#this has been sitting on my drafts for so long...

[m0reighn4]

His voice

Sae realises that his voice affects you. But he wants to test just how much...

Warnings: Smut under the cut; a little out of character (ooc); a tad rushed; Google translated Spanish (your girl just don't know the language ✌🏽😔)

Sae's voice is hot. That much is a given. If he spoke English, it was heavenly. When he spoke his native language, Japanese? Argh! That right there is the ticket straight to heaven!

Now, this had been something you'd gotten used to until one day, when travelling with him in Madrid, Sae is speaking to someone in Spanish. This makes you pause. Similarly to when he speaks English, you can still hear the Japanese accent in his voice. The syllables roll off his tongue so naturally.

Your surprised reaction doesn't go unnoticed by the soccer genius, who subtly slips his arm around your waist. Though it doesn't show, a subtle smirk forms on his face as he continues his discussion.

But when it really comes through is when Sae has got you— pressed into his pristine sheets, back arched into the soft mattress, moaning and whimpering his name just the way he likes.

With the way he skillfully works your body, he draws the best reactions from you. But tonight, it isn't enough. Tonight, he wants even more from you.

Sae leans down, draping your back in his heat as his face comes close to your ear. This is action is all too common for him. Expecting the usual groaning or panting of his, you immediately offer your attention to him. And that's when you hear it— soft and hot against the shell of your ear.

"Allá vamos mi amor, [There we go, my love],"he pants.

And that when he feels it, just the mere sound of his voice being used like this driving you wild. You can't help but shudder, bring the man above his much desired satisfaction.

The both of you groan in unison, his much softer than yours. A soft head of auburn hair drops to your shoulder. His lips tugs into a small, subtle smirk. Oh, he's got you.

Feathery kisses are pressed to the plane of your shoulder, up the column of your neck, right to your ear once more. And you can almost hear his smug smirk in his voice as his thrusts turn the slightest bit sharper.

"Mmh, entonces te gusta mi voz[Mmh, so you do like my voice]?"

All that runs through your mind is Sae, Sae, Sae! It's driving you nuts in the best way possible. As you ride further up on cloud nine, his voice pulls you right back down to earth once again.

His smirk widens when a whine is ripped right from your throat. Sae leaves a sweet kiss right under your ear. And that just leaves you even hotter.

"Te vas a correr para mí, ¿no?[You're gonna cum for me, aren't you?]" And it doesn't take a genius to know how right he is. With your eyes rolled back and your jaw going slack, he whispers in your ear one more time, "Anda, cúmpleme[Go on, cum for me.]"

And that's all you need. With a gasp of his name, white, hot pleasure bursts through your body as you shiver against him. Sae holds you close, reaching his hand over to tilt your jaw to his face. It doesn't take too long before he falls right over the edge with you, smashing his lips to yours to forcing you to swallow the soft sigh of relief he releases.

Aight, so a lot went down with this one. First off, it took me a month to complete (most of that time, it was just sitting in my drafts, collecting dust). Then, came the inevitable issue, me not knowing any Spanish other than the microscopic amounts I learnt from Dora when I was like 4 😭🤷🏽‍♀️. So feel free to correct any mistakes I made in between. And then, my worst one, posting this WAY earlier than I was supposed to. It was so bad that it wasn't even DONE! So I actually had to rush it a little towards the end 😭

So on that note, thanks to everyone who liked and reblogged my incomplete work. And I hope you enjoy the finished work even more now! Thank you all for reading! 🤍🤍💙💙

[peachii-nitenite]

Don’t Look at Me Like That (Viktor x Reader) sfw- suggestive

Summary: Viktor is scolding you for doing something reckless. Unfortunately for him he feels awful doing it. Fortunately for you, you think it’s a little hot.

Sidenote: extremely self indulgent. Slightly selfship coded. Might be slightly ooc. this has been sitting in my drafts since January and I'm sick of looking at it lol.

Content: pining, protective Viktor, mutual pining, fluff , suggestive thoughts, friends to lovers, technically dom!Viktor even though there’s no smut (yet)

He had always known he should be stricter with you. He had a habit of indulging your whims too often, letting risky behaviors slide. But now he actually had to to it.

And he was failing miserably

He wanted to be upset. He was attempting to be upset. But now, as he glared down at you, he found he could not truly muster any sort of harsh feeling toward you. Not when you were looking up at him like that with wide, glittering eyes.

“…are you mad at me?”

“……”

It wasn’t fair. Not at all.

He was trying to be stern, to reprimand you for your reckless actions. You had tried to surprise him and Jayce by acquiring some rare metals to see how compatible they were with the new gemstones.

This lead you to the undercity, poking around where you likely shouldn’t have been. In your defense, you were also a Zaunite; but you hadn’t been back frequently for a long stretch of time, and it was evident in the way you carried yourself. All alone, too much of a bounce to your step, and no sharp edge to your voice.

A prime target

So when he came across you while out on his own errand, at a shady stall run by a large man with a crooked, rotten smile, he was startled.

He felt like a hypocrite for worrying, but he couldn’t help it. He makes trips to the undercity for supplies as well, but when it came to you it was…different. He almost felt childish for being too protective when it came to you.

His stomach lurched when he saw the way the shopkeeper leered at you while you were busy inspecting the metal for flaws. He was never one to judge based on appearances, however, he was nearly certain that you were dealing with a simple, honest merchant. He also did not like the way he began to notice bulky figures in the shadows, beginning to hover and slowly get closer and watch you innocently haggle.

A lamb in a lions den

How could you be so reckless, so carefree?

In that moment he was livid.

But that was short lived, and quickly replaced with a sense of urgency. He took the initiative to interrupt your dealings, coming up beside you to pluck the metal from your hands. There was a moment of shock and annoyance, as she was prepared to argue with whoever would be so rude. But your expression immediately softened and warmed when she realized it was him.

“Oh! Viktor! Didn't expect to see you!”

The way you looked up at him, your smile surprised but no less warm than any other time that you looked at him. It was tender, like you were always pleased to see him. It was going to be the death of him, he swore it.

Oh, that face. The one that made him so incredibly weak. And those eyes. At times he felt like you could see him down to his core, through every wall he had put up.

It made something inside of him ache.

