is just being a mother hen.” He offers you a small smirk as you roll your eyes and move to stand in between his legs. You try to fight down the smile forming on your lips and fail, and his eyes shine with victory.

“This is supposed to be a professional medical visit Shadowsinger,” you tut, smiling as you run your hands through his hair to check for any bumps from his fall. Az lets his eyes slip shut, enjoying the way your fingers feel in his hair. He has to stop himself from reaching for your wrists as you drag your hands away. “How are you feeling?”

“Throats a little sore,” He mutters, “My back hurts from the crash landing but I’ve had worse.” He notices the way your eyes widen slightly when he mentions his sore throat. “What is it?” he tugs at your hips pulling you closer into his space. He has to fight down the urge to nuzzle his head into your neck. Your smell is much stronger than usual, fresh tea and rainwater, but he chalks it up to being away from you for a few days.

“You might be experiencing some strange….side effects from the plants that you crash landed into.” Your cheeks flush a bright red. Azriel furrows his eyebrows at you, he doesn’t understand why you’re so embarrassed. You let out a sigh.

You have to tell him no matter how much it embarrasses you. You can’t let him go into this blind.

“The flower field you crashed into may have certain aphrodisiac properties.” you manage to choke out, and you watch as dark red floods the tan skin on Azriel’s cheeks.

“Oh” Az coughs, running a hand through his hair. “When will we find out?” You’ve never seen him so bashful before. He refuses to make eye contact with you.

“We should know by tomorrow morning,” You clear your throat. “If you wake up tomorrow with a fever you’ve been affected. I’ll sleep on the couch tonight just in case you need something, and if you are affected I’ll monitor your recovery.” He nods at you again.

“And will you be safe here…If I am affected.” Azriel would hate himself if he did anything to you while he wasn’t himself. He was pleading with the mother that this would end up being nothing. His self-control around you was paper thin enough already.

He didn’t need a flower turning him into a glorified beast thrown into the mix as well.

“You won’t hurt me,” you promise and you can see his shoulders slump. “I’ll make you some tea before bed, and tell Rhys we might be holed up here for a couple of days. Then you should probably get some rest.” Azriel nods at you again as you leave the room.

You make your way to the kitchen and find Rhys perched against the island. His eyes are glazed over in a way that tells you he’s probably talking to Feyre. You root around in Az’s cabinet and find your favorite brand of tea tucked away in the back. Your face flushes as you realize he must have bought it at your recommendation, and you can’t help but be reminded of the many times you and Az had spent combing over books in the library over this same brand of tea. Your daydream is interrupted as Rhys clears his throat behind you. He notices the blush on your cheeks and sends you a feline smirk.

Bastard.

“How’s the patient?” he asks, leaning across the island.

“He’s okay for right now. I’m going to stay and monitor him throughout the night. If he is having a reaction I’ll stay and make sure he’s okay, but it’ll probably be a couple of days before the drug runs its course naturally.” You allow yourself to slip back into the role of healer instead of a friend to make this conversation less embarrassing.

“I’m sure Az will be happy he gets to hole up here with you for a few days. The last time I had time like that with Feyre I took full advantage.” Rhys smirks again at the flames rising to your cheeks, playfully wiggling his eyebrows.

You wonder if Feyre would punish you for treason if you sent a mug flying at Rhy’s head.

“Rhysand!” you admonish, “Azriel and I are friends and that is all. Plus I would never take advantage of him like that.” All Rhys does is laugh and wish you luck as he winnows out, most likely straight into the arms of his mate to tell her about the weekend you’re possibly in for. You wander back into Azriel’s room armed with a mug of tea and a book to keep him occupied. You find him still perched on the edge of the bed lost in thought. He’s no longer in his leathers and instead changed them out for comfortable pants. It takes your mind a second to process the fact that he’s shirtless. Large wings are draped across the bed, and you find yourself staring at the muscled back and swirls of tattoos across his chest. His shadows end up noticing you’re there before he does as one comes to swirl excitedly around your wrist pulling you in front of its master. Az offers you a small smile as you set the cup of tea down on his nightstand and press the book into his hands.

“What’s this?” he questions you, scarred hands thumbing through the pages. Your eyes track every move of those fingers as they gently run down the spine. The shadows are curling around your ankles as he looks up at you again, “newest read?”

Mother those hands get you every fucking time

“I thought you’d like it,” you nod. “I wanted to wait and give it to you when you got back from the continent, and I figured it might keep your mind busy while we were stuck here.” Az shoots you a grateful smile as he sets the book down beside him on the bed. “I’ll be on the couch if you need me.” Azriel immediately protests, grabbing at your wrist to stop your exit.

“I can sleep on the couch,” he argues, ever the gentleman. You can tell he already feels bad enough about you having to stay.

“It’s alright Az. You need to rest, and I know you won’t be able to sleep well on the couch with your wings.” He considers for a moment then relents as a shadow brushes across your cheek in thanks. You wish him goodnight as you leave his room to make yourself comfortable on the couch. Distantly you can hear Azriel settle into bed, and flick through the pages of the book you gave to him. You flick through the pages of the book you brought before drifting to sleep on the couch.

─── ･｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

“Go, go go”

The first thing Azriel notices when he wakes up is the fact that he feels like his whole body is on fire. He shoves off the thin pants he already wore to bed, leaving him in just his black undershorts, and practically throws the comforter down to the floor with them. Leaving just the thin bed sheet as he rolls over to the other side. The second thing he notices is that his shadows are frantic, whispering to him nonstop to go somewhere.

“Go Where,” Azriel growls out into the smoke. The soreness in his throat apparently has gotten worse.

The swirl stops for a moment before continuing with their chatter. It now seems like they’re talking more to each other than himself. He tries to listen in again, but it only gives him a pounding headache.

“Go go go,” They urge again as the swirling black mass moves to the door.

“Go, living room, go” They haven’t been this insistent in a long time, and when he hears the living room he’s worried that something has happened to you. He relents letting a shadow creep under the door to go investigate the living room. He lets himself phase out for a moment, seeing through the eyes of shadow to where you’re peacefully sleeping curled on the couch. He exhales a sigh of relief.

Safe. You were safe.

The shadow, however, was much more interested in the way your bare legs were curled on the couch as it happily swirled around your thighs. Azriel tried to reign it back in, but it refused to budge, so eventually he relents and just lets it stay with you.

He indulges in a few more minutes of watching your breathing before dragging himself back into his body.

The fever was quickly becoming unbearable as he drags himself out of his sweat-soaked sheets and into a cold bath. It helps slightly, but the flames beneath his skin continue to burn him alive. The shadow he left slinking around your sleeping form has reported that you’re awake and heading into his bathroom now. He swears he can feel his fever spike higher the closer he gets to you. You greet him with a warm smile and a glass of cold water, and he notices the pink tint to your cheeks as you reach down to feel his forehead.

God, you smell so fucking good.

Az feels like he’s under a spell, or maybe he’s in a dream. You look like an angel, and Az wants nothing more than to drag you and that pretty nightgown right into the bathtub with him and-

Mother above he had to get a hold of himself right fucking now before he does something he would regret once this stupid thing was out of his system. It takes him a minute to process that you’ve been speaking.

“-have to go to the House, apparently there was an accident in training.” You look back at Az again and realize that he’s zoned out. “Az are you even listening to me?” His eyes snap back up to your face and shoots you a guilty smile.

“I’m sorry, I’m finding it very hard to concentrate at the moment.” You understand of course, and touch your hand to his head again. Sending out a wave of power to at least ease his fever for a while. Az immediately lets out a sigh of relief, sinking further into the bath as he feels his mind returning to him. His eyes seem more focused, so you tell him about your plans to go to the House again to deal with an accident that happened in training. You leave Az to finish his bath and get dressed before leaving for the House of Wind.

A couple of hours pass and Azriel feels like a prowling animal. His condition has only worsened since you left, and he’s had a very painful hard on that will not go away even after he’s relieved himself quite a few times. His shadows have been swarming in tense clumps and everything about this environment reads “Dangerous, stay away.” Azriel settles onto his bed again, palming himself through his leathers, for what seems like the 5th time his mind starts running as yanks his pants down.

He feels ashamed of himself when he pictures your mouth wrapped around his cock instead of his hand, but at the moment he can’t bring himself to care. His mind won’t stop no matter what he does. What would’ve happened if he pulled you into the bathtub this morning, his head between your thighs in that damn blue dress you wore last starfall. Him fucking into from behind after a night of him watching you dance at Rita’s. He’s never accepted your invitations to dance, he realizes, too afraid that his paper thin self control would snap.

He decides to say fuck self control, he would crawl from here to spring for a taste of you if that’s what you asked.

He hears his front door open as his shadows rush to investigate. He knows it’s you returning from the house of wind, and he moans when he hears you call his name. He hears you in the kitchen as he shoots himself up to go find you. His brain feels disconnected from his body and the only thing he feels is primal need. You’re turned around washing some kind of fruit in the sink. He’s ready to get down on his knees, and beg you to touch him.

And then he smells it.

You’re covered in the strong earthy scent that belongs to Cassian, and it sends his mind into overdrive. You don’t hear him creep up behind you, and he turns you around against the sink. All of the strong hard muscle is pressed up against you, and you jump as you realize that he doesn’t have any clothes on.

“Az,” you manage to stutter out “What’s wrong, what’s going on?” He growls against your neck when you say his name, grinding his hard length against you as you shudder.

“You smell like Cassian,” he snarls “and you’re mine.” He presses his lips against the curve of your neck, trying to drown out everything that smells like his brother. You moan as Az bites at the pulse point behind your ear.

“Azriel we can’t. Not now, not like this.” This is everything you’ve ever wanted, but you won’t take advantage of him like this.

“You want me,” Azriel counters. “I can smell you dripping for me.” He proves his point by grinding against you again as you let out a loud moan that Az wants to swallow. “I want you too, can’t you feel it?”

Your resolve is obviously cracking and the Spymaster can clearly tell.

“I always want you,” Azriel promises in a shocking moment of clarity as he runs his nose along the shell of your ear. “This is me, these are my feelings, but I just can’t help myself right now. Please, I need to touch you, and if we both come out of this and regret everything we never have to talk about it again.” Your resolve finally cracks, and Az practically purrs into your ear as you agree. Dragging your pants and underwear down in foul swoop, Az hoists you onto the counter and sinks to his knees before you.

“Been thinking about this pussy for years now,” Az mumbles between your thighs as he licks one strong stripe through your center.

He eats you like a starving man, licking and sucking at your core until your thighs are clamping around his head. When one of his fingers slips inside you, you scream his name so loud you think the windows ratte against their frame. He fucks you with his fingers until his finds the soft spot inside of you, and you’re cuming all over his tongue. Az laps up the mess he made before you’re yanking him up to get his mouth on yours. You moan at the taste of you on his tongue as his hands make quick work of the rest of your clothing. Az grabs around your thighs, hoisting you into his arms as the world falls away and all the sudden he’s throwing you onto the bed. You reach your hand down to cup Azriel before he pulls your hand away and shakes his head.

