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torchwood-99 · 2 days

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Can you please develop more on what in your opinion makes Éowyn originally doomed by the narrative? I agree with the idea, I'm just curious as to what traits or parts of her narrative makes her doomed according to you!

In her first scene, she comes across as almost spectral.

First time we see her, she's stood in the shadows behind a decaying old man and his creepy, snake like advisor. Her nickname, the White Lady, conjurs images of phantom "white ladies", which are staples of supernatural mythology, are are usually found in rural places, and are associated with tragic histories and unrequited/doomed love.

When is dismissed, she leaves, she doesn't speak, and passes silently from the room, but she passes judgement on those she passes. She looks on Theoden with "cool pity", and recognises the power in Aragorn. A pale, voiceless, woman, dressed all in white, passing judgement on those before her, before silently gliding from the room, like a wraith or spirit.

To further reinforce the ghost like imager, she is cold; "thought her fair and cold, like a morning of pale spring that is not yet come into womanhood." She looks on Theoden after his recovery with neither joy or love but with "cool pity".

Whereas warmth usually holds connotations with life, the cold conjurs images of corpses and the grave. Even the use of "spring" in her description, a season associated with life, birth and new hope, is described as "pale". The combination of "spring" (life) and "pale" (death), conjures an image of something that is at once living and dead.

A lot of our view point characters look on her with unease. She is repeatedly described as "stern", and the only time that stern façade cracks is when she shows emotions that are discomforting for other characters.

Her hand shakes when she serves Aragorn the cup, and Aragorn senses her attraction and is deeply concerned about. The intensity of her desire, and Aragorn's unspoken unease, makes for an aura of discomfort and dread.

The only time Eowyn shows "life" is when she's trembling with passion for Aragorn, a passion unrequited, or when her eyes are sparkling with visions of war and death.

The first time her stern face truly cracks, and she lets the feelings show, is when she breaks down in tears, begging Aragorn to let her ride with him. She's either frozen or weeping.

Everyone who observes this is deeply distressed. They find it painful to watch a proud and stern woman break down in tears and beg, a sensation the reader shares with them.

Aragorn himself is deeply pained and troubled by his concern for Eowyn. 'Only those who knew him well and were near to him saw the pain that he bore.'

Aragorn later admits in the Houses of Healing that his concern for her haunted him after their parting, and that nothing caused him so much fear on the Paths of the Dead as his fear of what may come to her.

In the same chapter, Aragorn likens her to a lily. Lilies themselves have connotations of death, and also harken back to Elaine, the "lily maiden" who died of heartbreak after being forsaken by her love, Lancelot.

So Eowyn is a figure of death, despair and tragic love. She is white, cold, lily-like, and is looked on with grief by many who perceive her. And not just grief, but discomfort. They don't just notice her distress, but are distressed by her.

When Merry meets her, he notices she seems to have been weeping, an image that is uncomfortably at odds with her stern manner.

Even Theoden, who cannot be credited with being that tuned in to Eowyn's feelings, notices she is unhappy, asking her how she is, and commenting twice on her obvious distress.

When Merry meets her in her guise as Dernhelm, he shivers, because he feels he is looking at someone with neither hope nor will to live. Their journey to the Pelennor passes in silence. Eowyn is a solitary figure, cut off from all those around her, riding to her death.

This culminates in Eowyn laughing at the Witch King, who brings despair to all who face him, because at this point she has literally nothing to fear from him.

The scene in which she faces him is written as a death scene. She fights him valiantly, but his destruction seems to be her own, and the consequences of her apparent death (Eomer's reaction) are severe.

Her tragedy appears compounded when Theoden bids her farewell, unaware she was with him the entire time, which rather sums up his fond, yet blinkered attitude towards her. She gives her life defending the dignity of a man, who is only half-aware of her existence.

Eowyn is mourned. Eomer rages against the heavens at her passing, and the riders of Rohan speak of their regret that she followed them without knowing. She is carried alongside Theoden, and it is only Imrahil's sharp perception and respect for her beauty that causes him to notice she is still alive, taking them all, and us, by surprise. Up until this point, Eowyn has been doomed, and she seems to have met her doom, heroically so.

But there's still a spark of life in her, still a weak breath in her lungs, and that's enough for her to be saved, and taken to the Houses of Healing. It's just a faint sign of life, barely noticeable, but it's life, which means there's hope.

As we look into Eowyn's mindset, we begin to see why she is such a tragic figure.

The first time she is addressed by name, she is being sent from the room. Her orders to take charge of the people of Rohan, which should be something of an hour of triumph and honour for her, feels almost insulting, in how her uncle would rather throw his crown to the people to take for themselves, than name her as an heir after Eomer, and then forgets she is even a part of their house, until Hama reminds him.

Our final scene of Eowyn in Two Towers is of her as a solitary figure, left alone to guard an empty hall, watching as the men ride away beneath their sparkling spears, a striking contrast between the camaraderie and fellowship we witness between the men riding out together.

That Eowyn is loved and respected by many, as revealed by Hama and her ability to safely lead the people to Dunharrow, despite their reluctance, compounds the tragedy, because she is not entirely alone and overlooked, but the people she wishes to been seen by, the people she holds in esteem, Theoden and Aragorn, reject. Theoden, unthinkingly, by forgetting her worth until it is spelled out for him, and Aragorn in being unable to accept her love, or her offer of service.

Eowyn's driving conflict, the one that seems central to her character, is not even with the villains who everyone else is banding together to fight. She is part of that fight against them, but her personal struggles stem just as much from her conflict with her own family, her own people and her own society, as they do with the threat of Mordor. Victory over the Mordor does not necessarily mean victory for her, we know for Eowyn to be spared her doom, she can't just be rescued from the enemy that everyone else is fighting. She is trapped, caged, and would rather ride out and die, than live to see herself fade.

“What do you fear, lady?" [Aragorn] asked. "A cage," [Éowyn] said. "To stay behind bars, until use and old age accept them, and all chance of doing great deeds is gone beyond recall or desire.”

That whole exchange between Aragorn and Eowyn reveal that above all else, beneath her stern facade and dreams of valour, Eowyn is absolutely seething. She is burning up with rage and frustration, and it is not just her enemies she is raging at, but her allies.

Her narrative starts to turn in the Houses of Healing. Not only is Aragorn able to bring her back to life, but it's clear that despite her unhappiness, Eomer's love for her is still a comfort and a source of happiness. When she wakes up, her first words are joy of seeing her brother there. For a character who until this point has been a figure of sorrow and loneliness, for her to speak so instinctively of joy at the presence of another is momentous.

This joy seems well justified, as not only do we witness the extent of Eomer's love, we also see a change in Eomer, and his perception of his sister.

Her sufferings, and the causes of her sufferings, are finally acknowledged. But they aren't acknowledged as some ephemeral, intangible thing, caused by some a broke heart and some vague sense that she's just "doomed", but as the result of a set of specific circumstances that naturally caused her great feelings of despair and hopelessness. Eowyn isn't tragic because "she's Eowyn and she's doomed", but because of Grima's manipulation, and the constraints inflicted on her because of her sex.

That Gandalf compares Eomer's lot to Eowyn's, and points out to Eomer the freedoms and opportunities he had which she did not, further emphasises that it was Eowyn's circumstances that made her so tragic.

Eowyn wasn't "just doomed" and Eomer wasn't "just not doomed". Had their roles been reversed, Eomer could have ended up in similar straits.

Eomer hears this explanation, and a change occurs. He looks on Eowyn differently, and starts rethinking their whole lives together.

In the causes of her suffering being recognised, there is now some hope for her recovery. Her "ailment" has been "diagnosed", and it's much easier to find a "treatment" and a "cure", when there is a "diagnosis". There's a practical solution to Eowyn's suffering, and the person closes to her is brought one step nearer to seeing it.

Eowyn remains in the Houses of Healing, something she sees as frustrating, unnecessary and pointless. She doesn't want to live, she doesn't expect to heal, she thinks herself fit enough to ride and die, and that's what she wants to do.

Eowyn still sees herself as doomed by the narrative, but the narrative and the cast no longer see her as such. She is kept in the Houses, she is encouraged to rest and to heal, she is encouraged by Faramir to have hope, and gradually she starts to thaw.

She also becomes more gentle and vulnerable. Her youth is dwelled on, and she former concerns about living forever in a cage for a moment lapse as she focusses on a more trivial worry that Faramir thinks she's childish. When she scales down her request from permission to ride to battle, to be allowed to walk the gardens and look east, she speaks as a "maiden, young and sad."

In becoming more vulnerable, she becomes more approachable. She is no longer the ice maiden, a spectre, but a living person, with worries large and small, and Faramir is able to smile at her and offer her consolation.

The requests she makes during her "thawing", to look east and not be confined to her bed, signals a slight, perhaps unnoticed by her, return to hope. East is, as Faramir remarks, where their hopes lie. In looking east, she is looking towards hope. Furthermore, her second request, to not be confined to her bed, is something that Faramir can provide a practical solution for. She can have a chamber facing east, and she can have freedom to walk the gardens.

He almost speaks to her like a conciliator, or a negotiator. He talks her down from asking for death, to having a chamber looking east, and freedom to walk the gardens and take in the sun, in return to her agreeing to stay in this house in our care, lady, and take your rest," . That he phrases it gives the sense she has agency, he isn't saying "you will stay, and you will have a chamber that looks east, and you will walk in the sun", but instead he says if she agrees to stay, this is what they can do for her.

Therefore, the choice to stay, the choice to walk in the sun, the choice to heal, is put back into her hands, and in accepting Faramir's offer, she accepts the chance to heal.

Both Faramir and Aragorn are struck by pity when they meet Eowyn, but Aragorn's pity makes him hold her at arm's length. He maintains a distance between them, he turns from her and rides away. When he does try to "reason" with her, he only makes things worse, twisting the nail into Eowyn's frustrating circumstances.

Faramir feels pity for Eowyn, but he also feels kinship. She isn't some strange, removed creature. He doesn't look at her and see someone who is doomed. Nor does his treatment of her isolate her, as the treatment of so many others have.

He speaks of the pair of them as a unit, right from the start. He notes that both of them are "prisoners" of the healers, he tells her that both of them will be able to fight the end, if it comes to them, if they rest, and that the hours of waiting are something both of them must endure, and that both of them have passed through a shadow, and in from kinship, he expresses a belief that he might find comfort in her presence.

Eowyn's isolation and lack of agency are key causes in her despair, so it is understandable how this man, who makes efforts to understand her, to get to know, to befriend her and to make a connection with her, is such a balm, and manages to cause such a turn around in her arc.

Through her friendship, and later romance, with Faramir, she opens up, and arguably becomes more emotionally resilient, neither freezing her emotions, "cold and proud", or breaking down, weeping or begging. She shows uncertainty and fear in more moderate, casual ways, instead of pushing them down until they burst out of her.

However, she is still Eowyn. She is still proud (Faramir describes her as looking queenly), she is still proud, strong willed and sharp tongued. Even in her happiness, when she agrees to marry Faramir, she teases him for his people's snobbery, and she refuses the Warden's attempts to "release" her into Faramir's care, by instead asking to stay at the Houses of Healing.

She doesn't go from Ice Maiden to Fragile Flower. Instead, in grasping her future by the hands, in choosing for herself what she will do and where she will go, in deciding her own fate, her own role (that of healer), she shows that she is as strong willed as ever, and Faramir, who re-iterates twice; when speaking of his plans to marry her and go to Ithilien with her, that they will only do so if she is willing.

Eowyn also makes it clear to Faramir that while she will return to him, she has other duties and priorities that will keep her. That is, the rebuilding of the Mark. She has to go, she will come back. A striking contrast to her first introduction, when Eowyn is told "go", then told "stay", as it pleases those around her. She now has freedom of movement, she now chooses when to go, when to stay and when to return.

That Eowyn speaks of how she must go back, must look on her country and help her brother, also indicates that Eowyn sees her own worth and importance. She values herself and feels valued.

At Theoden's funeral/Eomer's coronation, Eowyn plays an integral role in the ceremonies. She presents Eomer with a golden cup and gives the signal for the cups to be raised to drink to the new king. This in itself indicates the esteem in which Eomer holds Eowyn. However, she has arguably been a cupbearer before, and it hasn't been a role that has brought her much joy. While it is a position of prestige, and shows she is a valued member of the household, it's not enough. Luckily, here, she isn't just there to oversee the celebrations of others, but to be celebrated herself.

Eomer ends the ceremonies by announcing her betrothal to Faramir. His justification for doing so is because of Theoden's love for Eowyn, which he uses to argue that Theoden wouldn't begrudge Eowyn's announcement being made at his funeral. He also notes how great the gathering before him is, greater than has ever been seen before. That Eomer wants to announce his sister's happy news before such an assembly, speaks of how much he wants to honour her.

Eomer certainly appears to have taken Gandalf's words on board. When he makes the announcement of Eowyn's betrothal, he says that Faramir asked for her hand, and Eowyn granted it, full willing.

He doesn't say anything about whether or not he gives his permission, (as her king and head of family, he probably was asked, but considering Eowyn and Faramir made their plans to wed with total confidence, you get the impression this was a matter of form, they were going to marry, Eomer disagreeing would be a complication, not a defeat), but instead emphasises how Eowyn has agreed to marry Faramir, full willing.

The final image we have of Eowyn can be a foil of that image of we have of her at the end of her first chapter in Two Towers. Once more, she is bidding farewell to a loved one as they depart Edoras. However, this time, she is embracing Merry before he leaves. She gives him a gift, that speaks of the bond of friendship that is now between them, and a remembrance of the time they rode together to battle, comrades in arms.

Compared to her formal parting from Theoden in Two Towers, this parting is full of warmth and intimacy. She and Eomer both hug Merry farewell, and when Merry leaves, Eowyn is left with both Eomer and Faramir, the two people she loves best, Faramir himself putting off his own duties in Gondor, to be near to Eowyn as she does her duty in Rohan.

Even the parting of Eowyn, Eomer and Merry, which could be a sad thing, is softened with Tolkien concluding "and so they parted for that time".

Their parting isn't forever, it's just for the moment. They will see each other again. Compared to the jarring juxtaposition of the brotherly army riding out, to Eowyn left alone to guard an empty hall, which created a sense of dread and foreboding, the final lines here at this parting fill us with warmth, with them all embracing, and leaves us with a promise that this parting isn't forever, and that the friends will all be reunited soon.

So, to summarise, Eowyn at first appears "doomed by the narrative." She is cold, stern, ghost like, and carries an aura of tragedy and dread.

Her doom she seems to carry through to fruition, and she is mourned accordingly, but the smallest spark of life remains in her, and in the causes of her despair being acknowledged, in the people in her life reaching out to her, making an effort to understand her, and in her and those around her making practical changes, the characters actively defy the narrative that has apparently doomed her, and together, through their combined efforts, Eowyn escapes her fate

Eowyn feels hopeless and trapped, and the people around her struggle to relate, and in fact many of them contribute; some un-knowingly, some knowingly (fucking Grima), to her depression. It first looks like a force greater than herself (the narrative) is causing her despair, and it cannot be overcome, but will instead lead to her destruction.

But actually, there is hope, and there are practical measures that can be put into place, to help her overcome her despair. Medical treatment, a support network, and a greater understanding from herself and from others of what she is going through, enable her to defy the narrative and find happiness.

#LOTR #Lord of the Rings #Eowyn #Eomer #Faramir #Aragorn #Merry Brandybuck #Theoden #Gandalf #this got long

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allieslobster · 2 days

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I posted my opinion on the whole mike monologue so I wanted to also rant about this.

Why? WHY!!! WHYYY WHAT IS THE POINT?! No, but seriously like what is the point of this love triangle? I don’t understand the point in this conflict if it isn’t going to be resolved in a way where the audience goes “ohhh okay now i understand.”

And no, no I will not accept the theory that Will is being used to uplift mike and eleven’s relationship because how is that fair? Yeah, that’s super smart to use the gay character to uplift a straight relationship despite expressing Will is madly in love with Mike. They could have gone such a different route in expressing Will’s queerness like showing really rely on his family for support, meeting a love interest in California, or not needing a love interest and just working on accepting who he is.

But, they chose to again and again SHOW will longing over Mike. Just emphasizing the love triangle, every shot of Mike and El consisted of Will being in the background, or watching them but they always really highlighted Will’s presence. Why? Why all of this if the season five resolution to this whole love triangle is just going to be Mike saying he doesn’t feel the same but will always support Will and then continues to be with El despite it constantly being shown that they really just don’t understand each other.

I completely understand all relationships have conflicts, and despite me believing that even if byler wasn’t a thing I still wouldn’t ship mileven, a part of me also believes that if Mileven was set up differently I would support it more. Because yeah, they can argue and that’s normal but I constantly see people side with El and I want to give her a hug, too. BUT, let’s keep in mind that mike also feels unloved in this relationship.

Eleven doesn’t come to Mike for anything deeper than just superficial connection, she RAN away from Mike at rink o mania. Mike doesn’t come to El for anything deeper because why would he? He told her he was trying to understand, and that he’s been bullied and she dismissed that. It’s unfair to the both of them, and we know Mike has it in him to apologize and be understanding because that’s what he does for Will all of the time when he immediately realizes his wrongs and apologizes for it instead of blaming him. And Will does the same, always reassuring him.

I don’t get why people think it’s so crazy to ship byler, there was literally a whole scene of them in the van just expressing themselves and communicating even if Will wasn’t being honest. Will was sacrificing something for Mike, trying to uplift him and I think in season 5 when or if mike finds out he was lying, it’s going to spark a huge conversation.

There’s a reason this was tweeted.

This just goes hand in hand with the notion that season five is going to be will and mike centric all mixed in with the paranormal. Where Will and Mike’s connection is what saves them in the end just like it did in season two. BYLER ENDGAME!!!

#byler #mike wheeler #stranger things #stranger things cast #will and mike #netflix #anti mileven

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merwgue · 2 days

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Azriel & Rhysand: The Self-Hating Illyrians? Let’s Talk About That…

Alright, so let's dive into something that’s been bugging me for a while: the way Azriel and Rhysand talk about Illyrians—and how it mirrors their own insecurities and self-hatred toward their own race. Now, I know we all love our brooding shadowsinger and we tolerate (thats the nicest thing i can say okay???) Rhysand, but let’s call a spade a spade. These guys are racist to themselves, and it shows in how they talk about, treat, and rule Illyria.

First off, Azriel. The man has been through some serious trauma—no one is denying that. The abuse he faced as a child at the hands of his Illyrian family was horrific. But because of that, he carries this internalized hatred towards his own people. He sees Illyrians as “brutes,” and that’s not just a throwaway comment. It’s an insight into how he views himself as an Illyrian. He’s distanced himself from his race because it’s too painful for him to reconcile with what they represent to him—his own past, his pain, his trauma. Instead of embracing his heritage and trying to heal from it, he’s rejected it entirely, which is… problematic, to say the least.

Now, let’s talk about Rhysand. Yes, he’s half Illyrian, and yet, what does he do? He rules over Illyria like a colonizer. He’s constantly talking about how brutal and savage the Illyrians are, how they need to be “controlled” and “disciplined.” Sound familiar? Rhysand’s actions in Illyria are more about projecting his own insecurities about being half Illyrian than about actually ruling fairly. He’s ashamed of his heritage and so, instead of working with the Illyrians to improve things, he enforces harsh rule, stifling them instead of helping them grow.

What’s worse is that they both act like they’re doing Illyria a favor by stepping in and being these benevolent rulers. But honestly, what they’re doing is just mirroring their internalized racism. They can’t accept their own Illyrian roots, so they enforce those insecurities onto the people. Rhysand and Azriel might think they’re “better” because they’ve moved beyond the more traditional Illyrian ways, but really, they’re just turning their backs on their own heritage. And that’s not empowerment—that’s self-hatred.

Now, let’s touch on the Elriel shippers. First of all, ship whoever you want—I’m not here to police your ships. But what I am here to say is this: erasing Azriel’s Illyrian identity to fit into a certain romantic narrative is just wrong. Part of what makes Azriel, Azriel, is his struggle with his own identity. It’s his journey of trying to reconcile the trauma of his past with the culture he comes from. There’s depth there, and it’s a storyline that needs resolution, not erasure.

Some Elriel shippers think that in his potential book (if SJM ever gives it to them), Azriel should fully distance himself from Illyria, take off his tattoos, and basically reinvent himself into a whole new character. Excuse me, but what? That’s not character growth, that’s character erasure. The Illyrian tattoos are a symbol of his heritage, his connection to his people. Sure, he has a lot of complicated feelings about Illyria because of his past, but that doesn’t mean the answer is to remove all traces of it from his life.

You can’t just “remove” your culture. It’s something you’re born into, something that shapes you, whether you like it or not. It’s tied to your ancestors, your lineage. For Azriel to fully come to terms with who he is, he has to accept that, yes, he’s Illyrian. He can’t get over that by erasing it—he has to embrace it, faults and all, and move forward. That’s what real growth would look like.

By pushing for Azriel to cut ties with Illyria entirely, some of these shippers are promoting a racist narrative, whether they realize it or not. It’s saying that Azriel can only be worthy of love or redemption if he fully removes himself from the culture that raised him. And that’s just wrong. His identity crisis is not something that should be “fixed” by wiping the slate clean. It should be something he works through, learns from, and ultimately accepts as part of himself.