He had to quickly reign in the skipping of his heart, to complete his intervention and successfully get both of you back home. He said your name with a forced, stern edge as you locked eyes. He gave you a look of “you have some explaining to do later” and had to fight the urge to wince at the way you deflated, shrinking into yourself.

“A good coincidence. Come, we are going home, I need your assistance with something.” He kept his words short, to reduce the sting of saying it too harshly. He handed the metal back to the merchant, who cursed under his breath and grumbled as he put it away. His free hand found the small of your back, leading you away from the stall as quickly as his cane would allow.

The eyes peering from alleyways began to back off, but only shortly after he moved his hand from your back to your waist. He did not miss the quiet gasp you let out as he did, and he mumbled a low “sorry”.

Normally, he would had taken you by the arm, or by the hand, but in this instance he felt the need to assert himself; to say to everyone who could see her: she isnt alone, she is taken-

That she was his.

His grip on your waist tightened ever so slightly.

He had to swallow down such possessive thoughts. Lock them away, never to be indulged or acknowledged. It was such an ugly, poisonous feeling to him- one that never failed to fill him with shame. He took a heavy sigh as the both of you walked in silence. He mentally recited again and again:

This isn’t about you, this is about her

You are doing this to keep her out of harm's way

He could feel your eyes wandering back up to look at him, no doubt with furrowed brows and concern painting your face. He couldn’t bear to look at you yet, not when you weakened his resolve the way you did.

So the walk and trolley ride back to the lab remained silent. He noticed you open your mouth a few times to attempt to say something, but each time the words died in your throat. It was only on the trolley that he let go of you, immediately missing the feeling of your warmth under his palm.

And now, presently in the process of attempting to scold you, he wanted nothing more than to chase that warmth once more. But he could not get distracted, not when it’s already so difficult.

“What were you thinking, going to a place like that alone? At best you would have been scammed, at worst-“

“But I-“ you weakly interjected

“Do not interrupt me.” He quickly cut you off, causing you to close your mouth into a pout. “It was reckless, no matter how much you think you had the situation under control”

It was easy to be cold and hard with everyone else, but with you? It was asking the impossible.

Seeing the way you bit your lips and avoided his gaze made him feel wretched.

“I thought my lead was solid! I’m sorry, okay?” You pleaded gently, reaching for his free hand to hold it soothingly. “I didn’t mean to worry you, I just wanted to help you…”

You did not play fair. You may not have realized it, but you absolutely were not playing fair in Viktor’s mind. And once again, you were gazing up at him with those big, beautiful eyes. He had to huff and close his eyes to maintain his quickly crumbling mask of anger.

Your hands were so much softer than his, so much warmer. His resolve was crumbling. When he pulled his hand away, you reached out for him again as if by instinct. The pleading look on your face was too much for him.

Before either of you knew it, he had seized your wrist, backing you up against his work table. A few pens clattered to the floor as the backs of your legs hit the table, your free hand quickly finding a place on the cluttered surface to stabilize yourself. His face was so close to yours that it nearly made his head spin, seeing the way your eyes widened with shock and how your breath quickened as he cornered you.

Many of his more sordid daydreams had begun like this; with you pressed against his desk and with him pressed against you. It was only the tangible feeling of your hand in his that cemented that he was not, in fact, dreaming. The line between friendly concern and his true feelings was getting blurrier by the second, as something stirred within him once more seeing you like this. How far could he go before you pushed him away?

“I will not be so lenient with you after this. What you did was reckless and foolish-

He had to ignore how your breath hitched as he brought his face closer

“-Not to mention the fact that you should have cleared this idea with me or Jayce before you decided to-

He had to ignore how your lips were slightly parted and your cheeks were starting to flush

“-And on TOP of that, you-

And your eyes. Heavily lidded, gleaming in the afternoon sunlight, glittering like jewels. As the sun painted you golden beneath him, he began to falter. He was lost in your eyes, no less adoring than they had previously been, but now clear and intense in the light. Your pupils were wide; much wider than usual.

“I…uh, that is to say….” He trailed quietly

An indication of affection.

Or arousal.

“W-well, uh…” he cursed his tongue for failing him.

He felt his face light aflame, pink spreading across his face to the very tips of his ears at the thought-or rather, the very real possibility that you saw him in that light.

He could not ignore it

Not when you were looking at him like that.

He pulled himself away before anything could escalate further, clearing his throat as he put a respectable distance between you.

“W-well you get it. No need to..eh, repeat myself…” he turned away.

What was he about to do? Was he truly so depraved? He mentally kicked himself for letting himself spiral. He wouldn’t be surprised if you were uncomfortable, and the mere thought of no longer bringing a smile to your face nearly broke his heart.

“I… I am sorry. I shouldn’t have reacted so severely…” he hung his head as he went to sit in his chair near the desk, still cautiously maintaining the distance.

“N-no it’s alright! Really! I uh…I needed it I think…” you timidly reassured him.

He could not help but observe the way you kept pressing your thighs together.

“…oh?”

“Y-yeah… you were right… I should be more mindful…and sometimes you should probably…uh…”

“I should probably what?”

You flushed, shyly looking over at him.

“You should be more stern with me…sometimes…” your voice trailed off as you bit your lip once more.

There was an expression he hadn’t seen before on that sweet face.

Longing. Yearning.

And your eyes? Desire.

….

Oh.

Oh…you sweet thing.

Viktor was not the kind of man to jump to conclusions merely when the outcome seemed desirable to him. But he was a man who could see and comprehend what was right in front of him.

You are not mad at him. Not at all.

You liked how he got authoritative with you.

He was reeling with this new information. The very task that tormented him was something that you were into.

Very into, from what he could deduce.

He could take a calculated risk. He could ask you directly, or…

He could get you to say it yourself.

He allowed himself to smile, finally, as he beckoned you forward. You came over immediately. Cute.

You shuffled over, standing before him with your hands clasped behind your back, awaiting his next request. He mustered up his stern voice once more, noting the way that it made you squirm.

“Elaborate. Now.”

You blinked slowly, carefully choosing your next words

“Well…you’re always so patient and kind to me, and I appreciate it a lot… but…”

“But?”