“No I want to finish inside you” Az presses more kisses all over your neck as he reaches down to pull at your nipples. You arch your hips off the bed as you grind yourself against him in an attempt to find some kind of relief. Az slowly eases himself in until he’s fully seated inside of you. He lets you have a few moments to adjust before he’s fucking into you at a relentless pace.

At this point the only thing you remember is Azriel’s name and the way he’s making you feel.

Az is close, his thrusts are becoming irregular and he just needs one final push. You reach across his broad shoulders and run your hand along his wing in a way that makes Azriel let out a roar. He reaches down and rubs at the apex of your thighs as you both crash through your orgasms together. He collapses onto the sheets beside you as his mind seems to be returning to his body. You can tell the drug is working its way out of his system. His burning hot fever lowering as you feel his whole body tense beside you. You squeeze your eyes shut.

You can’t bear to see the look of regret on his face.

Azriel clears his throat and says your name, clearly trying to get your attention. You pry your eyes open, and see the guilty look on his face.

“Az, I’m so sorry. I didn’t want to take advantage of you. I'm so so sorry.” Az immediately looks confused as he violently shakes his head before putting a hand on your jaw.

“You have nothing to be sorry for sweetheart, I’m sorry I should have been able to control myself. I didn’t want it to happen like this.” Your eyes snap up to meet Az’s, hazel eyes tracking your face.

“What do you mean ‘happen like this’ Az.” Pink floods his cheeks as he looks away from you, mouth clamping shut. “Azriel.” He takes a deep breath and looks up at you again.

“I wanted to court you properly. Take you on dates, bring you flowers. The things that a good respectable male should do instead of just taking you to bed. I especially didn’t want to put you in a situation where you felt like you couldn’t say no.” Az runs his hand along your jaw again. “If you want nothing to do with me now I understand, but I’ve had feelings for you for a very long time.”

You can’t help but start laughing as Az looks up at you with a bewildered look on his face. “Why are you laughing?” Azriel questions, his eyebrows furrowing together. You lean over and press a kiss against Az’s lips.

“I have feelings for you too, I just didn’t think you felt that way for me.” Az shakes his head as he leans over to kiss you again.

“I still want to do this right. Take you on dates and such.” he mumbles against your lips, and your body starts to tingle from your toes to the tips of your fingers.

“I think that can be arranged Shadowsinger.”

#acotar #acomaf #acowar #acofas #acosf fanfiction #azriel acotar #azriel #azriel x reader #azriel x you #acotar imagine #smut #azriel smut

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shrimpalbuspotter · 7 days ago

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Um this is so stupid but I wanted to write more on my cc darkworld au and somehow instead ended up writing a weirdly worded one-shot??? It's worded that way because it honestly wasn't meant to be a story I was just writing in my usual format but then I got carried away... its also very awkward because i was tired for most of it and idk how to write storys. So yeah. Here is Scorpius and Albus first official meeting and playdate.

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Scorpius never liked confrontation. Even in this timeline, where he is conniving and cruel, he avoided doing anything to make his peers angry with him. Now, with mudbloods and traitors, it was different. They didn't count, and he actually took some amount of joy in seeing them all squeamish and angry.

This, however, prompted him to shy away from making "friends". He had a few people he was close with, Polly Chapman and those idiots who follow her around come to mind, but most people just respected him. Admired him. And he was content with that arrangement, he didn't need friends, only followers loyal enough to do what he asks. Even the people he was close to, he would only call acquaintances.

But there was something different about that boy. The one with the bird mask who, although not even seeming to attend Hogwarts, he always sees walking down the hallway to Headmistress Umbridges office, his elegant feather coat dragging behind him. Scorpius didn't even know his name. Just this one thing;

He was worryingly close to The Augurey.

See, Scorpius had a beneficial companionship with his cousin. They looked dashing together, a perfect image of Voldemorts legacy, of what Death Eaters are supposed to be. Just their meer presence in a room together has people grovelling in submission and cowering away.

And ever since he was little, he remembered her having that boy with her. At first he didn't care about it too much, he didn't waste his time thinking about people's mudblood pets. But as time went on, and the boy grew alongside him, and his playdates with Delphi became purely professional, he couldn't help getting curious. He was the most well taken care of pet he'd ever seen, wearing the most beautiful garments and being extremely well kempt. Scorpius had no clue why Lord Voldemort would let Delphis obsession with that thing get so far she'd waste so many Galleons on it.

He had only ever questioned her on the matter of her pet once, and after her answer of "keeping your little head out of things that don't concern you", he backed off completely, left to just wonder.

On the occasion Scorpius did hear her call for the boy, she referred to him as "Munin", but Scorpius was sure that wasn't his true name, just an alias Delphi had given him. She did love nicknames, after all.

Back onto the matter at hand, Scorpius had reached a point where he simply had to atleast talk with the boy, and get more than just nods and shrugs as an answer. But how? Scorpius knew well enough than to not interrupt Delphis pet while he is on his dutys through Hogwarts, but that was the only time he would ever see him. Other than that he stayed up in the Dark Lords manor, or glued to Delphis side.

It seemed, however, his cousin had sent him a blessing. As one particularly hot day in the summer had him answering the door to the boy himself, unmasked and in dark blue and black garments, different than the ones he'd usually wear.

"Erm, hello." Munin had said, but Scorpius didn't respond. He actually spoke! By god, he was almost certain the boy was mute!

After a moment of Scorpius staring at him, mouth slightly open and feeling awkward in his pajama shorts and opened button up stripy green shirt, Munin spoke up again.

"Well then... I was sent here by Delphi- I mean The Augurey- I mean... Uhhr, yes. I was sent here. To come in, I think, and have a nip of tea?" The way he spoke was odd, switching between mumbled and normal, with that slight twinge of an accent he must've picked up from being around Bellatrix and all the other purebloods who pass through the Dark Lords manor.

Scorpius still didn't respond, trying to figure out just what was happening. The boy he hadn't been able to stop thinking about in months suddenly shows up at his door, unmasked (with a face Scorpius didn't expect. Very sallow, rather handsome, with murky green eyes and dark freckles that made him look youthful), and asking to pop in for a cup of tea!.

In his confusion, he hadn't even realised he stuttered out a quiet "Yes... ofcourse-", causing the boy to slide passed him and into Malfoy Manor. Scorpius quickly turns around to follow him as he makes his way to the sitting room, seeming to know exactly where to go despite not being in the Manor since he was 8. (Or well, from what Scorpius knows. There have been many meetings hosted there he was begrudgingly not welcomed to sit in on)

When they finally reach the room, the boy sits down on the chair to the far left, brushes back his hair, and begins twiddling his thumbs.

"Well then?" He broke the silence, finally breaking Scorpius out of his trance.

"Excuse me?" Scorpius replies, rather taken aback from his tone but being too confused to respond properly.

"Tea?"

Scorpius gasps quietly before nodding his head in haste, remembering his manners. "Right- right. Barmy!" Scorpius shouted, clapping his hands together and looking at the entrance of the room. Suddenly, an elf appeared infront of them, wobbling slightly as she holds a tray with cups, a teapot, and a plate of assorted biscuits that altogether make up most of her weight.

"Sorry, Master Scorpius, Barmy didn't hear you enter with guest. Barmy has now brought biscuits and tea, Master Scorpius." She spoke out, her two big ears being the only thing Munin is able to see of her from behind the tray, causing him to let out a short giggle in amusement.

Scorpius, who would've usually reprimanded the bloody elf, simply waved her off after she sits the tray on the table, pinching the bridge of his nose in silent stress. He then makes his way over to the chair on the opposite side of the boy, crossing his legs and reaching out to grab a cup.

Another awkward silence fills the air, the only thing audible being the sound of Munin blowing his tea.

"Well then," Scorpius finally speaks now that he has collected himself, "you said that Delphini sent you here? How come."

Albus didn't answer until after he took an obnoxiously loud gulp of tea, and scrawned down a biscuit alongside it. "I'm not very sure myself. Right now I'm going with the theory that she's throwing me a suprise party. Gives me something to look forward to."

Scorpius spits out some of his tea at that, snorting quietly. He doesn't even apologise for his rudeness, just grabs a napkin and begins dabbing his face and trousers. "i don't believe that's it, I'm afraid. Although the idea of my cousin blowing up rainbow balloons does make for a great image."

Munin smiles at that, and Scorpius is utterly fascinated. It's a purely true smile, no malice or snark in it. He hadn't seen a smile like that since his mother was alive. Not even his own father smiled at him like that, not anymore atleast.

"Yeah, yeah It does. Maybe she'd hire a clown for me, too. Do you think Polly Chapman would be up for the job?"

"You know Chapman?" Scorpius ponders exactly how the boy would, as he's sure she would've told him by now of their meeting. (He wasn't exactly quiet about his fascination with the boy, asking everyone if they knew anything about him.) And apparently he felt some amount of annoyance from her.

The boy shrugs, his smile now turning into the type Scorpius is used to, a matching glint of something in his eye. "Mm, so and so. I've had a few encounters with her and her posse. Not the brightest few."

Scorpius gives a slight nod at that before looking down at his cup, the silence from before slowly creeping back. Scorpius, in fear that if it goes quiet once more they won't be able to salvage this, just speaks the first question on his mind.

"What's your name?"

The boy finallys looks up at him, and Scorpius counts 4 moles scattered around his face, almost making a constellation amongst the lighter freckles.

After a moment of what seems to be hesitation, he responds, "Munin."

Not being the answer Scorpius was looking for, he pushes further. "Not that silly title- Your real name."

It seems the boy doesn't want to answer, going back to twiddling his thumbs and rubbing his hands together. Scorpius is honestly beginning to edge into annoyed, not understanding the reluctance to answer such an easy question.

"Ehrr, well, see... The Augurey doesn't like me using my name. She says it's- Disrespectful."

"A name? Disrespectful? I hardly believe that. Just tell me, it's not like Delphini is here to hear you. I certainly won't snitch."

The pair look at eachother deeply after that, Scorpius subtly raising a brow almost to tell thr boy "go on, then".

He shuts his eyes and takes a deep breath in and out, leaning forward to put his cup down onto the table then nodding.

He sits uo straight and rubs his hands once more before putting them in his lap and speaking.

"It's Albus. Albus Severus."

