#the ladies with their wine night

[samithemunchkin]

I am in love with all six of them

[merriblu]

Friendly reminder that you can age perfectly fine without being a stereotypical “old”.

My teacher just had her 15 year jubilee of teaching piano in her art gallery. We had a concert with all the students and I was so pleasantly surprised that I am the youngest by 15 years (and I’m 34). These ladies (and 3 gents) are witty, carry fascinating conversation, and promote being a lifelong learner. The average age was late sixties.

These are not your elderly folks who crash at 6pm after looking at the tv all day. These are people who don’t stop living their lives. They have their canes — one even a caretaker — but they all had a vibrant spirit and energy.

Yeah, we start the ache and can’t do what we used to in our twenties… but there is so much more to discover!

Also, we had an after party and I couldn’t keep up. I dipped out at 9:30 and they… are just getting started…

Cheers to living life y‘all!

[slashingdisneypasta]

Incorrect Quote

Tiffany, after pouring Carrie a juice: Wait, honey- are you legal to drink??

Jennifer: ... *Shrugs* The ID in my wallet says I am.

Tiffany: I can work with that.

[girlcockholmes]

anybody wanna nominate themselves to kill me with hammers?

[shallyne]

Aelin and Lysandra and Feyre and Mor are the same friendship in different fonts.

[waltwhitmansbeard]

Hello, is this thing on? May I have a

32. A kiss so passionate, so perfect - that after they part, neither person can open their eyes for a few moments afterwards.

For Vaxleth, preferably MFL?

Thank yuuuuuuuu <3

32. A kiss so passionate, so perfect - that after they part, neither person can open their eyes for a few moments afterwards. read these first

turned my water into wine #21

Vax is going to die. He knows it, can taste it like blood on his tongue. He has been a thief for as long as he can remember, but what he stole last night, he can never return, and he'll hang for it. He sits on his bed, staring at the floor. Does he run? Does he stay and face his fate like a man? And what of Vex'ahlia—will she be indicted for his crime as well? All these years he's spent trying to protect her, to give her the life she deserves, and this is how it all ends. His father was right; he is a disappointment.

He makes up his mind. He dresses, limbs wooden, and kisses his sister on the cheek as she eats her breakfast, still half-asleep. If she notices his despair, she doesn't say anything, but then, neither does he, and certainly she deserves more than his silence on the matter.

(A warning. A chance to flee. But no, not Vex'ahlia. She'll use the opportunity to beg for mercy on his behalf, and he cannot have her tied up in this. He'll hope, then, for a goodbye.)

The guards at the gate wave their customary hello as he approaches the castle. He can't feel his face; maybe he smiles back. Either way, there is no indication that they've been given orders to apprehend him, and he passes through as if this morning were like any other. He is so good at going unnoticed, and few eyes find his as he beats the familiar path to her chambers. The night guard, Jarett, bids him good morning, and Vax sees nothing on his face to suggest accusation or affront. Rather, Jarett claps him on the shoulder, nods once, and heads off to the barracks to sleep.

Vax stands frozen in the middle of the hall. What is he to do now? If Key—the princess is asleep, surely waking her will not assuage the situation. He will wait, then, where he ought to, just beside the door, arms at his sides. He is a thief, but he is not a coward.

He waits five, ten, fifteen minutes, and then the door opens, just a crack. His head whips to the side, far too eager, and there is a familiar, brilliant green eye peering at him. "You're here."

Oh, this heart. He ignores its stuttering. "I...am."

"Will you...please, come in." The door widens and she disappears.

So is this how he is to learn of his fate, a death sentence delivered on the lips of the one who haunts him? He pushes inside, leaving the door wide open, unwilling to compromise either of them further, but she shakes her head. "Please, I need to speak with you."

Reluctantly, he closes the door, and being alone with her in the daylight feels far more criminal than any moment stolen at night. They stare at each other, him just inside the door, her at the foot of her bed, for a long, agonizing minute, before the silence chokes them both and they say simultaneously, "I'm sorry."

They exchange bewildered looks. "Your Highness," Vax says, "I don't understand. Whatever do you have to be sorry for?"

She blinks. "I kissed you, Vax."

There's a low buzzing in his ear. "I kissed you, Your Highness. And I will never be able to repair the offense."

A hundred emotions flash across her face before she settles on something akin to hurt. "I...why are you calling me that?"

He knows why she's asking. It was weeks ago that she asked him to call her Keyleth when there were no other ears around to hear the impropriety. It is a familiarity that he has not taken lightly—though, given last night's transgression, perhaps he has.

"I have taken a grave liberty, Your Highness, and I cannot make the mistake again."

Her head tilts to the side. "Vax...do you think that I regret what happened last night?"

Oh. Oh. This is a direction he had not considered. "I...I don't..."

"Because I don't." She ducks her head. "Perhaps I should. Perhaps it is wrong of me to be so..." She abandons her sentence and meets his gaze again. "But I don't. You have been...a comfort to me, all these nights, but more than that..." Her voice drops to a whisper. "I find myself craving your company at all hours of the day. When you are not near, I feel I am lost, adrift. I have never felt this way before, and when we...well. When we kissed, for the first time in so very, very long, my mind was quiet. It was the most peace I've felt in years."

Vax is staggered. He cannot believe his legs still support him. A thousand sentences spring to the tip of his tongue, but he swallows them all down. He takes a step forward, and when he does, she says quickly, "I do not expect you to return the affection. I do not expect anything of you. If you wish to leave your position, I understand. You are under no obligation to—"

In a moment, he's closed the gap between them. Mere inches separate them, and Keyleth's breath hitches as his hands slowly, so slowly, come to rest upon the column of her neck. "Keyleth," he murmurs, "may I please kiss you?"