“But sometimes I feel like you’re holding back… so just then- when you got more assertive with me….i didn’t mind it.”

He simply allowed you to continue spilling your truth to him, noting your fidgeting. He didn’t want to scare you off with too many questions after all, not when he was so close to hearing what he wanted.

“It’s… a new side of you I haven’t seen before. It’s so…intense.” He could tell by the way you said it that you had a different word in mind, but deliberately chose a more benign one to spare further embarrassment.

He would be lying if he said it didn’t stroke his ego a bit.

“So…um…yeah I…would like it if you showed that side a bit more often…” you awkwardly concluded, hands still clasped tightly behind your back

You would like it.

You liked it.

The prospect rattled Viktor’s skull.

With that, he decided to take the risk.

“Tell me something.”

“Yeah?”

“If it were anyone else, would you still like it? The scolding.”

The silence that followed was deafening, as he watched you attempt to say something.

Until finally….

“No…no, I’m not sure if I would” you quietly admitted.

“Not even Jayce?” He was just teasing now, but his tone was as serious as a heart attack.

“No…only you”

Only you

Only you

Only you

Your voice echoed inside of him as his heart leapt.

He wasn’t the only one with these feelings; and that realization gave him a relief previously unknown to him.

He leaned forward and held his hand out for you to take, letting his stern mask fall a bit when he saw how you hesitated. You really were too cute.

“Come here” he murmured gently, beckoning you forward. You let your hand rest in his palm, and let him gently tug you forward until you were nearly straddling him. A shadow of a smirk graced his lips when he felt your pulse, your rapidly beating heart betraying you.

He slowly lifted the back of your hand to his face, planting a soft kiss and holding it there for a moment. When he looked up at you, what he saw was nothing short of perfection.

Your lips slightly parted as a sweet gasp left you, the eyes he was so weak to glued to his mouth against your skin;

It was too cute.

“I am not mad at you, despite how much I want to be.” He murmured against your hand before pulling away.

“Is it strange? I find I cannot remain upset with you for longer than a few minutes at a time.” he frowned, sighing and shaking his head “And now… you tell me you like it. How cruel.” 

“I..” you weren't given a chance to speak before a high pitched whine escaped you as his lips brushed your hand once more. You could've sworn you saw him smirking.

“I was worried about you-” a feather light kiss on your knuckles “because I cherish you-” Another on your wrist “And the idea of anything happening to you frightens me-” another just below the cuff of your sleeve. “- so no. I am not mad at you.” 

You sighed in relief, and felt ever so warm under his touch. His eyes darkened as he pulled away slightly, the serious edge returning to his voice.

“But you did scare me half to death. Never do something like this again without telling one of us, understood?”

You nodded, dazed and flushed; and satisfied with this response, he guided you to sit in his lap with a firm hand. The most miniscule of reactions were clear as day to him now, and he smirked as he noted the way you shivered in anticipation.

“Now, would you like to see how intense I can truly be?”

[emotaeyongie]

It's Not So Bad, Is It? | i

business heir!Zhong Chenle x business heir!fem!reader

Genre: arranged marriage au, angst, fluff, eventual smut, non-idol au, series

Word Count: 1.8k words

Description: Who knew being stuck in an arranged marriage would get you here, with Zhong Chenle? It's not so bad, is it? It could always be worse. But with Chenle- it felt like hell.

Warnings: angst (with a good ending), neglect from family, reader and chenle are both emotionally unavailable freaks, swearing, smut, yearning, slow burn,

A/n: this is my first ACTUAL longass fic that isn't a text fic so like.. lmk how I did! no one requested this, this is purely me wanting a chenle arranged marriage fic bc i've read like five and i want more of them so like.. i'm making them. i'll be turning this into a series eventually! i just wanted to get this out of my drafts bc it's been sitting here for so long.

Being stuck in your family's business ventures has never been something you enjoyed, but something you merely endured. Growing up wealthy wasn't the worst, but dealing with your family from a business standpoint and never from a familial standpoint always got the best of you. It felt as though you were just another business ploy. Being the eldest meant you were always in the spotlight as well, while your younger siblings got the chance to be normal people. Something you never got to do. Will that ever get to change?

"What's this meeting for today? It wasn't even on my schedule until this morning," you ask, looking towards your cousin and CFO, Huang Renjun.

"I'm not too sure. I just know your parents planned it, there's no description of what it's about. It's not even listed as an emergency or anything," Renjun sighs, looking down at the calendar on his work phone.

"Maybe it's about your placement to become CEO of the company? I mean- your parents are getting a little old.." Renjun questioned.

"I feel like they would've mentioned that to one of us- and they're not that old Renjun." you chuckled, still feeling confused about the random meeting you were about to go into.

The two of you walked up to the company elevators before getting inside. Renjun pressed the right floor number to head up to the meeting rooms. As you both waited for the elevator to move you felt a pang of anxiety in your chest about the meeting.

"Do you think they'd fire me? What if I've done something wrong?" You ask, feeling a bit panicked.

"Y/n. What? Why would your parents fire the COO of their company who also happens to be their daughter?" Renjun looked to you, baffled by your question.

"I mean honestly, you run this company better than your parents anyways. They don't have a reason to fire you, so stop your panicking before it even starts, we don't have time for that." Renjun states.

"Right. You're right, Junnie. I don't know why I was worried." You say, realizing the thought was dense to begin with.

The elevator lightly pinged before opening up the doors and leading you two out into the hallway. You and Renjun made your way to the last conference room on the left and walked inside. As you sauntered into the meeting, you were met with the familiar faces of your parents, and three people you didn't entirely recognize. An older woman and a man, and another man, who looked to be your age. Your father quickly stood up, introducing you to the others in the room.

"Ah, finally! This is my daughter, Huang Y/n, my wonderful COO, and her secretary- and CFO, Huang Renjun, my nephew." Your father announced.

The rest of the room stood and held their hands out to you for them to shake. You shook the woman's hand first, as she introduced herself to you. "I'm Mrs Zhong, and this is my husband, Mr Zhong. I'm sure you recognize our names."

You nodded, going to shake Mr Zhong's hand aswell. "You're the CEOS of Zhong Inc, correct?"

