#thin is is similarly ranked. it’s not even fun i just remember liking it a lot as a kid

[spiralsta1rcase]

hi

made this enjoy playing with it

rb with your tierlist

[whisperiin]

chrome is my fav but I like seeing my favs suffer a bit so 🤭 can I request an angsty to fluff one-shot (or whichever format you prefer) with chrome and a childhood friend gn!reader? (friends with feeling for each other teehee!!!) smth like reader goes missing during a mission on earth and a year later reader is found as a construct and brought back to Babylonia? emotional reunion with chrome and everything 😭🫶🏻

chrome makes me explode!!!! he has no business being so romantic.

Thank you! I adore your blog and I hope to see it grow in the future!! <3

hi anon, thanks so much you're so sweet !! i totally get you tho ... i loooove making my favs suffer teehee it's so fun ... i also really like this prompt i love love love angst to fluff !! fun fact, i actually have a wanshi smooching oc with a similar backstory !! great minds think alike (〃´𓎟`〃)

i wrote mooostly from chrome's pov since the reader got yoinked so i hope it's alright that they don't have Too much involvement, but all that aside i hope you enjoy!!

here i am (following your steps).

content warnings: implications of/vague allusions to death (you get better though)

When CHROME takes the mission report into his hands, he feels like the world has been pulled out from under his feet.

Your squadmates' faces were similarly grim — downcast eyes, lips pressed into thin lines — and no matter how hard he wanted to, he couldn't deny the truth of the matter, relayed to him in your captain's trembling apologies and Babylonia's standard typewritten font.

Your name, your rank, reported missing in action.

Chrome keeps his face carefully blank as he reads the rest of it over. Maybe he should have been there with you, he thinks. Maybe if you had one more person with you, then your squad wouldn't have had to split up, and you wouldn't have had to go alone, and —

"Thank you for letting me know," he says, a mask of fake reservation, and then he turns to leave.

There are pictures of you and him that you put up in his sleeping pod that he can't bring himself to take down, unopened gift boxes piled on top of the desk in the Strike Hawk lounge addressed to him. He thinks about how he wanted to straighten your jacket one more time before you swatted his hand away, and he wonders what you would say if he asked if you would still want to spend the rest of your life with him, like you believed you would growing up. You would always stay over for dinner, anyway, and his father already likes you — what's one more night, and one more, and one more?

It's a foolish, childish notion, but still the thought of it, the empty, gaping hole where you had once stood beside him, haunts him so.

Chrome sets the mission report face-down.

Time without you passes slowly. After each mission Chrome spends another hour searching for you, and after each mission he returns to Babylonia without even finding the slighest trace of you. Not a torn piece of your coat, your pistol, your remains — nothing to officially pronounce you dead, and precious little else to remember you by.

Sometimes, he catches himself checking in on the private comms channel he set up for the two of you. Today, too, he finds himself listening to the silence that your voice used to fill, casting his gaze off to the horizon, past devastated streets and ruined buildings —

— And then he catches a flash of something in the distance that almost eerily reminds him of you.

He doesn't waste a single moment before he gives chase, your silhouette that he was so used to seeing growing clearer and clearer with each step. Even though he might just be deluding himself, he needs to see with his own eyes that it's not you to believe it.

The silhouette turns at the sound of his footsteps and at the sight of your face, the world is pulled out from under him again.

"...Chrome?"

(How long has it been since he last heard your voice?)

"It's you," he says softly, falling from his lips like the answer to a prayer that even he can't quite believe. "...You're here."

The words bring a smile to your face — soft and bright and oh-so-familiar — and he reaches out for your hand, sliding down to hold your wrist. His fingers press against where he might feel your pulse but it's still, silent, cold, with only the same subtle thrum of electricity that sits beneath his own synthetic skin.

"I'm here," you echo, and for just a moment he sets aside all the questions running through his head.

Chrome takes another look at you, at your new metal body, at the same face he had seen every day growing up and seen in his dreams every night since you disappeared. He straightens your jacket and lets his hand rest on your shoulder for one moment, then two, waiting for you to swat his hand away.

"Chrome," you say, placing your hand over his. "Can I stay over for dinner?"

The question draws a surprised noise out of his throat, and his expression slowly melts into a smile.

"Always," he replies. "...And for however long you want to stay afterwards."

[lobster-tales]

Falling Back in Love With You

Chapter 3 Summary:  Link and Mipha travel to Rito House, intending to pick up their representative from the archery club. Revali, however, proves to be a problem.

This work is available here on AO3. Chapter 1  Chapter 2 

Link switched on the radio, not to disrupt the comfortable silence between Mipha and him, but to enhance it. Rhoam always left a blues album in the CD player. The van rolled past empty halls and dormitories, vacant fields and courts. Very few students stayed at the university through the weekend.

When they reached the edge of campus, Mipha asked, “Did you have fun last night?”

Link shrugged, casting her a clueless look.

“You don’t know?” Her eyes widened. “Oh, you don’t remember?”

He shook his head.

Concern entered Mipha’s voice. “I didn’t realize you drank that much… Do you even remember when I was there?”

Link pinched his fingers together, a small gap between.

“How much? Do you remember that game we played? With the cards?”

He nodded.

“Do you remember…” She let out a slight chuckle. “When we got the card where everyone has to drink while holding hands?”

Link smiled to himself, recalling the group’s laughter, someone spilling soda on their shirt.

“And… After everyone else put their hands down, you still held my hand?”

His blood froze. Link kept his eyes forward, tracing the details in his mind. He hoped to find something else, something easier to explain. Now that she mentioned it, though, he did remember. Mipha’s hands were small and cold, and he was warm from the punch.

She sensed the change and bit back her disappointment. Mipha gazed out the window instead, watching the neighborhood pass by. The van turned into Rito Street, and she knew she was running out of private time.

“I know… I’m not sure…” Mipha tried to put her feelings into words. “I just wanted you to know that I… I liked it. I liked holding your hand. Whatever it meant, or even if it meant nothing at all.”

Link tried not to react, but he knew his uncertainty was on full display.

Mipha steeled herself. “I guess… if it’s not too much, I wanted to ask you something?”

His curiosity got the better of him, and Link glanced her way.

“I’ve… wanted to ask you for a while now.”

The navigation app beeped on Link’s phone, alerting that they were at their destination. He pulled alongside a blue house, putting the van in park. The action startled Mipha.

“Oh, we’re here.” She straightened in her seat, reminded of the task at hand. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have brought it up now. I’ll wait until after the budget proposal.” Her thin red lips pulled into a smile. “Come on; let’s go find Revali.”

A broad-shouldered man perched on the front step of the blue house. His intimidating presence was offset by the accordion in his hands, his bright blue mohawk, and the easy look he gave the two of them. “Hey Link, hey Mipha,” he said, the instrument sighing between his fingers.

Before Link could wonder if this was Revali, Mipha said, “Good morning, Kass. How was your show last night?”

“It was great, thanks for asking. Blew the roof off of ole Rito House.” He indicated the blue building behind him.

Link felt memories flicker. He remembered how the building’s facade looked at night. The front door was opened only for performers, while the rest of the crowd gathered in the backyard.

Kass’s heavy eyeliner crinkled as he smiled. “What can I do for you?”.

“We’re looking for Revali,” Mipha said. “It’s a sports club thing.”

“On a Saturday?” Kass lifted his chin towards Link. “Aren’t you hungover?”

Link nodded bashfully, then pointed his index and middle fingers forward. He pivoted them up and down towards Kass.

“And you’re in a rush?” Kass shook his head. “What a day. Well, come on. I doubt he’s awake. Hang out while I check his room.”

Footprints from the night before were still visible on the ancient wooden floor, tacky where drinks had spilled. Link’s gaze traveled over the furniture, decorated by stains and red plastic cups.

“He’s not in his bed,” Kass said, reappearing at a hallway’s entrance.

“What?” Mipha asked, frowning. “Like he’s not here?”

“Well, not in the house,” said Kass, unbothered. He made for the back door, waving them through.

The backyard was similarly dirty. In one corner of the yard, an abandoned workshed sat with rusty tools inside. The other corner held an unused child’s playset, the wood just beginning to rot. The structure had a plastic yellow slide, two low swings, and a ladder that led to the covered platform in the center. Inside the playset, a body slept soundly, obscured from view by a pile of blankets.

“There he is!” Kass was the first to step forward, clearing his throat. “Revali?” He took hold of one of Revali’s legs, sticking out over the edge of the wood.

Like a snail, Revali withdrew the limb, curling into the fetal position as he growled, “Go away.”

Kass shook his head fondly. “Your friends are here to pick you up.”

Mipha asked, “Did you get Zelda’s texts?”

“Her what?” he grumbled, still hidden from view.

“We have to go to the school.”

“But it’s Saturday.”

“Yes, I know,” Mipha said patiently. “But Ganon changed the meeting. We have to go today.”

Revali rolled over to face them, his dramatic eyebrows and angular nose visible beneath the blanket. “And that’s my problem?”

At the sight of Revali’s features, memories flooded back to Link.

Link and Zelda joined the throng of students in the backyard of Rito House. They lingered on the outskirts of the group, apprehensive. Link’s mind was still fuzzy from the punch at the lifeguard apartment, and Zelda felt out of her comfort zone amongst the partygoers. A few people waved and some even approached her to talk. Link discovered that several were in the student council under Zelda’s leadership, and others knew her from classes or from the sports clubs.

“Princess, welcome!”

Zelda winced and turned to face a student wearing a light blue scarf, his navy hair wind blown on top and gathered into short braids at the nape of his neck. “Please don’t call me that, Revali,” she said.

Revali cocked an eyebrow. “My apologies, but you are the student council president, not to mention the daughter of the dean, therefore-”

“Ex-dean,” Zelda corrected sharply, her fists clenching.

Sensing he had gone too far, Revali backed off. “Very well, then I shall stick to ‘my lady’.” His green eyes settled on Link, mouth curling. “And I see you brought your bodyguard.”