Her pupils are wide as the full moon. She nods. He leans in, and already so early in the morning, she smells like apples and sunshine. His lips find hers, and they are soft, pliant, warm. He feels his heart pounding in his ears, so thrilling is it to be holding her, tasting her in the daylight. The kiss is everything their first kiss should have been, instead of some fleeting thing in the night.

When he pulls away, he cannot yet open his eyes. He lets the taste of her linger, feels the soft pull of her throat as she swallows. When he does look, he finds her eyes also closed, lips parted in a tableau of bliss that makes his stomach flip.

"Keyleth." Her eyes flutter open, like she's surprised to hear him speak. "I do not know what happens next."

She smiles, brings her hands to rest atop his forearms. "Nor do I. But I know I would very much like you to do that again."

And who is he to deny a princess such a wish?

[ofmermaidstories]

a mermie night in!!!!!

[drippling-thoughts]

I honestly know nothing more awkward than going into an underwear shop and the sales assistant wanting to help you try on bras😶‍🌫️

[a-land-lacking-sleep]

PLA/Submas Fic: Electric Trains are the Future Ch. 6 - Chatting over Lunch

Previous Chapter (5) - Current Chapter - Next Chapter (7)

It’s an exposition chapter, and Irida’s first appearance! I did try to keep it entertaining for the Girls Night™️ feel.

Chapter Summary: With Ingo indisposed, Akari and Elesa take the day off to eat lunch with Irida and catch Elesa up. Chapter Word Count: 3573

As always, read below or read it on AO3 for additional author notes! Every chapter is cross posted, and reblogs and comments are appreciated!

“Ingy!” Elesa was the first to reach Ingo after he had hit the ground, where he had lain still crying to himself. Akari hopped the fence and got there at the same time as Zisu, all three of them frantically checking the man for any injuries from the fall. Thankfully, he had landed in the grass and avoided any scrapes or cuts on impact.

Akari was completely lost on what happened. Why was Uncle Ingo crying and saying the name “Wyndon” over and over again? Elesa seemed a little shocked at hearing the name, but smiled afterwards, so maybe she recognized something he was remembering? Eventually, after making sure he wasn’t hurt, Zisu picked the man up and carried him home.

“What happened to him?” Shocked at the sudden question, Akari turned back towards the fence, where several of the townsfolk were still gathered, wary of the event that just transpired, with Irida at the front, standing tall with a worried expression.”Did he get hit by a stray attack, Akari?”

“No, Irida,” Akari says, jogging back over to the fence to chat with the Pearl Clan leader. “He was going to call the end of the fight when he suddenly collapsed.” Akari looks at the departing figure of Zisu, biting her bottom lip in worry. “He’s been remembering things since Elesa came here.”

Looking back, Elesa was also staring at the departing Zisu, obviously trying to hold back tears with her own worried expression. Akari grimaced and started to walk towards Elesa as Irida came around the fence, keeping some space between the two. “Elesa? Are you ok?”

The older woman jumps in her skin for a second, then swallows heavily. “Yep! Yeah, totally fine. Just watched my boyfriend collapse in tears and someone else taking care of him as I’m in shock, that’s all.” Elesa’s voice is strained, and she quickly runsher hands across her eyes, clearing the tears from them and then drags them down her face to smear them dry.

“Boyfriend?” It was Irida who asked, but the same question had come across Akari’s mind at the same time. Elesa jumps in her skin for the second time and whirls around to look at Irida with light shock. “What do you mean? He’s never mentioned anything about finding a partner.”

Akari decides to step in before anything else is said and smiles at both women. “Hi! Irida, this is Elesa, the Electric Type Gym Leader from Unova! She’s just joined Security, I think?” Elesa gives a nod, and Akari takes that as the cue to continue. “Hi! Elesa, this is Irida, the Leader of the Pearl Clan! Ingo is a Warden under her, and she accepted him into their village when he appeared.”

That immediately changed both women’s demeanor. Irida was surprised to see a foreigner from as far as Unova, as only Laventon, Keaka, and a few Gingko Clan members were farther than Hoenn. Elesa on the other hand was glad to meet the person who had taken Ingo in and immediately stepped forward to grab her hands. “Thank you so much for taking care of Ingo! Do you have time to talk? I want to know what’s been going on!”

Irida takes a step back to preserve her space before answering. “I came to talk with Commander Kamado about a few things, but I can talk after that. Are you ok with that?”

“Of course! We’ll be…” Elesa pulls a face and looks at Akari for help on finding a meeting place.

“Wallflower. We’ll be at the Wallflower.” Akari needed the mochi after the stress of seeing Ingo suddenly fall over.

—

Elesa and Akari were sitting outside at the table at the Wallflower, enjoying a plate of potato mochi, when Irida finally left the Galaxy Office about 30 minutes later. “So, Kamado told me that you are an old friend of Ingo’s?” Irida asks as she sits down to join them.

Elesa quickly swallows her bite of the mochi before responding. “Yes, we’ve known each other since we were kids. We went to school together, took our Pokemon journeys together, and eventually started working in the same city together and dating.”

“And this was in Unova?” Irida asks, leaning in better to hear.

“Yeah, and-” Elesa pauses and gives Akari a look. “Hey, what you told me on the beach, do they know?”

