#this is the first thing i did and had to capture

[prisjean]

₊˚ˑ༄ؘ late night confessions

synopsis: after confessing how you've never had any of your firsts, frat boy!caleb is there to listen (and help  ¬ᴗ¬) but he also has something to confess aswell?

tw: MDNI +18, p in v (use protection), virginity loss, fingering, cummin inside, oral, squirting, teases a bit, caleb is a bit of a groaner, your pleasure comes first!!

author's note: hihi lovelies! so sorry i took awhile to post, life has been busy. i wanted to make something extra long because i will continue to be busy these next few weeks so i dont know when i'll be able to post but thank you so much for the love on held close, it was my best work and i wanted to capture the essence on how caleb is hehe. happy reading!

the party was still going strong downstairs. music thumping, drunken laughter spilling out onto the front lawn of the frat house, but up here, in caleb’s dorm, everything was quiet. you sat cross-legged on his bed, picking at the frayed hem of your hoodie while he lounged back against the headboard, one arm slung lazily behind his head.

this wasn’t unusual. you and caleb always ended up like this after nights out. he might be the life of the party, but he never let you walk home alone. not when he could just let you crash here, giving the two of you privacy while his roommate was away.

he took a sip from his water bottle, tilting his head to the side as he studied you. “you looked miserable down there,” he said, a smirk tugging at his lips. “don’t tell me you’re finally admitting frat parties aren’t your thing.”

you rolled your eyes. “they never were.” you take a sip from your water bottle that caleb handed to you.

he chuckled, setting the bottle on the nightstand. “then why’d you come? you know i wouldn’t have invited you if it meant you would feel terrible.”

you hesitated, tracing patterns on his blanket. “i dunno. just figured…well it’s college. i should probably try to enjoy it like everyone else.”

caleb hummed like he didn’t quite believe you. “uhuh and did you?”

you shot him a dry look. “i spent half the night dodging drunk guys who couldn’t take a hint, so what do you think?”

his smirk faded. “who?”

“relax, nothing happened,” you said quickly. “but that’s kind of the problem, isn’t it?”

caleb frowned, pushing himself up so he was properly sitting. “what do you mean?”

you let out a slow breath, you looked down at the floor. “i just… i feel like i’m behind.”

“behind what?”

“everything,” you admitted. “i’ve never had a real boyfriend. never had my first kiss, never-” you paused, suddenly regretting saying anything at all. “never mind. it’s stupid.” you dismiss your comment with a slight chuckle.

caleb was quiet for a moment. when you finally glanced up at him, you expected teasing, maybe some cocky remark about how he could “fix that” if you wanted.

but he just looked… thoughtful.

“that’s not stupid pipsqueak” he said finally. his voice was quieter now, more serious.

you sighed. “come on, caleb. you..you’ve lived. you’ve had hookups, flings, relationships or whatever you call them and i’ve had nothing.”

he gets closer and sits next to you on his bed, keeping his gaze. “and? why does that matter?”

“because,” you huffed, frustrated. “people expect you to have certain experiences by a certain age, and i just… haven’t.”

caleb’s brows furrowed. “who the hell cares what ‘people’ expect?”

you bit your lip, shrugging. “it’s just embarrassing sometimes. i feel like i’m missing out.”

he was watching you closely now, something unreadable in his gaze. “you’re not missing out on anything, pipsqueak,” he murmured.

your stomach flipped at the nickname, but you ignored it. “easy for you to say. you’ve had all your firsts.”

caleb froze but leaned closer, something like a smirk tugging at his lips, but it wasn’t cocky this time. he cups your cheek. “yeah? and you wanna know something?”

you hesitated before nodding.

“they were forgettable.”

that caught you off guard. “what?”

he exhaled, running a hand through his hair. “i mean… there were moments. but i could never look them in the eye. i just couldn’t..” his fingers curled into the fabric of his hoodie, gaze flickering away. i always made sure i wasn’t facing them, like if i did, it’d make it real and something in me would just freeze.” 

he let out a short, almost self-deprecating laugh. “like some part of me knew it wasn’t supposed to be with them or other times i would call them the wrong name.. and it would be the same name every. single. time” his jaw tightens, now his gaze never left yours. 

your stomach twisted. “caleb…”

he shook his head, forcing a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. he ruffles your hair. “you’re not behind, pipsqueak. you’re just waiting for it to actually matter.”

your breath caught. “you’ve never…?”

he shook his head once, a small, almost embarrassed smile tugging at his lips. “not in the way you think.”

the room felt smaller somehow, the space between you charged with something unsaid.

“you don’t regret that?” you asked quietly.

he hesitated, he huffs. “i think i’d regret it more if i gave my firsts to someone who actually meant something… and they didn’t feel the same.”

your heart stuttered in your chest, the weight of his words pressing down on you. but before you could say anything, caleb just gave you a lazy, lopsided smile, like he hadn’t just dropped a big piece of his life on you. he grazed your cheek, his touch lingering for just a second too long.

“don’t stress about it, okay?” he murmured. “your firsts should be with someone you want them with. not just someone convenient.”

a heavy silence settled between you, but your mind was spinning now, turning over every moment, every lingering touch, every look he had given you that you never understood, until now.

“all those girls,” you said hesitantly, your voice quieter now. “the ones you’ve been with… did none of them ever mean anything?”

caleb stiffened, his jaw tightening. he looked away, exhaling sharply through his nose like he was debating whether to tell you the truth.

then he muttered, almost too low for you to hear. “none of them were you.” he finally admitted.

you felt your cheeks heat up by the sudden change in tone. 

he scoffed at himself, scratching the back of his head. “it’s silly, huh? i’d go out, find someone who-” he let out a humorless laugh. “someone who looked just enough like you if i squinted. your hair and that same kind of smile that i adore too much. sometimes they even smelled like your vanilla perfume.”

you stared at him, your heart beating against your ribs.

he shook his head, laughing bitterly. “and for a while, it worked. i’d close my eyes and pretend it was you. just for a little bit.” his voice dropped lower, ashamed. “but then it’d be over, and i’d wake up, and it wasn’t. and i’d hate myself for it.”

you swallowed hard. “caleb…”

his eyes met yours again, and for once, there was no smirk, no teasing glint. just raw honesty.

“but that didn’t stop me,” he admitted. “because i thought..heh i convinced myself..i’d never actually have you. and if I couldn’t, then what was the harm in pretending?”

a heavy silence settled between you. your chest ached, not just for him, but for yourself, for all the moments you never realized he was looking at you like that. the only thing that echoed now was the faint music from the speakers coming from the party downstairs.

“…and now?” you whispered.

caleb exhaled, something almost resigned in his expression. “and now i don’t even wanna pretend anymore.”

“you don’t…have too..” you whispered as both of your faces were mere inches from each other. a quiet breath came first followed by caleb looking down at your lips before he traced his hand down your chin. then, caleb kissed you.

he was slow at first but hesitant, as if he was still trying to convince himself this was real. his hand slid to cup the back of your neck, pulling you in deeper. he places your back on his bed, the weight of him settling over you while fighting for dominance with his tongue. 

he kissed you like he was making up for every stolen glance, every moment spent pretending. his tongue brushed against yours, coaxing, claiming, demanding in a way that sent heat pooling in your stomach.

then he slowed, breathing heavy as he pulled back just enough for his forehead to rest against yours. his thumb traced your jaw, his voice barely above a whisper.

"tell me to stop," he said, but his voice wavered, like he was terrified of what he’d do if you actually did.

you swallowed hard, your hands turned to knuckles."i don’t want you to."

a sharp exhale, like he had been holding his breath. his lips ghosted over yours, his grip tightening ever so slightly. his breath hot over your lips "then tell me…" his voice was desperate. "tell me that whatever happens next, you won’t regret it." he grabs your hand to kiss it before looking into your eyes once more awaiting your answer. “i want to be your first.” his puppy eyes now settling upon you. 

you lifted that same hand, brushing your fingers through his hair. “caleb,” you whispered, soft but certain. “i could never regret you. i want this more than you could ever know.”

with a warm smile, he kissed you again, harder this time, more sure of himself. his hand slid down your waist, grounding himself in the feeling of you beneath him.

his hand traced the curve of your cheek before trailing lower, his lips followed.

he dove into your neck, attacking you with nibbles. what started as slow, lingering kisses turned into teasing bites that sent a shiver down your spine. his teeth grazed over your skin before his tongue followed, soothing the marks he was leaving behind. your clear skin was now painted with his touch, evidence of his undying love for you. he thought, what could be just a one-night fling to you, felt like more than everything to him. if what was happening now was just for one night, he was determined to make this into a memory that will keep him going. 

he trails a free hand to the base of your skirt, tugging on the zipper while his lips stay latched on your neck. with a sudden “zzzip” filling the room, he continues his path, guiding his hand lower and successfully reaching inside your underwear. you felt shivers down your spine as caleb rolls circles on your clit, sending a gasp out of you. 

you grip at his shoulder, feeling the fabric of his jacket wrinkle under your grasp. you didn’t know how to comprehend the amount of pleasure he was giving you. moans started to escape your lips as caleb continued to caress your clit, his every touch left you almost breathless but wanting more. your body started to tense up, an unknown feeling that only escalated your arousal. 

caleb let out a low chuckle before trailing a series of soft, lingering kisses along your lips. just as you try to keep up with your breath, he captured your mouth again, tilting your head to deepen the kiss, his touch both teasing and possessive. his tongue slipped past your parted lips, prying your mouth open as he explored you further, muffling your shaky moans with an intense and consuming kiss.