“Link is my friend,” Zelda said. “You remember him from the fencing club?”

“Of course,” Revali said, circling them with one hand on his chin. “You know, some would argue that fencers are the natural rivals of archers such as myself.”

“What?” Zelda asked, exasperated. “Who would argue that?”

“Like I said, my lady,” Revali took his place in front of them, peering over his shoulder. He lifted his arms to each side, showing off his muscles beneath his sleeveless turtleneck. “Some.”

Zelda rolled her eyes. “We’re all part of the sports club program, Revali. None of us are rivals.”

“Indeed,” he sighed. “However, it’s no secret that anyone can swing a little sword around. But it takes true skill and precision to fire an arrow, to pierce a target directly in the center.”

Link huffed, insulted by Revali’s coarse description of fencing. Zelda saw his expression change and said, “Fencing takes skill and precision too.”

“Oh please,” Revali scoffed. “Fencing is a brutish and violent sport. All of their members just want an excuse to beat on each other with weapons for hours at a time.” He raised his head high. “But archery is only for those with a refined taste, my lady. In fact, I wouldn’t debase it so much as to call it a sport; it’s more of an art.” He smirked at Zelda. “You know, my lady, we could use an elegant palette such as yours among our ranks.”

Zelda’s annoyance melted away, and she smirked at Revali. “Actually, I’m already a member of a club.”

Revali froze, looking between the two of them. “Oh? Perhaps volleyball, with Lady Urbosa?”

“Nope.” Zelda crossed her arms, triumphant. “Something more brutish and violent.”

Link stifled a laugh, but Revali was unamused. He pursed his lips, bowing his head in surrender. “Well perhaps… not every fencer is…”

A voice interrupted from the back porch, saving Revali from further embarrassment. “Kass is on in five!”

Zelda took Link’s hand and led him towards the back door, calling back to Revali, “See you after the show!”

They entered the crowded living room, one side of which had been cleared out to make space for the stage. Once they had picked a spot along the wall, Zelda collapsed into giggles. “Oh, that was priceless! What a-” She stopped, and found more tactful words. “I mean… Don’t get me wrong, he can be cool, but he’s just so... eccentric.”

Link grinned. He knew her well enough to understand her real meaning, and he agreed. Zelda stifled another laugh and said, “I’m going to find a restroom. Wait here for me?”

He nodded, and she disappeared into the crowd. Link stood alone against the edge of the room, watching Kass tune his accordion through the wall of bodies.

A voice hissed in Link’s ear. “You think you’re so clever, swordsman.”

Link jolted and met Revali’s piercing gaze. The archer narrowed his eyes. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed how you strut about, acting like you’re better than me. You may have Lady Zelda fooled, but I see right through you.” The corner of his mouth twitched. “So, what do you say we settle this? Once and for all? I have a bottle of rum in the cabinet; I can secure us some shot glasses from the house owners.” Revali stuck out his hand. “How about it, swordsman? Do you accept my challenge?”

Link paused. He had never competed in a drinking contest before, and was unsure of how much alcohol he could handle. The other, and perhaps the most pressing concern, was how Zelda would react once she found out.

Revali sneered at his indecision. “Ah, so you are a coward. I figured as much.”

Then again, Revali had relentlessly insulted his passion, and Link found that he couldn’t turn down an opportunity to put him in his place. Just as Kass began the first song, Link grasped Revali’s hand.

“Yes, Revali, because it affects your club,” Mipha said.

Link blinked back the thoughts, focusing on their exchange.

“Just like it affects the fencing club,” she said, indicating Link. “And the swimming club,” she pointed to herself. “And all of us. If Zelda doesn’t have any sport club members there, then the budget proposal gets rejected. That means no new bows, arrows, gear, anything. The practice gyms-”

“The archery club doesn’t use the practice gyms,” Revali scoffed. “We have to go off campus. Our gear still works, and if anyone wants something new, they can buy it themselves.”

Mipha’s mouth curled into a rare sneer. “Revali, this is important. Just come with us.”

“Nope.” Revali rolled over once more, pulling the blanket tight around his body.

Link, Mipha, and Kass exchanged glances. Kass shrugged helplessly. “Maybe you can ask someone from a different club?”

“On such short notice?” Mipha’s shoulders lowered in defeat, and she pulled out her cellphone. “I could ask my friend from the sailing club… If she left now, then maybe she’d make it on time.”

Time. Link removed his own phone to check. 11:20.

Whoa. How did that happen? He glanced at Mipha, who was still scrolling through her contacts. We don’t have time for this.

Link examined the playset. He nudged Kass, pointing to the slide. A grin spread across Kass’s features and he nodded in approval. He moved into position as Link climbed onto the playset, standing over Revali.

Still wrapped in blankets, Revali glared up at Link. “What do you think you’re- Aahh!”

Link shoved Revali’s body through the opening that led to the slide. Unable to stop his descent, Revali fell into Kass’s arms. Kass hoisted him over his shoulder, shooting Link a thumbs up with his free hand.

Revali protested loudly and without dignity. Kass hauled him through the fence gate, then tossed him into the backseat of the van. Suppressing a chuckle, Kass winked at Link and Mipha. “Just bring him back here when you’re done. My kids are at a sleepover, so I’ll still be around.” He moved back to his position on the front porch step, picking up his accordion once more as he called, “Oh, and good luck!”

[sketchy-characters-in-progress]

When Teasing Ends in Trouble

Summary: Jude gives Cardan a phone. A few explicit pictures later Cardan realizes he can't deal with the sexual frustration, and takes it out on Jude. She’s surprisingly into it.

A/N: Ok so I posted this on Ao3 a while back because I was too nervous to put it here, but I’ve seen some similar stuff to my own on here recently and decided to say fuck it and just go for it.

Worst that could happen is people hate it. But even if one person likes it it wouldn’t have been for nothing haha. Oh also I like never write so I don’t know how this stands up as a piece of writing, I just hope it’s entertaining.

And this was so fun to write so there’s that.

Gets kind of dark, is pretty OOC, and like 7500 words. But enjoy!

Warnings: Smut, Dom/Sub, spanking, Swearing, Crying, Dark but Jude’s clearly pretty into it at the end, OOC af but I had fun so

_______________________________________________________________________

JUDE & CARDAN

Cardan Greenbriar isn’t one to show a variety of emotions in public. The ones most often witnessed by his subjects were ones of boredom during incessant meetings or smug amusement at a particularly rambunctious party. On a rare occasion, some fae would be unfortunate enough to witness his face twist into stone cold rage. And, of course, the newest addition to his lackluster range of displayed emotions: adoration. Ever since he and Jude Duarte, his once exiled queen and sworn enemy, had reconciled, he’d display his affection as openly as a child with his favourite piece of candy.

However, as with all things, too much of something never ends well. All this newfound happiness led to lengthy periods of sulking with a thundercloud over his head whenever Jude was gone. And the whole … misunderstanding… with Jude’s exile led to some life changing revelations on her side.

Jude discovered that she made a damn good ambassador between the humans and fae.

In the process of securing the crown’s future, Jude had many opportunities to diplomatically resolve the conflicts with her enemies, using her unique position as someone deeply entrenched in both worlds.

Well, the positive outcomes of those discussions were probably due to her threats to separate bodies from heads and parade them on a stick, but she tried to be diplomatic. 

And she sure as hell enjoyed it.

Meanwhile, while Jude was stuck in the human world, Cardan had spent his time actually learning how he was supposed to run a country and be a strong ruler before he ended up on the wrong side of a revolution. So once everything had calmed down, both Cardan and Jude were comfortable settling into their new roles, with Cardan as a true King and Jude as a Queen in name but a diplomat in essence.

The new jobs also did wonders to teach Jude how to control her temper and to cement Cardan’s new status as someone not to be fucked with.

And although they were both happy in the positions, Jude’s constant trips between the worlds and different parts of the land left both her and Cardan apart for quite too long. Thus, long periods of yearning and sulking around the palace for the disgruntled King.

And, of course, Jude decided to do something about it.

Directly leading to the day when Cardan, with a strangled noise and a pinking face, displayed wide-eyed shock in front of his highest-ranking officers for the first time ever.

_______________________________________________________________________

JUDE

After her second long expedition to the human world, Jude came back to her palace with a mischievous smile and excited eyes.

Walking through the palace and hearing her muddy boots squishing on pristine marble tiles made her feel right at home. Jude briefly felt bad for the servants who would have to clean up after her muddy mess, and promised not to drag in half the palace grounds after herself next time she entered the castle. Looking back at the footprints, she decided not to make the situation worse.

Tugging off her boots, she held them in her hands as she made the rest of the way towards her King’s private chambers. Familiar guards dotted the halls towards the royals’ wing of the castle, and she greeted them with warm smiles, giddy from what she was about to present to her husband. Turning the corner, she pattered down the hall towards where Cardan spent most of his time when she was gone.

Finally, Jude stopped in front of heavy wooden doors engraved with faint carvings of beasts and creatures from all corners of the land of Faeries. Pushing at the ornate doors, her socks slipped on the marble and she nearly fell into Cardan’s enormous private office.

The first things she noticed were the familiar floating dust motes in the golden rays of the sun, quickly followed by the hundreds of books lining magnificent bookshelves, and then the lonely figure at a desk in the middle of the room.

As if sensing that she was looking at him, Cardan slowly turned around in his chair, a lazy smile stretching his lovely features. Standing up carefully, he started to make his way towards her far too slowly.

In response, Jude dropped her dirty boots and dashed into his arms. When she crashed into him, he nearly fell over from the impact, letting out a surprised grunt followed by a long peal of gentle laughter.

Burying his face in her hair, Jude heard him murmur, “I missed you darling.”

Her only reply was to wrap her arms around him tightly and hold on for way too long, yet not long enough. Though they might laugh and joke, ten months apart were not easy to bear for either of them. This was the longest she’d been away from him on one of her trips, and she swore right there and then to never leave for so long again.