In fact, if we want real character development, Azriel’s arc should focus on him embracing his Illyrian heritage, understanding that while there are negative aspects of his past, that doesn’t define all of Illyria or his future. His story shouldn’t end with him running away from his culture, but with him reclaiming it on his own terms. The Illyrian culture, with all its flaws, is still his culture, and rejecting it completely would mean rejecting a core part of who he is. Instead of distancing himself further, Azriel needs to find a way to reconcile with the Illyrian identity, maybe even becoming a figure of change within his own race. Rather than mirroring the oppressive behavior of Rhysand, who seeks to control and stifle the Illyrians, Azriel could be the bridge that finally helps Illyria evolve into something better—something that preserves the strength of its people while discarding the more harmful traditions.

Imagine an arc where Azriel not only accepts his heritage but becomes a leader for Illyrian reform, where he champions education, equality, and opportunity for both the males and the females of his race. That would be growth. That would be healing. And let’s be honest, Azriel’s character needs that kind of closure after all the trauma he’s been through. But it has to come from a place of embracing who he is, not trying to erase it.

Now, coming back to Rhysand for a second—his treatment of Illyria is a whole other can of worms. It’s easy to label him as a progressive leader because of how he treats some of his people (read: his Inner Circle), but his actions toward the Illyrians tell a different story. Rhysand rules Illyria through fear and force, much like the High Lords he claims to be better than. He keeps the Illyrians in line with brute power, allowing their wings to be clipped, their women to be oppressed, and their men to be locked into a cycle of violent traditions. And let’s not forget, he’s never really done anything to truly help the Illyrians rise above their current state. Instead, he’s more focused on maintaining control over them, making sure they don’t challenge his authority.

Rhysand’s rule in Illyria is a dictatorship, no matter how you spin it. He pretends to be “freeing” people, but what he’s actually doing is ensuring they stay under his thumb. And Azriel, who has internalized so much hatred for his own race, is complicit in this. He doesn’t push for change or reform because he’s too caught up in his own disdain for his heritage. In a way, Rhysand and Azriel’s attitudes toward Illyria are two sides of the same coin. Rhysand rules it with an iron fist, and Azriel, with his internalized racism, sees that as justified.

Let’s also not forget the dynamic between Rhysand and Azriel within the Inner Circle itself. The Night Court, while seemingly “progressive,” is built on a hierarchy that’s not so different from the oppression they claim to fight. Rhysand keeps a tight leash on his friends, and Azriel, with all his inner conflict and loyalty, falls in line. His insecurities about his heritage make him more susceptible to Rhysand’s control because, in a way, Azriel believes he’s lesser. He believes he’s damaged because of his past, and that allows Rhysand to subtly manipulate him, never pushing him to embrace his Illyrian roots, because that would threaten the order Rhysand has established.

Which brings us back to the issue with the fandom. There are fans out there who, for some reason, want Azriel to completely erase his Illyrian identity, thinking it’s part of his “growth.” But how is denying where you come from, and what shaped you, growth?

The idea that Azriel could just “remove” the Illyrian part of himself and somehow become a better character is incredibly damaging. It promotes the idea that you can (and should) sever ties with your roots if they’re painful or complicated. But that’s not how real people heal, and it’s not how characters should evolve either. If anything, Azriel should be diving deeper into his Illyrian heritage, understanding that while there’s darkness there, there’s also strength and resilience—and that’s something to be proud of, not ashamed of.

In the end, what Azriel needs isn’t to “get over” being Illyrian. He needs to accept it, embrace it, and find a way to redefine what it means to him. And Rhysand, for all his posturing as a forward-thinking High Lord, needs to stop ruling Illyria with fear and suppression, and instead, actually help his people rise up. Otherwise, they’re both just perpetuating a cycle of self-hatred and control that benefits no one, least of all themselves.

Ty @shadowqueenjude for the idea pookster

#acotar #anti rhysand #anti ic #anti feyre #anti mor #anti rhys #pro nesta #pro tamlin #azriel #pro azriel #?#illyrians #night court #anti night court #anti morrigan #anti acotar #anti inner circle #anti elriel #honestly i dont care ab ships but i wont stand for racism period

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callalillywrites · 18 hours

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Shooting His Shot Part 1

The original version of this story is something I've been wanting to expand for a while now. I finally got my chance, and it's become one of my most indulgent stories yet (I think). What was 1200 words is now over 8000 and split into two parts. Part 2 will be available in a few hours.

I had so much fun with this AU that I could easily persuaded to expand the universe a bit more. Ideas are already forming for a few of the other characters, but I'll hold off until I know others want to see them as well. It's not like I don't have plenty of other stories to work on anyway. 😊

The gif below is somewhat the look I was going for with Steve in this fic though he's given a suit jacket to wear. But yeah, this is it. One of my favorite looks of his btw.

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Reader

Other notable characters: Bucky Barnes, Jake Jensen, Sam Wilson, Ari Levinson, Natasha Romanoff, Peter Parker, and honorably mentioned Curtis Everett

Word Count: 4350

Summary: Steve owns a steakhouse that you used to frequent before your ex came into the picture. Now, your ex is gone, and you're ready to head back to the one place you've always felt welcome and wanted. What neither you nor Steve count on is his staff, led by Bucky, launching a full-one assault effort to get you two together. It's time the two of you realize your feelings for one another.

Warnings: abusive ex (Reader's), pining, so much pining, fluff, two ridiculous idiots in love, a whole bunch of matchmakers

A/N: This is a completely self-indulgent story made like one of those cheesy rom-com which is my bread and butter at this point. It's proofread, but any mistakes are my own.

I also do not give permission for my work to be copied or posted on other sites or fed into an AI machine.

PART 2

*****

A few hours before dinnertime rush begins…

It might be his day off, but Steve’s made it such a habit that he can’t stop himself. After all, he keeps hoping that you’ll walk back in the door of his steakhouse one day. Even if it’s been six months since he’s last seen your smiling and pretty face.

To help the hours pass, Steve turns to their books and reviews them. He might as well work on payroll for the week and get the checks ready for the following week. While he’s at it, he might look at their orders and see how they’re sitting as well. Maybe he should venture into the kitchen soon and speak with Bucky about their upcoming inspection. Not that they weren’t ready, but one can never be caught unawares. Besides that, they pride themselves on having one of the cleanest kitchens in the county.

As if conjuring up his best friend, Bucky stands in the doorway with one of their famous lunch specials.

“You’ve been at it long enough, punk. Take a break and eat something.”

Without waiting for an answer, Bucky steps into the room and sets the plate down on Steve’s desk, careless of the few neat piles Steve’s created that morning.

Steve stares at the plate for a few seconds before his stomach makes it known how empty it is. He probably shouldn’t have skipped breakfast after the workout he pushed himself through that morning.

While Steve takes a bite of food, Bucky sinks into one of the other chairs and sprawls himself out. He pulls out his phone and grins at whatever he finds waiting on his screen.

“What’s so funny, jerk?”

Bucky shakes his head, content to sit there and wait for Steve to finish the plate.

Knowing he won’t leave without Steve eating everything, Steve takes another bite. Each new fork or spoonful, he shoots Bucky a look, only getting a smug smirk in return. When Steve finally finishes the plate, he sets it aside and goes back to his computer screen. He’s almost certain Bucky won’t be sticking around too long, having enjoyed the small break he’d gotten in feeding Steve.

When one of their cooks happens to walk by, Bucky notices, too, and shouts out, “Hey, we get that order from the bakery down the street yet? I wanna make sure they sent along some of their best treats.”

Steve’s attention returns to Bucky.

Before he knows it, Bucky smacks his knees and pushes to his feet. With an efficient movement born of years in the kitchen, he grabs up Steve’s empty plate and turns toward the door.

“Hey, punk, you might wanna freshen up. We’re getting a special guest tonight. Maybe this time, you’ll man up and shoot your shot.”

Steve’s brows furrow at Bucky’s words.

At least they do until Jensen walks by with an excitement Steve hasn’t seen in a few months.

“Did you hear, Boss Man?” Jensen asks as he tells Steve about the reservation that’s just come in.

A reservation for one in your name.

*****

You check your new outfit a final time in the mirror, satisfied with your efforts. The makeup you’ve chosen for the evening is minimal since you’re only interested in pleasing yourself.

Almost a year wasted with a man who never appreciated you. A man who wanted to shape and mold you into some ideal that you could never be, never wanted to be.

Six months without visiting one of your favorite places in the entire world. All because that same man had been so jealous of the attention you got from everyone there but especially from one Steve Rogers.

Oh, you can only hope that you might see Steve again that evening, having missed his sweet smile most of all these last several months. He’d been one of the first there to make you feel welcome. One by one, so did the others, but you always came back because of Steve.

Part of you wishes still that he would’ve made a move on you during one of your many visits to the steakhouse over the past few years. Maybe then he would’ve saved you all those months with someone less deserving of you and what you had to offer.

He never did though.

So, you accepted the two of you would just be friendly toward one another, just like you were with all the others there.

You can live with that.

At least, that’s what you keep telling yourself as you grab up your jacket and purse.

A final glance in the mirror to ensure your outfit is still perfect for the night you have planned. It’s during this time that your phone pings with the arrival of your Uber.

The ride to the steakhouse takes you through the familiar streets you’ve missed. It amazes you how much they have stayed the same though there are some changes that surprise you. Your favorite used bookshop’s doors have shuttered, but the café you used to visit almost every morning still thrived. A couple of new tiny shops have opened while others remain with a couple that have closed. The eclectic collection of shops was what drew you to this area in the first place when you’d been looking at universities.

Anger fills you for a moment at how manipulative your ex had been with your routine and your life. How could you let him work you like he did? How could he take the very things that made you happiest because he couldn’t handle his own feelings of jealousy and inadequacy?

So many of the hours you used to spend on these few streets, window shopping and getting to know the owners of the shops. They’d been lost to you when you let your ex into your life. Friends lost because of him. You could only wonder what they’ve been up to these past months while you’ve slowly descended into a level of hellish isolation you never wished to be in again.

As the steakhouse appeared in front of you, you perk up. Your hands automatically fidget as they run over your outfit to ensure the few wrinkles from sitting in your Uber didn’t remain when you step out in a few minutes.

A part of you hopes that Steve and all the others haven’t forgotten you.

Yet, why would they remember you?

Friendly or not, you’re still just a customer to them. A good tipper, sure, and always courteous to every employee from the bussers to the owners. You’ve never had a reason to complain about the food or the service from them, and you always tried to make sure they had no reason to complain about you.

Over the years, you’ve even gotten to know a bit about each of them. Jake’s inability to flirt despite giving him lessons whenever he served you. Nat’s intense loyalty to those she works with and her regulars, including you. Sam’s sweet but serious nature. Bucky’s strive for perfection with each dish that leaves the kitchen. Ari’s innate ability to know just what drink you need the moment you step inside (always a mocktail for you). Peter’s awkward friendliness that’s just downright infectious.

Then, there’s Steve.

Oh, you’ve learned a lot about him over the last couple of years.

He’s never been one to back down from the rowdier customers, standing firmly on the side of his staff. It’s something you’ve seen firsthand a time or two, and you’re always impressed with the way he manages to keep his anger in check. At least, inside the restaurant. You’re not unaware of the bloody knuckles he’s come back in with after escorting these obnoxious customers from his place. No doubt they deserved it, but you did worry about the consequences for him and the possibility of pressed charges.

Steve’s also been the first to lend a helping hand to those less fortunate in the neighborhood. If it’s not a free meal to help refill their empty stomachs, it’s offering them small tasks for which he handsomely pays them, even those that take less than ten minutes. He always makes sure they get enough to help through the day or even a few days. You’ve seen the kindness that comes from him and his staff, and it’s one of the many reasons your crush on him hasn’t dwindled over the years. No, it’s blossomed in ways you kinda wished it wouldn’t. There’s little hope of him ever seeing you as anything more than a valuable customer.

You’re brought out of your reverie when your Uber driver clears their throat.

Embarrassed, you quickly apologize and wrap up your business with them, stepping from the car and waving them off.

The large wooden doors leading into the steakhouse speak of an understated elegance and welcome that calls out to you. Beckons you to enter the establishment and know you’re among friends, among family.

It’s a feeling you’ve missed greatly these last several months.

Taking a breath, you pull one of the doors and step into the small entryway. The glazed inner doors don’t hide the rich interior within though they do lend some privacy to those already inside. The place is packed as usual with some guests standing or sitting on either side of the entryway, waiting for their tables.

You smile as you catch sight of a familiar face standing next to an unfamiliar one at the host stand.

Without hesitation, you open the glazed door while your smile widens into a full grin. “Well, well, well, aren’t you looking spiffier than ever, Sam?”

Sam’s head shoots up and his smile matches your own. He steps around the stand and closes the distance between the two of you. A low whistle comes out as he moves his finger in a circular motion, getting you to give him a small spin. Another whistle escapes him.

“You are a sight for sore eyes. It hasn’t been the same since we last saw you here.”

The soft reprimand isn’t missed, but you don’t hesitate when he embraces you, his forgiveness as quickly given. In your ear, he adds softly, “He hasn’t been the same.”

Your brows furrow at this new piece of information.

Yet, you’re not given a chance to think on his words before Sam’s sweeping you away from the foyer and deeper into the steakhouse.

“Come, your table isn’t ready just yet, but I know some other people who want to see your lovely face again.”

Within a few more steps, he’s pulling out a barstool at the full bar off to the side of the steakhouse. Another friendly face turns to greet you with a big grin on his fully bearded, handsome face.

“Ari,” you say with another genuine smile for the man behind the bar.

Sweeping his longer than before locks from his face, Ari flashes you a grin of his own. “Gorgeous, long time, no see. How’ve you been?”

“Doing much better since I dropped the one-eighty anchor weighing me down.”

Ari’s grin grows. “Good riddance. For your good fortune, I have just the thing for you. One of my newest concoctions that I think you’ll enjoy. On me.”

“Oh, no, I can’t let you do that.”

You’re not allowed to go any further as Ari’s large hand settles over yours. His gaze softens into one of sheer fondness and full sincerity. “Yeah, you can. We’ve all missed you. It hasn’t been the same since you stopped coming in.”

“I’m just a customer,” you say, not fully understanding.

Ari shakes his head. A sympathetic smile takes over his original welcoming grin. “You’ve really no idea what you’ve been to all of us, have you?”

He doesn’t give you a chance to answer, setting about mixing various ingredients in the special station he created some time ago. You lose track of all that he’s mixing and matching until he finally pours the concoction in a glass and tops it with a tiny umbrella in your favorite color.

The explosion of flavors that come has you wiggling a happy little dance on the stool. While you can’t help thinking the mix shouldn’t work, it does in ways that are pleasant and hits you with a burst of such happiness. It’s such that you can’t help taking another long sip.

“Oh, you’re a true genius, Ari.” Your words are punctuated with a sip. “Mm, I love it. I’ll have to make this a standing order every time I come in from now on.”

Beaming, Ari taps the bar. “I’m holding you to that, gorgeous.”

Another customer ends up taking Ari away, but it’s just as well. You’re more than content to continue sipping your new favorite mocktail, one of many Ari’s presented to you. The man’s a notorious flirt, watching him rake in several tips over the next few minutes, but he’s also a connoisseur when it comes to alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.

He comes back at the same time Sam reappears.

“Your table is ready, pretty lady.”

Saying a quick farewell to Ari, you take Sam’s offered elbow and allow him to lead you to what you believe is your usual table.

It’s more than a little surprising when he sweeps past the main dining area and through a hallway towards what you assume are the back offices and other personnel only rooms. He doesn’t stop until he pushes open a door and reveals a table set for two in a private room.

“What’s all this? Sam, what’s going on?”

Sam merely grins as he leads you to the table and holds out your chair for you. It’s only after he’s given you a menu you don’t need that he says, “I’m trying to make sure Bucky wins the bet this time.”

“Bet? What bet? You have a bet that concerns me?”

Rather than answer, Sam shoots you a wink and disappears through the door, closing it softly behind him.

A moment later, soft music drifts through hidden speakers. The melody is low but romantic though that does little to answer any of the questions this evening’s brought so far.

*****

Steve’s just finishing up the last of the paperwork when Bucky barrels into his office.

“She’s here, punk.” Bucky slams his door shut and gives Steve a thorough though quick once-over. “Is that what you call freshening up? I’m never going to win my money back from Sam if you keep this up.”

“Aren’t you slammed right now? What are you doing here?”

Bucky waves his hand in dismissal. “Everett’s got it for the next few minutes. I’m here to make sure you don’t mess this up a second time.”

Steve’s trying to follow his best friend. Really, he is.

Bucky just isn’t making much sense at this point.

“Mess what up? Buck—”

Another wave of Bucky’s hand has Steve going silent. Strong hands move his chair out of the way before he’s being tossed a garment bag.

“I had Nat pick this up before she clocked in. It should still fit, so hurry up and put it on. You can’t keep a beautiful woman waiting too long.”

Still not following but at least complying for the moment, Steve unzips the bag and finds a nice button-down shirt with what appear to be new pants. A suit jacket completes the look though he’s unsure why he needs such clothing.

“Nat’s got a good eye,” Bucky muses aloud as Steve pulls the ensemble from the bag. “That color will certainly impress her. Now, come on. We don’t have all night here.”

Rolling his eyes, Steve hurries to change his clothes.

If Bucky’s going to be like this, it’s easier to just go along and figure it out along the way. At least that’s been Steve’s experience every time Bucky’s been excited about something. It goes for everything from the latest technology to the ladies, and it’s been like this since the two became friends so many years ago.

The only time it really changed was the six months or so after they both discharged from the army. While they’d both seen combat, something happened to Bucky that he still refuses to discuss most days. Those were the hardest months of their friendship, but Steve refused to walk away, even when Bucky practically shoved him out the door a few times over.

Their eventual takeover of Bucky’s grandparents’ restaurant helped give them both a new direction and strengthened their friendship into something stronger than before they’d enlisted together.

His thoughts clear as he finishes putting on the shoes Bucky hands him, also in Steve’s size.

“Better?” Steve arches a brow at Bucky in question.

Another thorough once-over has Bucky reaching out and unbuttoning the top button of Steve’s shirt. A quick tug of the collar soon brings a grin to Bucky’s satisfied features. With a nod, he says, “Better. Let’s go win your girl, punk.”

*****

You aren’t left alone for long as Jake and Peter come into the room. While Jake’s carrying several items rather precariously, Peter follows him with flatware in their signature napkin wraps.

The fancy cloth’s colors have changed, you note, from a deep blue to a burgundy red. It’s a sign the steakhouse is gearing up for their fall season. Each season has its specific color as you learned from Nat some time ago. Something started by Bucky’s mom back when she and Bucky’s dad ran the restaurant.

“Hey, Pete, how’s school going?” you ask as the younger man moves out of Jake’s way.

Your gaze briefly leaves Peter’s face to take in the small crystal vase with a mini bouquet of seasonal flowers. Their signature glasses follow it on the table as well as everything else one might need at a steakhouse. The table soon overflows with all the items those in the main dining room have though the table itself is a bit too small to accommodate so much.

Peter pulls your attention back to him, saying, “I graduated a couple months ago. Classes at university aren’t bad though they’re not leaving me as much time to work as I’d like. Mr. Barnes and Mr. Rogers promoted me to server as my graduation gift. They say I earned it.”

“Oh, I have no doubt you did.” You grin at him, quite proud of him. “I’m sorry I missed it.”

“It’s okay.” Something in Peter’s voice tells you it’s not really, but he’s also not going to hold it against you.

Hoping to make amends for your absence in some way, you turn to Jake. “Well, maybe I can make it up to you if Jake here doesn’t mind sharing me with you tonight. I’d love to do something for such a momentous occasion, Peter. I know how hard you’ve worked through school and in school.”

Jake nods quite enthusiastically. “Not a problem with me. Nat might complain though.”

“No complaints from me,” Nat calls from the doorway, walking past with some plates from the kitchen. “He should be joining soon. Jensen. Parker, make sure he doesn’t screw this up again.”

“We’re not miracle workers,” Jake quips.

With that, Nat’s gone though you can make out her laughter down the hall.

Turning back to Jake and Peter, you ask, “Who is he? What is he not supposed to screw up?”

The two exchange a glance before Jake clears his throat and mumbles, “Boss Man.”

It might’ve been some time since you’d been at the restaurant, but you know Jake only calls one man that name in this place.

Steve.

You’re not sure what Steve has to do with you or why he’d be joining you. After all, you only made a reservation for yourself. The thought of someone else joining you hadn’t entered your mind.

Yet, you can’t say you don’t like the idea. You, in fact, really like it. It’s been something you’ve wanted for as long as you can remember and every time you’ve come here single. If only he had made a move, then maybe you might believe that he’s interested in you now. Nothing in the few years you’ve known him has hinted that he likes or liked you the way you like him.

Before you can get too far down that rabbit hole, another voice breaks the quiet of the room.

“There’s the most beautiful doll in the world.”

You smile as Bucky enters and pulls you from your seat for a hug.