“this feels s-so good..” you managed to whisper in between kisses, your body responding to every relentless touch. caleb still not losing his rhythm on your clit, his lips never leaving yours as he pulled back just enough to smile.

"i'm glad..because I won’t be stopping anytime soon," he said, his voice low and teasing.

his words sent a thrill through you, a mixture of excitement and anticipation pooling in your stomach. the more he kept playing with your clit, the more this..unknown sensation was rising inside you and he didn’t want him to stop. 

pulling his fingers away, you immediately missed the feeling, a whimper catching in your throat. before you could make a fuss on the loss, caleb dipped his head down, his breath warm against your skirt, nearing your cunt. you sucked in a shaky breath, trying to regain some semblance of control. your eyes, heavy-lidded and hazy with pleasure, flickered to the window. the stars had never looked so bright, distant, shimmering, and endless, just like the party still going on downstairs.

his hands found your hips, thumbs pressing into your hip bones in a slow, soothing motion before he hooked his fingers into your skirt. with a smooth tug, he slid it down, taking your underwear along with it, leaving you bare beneath him. caleb glanced up, his eyes smoldering as he murmured, "after tonight, i promise..this is all you'll ever think about."  

before you could even form a response, he lifted one of your legs over his shoulder, keeping you open for him. then, without warning, his mouth descended on your exposed pussy.  

the first swipe of his tongue was slow, deliberate, as if he wanted to savor you, to let the taste of you settle on his tongue. but that restraint didn't last long. his groan vibrated against your core, low and needy, like he was already losing himself. his hands gripped your thighs tighter, fingers pressing into your flesh like he needed something to ground himself. but even then, he was slipping, unraveling with every lick, every sound you made.  

his tongue moved with an eager desperation, tracing over your folds, as if he was memorizing the way you felt against his tongue. he devoured you like a man starved, each groan growing rougher, throatier, as his self-control decreased. his movements became sloppier, greedier. his lips sealing around you, sucking just to hear you gasp, his tongue lapping up every drop like he couldn’t get enough.  

when he pulled back just slightly, his lips glistening, his breath ragged, his pupils were blown wide, almost black with hunger.

 "fuck..." he exhaled, his voice rawly thick. his grip on your thighs tightened for just a second before he dove back in, dragging another long, almost desperate lick through your folds, like he had lost all sense of anything else but you. 

your fingers tangled in his mullet without thinking, pulling him closer as your hips rocked against his tongue, chasing every wave of pleasure he gave you. the heat pooling in your stomach burned hotter with each flick of his tongue, each hungry suck that left you trembling beneath him.  

"caleb—" his name slipped out in a breathless moan before you slapped a hand over your mouth, trying to stifle the sounds spilling from your lips. "that feels… s-so good," you mumbled against your palm, your voice barely holding together.  

but caleb wasn’t having that.  

still buried between your thighs, he hummed against you, a deep, satisfied sound that sent vibrations straight through your core. without pausing, he reached up, his fingers wrapping around your wrist, pulling your hand away from your lips. he laced his fingers with yours, his grip firm, grounding.  

his lips curled into a smirk against you before he murmured, voice thick with want, "you don’t have to hold back. be as loud as you want… i’m right here."

he pushes you back, pinning you against the bed with ease, his face still hovering over your pussy.  

"caleb, i…ah!"  

a sharp cry cuts off your words as his fingers sink into you, stretching you open inch by inch. the sudden fullness sends a jolt of pleasure through you, making your body arch into his touch. before you can even catch your breath, his tongue joins the mix, dragging along your folds with a slow, deliberate lick that has your thighs trembling.  

"you taste so sweet…" he groans against you, his voice dripping with hunger. "i could do this all night..all day even", he chuckles. 

your slick coats his fingers as he pumps them in and out, the pace teasingly slow, as if he’s memorizing every reaction, every little sound you make. your whimpers fuel him, a spark igniting in his chest as he watches you come undone beneath him.  

then, he curls his fingers just right-  

your back lifts off the bed, a choked moan escaping your lips as your body tenses. his smirk deepens, dark and knowing. he’s found it.  

"there it is," he murmurs, his voice dripping with satisfaction. he doesn’t waste a second. his fingers pick up speed, thrusting deeper, pressing against that same spot over and over again. every movement is deliberate, every stroke meant to unravel you. the room fills with the slick sounds of his fingers working inside you, the wet heat of his mouth still teasing your clit, and the way your moans spill out, growing louder with every calculated thrust.  

caleb hums against you, his own pleasure building just from watching you come apart. "that’s it… let me hear you."

your grip on his hand tightened, fingers trembling as your body squirmed beneath him. a desperate whimper escaped your lips.

“c-caleb… i—ah… i think i’m close,” you gasped, your voice breathless, barely above a whisper.

his response was immediate, “come for me, princess… i’m right here.”

a shiver ran down your spine as his words alone sent you teetering on the edge. your back arched, muscles tensing as pleasure coiled tight in your core. caleb didn’t stop, his touch was relentless, his tongue and fingers working in perfect sync, dragging you through wave after wave of ecstasy.

your release crashed over you, sending you spiraling. a gasp came from your throat as warm liquid flooded through you, coating his face and fingers soon part of the liquid dripped down to the bed. caleb groaned against you, savoring every moment, every sound, every taste. he pulled away only to lick his lips, eyes dark with satisfaction as his thumb traced soft circles on your inner thigh.

“that’s my good girl,” he murmured, his voice dripping with praise, a smirk tugging at his lips. even now, with your body spent and breath uneven, the hunger in his gaze told you..he wasn’t done with you yet.

he wastes no time before hovering over you, caging you beneath him. his fingers fumble slightly as he works at the buttons of your top, eager yet unsteady. one by one, they come undone, revealing more of your skin to his hungry gaze. his pupils darken, widening with sheer desperation. he had imagined this moment countless times, but nothing compared to the reality of seeing you like this.  

“you’re even more stunning than i imagined,” he breathes, voice thick with longing. the last of the buttons popped off and you help him as he gently swifts it off your shoulders, putting it to the side. there’s no hesitation in his movements as he expertly unclasps your bra with a single hand, discarding it just as quickly. 

for a moment, he simply stares, enamored, breath hitching as if he doesn’t know where to begin. but desire overtakes him, and he dips his head, capturing one of your sensitive buds between his lips. the moment his mouth latches on, he sucks greedily, the same feeling he had between your thighs now channeled into worshipping every inch of you. he makes sure to give the other breast the same attention, his fingers kneading your soft flesh while his mouth continues its worship. caleb was always the type to ensure you were taken care of, and this was no different. his touch was deliberate, yet dripping with desire.  

your whimpers slip past your lips, each sound fueling him further as he overwhelms you with sensation after sensation. his tongue flicks and rolls, alternating between slow, teasing swirls and desperate, heated sucks, never giving you a moment to recover. every movement was a silent promise. he wasn’t stopping until you were completely undone beneath him.

eventually pulling his lips away from your breasts, his breaths were ragged, heavy with restraint as his fingers made quick work of his belt. “you have no idea what you do to me,” he murmured, the sharp clink of metal echoed in the room, followed by the unmistakable sound of a zipper being dragged down. 

his hands trembled slightly, whether from excitement or the sheer need to feel you, you weren’t sure. but the moment his pants hit the floor, he wasted no time. he leaned back over you, the heat of his body radiating against your skin as he traced a hand along your thigh, his touch very  worshipping. he releases his erection from his boxers and he was big. his tip glistened with pre-cum. he guided his cock before your pussy. 

“i’ll go slow, i promise” he breathed out, using your slick to coat himself. he aligned himself with your entrance, teasing you with the tip before slowly pushing in, letting you take him inch by inch.

a groan ripped from his throat as your walls wrapped around him, his fingers digging into your hips as he tried to steady himself. his head fell forward, his breath hot against your shoulder. "fuck," he rasped, voice shaking. "you're—you're squeezing me so tight." he shakily pumps in you slowly.

"c-caleb," you whimpered, voice breaking as you tried to adjust. "you're so… big—"

his grip on you tightened, his chest rising and falling in heavy pants. "god… you feel too good," he nearly whimpered, his voice filled with desperation. his body trembled, pressing his forehead against yours as he fought for control. 