When Jude forced herself away so that she could look at his face, she noticed the shadows under his eyes, and tiredness in his smile. Remembering that late morning in the human world is essentially late night for faeries, Jude raised her hand to Cardan’s cheek.

“Shouldn’t you be going to sleep?” She whispered, caressing his jaw.

Sighing, Cardan leaned into her touch, “I have reports to sign and disputes to settle. As you know quite well, it’s long and tiring work. 

Squinting down at her through his long lashes, he whispered conspiratorially, “Did you know that someone stole Sir Goran’s prize pumpkin?”

After a stunned moment, Jude couldn’t help but throw her head back in laughter. Tired or otherwise incapacitated Cardan was the most amusing Cardan by far.

“I did not know that,” she replied through hiccups of laughter.

Cardan groaned heavily, dropping his head onto her shoulder in an almost comical fashion, “That man could buy three full plots of goddamn pumpkins and still afford those atrocious mermaid-scale boots that are supposedly the last of their kind. And yet he continues to send me fucking letters detailing the utter horror committed against him and how I can’t even solve the case of the damn stolen pumpkin.” 

By this point, Jude was about to fall over in laughter, holding an exhausted Cardan that seemed to be similarly beginning to give into the amusement of the absurd situation. In just a few minutes, they’ve ended up on the floor, clutching each other as their laughter subsided.

With a sigh, Jude leaned her forehead against Cardan’s, feeling his body react to hers as she melted into him. He held her tighter and his chest began to rise quicker. Hers matched his in turn. Time apart had made their bodies miss the release they could find in each other.   

“I actually have a present for you,” Jude whispered, remembering what she needed to give to him, heart still hammering.

The exhaustion seemed to flit completely out of Cardan’s eyes, replaced by dark desire.

He raised his eyebrows, murmuring as he leaned in, “Oh really? Is it what I’d find if I felt between your thighs right now?”

Heat pooled in Jude’s belly as one hand traced her rounded ear and the other played with the string on her trousers. Shaking her head to clear it of murky longing, she pushed him away before she ended up spending all day fucking instead of accomplishing her goal.

“Oh my God Cardan, is that all you think about?” Jude laughed, “I have an actual present for you.”

Leaning in one more time, Jude pressed her lips to Cardan’s ear, “And if you’re good and let me finish showing you my present, I’ll let you have your way with the other gift you so kindly caused.”

Cardan groaned, gripping her hips tight enough to bruise, before letting her go with a huff.

“Fine. But don’t think I’ll forget your promise.”

Jude rolled her eyes with a smile, reaching into the forgotten satchel hanging by her side. Pulling out a thin, rectangular object, she passed the precious piece of overpriced metal to Cardan. He seemed to momentarily forget about the tension in the air from mere seconds ago.

“This is a cellphone. Humans currently use it to communicate and connect with each other over long distances. I thought we could use it to talk when I go away,” Jude explained quietly, answering the question in Cardan’s eyes.

Cardan stared down at her, wide-eyed. Slowly, a crooked smile grew on his face.

“Thank you,” he murmured, “I love it, sweetheart.”

Jude pulled away just far enough to give him a big grin.

“Now, listen up, I’ll only teach you the basics of calling and texting, but make sure not to press any other buttons or you might accidentally turn off the only data plan I could find that somehow works from here,” Jude began, amused by the increasing look of confusion on her husband’s face.

_______________________________________________________________________

CARDAN

It took some time and constant repeats from a surprisingly patient Jude until Cardan finally got the hang of using this phone object. However, through the difficulty and confusion, even he had to admit that it was the most useful object he’d possessed in his life, as it allowed him to talk to his wife everyday even if she was gone for months. He even learned how to see her on his phone when talking to her. It was almost like being with her.

Almost.

But Cardan hadn’t realized just how quickly this useful device could turn into a sexual nightmare. The first time it happened was one early morning, as he was getting ready for bed. Just as he closed his eyes, he heard the quiet chime of his phone, meaning Jude had texted him.

Picking up his phone, he frowned as he immediately noticed that something was different. The notification he got was one that he’d never seen before. Of course, he hadn’t had the motivation or time to explore the rest of the things Jude had downloaded onto his phone, but he was still surprised, as she’d never used anything else but texts, phone calls, and video chats. This time, the little banner had a weird white blob on a yellow background to the left, and text that said ‘Snapchat from Jude’, with a red heart and purple devil-face next to the name. Clearly, his wife had her fun with the phone before giving it to him.

Like Jude taught him, Cardan slid the little banner to the right, pressing his thumb to the button at the bottom to unlock the phone. This automatically opened the message, so that he didn’t have to navigate the phone to get to it.

His jaw dropped as his lovely Jude appeared on the screen, clad in nothing but in those underclothes humans loved so much. Red velvet panties and matching bra covered the parts of her he missed so dearly. And then she disappeared off the screen, just like that.

Like a devious phantom that never gave him enough of her to be satisfied, but just enough to leave him pulsing with raw desire, Jude sent him similarly scandalous pictures on random mornings, disappearing before he could truly appreciate them, and always wearing those damned underclothes.

For weeks, she tortured him so. When talking with him, she’d either completely avoid the topic of the pictures or laugh cheekily, making his blood boil and hand itch to teach her a lesson. Of course, with her in a completely different world, there wasn’t much he could do at the moment.

And the meeting was the final straw.

One moment, he was trying not to tune out the boring drabble of the pretentious faeries, and the next he was checking his phone after feeling the vibration indicating a text from his Jude. In hindsight, he should’ve paused for a moment and realized that the white on yellow icon meant this was not a normal text, but his brain was fried from the incessant meetings. 

Opening the message, Cardan was so surprised to see Jude’s very fully naked body taking up the majority of the screen, that he couldn’t help but squeal like a strangled cat.

He vaguely sensed every head in the room turn towards him, unable to tear his eyes away. He could feel the sweat gathering on his palms, as his trouser suddenly became uncomfortably tight. Then the picture disappeared as if it was never there.

Little by little, Cardan shut his mouth, schooled his red face into his usual mask of boredom, and put down the cursed phone.

“Is there a problem?” Cardan drawled lazily, looking around the room.

At the King’s commanding tone, the generals quickly but nervously resumed their discussions.

Completely losing the pretense of paying attention, Cardan drummed his fingers on the table, as he decided that Jude wouldn’t be getting away with this. She knew he had a meeting right now, and she had the gall to send that.

He glowered, itching for revenge. Oh, she’ll get what’s coming to her.

Any general that would have dared to glance at Cardan’s face in that moment would have feared for whatever poor soul was the recipient of the simmering anger behind the King’s eyes.

_______________________________________________________________________

CARDAN 

         Every day, Cardan and Jude had a planned time to video chat. This way, no matter how busy they got, they would talk and see each other at least once a day. This would come in very useful for him today, as Jude wouldn’t break their promise to talk every day. Especially since she didn’t yet know that she had really fucked up.

He hoped she was as nervous to talk to him as he was looking forward to seeing the realization on her face of what was coming to her.

Facing a mirror, Cardan took several deep breaths, calming his face into quiet anger, so as not to give Jude the satisfaction of accidentally seeing the burning desire and emotional turmoil she’d kept him in for over two months.

Turning around, Cardan stalked back to his bed, assuming his usual position against the headboard, holding the phone out in front of him. Looking at the little clock at the top of the phone’s screen, Cardan verified the time and pressed the ‘call button’. His face appeared in a little box at the top corner of the screen, meanwhile Jude still hadn’t answered his call.

For a moment longer than usual, he went unanswered. But then, there she was.

Cardan’s eyes narrowed, staring at the screen. After the little picture debacle today, he would’ve assumed that Jude would’ve had at least a little inkling of the trouble she was in, perhaps opting to appear a little more innocent and demure.

Instead, her top plunged so low that he couldn’t see where it ended below the screen, and her face was adorned with a devious smirk.

“Hey.” Jude said quietly, not quite projecting the confidence of her smile and outfit in her voice. At least she was at least a little bit nervous.

Cardan let the silence stretch out. He knew it was getting uncomfortable, but watching her squirm was exactly the point of today’s call. After a moment, Jude seemed to pull herself together, and build that mask of confidence back up.

Letting the slow, devilish grin split her face even further, Jude leaned in, pushing her breast together. The top wasn’t helping.

“So,” she drawled, “did you like your little present today?”

Cardan tilted his head, still staring with the look that promised pain. He saw her smile falter just a little, but to her credit, she brought it back up, smirking even more. Cardan leaned towards the phone.

“Careful, darling,” he growled, “after I get my hands on you, you won’t be able to sit for a week.”

At first, Jude’s brow furrowed, confident façade gone and replaced by confusion. Then, there it was. The moment that made his torture worth it. The moment she realized exactly what he meant.

Jude’s mouth fell open, her breath leaving in a tattered gasp. She stared at him, the darkest blush he’d ever seen creeping up her neck.

“Y-you wouldn’t,” she stammered, almost a plea.

Cardan couldn’t help the wicked grin stretching his mouth. Come here and find out.

“Oh, wouldn’t I, Jude, dearest,” he replied, schooling his features back into cold anger. “And one more thing. No more sending those pictures when I’m in a meeting, darling. After all, you’ve got, what, three weeks until you come back? Shouldn’t be too difficult.”

Licking his lips like he just spotted his prey, he continued, “I am not in the most forgiving mood currently, and I will punish you for every picture you send from now on.”

Cardan leaned back lazily, watching Jude’s breathing get heavier, chest rising tantalizingly, as the blood drained form her face at his statement. Cardan added his deadly grin back to his furious expression.

“Do you want to know what I’ll do to you for each one you send?” he drawled, boring his eyes into hers.

Jude let out a little whimper, snatching her eyes away from his line of sight.

“No,” she whispered.

“I think you do, sweetheart,” Cardan tutted, “otherwise, how would you know that you actions have consequences? You’re already in big trouble, my dear Jude, but it can get much, much, worse.”