Akari grimaced a little and swore heavily in her head. She never got around to telling people she was from the future, no, and while she was sure most of the leadership had figured it out, she didn’t like that this was how she was about to tell Irida. “No, not specifically? I wasn’t sure of the best way to tell people, especially with how the Clans were, but…” She looks around, making sure that Beni is very much inside and that no one else is listening. “Her Unova is 150 years in the future. I remember seeing her in magazines then.”

Irida froze in place entirely like she had been hit by Ice Beam, while Elesa just gave her a look that was curious but not interrogative.

“I know, it sounds weird, but yeah. I like fashion a little, ok?” Irida could only nod, a little dumbfounded at the information that both of her conversation partners are from a different time period. “So, before I came here, I would read magazines, and I remember reading about Elesa. I didn’t immediately recognize her ‘cause I’ve only seen her as a blonde.”

“Yeah, I haven’t dyed my hair in awhile,” Elesa says, looking at her ponytail. “Might dye it soon with Arezu, not sure.” She idly flicks the ponytail before turning back to Irida. “Sorry that we’re dropping this Voltorbshell on you, but you should definitely know the context of why I’m completely lost on everything.”

Irida took a moment to come back to the conversation from whatever world she was in. “Ok, so. You’re from another time period, I’m sure that Adaman will have a field day with that.” She leans forward, putting her elbows on the table and pressing her fingers against the bridge of her nose. “And one of my Wardens is also from the future, meaning that the biggest reason he is so strange isn’t that he’s foreign, it’s that he is from a different time.” She takes a deep breath and exhales it slowly. “Akari, I have to say, we figured that there was more you weren’t telling us about your arrival, but… 150 years?”

Akari giggled slightly at this while managing to look apologetic. “Sorry, Irida.” She sighs and leans back on her bench, slumping her shoulders. “It was so weird coming here and realizing I was in the past. I'd heard about the Diamond and Pearl Clans, but only in history class, and I mostly slept through that.”

“Wait, you read about me in class?” Irida says with a look of incredulity. “My people are a history lesson to you?”

Akari grimaced harder, and Elesa took the chance to cut in. “Ok, so I have questions now.” Both girls turned to look at her, ready to cut this line of conversation short. “You said you let Ingo into your Clan? What happened there?”

Irida sits back from the table, closing her eyes to think. “It was a little over 3 years ago now, there were rumors of a lost spirit on the Icelands where we lived. A figure in a black coat with a hat pulled low over his face, calling out in a foreign language. Any time someone approached him, he’d vanish in the snow and they’d lose track of him. Some people thought that he was a Zoroark. Gaeric, my teacher and the Warden of Lord Avalugg, saw him one morning atop Avalugg’s Legacy, a gathering of ice that had formed as a sheer cliff.”

“Yeah, I remember I had to use Lord Braviary to get on top of there!” Akari nearly shouts in shock, slapping her hands on the table. “You’re telling me he climbed up there?!”

Irida laughed a little as she shook her head. “Gaeric said that he’d seen him up there, and climbed as quickly as he could to get there.” Elesa looked like she wanted to ask a question about that, but just shook her head and accepted the fact that someone Irida knows can casually climb a sheer cliff of ice. “When he got up there, there was no one there, and no one below on the ice, body or otherwise. No one climbing down, no one walking away. After that, we assumed he was truly a ghost.”

“Dragons, that is actually scary,” Elesa says with a look of shock on her face. “Ingo can fade into a crowd real easily, but not like that.” She taps the table a few times as she thinks. “Was he avoiding you all?”

Irida lightly shrugs. “We weren’t able to communicate with him. By Sinnoh, he didn’t even come to us by his own free will. Lady Sneasler had come to the settlement one day while me and Gaeric were conversing on the perimeter, carrying him in her basket. He was starving, had a nasty gash on his right side, and a sprained wrist.” 

Irida pauses to see if Akari and Elesa would say anything, and continues when they stay quiet and attentive. She could’ve sworn Akari had heard this from Ingo, so maybe Irida’s way of telling it was more entertaining. “Calaba, another of our Wardens, and I tended to his wounds and ensured he would survive. From what we gathered, Lady Sneasler had found him and assumed that he was some form of fellow Pokemon and adopted him. When she saw he was injured, she got worried and brought him to us.” She breathes out a laugh. “Really, it was-”

“Snea!” And here comes Lady Sneasler, holding two kids in her arms with more behind her. Walking up to the table, she drops a kid in Elesa’s lap (the kid leans back into Elesa and begins to doze off) and waves to her; she walks around the table to Akari and rubs her chin on top of her head, then gives her a kid (who climbs up onto Akari’s shoulder and sits down politely); then picks up and drops a kid into Irida’s lap (who sits nice and polite, yes ma’am!), then licks Irida’s forehead and gently grooms her hair, causing the young Leader to laugh. Sneasler then sits down next to Irida. “Snea.” She looks around at the gathered humans and gauges their reactions, then relaxes as they all are calm with the babies, then grabs a mochi to eat.