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press-f1-to-grieve · 3 months ago

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yup here comes the yapping. considering my blog also includes both landoscar content and what one may consider anti lando content, especially during singapore gp, i feel that maybe this will double as a sort of clarification on where i stand with lando for those who came across my blog and might have seen this as mixed signal.

tl;dr: no i don't hate him. i don't even hate mclaren. i still can relate to lando and honestly, by hating him i'd be too massive of a hypocrite. there will still be landoscar and lando content on my blog. stuffs i reblogged, i didn't see them as anti because to me they were just fun jabs or for reference or what i think is valid criticism/concerns, but i'll try to tag more mindfully just in case you found me from my landoscar posts and reblogs and these posts upset you. we are just here for fun mostly after all, and i want to be mindful of how much hate lando has been getting lately, and how what i view is a fun jab might not be fun for you if you are a lando/mclaren fan, especially at the moment.

so the clip i saw on here that alerted me to what happened was from @/ef-1 (not tagging them properly because this is just a random rant but if they find my post and wishes to be tagged properly, i will gladly do so). i did track the stream down and watched the entire moment play out along with everything surrounding it just to make sure i didn’t miss anything. full disclaimer tho, that i did not watch the entirety of the nearly 5 hours long stream, but i did skip around and i didn’t encounter any more words regarding this.

unfortunately, after watching, it actually made lando look worse to me personally, and it pains me a lot because i actually like lando, but health and safety is kinda a line for me (i image it is for many too). for some context, if i say i’m a fan, or that i actively ship two people together, it is automatically a given that i like both parties to certain extent. there is, of course, bias and hierarchy taking place. fact is i do adore max slightly more than charles, both of them more than oscar, and oscar more than lando, but ultimately, i do in fact, adore them all. i watch f1 for fun (insert laugh track here), and i would just personally prefer that i don’t end up hating or disliking anybody for my own sake. i could and would dislike their actions if i think it’s a dick move, but i don’t want to dislike them, the person. there’s a big distinction there for me personally.

now, i don’t think what lando said in the stream has turned me into a hater, but it certainly is bumping my view of him a little lower. the fact he saw news about the health and safety of his fellow drivers, but instead of feeling concerned, he reacted in such way, even after his friend gently reminded him that he didn't have full context, is kinda a red flag to me. i would like to think that lando, with or without knowing about the merc drivers’ state after the race, would understand that george (apparently is supposed to be his friend?), lewis, and mercedes, like them or not, have more professionalism than a bunch of school children trying to get out of class. that maybe, if it’s warranted an update, then it was justifiably fucking bad, and that people saw enough evidence to be worried about the state of the drivers, hence needing official words from the team to put their minds at ease.

but, i can’t exactly sit here and lie to myself that i am "the best person” material. his insecurity and the defensive shield he seems to constantly hold is something i certainly can relate. this here might be pure projecting, but i think he wants to be good, however, because he still has plenty to work on, it’s a constant tug of war inside himself, hence the fragmented way his image is. anyway, i was there once. it’s not a fun place to be in, so i hope he finds his way out. and while i personally believe that there is no time limit for when a person can turn themselves around, i’d say the sooner the better it will be for him, simply because he is a public figure. i just don’t want him to get any more hate (which, tough luck, public figure), he’s no doubt receiving enough already, because it won’t help with anything (also doesn’t mean i’m saying he should be coddled either). i just feel there is a risk of pushing him toward lumping both hate and valid criticism together and disregarding them both in an attempt to protect himself, but where is the turning point, only those he is close with will know and can help him in time, i’m just some dumbass online. i think he’s a little more fragile mentally than most if not all on the grid (there is probably a percentage of me self projecting here but i feel it’s a valid belief), so the quicker the people around him realize that and get him the help he needs, the better. the quicker he can get himself in check, the more it’ll benefit both him and his image, especially with the shit that has been going down this season.

#gonna go back and try to add anti tags an stuffs i feel might need one later #i'm out of energy #i'm not sure how to tag this #do i tag it as anti?#i don't see it as anti because i'm not coming from a place of hate #but i can assume it's not exactly a great post to read about your fav driver for some #anti lando norris #i will add link to this onto my pinned post #just so lando/landoscar fan who come across my blog and see something they like but also the weird mixed signal understand where i stand #and can make better judgement on whether they wanna stick around #*ensiyap

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distinguishedkryptonitecreator · 4 months ago

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𝕸𝖔𝖑𝖑𝖞'𝖘 𝖕𝖗𝖔𝖇𝖑𝖊𝖒

Pairing: Sherlock x reader

Series: Sherlock BBC

MASTERLIST

I II

Synopsis: You discover that you are in love, unfortunately with the same man your friend loves. How will you survive that.

Note: English is not my native language, so some words may not make sense, apologies in advance.

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐈𝐈

━━━━♡

The name Thomas Beckett made my heart skip a beat.

“Thomas Beckett? What’s going on with him?” I asked, trying to keep calm as I sat on the sofa. The gears in my mind began to spin rapidly, trying to understand why they were mentioning my boss’s partner.

Sherlock’s eyes narrowed slightly, as if my words had bothered him, though he didn’t show it openly. His rigid posture and the way he clenched his jaw revealed that something else was going on. Mycroft, on the other hand, seemed impassive, as if he enjoyed my confusion.

“Miss, it’s quite simple. We know for certain that, despite holding a position not so prominent within the company hierarchy, you have certain connections with high-ranking officials,” Mycroft commented with a tone that carried a hint of disdain. I glared at him.

A position not so important? Really? My role as a senior developer was more than relevant. It wasn’t for nothing that I had spent so much time studying, sacrificing sleep and proper meals, taking various part-time jobs with low wages to pay for my studies, and enduring the distance from my family while living in a noisy shared flat. I was proud of what I had achieved and all I had done to get there, so his words only made me boil with anger.

“You know, I’m starting to think I might not want to collaborate with you,” I replied, crossing my arms firmly. Mycroft raised an eyebrow, but before he could respond, Sherlock intervened, surprising even his brother.

“Listen, I know you got your position thanks to that intern program, and also that...” Sherlock paused, his blue eyes locking with mine as if he were unsure about what he was about to say, “that you have a history with Beckett.”

The mere mention of my past with Thomas made me feel as though the ground was slipping away from under my feet. It was true that Thomas and I had been more than friends in college. We were inseparable, and eventually, we became a couple. Thomas had always been the brilliant and attractive one, so his success with women didn’t surprise me. There was something about his charisma that drew people to him like a magnet.

However, everything ended. We went our separate ways, each with our own dreams. There was no sense in holding back. I would never forget the surprise I felt when, years later, I encountered him in one of the hallways of the place, with his immaculate dark suit and polished shoes. A smile from ear to ear that I hadn’t seen in a long time. The Thomas Beckett I knew as a student was now a man who had built his own cybersecurity company.

“What does that have to do with the case?” I asked, trying to sound more confident than I felt.

Sherlock let out a sigh, as if finding it difficult to explain the obvious.

“Everything,” he replied with a coldness that left me stunned. “Beckett is under suspicion, and we need to know how involved he is in certain activities. Your proximity to him, both personal and professional, could be key to uncovering what’s really going on.”

“Suspicion of what?” I pressed, starting to feel that what I was about to hear would not be pleasant.

Sherlock looked at me with a mix of seriousness and something I couldn’t quite identify.

“Beckett is being investigated for alleged involvement in an industrial espionage network. There are suspicions that he has been selling confidential information from several tech companies, including yours, to foreign competitors. And it’s not just about his disloyal behavior. There are indications that this data is being used for purposes that compromise national security. There have been leaks pointing to connections between Beckett and an organization called Argus, known in the underworld for handling military contracts and cyber warfare technology.”

My heart raced as I processed his words. Thomas involved in something so murky. It was hard to believe, but I knew Sherlock didn’t say these things lightly.

“And what does this have to do with me?” I asked, though a part of me already suspected the answer.

“As a developer, you have access to sensitive information, and your past relationship with Beckett could have facilitated his access to what he needed,” Sherlock replied, his words sharp but laden with a concern he was trying to hide. “We need to know if you have any knowledge of something that could incriminate him or if you’ve been used, even unknowingly, to access that information.”

“Look, I understand this is a shock to you, but we’re not here to accuse you,” John interjected for the first time, his usual calm tone. “We want your help because we know you’re not involved, but also because you could be the key to stopping this before it spirals out of control. If Beckett is innocent, we’ll prove it. But if he’s not, you need to know he could be using his relationship with you for his own ends.”

“Exactly,” Mycroft added with a slight nod toward John. “We need someone on the inside, someone who can verify if our suspicions are correct. And who better than someone who has Beckett’s trust.”

My mind was in full turmoil. I knew that working with Sherlock and Mycroft could lead to unimaginable situations, but I never thought I’d find myself in something so serious, and even less that Thomas could be involved in something like this. What would this mean for my career, for my life? The consequences of collaborating with them could be devastating. I could lose my job, and my reputation would be in ruins. But if what they were saying was true, if Thomas was really involved in an espionage network, ignoring it wasn’t an option.

“If I agree to help, what guarantees do I have that this won’t affect my professional life?” I asked finally, looking directly into Sherlock’s eyes, hoping for some sign that he understood the risks I was facing.

Sherlock held my gaze for a moment that seemed eternal before responding, this time in a much softer tone, almost a whisper:

“You have my word that we will do everything possible to protect you. But we need you.”

I knew that getting involved in something like this could have severe consequences. Not only for me but for my career as well. What would happen if the company discovered that I was helping Mycroft and Sherlock in an investigation that could involve one of its major partners? The collateral damage could be devastating. However, there was something in Sherlock’s gaze, an indication that this case was not just another for him, that made me reconsider.

And although part of me knew I should stay away, that getting involved could destroy everything I had worked for, another part, perhaps the one that still cared for Thomas or the one that didn’t want to leave Sherlock to face this alone, decided to take the risk.

“Alright,” I said finally, feeling a knot in my stomach. “I’ll help.”

John nodded with an expression of gratitude, while Mycroft simply gave a calculating smile. Sherlock, however, did not show any immediate reaction. Only a slight glimmer in his eyes indicated that he had been expecting this response. I wondered if there was something more behind that look, something more personal. But there was no time for reflection. I was about to enter a dangerous game, and there was no turning back.

As they prepared to leave, my phone buzzed. I glanced at the screen to see a message from Molly.

┏━━━━•❅•°•❈ •°•❅•━━━━┓

“Hey! Fancy a girls' night out? We haven’t had one in ages. Let me know!” ✓✓

┗━━━━•❅•°•❈ •°•❅•━━━━┛

━━━━♡

NOTE II:

I'm so sorry for missing out. I've been a little unmotivated and university doesn't help. But I hope you liked the chapter. You will hear from me soon, I promise.

#sherlock x y/n #sherlock x you #sherlock imagine #sherlockbbc #sherlock x reader #bbc sherlock #sherlock fandom #mycroft holmes #john watson #greg lestrade

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nextstopwonderland · 1 year ago

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Masterlist of Bryan/Nigel content I've posted: part 1

Click here for additional masterlists:

Graphics

(Original post with the song lyrics / quotes)

(Original post with quote)

(Original post)

Video clips

Post-2 out of 3 falls match clip + protective Nigel supercut

“You don’t want to see Desmond Wolfe vs. Lloyd Boner?”

In which they slap each other then shake hands

Bryan Danielson & Nigel McGuinness’s promos ahead of their AWF WSW match “International Assault 2” - June 1, 2007

And another AWF promo

Bryan and Nigel’s entrance at NOAH in Japan July 2007

Video of Nigel talking about his love at first sight prior to diving into the Clamdigger origin

Promo after their first singles match

Those sexually charged handshakes tho

Nigel pulls Bryan’s pigtails while also calling him the GOAT

Nigel with Monkey ‘Brittle’ Danielson at All In Fanfest

“Oh he’s fine to wrestle now is he?”