“if you keep squeezing me like that,” he murmured, his voice husky and uneven, “i don’t think i can go slow.”

you swallowed hard, your walls fluttering around him at his words. “please… don’t,” you whispered, meeting his half-lidded gaze with your own. "i want to feel all of you." you tugged at his jacket, it being the only clothing left on between the two of you. you slipped your hands beneath the fabric, pushing his jacket off his shoulders before sliding it down his arms, letting it fall carelessly to the floor along with your clothes. you guided your hands on his chest, feeling every muscle he had. you were used to seeing caleb shirtless but tonight, it was in a different light that only increased your arousal. 

once he was halfway in, his breathing started to become heavy as he studied your face for any sign of discomfort. “alright..” he hums, his thumb stroked gentle circles on your hip. “but tell me if it’s too much,” he whispered.

your nails dug into his shoulders, your body desperate for more despite the slow burn. “keep going,” you urged, your voice breathless and cheeks flushed.

caleb let out a shuddered exhale before pushing deeper, groaning as he finally bottomed out inside you. he buried his face in the crook of your neck, overwhelmed by the warmth embracing him so perfectly. his body trembled to move at a pace that wouldn’t break you, despite the way your walls clenched around him. 

your moans became louder as caleb continues to fill you, his hair becoming a bird's nest under your fingers. “c-caleb..more” you bit your lip, scratch marks forming on his back the more you cling onto him. “hhhg…i need more” you pleaded. a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips before he captured your mouth in a searing kiss, his restraint finally snapping as he began to move in a quicker pace, rocking into you with deep, measured thrusts that left you gasping.

caleb groaned against your lips before pulling away, his hands gripping your thighs as he adjusted his position, sliding his hands under your legs before lifting them onto his shoulders. the shift made you gasp, the deeper angle sending a shiver through your entire body. the perfect angle he knows to get you into a mess. he leaned forward, pressing your knees closer to your chest, trapping you beneath him. 

"c-caleb—" you choked out as he pushed back in, deeper than before, the sensation overwhelming his grip on your thighs tightened as he adjusted, his thrusts being so deep, hitting that sensitive spot inside you with precision. every roll of his hips that kissed your g-spot sent sparks of pleasure shooting through your body, your moans growing louder with each push and pull. 

caleb’s breathing was ragged, his control unraveling as he watched you writhe beneath him. "look at you," he murmured, his voice dripping with admiration. "so beautiful like this..so perfect for me." he places a kiss on your calf. 

you reached for him, hands on his chest to gesture him to slow down. something was building up in your core. sounds of skin slapping filled the room. "i’m-..so cl..close caleb.." 

"i know," he cut in, voice strained as he instead quickened his pace, wanting your release to fall through for him and by him. "give it to me... please let me feel you.." 

with a final, deep thrust, he angled himself just right, sending you over the edge with a cry, your body tightening around him as a warm liquid gushed out of you. the liquid coated on caleb’s cock and inner thighs. witnessing this, caleb groaned loudly, his hips stuttering as he came completely undone by the way you pulsed around him. his movements grew more erratic as he felt your walls clamp down around him. the grip on your thighs tightened, as he tried to hold himself together.

"good girl.." he panted, his mind still onto the sounds and the expressions of you coming undone before him. he continued thrusting, now chasing his high. after a while, caleb announces “i’m ugg.. gonna..” his body comes to a stop as he releases his seed inside of you, coating your walls.

the world around you both seemed to have stopped, nothing but the feeling of him filled your mind. caleb's weight sank into you as he rested his forehead on your shoulder, trying to catch his breath.

a small smile curled at your lips as you traced your fingers through his damp hair, feeling his body twitch slightly against yours. "that was…" you trailed off, still breathless, your mind hazy from the intensity of it all.

caleb let out a weak chuckle, pressing a soft kiss against your collarbone before pulling back just enough to meet your gaze. his purple-pinkish eyes, still heavy with satisfaction, softened as he took you in. "yeah," he murmured, brushing his knuckles along your cheek. "it was."

he slowly pulled out of you, making sure to be gentle as he settled beside you, pulling you into his arms without hesitation. his hands roamed over your bare skin, his eyes full of adoration. caleb reached for the blanket, pulling it over you both, carefully covering you up as if protecting the moment, his moment. he held you close, his breathing still getting adjusted for his body to fit around yours. 

you cleared your throat, lifting your head to face him.

“hey,” you started softly, your voice a little unsure. “earlier… when i said i felt like i was behind, that I hadn’t had any of those firsts… i still feel that way sometimes. even now.”

caleb’s gaze softened, and he shifted, lifting his head to look down at you. his hand gently cupped your cheek, his thumb brushing over your skin in a quiet gesture. “you’re not behind, pipsqueak,” he murmured, tender now. “everyone’s timeline is different. and whatever you haven’t experienced yet? i’m not going anywhere. i’ll be right here, whenever you’re ready for all of it.”

a smile tugged at your lips, his words comforting you. “i know. i guess i just needed to hear that.”

caleb’s smile was soft, his eyes full of warmth. he pulled you closer, holding you a little tighter. “it’s not about what everyone else does or what they think. it’s about what feels right for you. don’t ever feel like you’re missing out, because with me… you’ll always have all the time you need.”

you let out a contented sigh, your hand resting on his chest. “thanks caleb,” you whispered. “i’m glad i have you here.”

he kissed the top of your head, his voice with reassurance. “i’ll always be here, pipsqueak.” you begun to doze off, leaving the memory of the night you and caleb in your head. he was right, this is all you’ll ever think about. “goodnight, pipsqueak,” caleb whispered softly, pressing a gentle kiss to your forehead. you didn’t have the energy to respond, the last of your thoughts dissolving into peaceful sleep.

caleb smiled down at you, his heart swelling with affection. his hand came up to brush a stray lock of hair from your face, his gaze lingering on you with a tenderness that he had always felt for you before. you looked so peaceful, so content, and he could hardly believe you were in his arms, trusting and letting him help with one of your doubts could easily fill him for the rest of his life.

he watched you for a while, tracing the outline of your face with his eyes as you slept, aware of the way his heart beat faster with each passing second. with each second having him fall more and more in love with you. caleb smirked to himself, imagining the questions that would come once gideon finds you sleeping in caleb’s bed. he let out a contented sigh, looking down at your sleeping form. “let him ask. i won’t let out a peep” he muttered.

not that gideon would believe any excuse, anyway. caleb could say you had a nightmare, that you tripped and conveniently landed in his bed, or that aliens abducted every other available sleeping surface but gideon would just wag his eyebrows and call it bluffing.

whatever. let him talk. let him annoy the hell out of him. caleb didn’t care.

all that mattered was the pretty girl curled up in his arms, fast asleep because for the first time in a long time, caleb was exactly where he wanted to be. and nothing else mattered.

[bvrnesher]

— A WELCOME GIFT !

cw: heated kisses, a lot of touching, percy getting handsy & kinda dry humping, public beach !

ㅤ୨ৎ — ˳ percy jackson ! fem. reader

﹙English is not my first language ! ﹚ꪆ

𝗧����𝗘 𝗚𝗢𝗗𝗦 𝗪𝗘𝗥𝗘 𝗗𝗘𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗧𝗘𝗟𝗬 𝗠𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗡𝗚 with Percy.

There was no other explanation. He'd been saving Olympus ever since he found out he was a demigod, and what did he get in return? More quests. Nonstop.

The gods were a bunch of idiots. Seriously, they were pros at it. After everything he'd done for them, they still had the audacity to send him on more quest.

Wasn't that some kind of child labor? Sure seemed like it. Well, maybe not child labor anymore, but there was definitely some exploitation going on here.

They had to be joking. You'd think that after saving their godly asses time and time again, they'd at least give him a break. But nope. Overestimating the gods was always a mistake.

And now, finally, Percy was back at camp after yet another quest. Sadly, you hadn't been there to join him—lucky you, right? You weren't even around when he had to pick his team.

Now he was back.

You had just finished unpacking in your cabin and were heading to the beach for some much-needed relaxation. That was the plan... until you saw your boyfriend emerging from the water.

Clasic Percy. Coming back from a quest and just appearing out of nowhere, soaking wet. What else did you expect?

As soon as he spotted you, he sprinted toward you faster than Apollo reciting one of his cringey haikus.

Could you blame him? It had been months since you'd last seen each other. Ignoring his exhaustion, he practically knocked you down into the sand, trapping you beneath him.

You barely had time to process it before his lips took over yours.

A proper greeting? For what? His version of a "hello" was his salty mouth crashing into yours, his wet hair dripping down his jaw and chin, splashing onto your cheeks... and basically your entire face.

"Hey..." Kiss.

"Not now. Talking can wait," he muttered, just before capturing your lips again.

Percy didn’t care about being seen or the lecture that would come afterward. Right now, the only thing on his mind was you. It had been months. MONTHS.

“Mph…m'trying to speak here...” you murmured, trying to talk, but your voice came out weak and breathless.

"Yeah? Well, I’m trying to kiss you here," he responded, nibbling softly on your lower lip in that playful and sexy way that always left you breathless.

You rolled your eyes and shifted positions, now on top of him, pinning him to the sand with one leg on either side of his body.

"Now that’s better," he grinned. The feel of your body molding to his like two puzzle pieces was enough to leave him with a goofy smile, looking at you like you were everything he needed.

And, honestly, you were.

"Much better."

His hands slid under your shirt with a mix of tenderness and desperation, like he was trying to reconnect with you after all the months of separation. Percy's thumb began to trace slow circles on your hips, while his other hand explored a territory he knew by heart.

He looked up at you from beneath, his sea-green eyes locking with yours. Even the sound of the waves crashing against the camp’s beach seemed to fade into the background as you both got lost in the moment. Leaning in, he kissed you languidly.