 Cardan narrowed his eyes, growling, “Look at me.”

 Jude’s roaming eyes snapped back to his, as she bit her lip and waited for him to continue.

“Good girl,” he smirked, “For every picture I receive, I will add a week of welts on your ass. And fuck if I know what one versus five weeks of bruises would look like on your backside. But I’ll sure as hell enjoy guessing.”

Leaning in one more time, Cardan decided to let her hear just how angry he was.

“Either way, just remember that you’ll be a screaming, sobbing mess over my lap by the end, begging me to stop,” Cardan snarled, “so just think about that over the next few weeks, and if torturing me was really worth it.”

And with that, he ended the call, a wide-eyed, whimpering girl the last thing he saw.

______________________________________________________________________

JUDE

Jude couldn’t stop staring at her reflection on the dark screen. Cardan was gone, and she saw what she looked like to him: scared.

But with an unexplainable feeling of arousal between her legs.

The moment she realized that he was going to bend her over his knee and spank her like a petulant child, it was as if the gears in her brain stopped turning.

And when she realized it will happen no matter what she did now, she got worried.

Not so much of the pain, but of the inevitable embarrassment of being punished in such a way.

Chewing on her lip, Jude buried her face in her hands, thinking. Should she apologize and beg him not to do it? Or maybe send him more pictures to show him that she wasn’t afraid? It didn’t really help to realize just how wet she was after their conversation.

Cardan had never put her in this kind of situation before, and her heart thumped painfully just thinking about what it will feel like. But she’d seen Cardan angry in person before, and talking through a screen was nothing compared to the real experience of his fury. She couldn’t forget the fire in the coals of his eyes, and imagining seeing that in person, she knew she’d come to regret sending those damned pictures.

In Jude’s mind, she just wanted to rile him up, get him so aroused and on edge that he’d give her the best rough sex she’d ever had when she came back. At no point did she expect he would actually punish her for game, with a fucking spanking no less.

Suddenly a thought struck her, turning her insides cold. He never specified he would use his hands. 

Before she could stop her train of thoughts, her mind spiraled, picturing him slowly pulling a belt out of his pants’ loops and bending it in half…

Jude couldn’t help the moan that slipped through her lips, feeling her arousal begin to cover her thighs. In this scenario she was certainly just as worried about the pain as the embarrassment, but her body seemed to betray her terrified mind.

She rolled over, groaning loudly, stuffing her face into her pillows. One hand quickly found its way down the front of her jeans, as she quickly brought herself to satisfaction with shaky circles. At least now that she had taken care of her craving, her thoughts seemed to clear up somewhat.

Jude knew she couldn’t escape Cardan’s wrath, but at the very least she could control how dark her bruises will be and for how long she’d struggle to sit.

Taking a calming breath, Jude decided that she wouldn’t send any more pictures. It won’t be that bad, I’ll only have to suffer for a week.

Unfortunately, she forgot that sometimes drunk Jude doesn’t make the best decisions.

_______________________________________________________________________

JUDE

Jude woke up with a groan and a splitting headache. Shaking her head and pushing herself up into a sitting position, Jude blinked slowly, trying to take in her surroundings.

From the window, the sun streamed in almost painfully, hitting her face in just the wrong way. Cursing, Jude stood up slowly.

“What the fuck happened to me?”

Straining her sleepy mind, Jude focused on what she could recall.

“Of course!” Jude remembered with a bang. Since she was returning to Faerie today, Viv and their human friends threw her a party. And to stop worrying about seeing Cardan so soon, she drank until she could truly enjoy herself. Smiling bitterly, she realized there was no more avoiding her fate. After her conversation with Cardan three weeks ago, she opted not to contact him anymore. And since he never called himself, she’d been left with his words constantly at the back of her mind. At least she had one night to focus on something else.

Sitting back down on her bed with a sigh, Jude rubbed at her headache with one hand and picked up her phone with the other. After scrolling through her emails, she took a break and went to check her Snapchat. Immediately, she knew something was very, very wrong. At the top of her feed, she saw an opened arrow next to Cardan’s name. Oh no oh no oh no no no. Shit. What did she send? After a moment of rifling through her murky memories, Jude’s worst suspicions were confirmed. Almost as if in third person, she saw herself as drunken Jude, giggling as she sent two consecutive pictures to Cardan. Two very explicit pictures. Both of her naked. One angled obscenely from below. The second even more magnificent, using mirrors in a way so sinful that Cardan would never look at reflections in the same way again. Drunken Jude laughed, “Let’s see how he likes these during his meeting!”

In a moment, she snapped back to reality, cursing herself mentally. I should’ve deleted those photos before something like this happened!

Jude briefly considered calling Cardan and apologizing, telling him those pictures were accidents, but she knew in her heart that it wouldn’t matter. She still disobeyed him. There was nothing she could do now. After weeks of wondering about Cardan’s promise would feel like, she even started to recognize an inkling of excitement. She was no longer sure she was so excited.

_______________________________________________________________________

JUDE

Entering the faerie palace, Jude’s heart beat fast enough to drown out the greetings and flatteries of passing nobles. It felt like hours before she reached the royal wing. Like usual, the guards greeted her warmly with smiles, but she was barely able to muster up her own in return. Increasing her pace, Jude practically bolted past Cardan’s office and chambers, quietly sealing herself in her room. Although she usually slept in Cardan’s room, she technically had her own Queen’s chambers she could go to.

She knew it was stupid, that if Cardan wanted to find her, this would be the easiest place to do so. Still, there was no point presenting herself to him like a sheep wandering into the wolf’s mouth. She would at least try to avoid him.

Still, as the minutes passed, Jude fully expected Cardan to barge into her room at any moment, finally claiming his revenge. But no one came.

Eventually, Jude relaxed enough to sit back and read one of the books lying haphazardly on the nightstand. In a few hours, she even ventured outside.

For the next few days, it was as if Cardan disappeared from existence. Avoiding Cardan’s rooms, Jude went about her business everywhere else in the palace. She spoke with other ambassadors, discussed any problems facing Faerie with generals and administrators, and even visited Taryn. Over the days, it seemed like the knot of anxiety in her stomach began to slowly unwind, releasing with it her concerns.

One evening, exactly four days after she arrived, Jude entered her room after waking up early for a run, and saw something was different. Immediately, the unraveling knot shriveled back up, even tighter than when she had arrived. Pulse hammering in her ears and hands shaking, Jude approached the bed, spying the envelope on her satin sheets that had left her so disheveled. Even before reading the neat strokes of black ink on cream, she knew immediately who it was from. Tearing it open, Jude unraveled the parchment, reading the six words that sent her blood thundering.

It’s time you learned your lesson

 So Jude did the stupidest thing she could’ve possibly done in that situation.

She ran.

______________________________________________________________________ 

JUDE

Mind galloping, breaths chasing one another and legs seemingly with a brain of their own. Jude couldn’t get her thoughts straight. When she read Cardan’s note, she wrenched open her door got the hell out of there. It was a foggy winter evening, too early for most of the castle to have woken up but dark enough to feel like late in the night. Running through the palace halls, Jude was acutely aware of how hard it was for her to see in this dark. And of how easily Cardan could find her in this environment.

Chest heaving, Jude turned corner after corner, disarrayed mind making it difficult to recognize where she was going. Every once in a while she would pass a stoic guard or a startled maid, but all she could was hope they’d ignore her. Reaching a dead end, she let out a huff of frustration, turning on her heel, planning to retrace her steps until she could find the path out of the castle.

Jude was only able to take one step before she heard someone coming her way. Panicking, Jude flung open the first door she saw, jumping inside and shutting the door as quietly as she could. Looking around desperately, Jude searched for a place to hide. The room was illuminated by moonlight coming through a large window, displaying a vanity, closet, large bed and a writing desk. It seemed to be a spare bedroom, only used on rare occasions when there were too many guests to fit in the guest bedrooms in the main hall of the palace. Now that she realized where she was, Jude could begin planning how to get out. Hearing the steps fast approaching, she glanced at the door nervously, quickly ducking under the bed and stifling her trembling breaths.

She didn’t want to accept the fact that she’d have to leave and face Cardan eventually. At least she could postpone it for as long as possible. Breath catching in her throat as the footsteps approached the door, Jude waited, closing her eyes out of nervousness.

One, two, three seconds.

It seemed the footsteps were leaving. Jude let out the breath that was hiding in her lungs. It must’ve been a maid, awoken early to clean before the palace residents began their day. Or maybe Cardan actually walked past her. Once the surge of adrenaline passed, Jude realized that there were at least three wires jammed into her skin from the underside of the bed. Grunting, she slowly pulled herself from her hideout, standing up shakily. Looking at the door, Jude considered her options. Should she run for it? Find the nearest exit? Or should she stay put? If she waited until the castle has awoken, would it be easier for her to leave? With her mind busy deliberating, it took Jude a moment too long to realize that something felt wrong.

Frowning, Jude turned, seeing that something definitely was wrong. She sensed the blood drain from her face.

On the bed, illuminated by moonlight almost as if mocking her, a creamy envelope lay on pristine sheets 

Oh god he’s in the room. 

Jude began to shake, almost unable to move towards the bed. She knew that this was a game to him. She didn’t know where he was, why he was waiting, but she knew the moment she read it, she was fucked.

Moving her legs, almost as if in a trance, Jude approached the parchment. Picking it up and ripping it open, her heart stopped at the words inside.

I’ll make you regret hiding from me

 Dropping the piece of paper like it was on fire, Jude jerked her eyes around the room, looking for the King. She knew she shouldn’t have run. How did she think that was going to end? Looking around again, she tried looking deep into the shadows-

Before she could scream, a hand was over her mouth and the other like a vise around her waist, pressing her back to a large frame. Jude felt the planes of his muscles through her shirt, a body nearly as familiar to her as her own, yet nerve-raking in this moment. She tried in vain to wiggle out of his grip, but his hold only tightened until she could no longer move.