“Nigel McGuinness has succinctly pointed out, many times at this point, that we have 206 bones in our body, and 205 of mine are perfectly okay

Bryan and Zack and Nigel and mox

Nigel meets yarn Danielson

“Yeah, darling, but it’s not your fault” - Bryan and Nigel, post last ROH match (includes photos)

“We’re both here for the same goal.” (Includes screencaps and gifs) aka the one that looks like a porn setup

Nigel and mox on wrestledream commentary

“If it weren’t for Clamdigger brittle Bryan Danielson I would’ve had that match”

“You need me to take care of this for you Nigel?”

In which Nigel is finally confronted on collision by Kevin and Tony about wanting to wrestle Bryan

“You know, Nigel doesn’t like him.” Danny talks Bryan, Daddy Magic brings up Nigel

Tag team comedic gold in ROH

“Are you okay?” - wxw clip

“Looking at me like that!” - in which we get our first official aew interaction

“Does it hurt??” - interaction number 2

“I would love to wrestle Nigel … I worry about fan expectations” - in which Bryan finally addresses Wembley this year, and lies some

“The other night after Collision ended Bryan Danielson, Nigel McGuinness and I sat in the back and talked for an hour.” - Tony S talks about Bryan & Nigel

Video compilations/fanvids

2023 Bryan and Nigel talking about potentially facing each other again (intercut with some 2006 clips)

“There’s something about Bryan Danielson” (video/audio edit)

🎶two of a kind, we’ll find a way🎶 - fanvid set to Slide Away by Oasis

Video compilation of the nigel talking about Bryan parts of aew unrestricted podcast

Pre and post match moments - first in-ring match (trios)

Compilation of Bryan and Nigel talking about Bryan’s 205 good bones + how magic and professional wrestling are intertwined

Nigel being unhinged on commentary

“That’s Dragon’s favorite perch”

Death match supercut

Collision roast supercut (feat ZSJ)

Supercut of Bryan and Nigel from Wrestling Road Diaries (and Nigel once again talking about that certain something of Bryan’s)

Another wrestling road diaries supercut (mostly Bryan) with some screencaps

Tag team supercut

“You’re obsessed with trying to one-up me, aren’t you?”

“I’ve seen that look on Dragon’s face before”

“You don’t meet many people like that…”

Compilation of Bryan parts of Nigel’s HEY(EW) ep

“Yeah darling but it’s not your fault.” - yet another camera angle of this moment, edited with other footage

“Out of the ring, we bicker a lot.” - another compilation of some WRD clips

Audio posts

Nigel’s favorite career moment of course features Bryan (includes interview text, January 2023)

Nigel talks about Bryan's charisma, clamdigging, and how only one of his bones is broken (August 2023)

“I had this very strange sensation” (May 2021)

Sweet nothings from Nigel (circa 2009)

“I enjoy making fun of him.” (Audio edit, February 2024)

Part 2

#apologies had to remake this yet again #as Tumblr is doing a very odd thing with the link for some ppl #if you’d had it saved pls save this post instead #my masterlists #BryanNigel #my compilations #my edits

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hunting-songs · 1 month ago

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WHAT PEOPLE KNOW... Tagged By: A little wildbirdie! Tagging: @skarletchains @kiigan @gyofukuki @saiakv @kylo-wrecked @muddsludge @zaeltry @distortedkilling @lightfaithed @bewitchingbaker @soulfulempathy ...and YOU!

PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE ; most people, even strangers, know about this –

-Senritsu is a craftsman-master restoring and building instruments from oral traditions, written records or old paintings. Her beeing a Hunter is, while well known about her, actually on second place to her good name as a craftsman who works for museums or university -researchers as a handyman.

-She made her Master-exam in building wooden wind instruments.

-She never made a higher education degree (craftsman-master-letter aside). Senritsu ran away from the Music-Consortium as soon as she turned eighteen to take part in the Hunterexam, which was only a few months before finishing taking her A-levels.

-Senritsu always traveled with her best friend.

-Before joining the Mafia, Senritsu was famously known to other Hunters as the person "You do not play poker against". Unfairly perfect hearing or not, Senritsu is a trickster at heart and knows her ways with cardgames. She cheats. She cheats so very good with the most sweetest smile on her face.

-The way Senritsu had looked before listening to the Sonata of Darkness is how she is known in her professional Life. For the people she works for at museums or for university-professor-research, her face before the curse is what they think she now still looks as she had not taken on any official jobs were she needed to be present in her profession since she had been cursed. For the people she works for Senritsu kind of suddenly emerged out of nowhere as a Music-Hunter when she was eighteen and three years later suddenly vanished to be only reduced to email-contact for hired work.

-She says that there is noone that is close to her.

SEMI-PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE ; selected groups of people know about this –

-Considering her dyslexia and horrible frustration with school in general, Senritsus marks were horrible. Studying (as in topics that did not spark her interest) had never been her strong suit, so her leaving school might had saved her resumeé- better a blank in the resumeé than so very bad marks.

-Senritsu listened to the Sonata of Darkness and was cursed. Her best friend died when he played that song. It is a well known fact in the Hunter-community because Senritsu spend years searching for a Nen-Exorcist to lift her curse before when not finding any help, taking matters into her own hands in a not so noble way.

-"Everyone hates this kind of Hunters. They have no pride or honour. They are just dogs out for a petty reward." Which is more a context-fact in the HxH world: But while Senritsu has a known reason for joining the Mafia, she still did so and this very much puts her name in a very bad light in the Hunter-community.

-Senritsu donates most of her income to museums.

-Her flute is made of bones.

-In certaine rocksongs from before 1997, Senritsu can be heard as a background singer. The songs are often played on private radio-channels for people with this kind of musictaste.

-She earned a scholarship for a Music-Consortium when she was twelve and stayed at the school until she was eighteen. During that time she played in a lot of concerts and there is still "learning material" of a teenager-Senritsu on the schools website where she could be seen playing different instruments for others to learn. Hoever, it is easy to see that Senritsu had a waggish sense of humor and the teachers had a hard time making her do what they wanted her to do.

-When Senritsu uses her Aura on Water, it turns scarlet. She might had played a few pranks on people with that. The people were her best friend. It was his bath-water.

-Senritsu met her best friend Ask when they both were twelve at that school. He teached her how to read music-notes and from that time on they were joined by the hip.

-She passed the Hunter-Exam at the second try. At the first try she ran into Tompa and spend the rest of the exam in the restroom. Senritsu says at her second try on the exam, she lured Tompa into a restroom and locked him in there.

-Senritsu can hold her drinks very well and she loves to sit with colleagues after work to drink a beer.

PRIVATE KNOWLEDGE ; very few people know about this - in doubt, please ask!

-Senritsu is a Genius in the HxH worlds definition of it. She learned to use and preform a Prototyp of her Hatsu as a young child- the ability at that time was a pure stunning-Hatsu that was born from the wish to make sure her siblings would never be in the danger to be caught when stealing from the publicum listening to Senritsus music. Nolens-Voles: Senritsu is a emitter and if she would not have been given proper Nen-Training a short time after she had started to use her Hatsu on her own, she would have died a very early dead as it is naturally her aura-nature to spread out as much and far as possible and she would have simply died because she would have no aura left.

-She will turn 25 on december 12 of 2001, if she survives that hellish August on the Black Whale that is.

-Her best friend Ask had skinned, scarred over hands. When they met Ask would lay his always hurting hands on the piano Senritsu played on so sooth the pain. So when Senritsu years later under the teachng of a proper Nen-master started to model her actual Hatsu out of the stunning-ability that was born from a wish, it turned into a healing-ability based on using vibrations like the vibrations of the piano to sooth pain and heal injuries / sicknesses.

-She refers to her best friend as "my twin who happned to be born a few days too late and to other parents".

-Senritsu hails from a group of Traveling People. Originally wandering thiefs, robbers, crooks and Musicinstrument-builders using animalbones, the group was discovered by the body-part-collector-community and from that on hired to build instruments from human bones for collectors on commission. It is now the Groups main-income. Senritsu used the fact her Groups instruments were so lovingly collected in the community to build connections in the bodypart-collector-community and eventually get herself hired by the Nostrade family by beeing most warmly recommended.

-She has six siblings. She has a twinpair of older sisters. A younger twinpair of sisters, a younger sister who is the irish- twin to her brother whom is her youngest sibling of the seven. Senritsu is the only child not having a twin and having at least four years (or more) years between her and her other siblings. Since she left the Traveling Poeple she barely had any contact with her family.

-She is an aunt. The twinpair of nieces are her godchildren, and while she had never visited them, Senritsu had put up a trust fund for them. The Mafia-money she earns either goes to museums or to the trustfund.

-Senritsus father was a serial-killer. He was hanged when she was twelve.

-She wants to mold her Hatsu further into a nen-exorcistic ability, after she had destroyed the Sonata. It is already a healing ability, so molding it further would be possible with proper teaching. Senritsu wants to help people in situations in which her could not be helped. However, she thinks of this as a little daydream as she thinks that she will not survive destroying the Sonata or that she will die before doing that when the scars on her arm reach her heart.

#hunting-songs #hunting-songs: headcanon #yeh so....in the hxh world its 2001. since it started in january 1999.

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alexthefly · 2 years ago

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Birth of a Star

For @flashfictionfridayofficial 's prompt: Birth of a Star. I went slightly different on this one, but hopefully it's not too terrible. (Even if it is, it's silly 'o'clock in the morning right now so I'm officially calling it!)

EDIT: Apologies if anybody notices a tiny tweak or two in the wording from earlier versions - it was driving me barmy and I had to fix it!

Fandom: Thunderbirds / Thunderbirds Are Go

Word Count: 506

Audience: All

Or read it on AO3

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

She waits.

There in the darkness between the heavens and the Earth, alone in a sky filled with stars, she hangs like a raindrop waiting to fall. Inside, earthlight filters through fused quartz windows, casting long shadows across her corridors. Everything is still, like the chill air just before the snow.

Anticipating.

Then somewhere down on the planet below a door closes, and from deep within her a single system stirs. Hums of electricity buzz through her little by little, carrying messages with it:

- Boot: temperature control -

- Boot: oxygen filtration -

- Boot: air circulation -

From her outer wheel there’s a click and then a whir; gears shift and begin to turn, and a cable starts to wind. Round and round, more and more, she pulls on a weight that by rights she shouldn’t know up here; a weight that’s lessening, lighter and lighter until there is no weight. Still she winds, until eventually the spinning gears slow, and there is a satisfying thunk as her safety clamps find home.

- Elevator Status: Docked -

It’s time.

Banks of solid state LEDs flicker on to light the way. Her airlock doors open with a satisfying swoosh, and he’s here. The one she’s been waiting for.

The Voice.

He doesn’t come in right away but instead lingers in the doorway, tracing his fingers around the edge, as if to confirm its solidity. There are parts of her that he’s seen before, some he’s even had a hand in creating, but this is the first time he’s seen her intact.