"I love you..." he whispered.

Percy held your jaw, trying to pull you closer to him, to get as much of you as he could. The hand under your shirt slid to your back, tracing up and down your spine. Playing with the clasp of your bra.

Then—his tongue slipped into your mouth, finding yours. A low breathy moan escaped him and you melted. A soft hum vibrating in your throat.

Percy kissed you just the way Percy was supposed to kiss.

A small whimper slipped from your lips. And that’s when it hit you.

Public.

"Percy,” you tried to protest, but his name came out more like a plea than a complaint.

He smirked against your lips. His fingers toying with the clasp of your bra, teasing. That sound you just made? It should be illegal.

“Yeah, babe?” he murmured. Lips brushing against yours. His breath mixing with yours.

The beach was empty. Just you, him, and the waves. It would’ve been the perfect moment—if you weren’t ruining it.

But your boyfriend knew exactly how to fix that.

“What’s the problem?” he asked softly. His voice dropped an octave, low and smooth, like a secret.

"Percy, we’re in the open—”

“And why should that matter?”

A hand on your hip. A pull. He rolled his hips up, it was subtle. Intentional.

Your breath hitched.

He was hard.

His body was warm. His muscles tense with anticipation as he pressed you down against him. Seeking more of you. A deep, shaky breath left him as his hands roamed your body, slow and purposeful.

“Mhm...” He let his head fall back against the sand, eyes shut, lips parted.

Then, he looked at you. And that look? That look made you shiver.

His voice dropped again. Rougher now. “You... are wearing... way too many clothes.” His hand slipped under your shirt. Tracing the edge of your bra with his fingers. One swift motion and he flipped you over.

His lips left yours, trailing down your jaw, your neck. Hot, open-mouthed kisses, he sucked gently, right where he knew you liked it.

“You look so good like this,” he murmured, voice husky. His eyes roamed over you, taking you in. “Make some room for me.”

He pulled back just enough. His hands found your knees, and he guided them apart, spreading your legs for him. As soon as he had room, he settled between your legs, gently pulling you to him.

A searing heat coursed through your body as Percy caught your wrists and held them above your head, his fingers tangling in the sand around them. His body pressed against yours, his weight enveloping you in the best possible way.

He leaned into you, the tip of his nose brushing against yours. His eyes were fixed on your face, devouring your every feature as he drew closer. His gaze slid between your eyes and lips, taking in every detail.

"You have no idea how much I've missed this..." Percy murmured and he began to roll his hips against yours diligently as his lips sucked hickeys on your neck. His body molded perfectly against yours, and a single movement of his hips was enough to leave you dumb.

"Clothes get in the way..." He murmured, tugging at the waistband of your shorts, and you could do nothing but nod before grabbing his chin to kiss him desperately.

By the time the kiss broke, a trickle of saliva connected your swollen lips with his. A lopsided smile splits over his lips that makes your tummy flutter, and he's already thrusting against your clothed pussy.

Your own hips buck against his, and Percy can only let out grunts and curses in your ear at the sensations.

Percy would be ashamed of how he was leaking under his clothes if he wasn't too busy taking your welcome gift to really dwell on it.

NOTE;; I wrote this half-sleep, lol.

[daddydixonscrossbow]

⭒ 𝙳𝚊𝚛𝚢𝚕 𝙳𝚒𝚡𝚘𝚗 𝙷𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚌𝚊𝚗𝚘𝚗𝚜 ⭒

⭒ Things I can literally picture Daryl doing [with the scenario(s) to prove my reasoning] - set in Alexandria

●☆�� ☆● ☆● ☆●☆● ☆● ☆● ☆●☆● ☆●

⭒ Daryl would always make sure you are okay first

Once the dusts of the fight settled, Daryl looked for you, getting to you a quick as he can, “Y’okay? Hey, look at me.” He lifts your face to him, his hands running down checking for any bullet wounds.” You grab his hands, “Daryl, Daryl. I’m fine. I’m good.” You nod, “I’m good.” His eyes search your face, nodding as he reaches out to gently pinch your chin, “A’right.”

⭒ Pinching your chin would be something that Daryl would do all the time

When you first wake up and roll over, his fingers find their way to your chin. He gives you a gruff, “Mornin’” before planting his lips on yours. When you get ready to go out on a run without him, he’ll pinch your chin, thumb rubbing over it gently, “good luck, be safe.” He nods, “Y’hear me?” When you nod, he smirks, “A’right. Give’em hell.” He’d do it even if you’re just sitting around, hanging out. He would admire how someone like you could love someone like him. Oh, and he would always do it when he kisses your forehead.

⭒ Daryl would fully allow all hell to break loose if something happened to you

If word got out that you got hurt, he would be the first one to you, asking you what happened. Who did this to you. He would blame everyone for not keeping you safe. He would get in their faces, yelling and bitching. If word got out that you were captured, Daryl would leave right then and there, with or without anyone, and he wouldn’t stop until he found you. If someone wouldn’t tell him anything, he’d didn’t care about their life. He only cared about yours in that moment.

⭒ Daryl would always make a comment about Dog potentially liking you more than him

Dog took a liking to you right away, and ever since then, it seemed like Daryl had some sort of jealousy towards it, but he covered it up with humor, mumbling something along the lines of, “The hell, m’the one who rescued ya, not her” or “yeah, I like her better than you, too” you would always laugh, joking back by telling him to “be nice” and he would scoff with a half smirk while shaking his head, silently loving how you shower Dog in love.

⭒ Daryl would let you handle your own battles within the community, but the minute someone turns disrespectful towards you, that’s when he steps in

He would keep a fair enough distance while still listening in. He would smirk when you would bring out the attitude, glancing over to watch you stand your ground. He loved when you put people in their place, he found it attractive that you could hold your own, “I don’t give a fuck what Rick said, if he has a problem with it, he can come talk to me like a big boy..“ the guy speaks up, “Rick has bigger things to deal with right now, and your bitchy ass isn’t at the top of his list.” Daryl immediately stands up and starts walking over. You watch the guys face change as he steps back. Daryl walks up, “Don’t talk t’her like that.” He nods, “Go get Rick, tell’em I need to talk to him.”

⭒ Daryl would absolutely stay awake after you’ve fallen asleep, just holding you and taking in the moment

As you’re asleep, cuddled up against Daryl’s chest, he was awake. His hand gently running up and down your back as his other rests on your shoulder. He would listen to your breathing, taking in the smell of your shampoo, because it was a rare smell to have nowadays. He would just take it all in, enjoy every minute of you being there with him. Every time you moved or made a noise, he would look down, making sure you were alright. He was partly scared to have someone so close to him, knowing that it could all disappear in a split second, but that makes him even more grateful. Out of everyone, you picked him. He didn’t know why, but what he did know, is that he would do anything for you.

⭒ When he’s out on a run, if he sees something that he thinks you’d like, he’ll pick it up for you

You made your way towards the gate as you heard it being opened. You smile as you heard the rev of his motorcycle growing louder the closer it got. As soon as he stops and turns off his bike, he gets off, walking up to you. He would try to be nonchalant about it, but once he seen how much you light up when he gives you gifts, he can’t help but turn into a bashful idiot himself. He was already fighting back a smile as he handed you the necklace, “S’not much, but.. here y’go, darlin’.” You smirked as you took it, examining the small jewel in your hand before looking up at him, “God, I love you more and more, Daryl Dixon.” You lean in, pecking his lips and he bats the air, “Yeah, well. I love you, too.”

⭒ Daryl would definitely check your weapons and make sure they’re good before you even thought about going out

You would come downstairs to see Daryl sitting on the couch, your knife in his hand. You would walk up to him, leaning over, “Whatcha doin’?” He would shake his head slightly, “Jus’checkin’ out your weapons, makin’ sure they’re good.” He would spin the blade, “Ya sharpen these recently?” He looks over as you sit down and you nod, “Last night.” He smirks, nodding as he leans forward to set the knife on the table, “That’s good.” You lean over to him, informing him that he doesn’t always need to worry about you, but he brushes it off, “Can’t help it, jus’love ya, too much.”

I can’t think of anymore but if I do, I’ll make a new post.