“We’ve missed you around here. My kitchen staff has suffered dearly with your absence. Lost all their inspiration without your unique combinations.”

Shaking your head, you accept his kiss on your cheek and give him one in return.

“I’m sure you keep them on their toes plenty. It is nice to be back though. I’ve missed you all, too.”

Before he lets you go, he whispers, “If the punk is too dumb to shoot his shot, I just might if it means keeping you around. You light up this place in ways it hasn’t since my ma retired.”

Tears prick at your eyes, but you blink them back.

Leave it to Bucky and the others to make you feel so special even after such a long time being gone. It’s your sincerest hope to never stop coming here, not letting anyone keep you away from somewhere you’ve always felt welcome and wanted.

“You’re very cute,” you whisper back, “but you’re not really my type.”

He chuckles, not offended in the least. It’s not the first time you two have had this conversation. It probably won’t be the last, either, which suits you just fine.

At last, he releases you from his loose hold.

“I should get back to the kitchen. Don’t need Everett or the others to burn it down.”

You shake your head fondly. “Give Curtis more credit than that. He’s a wonderful sous chef, and you’re lucky to have him. I’m glad you took my thoughts to heart where he’s concerned.”

“How could I not? You’ve never led us astray before,” Bucky says, shooting you a wink and a farewell nod. His heavy footsteps can be heard on their way back to the kitchen where he’s always felt his most calm.

When your gaze follows Bucky’s path, it soon collides with the one person you’ve been hoping to see all day.

Your smile grows once more. It’s almost certain your cheeks will be sore in the morning from all the smiling you’ve done this evening. In a breath, you say his name.

“Hey, bijou,” he says, his voice low but warm.

You do your best not to fidget, to seek out any invisible wrinkles in your outfit.

It’s taking everything in you to keep your gaze locked with his even as you take in the navy-blue suit he’s wearing. No tie and the top button unbuttoned does something for him in ways you’re wholly unprepared for. This man is too handsome by half, and he doesn’t even know it. How fair is that to any poor woman who happens upon him?

At last, you find your voice. “You look handsome. Big date?”

He doesn’t get the chance to answer as Nat walks by again. She’s wearing a big smirk when she says, “If he’s not a complete idiot, it is.”

Your confusion isn’t lessening while Steve sends a look at Nat though he relaxes a bit, his voice almost amused. “Shouldn’t you be working?”

“Not only are my tables handled, boss, but I have time to make sure you win your lady.”

You don’t miss the way Nat’s gaze trails to you, her smirk intact, before she returns her attention to Steve.

“Don’t mess it up,” she says, moving away, “boss.”

The offended incredulity on Steve’s face has you fighting laughter. You’ve never seen him quite so put upon and by his staff, no less. It’s not like Bucky doesn’t tease him from time to time as you’ve witnessed. This is the first time though that the rest of the staff has joined in. You honestly can’t help wanting to laugh at the spectacle, even if you don’t quite get what they’re trying to do and what it has to do with you.

Steve seems to shake himself when his gaze finds yours. His throat clears before he finally says, “You are stunning, bijou. Special occasion?”

“Yeah. Celebrating me.” You can’t help the heat that rushes into your cheeks as you say the words. They’re so much easier to consider when you think them, but saying them aloud is something else entirely. You quickly add, “I also really missed this place.”

I missed you.

You manage to keep that thought from spilling out, leaving you open for rejection.

Eager to keep that thought from coming out, you glance around the sparsely decorated room. It’s clear this wasn’t a private dining area before, but no clue exists on what it was before the others must’ve hastily redecorated this space. For what purpose, you can’t say with any certainty.

Yet, there is a hope.

The room might not have much, but it does have enough to appear something cozy, something charming. Maybe a bit more mood lighting, then the others would succeed in whatever they were creating.

When your gaze finally returns to Steve, you swallow.

He remains in the doorway, but the look he has while watching you is something you’re not wholly prepared for. One corner of his mouth is curled upwards while his eyes are soft but focused solely on you. It’s almost like he hasn’t stopped looking at you as you take in the room. That’s a heady sensation indeed for you as you haven’t experienced that ever.

Not any of your exes. Especially not Brock. Not in the way Steve’s doing anyway.

There’s wonder and perhaps longing staring back at you.

It’s that look that compels you to ask, “Would like to join me? I mean, if you don’t have anywhere else to be.”

“I’d really like that if you’re sure you don’t mind,” he says, pushing off the doorway.

You shake your head. “I don’t mind.”

*****

Main Masterlist

#steve rogers #steve rogers x reader #x female reader #steve rogers fanfiction #shooting his shot #restaurant au #bucky barnes #natasha romanoff #jake jensen #peter parker #sam wilson #ari levinson #fluff #matchmaking

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sweetshelluvaau · 18 hours

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You know, at this point I'm wholeheartedly convinced that fanart/fanfiction/fan any content is what's keeping Hellaverse alive because when fan content has better writing and portrayals of these characters than the actual shows and canon themselves you kinda know you fucked up.

I'm not necessarily talking about fanon either, I've been writing within the Hellaverse RPC (roleplay community) here for almost a year now and seeing how people take these characters, deconstruct them and flesh them out with their own spin on things regardless if these are just small little add ons to already established lore or drastic changes, the share creativity coming from these writers and the muns I've befriended make me wish we had a show(s) that was made with as much love and care than those who do enjoy Hellaverse in some shape or form.

It also helps that half of that RPC is as critical and salty as I am. Birds of a feather flock together.

Don't get me wrong, the Hellaverse fandom as a whole is a cesspool of toxicity and horrible people, there are bad eggs within the RPC as well trust me, but one of the reasons why I am still in some of these spaces (critical and small groups with friends) is because I enjoy the creativity that comes out of those who do have passion and care for these shows and what they could have been suppose to what they ended up being...

Idk I feel like despite how cynical and jaded I've become and stopped watching Helluva Boss all together outside of the shorts that interest me, I like to look on the more positive parts of the fandom and community even how much the Stans and toxic fans extremely outnumber them...

#here goes sweets off her bullshit again #helluva boss critical #hazbin hotel critical #i'm just exhausted being so negative all the time and think about some of the good that HH/HB gave me #i was a fan which is why im so passionate with the direction and wasted proteineal these shows could have had

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kissesinthemist · 2 days

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Meadowlark Headcanons

• Kingsley stresses the group out but the person most effected by it is Cole. Perrine worries about it obviously but they are mostly used to their shenanigans and Clementine trusts that they will keep themselves safe (I also like to think that they join Kingsley with some of their shenanigans)

• Because of this, I think Cole can’t spend much time alone with Kingsley without feeling like their about to have a heart attack

• Clementine enjoys collecting ceramic figurines, specifically of animals like cats, ducks, etc. Additionally, I think it would like collecting tea sets (mainly from second hand stores since money can be tight sometimes)

• Perrine rarely lets their hair down. The only time they let their hair down is when they shower or bathe. The rest of the time they have it braided (they are very tender headed because of this)

• I think Clémentine would really enjoy scrapbooking. I can imagine them being the one to take pictures of the others while they hang out and it creating beautiful collages to forever immortalize the memories. It’s an activity they do alone most of the time since I don’t think the others would be all that interested in scrapbooking (Maybe Cole but idk)

• This isn’t really a headcanon but Kingsley reminds me of Louise Belcher from Bobs Burgers. Maybe not as intense as Louise but still, whenever I picture Kingsley in my mind and how they would act I basically picture Louise

• Perrine usually has dirty hands since they do most of the dirty work around the sanctuary. They also have tough calluses on its hands because of this

• Adding onto the previous headcanon, Clémentine sees their hands and offers to clean them for it. Perrine is hesitant at first but Clémentine forces them in the end. I think they would also paint Perrine’s nails but it chips off quickly due to all the work they do

• I’m not sure if parts of our history is canon in Meadowlark but Kingsley seems like the type of kid to really like dinosaurs. Not just a normal amount, I mean a complete dinosaur nerd. Tbh I think they’d like any type of reptile, it truly doesn’t matter to them

• Perrine doesn’t like insects. They aren’t exactly afraid of them but if one were to crawl on them they’d feel uneasy. However it would rather die than admit this to anyone

• Also, if an insect were to ever get into the sanctuary, Perrine would be the one to deal with it (Mainly because they want to seem tougher)

• Cole has the worst spice tolerance out of the group. They probably find too much pepper spicy

• I might be projecting on this one but Cole would probably enjoy panna cotta. It’s fairly plain with just a slight sweetness to it so it seems like something they would like. However, they would take it plain without much if any berry sauce

• Adding onto the Clémentine and Perrine nail headcanon, I think Clémentine would throw spa days sometimes for the whole group. Facial masks, pedicures, haircare, etc. However I’m not sure how much the others would enjoy it

• Cole probably doesn’t mind too much, they just like spending time with Clémentine. Perrine goes along with it but they don’t like spending the whole day doing nothing so they get antsy after a while. Kingsley.. idk they probably get bored and run off to do their own thing

That’s all I have for now. I plan on posting modern headcanons for the characters soon so stay tuned for that. Goodbye for now <3

#this is my first time posting headcanons #I felt so awkward doing it at first but after I started I couldn’t stop #yaelokre #meadowlark #cole yaelokre #clementine yaelokre #perrine yaelokre #kingsley yaelokre #the lark #meadowlark headcanons

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creatingblackcharacters · 8 hours

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Question: how do you feel about Black writers with Black OCs with traits that may fit certain stereotypes at first glance? For example, one of my OCs is a psychologist. She's intelligent enough to have 2 doctorates, and a gentle hearted therapist.

I'm worried because she might fall into the Mammy trope. Giving too much of herself to build others up. Part of the reason I made her with that specific profession is because I never see Black women in mental health. Definitely not in fiction and honestly? Barely IRL. We are nurses but never doctors. I'm not sure if my intent outweighs what may be on the surface.

What do you think?

[I love your blog and your work. I have had to look at my own OCs harder and I thank you for giving me the tools to question and better myself. ]

To your example: My good sis, I'm going to give you the same answer I give everyone else!

There's nothing wrong with your character off rip. I'm glad that you're writing that representation you want to see! You've already done some of the footwork here- recognizing that she gives too much of herself to lift others up! How do you as the writer treat that? Do you recognize that? Is it your intention that your readers say "hey, she sure does this a lot, is she going to care for herself?" Does your plot intend to address this within her and allow her to grow, which may mean letting others care for her, or putting some of that weight down on her own? Or do you treat her as though that's just Her Role and everyone else (usually white characters) benefits from that?

As for your first question, it honestly depends. I usually have more grace for the intentions of Black writers, mainly bc I expect that we are more aware of what we're writing about ourselves. For example, I can watch Menace II Society and go "ah! Okay. Yeah there are gang bangers here, but they are there to tell a specific story. This is not what the author thinks we all are, this is them telling about the world around them". Unfortunately I can't have that much grace off rip with nonblack writers.

That said, if something is a stereotype, it's gone be a stereotype regardless of who wrote it. Antiblackness is very often perpetuated by Black people who may have certain destructive beliefs about themselves. I think Soul Food is the most misogynoiristic films I've ever seen, and it's written and directed by a Black man 😅 So yeah, we can always take time to step back and look at how we can improve our own work.

#may george tillman jr rot in hell for how he did Terri #creatingblackcharacters #thatsjusttips

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cienie-isengardu · 2 days

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Khaos Reigns and the matter of Lin Kuei

Warning: rant not spoiler free!

I said it before and I will say it again: Netherrealm Studio does not utilize the plot of Lin Kuei brothers to its fullest potential. And by brothers I don’t just mean Bi-Han and Kuai Liang. Mind you, their Khaos Reigns’ strained relationship comes back to Mortal Kombat 1 (2023) mess, so it’s not that there is no sense in how they interact. I’m frustrated by it but my frustration is not directed at characters itself but at NRS that does all in their power to *not* give us the heartbreaking story of shattered brotherhood - and it says a lot that we have much more wholesome relationship between Bi-Han/Noob and Sektor or Kuai Liang and Cyrax than we have with brothers themselves.

This is however not the most frustrating thing about the Lin Kuei brothers plot for me but how the previous game established Smoke and Kuai Liang as the “true brothers” and then Khaos Reigns ignores Tomas even more than the last time. And let’s be honest here: last time Tomas already was shoved hardy to the background.

The thing about Khaos Reigns that killed the most my enthusiasm is not actually Bi-Han/Noob & Kuai Liang subplot (as frankly, I did except the worst), nor even how NRS handled Noob after “mending his mind”. I’m fully disappointed and absolutely frustrated how the new part of Liu Kang’s timeline is heavily centered at Lin Kuei and TOMAS IS NOT THERE AT ALL. Everyone, including Scorpion, totally ignore his existence during the meeting before the mission to Chaosrealm.

The scene I’m talking about went like this:

Kitana: Which is why you believe we need Sektor. Liu Kang: As Lin Kuei, she and Cyrax are trained for this type of mission. And they have the benefit of being with us, here. I can send them immediately, under Scorpion’s command -- Scorpion: I want neither’s help. I will go alone. Liu Kang: That would be unwise.

See? Not for the first time we hear that Lin Kuei were trained since childhood for that kind of mission, so Kuai Liang and Sektor are natural choice, sure, but no one even for a moment thought about including Tomas - whose BIO specifically said he “chose to make the Lin Kuei’s mission his own. But as he lacked his brothers' innate supernatural abilities, he set out to master practical magic. Having done so, he now joins them in Earthrealm's defense."

There is a reasonable excuse or two to leave him behind I can make out of my head within seconds. For example, as a backup plan if the mission has failed, so there is someone to command Shirai Ryu during battle. Or leaving Smoke behind to keep Harumi and/or their clan safe, as Scorpion can’t trust there won’t be another attack of Lin Kuei. But apparently even for a second it did not cross Kuai Liang’s mind to take Tomas - his trusted, loyal brother - with himself, as counterargument to taking Cyrax and Sektor on a deadly mission. That Kuai Liang did not trust his former comrades makes absolutely sense, but this is why Smoke’s presence could be a good preventive measure. Scorpion did not ever utter any wish to have Tomas there at his side. Instead, Kuai Liang wanted to go alone (a mindset actually shared with Bi-Han!) and we got the Lin Kuei storyline with Tomas BEING THE ONLY ONE (EX)LIN KUEI NOT INCLUDED AT ALL.

Remember when the fandom was so angry at Bi-Han for not considering Tomas to be true Lin Kuei ("Mind your place, Tomas. Father may have taken you in, made you one of us... but your blood will never be Lin Kuei.”)? One year later, this exact scene on one hand actually backs up Sub-Zero’s claim, as even Kuai Liang does not consider Tomas to have at his side in a dire situation and opting to go alone. Which is why NRS should in my opinion allow *any* character to excuse the lack of Smoke at Mileena’s palace or why Liu Kang couldn’t teleport him there to aid Scorpion in his mission.

On another hand, the Khaos Reigns is about Lin Kuei more than ever while Tomas has barely few speaking lines and is totally removed from Lin Kuei brotherhood storyline. This was the perfect opportunity to add Smoke into the main group and expand our understanding of the relationship and history of characters. And hey, Bi-Han and Tomas too were once brothers and it would be really nice, if their brotherhood got some focus too, instead of excluding Smoke from it completely. Which again, adds a new layer to how hypocritical Kuai Liang was in the first game, with all the declaration how he and Tomas may not share a blood but they were brothers, when Scorpion A) has never once(?) mention Smoke through the new storyline nor B) even for a moment considered how Bi-Han’s death - his choice to not save their brother - could affect Tomas who, as intro dialogues imply, wished Scorpion and Sub-Zero could reconcile. I understand why NRS put the focus on blood brothers, but it is the studio’s own choice to add Tomas to said brotherhood in the first place and by excluding him, they paint Scorpion as very self-centered and selfish man that is so focused on himself and his anger at Bi-Han, he literally gives no fucks about Tomas’ feelings on the matter. Which is… a surprising choice to say at least.

We literally could have all Lin Kuei main heroes interacting on the same mission. A chance that most likely won’t happen too soon, if ever again.

So, yeah, I’m disappointed in that regard, as Tomas and Bi-Han once again got the short end of the stick from all the available Lin Kuei characters. With the one difference that Bi-Han, whatever presented as a good or bad person, brings some weight and impact on the storyline and other heroes. Tomas though? He could be cut away and his absence would change literally nothing.

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rosakuma · 7 hours

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Possible Parallels to Ace/Nico and Arei/Eden? Spoilers for Ch. 2

Okay so with the next episode approaching us fast, I wanted to get out this post that is something that could connect to the case via the similarities between Arei and Eden with Ace and Nico. This is a mixture of character analysis and theory through the eyes of Culptrit Eden view.

Note: Just because there similarities doesn’t fully cement that Eden is the culprit + I’ll be giving an interpretation on some parts that could be a possible connection. So take this subjectively 😋

Let’s get to our big meanies! To start out, let’s compare two of the biggest jerks of DRDT’s cast, Ace and Arei.

When it comes to their role as a bully to their respective target, both are different while being similar to their approach. Ace and Arei verbally bullyies Nico and Eden with insults or assumptions on them.

When it comes to Ace, his insults and assumptions are based off his own insecurities and paranoia on how others see him. While we still don't know what causes him to feel this way, we can see how this affects others like Nico and also bites him in the back with everyone hating him because of this.

Nico being the victim of these outbursts affects them hard to take things too far due to Ace’s behavior to them reminding them of unsavory memories in their past. Nico seems to had moments similar to what Ace would do of yelling at them for saying something wrong bluntly(though to them, they don't mean it in a bad way) or getting at them for either “Wanting Pity” or “Can’t defend themselves “. Knowing how Nico’s identity of being nonbinary has cause bullies to come after them with throwing rocks/mud at them or being accused of trying to get attention in a derogatory way, this is why Ace’s accusations towards them trying to get pity got to them hard. Enough to commit murder as while I don't think Nico before the killing game tried to kill their dad or any of their peers/teachers, I do think this reflects that Nico wishes they had power over them or maybe thoughts of harming them just to get back at them. Being able to have that temporarily over Ace, it was probably the first time they were able to take action back to others who treated them awful just for who they are as a person.

Getting back to Ace. Ace is aware of this behavior being too much when it comes to his anger, but still goes ahead with it regardless. Even though deep down, he wishes he both was and wasn't the things he claims Nico is. That someone would save him from this situation of the killing game/his self sabotage behavior and care about him. But he also doesn't want to let his guard down with being in this scary situation and refuses to let anyone talk shit to him to his face. That's why it hurt so much when his projection of this person being Levi was shattered the moment Levi reveals he does not care about anyone, including Ace who could live or die for all he cares. This is just speculation, but with this chapter showcasing everyone’s flaws or hints that there’s more to them. I believe Ace in a way like Arei, probably went through something to cause his paranoia on everyone thinking that he’s hot headed idiot and the need to “fight back” to show he’s not weak either. That no one really cares about him except for one person(Taylor) who’s presumably dead now. If I had to guess, it could relate to his talent of being a jockey in perhaps the competition would get to his head and knowing he can’t fail(maybe perhaps thanks to his family whether to disappoint them or fail to support them). Resulting in the Ace we know today as the hot headed all bark, but no bite jockey who doesn't care that his body is failing him as who’s going to care? He only got himself and he can’t go out until he dies on his own terms. He truly lives up to his secret quote of “I don’t know what to do with myself anymore” as he cannot figure out if he wants to just isolate and hurt himself in the process or to let others in to help him out and change this harmful behavior of his.

Going onto Arei, her way of bullying Eden is more out of a mixture envy and concern for her. Before we knew Arei was her manipulative self who would fake being nice and cry during ch.1 before revealing herself and started insulting others. After Min’s death in ch.2 we see how her feelings about what happened cause to her act out in this chapter.

When Eden was searching for her to have her join her clock activitity with her and Teruko, Arei burst out in disgust about this invitation. Eden confused as Arei wanted to join last activity, gets hit with Arei blaming her for Min’s death. For pretending to be all sad about Min dying, before returning to her usually happy self. Telling her that acting this way and trying to do these “friendship” bonding activities is just going to cause more people to die. And it’ll will be all your fault.

This pushes Eden to tears and she runs away. To where we get in the conversation with Arei, David, and Teruko that she reveals her world view. That thanks to her sisters, her life been hell. That she used to be a nice person who tried being kind to others, but that kindness was only met by hate and manipulative jerks who take their sick kicks out on her because they had more power over her. Arei had no one who cared about her or show her kindness, only those who taught her its a dog eat dog world and you better get with it if you want to survive.

In a way, her bullying towards Eden unlike Ace’s towards Nico is because in her own way, she’s trying to help Eden. Eden probably reminds Arei of her old self that she had to disregard to survive during her childhood to adulthood. She doesn't wish any actually harm on Eden, she just wants Eden to not end up hurting like she did. But at the same time while not enjoying making Eden cry over this, she does feel something towards her. Envy

Arei feels envious towards how someone like Eden can exist. That she can be kind in this cruel world and no one takes advantage of her for it. That she can be this way and not experience any hell that Arei did despite not wanting to always be this way.