“Missed me?” A sickly sweet voice pooled in her ear. “Clearly not, as you haven’t been to see me yet, darling. And running from me? I’d think you’d have realized by now just how much trouble you are in. Clearly, you must not be taking me very seriously.”

Hands now moving to her hips, Cardan shoved both her panties and trousers down to pool around her thighs. Jude could smell the alcohol on his breath, which made him all the more volatile. A crazed laugh crossed Jude’s lips. Now that she was finally at the culmination of three weeks of anxiety, Jude felt a strange sense of amusement at the situation she’d gotten herself into.

But before she could realize the mistake in her reaction, Cardan snatched a hand away from her hip and a loud CRACK echoed around the room. She heard the sound before she felt the bloom of fire on the exposed flesh of her backside.

With an embarrassingly loud yelp, Jude fell forward from the impact, sprawling on the bed, smile wiped clean off her face. As she felt Cardan grab her chin and turn it his way, she knew he saw a mix of arousal, pain and mostly shock on her face. Facing him directly for the first time since that call three weeks ago, she realized that her assessment of seeing his anger in person was correct. Jude’s stomach dropped as she took in the fury in his expression, mixed with dark desire in his eyes. Still fully clothed except for the bottoms crumpled at her thighs, Jude felt strangely exposed as Cardan glared at her heaving chest and paling cheeks.

“I’m not playing games, sweetheart.” A low command. 

Gaze travelling down his body, Jude’s pupils blew open, as her fantasy from three weeks ago rushed into her head. Belt securely attached at Cardan’s hips, Jude’s breaths stuttered. And, of course, the bastard noticed. Looking down, he saw what made her so distraught, and a wicked gleam shone in his gaze. With hooded eyes, he slowly looked up at her, beginning to unbuckle his belt. 

Jude thought she would hyperventilate. Her breathing became so ragged that she couldn’t hear the sheets rustling as she began to scramble backwards. Meanwhile, Cardan slowly pulled out the strap, holding it in his fist.

In a flash, he cracked it against his open palm, the sound reverberating through Jude’s bones. Quirking his head to the side he looked at her.

“Come here.”

Jude shook her head, whimpering, still crawling backwards.

“Now.”

Jude froze when she heard the steel edge in his voice. Cardan quickly used the opportunity to grab her ankle from across the bed and drag her towards him. Knowing from his expression that he really would use the belt on her, she pled.

“Please! I’ll be good, I won’t tease you again. I’m so sorry for running, please don’t!” 

He looked at her contemplatively. Then at the strap in his hand. Narrowing his eyes, he dropped it on the floor. Jude nearly wept in relief. 

“Fine. Not this time. But there better not be a next time,” Cardan growled. “And you’re still getting punished.”

Standing over her, Cardan leaned down towards her pelvis. After the terror of the last few seconds, Jude’s body was looking for release. Her legs clenched together of their own accord, thighs heating from his predatory gaze. Seeing her reaction, a cruel smirk stretched Cardan’s features.

“Are you enjoying this, my dear Jude?” He asked, voice turning to steel. “Seems we should do something about that, because you really shouldn’t be.”

Cardan tore off her pants and underwear in one go, leaving her lower body completely bare. Sitting down on the bed, he wrenched her over his lap. Adjusting her hips over his legs and growing hardness, she fell a chill sweep her body. Oh god it’s about to happen. 

Hiking her shirt up under her breasts, her ass was completely exposed to the cold air of the room. She could still feel the sting in the shape of his handprint, and her blood raced faster at the thought of more of them. Slowly, almost thoughtfully, Cardan pulled her thighs apart, spreading her legs behind her. Jude’s face heated, wondering why he would do that if he was going to focus on her backside.

“Obey all of my orders, is that clear?” Cardan said in a clipped tone.

Breathing raggedly, Jude kept her mouth shut, concentrating on keeping her anxiousness down. To her shock, Cardan quickly swatted her right between her legs. Though not a very hard smack, Jude’s hips still jumped as her body instinctively tried to get away from the sting, sharp cry leaving her lips.

“What do we do when the King asks us a question, sweetheart?”

Jude bit back a sob. “We answer.”

He pulled her hair painfully. “We. Answer. What?”

“We answer, Your Majesty.”

“Well?”

“You are to be obeyed, my King.” Jude panted 

“Good girl,” Cardan chided in her ear, pulling her head up by her hair. “And that was a warning strike, dear. If I find you ignoring, disobeying or lying to me again, I won’t hold back.”

Cardan pulled back with a sigh, dictating sternly, “Keep you legs open for me.”

Jude felt Cardan’s hand cup her backside, rubbing away the nearly gone sting from a few minutes ago.

“So, remind me, how long is it you won’t be able to sit for?”

Jude’s stomach dropped. She had completely forgotten about that. Three weeks. Thinking of the alcohol on Cardan’s breath, she wondered if he’d even remember how harshly he was supposed to punish her.

Slowly, with trepidation in her voice, Jude whispered, “Two weeks, my King”

She knew she fucked up the moment she felt him shift. His hand cracked down between her legs with more force than she could handle. Crying out, she shut her thighs instinctively. Without hesitation, he wrenched them apart again, walloping with as much force in the same spot. She couldn’t help but scream and shut her legs again.

Two more times. Two more loud snaps followed by louder shrieks before Jude managed to keep her trembling legs open as he’d ordered.

Panting and sobbing into her arm, Jude felt the sticky warmth of her arousal coating her stinging skin. She sensed Cardan carefully drag a finger through the wetness, sweet burn of calloused skin on her abused folds eliciting a moan through her tears. He grabbed her chin with his other hand, turning her wide eyes and quivering lips his way.

Leaning in, he whispered, “Good girls don’t get wet when they’re being spanked.”

Dropping her face, burning from embarrassment, Jude felt Cardan lean back once more.

“Now let’s try again, now that you know what will happen if you lie to me. How. Many. Weeks?”

“Three,” she murmured, “Your Majesty.”

“That’s right,” Cardan cooed. “And I don’t know about you, but I’m tiring of this foreplay. Shall we get to the actual punishment now, sweetheart? 

Jude’s tear-stricken eyes widened. She forgot that Cardan hadn’t even yet begun. Shit.

______________________________________________________________________ 

JUDE

Waiting for Cardan to begin was torture. She thought that what he’d done so far was painful, but this was worse.

Right after the walloping between her thighs, Cardan had lifted her up carefully, setting her to sit on one of his legs. She’d hissed at the contact between her sex and the rough texture of Cardan’s pants, but didn’t complain. At that point he’d taken off the rest of her clothes, leaving her sitting naked in front of him. Gently, he’d brought up a hand and swiped at a tear track with his thumb. But then she was right over his lap again in a smooth flip, sweet moment over.

Now she was waiting for him to start what he’d promised, as he seemed to mull over how he was going to punish her best, rubbing her backside absentmindedly. Jude tensed up as Cardan suddenly began talking.

“Don’t you know how much you’ve embarrassed me? When I nearly choked on my spit in front of the generals?” Smack!

Jude recoiled from the crack of his hand on her ass with a loud cry, but he just continued lecturing her.

“You had no damn right to look so fucking good in that picture” Smack! “All naked and perfect” Smack! “But of course I couldn’t do anything about it.” Smack! “Because I was in the middle of a fucking meeting!” SMACK!

He finished his statement as a growl, following up with a particularly painful strike. At this, point Jude’s eyes had begun tearing up again, ass burning worse and worse with each blow.

“And even before that, you didn’t even bother explaining that picture app to me” Smack! “I just suddenly got a photo of you in practically nothing.” Smack! “And you expected me not to say anything?” Smack! “And then the picture fucking disappeared?!” SMACK!!

Every few words were punctuated with the sounds of bruises forming on her ass, the loudest ones echoing embarrassingly throughout the room, as Cardan’s discipline steadily increased in intensity.

“For three months” Smack! “FOR THREE GODDAMN MONTHS”

Cardan’s hand fell thrice in rapid succession, cementing his point.

“I felt like exploding, unable to see you for so long ” Smack! “But constantly thinking about how fucking hot you looked in those photos” Smack! “And then,” Smack! “ You fucking patronize me by sending two” Smack! “Goddamn pictures” Smack! “Of you naked” Smack! “Right before you came back!” SMACK! 

“Please, I’m s-sorrry,” Jude blubbered through her cries. He ignored her, left arm now holding down her squirming back with his full strength.

“You were in the most obscene” Smack! “Positions” Smack! “I’d ever fucking seen!” SMACK!!“And during another” Smack! “Fucking” SMACK! “MEETING.” 

Cardan followed his final sentence by six more strikes. Muffling her pained noises in her arm, Jude felt Cardan’s voice boom throughout the room nearly as loudly as his palm hitting bruised flesh. But when he next spoke, Cardan’s voice regained his usual distanced cool.

Rubbing Jude’s burning skin to the noise of her whimpers, Cardan spoke with a steel edge in his voice, “If you came to see me as soon as you got here four days ago, this is where I would have stopped. But since you chose to avoid me instead” Smack!

Jude let out a sob as he began again.

“I’m punishing you” Smack! “For thinking you could avoid your King” SMACK! “And get away with it.” 

Another half a dozen strikes and bite marks on the inside of Jude’s elbow.

Once done, Cardan paused, this time laying his hand on Jude’s lower back. Jude could feel the skin around her bruises numbing from the walloping, but the pained areas seemed to come into sharper focus, leaving Jude only able to focus on the heat under the sensitive skin of her backside. After a few moments, Jude’s hiccups slowly subsided; leaving her to foolishly begin hoping it was over. It seemed Cardan was waiting for the moment she would relax and think he was done, as he leaned in to deliver his cruel words. 

“Quick question darling, do you remember what I wrote in the second envelope?”

Jude’s heart froze. Oh no oh no oh shit oh fuck. She didn’t think she could take any more.

It took Jude a moment to find her voice, hoarse from her screaming, “…I don’t…remember, my King.”