“Welcome, My Lady,” Irida says with a small bow before returning to the topic at hand. “So, with Sneasler here, I might as well talk about the position Ingo has in the Clan. He is the Warden to our Lady Sneasler, one of the 10 descendents of the Ancient Heroes, blessed by the Almighty Sinnoh Itself.”  Sneasler snickers at that, then swats at two of the kids for squabbling about climbing into Akari’s lap. “He was slow on picking up Hisuian, our native language, but it was clear that he was incredibly skilled with Pokemon. His Gliscor was a simple Gligar when he first bonded with it, and had followed him for over a month before he thought to officially take it on. He then had a Machop following him and mimicking his poses an-”

Sneasler cuts in out of nowhere. “Sneasler sneas snea-snea. Sneasler-snea, sneasler snea sler-ler.” She waves her hand as if to emphasize. “Sneasler sneas-snea-snea ler. Nler, sneal. Sneasler sneasel sneasler-snea.” She waves over towards Irida, who just plain looks annoyed. Akari and Elesa on the other hand are enraptured despite not understanding anything. “Sneasel sneasler sneas-sneas-sneasler ler.” She holds her hands in front of her to mimic holding the Celestica Flute, and blew hard. “PFOO-PFOO!” This time Elesa and Akari both laugh until Irida cuts in.

“Lady Sneasler, you do realize they don’t understand you and are mostly humoring you, correct?” Sneasler pauses and narrows her eyes at Akari and Elesa, who just smile sweetly like carved angels, before she snickers and waves her paw. “Ok, thank you.”

Irida breathes in deep before continuing. “Shortly after Ingo had joined the Pearl Clan, Lady Sneasler’s previous Warden, Shiki, passed away. She had been the Warden for the previous Sneasler as well, and the current Lady had grown very attached to Ingo in the wake of her Warden’s passing.” Sneasler sighs a little and focuses on grooming the two kids that were squabbling. No one seemed to notice that the mochi was gone. “We had already had Ingo working with her so that he could help contribute to the Clan and learn the language, so I decided that he would be the next Warden once I saw his connection with the Lady.”

There was a short silence as Irida finishes her story before Elesa says anything. “No wonder he seems so out of it,” she says, biting her knuckle nervously. “Thank you very much for taking care of him, Irida. It means a lot to me.”

Irida laughs, waving off the compliment. “No need to thank me! I would never leave someone to die if I could help it. Yes, there were struggles with the language barrier, but once that was sorted, he was a great source of help to the Clan.”

Akari finally notices the empty plate in the middle of the table, and looks down at her Sneasel, who has a brown stain across her face, and upon looking around, so do the others. “Girls. We’ve been robbed of our mochi.” The Sneasels all cheer.

Elesa sighs, having actually enjoyed the mochi, before going back to the conversation. “I have to say though, it’s interesting to see such a mix of languages. I’ve heard Kantonian, Galarian, I swore I heard someone speaking Alolan as I walked by a house earlier, and now you’re saying that you had to teach Ingo how to speak Hisuian.” She smiles and glances to Akari, knowing she’s from her time period. “I’m decently multilingual because of work, but there is a saying about Unova. ‘You know someone is from Unova because-”

“‘They expect you to speak Galarian’,” Akari finishes, giggling a little. “Really, Galarian isn’t all that common here, despite constantly hearing it from Laventon when he’s talking to himself.”

“Oh, it’s not common at all,” Irida says, flagging down Beni to order some more mochi. “I would say Kantonian and Johtoan are the most common languages you’ll find here in Jubilife.”

“Johtoan? I thought it was just Kantonian?” Elesa had been the one to ask the question, though Akari is also somewhat confused. She knew that Johtoan was a dialect of Kantonian, but a different language entirely?

“I’m not the best source on this, but from what my grandmother, the former Leader of the Pearl Clan, explained to me,” Irida starts, noticeably having to think and remember. “Johtoan was the official language for the southern islands until about 20 years ago, when Kantonian became the official language. She made sure to teach me both, so that I could communicate with any merchants that came this way. Adaman is the same, his grandfather taught him the languages.”

Akari nods with excitement before cutting in. “That explains why Kamado sounds like he’s from Goldenrod! He grew up around Johto, didn’t he?!” The Sneasel in her lap, the little thief, shouts alongside her.

“I think he mentioned that, yes,” Irida says with a nod. “Though a few others here also have a more Hoennese dialect, like Beni. There are times I just plain can’t understand him.”

“Good,” Beni says as he sets a plate of mochi down for the table. “My language is my last connection to home, and it allows me some privacy.” Without even waiting for a response, the cook turns around and putters back to his kitchen.

Elesa looks at him with a look of confusion. “Is he always so… quiet?”

“He’s a ninja,” Akari says matter-of-factly. 

“Yeah, he is,” Irida says, a little uncomfortable. Elesa winces, and looks back at the door with a bit of apprehension.

The group sits in silence for a moment before Irida reaches out to get some mochi for herself. “Anyway. When it comes to Galarian, that is indeed mostly Laventon, though Ginter and several others in the Gingko Clan know the language, and Kamado and Cyllene both know it as well. Laventon himself is from Galar, and it was through him that we realized what language Ingo had been speaking the entire time.” She smiles as she bites into the mochi, chews on it, and swallows. “We sent him to Jubilife to hopefully learn Kantonian, and then we realized Ingo was conversational in Kantonian the entire time. Once that was established, I used that to help him learn Hisuian.”

“And that!” Akari starts, pointing at Elesa with purpose. “Is why I thought Ingo was from Galar! Cause it makes sense!”

“And as I said, we don’t talk at all alike!” The two time travelers begin arguing as Irida just continues to eat her mochi in relative peace.

—

The three had continued to talk for a few hours, even as Sneasler and her kids left to go back to the Highlands. As the sun begins to sink into the horizon, though, Irida stands from the table. “I do need to get heading back to the Settlement. I’ll probably stop at Lian’s and rest there for the night.”