The woman smiled, "Yes we are. and this is my son, Chenle, he's our company's CFO, and soon to be heir for our CEO position once we retire."

You turned to Chenle, going to shake his hand and he shook yours in return, although he didn't speak to you. You had heard about the Zhongs business for a long time, their company rivaling yours for generations. You were bound to meet eventually. Your father motioned for everyone to be seated so the meeting could begin. Renjun sat down next to you as you both exchanged a confused look, still unaware of the meeting's topic. Your father glanced to you before speaking again.

"Y/n, I'm sure you're wondering why I've called this meeting today, especially with no warning." Your father spoke.

"I'm guessing we're here to discuss business, no?" I quipped jokingly, still unsure of what was going on.

"Well, obviously. But it's probably not the type of business you're expecting." Your father fiddled with the wedding ring on his finger as he glanced between you and to the Zhong's.

"We've been competitors with the Zhong's for generations, you know this. And we've finally come to an agreement to join companies." Your father paused.

"And sweetheart, we know you've been waiting to become CEO for the longest time, and you've worked hard for it." Your mother chimed in.

You felt your skin crawl anxiously as you feared the direction this conversation was taking. You looked between your parents.

"What are you two implying?" You ask, on edge.

"We've arranged for you- as our heir- and Chenle- as their heir- to be wedded. That's how we've decided to affiliate our companies." Your father declared.

You felt your heart drop in your chest as your father finished speaking.

An arranged marriage?

"No. Absolutely not. Get one of my sister's to do it, I can't just marry someone!" You exclaimed, exasperated.

"I'm afraid you don't get a choice in this, my dear. Keep in mind, my son doesn't have a choice in this either. This is all for business." Mrs. Zhong spoke up.

You glanced to Chenle, seeing how the tight-lipped expression on his face remained cold. No wonder he didn't speak to you when you shook his hand. You looked to Renjun, as he shared your shocked expression.

"Is there any other way for our companies to merge?" You pleaded.

"This is the best way for our companies to merge, and it's the easiest way to win over the public. Plus this is the only way we'll grant you the position of CEO, Y/n. This is what you wanted, sweetheart. You know everything comes at a price, even this position." Your father conceded.

"How could you just agree to this? Father-" You asserted, feeling betrayed.

"This is simply how we've decided this company merger will go. I'm sorry you don't agree with it, but you know this is how business is."

"I mean, this is bullshit, Renjun! How am I supposed to do anything if I'm married? I don't even know Chenle!" You shouted angrily, sipping on a glass of wine.

Renjun slouched on his couch as you paced around his kitchen angrily, steam practically flowing off of you. "I don't know, Y/n. There's obviously no way out of this either, your father already said that. Maybe Chenle won't be so bad. Plus at the end of the day you'll finally be CEO and I'll take over your position. With how much time you'll be spending at the company you would barely have to deal with Chenle, anyways."

"I know I'd be too busy to interact with Chenle except when it comes to business. But it's the concept of it all! Do my parents really just see me as an asset to get more money? I mean- they never treat any of my siblings this way." You sighed, feeling deflated.

"You and I both know the answer to that question, unfortunately." Renjun ran his hand through his hair as he glanced to you apologetically.

"This definitely won't be easy for you, but you won't be alone. I'm your family and your secretary, I'll always be here to support you." Renjun stood and walked to you, placing a comforting hand on your shoulder.

"And we can plan a wedding! Wouldn't that be fun? We used to dream of doing that as children, remember?" Renjun quipped, trying to lighten the mood.

"I always hoped when we were planning a wedding it'd be when I'm marrying someone I love." You cried.

Renjun sighed as he pulled you into a hug as you started to cry more, the overwhelming day finally taking over you.

As the day of your wedding finally came you could feel yourself becoming colder towards the world, feeling as if your life was hardly yours. You had a few meetings previously with your parents trying to force you and Chenle to get to know each other before the wedding came. When it came to you and Chenle, it felt like the two of you had hit a stalemate. Neither of you wanting to know the other and only wanting to get it all over with.

Your father finally walked you up the aisle and led you to Chenle. Although the occasion wasn't ideal, Renjun really had planned the hell out of your wedding. It wasn't likely you'd be able to have a real wedding, but Renjun made sure the wedding was everything you wanted, even if you didn't get the love you wanted in the end. You and Chenle quickly exchanged your mock-up vows between the two of you. You both tried your best to look happy, as cameras and eyes were everywhere. Rings were exchanged between you as the officiant finished speaking.

"I pronounce you, husband and wife, Mr. and Mrs. Zhong. You may kiss the bride." The officiant smiled.

You and Chenle shared a chaste kiss, the only kiss the two of you would likely ever share. You felt disgusted, as did he, neither of you wanting to endure this wedding longer than you had to. You quickly separated, looking embarrassed, but played it off as feeling shy. The two of you making your way our of the wedding, walking down the aisle. You made eye contact with Renjun, as you both shared a sad, defeated look.

The rest of your reception went by in a blur, as you drowned it all out with multiple glasses of wine and soju, hardly speaking to Chenle the whole night, mainly conversing with your friends as Chenle did the same. As the night came to a close, you and Chenle got into your limousine, waving goodbye to your loved ones, as you traveled to your new shared home.

The ride was silent between the pair as the sequences of the night played over and over in their heads again. The realization finally dawned on the two of them. They were stuck together.

As the newlyweds finally put all of their belongings inside their new home the day had completely worn them out. You looked to Chenle, who looked too exhausted to keep up his cold demeanor.

"I'll sleep in the guest bedroom." You sighed, grabbing your things, ready to change out of your wedding attire.

Chenle nodded to you as you parted ways, settling into your new bedrooms. Once you got to your room you set down all of your items, quickly changing into your pajamas, feeling exhausted. As you lay down in your bed, you finally let yourself break. The tears immediately rushing down. You covered your mouth, trying to hide your cries as best as you could to avoid alerting Chenle.

All of this, just to become a CEO.

In the room next to yours, Chenle felt the same defeated emotions as you did. The both of you already feeling resentment towards each other, and your parents. It was the type resentment that grew like a disease.

[raayllum]

Um… Sorry, I know you’re really into Claudiez, but would you think it’s possible that Terry and Claudia could get back together (sometime??? In the future)…?