This makes me feel the connection between Ace and Arei. Both are envious towards their victims with what they have that they never gotten. Both Nico and Eden have people who cared about them and doesn't think of them being less than who they are. They can be themselves in this killing game with no one taking advantage of them(well until I guess the David reveal but nevermind that). While these two are trying to survive in a terrible situation with their own survival instincts they develop to survive in the world before this game. Although Arei before her death was trying to break out from this, to where she was given a hand from both Eden and David. Arei wanted to change even if she thought she was far too gone too. To be a good person like Eden and David. Even when getting her view of them shattered with David being a crappy person, she was glad as she’s not alone. Arei is thankful that there is no bad or good person, that she can change to be less shitty as there’s no impossible standards to live up to achieve it. Though Ace never got to get this as he had no David or Eden to reach out for him, to realize that he may be a shitty person like everyone else, but he could change his ways.

Now you’re probably wondering “Where does Eden come into all of this?” “How does this possibly connects to her being the culprit?” The thing is since both our bullies here have connections in similarities of how they treat their targets and how both murders are similar in how they’re done. What about the targets?

As we established with Nico earlier, Nico was driven to murder Ace because Ace reminded them of their past trauma right? What if Eden did the same to Arei because she reminded her of her past? Full speculation on possible Eden lore based off the little tidbits we know.

Now I don't think how Arei bullied Eden was the reason why Eden would plan to kill Arei her especially since they made up. Rather I think the reason why Eden killed her is because of when they made up. Remember, this is just speculation, so take this with a grain of salt.

I think with Eden’s secret being “Ever since you kissed her, you were afraid your sexuality would ruin your friendships” is connected to Arei’s friendship towards Eden. Whether this girl in the past was actually Arei maybe during their time at Hope’s Peak or someone else, I think when Arei promised to be Eden’s friend brought back memories to her. To someone who promised to be her friend, to protect her, to do stuff with her like baking dumb cakes, and to be someone she could rely on. We can tell with how that secret sounds, it might’ve ended badly for Eden’s crush on this girl who she felt like she ruined their friendship with.

When Arei promised to be this type of friend to Eden for now on, it caused Eden to think back to her and that Eden didn't want to be attached to someone like that again. It was already painful enough to lose that person because of who she was, she doesn't want to relive what happened to her. So she rather cut off what could’ve been a beautiful friendship that has the potential of becoming more just to prevent the hurt of losing someone like that again. With being inspired by Nico’s murder attempt, Eden was able to have the idea to have her plan in action.

Along with this, I think this could explain Eden’s behavior throughout this chapter with how strange she’s been acting about Arei’s death during the investigation to trial. She does clearly care about Arei and wanted to be her friend, but she doesn't want to be too attached to feel regret. Maybe if Arei’s words about Eden being sad about Min and then returning to her cheery self means anything, Eden is trying to do that with Arei of showing grief for a split second before trying to focus on “solving” the case to avoid feeling responsible to her death. Eden does regret doing the murder if she is the culprit as shown how she is so hurt about how she could’ve been friends with Arei, how Arei wanted to change to be a better person, and that she doesn’t want anyone to think any less of Arei that she willingly killed herself. But unlike Nico, who was able to finally speak up for themselves and admit their wrongdoings of almost committing murder, to acknowledge that they are not the victim in this situation. Eden is instead hiding and doing what she always done, rely on others to help her because she is too weak to do so. Her fatal flaw that prevents her from acknowledging that she did wrong and isn’t the ideal good person that Arei looked up to. Unbeknownst to her that Arei already knew Eden wasn’t perfect as she seemed to be.

Also it would make Charles’ conversation with Teruko in thinking that the secret he got(Eden’s) is actually important to the case as tragic but also kinda funny foreshadowing.

Essentially to boil down the connections between both parties in a nutshell:

The bullies are individuals who went through a tough life that formed their way of survival and takes it out on those who they perceived weaker than them.

The targets have to rely on others to protect them or fight their battles(Nico doesn’t do this on purpose as Hu defends them whether they want her or not, but still it happens).

The murders done to the bullies were because the targets were reminded of their past, which pushed them to commit murder.

The murder method are the same with the pulley method and making it seem like a suicide.

The target’s secrets are related to their identity(Eden being a lesbian and Nico being nonbinary) With all of this being said, I think this is the best way I can come up with how Culprit Eden could work motive wise as one of the many reasons why people believe that she couldn’t be the murder is because of no motive we can think that makes sense for her to kill her new friend. Because to be honest I do believe that Eden is the culprit based off the evidence against her with most of the things(the tape, learning the method, the note, the clothes) connecting more to her than Ace. But only reason why I’m still not 100% sure in her being the culprit is the motive. But now if this is true, then this can cement that Eden Tobisa, the ulitmate clockmaker, is the murder of Arei Nageishi!

Anyways, this case can go either way and I just know we’re all going to be destroyed this Friday when the episode airs. One of our gays is going to be buried and there’s nothing we can do about it 🥲

#danganronpa despair time #drdt #drdt spoilers #drdt eden #drdt ace #eden tobisa #ace markey #drdt arei #arei nageishi #drdt nico #nico hakobyan

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luna-azzurra · 3 days

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Do you have any tips for writing a character who hates their appearance? Like say this character has the ability to look like a normal human but their non-human form is quote on quote "ugly/hideous" (The creature's related to the character have the same issue/The self-hatred is taught by the elders and/or parents from the society the creature belongs to.)

"Conceal it, don't feel it, don't let it show" kind of thing. And the parents/elders aren't mean about it, they just know their real appearance isn't appealing.

Human appearance = Confidence, more self-acceptance, more self-love, etc.

Your character could feel stuck between these two identities, on one side, they’ve got their non-human form that’s been labeled as “ugly” or “hideous,” and on the other side, they have their human form, which is praised and makes them feel confident, even if it’s not their real self. It’s like a mask they wear to feel better about themselves, but deep down, there’s still this lingering feeling of “I’m not good enough as I am.”

You can show how this affects their self-esteem and mental state. Every time they look human, they feel a little bit stronger, a little more accepted, but it’s not really them. Maybe they start to rely on the human form so much that they feel lost without it, like they don’t know how to be themselves anymore. That confidence they get when they look human? It’s a bit fake, like wearing an outfit that makes you feel good for a while, but you know once you take it off, all the insecurities come rushing back.

They want to accept their real form, but every time they look at themselves, all they can hear are the voices from their parents and society telling them they’re not good enough, that they need to hide this part of themselves. You can show moments where they’re afraid to let anyone see their true form, even people they care about. They fear rejection, judgment, or that people will think they’re as hideous as they’ve been told their whole life. But, over time, maybe they start to question these ideas. Maybe someone in their life (a friend, a love interest, or even themselves) shows them that their real form isn’t as bad as they’ve been taught to believe. You could even explore little moments where they realize they don’t hate certain parts of their non-human self as much as they thought they did. It’s a slow, difficult process of learning to accept themselves, and it won’t be a quick fix. They might still struggle with the urge to hide behind their human form, but eventually, they start to see that their real self isn’t something they need to conceal or be ashamed of.

Example / The Mirror Scene

The bathroom mirror was fogged up from the hot water, but they could still see the outline of their face. Human face. The one that made them feel like they belonged. A quick wipe of the glass revealed familiar features: smooth skin, symmetrical eyes, a nose that didn’t make anyone flinch. A face they didn’t have to hide.

For a second, they almost smiled. Almost. This face was easier, so much easier, than the real one. The one they kept buried beneath layers of “normal.” With a shaky breath, they glanced at the door, locked, thankfully. No one could see them here. It was safe. It was just them and the mirror. But safety wasn’t comfort, not when the thing they feared most was their own reflection.

The familiar sensation of their skin shifting began, like a wave of pins and needles. Slowly, painfully, the human features faded, replaced by the reality underneath. Their jawline thickened, rough, uneven skin stretching across sharp ridges. The soft eyes they’d once admired in the mirror were now wide and strange, glowing faintly in the dim light.

They hated it. They hated that every time they looked like this, all they could hear was their mom’s voice, calm but full of pity. “You’ll feel better if you just stay in human form. It’s easier.”

Easier. Sure. Except it wasn’t them.

They leaned closer to the mirror, inspecting their real face. “Hideous,” they whispered, like they could get ahead of the insult before someone else could throw it at them. The word hung in the air, suffocating, familiar. They’d heard it a thousand times, from elders, parents, even their friends when they didn’t think anyone was listening.

#writing #writer on tumblr #writerscommunity #writing tips #character development #writing advice #oc character #writing help #writer tumblr #writblr #creating ocs #creative writing #creature

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fanfic-writer-and-rambler · 11 hours

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Stephanie, Tim and Bart Allen sit in the Justice League headquarters break room.

Stephanie (lamenting): B says I am not allowed to step foot at the wedding and I'm totally cool with that. One issue though... I want to go.

Tim: You have to support your rival.

Stephanie kicks Tim under the table.

Tim (rubbing his leg): Worth it.

Stephanie: No, prick. There will be tons of villains attending. I can go there, let them get married, take other villains and then won't be known as his rival! It's brilliant!

Tim and Bart: How?

Stephanie: It just is!

Tim: There's a lot of holes in your plan, but I'm not going with you, so I wish you luck.

Stephanie (left eye twitching): Why the flip is did I have to get him as my rival? He's such an annoyance. I feel like Word Girl with the Butcher.

Bart: Great show.

Stephanie: Totally, but doesn't help me.

Bart: I tuned out, who is your rival?

Stephanie groans, rubbing her forehead.

Tim (answering for her): Kite-Man.

Bart (fast talking): Wait, the kite man, the one who's marrying Lisa Snart?!

Stephanie (sighing in defeat): Yes and- Lisa Snart?

Bart (relaying the information he remembered about her quickly): Lisa Snart, villain name Golden Glider. Marrying Charles Brown. They see themselves as the number one villain couple, when people like me see them as incredibly annoying. I get what you're putting down.

Tim: Her name is Lisa Snart?

Stephanie (realizing how Bart knows this information): Ooooooo!

Tim (focusing on Kite Man government name): His name is Charlie Brown?

Bart: Pretty much. They- Steph, why are you looking at me like that?

Stephanie: You're Golden Glider's rival!

She jumps to her feet and points at Bart like an ace attorney character. Tim checks if he finished his coffee.

Bart (his voice returning to a normal speed): What? What? No. No. I researched them out of curiosity. That is how I know Golden Glider and her powers and her voice and that she can sing soprano and that she won't leave me alone!

Tim takes a sip from his iced coffee letting Stephanie continue.

Stephanie: She's had small talk with you at random?

Bart: Yeah.

Stephanie: She asked for advice on something mundane?

Bart: I mean she needed help with the correct flowers.

Stephanie: She talked to you before being locked up with the expectation that you would meet again but not in an "evil way" and more in a "I can't wait to see you type of way"?!

Bart, for the first time in a long time, goes silent.

Tim: I'm going to get a refill.

Tim goes to the coffee maker knowing he's not involved in this conversation and only wanted more coffee. Stephanie crosses her arms with a smirk.

Stephanie: Looks like I won't be attending the wedding with only Cass.

Bart (dejected): Please don't tell anyone she's my rival... Or that she says rival.

Stephanie: You don't tell B I'm going to the wedding for... Reconnaissance and I won't tell your grandpa that you're going.

Stephanie holds out her hand.

Bart: Deal.

Bart shakes her hand.

Stephanie: Make sure your super suit is clean.

Stephanie leaves and Bart slams his head on the table, embarrassed.

@playstation2345 thank you for the suggestion. Here's the next part.

#batfamily #batfamily chronicles #batman #batfamily shenanigans #tim drake #batfamily headcanons #stephanie brown is a menace #stephanie brown #the batfamily #kite man is just in her rogues gallery #dc impulse #bart allen #part of a series #batfamily fanfiction

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maelancoli · 1 day

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PADDING OUT DIALOGUE SCENES

in another round of very unprompted writing advice i thought i figured i'd share my two cents when it comes to the topic of struggling to fill out conservational scenes. another thing i see a LOT of lately is a general fretting among writers who find that dialogue comes easily to them but the rest is a struggle. for me it's often been the opposite, i had to work at honing the talking part but description? i've always done a little too much tbqh. but funny enough the solution for both is not disconnected.

a lot of it will come down to knowing your character. what are their ticks? what are their filler words? are they bold and expressive when they're speaking? or are they withdrawn and shy? deciding the behavioral quirks of your character will improve your instincts when trying to be more descriptive. do they fidget with their clothes? do they pick up objects and toy with them? do they fold their arms around themselves or have other defensive posture? where do their eyes go when they speak? do they look around a lot? do they have an intense, unwavering gaze? do they zone out to look at other objects? what are they looking at when they do look away to think or listen? (this is also where having a faceclaim to build characteristics and mannerisms around can be helpful, not just in rp settings but any kind of fiction.)

"i guess...i don't really know how i'm supposed to feel about it," he admitted.

okay so we already have information here to expound on. the character is uncertain and conflicted. how would that effect their demeanor outwardly?

"i guess..." he trailed off with a sigh. he shook his head and his gaze grew unfocused, wandering away from his companion to stare blankly at a clock on the mantelpiece. his index finger tapped lightly at his knee. "i don't know how i'm supposed to feel about it, ya' know?" amir admitted with a shrug. he finally looked at the other man again, but there was a vulnerability which brought a sheepish shadow to his tumultuous gaze.

we've shown he is pensive with a wandering eye and that he's a little uncomfortable with his nervous tick of tapping. the next step is to consider the inner workings of their PoV. what does the scene itself call for them to be doing and thinking between lines? what does the emotion and tension of the scene—or even the comfort and familiarity of it—reflect inside them?

"you don't have to know right now," malik pointed out. he lifted his hands from where they had rested on the surface of the table to turn his palms outward, leaning in closer. "it's okay not to know." they held one another's gaze for a silent moment. amir's lips pressed together and he swallowed down the lump which had formed in his throat. he was not an emotional man. he had always prided himself on his restraint. but it was all beginning to be too much and the empathy in his friend's eyes was only another weight upon his already bowed shoulders. "...maybe you're right," he mumbled thoughtfully.

here we have shown his friend's gesture, adding more presence to the environment around them. and then we have given a little space for the character to feel. we have given a little information about who he is, or at least how he thinks about himself. by bringing his eyes back to his companion we have shown he is opening up, he is actually leaning into the intimacy of comfort and listening. but the mumble shows he is still not confident in admitting the need for help. it shows he has not even accepted fully the grace he's being given.

it isn't just what a character is saying, it's how they're saying it. it's how they're carrying themselves. it's how they're receiving the other characters' words. and showing how they're carrying themselves along with their inner feelings will also help show what is driving their dialogue. it will create a contrast if they're not being a reliable narrator, if they're contradicting or if they're withholding etc.

taking time and being patient with yourself to expound upon these things and to develop your character will make them more real. the more you practice and get to know them, the more instinctive and natural it will become!

#writing advice #writing tips #on writing #creative writing #rp tips #writing process #writing #writers #how to write #writing tools #writing help #writing resources

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waywardrose · 2 days

Text

TO BRING YOU MY LOVE

star wars | kylo ren x reader | rated e | 9.4k

fem!reader, vampire!kylo, modern au, dracula inspired, dub con, predator/prey, kidnapping with restraints, derogatory language (not from kylo), guns, violence, blood and blood drinking, minor-character death, semi-public sex, historical inaccuracies

This fic fills multiple prompts (from sweet anons and the fabulous @thorfemmes) for vamp!Kylo, from his backstory to Reader affecting him to the possibility of Reader becoming a vampire. Thank you all for requesting! I hope you're still around. In case you need a refresher, the previous parts of Me and the Devil are here, here, here, here, and here. (Why don't tags work anymore? 😩) This fic can be read as a stand-alone, though! Title from "To Bring You My Love" by PJ Harvey.

“Biker gang? Pfft!” said your boss Vic in reply to a bar patron.

The agitated patron continued, describing a group of bikers led by a dark-haired man with a scar bisecting his face.

You suppressed a shudder as you mixed a simple cocktail. That sounded too familiar.

You’d begun working at Vic’s bar a few weeks ago. It was an easy job. Vic was gruff yet kind. They’d shown you around when they learned you’d just moved to the city. They even invited you home for dinner, where you’d met their sweet wife and dopey Pomeranian.

After a moment of contemplation, Vic said, “A scar…”

With a dismissive shake of their head and a frown, they poured the patron a double.

When all the patrons were distracted, Vic took you by the shoulder and steered you into the dim storeroom.

“If I’m right, and I hope to hell I’m not, that gang sounds like the Knights of Ren.” You stiffened at the name, but Vic didn’t appear to notice. “They haven’t been around here in years, but they’re dangerous. You keep your head down, got it?”

You nodded as if you didn’t know exactly who Vic was talking about.

“Why would they be back…?” Vic asked more to themselves than you. “Fuck if it matters. We’re closing early for the rest of the week. Ain’t no one living it up while they’re here.”

In a caring tone you hadn’t heard from anyone in months, they said, “Anyone hollers at you, you ignore them. Just keep walking, yeah?”

You nodded again, though you doubted ignoring catcalls would save you.

Vic walked you back to the bar and told you to polish the clean wine glasses.

With numb hands, you carefully buffed water spots from each glass and slid them in the rack above the bar.

The next evening, Vic’s wife called. She never called, so it must’ve been important. Vic rushed out with only an offer to return to help close. You’d assured them you could handle it.

Just as Vic predicted, there hadn’t been many patrons. One of the last — a regular — expressed his disgust for the way everyone was pussyfooting around at night. He didn’t think the sun was going to stop the Knights of Ren from striking.

Oh, little did he know…

As the regular swirled the last of his bourbon, he said, “If they’re out there, no lock’ll keep them out if they want in.”

You politely agreed with a hum. No lock could keep Kylo away.

You didn’t know how you’d make it to your place if the Knights of Ren really were out there.

“Thanks for listening, kiddo,” the regular said before knocking back the rest of his drink and standing. “You watch out, though, pretty thing like you.”

He left a generous tip.

Closing went quickly after that. You clicked off the neon signs in the window, wiped down the bar and tables, mopped the floor, and pushed in the chairs. After shuttering the bar’s front, you snapped the tarnished padlock closed as quietly as possible. It clunked against the latch just as something glinted at the corner of your vision.

The hairs at the back of your neck rose. Your heart leapt into your throat.

You bolted.

You didn’t dare look back. It would’ve only slowed you down. You didn’t want to see a flash of red eyes and black hair, either. That would’ve paralyzed you. And you needed to run. You needed to run as fast as your legs could carry you—

Though you knew you couldn’t win — not against someone like Kylo.

No. No, no, no.

You couldn’t think like that. You’d gotten away before. You’d do it again. It didn’t matter how he kept finding you.

With a pause, you scanned the unremarkable street. You were far from the bar now. You propped yourself with a palm against gritty breeze block. Your thighs ached and lungs burned, all the more obvious now that you’d stopped running. You panted, throat desert-dry and mouth sticky. Tilting your head back, you tried to catch your breath.

The inky sky was as empty as the streets.

And you didn’t know where you were anymore.

You bit your lip and silently berated yourself for not paying attention as you ran. It was especially foolish considering you hadn’t been in the city for long. Unfamiliar streets looked more so in the dark. Questions dropped from your mind to settle heavy in your gut.

Where could you go now?

Your place wasn’t safe.

Who could you ask for help?

You didn’t want to put anyone in danger. No one would help a stranger at this time of night, anyway. Especially not when the Knights of Ren had been seen prowling.

Did Kylo know you were here?

He had to have sensed you. Your blood called to him. It must be the reason they were here.

A soft shuffle behind you threw you into action. You dashed down the street, away from the noise, away from the Knights of Ren. Surroundings blurred. Streetlights punctuated the dark. Your ragged breathing drowned out all other sounds.

You turned right, then left, then another right.

Before long, you had to slow. Your legs nearly gave out. You felt like you were running in circles. Everything remained unfamiliar, yet a sense of déjà vu remained. That storefront looked similar to one a few blocks back. Same with the pile of leaking garbage bags at the curb.

Or were they new?

You skidded to a stop by an unlit alley and braced yourself with hands on your knees.

You were alone. Not even a rat skittered. You slumped against the nearest building. A bead of sweat trickled above your eyebrow.

Whispering a curse, you wiped it away and inhaled lungfuls of air.

“You made this game quite easy.”

You froze. That oh-so familiar voice came from the alley.

“It’s like you want me to catch you, sweetness.”

As if made from the misty shadows themselves, Kylo’s silhouette manifested at the edge of a cone of streetlight. He leaned a shoulder on the nearby wall, insouciant.

Fear, like jagged ice, kept you immobile. The connection you had with him yanked at your breastbone. You grappled with the lure of stepping closer.

“You must be exhausted.”

You staggered away, feet nearly tripping over each other in your haste. The cracked concrete went indistinct as you turned to sprint. Arms like iron wrapped around your middle and pulled you into the alley. You stiffened, though you knew better.

A victim was supposed to go limp. It made an attacker work harder.

You squirmed between stiff and limp, kicking your feet. You drew yourself up to scream. A huge hand — warm, he’d just fed — covered your mouth.

Your muffled cries fell on a deaf city.

He tutted. “None of that.”

You couldn’t stop. There was a chance to get away. If only you could loosen his hold. You clawed at the arm around your waist. No tugging or scratching earned you freedom.