“See ya, Irida!” Akari says, waving her off with glee.

“Good-bye, Irida,” Elesa says with a smile. “It was wonderful to meet you, and thank you so much for sharing those stories with me.”

“Of course! I’m just glad that Ingo has someone here for him finally.” Irida sighs lightly, though she has a smile on her face. “He’s been in need of someone to share his space. And you seem to care for him a lot.” With that, she waves good-bye to the two and heads off to the village’s exit.

Elesa takes a deep breath and lets it out, then looks over to Akari. “So, unless you have anything else planned, you little hellion, I think I’m gonna go check on Ingo.” She stands up and begins walking towards Canala Avenue when she hears Akari run up next to her.

“I can chat on the way!” Even though she was trying to sound peppy, Elesa could tell she had something on her mind.

So she decided to cut her off. “What’s up, Akari?” The teenager deflates a bit and slows down, making Elesa slow down to not leave her behind.

“I don’t remember you from a magazine.” Ah, there it is. She thought that excuse was a little odd. “I just didn’t recognize you, because when we met at the Sinnoh-Unova League Tournament, you were blonde.” The Sinnoh-Unova tournament? That was 3 years ago, right before Ingo disappeared. 

“Hold up, what were you doing there?” She gives Akari a sharp look, mostly just to gauge her. This kid was a bundle of mysteries, being some sort of time traveler, having gods as her pets, and now acting like they’ve met.

“My name is actually Hikari.” Hikari? Isn’t that- “I’m the Champion of the Sinnoh League, unless Cynthia has taken it back in my absence.” The pair continues to walk in silence for a moment before Ak- Hikari says anything. “I had to come up with a name. I didn’t want to accidentally make a paradox, so I chose Akari.” She looks up at Elesa with a bit of worry. “Please use Akari. I haven’t told Uncle Ingo yet ‘cause he doesn’t really remember anything still.”

Elesa sighs before nudging Akari with her elbow. “Secret’s safe with me, kid. Ingo wouldn’t know you anyway, unless you actually made it over to Unova to battle the Subway.”

“No I didn’t,” Akari says with a light laugh. “I made a trip to Kanto to travel the Sevii Islands, but I didn’t have a chance to go to their Battle Frontier or anything like that.” The pair stop in front of Ingo’s house, and there are sounds of movement inside. “Well. You’re home. I’ll head back to mine, I just… Wanted to come clean a bit, ‘cause I’m the reason you’re here. I’m sorry.” Akari hugs Elesa tight for a moment and then prepares to let go and dash away.

Elesa makes sure to hug her back first, giving her a tight squeeze. “Thanks for bringing me, Skiddo. It’s great to see Ingo again.”

Akari breathes deeply before letting go. “I’ll find a way to get you home, promise.” With Elesa’s nod, she turns and bolts home.

Elesa meanwhile turns around and opens the door to Ingo’s and steps in. “I’m home!”

“Welcome home, Elesa!” Ingo calls out from the counter, where he is currently flattening out a circle of dough, no coat or hat on. “I am still working on dinner, so it will be a bit until it is ready. I’m sorry for the delay in schedule, it has taken me a bit to recall this recipe.”

Elesa looks at everything that he has on the counter, and watches him lift the circle of dough and spin it on his hands. “Wait, Ingo. Are you making pizza?!”

[fazcinatingblog]

What my fanfics are like now: 500 think pieces describing Faz's wedding preparation and life as a married man

What my fanfics would've been if I was writing in 2019: the night Daisy Thomas drank six wines at a charity night (what really happened)

[evermoreal]

price would be strangely possessive over his assistant.

referring to her as things that really aren’t work appropriate at all. “swee’eart,” “dolly,” “sugar.” once, a “baby” slipped through his teeth, but he was switching the subject before she could really catch on.

it’s hard to pinpoint exactly when it was he started tacking “my” in front of his pet names. “my angel,” “my love.”

even when she wasn’t in the room — it was impossible to know he was talking about a colleague with the way he spoke about her. “my woman’s always on my case abou’ shit like that — cholesterol levels, sugar intake. fuckin’ bullshit, but i do it to make ‘er happy.” or “can’t stay long, lads — got my lady waitin’ on me.”

in the summer months, her skirts get a bit shorter and her tops a bit tighter. he doesn’t blame her, the AC is shit and the heat can be suffocating. what does bother him, though, is the way his men ogle her as they stroll past her desk. how they’re coming up with excuses to visit her throughout the day.

it’s an easy enough fix. “why don’t ye come work in my office for the day, lovey?” he’s already collecting her paperwork. “keep an old man company, would ye? i’ve got a nice little fan too, keep ye nice an’ cool.”

though the job came with benefits, perhaps more than an assistant should be getting, price didn’t think it was enough. when her phone started to slow and the screen cracked, he left a new one on her desk. didn’t bother mentioning it came out of his paycheque. if she complains about her outfit — all my good clothes are in the wash — he’ll take her shopping, doesn’t let her worry about the totals. and, hey, if they end up at a lingerie shop, no one has to know, right? he’s just being a good boss. it’s only crossing a few boundaries when he gets her to model it for him in the fitting rooms. when she disappears behind the curtain, john adjusts himself in his slacks — it’s a natural reaction. on that note, it would make too much of a fuss if he were to correct the worker when she asks if his wife needs any help.

when day turns to night and she’s refusing price’s suggestion of hitting another shop, he pulls into a nearby restaurant, insists on treating her to a glass of wine to end the night. finding out she’s a lightweight is a pleasant discovery — two glasses in and her skin is warm to the touch, she’s giggling and hanging onto his every word. he likes her like this, he decides — but it’s not safe to leave her alone. no, she should stay with him tonight. another few sips and she’s agreeing, changing into one of her new lingerie sets and falling into john’s bed, dozing off with his hand splayed over her tummy, beard tickling the back of her neck.

it’s been too long since he’s had a woman in his life. his wires have gotten a bit crossed. you can’t blame him, can you?

edit! here’s more <3

[tenth-sentence]

We ate, topped up our wine glasses and settled in on the couch to watch the remake of A Star is Born starring Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper.