Like, Terry waits for her to ‘come around’? How potentially viable do you think the option is?

Oh I also love Clauderry!! (and half the fun of shipping is multishipping, anyway). No apologies or hesitation required <33 Claudiez is also supremely a crackship even if it's slightly more plausible in arc 3, but there's no way in hell it's ever happening and that's part of what makes it fun, too

And I think your question is a good one! It's one I asked myself after S7 because while a few things for them happened that I'd been waiting for, it also hadn't gone the way I'd thought.

For example: Since I went into the season thinking there'd be at least a 5 year timeskip in between arc 2 and arc 2 (three years minimum, but five or more felt right) I was already expecting a big chunk of time to pass in between.

This meant I was thinking that either Terry would leave (first) and Claudia would near the end of the season after him, OR neither would leave Aaravos but it'd be made clear Terry was staying with her partially to mitigate damage, and he'd leave early on in arc 3. Don't get me wrong: I wanted/hoped (esp from an aged up Claudiez shipping lens) that they'd break up, and would stay broken up for longer than half a season, and that seeing them apart for Years would be interesting but... surely I wasn't going to get my dream scenario?

And yet here we are, with Terry and Claudia presumably broken up for 7 years. That is a Long time to be broken up for, especially since they're ideologically opposed to the degree that they are. Rayllum lasted 2 years after dating for a shorter time than Clauderry (they had like 2 months; Clauderry probably had 6 months to a year, maybe 1.5) but while certain cultural values and choices weren't matching up, they've never been super ideologically opposed (at least not on the same level to wind up on opposite sides of a war Again). I'd be very interested in an arc where Terry and Claudia grow independently and end up single and/or with other people.

That said: I think it's pretty close to 100% sure that they're gonna get back together before the end of the show.

This is for a few reasons:

1) We are primarily invested in the relationships / the parts of the characters' lives we get to see. We're going to see very little, ultimately, of Terry and Claudia's time apart compared to all their time together (i.e. 4 seasons) and that's going to stick More (and therefore be more relevant) in the audience's minds/memories.

2) Claudia's end of season 7 character design. I want to do a proper breakdown of all of it, and a bigger meta about her character design changes over the show is sitting 1/4th finished in my drafts rn, but I think her prosthetic from Terry is really important from a symbolic standpoint. Whether she wants to or not, Terry is a literal part of her and she is literally carrying a symbol of his love for her with him.

We see her abandon dark magic as a literal crutch in favour of trusting his prosthetic can bear her weight in 6x03, and the symbolism of her throwing away her staff to run and hug him instead. While I think perhaps Callum could end the series (like Viren) without formally/permanently giving up dark magic, I don't think Claudia can, and she'll have to as part of her redemption arc.

On that note, we also have how the prosthetic Terry made/gave to her (as a sign of faith that she'd return to him, and she did, I might add) originally bore more of his colours — brown and green — and how it changes, mostly, to black and blue once she gets her dragon armour.

I do wonder about the blue because unless it's an indigo slant, it's not a colour Claudia has been associated much with so far, but maybe that'll change. We also see that the bulk of the leg has changed, but not all—some original part of it, and Terry, despite Claudia possibly wanting to pretend all of it has been changed/removed, is still there with her.

So Claudia's symbolic coding and her despondency at "so you've given up on me?" with Soren shows that she does still want Soren (and Terry) to Care about her, even if she's not yet willing to accept what that care demands and looks like.

That's her side of things — what about Terry?

3) Terry shows clear continued love and concern throughout the season, including spelling out the biggest piece of evidence for him keeping his love for her in their breakup scene.

But first, just a nice little collection of parallels and indicators:

Now that that's out of the way — onto the actual breakup scene dialogue.

CLAUDIA: I know I should've told you, I know. But Terry, I've done so many bad things before and you know they were for good reasons. What's different about this? TERRY: Because you didn't trust me to make my own choice. You used me. You've never done that before. It's not how you treat someone you love. It's not how you treat any person. And if I let you treat me that way, I'm not sure I can really be me anymore. CLAUDIA: You're always you. You're being so you right now. TERRY: No. Aaravos said that this would change me, but I love myself the way I am. And if I let myself change to someone I don't even like, I'm not... I'm not really the person you fell in love with anymore, am I?

Terry refuses to stay and be fundamentally changed by Claudia and Aaravos' deception. He doesn't want to become someone he likes, and scaffolds that if he did stay and become that person, he would no longer be the person that Claudia loves. Therefore, by leaving, Terry remains the person that Claudia loves. And, as demonstrated in the screencaps above, he starts and ends the season still loving her, which means that Claudia is the one who has to find her way back to him, and she will still find the Terry she fell in love with close to 8 years ago by arc 3's time, waiting for her.

I could see them only getting back together near the end of arc 3, mind you. I'm expecting it'll probably take 1.5 seasons minimum for Claudia to pivot and start her atonement arc in earnest, and I think they'd probably have a season long arc (for those sweet S4 Rayllum parallels, and to give them both an interpersonal plotline) of getting back together, especially because a Lot has changed and will continue to change.

But yeah, I have little doubt they'll be endgame, at the very least ending the show (discounting any kind of epilogue) with a tentative but tender and steadfast, "What do you say we try again?" handhold and look if not like, kissing and couple-y things.

What it would take for me to buy that they'd Stay together their whole lives, I think I would need Claudia to demonstrate to Terry's face how much she views on elves have changed and make it clear that — unlike throughout their entire relationship — she's no longer exceptionalizing him. I could see that being a big part of her arc, but Viren's atonement arc addressed only interpersonal issues, not necessarily the devastation he brought to Xadia/Lux Aurea, so it could go either way. I think Claudia and Terry will end up together regardless of what's focused on in her atonement arc, and I think I'd still prefer to explore fic/fanon wise how divorce could affect them / endgame with other people (Corvus for Terry, Ezran for Claudia) BUT as far as canon? They're endgame, and I'm sure they'll live long happy lives together

[passionwillow]

Handle With Care

Thank you, you guys, for all the continued support. ❤️ This has been sitting in my drafts for so long. Just some short little cuteness.