Whole.

Hello, old new friend.

Finally he pulls himself forwards and floats into the main ring, following her coloured lines as he glides from panel to panel, room to room, getting his bearings. He keeps his helmet on for now - safety protocols are priority one - but he touches everything, committing it to memory, and in doing so he breathes life into her, making her much more than an assembly of parts; more than metal and glass.

Making her real.

By the gleam in his eyes, he feels it too.

At last he reaches the central hub, where her 3D planetary display sits serene, illuminated all in blue, imitating the planet itself.

Without hesitating, he brings up a side display and flicks through to find what he needs. He moves confidently over the controls, accessing menus, running checks; fingers breezing over the console as if he’d been doing this his whole life. Perhaps in a certain way he has, but only ever in his dreams before today.

- Status: All life support systems nominal -

He takes a deep breath and, letting it out slowly, removes his helmet.

A moment.

Two.

A breath.

“I’m home,” he murmurs, smiling softly.

...Welcome home.

----------

- Incoming Call: Tracy Island -

He taps the icon immediately.

“How’s it looking up there, John?” comes a commanding voice, young but full of authority. “Everything go okay?”

“FAB,” The Voice - Her Voice - replies, his tone professional, but with an undertone of pride.

She feels it too.

They are one now.

“Thunderbird Five is Go.”

#fff185 #birth of a star #flash fiction friday #alexthefly fic #John Tracy #thunderbirds #thunderbirds are go #thunderbirds are go fanfiction

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rinwellisathing · 5 months ago

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Paint The Lines, Cut The Flesh: Part 19

Sentry didn't return to Sharess' Caress, he couldn't do it. He couldn't deliver that news to the others there. When Astarion and Halsin led him out of the flophouse and into the streets of the town, he stumbled over to a stack of crates and sat down, burying his face in his hands. “I don't know what to do...I'm so angry...and everything hurts...and my head is spinning.” “Well, perhaps a good place to start would be to direct that anger. We can trail this cut rate assassin if you want, I found something at might help.” Astarion offered, producing a scrap of paper with a list of names on it. Father Lorgan's name was already crossed off as well as several others, but Sentry did recognize some of the remaining ones. He took the list from Astarion and scanned it carefully. “Figaro Facemaker was one of the people Enver got his clothes from.....and me too when I started spending more time around him. I know where his place is.” He blinked, the realization just dawning on him that some how he had managed to remember that. “Anyway, the guy's kind of an insufferable prick, but the clothes he makes are really nice. D'you think Orin's got him on a hit list because she and Enver had a disagreement? Cause these other names that seem familiar might also be related to him and if they are...” “Pardon me, Mister Ojeda?” When Sentry looked up, an elegant female tiefling stood in front of him, her deep purple skin and long black hair were perfectly complimented by the dapper and professional black and gold suit she wore as well as the fashionable gold wire framed spectacles that sat before her red eyes. “My name is Valda Everett. I don't think you remember me, but my employer remembers you very fondly.” She reached into the pocket of her suit, producing a very official looking letter which smelled beautifully of vanilla and rosewood, a scent that hit Sentry with intense familiarity.

He reached out and accepted the letter, his hands still trembling a bit. Opening it, he read the sweeping elegant text and realized it was an invitation. “This is from Lord Gortash?” “Yes, your absence has been so painful to him, Mr. Ojeda.” Valda nodded, her hands clasped behind her back as she stood with unsettlingly perfect posture. “Hmm...you know, it occurs to me...Perhaps the reunion might be best if you attended alone? There are certain memories that are not for prying ears.” Valda eyed Halsin and Astarion pointedly. “Ha! You really think he's going to fall for that?” Astarion scoffed. “Whatever Lord Gortash has to say to Sentry, I'm sure he can say it to the rest of us as well.” “Actually...maybe it's best if I do go by myself...” Sentry spoke softly. “Well, whatever it is you decide, do try and remember: A little diplomacy, a little decorum...goes a very long way in society.” Valda gave a poisonously honeyed smile before bowing graciously and taking her leave.

“You can't be serious, Sentry. Everything about this reeks of a trap!” Astarion snapped, rounding on Sentry. “I don't think Gortash will hurt me. There's just...something about all this...” Sentry explained, rising to his feet. “You two go find Jaina and the others and meet me at Wyrm's Rock...I need to do this alone...”

Astarion was about to protest, but Halsin placed a hand on his shoulder and shook his head. “If Sentry needs to do this on his own, we should respect that. We won't be far from him and with the others by our side, we're more than capable of coming to his rescue should he need it.” ---- Kroger frowned with concern as he and his siblings approached Kithrak Voss in the upstairs lounge of Sharess' Caress. He was badly wounded since the last time Kroger had seen him, beaten practically to a pulp and missing half an ear. It unsettled him to wonder what had done that to a seasoned hero of the Githyanki people. “Jhestil Kithrak, you should at least let me clean those wounds for you before we speak...” He winced, there was so much dried blood and already he could see the tell tale signs of infection setting in. “There is no time, I have found a means to free Prince Orpheus, but that bastard Cambion has it locked in his vault. He refused to deal with me...” Voss spat, his brow furrowed in frustration and the siblings could see the shame in his eyes. “Well, if this Cambion refuses to bargain, why not simply steal the hammer?” Octavia asked, sitting down across from Voss as Kroger began to prepare clean cloth and antiseptics from his pouch and carefully tend the old warrior's wounds. “I suppose you could...He would likely be keeping it in some fortress or palace within the hells...” Voss mused, hissing sharply as Kroger dabbed at his wounds, cleaning them fastidiously. The first cloth was red and brown with blood in no time and Kroger quickly switched to a clean one.

“His 'House of Hope'.” Lae'zel snorted. “But how will we infiltrate it?” She folded her arms across her chest and lowered her head in thought. “Maybe Sentry or Jaina would have an idea, or even Wyll...” Octavia thought outloud. “We should reconvene with them.” “The Cambion has also mentioned that he is willing to make a deal for the hammer, but he will only speak with Sentry Ojeda.” Voss frowned as Kroger had now begun casting his healing spells over the wounds and gently bandaging the areas.

“T'skva....Sentry will never accept anything Raphael offers...” Octavia frowned. “So it's settled then, we need to find a way into this House of Hope.” --- Astarion and Halsin rejoined Wyll and Jaina outside Sharess' Caress shortly. The group began walking towards the bridge to Wyrm's Rock and spoke as they went. “Where's Sentry?” Jaina asked gently, concern in her voice. “He lost another loved one.” Halsin replied. “And while he was recovering from that blow, a strange woman appeared with an invitation from this Archduke Gortash.” “And of course, our precious puppy dog paladin waltzed directly into that trap.” Astarion added with an exaggerated roll of his eyes, hiding the worry he felt. By now, the party arrived at the bridge, another Watcher blocking their path flanked by members of The Flaming Fist. A woman raised a hand to stop them. “Hold on, I can't let you through without a pass, there's a coronation on today, invite only!” “I thought this Gortash was a man of the people, but he'd bar them from witnessing his rise to power? A bit hypocritical in my view.” Wyll raised a brow.

“That's the rules, take it up with those in charge. I just enforce them.” The woman shrugged. “Elin, wait a minute!” A voice called from across the bridge and the sound of someone in heavy armor jogging towards them filled the air. The accent wasn't Baldurian, rather the man spoke similarly to Jaina. “Gauntlet Tiburon, what is it, sir?” The woman asked, turning to look at the new arrival. The tiefling stood six feet tall with close cropped sandy blonde hair and a mustache and goatee to match. He was dressed in Flaming Fist armor befitting a paladin and wore a holy symbol of Umberlee around his neck. His horns and skin were identical to Jaina's right down to the smattering of freckles across his nose and cheeks. “Tibs!” Jaina cried out happily. “Jaina, you're safe! Shit...you made us worry so much, I hope you brought plenty of souvenirs for Lucretzia from your journey to make up for it.” The paladin gave a relieved smile as he and Jaina met, hugging tightly as he lifted her up off her feet. The party simply watched the sibling's reunion until Tibs placed Jaina back on her feet and looked them over. He turned his attention to them. “Thank you for protecting my sister...She's not an adventurer, so when she went missing we feared the worst.” “We should thank her for protecting us.” Wyll replied. “Her magic was invaluable to our party and her quick thinking kept us out of many a conflict.” Tibs raised a brow, studying Wyll's face for a moment, looking from Wyll to Jaina and frowning a bit. “ Ah, I see...And you are?” “Wyll Ravengard. Blade of Frontiers.” Wyll saluted, raising his rapier. “Ravengard, huh? Ulder's a good man, took me under his wing when I came here to train as a kid. I knew he had a kid he didn't talk about, didn't realize why.” Tibs replied, examining Wyll's horns and eyes. “It's funny, I've never seen a Cambion that looked like you before. You're usually bigger.” “Tibs!” Jaina hissed, glaring at her brother. “Mind yourself! Wyll isn't a Cambion.”

“Well he's certainly not a tiefling.” Tibs replied. “The scent is all wrong, it's of the hells.” “I displeased my patron to protect a friend...I assure you, I'm human.” Wyll spoke up, frowning a bit.

“Ah, a warlock then...” Tibs distrustful expression soured further, his nose wrinkling. “I see why Ulder doesn't discuss you...” “That's enough, Tibs! Say one more thing out of line to Wyll, and there'll be a problem.” Jaina snapped, blue eyes glinting dangerously. “Excuse me for worrying about who might be sniffing after my sister's heart.” Tibs scoffed incredulously. “I've a right to worry after the last one!” “I assure you, if anyone had ill intentions towards your sister, she'd handle them quite capably herself.” Wyll replied. “My feelings for Jaina are honest and true. I want nothing more than for her to be happy.” He noticed Jaina's expression falter when Tiburon brought up her previous relationship. Astarion rolled his eyes, arms folded across his chest behind the two as Halsin watched with some amusement at Jaina's interactions with her brother. Tiburon frowned and inhaled deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose and sighing, but his tail still remained raised and alert. “Alright....fine, I apologize....I'm protective of my sister, she hasn't had an easy life and I'm not used to the idea of her as some big adventurer...” He explained, shaking his head. “ Anyway...you're free to cross the bridge into the fortress, I'm vouching for you. You can leave a description of any other party members accompanying you as well and Keira or I will sign off that they're good to go.” He bit his lip and paused a moment, grabbing Wyll's wrist as he walked past and speaking quietly. “If you really care about Jaina, please...watch out for her. She's more fragile than you think, alright?”

Wyll frowned in confusion, but nodded his head. “Her wellbeing is important to me, you have my word I'll keep her safe.” He responded earnestly. “Well, your family seems charming, Miss Thalassia.” Astarion gave a sarcastic laugh as he and Halsin followed Jaina into the fortress. “ His reaction is understandable, hunters of the deep can be quite territorial. Sharks may be solitary hunters, but that doesn't mean they can't be protective.” Halsin mused. “He's more of a blowfish, really.” Jaina stuck out her tongue. “Ever since we were kids he treats me like a delicate little porcelain doll. You saw how mad he was about Wyll and I can't imagine a kinder, more charming person I could have brought home.”