Here’s a kiss for likin’ and rebloggin’ 💋

[namsgyu]

Ok, so i would like to request a Namgyu x reader where they meet after the games and he suffers from nightmares and the reader is like comforting him about them and stuff. Just a lot of fluff and sweetness🥰

hi nonnie!! this was a super cute request!! i hope i did it justice (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)

summary: comforting namgyu through his nightmares. established relationship!

being a light sleeper, you couldn’t help but notice your boyfriend namgyu tossing and turning in his sleep

originally, you thought he just couldn’t find a comfortable sleeping position. however, when he started to let out soft noises in fear and the sweat droplets on his forehead seemed to multiply, you knew something was up. he was having a nightmare

you’ve been dating namgyu for quite some time now, but this is the first time you’ve seen this side of him

deciding to wake him up, you place a hand on his shoulder and gently shake him. “gyu..? are you okay..?”

he shoots up almost instantly, panicked eyes meeting your concerned ones. his breathing is staggered, eyes darting around in a frenzy, and you can almost see tears pricking the corners of his eyes that he quickly swipes away

namgyu tries calming himself down, telling you that “it’s no big deal, go back to bed.” but you can see it in the way his form trembles, that something’s up.

not wanting to press further about it, you gently pull him into a hug, guiding his head to rest against your chest.

for a split second he tenses up, feeling the contrast between his cold nightmares and your warm touch. it’s not only until you murmur a low “it’s okay, i’m here. you’re safe” that he allows himself to relax into your arms

both of you stay in this position for a while. your hands absentmindedly threading themselves through his hair, or drawing patterns into his back.

occasionally, you’ll look down to take a peek at your boyfriend. his normally intimidating and tough demeanor now changed into a softer, almost fragile expression

breaking the silence, you offer “i’ll always be here if you ever want to talk about anything, ya know”

earning a nod and low hum in agreement, “maybe one day i’ll take you up on that offer” he replies, planting a soft kiss to your jaw

nodding back, you pull the blanket over the both of you, shifting into a more comfortable position with namgyu still nestled deep into your arms.

after exchanging ‘goodnights’ and ‘i love yous’ you can feel namgyu’s breathing leveling out, indicating his attempt as going back to sleep

just as he’s about to sleep, namgyu takes a peek at you, eyes crinkled into a smile. he’ll never tell you this outright, but you’re the best thing that’s happened to him. after the games, he felt like he had lost everything. he thought he didn’t have anyone to go to, anything to live for.

but then he met you. someone who could light up his life, understand his good and bad traits, and accept him for who he is.

he reaches for your hand, giving it a squeeze. you’re his safety, and he wouldn’t trade it for anything

thanks for tuning in!

a/n: i’m sorry if this is buns, i really tried to capture the vulnerability in this scene! feedback is always welcomed and appreciated <3

[dollyzdaydreamz]

Arthur Morgan x Reader (fluff)

A Sip of Mayhem

Description: Arthur captures a bounty who'd drug his customers by offering them “juice” just to rob them blind. He confiscated a bottle to show the sheriff, but forgot it in his satchel, deciding to deal with it the next day. That night, when he witnesses your stumbling figure practically catcall him from across camp and found the bottle on his desk, empty, he faces a lot of trouble getting you to settle down. ⚠️Warnings: reader is basically drunk, tries to jump into a stream, mentions of religious upbringing, being orphaned. this aint dark, just stupid and funny `(*>﹏<*)′

The small jeweled bottle of strange liquid sat on Arthurs desk, glowing softly under the moonlight. He’d meant to take it to the sheriff first thing in the morning after catching a bounty–a man who’d drug his customers and rob them blind, but after the long ride back to camp, his legs had screamed at him to sit down for a while, and he’d forgotten all about it.

Now, with the party in full swing celebrating Sean’s return to Horseshoe overlook, the bottle was the last thing on his mind. Laughter and the sound of a badly played fiddle filled the air as Sean drunkenly exaggerated some story during his time as a captive, waving a bottle of whiskey around like it was a prop in a stage play.

Arthur wasn’t much for parties, so he sat back in his chair, rolling a cigarette and letting the chaos unfold. He was half expecting you to join him, usually not one to enjoy loud gatherings or drinking yourself. He remembered you told him that your folks were real religious-like prior to their passing, before you had stumbled upon the gang of outlaws as a child. He enjoyed those quiet talks with you. He chuckled a little, outlawing was one thing, but drinking was where you crossed the line. That was until he heard your voice cut through the camp, slurred and way too loud.

“Well! aren’tchu a fiiine cowboy,” you practically purred from across camp.

Arthur’s head snapped up.

You stood there, dressed in your casual attire, a comfortable blouse and a long skirt. But you were unusually swaying like the wind was about to knock you over, a loopy grin plastered on your face. Your normally calm nature was nowhere to be found, gone, vanished, replaced by whatever nonsense had taken hold of you. 

You pointed at him dramatically, eyes nearly crossing,

“Arthur Morgannn,” you drawled, dragging out his name like it was the most fascinating thing in the world. “You got nice-“ you hiccuped, clutching your chest for a moment, “nice hands, made for holdin’ a lady, you know that?” You slurred as you stumbled toward him. 

Arthur’s cigarette nearly fell out of his mouth as his face reddened under the brim of his hat. “What the hell-”

Dutch, who had been dancing nearby with Molly, chuckled, “Now that ain’t normal.”

Arthur narrowed his eyes. It was then he noticed you hiccup again, looking oddly glassy-eyed. It didn’t take a genius to realize something was wrong. Then, like a switch flipping in his brain, he remembered.

The bottle.

It was on his desk, but opened, empty.

“Aw, hell,” Arthur groaned. He shot up from his chair and started toward you. “You didn’t—tell me you didn’t drink somethin’ off my desk.”

You hiccuped again and winced like he’d just accused you of murder, “Well..I did!” 

Arthur pinched the bridge of his nose and you spoke again, “it was a pretty lookin juice, Arthur! You’ gonna tell me juice is a crime now?-“

“Oh it weren’t no juice, woman!” Arthur snapped. 

“Well, what was in it?” Hosea, who had heard the ordeal nearby, appeared at his side, eyeing you with a suspicious yet concerned look. 

“It was a drug from a bounty! One I meant to turn into the sheriffs…” he trailed off, feeling foolish for the slip up.  

Hosea let out a long-suffering sigh beside him. “Great. She can’t even handle a cup of coffee without buzzing, what the hell’s a spiked drink gonna do to her?” 

“I don’t know,” Arthur muttered, reaching for you, but you took a dramatic step back, swaying. 

“Noooo, no, no,” you wagged your finger at him, “I don’t need your help.”

Arthur groaned before holding you by the shoulders and looking into your dilated pupils “Now, darlin’,” 

“Yeah?” Your gaze drifts here and there, seeing the world bend him in a funny way, before his finger snaps in front of you,

“You’re drunk off your ass, so you gotta let me and Hosea sit you down and-”

“Drunk?!” You gasped again, stumbling back from his hold. “I am not!”

You absolutely were.

“I do not-I don’t drink!”  You shout.

Then, before they could grab you, you turned tail and bolted.

Your brain was working at half-speed. Or maybe it was working at double speed. Who knew? Who cared?

All you knew was that Arthur was chasing you, and that was hilarious.

“You ain’t gonna catch me!” you whooped, dodging around the campfire, startling Uncle so bad he nearly fell off his log, 

“The hell’s wrong with you?” you heard the old man yelp, “knockin me round knowin’ i got lumbago-”

Arthur swore behind you. “Damn it— get back here girl!”

You tire out eventually, surrendering for a bit, “Fine! Fine I’ll sit down” you gasp catching your breath. 

“You better,” Arthur warned.

You plop down near Sean and Karen, looking back at Arthur who stands there half expecting you to bolt off again. 

Sean was running his mouth about something-something dramatic, no doubt. His accent was thick, his hands flying everywhere, and for some reason, that was hilarious too!

You scoot closer beside him,

“Ah, yes,” you said in a mock Irish accent, your voice dropping to a ridiculous brogue, “and then I took on ten men at once with only me fists and me Macguire bullocks!”

Sean blinked at you. “What the-”

“And I won the day for you lady!” you continued, grinning, wagging a finger in Karen’s face.

Sean’s face scrunched up. “Are you mockin’ me, lass?”

You gasped, “Mocking? I’d never!”

Sean turned to Karen, who was already laughing so hard she had to clutch her stomach. “Is that what I sound like?” He asked, genuinely curious.

“Exactly,” she wheezed.

Arthur called out for you, but you were already on the move again, stumbling toward where Abigail, Tilly, and Mary-beth sat at a bed roll a few feet away.

You plopped yourself down between Mary-Beth and Tilly, sighing deeply, 

“Ladies,” you slurred, looking utterly exhausted.

They turned to you, amused.

Abigail chuckled seeing the obvious drunken flush in your face. “Well, if it ain’t our resident good girl. Thought you didn’t drink?”

“I don’t,” you huffed. “I was tricked. Hoodwinked.” You sighed dramatically, placing a hand on Mary-Beth’s knee before laying down entirely and resting your buzzing head in her lap.

“And now there’s some…admittedly, handsome fella, chasin’ me!” You whine with furrowed brows, stuffing your face into Mary-Beth’s torso.

Mary-Beth gasped, playing along. “Handsome fella? Who?”

You picked your head up a little too quickly, feeling the world spin a little. 

You looked around wildly, seeing Arthur linger a few feet away before whispering “Arthur.” 

The women exchanged a look before breaking into exaggerated gasps.

“No!” Tilly gasped, “that ruthless outlaw out to get you?” 

You nodded solemnly, “Yes ma'am.”

Abigail shot a look over your shoulder, and you turned, following her gaze, right to Arthur, who still stood with his arms crossed, rolling his eyes but, notably, fighting back a blush.

You pointed at him. “See? There he is.”

Mary Beth leaned in conspiratorially. “What’s he gonna do when he catches you?”

You considered it for a moment before your gaze caught the pistol tucked into Arthurs holster. Gasping, you felt a wave of fear overcome you, “Probably shoot me!”

“I wish,” Arthur scoffed, before leaning down to your level “Alright, time to go.”