Warnings: none, fluff and fuzziness

It was a rare day Hank stayed in bed with you in the morning. He was always up early, even on his occasional day off, finding something to work on or do. He left the unwinding for late at night.

But today, a Sunday away from the office, he was still here. His arms around your middle, your head on his bare chest as sunlight came through the open window. You could hear the birds chirping outside and the sounds of the city blending behind it.

"Want some breakfast, baby?" Hank's low voice broke the comfortable silence, his fingertips running slow and featherlight over your back. You hummed noncommittal and looked up at him, his brown eyes soft as they studied you. "In a bit.. I'm enjoying having you here too much."

His smile sent a flutter of butterflies to your stomach, his hand stopping on your lower back to pull you further into him. His free hand brushed your hair back behind your ear, thumb running back and forth along your cheek. “I’m glad I could stay home today.”

“Me too,” you spoke softly, head nuzzling his hand. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” he smiled. You couldn’t help the grin that split your face as you sat up on your elbow, face now inches from the older man. His eyes flickered to your lips before he and leaned in, capturing your mouth with his.

This kiss was gentle and unhurried, his hand sliding into your hair and holding you in place as his lips found that familiar pace with yours. The feel of his soft mouth against yours, his taste.. It was all like home for you.

You gently pulled away and grinned as he tried to follow your lips, Hank settling back on the pillows with a matching smile. “Was that a no to breakfast?”

“I could go for some breakfast,” you laughed, starting to kicking the covers off and get up. You yelped as you felt a pair of arms around your middle, Hank dragging you back into the mattress and chuckling in your ear.

“I was thinking breakfast in bed.”

[aquaregiaart]

Haleth & Caranthir.

[gildui]

soap, price, ghost at some point in their lives. not gaz bc he actually has a sense of style.

[nohr-selphias]

"I love you, Zevran. I hope you know that."

"Yes... Yes, I know that."

— commission art by @sinizade, posted with permission

[rafey-baby]

hidden 2

outlaw!rafe x pogue!reader

c/w: hostage/stockholm syndrome situation, rafe getting injured & reluctantly letting her clean him up, slightly suggestive, 18+ mdni!

wc: 2k

hope u enjoy xx

series masterlist

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

It’s past midnight and Rafe is driving over the speed-limit— he said something about handling business and then more or less shoved her into the passenger seat of his truck before she even had the chance to open her mouth.  

The island sky is as dusky as the bottom of the ocean while he races through the soundless highway that reminds her of the yellow brick road; never-ending and with no certainty of what’s looming at the finish line. 

She’s sits silently, because even if she was curious as to where exactly they were headed to, she’s well aware that he wouldn’t tell her if she asked— which is why she merely lets her heavy lids flutter shut to the lullaby of the wind picking up outside the vehicle, so exhausted she falls asleep within minutes. Therefore, she’s not sure how much time has passed before she’s jostled awake to the sound of him turning off the engine in an empty parking lot. 

“Don’t even think about openin’ the door, alright?” a heavy warning lingers in his tone while he tucks his gun into the waistband of his pants and grabs a thick wad of cash from the glove compartment.  

She hums her acknowledgment, watching his actions with wandering eyes filled with questions. However, he merely offers her a brief glance before he’s throwing open the door and disappearing into the eerily serene night— leaving her alone in the dimly lit space with her nervous inhales the only thing keeping her company.  

The moment he’s gone, she tries to peer through the window, squinting in order to see where he’s run off to. However, the faint glow of the street lamps provides little to no help, which makes her tap her nails against the center console; impatiently waiting for him to return. Then, she attempts to press her ear to the window, but unfortunately no sounds other than the leaves in the trees surrounding the area reach her eardrums.  

She sighs. What if something happens? 

Realistically, she knows he doesn’t need her to worry about him but she can’t help it; no matter how terrible of a person he is, she doesn’t want anything bad to happen to him. Because at the end of the day, she’s not a carefully programmed robot entirely void of human emotions, is she?

The mellow memory of him reluctantly attempting to soothe her after her outburst the other day still lingers at the forefront of her mind— turning her initial thoughts about him into something softer. After all, she was certain he was going to kill her when she threatened him with his gun. However, he seemed almost entertained by her stupid bravery, opting to mock her instead of showing a single ounce of actual fear.

And she doesn’t know why, but there’s this peculiar flutter in her stomach whenever her brain decides to mull over the moment of him wrapping his big arms around her shaky form in an almost gentle manner. She wants to forget about it, wants to push it aside and simply despise him for forcing her to help him, but she can’t— can’t help the fact that even if she’s utterly terrified of him, there’s something almost fascinating about the way he’s such a polar opposite to her.

Not only is he a Kook but he’s also violent and hostile, whereas she doesn’t even have the heart to kill a bug. His demeanor is aggressive and she thought that was all there was but then he goes on and practically hugs her when she’s a trembling mess with salty tears streaking her cheeks. And she’s not entirely sure what she’s supposed to think of that.  

In fact, all of it confuses her to no end— disarranging her cerebrum and making foreign emotions bubble in her chest like molten lava. Or maybe she’s just touch-deprived; starving for whatever attention Rafe is suddenly offering her so generously. 

However, she doesn’t necessarily want to think about any of it right now, opting to stare out into the gloom of the night, forcing her mind somewhere else entirely when all at once, the driver’s side door slams open and her head snaps towards it; eyes startled and heart jumping in her chest at the sudden intrusion.  

“Calm down, s’just me,” Rafe mutters, sounding out of breath, his exhales harsh and chest rising and falling like a madman while he leans against the leather seat— eyes soon flitting over her tense form.

“You seriously didn’t move?” he huffs out, brows raised. “When’d you learn to listen? Should give you a treat for bein’ such a good little puppy, huh?” he lets out a chuckle with a shake of his head while she comes to the conclusion that she’s definitely craving a very specific type of attention when her thighs involuntarily press together in response to his twisted notion of praise.   

“You— uh…you okay?” she cautiously asks; an attempt to focus on something other than the warmth scattering along the apples of her cheeks.   

“M’fine,” he mumbles before starting the engine and speeding back out onto the road still sound asleep— the pitch-black sky beginning to fade into a navy blue with the dim glimmer of the street lamps illuminating their journey.    