----

Sentry was assaulted at once by a thousand smells and sounds through the chamber the coronation was to be held in. He had taken a moment to get changed into something he liked to think Ffion would have chosen, furtively pilfering a simple black velvet doublet to throw over his white undershirt and black breeches. It was a little too large on him, but he buckled the belt the way Father Lorgan had taught him, enough to leave it a little baggy at the waist and hide the curve there, and made his way onward. The room was bright, fine rich mahogany and sturdy oak made up the furniture and supports, the stone was freshly cleaned and the floor was a shimmering marble that almost seemed gold under the dancing lights of the room, those Gondian electical ones he remembered had started coming into vogue, did he remember those because of Enver? He crossed the red carpet that had been laid out, passing many whispering patriars in clothing far finer than his own and all laden with gold and gems, made up and manicured freshly for this historic day. Standing at the end of the aisle was the man of the hour himself. His hair shone blue-black in the light an those dark emerald eyes danced eagerly over Sentry. He was dressed much as he had been back in the Illithid colony, an elaborate jacket bedecked in gold devil heads and embroidered dragons, his hands adorned in those enticing golden claws and jewels. “Ah, my favorite assassin.” He spread his arms as he took a few steps towards Sentry.

The tiefling had to force himself not to run into those arms and hold him tightly, though the impulse was certainly there. “Enver! I...mean...Lord Gortash...” That worn but still handsome face lit up a moment, making him look like a much younger man again. “You remember me?” Sentry frowned and looked away. “Not really....not entirely...but your face...I never forgot it...Nor the color of your eyes.” The tyrant seemed taken aback by this, as though he was unsure in that moment whether to be hurt or flattered. “Well, you've suffered quite a bit, dear Sentry, but now you've returned and we can continue as planned. More than that, you're safe at my side where you belong.” He placed a hand comfortingly on Sentry's shoulder, though it tightened possessively in the moments Sentry paused before his response. “Enver...I can't just stay here with you...the others need me, they need my help.” Sentry frowned. The words felt wrong, tasted wrong, like he should not have been thinking like this. Gortash gave a small laugh. “What ever do they need your help with, Sentry?” He chuckled and shook his head. “No....I need your help. You defeated Ketheric and now you carry his Netherstone, but without Orin's, we cannot bring the brain to heal. We need to work together here...” “Orin...that's my sister...” Sentry murmured. “Yes, and also your usurper.” Enver frowned. “Look, I merely tolerated her, but I liked you...hells, more than that even...But never the less, I cannot confront her directly and that's where I need your help.” Sentry frowned. He tried to think back, tried to remember, but he couldn't fully grasp the thought. “So...you want me to kill my sister...”

Enver nodded. “And you wouldn't only be helping me, you would still be helping your new friends...after all, a reliable source tells me that she may have already infiltrated your camp, one of you is not who they seem.” Sentry's eyes widened. 'His hair it hangs in ringlets, his eyes as black as coal....' no, his eyes are emerald...Why were his eyes black then? The knife, digging into his head in that shocking moment of realization. “That's how she killed me....” “What?” Enver frowned, gripping Sentry's shoulders and looking at him with concern. “I...I have to go...Now...” The bhaalspawn stammered weakly, his mouth dry, his head spinning. “Please, Sentry, I want you to see my moment of triumph, no...OUR moment of triumph first.” Enver replied, gently guiding Sentry to a comfortable red cushioned chair and helping him into it. 'He seems to be telling the truth, Sentry, he would share his power with you.' A voice in Sentry's head told him as he dimly watched the ceremony unfold. 'Didn't he imprison you? Why are you so eager for me to side with him? I mean, I know why I'm considering it, but it seems odd coming from you.' Sentry thought back, only half listening to the muffled words of the ceremony. 'I am nothing if not pragmatic, I'm sure you've realized this.' The emperor responded.

-----

A part of Sentry had yearned to stay with Enver to catch up with him and learn what he could fill in of his past. Those feelings he'd never truly stopped having had on effected him more strongly when he was face to face with the tyrant. Some part of him felt guilty for that, knowing how much he shared with Astarion and the feelings he had for Halsin as well, but he couldn't think about the reprecussions of those right now, he had to find out who Orin was impersonating or risk his own life and theirs. As he made his way back to camp, a sharp pain filled his body and he sank to his knees, trembling as his eyes closed tightly. His stomach twisted and his head swam, it was as like the weak, dizzy feeling when Astarion drained him, but without any of the pleasure. As it passed over him, he knelt there on all fours, panting and gasping, eyelids fluttering and sweat beading on his brow. What had happened? Slowly, he staggered to his feet and returned fully to camp, finding himself face to face with a tall, imposing figure in dark armor, red light gleamed from where its eyes would have been. The figure peered down at Sentry, that red gaze meeting his wide, confused eyes. “Sentry Ojeda, you have abandoned your oath in failing to stand against one who betrayed you, in failing to stand against a tyrant.” The figure addressed him, his voice stoic and hollow, but with a measure of authority. “What? Look, I don't even remember what my oath WAS at this point and on top of that, he didn't betray me, my sister did.” Sentry argued. “So this is hardly fair...and anyway, who are you to judge me?” The knight did not react to Sentry's outburst, merely responded with that same measured voice. “I was the first to break my oath. It is not I who have judged you, I have merely heard your call and responded. Your oath was broken, so I have come. There is still much you can accomplish.”

“So what, my powers won't respond to my call anymore?” Sentry scoffed. “So now I'm useless? Weak?! No...I won't go back, I will not be Vereena Mortis again, I am Sentry Ojeda and I am a paladin!” “Indeed you are, I can show you the way...I am here to guide, not to punish.” The knight extended a hand to Sentry. The young tiefling looked at him curiously, not quite trusting this being yet, the panic was still swelling in him, the thought of going back to being worthless, to being nothing more than a plaything, caged for someone elses' machinations. Being a paladin had freed him from that and he would never go back.

“I will remain in your camp and guide you through the trials of becoming an Oathbreaker, you will find your power is not diminished, Sentry Ojeda.” The knight offered as Sentry finally accepted his hand, grasping it firmly. “Alright...” Was all the tiefling managed. ----- Returning to the other around the fire, Sentry allowed himself to collapse. All the stress and struggle of the day fully hitting him. It was so, so much, more than he could ever remember handling in a single day before, truthfully he thought killing his first family and escaping the breeding cage must have been less than this. A thousand thoughts bombarded his mind and he closed his eyes tightly, trying to push them back. A memory swam into focus. Commander Ojeda standing in the kitchen of the temple wearing a simple loose linen tunic and a pair of ordinary breeches. Her warm brown skin was spotted with the white of flour and the color of her tunic was nearly indiscernable from the powder as she worked several small slices of dough into little discs. “So, the other boys are giving you trouble, child? Well, then why not help me here?” She had offered with a small knowing smile. “Whenever I am troubled, I make these. My mother taught it to me and her father taught it to her, it's a very old recipe in our family...all my children learned it when they were small, and now it's your turn.” She had handed a mixing bowl to Sentry, instructing him on how much flour, how much milk, how much salt...

Soon, Sentry had his own dough and was cutting it awkwardly into small portions just like Commander Mum. Flattening them awkwardly with his fist, he passed them to her and she dropped them in the sizzling pan of oil over the fire. Finally, when they had finished, a warm plate of golden fried bits of bread sat in front of them and Commander Mum laid out a jar of honey and a pat of butter on the table beside. “Now go tell Donnick and and Father Lorgan we've got a midnight snack, yes?” She had given Sentry a gentle shove towards the door. Back in the present, Sentry made his way over to where Gale knelt preparing to cook and wordlessly took a few ingredients and a large pan. He made his way back towards his own tent as the wizard gave a slightly indignant look before shaking his head and returning to his own preparations. Sentry fished a small bowl from his belongings and began to mix and knead the ingredients, producing a large bit of dough, which he began dividing into smaller portions with a dagger. He brought his pan to the fire and put some oil in and while Gale was still chopping meat and vegetables, Sentry began to fry the little bits of dough, still not speaking to anyone, but slowly, a smile began to return to his face and a sense of calm returned to his heart. “Does anyone have some honey, or maybe butter?” Sentry asked softly as he finally looked up. Halsin emerged from his tent and gently placed a jar of honey beside Sentry, sitting beside him. As the rest of the meal was prepared, the party snacked on fry bread and honey while discussing foods they remembered from their own childhoods, laughing the whole time. “Okay, promise not to laugh, but when Tibs and I were little, we would sometimes just grab fish right out of the water and our father would open them up with his knife and some of them, we could just eat the meat raw. It was the most refreshing thing in the world.” Jaina giggled. “Tuna was my absolute favorite, but when we were able to find them, salmon were delicious as well...Oh! And then my father would grill eel in sweet sauce and spices...we ate it on a skewer with fruit.”

“Much of our food was simply meant to keep our energy up, but at the creche when things were calm, sometimes the adults would make these pastries with ground nuts and sugar and sometimes fruit paste.” Kroger recalled with a fond smile, licking his lips. “And then the fried, spiced meats when a raid was successful.” Octavia added, beaming brightly at the memory. “My mother used to make these cinnamon cookies...” Gale recalled as he served the rest of the meal. “She'd always scold me for eating too many when she'd finish baking, but they were best hot out of the oven and with a good book and a glass of milk...well, it made for a fine evening.” “My father would have a special cake made for my birthday,” Wyll began, laying back with his hands behind his head and looking up at the stars. “It was a delicate cake with berries baked into it and the frosting was sweet and delicate. He had these figurines that only came out to go atop that specific cake as well, a knight and a dragon. I always looked forward to it.” “My mum's mashed potatoes and roast chicken. It's gotta be that.” Karlach grinned. “We always got together for family dinner at night even when times were tough, but when we could afford it, roast chicken and mashed potatoes was the best feast I ever ate.” “I'm glad I remembered this....I think sharing this food with you all...it's something I needed...thank you.” Sentry gave a small smile.

----- As the others went to bed that evening, Sentry and Halsin sat together by the water, Sentry leaning against the larger man. “I've got to confess, I mostly made that food for you...you told me you loved honey, that you had a sweet tooth.” He admitted. “And to be honest, my first thought wasn't to laugh and think of you as a bear, but actually to think of what I know that goes well with honey, for a present, you know?”