"In/Out: A Scandalous Story of Falling Into Love and Out of the Church" - Steph Lentz

[countess-of-edessa]

felt great walking into starbucks in my bellaswancore outfit until a bunch of girls with flowing hair and sundresses walked in and i am like augh noooo

[suitelifeoftravel]

Ohio Winery: Powell Village Craft Winery

Taking a seat at the beautiful rustic bar at Powell Village Craft Winery, I couldn’t help but notice the young lady sitting next to me talking into her phone.   Overhearing her conversation, she was trying to set a date to move to Colorado.  Working out the logistics, she sat in front of her computer enjoying a glass of wine. I ordered a wine flight and soon thereafter, Katie had wrapped up her…

[eraenaa]

Virginal Whore

Aemond Targaryen x Celtigar Reader Tag List

Synopsis: Prince Aemond sets out to find a whore to warm his bed; he finds a virgin instead. 

Warnings: Dub-Con, Oral Sex (f receiving), Mature, 18+, P in V Sex, Not Proof Read

Word Count: 3,345

Sequel: Prince's Whore

Strife, suffering, and sorrow are all the Prince now feel— perhaps even then. He could no longer stomach the tolls of the war that was reigning havoc on the lands of Westeros. He sought a moment of reprieve, solace in the arms of a lover that he could take into his bed. Harrenhall was bent to his will; everyone was taken and at his mercy. He had women in his grasp, serving girls and some highborn ladies, even a bastard of House Strong, yet as comely and shapely as they were, none were able to stir the need brewing deep inside him. He could not find the want to take them into his bed and warm his cock.

He was, for a moment, entranced by a witch who held the name Rivers. The sorceress tried to seduce him with her lingering glances and mysterious presence, and he was ready to give in, to take her to his bed, but he had caught her placing her spell upon him. Slipping a vial of an unknown substance into his wine, Aemond could not tolerate such acts. He invited her into his chambers, luring her in with the pretense that he had succumbed to her charms, and as she sank to her knees before him, his cock in her mouth, and he was on the verge of spilling his seed in her throat, he took a dagger and slit her throat— him coming undone as her lifeless body fell and her blood pooled onto the floor. 

That sufficed the need in Aemond for a short moment, but just a few days later, he found himself in want of release again— something that would quench the ache in his loins and the fire in his veins. Not just a mouth around his cock but a cunt as well.

He blended into the night and reached town; slipping into a whore house, he heard a few of the soldiers muttering about. When he entered the establishment, nothing of note came into view. It was the same as any houses of pleasure he had stumbled upon during the night. He was in desperate need of company. Scattered around him were the perfumed bodies that masked the smell of vile scents wafted about the room. His eye searched for something that could possibly sedate his raging cock. 

He peeled away his hood, uncaring that the whores and their patrons could see his silvery locks; surely they have more pleasing matters to attend to rather than his presence. As he announced himself, he was quickly approached by a rather well-dressed man who he supposed was the owner. “My prince, welcome… you honor us with your presence.” He bowed lowly, and Aemond simply scanned his eye about the room once more. Without another word, the owner snapped his finger, and Aemond saw some workers hastily running across the establishment, surely readying themselves for him. 

Aemond was led deeper into the den of depravity and into a secluded room where a bed waited along with a line of whores on their knees, waiting for the prince to take his pick. Aemond still paid no mind to the owner as he tried to sell the girls. Aemond assessed each one of them, presenting him with their seductive gazes and trying to allure them with their smiles, pushing together their breasts in the hope that would press even further desire into the prince. 

He sneered as he almost finished assessing the lines of girls, ready to demand the owner to present him with a new batch, but his gaze was then caught by a cowering figure. Her eyes were planted on the floor, and she had used her long, flowing hair to cover her body, trying to display at least one ounce of modesty. 

Aemond strayed closer to you, his curiosity peaking. When the owner��s gaze noticed the prince had focused on you, he quickly stood by your side, who was kneeling at the end of the line. “A newcomer, my prince,” He said and forcefully yanked the back of your head in order to raise your face so the prince could see your features. “I think you would like her, my prince… the prettiest one we have.” 

Aemond said no word nor made any reaction, only studying the way your lips quivered and your eyes pooled with tears as you tried to avoid his gaze. “If her face does not please you enough, I am inclined to tell you that she is a highborn lady snatched away from her traitorous lord father’s care at the start of the war,” He added in pride. It was most beneficial for his business to have an asset such as yourself. Pretty, filled with youth, and had the blood of nobles coursing through your veins. 

Aemond blinked as he felt his cock strain further into his trousers. You were certainly far from his usual type, but only you had stirred such a need in him that he had not felt in many moons. “And if that still isn’t enough to please you, your highness… I shall as well inform you that she is a virgin. Untouched by any man… but I do warn you that may not be the case in a short while.” The owner heinously laughed. Aemond did not know how to take such facts. He was accustomed to experienced hands bringing him pleasure and comfort… but there was just something in your innocence that he found wholly more appealing. 