However, when she gets a better look at him, she notices a few cuts and bruises adorning his tired face. There’s a particularly deep scrape on his cheekbone; crimson transferring to the back of his hand when he mindlessly swipes over it. “Rafe you’re bleeding. What happened?” she exclaims, uneasiness coating her voice.

“Don’t worry, okay? Jus’ had some, uh…disagreements, you should honestly see the other guy,” a lazy smirk paints over his face when he lets out a dry chuckle.  

“Do you want me to clean them up for you? Those could get infected or something.”

“S’just a few scratches, you’re actin’ as if m’bleedin’ out,” he rolls his eyes, turning exasperated.  

“M’being serious, you can’t exactly go to the doctor if those actually end up getting infected, can you?” she argues with a pout.    

“Shit, are all pogues this fuckin’ stubborn or jus’ you? Told you, s’fine,” he snaps in disdain, knuckles turning white from gripping the steering wheel.  

“It’s not fine, though. Can you jus’…can you just let me help? It’ll take like ten minutes and then you don’t have to worry about it anymore,” she rakes a hand through her hair in frustration because in her opinion, Rafe is the one being stubborn right now.   

“M’not worryin’ about it!” his gravelly voice suddenly thunders from his chest, making her flinch.  

“…well— I am,” her tone is quiet now, slightly regretting bringing up the topic in the first place.    

At that, he lets out an irritated sigh before he’s abruptly pulling over to a parking lot next to some gas station.

She turns to look at him with a surprised expression.   

“Don’t have all day, get the fuckin’ first aid kit from the glove box then,” he grumbles out a harsh demand.   

“O— okay,” her face begins to light up in victory as she scurries to open the compartment in front of her, rummaging through and trying to not pay attention to the plastic baggies filled with white powder or the wads of cash her hand comes in contact with. 

At last, her tentative fingertips find the small red bag she was looking for. However, when she turns to face him again, he’s not initiating any sort of movement, simply spreading his legs out in front of him in his slouched position and staring down at her expectantly.  

She hesitates. “You’re not gonna…move?”  

“If you wanna play nurse so fuckin’ bad then you have no problem sittin’ on my lap, right? Not gonna reach all the way from there, are ya?” his voice is mocking and she can practically feel the warmth crawling up her face.  

“Oh, right. Um— yeah. I’ll just…” she blinks and then she’s clumsily climbing over the console and awkwardly lowering down to his lap while he merely looks at her with a bored expression; annoyance swimming in the lagoons of his eyes as he glares at her, clearly bothered by the fact that he has to waste his precious time on something as trivial as this.

It makes her huff before she’s timidly opening the first aid kit and trying to settle down onto his lap. However, with his long legs sprawled out in the legroom, he’s not exactly making it easy for her— being petty and difficult on purpose while she takes out a clean cotton pad and dampens it with some antiseptic spray. 

“Can you just…” she trails off before gingerly taking ahold of his jaw and tilting his face in an attempt to examine the injuries.  

And to her surprise, he lets her freely maneuver his head as she pleases and despite the sting, he doesn’t even flinch when she dabs over a smaller cut on his jaw— merely lets his gaze flicker over her features, making her grow nervous under his curious eyes while she tries to concentrate on the vermilion spots on his face and not the way he’s soundlessly observing her. Or the fact that she’s currently closer to him than she’s ever been before— can feel the even breaths from his nose tickling the skin of her lower face when she leans down for a better angle.  

“So…you’re a drug dealer?” she decides to try her luck, not being able to sweep the cocaine in the glove compartment under the rug so carelessly.   

“What did I say about questions, puppy?” he scolds her instead of answering.   

“Right— sorry,” her eyes drop. At least she tried.  

And she doesn’t say anything more, instead focuses all her attention on gently cleansing the scrapes while she tries to not pay any mind to the fact that as an afterthought, this position is incredibly improper, and she’s not entirely sure why she agreed to it so easily. Upon careful consideration, she thinks she’s entirely too aware of his sturdy muscles underneath her and it’s turning her respiration more and more labored by each wipe over his skin.  

“Thinkin’ about goin’ to Guadeloupe next week,” he utters out after several moments of silence.  

“You are?”   

“Mhm, m’family has a house there,” his voice is calm, almost relaxed.  

Her brows crease in a question. “But how’re you—”

“I have a private jet,” he states as if it should be obvious. He is a proud Kook, after all.

“Right, of course you do,” she shakes her head when the corners of his mouth tug up. “How long are you gonna stay there?” she then asks while lifting her hand to swipe the saturated cotton over the deeper wound on his cheekbone.   

He shrugs. “Don’t know, ’til I figure somethin’ else out.”

She hums and then shuffles around on his lap some more, trying to wriggle upwards in an attempt to not fall. However, as she’s shifting into a more comfortable position, he suddenly lets out a low grunt from the back of his throat.  

“Shit, puppy. You, uh, you really gotta move around so much?” he murmurs, promptly resting his hands on her hips, halting her movements altogether.   

“S— sorry,” her eyes round out when she realizes there’s a slight bulge in his pants. 

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re tryna get me hard on purpose, hm?” a breathy chuckle escapes his lips, amusement glittering in blue gemstones while he inspects her flushed face with intrigue.   

“Oh, no— m’not…was jus’— trying not to fall,” her words are rushed, thoroughly embarrassed as she blinks repeatedly.  

“Just, uh…stay still, yeah? Need me to steady you?” he rasps out before strong arms are holding her upright with a firm grip on her waist.   

“Thanks,” her voice is a muted whisper while she tries not to seem so affected— getting a new cotton pad and beginning to scrub off some of the dried scarlet from under his bottom lip, not daring to shift an inch after that.

[necroticboop]

GARGOYLES : ↳ Types of Soulmates

[slavhew]

jakey + dirkjake sandwiched between my organic chem notes. a poem in there somewhere

[panikkarsravi]

S04E05: Buck Begins // S04E14: Survivors

[demaparbat-hp]

Oh, Lala...