“A very thoughtful gesture indeed.” The druid smiled, his arm slipping around Sentry's waist. The tiefling cuddled into the touch and looked up into Halsin's eyes. They were so green in the darkness of the night, not quite that usual lovely hazel shade. He leaned up a bit hopefully. Halsin leaned down and pressed his lips to Sentry's, pulling him closer against his chest. Sentry almost let his eyes drift close in the kiss until a warning panic coursed through his brain. Something was wrong. He squirmed and struggled, shoving the druid off of him and staggering backwards, panting with fright as Halsin rose to his feet, an uncharacteristic smirk crossing his handsome face, revealing sharp teeth. He jerked his neck from side to side with an audible crack and there stood Orin, smirking cruelly at Sentry. “Oh, it's learning....didn't fall for the same trick-trap twice....Good....” She sneered. “But I do have the druid captive...” “If you lay a hand on him, I'll tear your guts out and feed them to you!” Sentry snarled, hands clenching, nails digging into his palms hard enough to draw blood. “I will not cut. His kind die all too easily...”Orin mused, sauntering towards her brother and practically dancing around him with anticipation. “No, what I ask of you, slaughter-kin, is to bring me the tyrant's Netherstone...” She shifted again and now Gortash paced around Sentry. He felt his stomach lurch with a sick sense of deja vu. “The little lordling has been whispering in your ear for far too long, how desire to split that poxy smile of his...” The mask that was Gortash's face frowned and gave Sentry an intensely serious look. “Bring me his netherstone and we will fight to the death, just you and me, for father's favor...” And in a moment, she had disappeared, leaving Sentry shaking his head in disbelief as the fear and realization began to set in. She had Halsin, and she was going to kill him if Sentry didn't do as she said. But he couldn't betray Gortash, not when there was still so much he didn't know about who he was and what they had been together. He sank to his knees, slamming a fist into the ground.

Jaina, Wyll, and Karlach were the first to arrive on the scene, Astarion and Lae'zel not far behind, with Kroger, Octavia, Gale, and Shadowheart bringing up the rear. “Are you alright, soldier? We heard shouting.” Karlach knelt beside Sentry, gingerly helping him to his feet. “She took Halsin...Orin took Halsin...”Sentry shook his head. “It's all my fault...We have to save him...” “We'll find him, Sentry. Don't worry...The trail of these killings leads back to Orin, I'm sure of it.” Wyll assured him, patting Sentry's back softly as he and Karlach gently guided Sentry back to his tent. Jaina paused a moment at the edge of the water, kneeling down in front of it. She reached into the neck of her robes and let her fingers dance over the single pearl on a gold chain that enveloped her throat. Her other hand gently glided over the water in front of her and she reached out to the deep dark of the ocean. She was a sleek, black eel twisting and writhing through sludge caked pipes and filthy water beneath the city, above her was a crumbling ruin and around her the water mixed with blood and offal trickling in from a massive structure. The earth rumbled around the water she glided through and strange rats scattered from the shores. Somewhere far beneath the city was orin's lair, she only hoped Sentry could make sense of what she had seen.

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m0srael · 2 years ago

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Self Rec Tag Game 😬

Thank you for including me, @romaine2424 (see their gorgeous recs here), and @ghaniblue (their recs here!!) Rules: We would like to ask you to recommend us 3 of YOUR fics: 1 that is “most popular” and 2 that are “hidden gems!" Then tag some folks. I'm bending the rules a bit because thinking about stats make me itchy. Instead I'm going to share a few stories that I really enjoyed writing--3 that have been read more and 3 that haven't been read as much!

To Vanish Into Something Better [35k | E] Summary: Harry Potter thought he could outrun the burden of infamy by isolating himself in the Muggle world. Draco Malfoy hasn’t been seen or heard from since his trial. Will a top-secret Ministry project, a beautiful garden, and a little heat carry them both home?

I wrote this story as a gift for @corvuscrowned during @hd-erised 2021! I set out to write a story primarily driven by vibes, and to create an atmosphere of heat, humidity, lushness, and regrowth. More importantly, @helle-bored (LOOK!) and @ihopeyoubothstaysafefromharm (AHH!) created the most gorgeous art for it!

Love Bites, or How Draco Malfoy Learned to Let Go and Celebrate His Allure [50k | E] Summary: Recently-turned Draco Malfoy is doing his very best to be a normal, productive, contributing member of wixen society. So far, he's managed to keep his bloody little problem a secret, even from his best friends. But when the professional opportunity he's been dreaming of finally falls in his lap, he finds himself with much more than just a potential promotion. Will a profile on a new creature-exclusive dating app, a wolfy stranger who seems hellbent on liking Draco just the way he is, and a little self-confidence help Draco finally love himself and his newfound community?

I think I had the most fun writing this story that I've ever had! @cavendishbutterfly's prompt for @hd-fangfest was so inspiring! The best parts of it all, though, are the INSANE graphics @tenthousandyearsx created to accompany the story, and @babooshkart's heart-stopping art (I MEAN HONESTLY).

Our Time [40k | E] Summary: Draco Malfoy is an expert in Ancient Runes at Oxford University’s College of Advanced Magical Studies. When he isn’t at the head of a lecture hall, he spends his time alone in cavernous libraries with only crumbling scrolls and runic dictionaries for company. One day, a group of Ministry officials interrupts his research with the aim of recruiting him to lead an elite team of investigators in a top-secret race against time to decrypt a set of recently uncovered ancient runes that threaten the very fabric of time. Draco feels certain he can save the world, if only he didn’t keep getting distracted by his co-lead, one Chief Cursebreaker Harry Potter. If only that distraction didn’t evolve into something so much more. This was a self-prompt for @lcdrarry 2021, and based on my favorite movie of all time, Arrival. If you've seen the film you know it is the definition of heart shattering, but I promise this version ends happily.

Always Different, yet Somehow the Same [22k | ratings vary] This is a collection of 12 drabbles I wrote this year based on picrews of our favorite boys. Some of the picrews I made myself, but most were submitted by pals, and I loved finding wild inspiration in new places! I'm really grateful to everyone who sent in a prompt!

In Pieces [4k | E | Locked, mind the tags] Summary: Draco nods. “I need to know that my body can feel good again. I need to know that I can feel pleasure how I want to feel it, and…and make you feel pleasure with my body. I need to know that I can ask it to do things and that it will comply, and that it will feel good.” His expression is shattered and needy, and Harry kisses away the worry lines crinkling his forehead. “I n-need to know that you can ask me, tell me to do things and I can choose to do them. Please, Harry.”

This was one of those 2am I need to write this down now or I will die sort of moments. I don't know that I would say that I had fun writing this, but it felt really good and cathartic.

Lovingly Named [12k | E | McGonagall/Mrs. Norris] Summary: Can love really last a lifetime? Perhaps, if you can name it as your own. This is a story about names, transformations, and the things we inherit.

“I’ve never met another Animagus,” Minerva says, finally. “I never imagined the first one I met would also be a cat. And my...well, yeah,” she flushes as the word girlfriend melts on the tip of her tongue. “Nee, this is incredible, I mean, what are the odds??”

@orange-peony submitted this pair for the 2021 @hprarepairfest, and I naturally had to take it and make it way more maudlin and serious than they were probably hoping 😂. Writing this was really fun, though, and I connected with these characters in a way I hadn't before! (Also, consider me team soft butch McGonagall for life).

tagging @basicallyahedgehog, @ihopeyoubothstaysafefromharm, @academicdisasterfic, @softlystarstruck, and everyone else I already tagged (and you!) to play by the rules...or not.

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simslegacy5083 · 1 year ago

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NSB (Straud Legacy) Gen 8 Ep. 89: A Poolside Wedding

The time had come for Chance and the unexpectedly pregnant Bianca to tie the knot, and they’d decided to have a little fun while doing it.

To that end they’d rented out the Oasis Springs Community Pool and invited the whole family to come dressed for a day of fun in the sun.

Instead of an officiant the family comedian led them down the aisle with his best jokes about love and marriage. Peachy had everyone laughing as the couple took their places at the inflatable palm tree arch to start the ceremony.

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Given her new “condition” the bride was glad the wedding attire was swimwear. Her slightly rounded stomach might not have screamed baby to everyone, but squeezing herself into a fancy fitted pantsuit made for her pre-pregnancy frame would have been less than ideal.

Instead, she wore her best spandex one-piece in comfort as she and Chance exchanged vows and rings, ending with a picture-perfect spousal kiss.

The formalities out of the way, it was time to party!

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The wedding feast consisted of pizza and ice cream. He may have been lactose intolerant, but Chance was willing to risk a little discomfort to enjoy his favorite meal on this most special of days.

The couple had invited all their friends and family to join them in celebrating.

Not everyone could make it, but even those not in attendance made sure to reach out and offer their congratulations.

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Paul and Nikita took a seat next to his parents during lunch and shared their own happy news. The grandparents to be were thrilled for the young couple and surprised them with an offer to move in with them at the new nectar farm in Chestnut Ridge.

Having grandparents around to help take care of the incoming little one would make it much easier for Nikita to finish school, and having young people around, especially animal lovers and professional gardeners, would help them get the ranch ticking over nicely and let them leave it in good hands.

Nikita and Paul said they’d need some time to think it over, but they arranged to come for a visit soon to get a better feel for the place.

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Having finished their meal Peachy joined Jack in the otherwise empty hot tub. Wasting no time, he mentioned that he’d seen how much Jack had enjoyed spending time with Kelsie when they’d visited Valentina and asked if he’d ever considered having a child of his own.

With a laugh Jack replied that when you were marrying a legacy heir having a kid was sort of required, before seriously telling his fiancée that while he’d almost given up on the idea, he would in fact like that very much.

The boys agreed they’d figure out how to proceed after their own rapidly approaching wedding, but it felt good to know they were on the same page.

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Across the way the bride and groom were making the rounds.

Bianca thanked those from her squad who’d been able to make the trek for coming, and Chance excitedly shared the news about becoming a father again with his good friend and old flame Candor.

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While the young people enjoyed the amenities, a certain group of elders convened in the empty dining area.

They’d never intended to extend their elderhood again, but now there was Peachy’s wedding and Paul’s new baby to look forward to. Not to mention that Ed was just starting to get a handle on the nectar scene in Chestnut Ridge and hoped to leave behind a solid legacy for his nieces and nephews.

The six old friends agreed that the time was not yet right to move on and once again partook of that magical elixir that would grant them a few more days to enjoy theirs and their children’s next adventures for just a little while longer.

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Want To See More? View The Full Story of My Not So Berry Challenge Here

#sims 4 #sims 4 challenge #sims 4 legacy #sims 4 nsb #sims 4 not so berry #sims4 #sims4nsbstraud #sims 4 let's play

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squadrah · 2 years ago

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i really wanna hear more about uncanny/cryptid pros headcanons, they're probably one of the coolest headcanons I've seen out there.

I'm so glad you enjoy them, it makes me happy that people appreciate this take on Prosciutto's character because it brings me so much joy to explore his uncanny/cryptid potential!

Basically my starting point was his Stand being extremely grotesque while Prosciutto himself looks deceptively normal, even by regular standards (if you take Italian fashion with the unbuttoned shirts and necklaces/chains, Prosciutto fits that style effortlessly). Meanwhile, in Vento Aureo at least, you don't have any characters who look grotesque but have perfectly normal looking Stands, because Carne looks exactly like someone who'd have Notorious B.I.G., and his characterization as someone downtrodden and miserable creates cohesion between these two designs. Meanwhile, despite his ability and Stand build, Prosciutto is very much a respected professional whose words and actions are consistent throughout, so all these factors considered, here you have someone who is just very, very Different.