He turned to the owner and gave a nod. You breathed sharply as the room quickly emptied out, leaving you alone in the presence of a cruel prince. You were still on your knees, and your gaze quickly panted themselves on the floor once more. Aemond placed his hood by a chair and assessed your trembling frame that still knelt on the cold floor. “What house do you come from?” He questioned and brought a chalice already filled with wine to his lips. He drank two sips from it, but you still have not answered his query. “Speak, girl. Are you a mute?” He questioned, stepping before you. “N— no… my prince,” You say, ever so silently. He reached to grab your face in his hands, his fingers squeezing your soft cheeks together, a horrified expression screaming in your eyes. 

“What traitorous house do you come from?” He almost spat. “House… House C—Celtigar, your Highness,” You almost cried, and Aemond was silently surprised. The blood that coursed through your veins was not from any plain noble house; the blood in your veins was the blood of Old Valyria. “Hm,” Aemond hummed as his fingers that held your cheeks savored the way your soft flesh felt. “And how have they taken you?” He questioned and raised the cup of wine to his lips once more, waiting for your answer. 

“I was to be sent to Essos, but they— they commandeered the ship and slain the captain, and I was— was sold off from one man to another.” You explained, your hands clenching at the sheer fabric they made you wear, the material so thin that it did nothing to hide your body. 

You boldly raised your gaze at the prince, hoping to find at least one speck of empathy in his lone eye, but you paled further as you saw a sinister smirk rise to his lips. How fortunate was Aemond to stumbled to the whorehouse at this moment, having the pick of the litter. An overly pretty, untouched noblewoman is now kneeling before him; the gods seem to take pity on his needing state that had plagued him for moons that had left him restless and irritated. “Stand,” he commanded and finally let go of his hold on your cheeks. Watching as you slowly and wobbly obeyed and stood on your feet. 

He raked his eye upon your body, from your pretty face to the apex of your neck to your breast that hid behind the curtain of your hair. His gaze continued to travel downward from the curves of your hips and waist to your sex that was hidden by a dark shadow and to your plush thighs— as he saw the limbs of lavish flesh, a deeper sense of lust overcame him. He placed the chalice down and stepped closer to you. Aemond’s smirk widened as he heard a whimper leave your lips and your eyes tightly closed as he tore away the sheer fabric they made you wear. 

He threaded closer and brushed away the hair that covered your frame, feeling you shiver beneath his touch as his hand trailed to the small of your waist, then upward to your ample tit, your nipple pebbling beneath his cold and calloused touch. He lowered his head and placed it in the nook of your neck, inhaling your scent that was not riddled with the generic perfume that they bathed the whores with. Compared to them— you were a breath of fresh air. 

You gasped and turned stiff as the prince, without warning, pushed you upon the silk-covered bed. You cowered towards the headboard, petrified at the sinister smirk on the prince’s lip, completely enjoying your fear. “I must admit… I’ve never fucked a virgin before,” He said lowly as he took off his tunic, and you looked away as you felt your cheeks heat. “I’ve always preferred my women to be ones with experience… but there is, I suppose, something appealing in being the one first to taint a maiden— perhaps that is why my brother could smell them from a mile away,” Aemond said, a bit amused as he now realized the reason for his brother’s preference of seeking out virgins to be brought to his bed. 

Aemond undid his trousers, standing bare before you as you curled into a ball at the head of the bed. Aemond relished in your cry for help as he pulled you toward the edge of the bed— thrashing upon his hold. You feel your tears slip from your eyes as the prince spreads your legs, and your cunt is fully exposed before him. You inhaled a sharp breath as you felt his breath fanning your folds, assessing you. Aemond bore witness to the truth that you truly were a virgin, your maidenhead still intact and just waiting for him to be ruined. 

He thought about how to proceed; usually, he would have a maiden on their knees or on her stomach and take her from behind— no tenderness or foreplay, simply taking what he wanted and be done with all the bother. But somehow, your cunt was calling for his lips. He never found the appeal of it, feasting on a cunt that had been used and abused by differing men, sullying himself with the taste of other men on the body of a woman. However, you were untouched, and Aemond indulged himself with an act he was rather more curious about. 

You froze as you felt the prince’s fingers trace along the slit of your cunt, the sensation new and disturbing as no one had ever touched you in such a place before. You felt his hand press your fold together, his eye on every movement you made. Aemond marveled at your cunt, never truly assessing one before— he never thought a cunt could be so… captivating. When he ran his fingers in the middle of your slit again, he chuckled darkly as he felt wetness gathering in them; despite your reluctance and defiance, your cunt was begging to be touched. Aemond’s mouth salivated at the thought. 

A gasp left your lips, and you tried to close your legs as you felt the prince’s tongue replace his finger and lick a clean stripe in the middle of your folds. Aemond could not help but moan at the taste of you, tart and sweet, and he began to wonder if this was how his depravity would begin, with a taste of a virginal whore.

You bit your tongue as you felt his lips latch on the sensitive pearl, his tongue darting out and licking you further, teasing your hole and bringing further wetness. “Stop acting so demure and coy; you enjoy this, do you not, my lady?” He menacingly said against you, refusing to let his lips stray away from the sweet nectar of your womanhood. 

You shook your head and felt your tears fall further, but any denial you do did nothing to stop the arousal dripping from your cunt. Aemond chuckled and used his tongue to tease you further, slipping it into the void of pleasure. 