[iveneverbeenmorestressedinmylife]

[melmedardaapologist]

ambessa costume design analysis: war and family

*rubs hands together* Alright let’s do this

I think we forget that, before season 1 episode 8 “Oil and Water,” we didn’t have a reference for the Medarda standards that Mel supposedly failed—this is why Ambessa’s first appearance is so striking. While Mel has completely scrubbed red from her wardrobe, red is the first thing that jumps out with the cape and the accents—a bold color that is associated with passion and violence and decisiveness, all traits that Ambessa proudly boasts

The grey and black then point to functionality and metals like iron, which are used more for warfare, in contrast to gold, which is a softer metal

The immediate next observation is the functionality of the outfit—the shoulder and hip guards, the belt and abdomen armor, the pants, the boots. While in good condition, the immediate conclusion that we get is that, like Sevika and Vi, this is a character who likes a free range of movement to dish out violence, and the casual way with which she wears this outfit shows how at ease she is with this violence, how she values her physical strength

(hilariously, in the art book screenshot below, the top right draft for Ambessa’s outfit shows her in a symmetrical white waistcoat with gold and black accents like Mel’s Piltover outfit, which I’m glad that they didn’t use in the end, but I think Ambessa would’ve worn it at least once to freak Mel out)

Her hair is free and wild, almost careless, again in contrast to Mel’s carefully groomed braids (keep this in mind for later)—where Mel lets her put together appearance speak of her character, Ambessa’s not carelessness, but her confidence

The picture with Mel and Ambessa in front of the former’s painting is also interesting, because we can see how the red from the sails matches Ambessa’s red—unity with nation, as for the purposes of the story, Ambessa is Noxus, but then we see that the ambient coloring of the painting is gold—Mel’s color. The painting—Mel’s vision—is the closest we see mother and daughter aligned, with Ambessa just having invited Mel to come back, and the beautiful and almost dream-like scene behind them unites them briefly

Of course, this is Arcane so that never happens, which brings us to one of my favorite images of Ambessa:

Firstly, this is just mwah so sexy there’s the ambient red of the scene from the ashes and fire, adding to the association of red as violence, but more significantly:

It’s the first time she wears gold—and it’s in a war mask, already smeared with blood and green chems

So this outfit just—props to the design department. Just. Gorgeous. Beautiful. Outstanding. 100/10 villain outfit

So there’s a lot going down here, so I’ll start with real world inspirations: from this post by @hyperfixationcritter (it has so much more info, i would def recommend the whole thing!), we can see that the headdress could be inspired by Zulu isicholos and the red threading is similar to the Dahomey warriors, which I love, as they could’ve just gone with the Roman and/or medieval aesthetic natural to Noxus, but instead they went with African influences, so when we see the pinnacle of Medarda splendor, it’s distinct and unique

Also here’s some art book insights (my eternal thanks to @stealingpotatoes for the photo!)

So from the regal outfit drafts, we can see them cycling out different ideas of war-like aesthetic, from the more modern military aesthetic with the side cloak and clean lines which would be more like a cleaned up version of Ambessa’s first outfit, to the symmetrical wing-like gold breastplate that, interestingly, mimicks Mel’s back tattoo. I still like the version that they settled on the most, but I love how we can see what aspects they wanted to evoke through the process

The blood mask is definitely more Viking-like in aesthetic, but I feel this is something a younger Blood Sweat & Tears Ambessa would do

And going to the actual mask, it’s interesting to note that it looks more Noxian gray and iron than the final color, which brings me to my favorite point:

Firstly, I love how you can see the similarities in features in mother and daughter, but more than that, what jumps out?

Gold—Ambessa’s decadent earrings and lip ring, the breastplate, the accents on the outfit, except in contrast to Mel, Ambessa’s gold speaks of war—the earrings are triangular and pointed, the breastplate is a functional piece of armor

Narratively speaking, when Mel disappears, Ambessa is not only politically but also visually primed to take her place as the power in Piltover

Also I want to share insights from this post by the fabulous @melmedarda

And it leaves you to wonder, is it a Medarda custom to braid their hair when at war? To wear gold to war where all of Noxus wears red and black and silver?

Mel choses her battleground to be politics and subtlety and diplomacy. Ambessa choses the wolf and the blade

Furthermore, the coloring is primarily white, black and gold—Mel’s colors—showing how even if she did return, these signifiers of the identity she built for herself have been overtaken and their meaning inverted—in a way, her mother has stolen that from her, and that’s so twisted and incredibly interesting at the same time (also interesting to note that Mel seems to be primed to be Caitlyn’s support after Cassandra Kiramman’s death, but then Ambessa takes up that role, and then it returns to Mel during the final battle)

After this change, we really only see Ambessa in her workout martial arts outfit with Caitlyn, otherwise it’s variations on accessories on a basic theme, much like Mel’s season 1 outfit really only changes with the ratios of black and white, and while yes, I’ve said before that it would be cool to see some variation, story-wise giving a character a recognizable outfit works towards creating them as a recognizable and steady figure—Mel as the stable reference for wealth, Ambessa as the glory of war

I love this photo so much—firstly, the only change is the hair, which has been reworked from it’s complicated headdress into functional twin braids, and there’s a beautiful balance between the blade and the Medarda ring on her hand. This is probably the most gold we see her wearing, at the height of her military power, before the power of a butch with beautiful eyes compels Caitlyn to betray her

Here we can clearly see that the regal outfit is very easily turned into a functional outfit—even at her most decadent, it takes two seconds to lose the coat and have free range to wield weapons

Returning to the mask, in the final battle, we can see its iconic claw marks from Warwick—wear and tear from the war that we saw happen onscreen from a clash of two Wolf-coded figures (I have thoughts about the wolf metaphor in relation to social dynamics and the lone wolf idea as portrayed by Vander and Ambessa, but that’s a whole other discussion)

Design-wise, it’s also very smart to have the anti-magic runes be green—it makes them easy to spot against Ambessa’s usual design

But of course they can’t save her, and Ambessa dies, and in the final shot, she looks like this:

The lack of focus on gold or armor makes us focus on her face, and for a moment, there is such softness and tenderness there as she gazes at Mel. Because yes, she was the armor and the blade and the iron and gold, but in the end, she was just a mother who loved her daughter. She was a horrible parent and a violent warlord, but the love was there, and at the end of her life this is what we focus on, because everything else were just the expressions of the power she sought to protect them.

[isezrahomeyet]

OUR BOY IS BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!