Just look at this lineup. Look at it. Everyone else, you can tell by their fashion or their stance that they are trouble, and then there's this guy in the middle, just standing there with a thousand yard stare. It was pretty much this official art that gave me vibes like the short sleeper headcanon that I love to go with just because it is very congruous with his overall character (here's my original tweet on that). And eventually I also started thinking of ways in which The Grateful Dead could affect him, since he is not exactly immune to it, and that was how I started leaning into the idea that he might have certain senses damaged, most prominently taste, smell, and possibly some nerves being dulled. It's like... I wouldn't exactly call it equivalent exchange, but it adds some nuance where he isn't just your average pretty boy with a big dangerous toy, right? He has paid the price for what he is wielding, and he makes do with that, and is able to function and be a respectable person like that.

Plus it's like, it's just plain interesting and fun to work with these assets in a general setting, and play around with whatever makes this man a walking breathing cognitive dissonance. He goes to bed at 2 am and he's up at 6 am and they have no idea how he copes with having 20 hours days, but he somehow just does it. He snores like he's sleeping through demonic possession, but if you have a problem with that, several eyes open up all over him to stare at you until you think the better of it. He eats bone marrow and epoisses and ghost peppers because these are things that he can actually taste well. He can dull his own nerves on command so he doesn't need substance abuse to cope with anything. He is somehow on top of his affairs and everyone else's bullshit not just because he has 20 hour days, but because he's an obsessive micromanager and cares too much despite being a ruthless motherfucker. He's an angel, he's the grim reaper, he will pap your cheeks, he will mummify you in ten seconds, he can be your life coach or your doom. He could depopulate entire cities if he wanted to, but apparently he's fine being the member of an underpaid team because he is that committed. He can do all of this and he does all of this, and you just have to accept that he and his twelve anomalies exist.

#prosciutto #squadrah headcanons #squadrah original #god bless everyone who encourages me to play in my sandbox #these are the things that keep me coming back

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archangelmacaron · 1 year ago

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Finished finale! I'm quite annoyed, my steam deck WAS taking screenshots but it wasn't notifying me the way it usually does, so I gave up and used my phone, assuming it wasn't.

A few lines ripped my heart out, but it was stuffed back in by the epilogue. It's kind of funny, I really did anticipate this ending almost exactly, but got too in my head and fretted over it so much. I might be a minority, but I'm happy with it.

Obvious mega spoilers under cut!

I'm glad it wasn't voice acted because if I had to hear Noel saying that first line, or crying, I would have lost it. 😭

There's only like two or so lines that I wish had been localized differently based on what the literal translation was, but I only know about .01% of Japanese so my opinion even as a professional proofreader (not editor) doesn't really count! 'Partner' is accurate but it feels awkward to me. I've seen it translated as 'buddy' though so I'm counting my blessings here! 😂

I wonder when Caron decided he was going to die with her. It's clear he knew he was already going far above & beyond granting her wish. I wonder if he realized she was dying in Triella and was like okay, well, me too, then! 😭 I love how much they grew to care about each other.

I think what leaves me feeling happy is there is so much room for their stories to continue, even a certain deceased character does not have to remain exactly so because of how devils canonically work. Fan works don't have to cancel out canon! If madam coffin came back as a devil oh my god I would SCREAM pos

I really want to see all this translated in manga form but I feel like it's been on hiatus for a while. The official account says there's no current plans. So I guess I'll have to keep begging Emglish companies to take a look. It's popular in JP enough for reprints, but I'd feel safer if it would come off hiatus already 😭 Part of me worries they'll end it at s7.

I doubt our fandom will ever get much bigger unless an anime comes out which I have mixed feelings on. I absolutely cannot deal with fandom fights or drama or anything, I don't even like disagreements! I think being so tiny means we can kind of appreciate each other even if we don't have the same opinions or ships or fave characters or even languages rather than arguing over anything. I mean I am unfortunately a terminal monoshipper but I'm happy to see people creating situations in which characters smile and are happy no matter who it's with! If we got much bigger, would that peace remain? However, on the other hand: more fans, more merch. Hmmm...

In conclusion, please, I NEED a bonus chapter! BEACH EPISODE! Ski lodge episode? Cat cafe episode??? DO IT please Kanawo-sensei pleeeease!

#macaron musings #noel the mortal fate spoilers

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sassygirl75 · 22 days ago

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I am no professional writer so please forgive me for how this and any of my future posts will just be the ramblings of a girl who decided to give being more than a submissive a try. Well here I go…….try and enjoy the journey as much as I have so far.

I officially became Master’s slave on August 6,2024. It’s been quite a journey so far. One of the biggest challenges atm is that we are doing all of this long distance. It wasn’t my intention to ever do that again, because I know that lifestyle dynamics are hard enough in real life not to have to add miles apart to it. Master and I met in a Facebook meeting group. I wasn’t looking to find someone, just to make some new friends. I made the effort to post a picture of myself, which is very hard for me to do as I can’t see myself as others do. But I did it and from that first hello I didn’t know what would happen. He saw me and decided to take a chance on asking to talk more privately and something about him told me why not . What’s the worst that can happen right ? We started talking on September 7,2024 and to say that we became pretty inseparable from that day on is an understatement. We became very good friends and before long we were talking on the phone just about everyday. He became a very important person in my life. We connected so quickly and I have to admit that when feelings became real I started trying to push him away. I thought I was in love with someone else back then and if I could have seen that the other man had no interest in me, I could have avoided so much heartache. I thought I was being loyal to someone who just needed time. I was a fool. Master tried to show me and get me to see that I was being used and definitely not in the good kind of way. But like an idiotic made excuses for him because I wanted it so badly to be loved in return. Master didn’t give up on me though no matter how many times I pushed him away and purposely tried to start fights so he’d go away. But somehow we’d always end up talking again and each time I started realizing that I was falling for him. I wasn’t going to tell him that. He’d already told me that I was wasting my time with the other man, that we were meant to be together. We were meant to find each other. I didn’t want to agree because stupid me thought that I had everything in control. To prove to myself and everyone else that I was right, I made plans to go visit the other man. Like a fool I flew across country , because I was certain that once we saw each other face to face we’d finally both know we were meant to be. Oh how wrong I was. Let’s just say it was basically me having spent a week with my brother. I had fun and enjoyed the time away but how disappointed and heartbroken I was to have finally realize that I had been friend zoned way long before and I just didn’t want to see it. Master was very gracious about it and didn’t rub it in that he was right……. To be continued 😊

#owned sub #master/slave #@outlawridersblog #bd/sm blog

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locustheologicus · 7 months ago

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youtube

Historians of America Unite!!!

Ken Burns is the famed documentarian that has made a number of amazing movies which I have in my personal library. His most well known documentary is "The Civil War."

I have nothing but deep respect for Ken Burns and his historical contributions. I am a theologian/social minister myself but as a hobby I dabble as an historian and have been given the opportunity to teach Church history. My historical passions are mostly related to classical Western, early and medieval Church, medieval Spanish, and American history. As an armchair historian, I found Ken Burns' insights during this speech very thought provoking. I want to share three insights that he offers in his recent speech to the graduates of Brandeis University. His first insight is this:

The best arguments of the world, and ladies and gentlemen that is all we do is argue, The best arguments won't change a single person's point of view, that only thing that will change that is a good story.

The story, the narrative, is what moves people and rightly so. On another post Fr. Casey presents on this by engaging with the show "conspiracy road trip" and seeing how people can gain perspectives by engaging the personal narrative.

Certainly, many of us can share the narratives of our own encounters with others. But for someone to attain the full force of the narrative, they will need to have their own personal encounter. This is what I attempt to promote at the level of parish social ministry, a personal encounter with those in need.

This connects with a second insight that Ken Burns gives towards the middle of his speech. Never allow yourself to be part of community that speaks of "them." The social construct of "them" is divisive. As a documentarian Burns discovers that there is no real "them," there is only us. Historians become aware of how relative the notion of "them" is because these tribal identities are always fleeting when seen through the lens of time. Instead, the use of "them" is simply a social construct that limits who we are as a community. "Othering," Ken Burns tells us, "is the simplistic binary way to make and identify enemies, but it is also the surest to your own self-imprisonment."

Finally, Burns raises the notion of the "kinship of our soul." A notion described by the novalist Isaac Bashevis Singer. Recognizing that his writings touched so many people, Singer realized that his story spoke of the "kinship of the soul." Burns describes this as "the indefinable something that connects all of us together, that which we all share as part of organic life on this planet." Catholic social teaching identifies this within the principles of solidarity and the integrity of creation.

It is with these insights that Burns can no longer maintain his political neutrality. This November, he tells the graduates, "There is no real choice."

The presumptive Republican nominee is the opiod of all opiods, an easy cure for what some believe is the solution to our myriad pains and problems. When, in fact, with him, you end up re-enslaved with an even bigger problem; a worst affliction and addiction, a bigger delusion, as James Baldwin would say. The author and finisher of our national existence, our national suicide, as Mr. Lincoln prophesied. Do not be seduced by easy equalization, there is nothing equal about this equation. We are at an existential crossroads in our political and civic lives. This is a choice that could not be clearer.

I am so very thankful that Ken Burns took the bold step to relinquish his objective neutrality when the lessons of history inform us of the clear danger we politically face.

It is up to us historians (amateur or professional) to shed some light on the lessons of history and the dangers we face as we look to repeat certain historical tragedies. The current anti-immigrant position is one that requires such an analysis. Below, I share a thoroughly researched article that I found in the Washington Post. In going over the historical survey of immigration in the United States It's core findings is that:

Despite continued attempts to preserve the nation’s White European identity, immigrants today come from a diverse range of nations, mostly in the Global South.

100 years ago the U.S. tried to limit immigration to White Europeans. Instead, diversity triumphed.

This article does an amazing job in describing how America's Western and Northern European immigrants viewed with amazing contempt those who were outside of their ethnic composition. The attempt at limiting immigration and promoting eugenic experiments is part of our own tragic legacy that we must never forget. But underlying all this is a very racial and discriminating perspective that is part of our national sin. A sin that many who support the presumptive Republican nominee may not want to publically recognize but must, at some level, reckon as part of the underlying factor for our anti-immigration policies.

There can be “no doubt that if America is to remain a stable nation it must continue to be a white man’s country for an indefinite period to come,” sociologist Henry Pratt Fairchild wrote in 1926. “An exclusion policy toward all non-white groups is wholly defensible in theory and practice, however questionable may have been the immediate means by which this policy has been put into effect at successive periods in our history.”

Learning history should not be embarrassing. We gain a deeper perspective as we become aware of the great achievements we made while also learning from our mistakes. The MAGA movement doesn't seem to want to learn from its past but rather to repeat it. This willful ignorance will lead America into an existential crisis. Like Ken Burns, I believe we cannot afford to remain neutral this November.

#Youtube #eugenics #immigration #ken burns #politics #faith and politics #history

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