Blood-scented breath ghosted over your neck. A nose nuzzled into your hair. Soft lips brushed the shell of your ear.

Kylo breathed, “I have missed you.”

You paused at his sincerity, eyes closing.

No, you couldn’t give in.

You pulled at the hand covering your mouth. When it didn’t move, you slapped it. He let his hand drift to your shoulder, but not before his fingertips caressed your lips. You wanted to spit the feeling off.

“Did you miss me?” he asked.

You hissed, “No,” and elbowed him in the ribs. “No.”

He tutted again. “You wound me,” he said, though he hardly sounded hurt.

He tucked his firm body against yours off-center and placed a tender kiss on your neck.

A shiver rolled through you, bringing with it memories of pleasure and promises.

“Stop it! Lemme go!”

“Back to that?” He sighed. “After all we’ve been through?”

Tears pricked your eyes.

“I don’t want to hurt you, my sweet.” His hand slid to your throat, making you stretch and inhale. “Yet every time you flee.” His grip tightened and voice hardened. “Every time you seek my wrath.” He canted your chin to expose your jugular. “And every time you lock horns with me, it’s others who get hurt.”

You’d caused someone to suffer. Or maybe die this time.

“Don’t fret. It was quick,” he said. “They didn’t have time to scream.”

Vic. That was what their wife’s call must’ve been about.

You squeezed your eyes shut. A delicate tear rolled into your ear.

You’d killed them. You hadn’t meant to choose them, but you had. By keeping their company, you’d sicced Kylo on them. You knew what he was capable of. You realized it years ago. He’d killed so many.

Your gut twisted.

Your voice cracked as you asked, “Why?” You shook your head as much as you were able. “I don’t— I never wanted—” You swallowed around a dry throat. “Fuck, why?”

Why me? Why do you want me? Why do you care? Why don’t you kill me already?

Kylo’s hold loosened. His hand traveled to splay across your upper chest.

“I want to give you everything. All of me.”

His hand disappeared, and two fingers guided your chin to the side. You complied and opened your eyes.

“Anything you want. Just stay by my side.”

You studied his dark pupils rimmed in red, seeing his hunger and ruthlessness and loneliness. None of that had been apparent when he’d barged into your life.

“Just give me your heart.”

“I don’t want—”

He cut off your protest with a kiss.

You hadn’t protested at the start. It felt good to be desired by a dreadful monster like him. He’d opened himself, answered every question.

He’d told you about his mortal life. His mother Leia Skywalker had been part of the dvoryanstvo — Russian nobility. She’d run away to the United Colonies, where she’d fallen in love with some reprobate. Being a proper lady, she’d married him, bedded him, and proceeded to get with child. Leia ran home when colonial life no longer suited her. She’d had her child — a son: him — during the crossing.

Since Leia was married, and Kylo not a bastard, they were welcomed at court. The reprobate soon followed. The tsarina found the Amidala-Skywalker and now -Solo clan quite the curiosity. The tsar enjoyed Solo’s hunting skills.

Kylo said he remembered standing with his grandmother and mother to watch the gilded debutantes being presented at court. His grandmother whispered innocent gossip to him between introductions. His mother appeared to ignore them, but she listened just the same.

On a snowy evening mid-season, Armitage Hux, a distant cousin of the tsar, returned from the west. Accompanying him was a peculiar Dr. Snoke. The tsarina was captivated by Dr. Snoke as though spellbound. She favored Dr. Snoke, going so far as to appoint him court physician.

Armitage took to strutting about every dinner and ball. He was obsessed with Dr. Snoke’s scientific experiments, discussing results in esoteric terms. He collected blood from the hares, foxes, and deer during hunting excursions. At first, Kylo assumed like everyone else it was for these experiments.

Then he found Armitage in Dr. Snoke’s laboratory with bloodstained lips, a beaker of fresh blood in his hand. In a frenzy, Armitage explained that blood wasn’t only a humor. It was the source of life.

You’d stopped him to ask why he’d been visiting Dr. Snoke’s lab. Kylo replied Dr. Snoke had wanted him to read a few books from his private collection. Dr. Snoke promised more knowledge than the tutors his mother hired. Naturally, Kylo had been intrigued.

Intrigued enough not to run from the laboratory.

Armitage showed Kylo a chart of his own making on the distillation of power — “a force connecting everything” — through the blood, from feeble insect to apex predator. Armitage was certain one could accumulate this power by devouring the essence of weaker creatures.

Kylo understood the logic, yet something about how Armitage explained it troubled him. With that reasoning, the most potent essence would be from their fellow man. That sounded taboo.

When he next saw Dr. Snoke, he mentioned Armitage’s alarming hypothesis. Displeasure flashed across Dr. Snoke’s face. Kylo thought he’d made a mistake by broaching the topic. However, Dr. Snoke explained he’d been putting off that lesson until Kylo had more scientific understanding.

In his arrogance, Kylo insisted he could grasp any lesson Dr. Snoke wished to teach.

He thought privately Armitage, who everyone knew to be a bastard, wouldn’t best him. It hardly mattered how many lies his father Brendol spouted. Brendol Hux hid some misfortune for the crown and used that fact to force his family upon the rest of the court.

Dr. Snoke promised Kylo wisdom beyond anything he’d been exposed to thus far. He asked when, and Dr. Snoke offered him an apprenticeship. Dr. Snoke would be journeying west once more in the spring. Kylo could join him.

His mother forbade it. She attempted to lure him into staying by introducing him to any debutante who would indulge her. She bargained. She cajoled. She bribed. When she remained unsuccessful, she turned their whole family against him. Their objections were all they’d discuss with him.

Towards the end of March, the ice broke on the river, and the snow started to melt. He left his family home in the small hours of the night. He met Dr. Snoke and Armitage at the harbor and boarded a ship headed for France.

At every port along the way, Dr. Snoke disappeared while Kylo and Armitage dined. He asked Armitage if he knew where Dr. Snoke went, but Armitage lied when he said he didn’t. Apprehension kept Kylo from asking Dr. Snoke directly.

Kylo said he realized much later he had asked Snoke, but Snoke made him forget.

In Gothenburg, he gathered the courage to follow Dr. Snoke. He feigned a sour stomach to avoid dinner. The sun had just fallen below the horizon. Townspeople lit their outdoor lanterns. None appeared to notice Dr. Snoke trekking through the streets, which seemed improbable since the doctor was exceptionally tall and dressed in foreign garb.

Dr. Snoke turned down a side street as if he were familiar with the city. Kylo waited at the corner to observe Dr. Snoke halt at an open gate. Dr. Snoke’s demeanor went from innocent visitor to ravening fiend in the blink of an eye. His shoulders hunched. His hands became claws. His shaved head suddenly reminded Kylo of a vulture.

Dr. Snoke darted through the gate. Kylo expected to hear the scuffling of feet or a scream, but there was only silence.

Kylo ran to the gate to find no one. He turned first to where he’d come from, then down the street. Both sides were deserted. He didn’t understand. No one simply disappeared.

He took a step forward to investigate. The lifeless body of a girl hit the stones before he could take another. Her dark braids wreathed the splatter of gore. Her joints bent at wrong angles. He stumbled backwards, heel catching. Strong hands caught his shoulders and spun him.

He found himself staring into the red, hypnotic eyes of Dr. Snoke.

“I see you couldn’t stay on the ship,” said Dr. Snoke, who tilted his head like a great hunting cat.

Kylo saw his fangs for the first time.

“And now you wonder if Armitage has known all along.”

Which was true.

“He has,” Dr. Snoke said, sliding his hands to Kylo’s neck and turning down the collar of his overcoat. “So, tell me, are you in danger?”

Tears welled in Kylo’s eyes as he whispered, “I’ve always been in danger.”

“Too right.”

Dr. Snoke struck then. His sharp teeth pierced Kylo’s jugular and drank deep. Kylo felt the sinful pull in his groin. Despite that, he shoved at Dr. Snoke’s chest. It was as though he’d lost his strength. He felt like a pup taking on a bear.

He opened his mouth to protest, though no sound came.

Dr. Snoke held him tight, pressed him to the nearest brick wall, and ground between his legs. Kylo’s gorge rose, but his body didn’t have the strength to heave.

He knew he was dying. Dr. Snoke was killing him. Dr. Snoke would use him until there’d be no more. A spark of anger flared in his gut. He balled his hands into fists and struck Dr. Snoke. His furious heart hammered behind his ribs. This wasn’t supposed to be his death. He wouldn’t end here.

He croaked broken words, groaning at the effort.

Dr. Snoke withdrew with a chuckle, blood trickling down his chin.

“Such resolve! Such strength!” He grasped Kylo’s chin. “You think you have the stamina, Young Solo?”

This was what Armitage had spoken of. There was power in the blood. Dr. Snoke had discovered a way to harness it. He had kept the truth behind Armitage’s collecting blood and his own scientific experiments hidden. They’d lied to him.

Kylo snarled.

Lovingly, Dr. Snoke said, “Beautiful beast,” and smiled, bloody teeth flashing.

Dr. Snoke unsheathed his blade and slit his own wrist. Blood, dark like a desiccated rose, oozed from the cut. The scent of it familiar and ancient.

He watched his hands bring the wound to his mouth. Blood smeared over his bottom lip and poured into his mouth like scalding rain. He dissolved into unknown pleasure, torn apart as if ravaged. He was destroyed and built anew with Dr. Snoke’s blood.

He experienced everything at that moment: the metal taste on his tongue, the hint of spring in the air, the way their hearts synchronized for a second, the emptiness of his veins, the magic in the blood permeating every fiber of his being.

It happened so quickly it was dizzying. It was a taste, then a fact.

The infinite stretched out before him, all possibilities spread like the fan of playing cards on a table.

He’d told you Dr. Snoke became simply Snoke and Armitage had been satisfied as an unaging thrall. When you’d asked what happened to Snoke and Armitage, Kylo replied he didn’t know. He’d escaped Snoke’s clutches decades earlier.

He’d said how grateful he was to have found you: a comfort like he’d never known. His eyes had been so warm.

Yet his eyes weren’t warm when he’d caught you.

You pushed at him, but Kylo’s grip was unyielding. Your protests only inspired him to strengthen his hold. He gripped your jaw to open your mouth. You mewled as he teased your tongue with his own. It knocked the breath from your lungs, as it always did.

The hard length of his cock against your hip made you shiver. Maybe shudder. You wanted him, yet you shouldn’t. He was terrifying, yet putty in your hands. He was a killer, yet wanted to be your weapon.

Gentle fingers crawled under the loose hem of your shirt, brushing the skin above your waistband. His arm tensed. He was going to tear you open, claw at your tender belly.

You thrashed to get away before he could.

Kylo broke the kiss and tightened his hold on your jaw.

“Stop this, or I’ll give you a fucking you can’t walk away from.”

Your breath seized. He meant— He wouldn’t— Oh God, yes, he would. He would force his cock in your ass and drink your blood until you passed out. While he’d never done that to you, he’d done it to one of Armitage’s lackeys. He’d said it was for a transgression.

You’d gone beyond a simple transgression. You’d been running from Kylo for over two years.

“Kylo, please,” you said as your vision blurred with tears. “Please, just let me go.”

You knew he wouldn’t.

He pulled away.

You teetered from a lack of support and weakened legs. He caught your upper arm and shoved you against the wall. You braced yourself on bent arms. The bricks’ texture caught at your shirt and palms. The scent of wet stone and musty mildew invaded your nose.

He cradled your hips and asked, “Let you go…?”

His lips caressed your neck, dragging up your skin. You wanted to flinch from his touch, but he moved down until his forehead rested on your shoulder.

“How many times must we go through this? This game of cat-and-mouse?”

A hand slid up your side and rounded your ribs to cup a breast. You closed your eyes as a frisson of pleasure had your nipple tightening.

“How many people must I go through for you to see we can’t be separated?”

He squeezed your breast just this side of too harsh. You bit your lip. His other hand wended around your waist.

“How many times do I need to fuck you for that to sink in, hm? Surely by now you understand your place.”

He released your breast to tug at the button of your jeans.

Your eyes flew open as you pushed at his hand.

“Kylo, no.”

“Yes,” he hissed. “You need to accept it.”

He undid your jeans and spread the fly.

You realized you’d been a fool to think you could get away. You’d been a fool to believe he wasn’t still Snoke’s, that your love alone would change his heart.

You batted at his forearms, then gripped his wrists. He didn’t budge at your scrabbling hands. He barely reacted to them. Instead, he brushed his lips against the side of your neck.

You stiffened, anticipating the bite of fangs.

“I can’t, I can’t— Kylo, I don’t— I never wanted—”

You’d only wanted the person behind the monster.

It was a tragedy they were one and the same.

Kylo stilled, his lips a scant centimeter from your skin.

You stilled. Your words had been a mistake. Just like leaving him behind had been a mistake. And the most egregious mistake: getting involved with him in the first place.

Despite that being true, Kylo was correct about never wanting to hurt you. He never had. He could and had hurt others, but never you. He’d bitten you, drank your blood, gripped your hips hard when he took you.

But he didn’t hurt you.

In fact, he made you feel good. He made you writhe and moan with blinding, white-hot pleasure. Your mind went blank when he thrust his thick, monstrous cock into you. That might be worse than any fist or fang. Pain you could get over, but pleasure not as easily.

He whispered, “I think you need a reminder of where you belong, sweetness.”

Those words reverberated you into the past. That night had been like this one: quiet, starless, and calm. Until it wasn’t.

The world had tilted on its axis when someone threw you into an SUV while you’d been checking your mailbox after work. Terror choked off your screams before they even gagged you. Rope looped around your wrists and ankles tight enough to bruise.

A long-fingered hand seized your chin and made you meet blue eyes as the vehicle started moving. The man would’ve been handsome with his angular face and long ginger hair if not for the contemptuous sneer marring his full lips. His gray suit was Savile Row crisp, and his black Chelsea boots gleamed in the overhead light.

“Ren’s precious little blood-whore,” he spat and threw your head to the side, where it bounced against the back of the bench seat.

“You sure about this?” the driver asked.

“He will capitulate for this one. Snoke foresaw it.”

At the name “Snoke,” you wiggled away until your back hit the door. Your kidnapper appeared bored and pulled a pistol from his jacket. He braced his arm between the seat and his chest to aim at your face.

You looked from the steady pistol to his face and back again.

“Listen well, you stupid slut,” he said. “You are in no position to escape. You chose this the moment you let that fool into your life.”

You wanted to protest that you hadn’t let Kylo into your life. He’d slithered in on his own.

A tiny voice replied, And you let him stay.

You had. You’d done nothing to stop him, even after it was apparent what a monster Kylo could be.

You’d curled into the corner to stare out the SUV’s tinted windows. They’d tied the knots at the back of your hands, so you couldn’t reach them. You certainly wouldn’t dare bring them to your mouth to work them open with your teeth.

When the SUV stopped, they manhandled you through an abandoned convenience store. In the stockroom, a bald man sat at a bare card table. Scars like melted wax trailed down one side of his face. He wore a gold smoking jacket, loose slacks, and velvet loafers. You nearly laughed. He looked like a Hugh Hefner cosplayer. The only thing missing was a white captain’s hat.

A hand on your shoulder forced you to sit in the folding chair across from him. When you met the bald man’s eyes, any witty remark died in your mouth. His gaze was too intense, too stern, too disapproving — and too ancient.

This was Snoke.

The gag fell from your face.

“You saw Kylo Ren yesternight, did you not?” he asked mildly.

His voice rumbled like strange thunder. He breathed in as if he could taste you on the air, like a snake senses prey.

Despite your mouth being freed, you could only bob your head.

“Yes, of course. Quite understandable now why it’s so difficult for him.” Snoke’s expression turned forgiving as he leaned over his crossed legs. “You are quite the delectable temptation.”

Your gut twisted and toes curled in your shoes at the compliment. You didn’t want to be a temptation for Snoke, nor did you want him sampling any part of you.

Crashing chaos erupted from the storefront. People screamed. Cracked steel and shattered glass exploded through the open door.

You launched yourself to the cold concrete floor, bringing your bound wrists to your mouth. The metallic pop-pop-pop of gunfire snapped overhead. You bit at the first knot and pulled. Hot bullet casings clanked nearby. The knot gave way to the next. You wrenched the next one loose, then shook your hands until the rope slipped from your wrists.

A tide of black vapor surged into the storeroom. It blinded you, but it didn’t stop you from groping for your restrained ankles. The rope there made no sense. You couldn’t find the knots.

Come on! you yelled at yourself, finding the knots. Come on!

You twisted and gritted your teeth and almost cried when you couldn’t undo them.

Light returned to the room as the vapor converged into a figure with broad shoulders and long legs. Unmistakably Kylo. It was the first time you’d remembered seeing him do something like that.

However, you couldn’t focus on him. He was fine. On the other hand, you had to free yourself and escape.

Black boots planted themselves on the floor, spread hip-width apart. Yards beyond them lay the lifeless body of your kidnapper, his head rotated at an unnatural angle. That lovely ginger hair veiled his closed eyes.

You pulled your gaze away to untie the knots.

“Ah, Kylo Ren,” Snoke said warmly. “Thank you for honoring my summons for once.”

Kylo replied with a tight, “Master.”

As quietly as you could, you pulled the knots loose and unwrapped your ankles. Snoke and Kylo had to have known you were still alive, but you didn’t want Snoke directing his attention to you. Nor did you want to distract Kylo.

Snoke’s voice sounded as though he had multiple voice boxes when he ordered, “Come. Kneel.”

Kylo staggered to Snoke and dropped to his knees.

Your mouth went dry. Your heart beat double-time. You were about to witness Kylo’s death. Snoke would take his head and drain you dry. Or worse: make Kylo kill you.

You couldn’t let either of them do that. You wouldn’t allow Snoke to torture him like that. Not like this. Not ever.

Even if it meant not being with Kylo again.

You eased to your knees and crept around your chair. Kylo’s back was to you, but Snoke faced the door. There was no way to leave without Snoke seeing.

“Where are you going, myshonok?” Snoke asked.

You went rigid, one knee hovering above the floor.

“Join me at the table.”

If you sat, what horrors would you witness? What would he make you do? How angry was he?

“Sit.”

“No,” Kylo ordered. “Ru—”

Snoke silenced him with a blow.

Kylo’s head jerked back, blood arcing from his face.

You gasped, already on your knees.

“I said,” Snoke repeated. “Sit.”

You were in the chair before you made the decision to stand. Your brain filled in the gaps: you stood, took the necessary steps to come around the chair, and sat.

“Stay. Be quiet.”

You glanced at Kylo. Blood bisected his cheek and tracked to his forehead. You waited for the cut to heal, but it didn’t. It just bled.

That didn’t make sense.

“Kylo Ren, I’ll give you a choice — like I do in all things,” Snoke said lightly, as if he hadn’t just wounded his progeny. “You can erase your presence from her mind, you can kill her, or you can turn her.”

“No, Master, don’t—”

“You’ve forced my hand in this matter. She knows too much.”

Kylo was quiet for a moment, then:

“If I take her memory, you’ll leave her in peace.”

“Her, yes.”

You mentally screamed for him to refuse. Snoke agreed to you being left alone, but not Kylo. You couldn’t allow Snoke to take him from you.

You willed through Snoke’s hold to say, “Turn me, Kylo, change me. Just don’t go, don’t let him—”

Snoke said, “You belong to him. It’s not your decision.”

The hell it wasn’t.

You wanted to race for the street, get away from them both, yet your feet wouldn’t obey. You gripped the seat of your chair hard enough your fingers went numb.

To Kylo, he said, “Do it.”

You shook your head as Kylo shuffled closer.

Please don’t do this. Please snap out of it. Please, please, please…

A single metallic pop rang through the storeroom. Kylo cried out, gripping his shoulder, and toppled against the table. Another pop. Snoke’s expression went from smug to shocked. Blood burst from his chest.

Snoke’s hold disappeared.

Kylo yelled, “Go! Run!”

You threw yourself out of the chair and sprinted through the store. Broken bodies, warped metal shelves, and shards of glass littered the floor. You sidestepped and leapt over each obstacle, not allowing your gaze to linger on any of it.

“Kylo!” Snoke bellowed and continued in a language you didn’t understand.

You couldn’t leave Kylo back there, though, bleeding and at the mercy of his maker.

Kylo yelled for you to go again.

You ran out of the convenience store and never looked back.

And you never stopped running.

Because nowhere was safe — not with Snoke out there and Kylo potentially under his control.

Kylo now sucked harshly at your neck, claiming you. Your thighs trembled as a big hand snaked inside your underwear to caress your belly. You couldn’t help but arch into his touch.

“Spread those legs for me.” He gripped the curve of your belly, fingers teasing your pubic hair. “I’ll remind you of your place.”

He cupped your mound. Two fingers dipped into your slit. It was mortifying to feel yourself slick.

He chuckled low in his chest.

“You’re going to moan for me.”

You shook your head and hid your face. You didn’t want him to see how you bit your lip to stifle your voice.

He pushed two thick fingers inside your cunt, filling and stretching. You gasped. It had been too long. He murmured soothing words against your neck while he massaged you from the inside. His palm pressed against your clit.

You tried not to move, to quiver, to make a sound. You told yourself it shouldn’t feel so good. You should push him away and run.