He grabbed your arm gently, but you yelped and recoiled, flinging yourself back into Mary-Beth’s arms, hiding your face as if the boogie man was right there in front of you

 “See? He’s grabbin’ me!”

Arthur sighed, ripping you away from the girls and holding you up, “Pardon me ladies, just-gotta get this one to rest.”

But you were already wriggling out of his grasp. 

Nope. No way. You weren’t about to let him take you away like some unruly sack of potatoes. 

You were free. You were fast. You were-

“Gonna jump in a river!” you declared proudly, running full speed away from the camp and toward the small stream near camp.

“The hell you are!” Arthur hollered running after you, grabbing the attention of John who was keeping watch of camp. 

“The hell's wrong with her?” He asked Arthur, gesturing to you running off. 

“Long story,” Arthur groaned, before motioning John to help him out. 

You giggled maniacally as you turned back to see two fuzzy figures chase after you, “Try ‘n’ stop me you demons!”

“How the hell is she faster drunk?” John yelled through a strained breath.  

“I don’t know,” Arthur replied, darting through the foliage leading up to the river.  

Finally you reached it, a stream but it wasn’t just any stream, it was a darker blue with speckled stars and clouds stirring and swirling below it.

A perfect portable to jump through and explore, maybe it was the gates to heaven itself! 

You giggled, 

Who would’ve thought paradise was out here in the middle of nowhere? Were your parents there? 

You wondered if they were looking at a similar stream from the other side, waiting for you. 

Maybe they’d lecture you for accidentally drinking…and robbing…and killing…and stealing.

Well, there’s only one way to find out-

Right before you could fling yourself into the water, a pair of firm arms caught you from behind. The world really did turn upside down as Arthur lifted you right off your feet and tossed you over a shoulder.

“Agh! Put me down!” You flail wildly.

“This is for your own good” Arthur drawled, adjusting you like you weighed nothing.

John scoffed, flicking your forehead as he trailed behind, “Now who gave you a drink?” he asked incredulously. 

“Arthur.” 

The two escorted you back toward camp, your limbs flailing the whole way, mouth conjuring up the most unique insults directed at the two as you could. 

When you tried to grab John’s rifle, he leaned away quickly, “You better watch your drunk self.” 

“I ain’t drunk,” you insisted. “I’m just—” 

A hiccup cut you off and Arthur finally set you down. You staggered violently, grasping onto Arthur’s vest as John held out his hands in case you fell. 

Hosea met the three of you, arms crossed, looking more amused than anything. 

“Well?” he asked.

Arthur scoffed, motioning to you, “Crazy girl was about to drown herself.”

Hosea smirked. “So, what’s the plan? Tie her up like a runaway calf?”

“I ain’t a calf!” 

Arthur rolled his eyes. “Nah. Just gotta wait it out, get her to bed I guess.”

Hosea nodded and John huffed,

 “Good luck with that.” 

“Now,” Arthur turned to you and shook his head with a smirk, “don’t go drinking any more of my…” 

He paused, not wanting you to go off on a rampage about not having drunk alcohol, “Juice no’ more, you hear me woman?” 

You sulk a little and mutter, “Fine.” 

“Good, you don’t need any more of that,” John rolled his eyes as he walked off, “already a damn smart mouth when you’re sober.” 

“Come on now y/n, let’s get some rest, alright?” Hosea said, gently guiding you. 

“So, the ‘handsome cowboy’ did save her?” Dutch chuckled from where he stood outside his tent, smoking a cigar as he watched Hosea coax you into your tent. 

Arthur rolled his eyes, but as he turned away, he flushed a little as he recalled your drunk flirting. 

As much as he hated to admit it, he was amused by your flirtatious slip ups. 

But then his mind went back to you almost lunging into the stream.  

He is never going bounty hunting again.

[dontmakemechooseanli]

Zayne is so hopelessly infatuated with you it is almost pathetic. He knows it but he will keep that secret to himself. 

Or at least that is what he is trying to do. But when he sees you breathlessly running down the steps- slightly off kilter in high heels breathtaking in a red dress, your lips slightly stained with the red wine that had splashed over the balcony moments before- it becomes hard to deny. It would be a lie to say that his heart didn’t skip a few beats to see you look at him for an excuse to leave- to see you so openly express that you would rather spend your rare day off in his presence than in your friends. 

Who can blame him for secreting you away to a quiet park he knew- sure his initial destination was a quick stop at a cafe before locking himself and his research in his office. He would be a stupid man to leave a pretty woman alone, especially when he had taken up the habit of calling you “his” when referring to you in his head (he had slipped up and called you his hunter in front of Greyson and Yvonne last Tuesday after your visit to the hospital and he had not gone one day without a teasing remark about it). He did not want to possess you, no, but in his mind there was no way to show just how ardent the feelings about and for you were.

He was so captured by you that he nearly died when your pure energy overshone even his want to spend a rare quiet afternoon with no interuptions. Like a puppy, you commented and pointed out every small creature you saw, told him about the witches that lived in the forest and how you wondered about them. Your energy encapsulated and ensnared him completely.

He would indulge every small fantasy of yours- so to walk through the forest with you, to listen to your happy giggles, to carry you across fencing and mud puddles- well that was easiest thing he had ever done.

So when you tease him- playfully pretending to flirt with him as a witch stuck in the forest trying to convince a human to free her from her prison?

Well- it was easy to be honest at that moment. To say what he meant. Hearing you say that you must be hard to love, hard to be around? Well, he had to nip that in the bud.

He needed your sunlight to guide him, to shine on him endlessly. He relied on it now-

In the quiet secret place away from the eyes he constantly felt on him he let himself feel. He was so helplessly infatuated with you.

So leaning in and capturing your lips in a sweet kiss he had dreamed of at some many points through out his life? The birds chirped, his heart raced and you smile.

He tastes sunshine and he's a man dependent on this sunshine girl for the rest of his days.

He's hopelessly infatuated with you: suddenly you and everyone else (in this galaxy and all the others) knowing isn't nearly as scary as it should be.

a/n: they kiss in secret fairytale and in my hc its their first kiss and you can't convince me otherwise. That man is besotted in the Jane Austen way- I can't help but pull out my overly flowery prose when I write about the sort of love I imagine Zayne has for MC.

[alystrin03]

Varric got up and started to light a pipe.

"You know, I have a talent for finding broken women across my path. Hawke had lost half of her family the first time I met her, and the Inquisitor was trapped in a prison, accused of killing the Divine, no less."

"So, are we now in one of your stories?"

Varric started walking towards the gunwale. Leaving their stuff aside, Rook followed him. he leaned on the railing, looking out to the ocean.

"They usually begin as ours did. A chance meeting in the filthiest bar in town, a strong young woman with a lifetime of problems, and an incredibly handsome writer in search of allies. My favorite tropes. The beginning may not be the most glamorous, but sometimes, along the way, you can find small wonders."

Rook looked where he was pointing his pipe and glimpsed wings and the bluish glow of a dragon emerging from the water in the distance. It was the first one she had seen in her whole life. The giant beast was dark blue and yellow, magnificent flying over the water edge. Varric watched as her eyes lit up and she smiled broadly, marveling at what she was seeing, and smiled at her in return. The wind was ruffling her hair, and he could feel the light was finally coming back to her. He knew that, once again, he had not made a mistake in choosing his traveling companion.

Rook leaned her elbows on the railing and leaned her head back, enjoying the afternoon sun. They had a whole journey ahead of them, full of dangers for sure, but just this once, she would enjoy the ride. The Shadow had faded for good, and this time was as good as any to learn how to walk in the light again.

----

I've just got my comm from @mooreaux and I'm literally in tears. This art shows the final scene of my origin Rook story and they have perfectly captured the mood of it

If you are curious, here is the full link

Murder (49947 words) by Alystra Chapters: 10/10

Fandom: Dragon Age: The Veilguard (Video Game), Dragon Age - All Media Types Rating: Mature Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death Relationships: Viago de Riva/Rook Characters: Viago de Riva, Andarateia Cantori, Lucanis Dellamorte, Varric Tethras Additional Tags: Drama & Romance, Murder Mystery, Female Rook (Dragon Age), Antivan Crows, Antivan Crow Rook (Dragon Age), Angst and Feels, Angst and Tragedy, Friends to Lovers, Partners to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Romantic Friendship, Original Fiction, Original Character(s), Mage Rook (Dragon Age), Pre-Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Pre-Canon, Dragon Age - Freeform, Origin Story Series: Part 1 of Birdcage - A tale of the Antivan Crows Summary:

She wanted to believe that there was a point to it all, but she struggled to find out what it was. She had been taken off the street, which was no small thing, and the Crows had given her a home, but that didn't mean things would be easy from now on. He alone had believed in her. Only Viago had been her friend and her support during the long years of training. And there wouldn't be a single thing in this world that she wasn't willing to sacrifice to fulfill his dreams. This is the story of Alecto de Riva, from the moment she was found by pure chance until she became one of the Antivan Crows, and of what happened until, one night, she decided that she would not allow the Antaam to enslave her people anymore.