Quick as a viper, Cardan grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him.

With narrowed eyes, he growled, “Are you sure about that?”

Knowing better than to lie, Jude gave in with a whimper, “…It said I would… regret… hiding from you”

She saw a dangerous smile split his face, right before he dropped her chin.

“Yes. It did.” He gloated. “I don’t think I need to tell you what that means.”

SMACK!!!

Jude cried out again, unprepared for the fresh onslaught on her abused backside.

“I told you directly” Smack! “That it was time for you to learn your lesson” SMACK! “But instead” SMACK!! “You chose to disobey me” SLAP!!

Jude shrieked as the last one landed between her legs again, re-igniting the sting she’d forgotten was there.

“You ran” Smack! “Instead of listening” Smack! “And then tried to hide, as if you really thought I wouldn’t find you.” SMACK!!

Cardan continued the onslaught, finishing his lecture and focusing on stoking the flames dancing on Jude’s over-sensitive skin with cruel strikes.

After his most painful walloping yet, Cardan let his hand rest on her hip. At this point, Jude definitely couldn’t take any more; shivering from Cardan’s heavy hand and the hiccupping sobs raking her body. But then Cardan moved his hand to her thigh. And froze.

“Fucking hell Jude, you’re soaked.”

Somehow, through the haze of pain, she had been so turned on that her arousal had coated the thighs. She was now acutely aware of how hard he was against her hip. Jude turned her head and looked up at Cardan through teary eyes.

She moaned, “…Your…fault.”

Cardan groaned, placing his arms under her knees and chest, flipping her over as he stood up, holding her in his arms. Then, he dumped her unceremoniously onto her stomach in the middle of the bed. Sighing into the cool covers, Jude gave herself  a moment to relax. Then, grabbing her ankles, Cardan pushed her up onto her knees, spreading her thighs obscenely before his gaze. Jude’s face reddened at what a sight she must’ve made; Bruised skin and weeping sex. She could hear Cardan’s clothes drop to the floor behind her, and Jude felt her body react excitedly.

Without further ado, Cardan grabbed her hips and slammed inside of her. Stars exploded behind Jude’s eyelids, blooming red from the friction of his dick against the burning skin between her legs. Jude moaned, shrieking when she felt him grab her bruised ass.

As he pounded her, a small part of Jude’s brain vaguely remembered how she’d hoped that her game would lead to some great rough sex. Well, mission fucking accomplished, I guess.

Burying her face in the sheets to muffle her cries, Jude held onto the covers as Cardan gripped her hips harder, and pushed against her welts over and over, nearing completion. When she felt him pulse inside of her, buried as deeply as he could go, Jude’s body could no longer support the dam holding back the arousal building up over the last hour. Jude screamed as her body shook with the hardest release she’d ever felt, nerve endings on fire and still sensitive from the spanking.

Groaning, Cardan stayed inside of her for a moment longer. When he pulled out, Jude felt her body unwilling to let go, and sighed in abjection of the feeling of emptiness when he was gone. Jude felt the bed dip as Cardan collapsed onto the sheets next to her.

Turning her head to face him, Jude narrowed her eyes. “That was really harsh.”

Cardan just grinned in return. “If you really thought that, how come I found a flood between your thighs afterwards?”

Jude reddened, confused and embarrassed by the truth of his statement.

“And you sounded pretty damn happy when you came,” He continued, grabbing her arm and pulling her to him.

Jude let out an exasperated groan, splaying out at his side and burying her face in the sheets once again.

After a moment, she managed to mutter, “Fine. That was the best release I’ve ever had.”

Then turning to Cardan, she growled, “But my ass still hurts like hell.” Cardan shrugged.

“You win some you lose some. I hope you learned your lesson. And,” Cardan continued with a chuckle, “now it’s my turn to watch you suffer for three weeks.”

Jude swatted his arm weakly and in return received a light slap on her ass. She yelped, and then settled back down into him. Still feeling the pleasant waves of pleasure lulling her body to sleep, Jude wondered if she should disobey Cardan more often.

[reece-c-parker-blog]

Gay Culture; A Blight Upon Itself

How this ethical quagmire has metastasised across the lives of our lost boys struggling to find their place as men.

Originally posted on Medium

I hate being gay. Statistically speaking there would have to be a few of us. The numbers, I’m sure you’ve noticed, are kept conspicuously quiet. No, there isn’t a vast conspiracy. It simply doesn’t fit narrative.

My pubescent years fell as the millennium turned, amidst the rise of the gay normalisation movement. This time saw the rise of Will & Grace, Queer As Folk, and Queer Eye For The Straight Guy. It was a great time to feel included. Just not for me. These programs were an entry-level concept of what it means to be gay for the metropolitan audiences of the east and west coasts of the United States. The AIDS crisis had drawn the eyes of mainstream western audiences to the existence of the gay community. There was no better time to finally address what could no longer be ignored.

I had tried to engage, during these years, with the material that was expected of me. They were telling my stories, after all. Painting the canvas of life with the experiences I should experience, and feelings I should feel. Expect they didn’t. They proselytized with tired stereotypes and the bigotry of low expectation. I soon found homosexuality a talking point in my social circles — as nothing more than a kitsch cliché pulled in for reference, then reshelved until needed. Gay men weren’t making the punchlines. They were the punchline.

This was a moment of the first of many disconnects. Where I, through failures of character and assimilation, couldn’t bond with my peers. As the industry grew, and the prevalence of gay characters onscreen continued to impress focus groups, so grew my dejection. But as the list gorged itself with new examples of progressivism, and the insertions became further tokenistic, the rise of groupthink assured this lens had become a prerequisite entry point to what it meant to be gay. Suddenly, so vanished the hardships of the few — gay culture was at the mercy of almighty corporate.

Now here we are; Expected to worship towards the cultural meccas of preselected gay figures championed not for their contributions to the realms of medicine, literature, or technology, but instead to their servile attitudes in representing the hedonism that bore their fame. Gay conversation has fast adopted an adaptation of Godwin’s Law, where as a conversation increases in duration, the probability one of the conversationalists mentioning RuPaul’s Drag Race approaches 1. Though, it’s more than this. It’s the exclusivity of language attached to those cultural expectations. While language has long been in flux, flitting to the verbal needs of its speakers, allowing our language to be shaped by corporate interests masquerading as representatives borders on Orwellian. Shade, Read, Sickening, Tea, Fish, Clock, and a series of disjointed ramblings have become the core exchanges of the gay communiqué. The expectation of this adherence, a cruel hand to play for young men seeking freedom from the limitations clasped to them during their formative years. To escape the shackles of their prison, to fall into the loving embrace of a new turnkey. Oh, but this time it’s different. This isn’t some hallway bully. This one wants you. But only if you be what it wants you to be. Only if you buy its products. Only if you wear its styles. Only if you speak with its voice. And only if you, in the innocence of your youth, surrender in your entirety.

Even an article like this risks defilement through the accusation of homophobia; for calling out the failures of a community through its inactivity of service and protection of all its members. For the suggestion we have a culture of ceaseless pandering to those most visible and easily pigeonholed would net me a gay excommunication. It simply cannot be said. It’s an inconvenience too burdensome to address, and so instead we commit to the monotonous busywork of feigning outrage by the perceived slights issued by positions of power. As if, by the consternation of the gay masses, the notion things aren’t too bad is too hefty a price to concede. Understandably so. Without a rallying struggle against the alabaster crowned, black suited boogeymen, all that would be left for the LGBT community would be to accept responsibility for the establishment of reasonable behavioural boundaries and the regulation of its members. A price too high, indeed.

In many ways it reminds me of the Arcadian Pan, whose submission to lust-filled tawdriness is emulated to a design by metropolitan hook-up culture. A youth swept away by the propagandistic idiom of ‘It Gets Better’, without the nuanced discussion of whether or not this is even true. After all, Grindr recently ranked top on the unhappiness scale, with a 77% respondents rate of user depression post usage. No surprises why. In the constricting nativity of my youth, I had dabbled, seeking conversation, which at the time was perceived to be a remedy to my loneliness, from the most populated aggregate. Within one working day I had been labelled as a faggot, by a member of my own community — for simply failing to supply him with what he wanted. The entitlement. As if I were nothing but a monkey tasked to perform by an organ grinder. Words carefully chosen, as his organ was the recipient of my expected performance. It is in this shadowy field where the ego is unleashed, freed from the shackles of civility. Where an otherwise unremarkable citizen may scale a hierarchy sheathed from the view of their heterosexual peers. Where the 1% isn’t measured by economic prosperity, but instead by the congregation of required physical traits and social capital to be granted worth. Note, ‘granted worth’. As worth within this community is not an immutable characteristic inherent to the individual, rather a bestowed upon status via the idolatry of its membership. But remember. It gets better. As if the exchange of the verbal assaults of your schooling for this is somehow, by definition, superior. Of course, it is. This time it’s a choice. An opt in.

But is it? Every year when the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras sweeps Sydney’s city streets, I can’t help feel it serves as a charming veneer — an underbelly surviving on the laundering scheme of ‘good intentions’. How respectful we are, in recognising the hard work and good character of our Australian Servicemen and women. And so we should be, their contributions are worthy of recognition. Though for some, and in numbers enough to escape the descriptor of a powerless minority, the parade and those in it are merely puppets. A necessary encumbrance to be endured before the night blooms, and the incubi feast. And feast they shall — while failing to recognise such a diet consisting of thin amoral gruel could provide anything other than little sustenance. This is not to say the Mardi Gras fails in its purpose. A brotherhood, and sisterhood, or similarly disenfranchised individuals finding solace amongst the mutual understandings of their peers is an integral cornerstone of any counter-cultural community. My query remains, why does the LGBT community repeatedly allow this message to be bastardised and accessorised by the overtly sexual?