His other hand slid up your torso to cup one of your breasts. This time, he was gentle. The fingers inside you pumped slowly while he massaged your breast and teased the nipple. You were caressed, from the full lips nuzzling at your neck to the patient hand between your legs.

Kylo knew your body too well, and you hadn’t experienced his touch in so long. It haunted your lonely hours. Your own touch hardly compared.

“You’ll whimper my name and ask for more.”

He scissored his fingers to stretch your needy cunt.

You nearly asked him for more right there, but he continued:

“And you’ll come on my cock when I give it to you, won’t you?”

You jerked in his hold. He answered by pushing forward to grind the mound of his erection against your ass. He dragged the tips of his fangs over your skin, nipped at the sore spot he’d already sucked there, before placing the softest kiss.

“Exactly like you always do, my sweet.”

He pulled his hand from between your legs.

You opened your mouth to protest. He moved quicker than any human to turn your head, fingers wet with your juices, and silenced you with a kiss. His tongue swiped across yours, warm and exhilarating. You returned the kiss and tunneled your fingers into his thick hair, brushing the subtle point of his ear. He plunged his hand into the front of your underwear again.

Unerringly, he found your clit and swirled hypnotic circles around it. Your pussy became wetter by the second, easing the glide of his fingers.

Against your parted lips, he said, “That’s how it’ll always be.”

But you weren’t Kylo’s blood-whore. Your kidnapper had been wrong. They all were wrong about you.

Kylo kissed you, claiming and deep and wrong and so filthy, you couldn’t mute a moan. He found a rhythm on your clit that made your cunt flutter and breath catch. You fisted his hair as you panted between sharp kisses.

You wanted to cover yourself and hide when his lips curled in a knowing grin.

You tore your mouth from his.

“Stop,” you said, though it didn’t sound convincing even to your own ears.

He ignored you, his clever fingers sending sparks of pleasure down your spine.

“I don’t… I can’t—” You clenched your jaw as your thighs quaked and muscles tensed. You were so close, orgasm building. “Kylo, I— I’m…”

He slipped his hand from your underwear, leaving you desperate for relief. Your cunt weakly pulsed as your orgasm died. You panted and let your forehead fall against the damp wall. Your combined shadows stained the concrete.

Kylo held your heaving ribs. He trailed delicate kisses along your nape. It was at once a connection and a reminder he could tear your spine out.

Wet fingers traced your bottom lip. You smelled the tang of your own arousal and clenched your teeth.

Kylo nosed at your ear to whisper, “I want to taste you on your tongue.”

You’d done that for him countless times. It drove him mad. He’d suck your flavor off your tongue while moaning and grinding his hips. He’d hold you tight while growling praises in your ear and working his big cock deep inside.

You shook your head and squeezed your eyes closed, despite knowing you’d ultimately lose this war. The only thing you could do was oppose his every pleasure in this last battle.

“Why are you still fighting me, sweetness?” he asked.

Your breath went uneven and your chest trembled.

You didn’t want to say it, didn’t want to tell him, didn’t want to fight him—

But Snoke.

Snoke was out there. He’d force Kylo to ruin what you two had.

The thought made tears flood your eyes and stream down your cheeks. When you sobbed, Kylo pushed two fingers between your teeth and pried open your jaw. You didn’t have to see it to sense his heated gaze. Kylo always — always — watched you.

The taste of salt and blood and musk coated your mouth. You refused to participate, remaining still as his fingers explored your tongue. Every measured stroke of his fingers tantalized — and aroused — no matter how much you denied it.

He withdrew his fingers and asked, “Why are you fighting me?”

“Please, don’t…”

“Don’t what?”

“Don’t take me back to Snoke.”

Kylo nuzzled your cheek and shushed you. He kissed away your tears as slick digits smeared against your lips.

Your breath shuddered around a powerful unease expanding in your gut. You’d been foolish to think you’d get away. This was only delaying the inevitable. Kylo was toying with you. No doubt he had every intention of dragging you in front of Snoke where they’d decide your fate.

You were Kylo’s, and Kylo was Snoke’s. It was in the blood. Not even bleeding yourself dry would grant you a reprieve. The connection you had with Kylo wouldn’t fade, even with death.

“I can’t take you back to Snoke.”

“What? He’ll hunt—”

“No, he won’t.”

You half-turned to look into Kylo’s dark eyes and found him undaunted.

“I don’t understand.”

“I’m Master now.”

His eyes flared red, brighter than before.

You shook your head. What had happened in the time you’d been gone? Why hadn’t he told you from the start? Why had he hurt everyone around you?

“His power resides in me alone,” Kylo said. “And now I’ve come to claim what’s mine.”

Not giving you time to form a question or voice it, he put his hand around your throat and crashed his lips against yours. Flesh ground against bone. His fingertips bruised. You were the meat to his butcher.

He groaned after a moment, as though relishing the near violence.

“Open.”

This time, you did.

He kissed you tenderly, sucking on your swollen bottom lip. His fangs grazed your skin. He flicked your tongue with his. You shivered at the silken touch of his preternatural tongue.

He made a satisfied sound deep in his chest at the taste of your arousal.

“Where is your place in this, sweetness?”

You blinked through the haze in your mind. You couldn’t form a reply.

“I…”

With a merciful shush, he turned you to face away. You placed your palms on the dirty wall. His hands caressed your sides until his thumbs hooked in the waistband of your underwear.

He couldn’t— Not here—

The haze fractured.

“No, Kylo, we can’t!”

He pressed you hard against the wall and put a hand across your mouth. Your underwear and jeans continued to slip down your hips.

“We can. I own the night and everything in it.”

Which included you.

Your lower body followed his as he straightened until your back was a perfect arch. The clammy air whispered between your legs, cooled your inner thighs. He kicked your feet farther apart.

Your eyes widen. He was going to take you like this, for anyone to see.

Your breath hitched at the press of his fingers at your soaked hole. He teased with swirling touches. You tried to keep your hips still, because moving was agreeing. It was acquiescing.

Kylo slid two fingers inside. Your cunt clenched around the intrusion. He purred and encouraged you to rest your head on his shoulder. He pushed deeper, slowly cycling his fingers. You rotated your knees inward, though you couldn’t fathom how your legs kept you upright.

His fingers retreated and pressed in, languid and thorough, as if trying to touch every part of your cunt. You turned your head to lean your forehead on his jaw.

He braced himself with a hand on the wall. You touched the back of his hand with shaking fingers. The fingers inside you sped.

You gasped, then bit the inside of your cheek.

“It’s been too long, hasn’t it?” he asked. “Your sweet little pussy isn’t used to this.”

You bit harder. You could only focus on his fingers fucking you open. He twisted his hand until his knuckles rubbed over your g-spot. You squirmed and swallowed a whimper.

“Let go, let me hear you. It’s just me and you here.”

“Ky-Kylo, please! Don’t— I can’t…”

“Yes, you can.”

A third finger eased inside to stretch you even more. Bolts of hot pleasure had you losing your breath. His fingers moved in measured thrusts, over and over. You clung to the wall as your knees almost buckled.

Then he pulled away. You twitched back to follow him or encourage him to continue. Full lips brushed your temple. His big hands took hold of your hips and raised you onto your toes.

“Just like that.”

Your heart leapt into your throat. He was going to take you here. If you tried to flee, he’d catch you within two strides.

Did you want to flee, though?

His touch left your body, giving you the opportunity. The metallic sound of his zipper opening held you in place. It had been too long. The weight of your connection to Kylo fixed you to the spot.

Heat smeared across your inner thigh. Knuckles brushed the underside of your ass. Then the thick tip of his cock parted your folds. You arched your back further, knowing what was coming.

Yet it didn’t come.

Kylo kept sliding his cock in your slit. He teased your stretched hole and the exposed bud of your clit. He did it until you rocked with him.

“Your place has always been in my bed.” He pressed his hard chest to your back. “Will always be. Beside me. With me.”

Your vision swam. The bricks blurred.

“Don’t ever forget it.”

A voluptuous pressure at your entrance made your eyes go wide. Hot tears spilled over your cheeks. You didn’t know how to respond, though you’d never forget his words.

Without warning, Kylo snapped his hips to impale you halfway down his cock. Beyond your control, a choked animal noise left your chest to resound through the empty alley. The bricks’ rough texture scraped your forearms and palms. Your body contracted around the heavy intrusion splitting you open.

Lips flitted along the juncture of your neck and shoulder.

“Just like this,” he murmured against your skin.

You groaned his name.

Kylo tensed and latched his hands to your hips and surged forward. He buried his cock completely in your pulsing cunt, pelvis tight to your ass.

You threw your head back with a piercing gasp.

He growled like the predator he was.

It was too much. It was like the first time with him. Every nodule on his cock woke nerves long asleep. You panted and shimmied and squirmed as your body acclimated. Each minute movement only added to your growing anticipation.

He gritted out, “Just like this — wrapped around my dick.”

He drew back. You protested with a small noise. He drove forward to start a brutal pace that had your vision narrowing and the edges darkening.

“Filled with my come.”

You trembled with every thrust. Your cunt got impossibly wetter with his words. He must’ve known, must’ve felt how they made you clench. Just like you knew your body — and heart — would accept him.

It had never hurt, and a part of you hated that. You hated how your body obeyed Kylo’s command. You hated how natural it was to kiss him, how easy your lips slotted with his. You hated how he fit so sublimely in you.

It was like you’d been made for him.

He angled his thrusts, somehow hitting even deeper, stroking every sensitive spot between your legs. The hands on your hips tightened as he pounded into you harder.

You moaned and pushed back. He hissed a “yes” and found that perfect rhythm. Your head spun. You clawed at the bricks while he continued an unrelenting assault.

You swallowed gasps and cut off another moan. One of his hands swooped to your jaw, tilting it up, stretching your neck.

“Don’t hide from me. Ever.”

Your breath caught.

“No, promise.”

His voice was black silk when he said, “Taking it so well. Such a good girl.”

You almost replied you wanted to be good for him. Only him.

He must’ve sensed it, because he stopped.

“No, don’t,” you said.

“Tell me. Tell me you feel it, too. Tell me.”

Tell me tell me tell me…

“I do! I feel it!” You shook your head as much as he’d let you. “Please, don’t— Please, I… I want to be good for you!”

Kylo groaned and tucked his face into your shoulder. His cock throbbed. He was going to bite you now. You knew it, could feel it.

His front teeth jabbed into your shoulder through your shirt. His fangs were so close. You hadn’t felt the sting and pull from his bite in so long.

You writhed in what you hated to admit was anticipation. At the same time, you mentally begged him to do it. Put you out of your misery. End the chase, the uncertainty, the killings. End you, if that was the culmination of this war.

He cursed and wrenched the collar of your shirt away. Stitches popped. Fangs pierced the juncture of your neck — a momentary pain. Hot suction followed, connecting your neck to your dripping, aching cunt. It gilded the coiling, molten pleasure building in your core.

He released your hip and plunged his hand between your legs. You bucked your lower body at the touch, torn between his hand and inhuman cock.

Then he began to thrust. He stroked your clit and sucked at your neck. You felt every mouthful of blood drawn from your veins, every slick-slide of his fingers on your clit, every harsh pump of his cock.

He worked your body, even as your muscles locked. You couldn’t move, couldn’t think. The tension and pressure built until you thought you’d explode with it.

But you didn’t.

You shook with each punishing thrust as he fucked you into a devastating orgasm. It burned through you like liquid fire. Wave after wave pulled you into its surge. Your mouth fell open with a silent scream. You couldn’t breathe. Heavy tears streamed down the outside of your face.

Kylo put a hand on your belly, smearing your come on your skin. His cock pistoned faster in your clenching cunt. He released your neck with a snarl. Warmth trickled over your collarbone.

“Kylo,” you mouthed.

He exhaled against your neck, breath tinged with iron.

“Plea—” Your voice broke. “Please, Kylo…”

“Please what?”

His soft tongue slithered over the tender puncture wounds.

Please, no more, you wanted to say. Please, don’t stop.

“Just… Please—”

Please take it all away.

He growled and snapped his hips forward. His pelvis slapped against your ass brutally — once, twice, three times. He buried his cock as deep as it would go before moaning. His cock pulsed. His come gushed, thick like honey, and filled you to overflowing. The warmth of it oozed down your thighs.

It was still for a brittle-edged moment.

Kylo placed his lips on your neck in a lewd mockery of a kiss. His breath puffed across your skin, as if his heart beat like a hammer. As if he had a heart.

You whispered, “Why do you keep hunting me?”

He wrapped his arms around your middle.

“Don’t you remember me saying I’d never let you go?”

Of course you did. However, people say that kind of thing in the throes of passion all the time. You assumed Kylo, despite being a vampire, was no different.

He said, “I call you my sweetness because you’re mine.”

His hands skimmed to your waist and steadied you as he eased his softening cock from your body. Your legs gave out, but he kept you from collapsing. You grabbed the bricks to catch yourself and leaned heavily on the wall, tilting out of Kylo’s hold.

Now that the sex was done, you yanked your underwear and jeans up over your hips. His syrupy come squished in your underwear and clung to the inside of your jeans. You cringed at the swampy feeling and the fact you’d let Kylo fuck you where anyone — everyone — could see.

The Knights of Ren couldn’t be far. They’d probably heard everything. Hell, they might’ve even watched.

You refastened your jeans and propped yourself against the wall in an attempt to muster a little dignity. It didn’t matter what stained your clothes now. They were already dirty with stress-sweat, come, and blood. Whatever garbage juice was splattered in the alley couldn’t make them grosser.

Kylo stood composed and less than a yard away, watching you. Always watching.

You resisted the urge to go to him and bask in his touch — the way he’d smooth your hair and cup your cheek. Like you were a beloved pet.

He’d made you his blood-whore.

The bite on your neck throbbed.

“I said I’m here to claim what’s mine. That still stands.”

You inhaled a stuttering breath and stared at his scuffed motorcycle boots.

“Snoke nearly took you from me,” he said. “You, who I want beside me every night.”

“But not forever.”

You were mortal. You would die. Time would end things, even if Snoke couldn’t anymore.

“Not forever if you keep running.”

You looked into his eyes that were the beautiful warm brown you adored. They went red. Your heart sped. They looked too much like Snoke’s.

“Stop running from me, sweetness.”

You blinked at the reverberating command. Your feet planted themselves to the concrete. You’d been running from Snoke, not Kylo. If Kylo told the truth, and Snoke really was dead, there was no point in running. You didn’t need to be apart from Kylo.

“You are everything good in my existence,” he said. “I refuse to be separated from you any longer.” He slashed at the air. “I won’t allow anyone to stand in my way.”

Not even you.

He’d made sure of that, too. Everyone you’d become friendly with in your mad dash from anyone vampiric had been killed. It’d been your fault. You’d acted like a spooked rabbit, running from burrow to burrow — and condemning every soul along the way.

He took a half-step closer.

“Am I not yours?”

“If you were mine, you’d know not to hurt people who’ve helped me.”

“Helped you?” He tilted his head with a huff. “Helped you? They allowed you to live in squalor.”

You let out a scornful laugh and crossed your arms over your chest.

Living in pre-furnished studio apartments or clean hostels wasn’t what you’d call squalor. It wasn’t a gothic castle overlooking a forested valley, either. Then again, no one you’d worked with lived in better conditions. Not even Vic, who only had a cozy one-bedroom.

Kylo held out a hand.

“Come with me. Let me give you what you deserve.”

You glanced at his broad palm and long, sturdy fingers. There was a time when those hands cradled you and loved you. There was a time when you didn’t know what they looked like covered in blood.

“I deserve peace,” you said.

“I can give you peace and safety. I’ll give you anything you want.”

You read between his lines. He’d give you anything as long as you stayed with him. If you explored the world on your own, you’d be exposed — as would he. You’d always be a weak point to exploit. You’d always be vulnerable. Snoke had figured that out.

You uncrossed your arms and looked into his eyes. Red encircled his irises, as though his vampire nature had been eclipsed.

“Give me your blood. Make me strong like you. Make me a vampire.”

He reared back as if you’d swiped at him. Astonishment painted his features.

“You want me to be your sire?”

“You want me beside you every night, don’t you?”

He breathed, “You love me.”

“Do you love me?”

He wet his bottom lip — such a human gesture — while his gaze darted to the side.

“I shouldn’t. It is a hindrance.” His dark eyes were like pools of deep water when they met yours. “You’ve seen what my kind do to each other.”

He indicated the scar going up his cheek. Snoke had missed ruining Kylo’s eye by millimeters.

You nodded and moved closer to touch the scar. It was a smooth, narrow groove in his blood-warmed flesh.

If Snoke had struck you like he’d stuck Kylo, it would’ve destroyed your jaw and cheekbone. You would’ve had implants and surgeries and weeks of speech therapy.

“I shouldn’t,” he repeated, and pressed your hand to his cheek.

“Neither should I.”

Not after all he’d done.

You’d hated him. You’d feared him. You thought about him every single day. You’d imagined different scenarios, from fighting him to falling at his feet to staking his heart.

He placed his other hand on your hip.

“No, you shouldn’t.”

You’d downplayed your feelings before Snoke had taken you. You’d told yourself you were satisfied with Kylo visiting a few nights every week. You had your freedom and privacy, a decent job and apartment, and a vampire lover. What more could you need?

Kylo lived in a different world, one he didn’t allow you to play tourist in. He’d said he wanted you to live a normal life. He wanted you happy and safe. At your insistence you were safe — and perfectly happy! — he exploded from the sofa where you two had been lounging. He’d flipped the coffee table and yelled you couldn’t possibly be either.

You’d ordered him out, telling him to leave and not come back until he wanted to behave. You hadn’t wanted to look at him right then. He’d rounded on you with a snarl, fangs flashing.

Then he’d been on you, kissing you, devouring you, tasting every inch of your body. He held you down and fucked you: on your knees, on your back, on the sofa, on the floor, on the upended coffee table, on your bed. You’d climaxed over and over again. He hadn’t stopped until dawn forced him to ground. You’d called in sick to work and sat in an epsom-salt bath for nearly an hour.

“I can’t leave this existence,” he now said. “I can’t leave you, either.”

“Then don’t.”

He shuffled you to the wall, his touch gentle. He always returned loving and tender, with sweet words and sweeter caresses.

“I’ll never let you go. I can’t.”

He grazed his fingertips across the clotting wound at your neck. You closed your eyes with a sigh. It should’ve stung, yet all you felt was him. He repositioned your hand from his cheek to his muscled shoulder. You slid your palm under the weight of his hair to hold his nape.

“Then don’t.”

You stared into his eyes, watching as red bloomed across his irises. It didn’t startle you any longer. The white of his delicate-tipped fangs gleamed. You drew him towards the wound and tilted your head back.

He made a desperate, hungry sound and wrapped you in his arms, supporting your head. You relaxed into his hold. Your breath shallowed.

This was the end. The end of running, of being scared, of the war you never wanted in the first place.

A faint star glimmered overhead — the lone witness to the ceasefire.

Kylo struck. He bit deeper than he ever had before. You gasped and clung to him as he drank the first mouthful. Your blood gushed with every beat of your heart.

Your feet left the ground. The night spun in a cacophony of dingy brick, velvet sky, and sodium lights. It spun and spun into a soft blur where nothing touched you and you touched nothing. Not even Kylo.

Liquid metal poured into your mouth, raging and carnal and animalistic. You swallowed. It was like swallowing a hot sea, like drowning. There was so much, too much. Energy filled you and flowed through you until you crashed against Kylo.

You opened your eyes and saw him as though it was the first time. You cradled his stunning face in your hands, his skin so new and electric. His eyes held all the warmth in the universe — its heat death quite improbable while he existed.

“I’m never letting you go,” you said, and kissed him.

#kylo ren x reader #kylo ren x you #kylo ren x y/n #kylo ren #star wars #matd #waywardrose writes

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animeyanderelover · 15 hours

Note

And Sfw and nsfw hcs for the Noahs (d. Gray man) sharing an SO, thank you!

I actually have a character limit of 10 which is kind of tricky since the family has over 10 members but I appreciate that you answered my question in time so that I knew which Noahs you definitely wanted to be in here. Nea D. Campell will be included as per request and we're going to go with the idea that he has also reincarnated in this post though not in Allen's body. I didn't write a Nsfw part for Road simply because whilst she technically is the oldest Noah alongside with The Earl himself she is still in the body of a child since their kind ages significantly slower. I actually went the extra mile and included all current members though I didn't write Nsfw parts for all of them. The Hc's for the individual characters are going to be shorter in comparison to the Arcobaleno post but that is because i simply had almost twice as much characters in here.