[Pre-Veilguard Origin Rook story]

[aesethewitch]

Advertisement Adversaries #2: "Gender Swap Spell"

Hello, and welcome to the second installment of Advertisement Adversaries! This series aims to dissect unethical, unfair, deceptive, and just plain Not Good sales strategies found in the witchcraft community. We also cover legitimate sellers to highlight good marketing, listings, and business practices! The goal is to improve the legit witches' businesses and educate folks on scams, grifts, and marketing manipulations.

You can read more about this project here (Tumblr) or here (my website). You can also read this post on Ko-Fi or a better-formatted version on my website. (Note: Some images just wouldn't upload to Ko-Fi for some reason, so I strongly recommend using the website!)

Each entry covers one listing from a seller's catalogue. I score the listing on a scale of one to five in six categories: Clarity, Transparency, Presence, Genuineness, Verifiability, and Morality. Legitimate sellers get an extra category of Attractiveness/Advice for Improvement.

Please Note: I had so many screenshots for this listing, I've had to cut out a handful because of Tumblr's image limit. To see ALL of the images I captured, please pop over to my website for the full experience.

Now, let's have a look at today's entry into this series:

Advertisement Details

Who is the advertiser -- or who do they claim to be? Who is their apparent primary audience? What are they selling? What's their tone? What's the vibe? What are the first impressions?

Spell scams on Etsy are a dime a dozen. This one I've chosen has just about everything a scam boogeyman like me could possibly want. But let's start right from the top, shall we?

Now, this is a total scam, so we're naming and shaming, but I have another reason for naming this one. (Note that all other names, such as reviewer names, have been redacted from screenshots or otherwise omitted for their privacy.)

This listing comes from an Etsy shop called "MariahSpells." They last updated their shop announcements on September 6, 2024. The listing we're focusing on is one for a "Gender Swap Spell." Yeah, that's right, I'm fucking going there.

A lot of Etsy spells targeting trans people look like this. Many of them make it seem like it's a spell for a physical transformation, but really, you're getting an ~emotional transformation~ to help you along your ~spiritual journey~ and make you ~feel things~. But again, they market like it's a physical change and then pull this to prevent complaints or required refunds.

Not so with MariahSpells! No, no! This spell is going to change you physically. No HRT required. You want a dick? Envision it. Write it out. They're gonna make that happen for you. Let's fucking go.

God, I wish it worked that way.

No frills, no bullshit, and a 100% success guarantee. This Ancient and Powerful Spell is going to Fix You. No refunds.

Normally, I have to make an educated assumption about who these scams are targeting. But MariahSpells is doing my work for me:

Specifically and deliberately targeting vulnerable trans people who are desperate for a change. Nice. Note also the emphasis on "opposite sex" throughout this listing. We love erasing intersex and non-binary people, don't we?

But I can really see a depressed, desperate trans person buying this spell. And someone did.

Fucking tragic. This review was put up after I decided to cover this listing but before I started working on this. Someone bought this, perhaps because they can't access HRT safely where they are or because they want quicker results from their transition. I don't know for sure, but that's the kind of person this listing (and listings like this one) are targeting.

This shop, according to the main page, has received over 2,000 sales since it opened. Two thousand sales. Most of the other services in this shop aren't as exorbitantly priced as this one, but many of them are. One is, I shit you not, seven hundred dollars. ON SALE. To become a vampire -- yes, a real one, immortal and all. (But don't worry, that listing says you won't incur bad karma for it. Yippee!)

And that's all just on the surface. Let's do a smidge of digging.

Based on the shop name, you'd think that the seller's name is Mariah. But in their listing, all the way at the bottom in the "waxing poetic about themselves" section, we see this:

Why would your shop be MariahSpells if your name is Sayran? Now, I thought this was odd until I found a particular review with a link to a different Etsy shop that appears to have been forcibly shut down -- with the same qualifications listed in the description.

So, this isn't this person's name, and they've reopened a shop despite being shut down on another... which also wasn't their actual name. It makes me wonder how many times this person has done this, and whether they have other shopfronts they're running at the same time. Classic scam behavior: Change shop names after being reported/marked as a scam/taken down and keep on selling the same empty promises.

Admittedly, I'm not super familiar with Syriac magic or its traditions, so I'm staying away from commenting on that. If anyone reading this knows anything about it and is willing to dig into it, please let me know in the replies/reblogs or tag me in a separate post - if you've got the details, I want to read them! I did a little reading, but I had to put it down to focus on the rest of this review.

However, even without knowing about Syriac magic, I can't confirm anything about this person's practice or even their existence, because they have no social media. There are no links on the shop page, in the about section, or elsewhere. Even a wider search (using the current shop name, the prior shop name, and both listed seller names) brings up nothing. This seller doesn't exist outside this shop. Red fucking flag.

The overall tone of this listing is superior. It takes swipes at "fake wizards" and "everyone presenting themselves as a witch" in order to make this particular seller appear more legitimate.

The seller also takes time to shit on other listings that rely on the buyer's "positive thinking" to make their magic work -- or, really, to blame the buyer for spells not working.

I agree with them that it's scummy to blame the buyer and use their "negativity" as a scapegoat. Hilarious to see it on such a blatant scam.

Now, let's take a second to talk about the price and this sale that's going on. I took almost all of these screenshots on February 18, 2025 (others had to be redone due to formatting issues or because I forgot to grab a couple). I'm doing a first draft on the 19th, and as of literally right now as I'm typing this, the sale has about an hour and fifteen minutes left. I'm keeping an eye on it.

This is an exorbitant price for a service where your only verification is a photo which can easily be fabricated. You can't verify the services via reviews, either, because all of the reviews for spell services are premature ones giving five stars before any results are even given. (And for another reason, which I'll talk about later!)

This is now me, a couple hours later, returning to the listing. Lo and behold:

The sale is still on. It's still 50% off. But hey, it still has that "biggest markdown" banner on it. That's strange... a glitch, maybe?

Nope. Check the prices. The seller knocked a couple cents off the original price to make the sale price the "new lowest in 60 days." They're artificially forcing that message to keep up the sale hype. It's why the price is such a strange amount; they've been doing this since at least October 2024, maybe longer.

This isn't something you'd notice unless you were obsessively checking on it... like me. Gotcha, bitch.

Overall, the impression is fuckin' bad. Obviously. Between the bootleg Sims AI generated listing picture, the putting-down of other sellers, the product description, and the "sale" rug-pull, this listing is an incredible, pristine example of an Etsy Spell Scam.

Let's talk nitty-gritty.

Clarity

How clear is the language? Does it use a bunch of obscure terms or talk in circles? Is it obvious what the buyer will receive based on this listing alone?

I mean, it's pretty obvious what you're getting on the surface. It's a spell that's going to cause a physical transformation to you based on your specifications vis a vis gender transition.

But here's the thing: You don't actually know what's happening. What kind of spell is this? What ritual is being done? What concern is there for the buyer? It says this spell is permanent, but what does that mean? Does that mean it can't be undone at all? And if that's the case, how is this spell being bound to the buyer?

The seller says they're a Syriac magician, but that's a pretty niche tradition. The average person isn't going to know anything about it. You'd think they would take the opportunity to play up the exotic, exclusive nature of their magic by explaining a little more about the spell or ritual... but that would require there to be an actual spell happening, wouldn't it?

This listing is constantly talking in circles about how great the spell is and how powerful the magic is and how the effects are worth the price. But note that it doesn't detail what effects you're going to see. Note, again, that it's just repeating the same shit over and over and over again: "it's gonna work, I'm gonna do the spell for you, it's super powerful, you want this spell, it's gonna work..."

The only proof you're going to get of this spell happening is a photo, and only if you demand one. Based on reviews, buyers apparently get a short blurb stating that the spell has been done and the picture. Immediately after purchase, you get a JPG thank you message to download. You get the rest later.

My issue with "photo proof" of spells is that they can easily be faked. They can be stolen from the internet. They can be a set of photos that are being reused over and over again for different buyers. They can be real... but the setup may not be a true spell. It would be pretty easy to light some candles and draw a circle and take a picture to claim it's a spell when it's just... candles and a doodle. You know? Clarity for this listing gets a 1/5. It gets a singular point for saying what the spell is for and generally what it's intended to do, but most of the listing is sucking their own Very Ancient And Powerful dick instead of giving actual details about the spell.

Transparency

Is the seller honest about their refund/returns policy? Is it obvious where materials are being sourced? Is the seller being honest and clear about their credentials and/or qualifications?

On the surface, this seller is upfront about their refunds policy. As in, they don't do refunds. Their policy and other disclaimers are clearly stated at the bottom of the listing.

Standard stuff overall. We love to see a 100% guarantee followed up by "but I'm not responsible if it doesn't work." It's required, yes, but it's still funny. Also incredible to have a disclaimer about not providing medical advice on a listing about, y'know, a medical thing. (They also have a weight loss spell. Take that as you will.) The swap to "we" in the disclaimers is a little strange. It strikes me as something they've copied from another seller's listings or a different source and then edited to their liking.

As for materials, I have no idea where they're getting their stuff. They say that they use only the highest quality materials, but who knows?

We don't know what materials are being used in this spell, so there's no way to fact check this. This is on purpose.

And, once again, there's absolutely no way to verify this person's credentials. I can't even verify that they're a real person who practices magic! So, I can't say one way or the other if they're telling the truth.