And it is the same, hollow-toned degeneracy which snakes its way through all visual and auditory signposts, toxifying the channels of expression. The invention of preventative HIV measures has garnered responses from activist campaigns such as ‘You can fuck raw, PrEP works, no more HIV’. A delicately phrased example for a youth burgeoning into manhood. A wretched expectation of what is to come for both themselves, and their future. The normalisation of pharmaceutical dependence to enable sexual deviancy — have gay men fallen so low, they would prefer the assistance of big pharma to maintain their deviancy, rather than changing their behaviours? But of course, that is an opinion unheld. Unstated. Should that question be uttered, the tested formulaic response had already been embossed across social media. We get enough hatred from outside the community, we don’t need any hatred from within it. An interesting deflection. One that disarms all criticism. Even if it is legitimate.

One-night hook-up culture is leaving an alarming amount of young men feeling trapped. Yet, little in the way of option is offered for an alternative. Prudism is projected onto those non-participatory figures more inclined to other forms of connection. To the point, albeit most likely a problem on my behalf, I have felt rejected purely for my unwillingness to participate. The larger point is; no one should have to. The trading of bodies in a conceptualised marketplace as currency may serve the purposes of immediate pleasure, but the model itself has only been in operation for just over a decade. A time barely long enough to map the cognitive changes amongst habitual users. I often hear the espousal ‘It’s just a bit of fun’, when I vocalise even my least controversial concerns. A dismissal that I have oft found confusing. As if detachment and promiscuity held no hidden consequences. Though the citation of psychology holds little sway in this field, as it lacks the grounded and well secured architecture of reasonable discourse — instead, it’s an emotional beast. These members, with the impetus of their own desire, have decided it is fun. Thus, fun it is. Though I would argue, it takes a certain type of man to revel in such a state of emotional displacement, and not one I would imagine, many would go out of their way to willingly associate with.

For the first three years of my adulthood, bambi-like and with the same naive idealism consistent with those of that age, I was blessed with a boyfriend. Three years, you may have noted, came with an expiry date. When we, still growing, reshaped ourselves into markedly dissimilar people from who we were at the commencement of our relationship. Still, I have found these years to be the fondest of my life, and resultantly the greatest limitations to my understanding of the gay community. To be succinct for the first time in this passage — I loved him. And though this love found a place to rest, the memory of its impact remains too profound to sully with the pursuit of anything less.

But this anecdote has painted me with the status of a malcontent. One, whose bitterness and internalised homophobia, governs my actions and sews hatred and salt into the faultless fields of the LGBT. A community which celebrates the union of an autistic child and a boastful killer while they bond in front of a portrait two letters shorts of spelling rohypnol. A community who cannot stand accountable without proclaiming their victimhood — ensuring the aberrant social victimisation perpetrated within their community is kept out of public sight. Should you ever have believed racism were a plague long extricated from your neighbourhood, feel free to log into your gay phone app to source the mantra, ‘No spice or rice’. I’m sorry Mr. Rogers, It isn’t a beautiful day in those neighbourhoods, nor is it a beautiful day for those neighbours.

What is to be done? A start, perhaps, is a discussion free of the tedious pejoratives usually held in reserve for ‘The Other’. For too long the gay community has projected bad intent onto its naysayers. Understandable. But know this, a concession isn’t a loss. It’s a sign of maturity. So in the invocation of this request, I wonder — will the change prove too arduous, or my brethren too stubborn?

[kiramxchis]

Seido Female Manager Headcanons

I want a Daiya no A spin-off focusing on the managers. We’ll call it Daiya no Queens (Queens of the Diamond in English officially)

The managers for Act II are also included, and they will be put under a cut for anyone who doesn’t want spoilers (I’m sorry mobile users). I also might end up writing about some of these, so keep an eye out for those if I ever do

One, overall Headcanon (I didn’t know who to put this under):

Sawamura can not for the life of him remember any of the managers names outside of Haruno, so to hide the fact that he can’t remember (despite being told several times by his team mates), he refers to them with nobility titles, such as “My Lady” “Your Highness” and “Princess” (since Takako’s the head manager, she and Rei are refereed to as “My Queen”). This catches on with the others, and soon every girl is called by such names, even the new mangers

Fujiwara Takako

Takako is Biromantic Bisexual, but has more of preference for boys

Because she is considered the prettiest girl in school, she gets lots of confessions, from both boys and girls alike, but she always politely rejects them.

It’s not that she wouldn’t love to be in a relationship (she has a lot of love with no where to go), but taking care of the team is usually her top priority, so she doesn’t have time to (she keeps telling herself it would be much more easier to date a member of the team, but a good majority of potential partners face the same problem as her with the sport being more important to them) (I’ll date you Takako)

She adores cute phone charms. For her 18th birthday, Chris gave her a My Melody charm for her phone and a matching case. She still uses them to this day

All the boys in her year are very protective of her, and ever since her first year it’s not unusual to see some of the boys (both on and off the bench) glaring and chasing off anyone who gets to close (Especially Jun. You might as well prepare to die if Jun catches you so much as breathing in her general direction)

Her best subject is English, and acts as a tutor for those on the team who suck at English and don’t wanna ask Rei for help

She still visits the other managers after graduating. It’s pretty common to see her, Yui, Sachiko and Haruno at a cafe near her school, drinking their coffee (hot cocoa for Haruno) and talking about the shenanigans their teams are up to

Natsukawa Yui:

Yui is Panromantic Asexual with more of a preference for girls (yet I always write her with boys)

She’s known Sachiko since middle school, they attended the same school as Chris and Shirakawa, so their route to school is longer and the have to take the train

One time, during their first year, everyone in her year got curious to see what Yui looked like without her bang covering her eye. Zono volunteered for the job (aka: everyone was too chicken shit to do it and they forced him to), and to this day when someone asks him what she looks like, his only response is “It’s like the physical manifest of what a choir of angels sound like” (Kuramochi did it once as well, and he can confirm Zono is right. Yui’s just getting tired of people pulling her bangs back, standing there for five minutes as their face turns red and then run off)

She’s one of those girls who bring the tall bottles of Bath and Body Works perfume to school. She never uses it during school hours (unless someone stunk up the bathroom), only after school in the girls locker room after a long day of practice. Her favorite scent is Dark Kiss

While it’s not mandatory the managers help out during morning practice during the summer and winter camps, they do anyway. Meaning they get up earlier than the boys, and sometimes they’re not fully awake when they get there. Sawamura had to learn the hard way not to talk to Yui unless your a faculty member until she finished the coffee she brings with her (she brings like, three of those Starbucks frappuccino bottles). She is a demon before she has had her coffee

Her family owns two Doberman's, one with and without docked and cropped ears and tail. They are the sweetest dogs in the world, and love to play with their owners

She is the only manager to not be refereed to by nobility titles. She is instead refereed to as “Heiress” or “Mistress” because Sawamura originally confused her father to being a member of the Yakuza (her family owning two Dobermans did not help in the slightest either)

Umemoto Sachiko:

Sachiko is Aromantic Asexual

Commonly refereed to as the Kuramochi of the managers, Sachiko is very protective of her friends, especially her fellow managers

You dared to hit on Takako? You’re gonna get ambushed by both her and Jun. Made fun of Haruno? Sorry honey, only she’s allowed to do that. Breathed in Yui’s general direction? She’s gonna leave you black and blue

Remember how in the 3rd ODA “Boys Be...” Sachiko joked about her fans ganging up on Nori if he got a crush on her? She wasn’t lying about having fans. Of course there are no where near as many as Takako and Yui have, but a good majority of her fans are usually range from shy and sweet to total sports geek. There is no one who doesn’t fall for Sachiko’s charm (like me)

A total gamer, she loves to play First Person Shooters (she can totally kick Kuramochi’s ass in them), but she has a secret weak spot for games like Animal Crossing and literally any Kirby game

She’s listed at number 3 in the Skillful Singers list in the Seido Baseball Club Secret Rankings ( [x] ) and is secretly referred to as Seido’s Lorelei among both her class and teammates. The choir kids want to steal her from the team

She has a collection of baseball caps she’s collected over the years of teams in both the NPB and the MLB. She has to order her MLB caps online, but it’s money well spent in her opinon

Yoshikawa Haruno:

Haruno is Biromantic Demisexual with no set preference

Because of her clumsy nature, she always carries band-aids with her. Usually cute band-aids with Sanrio characters on them. Furuya secretly adores them and whenever he gets a cut and needs a band-aid, he asks Haruno for one

It’s also not unusual for whenever she does trip and fall and scrapes her knee that all of the members of the First String in her year drop whatever they’re doing and rush over to her to make sure she’s okay. Sawamura and Kanemaru look like overprotective mothers, acting like she’s dying, Toujou and Haruichi go to get the first aid kit while Furuya is standing about a foot away with this aura flaring, not sure what to do (imagine what would happen she actually got seriously injured)

She’s a KPop fan, and her favorite groups are EXO and Pristin (yes I know the series canonly takes place in 2006-2007 leave me alone)

Another sucker for cute things, Haruno’s whole room is practically overflowing with stuffed animals

She’s the youngest of four older brothers who put the babying of the First String First Years to shame. She’s not even allowed to hold a butter knife

Another gamer, Haruno loves to play relaxing and collecting games like Pokemon and Neko Atsume

Kuroki Anna (Tall, long black hair):

Anna is a Lesbian

She has a habit of unintentionally putting small things in her mouth and chewing on them, things like earring backings and sometimes even the earring itself. As a kid, she would sometimes chew all of the shoes of her Barbie dolls

Yet, for some reason, she always swollows gum

She is the only member of the current team to be able to watch horror movies with a straight face (fssh just imagine Ryo and Anna watching horror movies together and booing at it)

There is a current bet going around at who has the best dead eyes, her, Mogami or Okumura (currently, Okumura is winning)

She currently has no interest in dating, but has expressed she would date Haruno if given the opportunity too (honey wait until you meet Wakana)

There is a member of Yakushi in her year with the same family name as her and I am fully convinced they are twins

Oda Akane (Short, blonde hair):

Akane is Demiromantic Demisexual

She’s the chubbiest manager out of the current ones, but it’s okay because there’s just more of her to love. It also contrasts Anna’s body type, which is thin and lanky (they’re just like Popuko and Pipimi)

She and Anna have known each other since childhood. The reason Anna holds no romantic interest in Akane is because she cherishes their friendship more than anything in the world and thinks a relationship would ruin it. Akane on the other hand, has a giant crush on Anna that she does not act upon (think of it like Chinatsu and Akira’s relationship, only more stable and less hostile)

When her bangs are down, the fall very similarly to Sawamura’s. She keeps them tied up because she thinks they get in the way, but doesn’t want to cut them

She has to wear glasses, but usually wears contacts because she hates how they look on her (baby girl show me your glasses)

A gigantic anime fan, she loves Magical Girl and Sports Anime the most

She is both asthmatic, and dyslexic. Probably not a very good combination set for a manager

[zoetekohana]

Asking this because of that top notch Michi rec post you made: Top 5 Michi Fics.