Tw: Yandere themes, possessive behavior, obsession, delusional mindset, clinginess, paranoia, manipulation, stalking, emotional blackmailing, guilt-tripping, isolation, abduction, death, Nsfw, afab reader for the Nsfw part, oral sex, breeding kink, blood kink, Tyki uses his Teez during foreplay, dirty talking, bondage, strip poker, thigh riding, period kink, temperature play, panty sniffing, masturbation, doggy style, cowgirl, anal sex, praise kink, overstimulation, Lulu uses her shapeshift abilities, voyeurism, sadism, Sheril uses his strings, corruption kink, adultery, dacrophilia

Sharing an s/o

There are a few possibilities of how you may end up being the shared darling of The Noah family, though the end result will always remain the same. You could end up being the obsessive interest of anyone of the Noah family who is going to introduce you to the rest of the family sooner or later and from that point on everyone is going to develop an obsession for you. If it would be the Earl himself who fell first in love with you there is going to be a slight hesitance under the rest of the members as he is the reincarnation of Adam and for that holds the highest rank as the patriarch of the family. No matter whose interest you end up catching first though, ultimately you will always end up being the shared darling of the whole family. Their bond is strong, their loyalty unmatched so even if some minor conflicts may arise, even if some members end up butting heads over who gets to spend time with you, unfortunately for you at the end of the day they always come to an agreement that spells forever isolation and doom for you. Especially the Earl himself sees it through that harmony and peace always remains, aware that fights and arguments would needlessly scare you.

It is in itself a miracle already that the entire family has gotten obsessed with a human even though most of them think of themselves as superior to the overall humanity. This sentiment includes that some members find themselves internally struggling with their own feelings at the beginning, unsure how to feel about their own obsessive emotions. They're thr True Apostles of God yet here is their entire family, foolishly in love with one human. Some can't help but think of you as a devil in disguise, as a sinister creature who tries to drag all of them into the abyss and their hostility shows for quite some time though those who have already embraced their emotions always shield and protect you from condescending words and harsh glares. The Earl is never happy when he hears about the discrimination you experience and likes to remind those of the Noah family who have treated you so rudely that such behavior is not acceptable with a slightly threatening air to him. You experience a great amount of isolation but you are never left alone as there are always a few members of the family staying with you and keeping you company.

You're kept securely in the new Noah's Arc as The Earl as well as Maitora see it through that you have a pretty and large room to yourself within with many luxuries that you most likely could only dream about in your old life. The life you lead is on paper nothing short of glorious. Fine clothes, excellent meals and the protection of the most dangerous family on the planet. Yet the discrimination against common humans is a major obstacle as most Noah object against your pleas to be let outside, especially all by yourself. You could never escape even if you were to try of course yet most Noah are too possessive to let you leave all by yourself. Akuma wouldn't attack you of course as they obey the Noah family and have been ordered to never ever touch you unless they wish to be disposed off but it is the thought of having you spent time under regular and inferior people that agitates most members of the family. You are a human who stands above the ordinary crowd, whether every individual member still sees you as beneath themselves or actually view you as an equal varies from person to person but the idea that you are better than humanity is a common idea that all share.

The Earl of Millenium aka Adam

🎃The Millenium Lord initially scares you. No wonder as he looks the least human-like in the first appearance he assumes when meeting you. He introduces you to every single member, he happily reveals your new home to you as he tells you almost gleefully that you're part of the family now. Family matters above all, pumpkin♡. That's why you're going to stay with them forever now♡. His cheerful and jovial personality combined with his inhumane appearance only manages to creep you out more, something that greatly flusters the Earl as he desperately tries to ease the fear you experience whilst looking at him. Lero makes a great distraction which is why the Earl always brings the golem with him in any attempts to ease your anxiety. Lero knows fully why he is being used, often complains to the Earl that he is using him to get closer to you to which the Earl only gasp offended. Nevertheless though, Lero actually befriends you and admits to you that for a human you aren't half bad which is a big compliment coming from him. You actually like Lero so much to the point where the Earl sometimes gets jealous and subtly threats his golem with a jolly tone in his voice.

🎃Things get better when he reveals his human form to you and insists on you calling him Adam, awkward whenever you refer to him as the Earl. It is in this human form that you find him to be much more quiet, softer and almost melancholy. He's kind, he's sweet and desperately obsessed. Perhaps it is the paranoia of having been betrayed by Nea decades ago that leads Adam to be as afraid as he is of you potentially betraying him as well, even if Nea has also reincarnated by now. If you desire to have anything it is Adam that you always turn to and anything materialistic you shall receive the moment you ask for it. However, already spoiled with everything money could buy it is freedom you desire and it is freedom that you won't get. Much too cherished and beloved are you by Adam who adores you who is very attached to you to the point where you think that he might be the most sensitive of all of the Noah clan despite being the patriarch. You don't believe in destiny yet Adam seems to do, your appearance in the life of a Noah family a divine message. The world is filled with evil, evil he himself creates, yet it is not your destiny to become sacrifice. Your place is right here.

Nsfw

🎃Sexual tension, something you sense in many other Noah long before you sense it in Adam who is physically very cuddly but has never touched you inappropriately. Despite the lust of other members none of them have made a move on you yet and you know that all of them are waiting for the Earl to claim you first. Nea is the only one who has ever dared to let his hands roam over your body, touched you suggestively and seduced you only to leave you aching and wet by the end, ultimately deciding to allow the old man to have you first. The Earl is in comparison to many other family members not very sex-driven, asks for your permission and doesn't try to seduce you, tease you and coax you into bed with him. When you do give him your consens Adam prioritises your pleasure over his own. He takes his time with you, every moment special and intimate as he caresses every inch of your body, worshipping the sight in front of him, warm lips pressing kisses all over your skin. He's lost in your pleasure and not his own as he explores your body devotedly, his attention always on you as he slowly pleases you, wanting you to experience every sensation as he has you climaxing around his tongue or his fingers.

🎃He gives you a very intimate experience, a very vulnerable experience. He longs for body contact, arms always wrapped around you whenever his shaft slides in and out of you in a slow and sensual pace, his hot breath fawning against your neck as he places soft kisses against your skin and murmurs his sincere declarations of love and adoration. Eye contact is important to him, he always wants to be able to look into your beautiful eyes so he only ever desires positions where he can gaze at your face. You're able to dominate and ride him as the Earl is almost putty in your hands, his gaze always full of adoration that has your heart bursting. It's through him that you learn that purring runs in the family. His own love for you sometimes overhwelms him, though only in a good way as he starts shedding tears, incredibly grateful that you exist. He is vanilla, especially in comparison to many other members yet if there is one fantasy that he has it is his wish to have a child with his darling if they can carry. Adam's family is his entire life and he wishes to rise a precious baby with you, a baby not born out of possessive claims but a deep-rooted adoration that often moves him to tears. It's his one true wish he has.

Road Kamelot

🕯️Road detests normal humans and thinks of them beneath her yet surprisingly she quickly grows fond of you and if you had to name a few of the clingiest family members she would be up there. She is very fond of skinship. Whenever she sees you she always runs to you and gives you a hug, she holds your hand as she walks around with you or unexpectedly wraps her arms around your neck or torso from behind, surprising you in the process as you didn't sense her until she touched you. You know that she is technically the oldest Noah yet you can't help but be surprised by her almost childlike personality. She always wishes to be entertained and always wants your attention on her when she is around and gets quickly all pouty when you don't give it to her. Even though she is small and looks younger in comparison to all other Noah you still discover that she is very well respected besides the Earl. Back in the days when some Noah still held conflicted feelings about their feelings for you she was always a fierce defender of you who wouldn't stop persisting until said Noah had apologised to you. You know that she most likely isn't a good person but to you she's always very sweet.

🕯️She loves dressing you up in cute clothes, adores especially the gothic, punk or lolita aesthetic which is why lots of your outfits fall into those specific designs. She's very huge on wearing matching outfits so it isn't uncommon for the two of you to walk around together in identical or in matching outfits. You probably even have been gifted matching bracelets by Road and whenever she sees you she always checks if you wear them and if you don't she gets a bit upset. Even if her appearance and her behavior remind you often of a young teen you sometimes forget that Road has lived for actual decades and is a lot wiser than she lets on. She considers it a useful strategy to not let you know how intuitive and smart she actually is for the sake of not intimidating you. She knows that you let your guard down around the Earl in his human form since he appears so non-threatening and she uses that same strategy to earn your trust and to see more of your real self that you wouldn't be able to show freely if you have your guard up around her. That's how she senses how exhausted you are sometimes when the antics of the family overhwhelm you and smother you.

🕯️Whenever Road senses that you need a break but won't get one because you are so rarely left alone and aren't allowed to go outside either, and if only for a limited amount of time and never by yourself, she uses her little pocket dimension to steal you for a while. The two of you always hold small tea and cake parties in this dimension of hers where she allows you to get a break and you finally allow yourself the freedom to talk to her and tell her about everything that has been weighting on your mind and that has exhausted you. She listens intently and always comforts you afterwards. However, those informations you reveal to her she sometimes does reveal to the Earl secretly. Ultimately Road is still a Noah after all and for that she wants you to be happy with her and her entire family and if there is something that greatly torments your soul and keeps you from feeling happy she knows that she has to fix that. She is a little manipulator but she won't allow you to suspect anything. Yes, she knows that for a mere human this entire situation is very overwhelming and frightening but as the representative of dreams she holds onto the vision that one day you'll love her family.

Tyki Mikk aka Joyd

🦋Tyki is one of the few Noah who has decided to keep his human mindset still alive alongside with his Noah side. It isn't always easy to keep those two sides of him who are essentially night and day separate from each other but that is what makes it so interesting after all. It's those two sides of his that make every encounter with him always interesting as you can never fully know if he's currently Tyki or Joyd. As Tyki you feel a bit more at ease as he is much less intimidating like this. His light side is much more carefree and might teach you some bad habits by showing you how to gamble and Tyki is actually one of the few Noah who try to concinve the Earl to let you actually leave the Ark and go outside. Though even with him you hit the wall when you beg to at least be left alone as even Tyki can't do that. The best he can offer you is to protect you from a distance so that you at least won't see them but that is merely an illusion of freedom and not the true freedom that you want. He feels bad, after all he knows how taxing this situation for you is that you never expected nor ever asked for. At the same time he knows that his inner Noah is no better with his feelings than everyone else.

🦋Tyki's Noah, whilst still fully aware of how unhealthy and toxic the shared obsession for you is, is much more indifferent about it as his own feelings of always wanting you close and wanting you with his family are stronger than any guilt he might feel. He behaves much more like an aristocrat and gentleman in this form, always courting and fluttering you with compliments and touches and only increasing his flirting when he senses how flustered you are. You get lots of presents from almost all Noah and Tyki is no different from them. Fine jewelry, pretty clothes and fine meals are all served to you. At the same time he still knows that sometimes the simple things are best so if he finds out that there is a certain meal that you were always served during your childhood and that you greatly adored he will prepare it for you even if it is a simple soup. In that aspect he is different from his brother Sheril who only considers expensive clothes and fine food to be good for you. Perhaps that is the advantage he has by keeping his human mindset alive. Tyki sympathises that expensive doesn't always mean better and that the cheap and the simple things in life tend to make you happy.

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🦋Keep in mind that Tyki is the Noah of Pleasure and that his darker desire tends to get the better of him whenever he has you to himself. If the Earl plans to make you feel loved and good, Tyki's goal is to have you writhing with pleasure and keep on wringing everything out of you until you pass out. His gambling habits he has when in his light side manifest themselves often in strip poker whenever both of you are alone and you can't help but feel like he's cheating as you are forced to remove piece after piece of clothing all whilst he remains perfectly fine. Unfortunately you can't prove whether he's cheating or not and he always only gives you a smug grin. Worst of all is that he deliberately chooses to tease you, sometimes losing on purpose before removing his shirt which leaves you only to stare at his chest whilst his eyes rack appreciatively up and down your curves, his cock straining against his pants. All until he suddenly drops the cards and pats his thigh, telling you to sit down, his hand grabbing your hips the moment you sit before huskily commanding you to start pleasing yourself by riding his thigh, his own hands starting to play around with your nipples as he watches you getting off.

🦋As much of a gentleman as he is, in the sheets Tyki can be more sadistic. Whenever you have your period he often coaxes you into letting him eat you out, telling you that it'll distract you from your cramps and sometimes he bites down on your chest or shoulders hard enough to draw some blood, the taste of it eliciting a moan out of him as his hips start snapping with more force against your own. You know of his flesh-eating Teez, though they never harm you when Tyki shows them to you yet you don't expect him to use them on you during foreplay as those butterflies place themselves over your chest and even over your pussy as if they were wrapping paper and you are the present, gently nibbling your skin and making you squirm all whilst Tyki watches, drinking in the sight before he stalks towards the bed. He loves reducing you to a begging and moaning mess, uses ropes to tie up your hands to gain more control over you all whilst whispering with that smooth voice of his his dirty fantasies and plans into your ears. He isn't even shy to take you elsewhere than the bedroom. He purrs a lot, especially when you touch him.

Jasdero

💛Jasdero and Devit are an inseparable dua, literally able to merge into one person so it comes as no surprise that both of them share you all the time even if they often end up bickering over you. Jasdero finds himself in a more tricky situation at the beginning though. He finds himself quickly adoring you but it is Devit who doesn't like you and as Jasdero is the more submissive one of the two he finds himself ending up tagging alog with Devit's antics. Only because he knows that Devit doesn't mean to truly harm you though, only because of that does he end up pulling all those mean pranks on you until his brother ends up taking it too far and even Jasdero stops, refusing to participate. As childish, possessive and needy as he is he still apologises to you for that particular event, especially if it leads you to feel instantly terrified the moment he chases playfully after you as you recall that event whilst seeing him and Devit running after you. Jasdero is quite clingy, gets jealous when Devit is holding you all by himself and more than once do you find yourself smushed between those two guys as they end up harmlessly arguing who you like more before asking you to choose.

💛He often doodles on your skin, draws little hearts or writes "I love you" all over you. I like to think that Jasdero and Devit aren't as well educated as some of the other Noah so whenever Jasdero writes something cute on you it always comes with some misspelled words which you carefully end up telling him only for him to start pouting and complaining that he never learnt how to properly write. He does a lot for your attention so he ends up convincing you to teach him a bit only to never listen to what you try to tell him most of the time. That is until Devit enters your little lessons and that is when both twins get competitive and try to prove to you that they are the smarter twins. Every morning when he is there he bursts into your room unannounced with a brush in his hand and plops down on your bed, insisting for you to do his hair for him. At one point you stop requesting for him to knock on the door as you instead learn to not undress until you have done his hair. When Devit realises that Jasdero uses his hair as an excuse to get more affection from you he suddenly storms into your room and insists for you to do the same for him as well, even starts growing his own hair for it as well.

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💛What those two share with clothes on they also share with clothes off. Your first threesome is with those two guys and it is constantly a fight as both of them are greedy, selfish and needy. Jasdero is the more submissive one and that shows itself. Not only because he does comply somewhat with Devit's demands and normally lets his brother go first but also because he is a little masochist who loves to be beneath you. He loves it when you touch his hair and you're one of the few people he allows to touch and caress it but when you are on top of him and bounce up and down his throbbing cock he is quite literally begging you to just grab a fistful of his hair and tug at it with enough force so that it hurts, his eyes rolling into the back of his head the moment you comply as an abrupt purr leaves his lips and he suddenly starts ejaculating. Devit sometimes teases him for being so sensitive to the point where he cums way too easily and Jasdero does take quick offense in it but quickly forgets about those quiet insecurities when he sees you for the first time covered in his semen. He loves splashing his cum on your stomach and chest, it almost reminds him of painting on you like he does normally with pencils.

💛Both twins are quite handsy even under normal circumstances and aren't even ashamed to squeeze your ass or your chest and Devit is only bad influence for you in that regard. The blonde twin has preferences for your chest though, your breasts almost like stress balls he can't get enough of squeezing, touching and even fucking once he discovers what a titjob is and it doesn't matter how small his darling is in that department. Adding to his masochistic tendencies he has a thing for temperature play though he takes it sometimes a bit too far for your tendencies. He asks you to bring matches with you and to put them out on you and if you are someone who smokes you can bet that he'll ask you to put them out on him as well. The sensation of the burning pain only adds to his already sensitive and overwhelmed nerves and he loves it. At one point during sex his brain ends up becoming kind of mushy when he's too stimulated, his sentences reduced to mindless babbles, singular words and purrs as his mind fails him. You wonder if this is what you look like to people like Tyki or Sheril. after they are done with you Still, Jasdero doesn't stop until Devit stops.

Devit

🖤Devit is in many aspects still quite immature. He fails to control his feelings for you properly, actively attempts to rebel against them as he acts cocky and rude around you, constantly tries to put you down. Don't you walk around thinking that you have control over him and the other Noah. He plays pranks on you all the time, tries to intimidate you and does everything he can do to put you down without harming you. Deep down he feels sorry about it, especially once he sees the hurt and the wet shimmer in your eyes but instead of apologising he always walks away. In private Jasdero pleads him to stop this and his heart agrees with his brother's words but his arrogance and pride get in the way. Until one day he takes it too far as on that day he is especially pissed due to a failed mission and vents it unjustified out on you when he catches you alone when all you did was ask him if he's alright. He ends up chasing after you with a gun, occasionally fires one of his special bullets though he always makes sure to miss you. It's when Jasdero physically stops him and he notices for the first time the pure fear in your eyes, tears streaming down your face that he snaps out of his rage.

🖤You run to Road after, Road tells the Earl about what happened and the Earl visits both twins later that night. The next day both are already on their knees when you step out of the room, furiously apologising to you, their voices sounding mildly terrified. As rough and possessive as Devit tends to be even after he has accepted his feelings, that memory is a sensitive spot that always shuts him up when you bring it up and as much as he would like to lash out and tell you that you were overreacting that time, he can't get that look you gave him out of his mind. You looked at him as if expecting him to murder you, something he would never do. Not to you... Never you... In comparison to Jasdero he is much more shamless and does everything whilst knowing that normally his behavior wouldn't be appropriate and Jasdero often ends up copying him. He slaps your ass when he walks by or makes some inappropriate comments about you, all with a smirk on his face. Some Noah still tend to be disappointed with him due to his actions, Road specifically has sworn to torment him with pranks of her own for the rest of his life and as angry as he gets with her, deep down he feels like he deserves it.

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🖤He is not going to admit it initially but you really make him horny, he is often half-hard when around you and he gets jealous once he realises that older Noah members have already had the pleasure of indulging in you. He struggles to voice those desires though and that is because the idea of being naked and vulnerable with you secretly scares him. To still rid himself of that pesky erection though he ends up stealing your used panties, stroking his hardened length all whilst his nose is buried inside the material before a choked growl escapes him as he feels his seed spilling all over his fist and the floor. Jasdero walks in on him one time, lets out a shocked gasp and before Devit can beg or threaten him to not let you know his brother is already running to you and all Devit can do is throw the underwear on the floor before hastily zipping up his pants all whilst chasing after his twin. You find them tangled up on the floor as Jasdero is calling your name whilst Devit tries to shut him up, even attempting shove his fist inside his brother's mouth yet he doesn't succeed and the shocked look you give him is enough for him to bury his face in his hands and muffle his embarrassed screams as he rolls around on the ground.

🖤Jasdero takes claim over your chest and Devit in return seems to take your ass for himself during sex. Most of the positions are always positions where he has a good view of your rear and can squeeze and smack it however he likes. Doggy style is his favorite and whilst he normally prefers to dominate you and be above you all of the time the few occasions where he let you ride him it was in reverse cowgirl. The words leaving his mouth are pure filth and he doesn't even attempt to filter any of them as he calls you "little bitch", even if you should be taller than him but don't mention that since he probably feels slightly embarassed if you should be taller than him, "slut" or other slightly condescending names. Something both twins have in common though is that they are quite noisy but in very different ways. Whilst Jasdero is all moaning and purring like a broken mess Devit is constantly growling and cussing, especially if he climaxes and sees his seed dripping out of your ass. The twins can never stop competing even during sex so both of them constantly push your as well as each others limit until all three of you are so exhausted that you just fall asleep together in a tangled and sweaty mess.

Lulu Bell aka Lustol

🔳Lulu Bell isn't a Noah you immediately get to know which is a bit strange considering that you are in the truest sense of the word swarmed by most of the other members. She's calm, she's quiet and she almost appears to prefer staying in the shadows. She remains someone you truly don't understand at all as she is quite aloof in your eyes. You haven't really interacted much with her nor have you had long conversations with her. It is this distance that you always thought existed between her and you that gives you the wrong idea about her true feelings for you. You thought that she was one of the Noah who didn't want to accept you but that could not have been more of a lie. Lule Bell has in fact accepted you since the very beginning, has acknowledged her feelings from the very start and has been infatuated with you from the moment you were brought here. She just has a very different way of showing it in comparison to people like Road or the twins who are very clingy. Lulu Bell is the one who stalks you, who always watches over you and who always memorises every little important detail she observes as she analyses you in your new life.

🔳Road has been playing annoying but ultimately harmless tricks on Devit ever since one of his supposed pranks went too far, Lulu Bell has been punishing him much harder. She indulges in the activity commonly referred to as pranks as well, only that her attempts are far more dangerous. She one time set fire on Devit's clothes and whilst Devit accuses her of trying to murder him she just gives him a stoic and cold expression before stating that she would never do that and that he isn't made out of sugar. Once you manage to start a conversation with her you get a tad bit uncomfortable, mainly because you are caught off guard by everything she seems to know about you. In some form Lulu Bell almost reminds you of a guard dog. She's usually very composed, quiet and polite around even others from the Noah family, except the Earl, yet around you she is quite obedient as her entire interest seems to revolve around you, your interests and your safety. Another thing that surprises you is to find out that she is quite affectionate in her own ways. She likes laying her head on your lap, likes when you praise her, likes when she can do something for you to make you happy.