You finally let out a moan, one that was unexpected, and you felt shame as you found pleasure in such actions. That spurred further determination in the prince, darting his tongue in and out of you, his fingers sinking into your plush thighs as he, too, was overwhelmed by the pleasure of feasting on your cunt. Your sensitive pearl rubbed itself against the high bridge of his nose, your blood alight, your skin glimmering with a thin sheet of sweat, and your body ready to succumb to pleasure. Aemond felt it too, that you were close to what he concluded to be the first climax of your life, your body agitated and uncertain, your moans wry and held fear. He was debating if he should let you come undone now or wait when until his cock was buried deep inside your cunt. He was straying towards the latter, but as the thought of tasting you further infiltrated his mind, the prince obliged you to reach your peak and taste your orgasm. Your uncertain moans turned loud and sure, and your hands instinctively clutched the silver locks of the prince’s hair as you came undone by his tongue. 

Aemond hummed in content, feeling his cock weeping at the taste of you. “I’ve never thought a cunt could taste so delectable,” He mused and planted his weight on his knees, staring down at your bare, flushed body and your face that was still trying to comprehend your first taste of pleasure. 

The prince did not give you much time to grasp what had happened as his rough hands found home on your waist, and his cock was aligned against your dripping entrance. Your pleasured-clad face morphed into one of pain as you felt his length penetrating your undefiled hole. It was mean and sadistic, but Aemond found pleasure in taking away your innocence. He was filled with further satisfaction as he glanced down and saw how his cock was tainted with red, your maidenhead taken by him. 

“What lord will have you now, my lady? Now that you’re the prince’s whore?” He grunted as his cock was fully sheathed inside you, the tip of it brushing a spot he knew all too well. “Are those tears of pain or pleasure?” Aemond taunted as he bent down closer to your face, his fingers brushing away the salty water that spilled from your eyes. “If it is the former, I will try not to take it as an offense. There are worst fates than being my whore, my lady— just ask the girls that served my brother,” He smirked and kissed away your tears, his lips straying further to yours.

He never found much pleasure in the act; he would only sometimes oblige the old madame in his once-favored whorehouse with the act because she seemed quite keen on it, but he never liked the way she tasted on his tongue after. But you, gods, was it too much if he would say that just one taste of you has had him on the verge of addiction?

You took in sharp breaths of pain as the prince thrust into you; he was kind enough to slow down his movements, letting you accustom yourself to his length, but by the second, Aemond was growing impatient. His moves started to move at a faster, almost violent pace, ignoring your cries of pain as he was certain they would soon turn into cries of pleasure. He had never had a cunt as tight as yours before; he had never truly paid enough attention to every fluter, every clench, every movement of the woman he was fucking, but now he could not help but focus on anything that you did underneath him. 

He savored every moan and sigh that left your lips, every line on your furrowed brows, every scratch of your nail on his back as you felt his length rutting inside you. Aemond let out a groan as the moons of need started to overwhelm him. He was close to the peak he desperately sought, but he was genteel enough to coax one out of you first; you were a noble lady; after all, it would be terribly rude of him to leave you need and unsatisfied. 

Aemond straightened his back and felt his cock twitch as he saw the site of you laid before him, your legs on his shoulder, his fingers sinking on your soft thighs, and your tits bouncing at his every thrust. You watched through hazy and pleasured-filled eyes as the prince licked his thumb and placed it flat against your nubbin, and his other hand pressed down on your lower stomach and spurred you further into pleasure. Your lips spewed out his name as you came undone, and the prince was quick to follow you. Filling your cunt with his seed, and finally, Aemond felt relief and satisfaction over him. 

The prince panted heavily as he tried to regain his thoughts; he removed his length from your cunt and felt a lazy grin come to his lips as he saw the essence of both of you spill from your hole. Through your haze, you did not expect the prince to dip down and capture your lips into a kiss once again; tongue sought entrance, and you could not find it in yourself to deny him. 

Both of you panted as your lips parted. You stared into the unique lilac eye of the Targaryen prince and were soon overcome with the implications of what had just happened. Your cheeks further turned red as you avoided his gaze once more, ashamed at how you relished and had enjoyed being defiled by him. 

Aemond smirked and collapsed atop of you, savoring the feel of your intertwined bodies for a moment. You just lay there beneath him, and somehow, that was enough for him. But as he felt your hands wrap around him and your hand went to comb through his hair, he let out a further satisfied sigh at the feeling of comfort he never thought he could find in another. 

It did not take long before Aemond had drifted into slumber. The cacophony of his release, fatigue, and you lulled him into a deep yet quick slumber. When he woke, he found you asleep beath him as well, looking so peaceful with your tear-stained cheeks and plush parted lips. Aemond delicately removed himself from you and silently walked out of the room. 

When you woke, you found a pouch filled with coins by your side and the distant sound of moans and footsteps approaching. You raised the sheet of the bed to cover your naked frame as the curtain was lifted, revealing the silver prince. You stared in confusion as he tossed the dress you wore when you were abducted on the bed. “Get dressed,” You could only stare at him in further confusion, your limbs refusing to move. 

Aemond smirked as the fear returned in your eyes. He was halfway through his return to Harrenhall, but the thought of you haunted him. He finally found the release he sought, and it would be foolish of him to let it wander free. Aemond was a selfish man. He could not oblige the others and let them have a taste of the pleasure that only you could present.  

“Get dressed. I have brought you from your master. You’re all mine now, my lady.”