Oh, thank you so much! I’m really pleased to hear youliked my Michi rec post. ♡ (*Here* it is for those who want to check it out.)

To be honest, it’s really not easy to make a top fiveof Michi fics for two reasons: 1. I love way more than five Michi fics and it’dbe difficult to rank them. 2. I’ve been reading Michi fics ever since 2004.Granted I haven’t read every single one of them. And there are so many stories that I really, really loved but have been deleted in that twelve year time span. (I’m going to include those anyways, though.)

Let’s give it a try…

I’d first like to discuss a few Michi stories I reallylike that just didn’t make the cut to my top five, but still deserve a special mention:

⚘Thin Lines byHemsee Apparently this got deleted? I only found out about this yesterday, because I started checking the links on my Michi masterpost, but evidently it’s been deleted instead. Which is unfortunate because I was really eager to know how the relationship between Taichi and Mimi would further develop. Plus, Hemsee really has a clean, beautiful writing style that is so wonderful to read. I hope she creates a new multi-chaptered Michi story, though. 

⚘ All Good Things by Hemsee Luckily, her Michi oneshot is still there. It tells the story of how Mimi and Taichi’s relationship developed throughout the years since their childhood and how they gradually fell in love and got together. 

⚘ anchor me back down by dianaagronSimilarly to “All Good Things”, this story follows their relationship from the very beginning, since kindergarten, in a wonderful will they/won’t they-kind of way, to their mid-twenties. While I do love both stories (what can I say, I’m a major sucker for slow-burns), I do prefer ambd over agt. Plus how can anyone dislike a story inspired by that beautiful song by Mindy Gledhill?

⚘ Snow by hello heartbreak I recently re-read this story and loved it just as much as I did ten years ago. Ngl it hurts seeing my beloved Chosen in such pain, but this story is so touching. I also believe this is the fic that generated my headcanon that Mimi would have trouble transferring back to Japan and have trouble speaking/studying the language. Lo and behold, ten years later that headcanon actually came true in tri! 

⚘ Buttons by BenignUser This story is just so adorable! It makes me melt every time I read it. (I believe I’ve read this oneshot five times. What is my life, haha?) But really, it’s so fun, so cute and definitely worth your while. 

⚘ keep it classy by hellyeahayumichan This is a collection of four (slightly nsfw) drabbles for Michi, Sorato, Takari and Kenyako. It’s just such a great read! I really admire the subtle descriptions. Hellyeahayumichan has such a way with words. (And even though it’s not fic, I highly, highly recommend checking out her Michi art! Each and every one of her drawings are amazing. I envy her colouring skills in particular.)

⚘ Parallels by Scripturiens There are no words to describe how amazing this artwork is. And I stress the word art, because it’s really an interesting exercise in writing by putting the different pieces out of order so that all the nuances of the thoughts and the actions of the characters come together with such care. Amazing structure aside, it’s a nice piece that so wonderfully conveys emotion, especially heartbreak. I love it so much, and now I want to go re-read it….

⚘ Whispers at night by ribbonedcuriosa To this day I’m still so happy I requested a Digimon story set in the Star Wars universe from ribbonedcuriosa, because she took it and fabricated this lovely ficlet. She merged both franchises so fluently, it’s inspiring. The Michi is subtle here, but I love subtle implied pairings when it comes to the adventure genre. I honestly crave more of this story. Forever crossing my fingers for a continuation.

After contemplating long and hard over it, I now present you my TOP FIVE MICHI STORIES:

05 ⚘What Women Want by StarlillyWe start of with one of the most popular Michi fics on FF.net. And that’s understandable, because this story is so much fun! I believe I started reading it not long, just a couple of months, after it was completed. I’m even planning on re-reading after finals, so my little review here is based on my memory of when I read it late 2005. 

First there is something I have to confess (again, I’m sure I’ve stated this before, but just to be clear I’ll state it once more) that I don’t really like it when authors use the dubbed names in fics. I prefer reading Taichi Yagami over Tai Kamiya, very much so. I didn’t like it back when I started reading Michi fics in 2004/2005 and I still don’t now. That said, I won’t turn a fic down because the author chose to use the dubbed names. I do like to give it at least a try. (I sound so picky now…) And in this case: I loved the “What Women Want” film back then (still do, I rewatched it this year), so there was no way I wouldn’t read a Michi fic based on that film. And honestly, Starlilly took the premise and really made it her own while developing the relationship between Taichi and Mimi so well. 

04 ⚘ Falling’s not the problem by ribbonedcuriosaAhhhh, this story is so good! I was eagerly awaiting the next part to beta each time because it’s just so good. I absolutely love how curiosa jumped back and forth from past to present to showcase how Mimi and Taichi got to the point where they were in the beginning and how their lives further developed since then. And she did it so fluidly. Also her characterizations of both Taichi and Mimi are so well-done. 

03 ⚘Come to Me by Pied Piper + Only Alive by Pied PiperI’m sure you all knew beforehand that at least one Pied Piper story would make my top five, and here’s the first one… Sorry, first two. Okay, I know I’m cheating here by putting both these stories on the number three slot and therefore haven’t whittled my list down to five fics but six. But for the life of me, I can not chose between these two! 

I’ll talk about Come to Me first. I really love this story so much because it’s so real, so relatable. There were so many moments where I just nodded understandingly, because it was so realistic. And I talked before how I love slow-burns, well, this fic is one of the ultimate slow-burns I’ve ever read. I really enjoyed reading about their journey from how they became friends first to actually falling for each other, but being apprehensive first considering they were still dealing with their heartbreak from a previous relationship, to finally arriving at their destination together which felt so earned. It was so beautiful beyond comprehension. (PS: I still have a half-finished fanart of it lying around.)

Moving onto Only Alive now… I’m confident my good friend Sunny is going to love the fact that I included this fic into my top three. Back in the beginning of 2009 when we discovered our mutual passion for digimon as well for Michi through a meme on my livejournal (we befriended over Avatar first), she told me that this was her most favourite Michi story. Somehow I hadn’t read it then yet. (Seriously, what was wrong with me?) So, at her recommendation, I read the first chapter and I immediately wrote back to her that I was in love with this story already. There was a certain passage in the first chapter that stood out to me, because it was the perfect Michi interaction:

So he asked her to dinner, sending a written apology note down to her small cubicle several stories below his feet.

She replied almost instantly: Jackass. 

He responded: Pick you up at eight? 

She agreed: Buy me flowers, too. 

Ah, Mimi, Mimi. How he missed someone who could talk back without fear. Welcome home, he grinned to himself.

To me, Michi is so compatible, because their personalities just go well together. They’re both headstrong but they’re both also very passionate and kind. I love seeing them portrayed with the whole “love to tease you” dynamic. And that passage in OA is an excellent example of that. Honestly, Pied Piper has such an exquisite grasp on these characters. I knew then that this fic was going to be splendid, and boy, did it deliver! I read it in the course of three evenings.

I will forever love both these stories. Then again I will forever love all the stories Pied Piper wrote. Just thinking about them makes me want to re-read every single one of them (except that I sadly lost a couple over the years…) 

02 ⚘ Creative License by R.vdPI’m kind of cheating again, haha, because technically this wasn’t really Michi. Daikeru, a ship I love so much next to Michi (thanks to this fic actually), was the main pairing of this story, but Michi was definitely heavily featured. But I just loved this story so much! Unfortunately it was deleted several years ago. (Around 2007, iirc.) 

That being said, I still feel lucky to have read this story. I can’t begin to explain how amazing it was! It was so cleverly constructed. Each chapter focused on a certain aspect of the story, and with each chapter we learned more and more what happened to these characters in the past and how they’re ultimately connected to other characters. It was all intricately interwoven. The writing style was also so crisp, so poetic, so inspiring. Plus, while the Michi was very angsty, it was very hot. I still haven’t read a nsfw Michi that came close to their scenes in this story. 

01 ⚘ My Captain’s Lady by Pied PiperIs there any surprise that MCL is my ultimate favourite? 

The truth is: This isn’t just my favourite Michi fic. This isn’t even just my favourite Digimon fic. This is my ultimate favourite fic ever.

It was the very first fic that got me so hooked. I started reading MCL after chapter fifteen or so (don’t remember the exact chapter anymore, since y’know, it was eleven years ago) and kept checking for the next update. It was really bad with the final chapter, because it was New Year’s Eve and I continuously pressed refresh so eagerly awaiting the update and then when it was finally there I read it between the different courses of dinner. 

I loved it so much that I was raving about it non-stop to my best friend that she, who hadn’t watched a single episode of digimon, even wanted to read it. So I lend her my binder of MCL and I like that she texted me her thoughts a few times. I kept those texts, even after ten years, until I had to buy a new phone last summer. 

Sentimental experiences aside, the story itself is just so epic. It had everything: an intriguing plot, an amazing build-up, lots of suspense and action, and of course a compelling romance between Taichi and Mimi. Once again, the journey of the characters and their relationship was so moving and so captivating. And I loved every step of the way.