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🔳She represents the Lust of the Noah and that is really all you need to know about her to get a vague idea of what might lay ahead in the future. You would like to believe that Lulu isn't that kind of person since she appears always so melancholy and calculated yet the truth is that you don't know what is going on in her head and perhaps it is better that way. It is the woman's desire to please you to her best abilities and for her to prove that to you she is not above coercing you into bed with her. By the time you are nude in front of her whilst she grips your thighs and spreads them apart you have already had your fair share of sex with other Noah, a knowledge that only fuels Lulu Bell's own lust to finally get a taste of you as well. She always ends up overstimulating you, forcing orgasm after orgasm out of you until you're lightheaded. A glass of water is always pushed past your lips to keep you hydrated as she ensures your health before she picks up right where she stopped. You are the only one who looks like the mess when all is finally over as she still manages to look like the elegant and cold beauty even with your juices covering her chin and her hands, golden eyes watching you as she licks her fingers.

🔳Lulu can shapeshift. She can change her appearance, her height, her gender and even her species. You've always known that about her yet it is only when she starts getting sensual with you that you realise what possibilities she has. Possibilities she fully utelises. She elongates her tongue to reach further into you, turns her fingers into almost tentacle-like appendages which wriggle around and explore the deepest parts of you that no one else, not even the other Noah, have ever reached. She's even offered that she could change her gender if you should prefer the feeling of cumming around a dick, an offer you shot down as the thought made you feel embarrassed and awkward. As unfaced as Lulu often seems, her facade crumbles when you start praising her as she is a sucker for compliments from you. That's when she starts purring happily, the vibrations making your walls clench whenever her tongue is diving inside of you as she gets drunk on your sticky release. As someone often stalking you without you knowing of it, Lulu has turned into a voyeur, her fingers sneaking inside her own panties whenever she spots you masturbating as she starts playing with her own clit.

Sheril Kamelot

🪢Sheril has welcomed you with open arms the moment you were introduced to the family and it didn't even need Road to convince him of your worth. His own obsession took care of that very nicely all alone already. Being spoiled is nothing unusual for you but even you admit that Sheril is very excessive about it. There is rarely a day where he doesn't gift to you new jewelry, dresses or other articles of clothing. Once he finds out that Road always holds tea parties with you in her own dimension he gets ridiculously upset about it, whines to her that he'd love to participate as well and that he could bring the most wonderful tea, delicious cakes and expensive set of cups and teapots with him if she were to let him join. He even buys cute and frilly dresses, insists for her and you to wear them when she has her fun with you whilst denying him of his wish to see his cherished daughter and his beloved looking all beautiful and cute together. His reactions are comedical and he's almost quite ridiculous though at one point you know better than to underestimate him or let your guard down. A wise decision. After all Sheril is very possessive even if there may not always be a need to show it.

🪢The Kamelot residence is one of the few places where you are allowed to visit, with preparation beforehand after all. It is only then that you are mortified to find out that Sheril is in fact married to another woman. Tricia is a nice and kind woman, though of fragile health and from that point on you try to reject his affection. You know Sheril doesn't love her, you know he only uses and manipulates her yet your skin crawls whenever he tries to touch you from that point on. What were you hoping by denying him though, doll? He doesn't react well to your silly attempts to distance yourself out of a sense of respect for his wife. In fact it only reveals to you the seedy and greedy man that has been hiding underneath that sappy facade all along. You shouldn't concern yourself at all with what Tricia might feel if she were to find out that her husband is obsessed with another and doesn't care about her at all. He isn't even shy to suggest that he could stage something to have her succumb tragically due to some fatal disease, words you know he means. Only by accepting his smothering affection from that day on you know you can guarantee her survival.

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🪢Sheril is the Noah of Desire and desiring he does you all the time. In innocent and in carnal ways. He's well aware of your inner guilt and shame of allowing yourself to be doted on and loved by him despite being married and he can already guess how you'd feel about committing adultery with him. A topic that would only ever heighten your shame and guilt only excites Sheril. You're quite an innocent thing after all so the idea of dragging you into his own desires and forcing you to writhe and cum around a man's cock who is wedded to another has his heart beating faster and his cock straining against his pants. He wants to see the tears of shame burning in your eyes, wants to watch as the discomfort on your face turns into pleasure until you're forced to cum around his dick. Sheril has a corruption kink going on and he doesn't even attempt to hide it at all. He adores cooing down at you whilst you're pushed over the edge and gush around his member thrusting in and out of you, chiding you for enjoying this all so much even though you yourself insisted on adultery being wrong. But if it really feels as good as it does, it can't be all that bad now, can it?

🪢His corruption kink gets only more and more twisted as he forces to to wear Tricia's clothes and fucks you inside of them and at one point he even has you wearing her wedding ring, a mixture of purrs and growls rumbling from inside his chest as his hips move against your own whilst he's wearing his own wedding ring, fingers intertwined with your own. You don't know what he would have given to marry you and make you officially his beloved yet he knows that the other Noah would object to that and he has to oblige as you are a shared lover of the family. He marks you in other ways, leaves bite marks all over your skin as he shares the blood kink with his brother and he seems to share sometimes when lost in his own desires the same fantasy as the Earl to impregnate you, get you all round with his baby and to make you the mother of his children. Sheril is in comparison to his brother Tyki much more sadistic though, he hurts you and makes you uncomfortable to the point where you end up crying and shedding tears only to feel his hands wiping the hot tears away from your cheeks, a sickening purr vibrating in his chest as his hips pick up speed.

Maushyma

🕶️You're actually quite comfortable around Maushyma. Whilst he is just as determined to keep you with the Noah family he isn't nearly as overbearing as most of the others. In fact when he is around he often intervenes when he notices that you're uncomfortable due to the antics of the family. He's protective of you in the same way an older brother would be and you appreciate that. Maushyma hasn't always been that way. There was a time where he held a slight grudge against you too, always gave off that slightly mocking aura when you were around as he couldn't understand how one single human had managed to worm their way into the heart of the Noah family. He's always been mature about it though and whilst not accepting you initially he always tolerated you at the very least. By now all those negative feelings have completely disappeared and have instead been replaced by something akin to pity. He pities you sometimes for the situation that you find yourself in, especially since he's aware that you had a normal life before all of this. It may not have been perfect and he might sometimes try to highlight the advantages of living now in the Ark but he sees the toll it tends to have on you.

🕶️He advocates for you to get at least a bit more freedom whenever he has the chance or notices that your mood has hit rock bottom. If you should have had a pet before you were abducted he suggests bringing it over so that you have at least some semblance of normalcy in your life and if you shouldn't have one he would probably still suggest that they should get you one to help your mind to focus on something else than the isolation and the new life you're forced to lead. He loves drinking, has actually invited you over to enjoy a few bottles of wine with him only to be stopped by another Noah. Maushyma's tolerance when it comes to booze is nothing short of terrific after all and they don't want your liver to give up on you as Maushyma sometimes tends to forget that he can hold his liquor better than any human could ever. So instead he just drinks herbal tea with you as alcohol is out of option per say of all other Noah members. Whenever you're feeling depressed or down he prepares you hot tea and even lets you put on his sunglasses even though you know how important they are to him. Honestly, he's one of the Noah you feel most at ease with which does attract some jealousy.

Fiedla

👅Fiedla is a very passive person who tends to follow the orders and the decisions of others instead of making his own. So whilst he might also harbor the common mindset that normal humans are inferior in comparison to his family he has never bothered to try to spite you. That carefree and passive behavior of his eases him pretty much into his obsession. It brings his fair share of disadvantages with it though. Often he is either too dense to realise that he is making you uncomfortable or he decides that he can't be bothered to care enough, forcing you to spend time with him all whilst you're feeling a high level of discomfort in his presence. The fact that he so nonchalantly showed you his Parasitic Tongue covered in eyeballs and told you very explicitly what it can do has only frightened you more and as if truly too uncaring or blind to see how uncomfortable and disgusted you are with those features of his he has even shown you the mouth on his belly. You feel queasy whenever you catch a glimpse of his tongue, his eyeballs always looking into your direction as if also sharing the same obsession with him and it always takes another Noah to reprimand him and tell him to stop.

👅His passiveness has one advantage though which is that he also does most requests you give him without questioning it much or expecting a reward for it, even finding himself often taking your side when arguments happen. He isn't nearly as clingy as half of the other Noah and just like Lulu he is actually often watching you from behind the scenes. He could be laying on the couch whilst you're surrounded by Road, Jasdero, Devit and other members who are trying to get your attention yet his gaze would still be glued to you. If there is one habit of his that you really don't like it is the fact that he goes into your room when you aren't in it simply to walk around inside of it, open your drawers and cabinets to see what you have in your room. He's curious after all and he doesn't have anything better to do which is the most common answer he gives you when you try to tell him to stop. He doesn't even bother to justify himself and judging from the look on his face you know that he'll do it sooner or later again.

Wisely Kamelot

👁️Wisely himself isn't even all that unpleasant for you. It is his Demon Eyes that make you uncomfortable as he is able to read your thoughts, your mind not safe around him. Sure, he insists that he respects your privacy and wouldn't want to poke around in your head but that is a lie and other Noah tell you so as well. You know it's a lie as he always responds to questions crossing your mind when you are around or comments on a thought that you had but didn't dare to voice. It's his ability to read thoughts of others that makes it impossible for Wisely to remain delusional as he can quite literally look inside your head to know what's going on and how you're feeling. He knows how you think and feel about other Noah so it actually isn't uncommon for the Earl or other Noah to ask him how you feel about them. Even Devit sometimes drags him away to ask him what you think about him though he threatens Wisely to never tell you about that. He shares such information the most with his sister Road as both of them muse how they can get you to warm up to all members as good as possible. Armed with the knowledge of what you think about him all the time, Wisely has the best requirements.

👁️Even though he isn't the oldest Noah he is actually able to remember the lives of all of his previous reincarnations which give him a surprising amount of wisedom you don't expect. Wisely is sometimes almost childish after all, wanting to be the center of your attention and fighting over it with the rest of his family and sometimes even daring to ask if he can share a bed with you when he struggles to fall asleep. Still, he will make use of his abilities and the information he gathers through it. He is willing to compromise with you if it helps him to get closer to you but he simply can't stop reading your mind. It's his ability after all and deep down he actually enjoys that he has such an intimate bond with you where he can so casually always know what you're thinking. Like Maushyma his powers enable him to step in whenever he hears your thoughts and realises that you're not feeling well at the moment. You've learned after some time of being forced to live with the Noah that just sucking it up and suffering silently is the best choice you have. In such moments Wisely appears, hoping that you'll think of him in that moment as your hero.

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👁️The ability to look into the mind of other people can be a blessing as much as it can be a curse and that holds especially true if so many of the Noah hold such desire and lust for you. Tyki is bad, Sheril is worse, Lulu Bell is shocking and there are so many more Noah who give Wisely a headache. This is actually how he always knows who has already fucked you and who has fucked you most recently. It's partially embarrassing but he'd lie if he were to say that he doesn't try to peak deeper into the memory of other Noah to find out more about it. He often ends up with a headache and a restricting tightness in his pants as even reading the memories of other Noah having sex with you seems to affect him. It's especially bad if someone is currently devouring your pussy whilst he's also in the Ark as he picks up on the thoughts of you and whoever your current partner is, the thoughts just flodding into his mind whilst he's either not able to stop them or doesn't want to stop them. He can't help himself when he fishes his own stiff cock out of his pants and starts masturbating whilst listening in on the thoughts of you and the other Noah, able to visualise what you must look like in that moment.

👁️As weird as it might sound by the point you have your first time with Wisely he already knows pretty well where to touch you thanks to all the thoughts of other Noah. He does often all the foreplay by using his tongue and his fingers, his five eyes watching you very closely. He gets more lazy though when it's his time to be pleasured which is why he often allows you to take the lead by riding him, letting you do all the work whilst he just leans back and enjoys the pleasure he receives. He might even get a little bit bratty and demanding whilst beneath you now that he has your entire attention only on himself. His hands are grasping your flesh tightly, his hips chasing after yours as he whines, growls and begs for more compliments from you. He's beautiful after all, there should be more than enough that you can praise and compliment him for. He especially adores it when he knows that your words of praise are sincere, your thoughts speaking nothing but the truth which leads him to let out happy purrs as he basks in your undivided attention and adoration.

Toraido

👨‍⚖️Toraido initially puts away his own feelings of confusion and distrust he harbors for you, unclear with himself whether he should view you as a threat or if he should plunge himself into the same obsession so many other Noah have fallen in already. Instead as soon as the Earl declares you to now stay with their family he instantly only focuses on the task he has been given each reincarnation. Toraido is the Judge, he is responsible to see it through that no family members betrays the Noah and now that you have been made part of that family his judgement is cast upon you from that day on too. Whenever he is around you can feel his golden eyes following you, the same serious expression always decorating his face as if he's judging your every breath. He's by far one of the strictest people within the family, always voting to restrict your freedom as much as possible which has led you to not like Toraido at all yet your feelings do not deter his determination in the least. Toraido has already once failed in his purpose when Nea not only betrayed but nearly killed the entire family and for that it is no wonder that he antagonises the recent reincarnation of him as much as he does.

👨‍⚖️He doesn't even allow you anywhere near Nea whenever he is around and Toraido is by far not the only Noah who doesn't want you to be around the 14th too much. In Toraido's eyes the traitor would only be a terrible influence for you and he can't have that. Toraido is about as taciturn as Lulu Bell is, maybe even more as you discover that he really seems to dislike talking. The few times you tried to spark conversations with him he merely gave you a single glance, letting you bathe in the embarrassing silence. It is not within his desires to talk to you as it would seem, being able to observe you and ensure that you never betray the Noah family seems to be enough for him. However, sometimes he drags you to his own room where he guides you to sit down before he starts meditating, silently demanding from you to follow his example. Such an unexpected action from him happens almost exclusively when Toraido notices how tense and stressed you are and his forceful invitation to meditate with him is apparently his way of attempting to help you to relax. You must say, it is nice to be surrounded by nothing but silence for a while.

Nsfw

👨‍⚖️Toraido has never considered himself to be impatient nor selfish when it comes to you. He understands that you are after all a shared darling for the entire Noah family and he has always put his own duty as the Judge above the silly commotion of sleeping with you. He doesn't mind that at one point he is one of the few who hasn't gotten his taste of you yet. It is only when he realises that apparently Nea, despite always edging you on and teasing, hasn't gotten you for himself either that he finally starts getting competitive. He doesn't want to be last, not when it is Nea who is also still left. He doesn't want to lose against the traitor once more. So the next time you find yourself knocking on the door to his room as he left a note for you informing you that he wants to see you, the meditation session you expected to happen to him never happens. Instead he sits quietly in the middle of the room, not even looking at you when you open the door which leaves you to tentatively step closer to him only to be suddenly grabbed by the hips and pulled down as his lips crash against your own, a quiet growl leaving his lips as he rubs his bulge against your cloathed pussy.

👨‍⚖️You've never encountered someone so utterly quiet whenever he takes you. No teasing words, no dirty talk, no pleas, no whines, no moans. Only the subtle growl occasionally escaping his chest, so quiet and short that you sometimes wonder if you were merely imagining it or not. Sex with Toraido isn't always fulfilling for you though, mainly because he only pleasures you when he deems that you have behaved yourself well in your new life with the Noah family. If he deems that you haven't behaved properly and were very impolite and disrespectful you're only getting the feeling of his cock hammering against the back of your throat, only left with your hardest attempts not to gag as you're forced to suck him off until he comes and splashes his sticky and translucent semen all over your face and chin. Only when he judges your attitude and your actions around the Noah as obedient and good will he be the one to pleasure you, forcing you into all sorts of positions that vaguely remind you of yoga figures whilst taking you from different directions. Your joints and muscles always hurt as he bends you into shapes that always test your flexibility to its limit.

Maitora

⚙️Maitora always works from behind the scenes and even though you often don't notice them they are always somewhere in the background. In fact it is Maitora who has actually built the Ark and who has had a large hand in creating the room you're currently living in as well. All technology that you find yourself surrounded with, they have created and they take pride in knowing how amazed you are by their inventions. Whenever you accidentally break something or another Noah breaks something, a likely scenario if the twins are around anywhere, Maitora has it all fixed within 24 hours. It's no secret that you often feel down or bored, stuck in a room and spoiled with money until you almost become jaded with all the presents you receive, and it is then that Maitora has the idea to build you harmless machines with which you can play and entertain yourself with. Mechanical figures that can walk and dance around and other silly inventions that they come up with. Sometimes you're even allowed to watch them working on another project and can even participate if they're building something that isn't involved with the Ark.

⚙️You're more likely to meet Maitora when little to no light is around since they don't like the brightness and prefer the darkness. Since they are so inconspicious they sometimes spend minutes watching you from a few feet away without you even noticing it until you finally look up and nearly suffer from a heart attack then and there. At least they listen when you ask them to inform you of their presence next time unless they want to be responsible for you dying due to your heart stopping. From that day on they tap your shoulder if you haven't noticed them two minutes after they have arrived. They like taking care of mice, even have a few of them as pets. If you shouldn't like mice they are going to be a bit sad since they're fond of the little animals but will accept your fear and hide them whenever you visit their room. If you should be someone who actually likes mice though they're going to be excited about the possible aspect of bonding more by taking care of the mice together with you. If you do a good job they might even gift you a few of your own which you can keep in your room and raise yourself. They might even cure some of your loneliness.

Nea D. Campell

🎹Shunned, distrusted, kept away from you as often as possible. Nea has successfully turned his own family against him when he betrayed them and killed multiple of them, leaving only Adam and Road left by the end of it all. It is only the Earl that still holds true affection for him, who still welcomes him despite everything that he as done and Nea takes advantage of the attachment the Lor Millenium still holds for him to gain more privacy and time with you. He has no shame using others to achieve his own goal, ruthless and manipulative as he goes about his day. He does not wish to be part of the Noah family yet is forced to do so by the Earl, hating yet temporarily resigned to the knowledge that a Noah can't hide from other Noah. For now he is left with no choice but to accept the fact that you will never be truly his, not with all the other Noah around. If there should ever be a chance for him to make you solely his though Nea is going to seize it as he embodies possessive love in its truest sense. He wants you to belong to him and only him. For now he has to remain patient though as he manoeuvres his way through each day, surrounded by Noa who don't want him anywhere near you.

🎹He's exceptionally skilled in acting and deceiving you, always sweet and gentle when he talks to you, luring you to his side by playing piano for you, his voice soft and his eyes warm when you converse with him. It almost manages to fool your heart even if it wouldn't be for the fear you hold against the Noah overall and the warnings you receive from everyone else. His feelings for you aren't pure, an unhealthy obsession mingling with his hatred for humans. You're no equal and he sees Adam's wish to treat you as an equal and as a lover as a naive daydream. Sure, you are infinitely better than any other human yet to Nea you are no equal. You are a little, exotic pet that he wants to own and possess yet he can't have it his way. So his only choice is to try to feed you with his lies and poison to get you as attached and as addicted to him as possible. The mere notion of sharing you with all the other Noah is ridiculous, nothing short of distasteful yet for now he has to practice his patience and wait for the right moment. He's going to betray them again as soon as he gets the chance and he will take you with him for he desires to have you only for his own eyes and his own pleasure.

Nsfw

🎹Nea doesn't want to have to approach you, doesn't want to bow down to his own desires and seek you out. Such a thing would be unsightly and beneath him. No, he wants you to be the one to seek him out, to beg for him and tell him that you need him and he doesn't even mind playing the long mindgame with you to achieve it. The moment you're left alone he lures you away, that kind look being replaced by a devious gleam in his eyes as soon as it's only him and you. It starts out with teasing touches, with sweetly condescending words yet every time you have another encounter with him the situation escalates more and more until your panties hang loosely around your ankles whilst three of his fingers are plunged deep within you, his thumb playing around with your sensitive clit and his lips muffling your whines and whimpers. God, you can almost feel yourself cumming as his fingers pump in and out of you fastly, can already feel your walls clenching around his digits until he suddenly pulls out of you, leaving your walls clamping painfully around the sudden nothingness as you let out a frustrated sob as he denies you once again an orgasm.

🎹He despises that he isn't the first one who claimed you even though it was his own pride holding him back. He loathes that so many Noah already got their hands on you. You're spoiled good, nothing more than a worthless human who has sold their own body to anyone available. The switch in personalities is jarring every single time as Nea's words are not meant to degrade you whilst turning you on but are meant to target your insecurities and to break you down whilst you're already so vulnerable and exposed, pressed benath him. You end up crying each time when you find yourself once again fooled by his sweet facade, his words hurting you and his denial of letting you cum multiple times leaving you on edge. He won't give you your desired pleasure, not until he has broken you enough for you to sob and chant to him that you're only his precious pet and that the other Noah should mean absolutely nothing to you. Only then are you allowed to gush around his cock, the cracks already in your heart. Who knows, he might just break the old man's heart by destroying him his dream and have you swell with his own child before anyone else and stake his claim over you in something as the first one.

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