It really seems like their refunds policy and general disclaimers are the only verifiably transparent things here, huh? That's worth a point, probably...

Except it isn't. I took a couple hours to read through every single review this shop has ever received, because I was curious. I found a couple strange things that I'll talk about further along in this review, but right now, I want to focus on this:

(For more examples, please see the version of this post on my website.)

Well, well, well. If it isn't my favorite grifter behavior, the old-fashioned bribe for better reviews. What this seller has done is offer refunds, exchanges, or other services in order to convince low-star reviewers to change their ratings. And it seems that at least a handful of people have taken them up on this offer. These folks have said that this is what happened, as you can see. I can't help but wonder how many of these other five-star reviews are fake, now, too.

Peeking at the listings those reviews are from, their prices are significantly lower than this listing we're focusing on. But you can imagine the draw of getting a $200 refund when you realize you've been scammed, right? Wouldn't you update your review to get that much money back? I would be tempted, I'm not gonna lie.

Then again, I'd probably update it again once I had my money back to be as close to zero stars as possible. Because fuck this behavior.

Transparency gets a solid fuck-you 0/5. They're actively lying about not providing refunds to cover their ass and bribe unsatisfied customers while hiding their identity and details of the spell.

Presence

Is the seller present anywhere other than their shop? Do they share anything about their process, method, or practice anywhere? Are they actually part of a community, or are they just selling something?

As mentioned way up above, I did a lot of digging. This seller has no social media that I can find. My guess is, because this is a scam shopfront using an alias, that I'm not meant to be able to find them anywhere else. Because they don't exist. This is a scam attempting to get as much money from you as possible before Etsy finds them again and shuts it down. They're not part of any community.

Also, interestingly, while I was trying to find anything about this shop, I found a couple Reddit threads that had been deleted talking about the shop. I couldn't recover any of the contents of those threads, unfortunately. Shame. It is interesting, though, that all of them were scrubbed. No idea if there's something bigger going on there or if it's just a coincidence. But it's interesting.

I found something else really interesting while combing through all of those reviews. There's a period from roughly February 2024 to August 2024 where this seller received a ton of one-star reviews in a row. All of them say that they never heard from the seller and never received their services.

The most recent of these one-star reviews is this one, followed by the reply left by the seller:

I can neither confirm nor deny the tragedy of this, because again, they have no other presence, and no lasting messages available other than the complaint reviews on the shop. And yet, I'm inclined to believe that this is at least somewhat true. Something happened in this seller's life that caused them to abandon this shop for several months. They'd been making steady sales before this with really positive reviews.

But Etsy has a vacation mode. Sellers can temporarily suspend their shops in the event of vacation, emergency, illness, or whatever else. Why didn't this person use this feature? It could be because of the "star seller" thing, since that's assessed on a three month cycle, and if a shop isn't active at all during the grading period, it'll lose star status. But neglecting the shop for seven months does the same thing! What the hell??

I'm uncertain if these people got refunds. According to the seller's review reply shown above, they apparently reached out to everyone who ordered from them. One person came back to amend their review to be five stars, stating that they spoke to the shop owner and giving their condolences.

One thing I'm certain of, though, is that this sale thing is surely a result of that low period. The shop's seemingly genuine and astroturf-like reviews resume around September/October 2024, and I know that these sales were going on then because of a review talking about "taking your $30 elsewhere." That's the approximate price of the service they bought.

So, either this "sale" tactic has been happening for a long time, or it's a newer scheme to boost the shop back up to where it was previously. I imagine the seller was desperate to get back to their five-star status after all those nasty reviews. No wonder they're bribing for stars and burying those negative reviews under mountains of premature and potentially false praise. Even if it's because of a genuine tragedy, this is gross behavior.

Presence gets an obvious 0/5. Even off-site reviews are non-existent.

Genuineness

Are listing photos genuine? Are any images AI, or is any copy written by an AI? Is this a real person selling something, or is this a bot account?

So, this listing has a bunch of images attached to it. The first one, the one you see in the Etsy search, is AI generated. Take a close look at it and note the blur on the earrings and the frames of the glasses melding into the eye/eyebrow shapes on the right.

Two of the images provided are collages of five-star reviews. I'm ignoring these, because I think it's gauche to do this when you're a legit seller. Doing it when you're a full-blown scammer is just ridiculous.

The rest of the images in this listing seem real, though! They're real pictures. What a refreshing and reassuring thing that is. (Very heavy sarcasm.)

I have three problems with these images, listed here in order from least to most bothersome.

First, these images don't really... match the spell at all. A couple seem like spells to bind two people together, like the ones with the figurine candles and the two poppets tied together. The others are generic spell circles.

My second issue is that every single spell listing in this shop has the same exact images. It quickly becomes obvious why they don't match the spell in question -- they're being reused again and again because they're eye-catching! The average consumer isn't going to be combing through every single listing, they're using the search bar to find specific spells and clicking the one(s) that catch their eye.

The third issue is that every single one of these images is stolen. Several are images that have been commonly reposted for the past decade (like the voodoo doll one). But a couple of these are kind of strange. Take this one, for example:

This image, as far as I can tell, comes from this article, which is about Syriac magic. It is, if Firefox's translate feature is to be trusted, a beginner-level article about Syriac magic. The image in the listing is the same one found on this article, just zoomed in and with a weird lightning filter overtop. This makes me wonder if this seller searched "syriac magic ritual picture" or something similar to get this image. I tried a couple ways, but this is a niche website in Turkish, so I'm not surprised I couldn't get it to populate in my search results.

Let's see this one also, since it's similarly stolen:

This one seems like it might be from this website, which is a French psychic's personal website advertising various spell services. I'm not 100% certain about this image's origins, but this one made the most sense out of the options.

A common thread between all of these images is that they were, at one point or another, reposted to Facebook. All of them, even the obscure one from the Turkish website. Not sure what exactly that means, but it is a pattern.

Well, with that reveal out of the way, let's go ahead and give Genuineness a score of 0/5. Not a single thing here is legitimate or genuine.

Verifiability

Is it obvious how a buyer will know their service is completed? Is it possible for the buyer to know? Are there any reviews verifying the quality/existence of the products or services? Are there negative reviews available?

All of the spells being provided, this one included, are "service only." That means you don't get a physical item, which means there's no tangible proof of service. You get a photo, as previously mentioned, and a reportedly brief summary of the spell's completion. I've already stated my issues with this, since there's no way to be certain that the service was done with just a short summary and an easily-faked photo.

Almost all of the reviews in this shop, and the one review on this particular listing, are positive. There are a sprinkling of negative reviews from 2024 complaining about not receiving what they paid for, a lack of detail in communication, and lack of results. The majority of reviews mention quick, attentive communication and fast turnaround for service completion.

And most of the reviews are premature. Nearly every single one of these reviews was left before the customer could see results, and most of them admit it.

I have two big problems with this. The first is that scammers like this will ask for positive reviews immediately, even when the supposed results might take months to manifest. The second is that a lot of these reviews come from the same person, all saying roughly the same thing about different services, all on the same day. It is possible that these are genuine, but it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility to call this astroturfing. Plus, with the proof of the seller bribing reviewers for refunds/other services, this reeks of falsified reviews.

So you can't trust the images, you can't trust the positive reviews, and you can't even tell if the seller is a real person. To me, that's textbook scam material. This seller gets 0/5 for Verifiability.

Morality

Are they offering services related to health, mental health, legal services, or other dubious subjects? Are they knowingly targeting a vulnerable audience using buzzwords and inflammatory language? Is the listing sharing misinformation or encouraging belief in conspiracy theories? Does the listing contain debunkable information? Does the listing participate in bigotry, cultural appropriation, bioessentialism, or anything of that nature?

I would like to fistfight this seller behind a Walmart.

Targeting vulnerable populations with impossible magical results and charging hundreds of dollars for empty promises is deplorable. It's disgusting. The intense "BUY NOW!!!" language coupled with sales that go on seemingly forever while being teased as "limited time" just compounds the scummy nature of this listing.

Not to mention the blatant erasure of intersex people and non-binary identities! "Opposite sex," my fucking foot. Obvious scam aside, if you don't know enough about trans people and the biology of gender to realize that it's more complex than one or the other, you're not qualified to cast spells like this.

This is a scam, plain and simple. It's designed to catch the eye of someone desperate enough to take a chance on wasting over a hundred dollars on the body of their dreams. They are continually adjusting the prices and renewing the sale to keep the urgency of "this BIGGEST SALE EVER is going to end soon!!!" going as long as possible. It's a scam.

Fuck you, Sayran/MariahSpells/whoever the hell you are. Morality is an extremely obvious 0/5.

Average Score & Summary

The average of all six scores comes to a whopping 0.2/5 (rounded up). I'm not surprised. With five zeroes and a single one on the board, this scam really does have everything.

I went into this review knowing that this was going to be a bad one. I wanted to cover this one specifically because it has all the hallmarks of an obvious scam. Because we can look at this and go, "Well, who the hell would fall for this? It's so obvious that this is bullshit, isn't it?"

But people do fall for it. People fall for it all the time. I went to the listing to copy some text for alt text descriptions on February 25, 2025, and saw this:

Another sale and another review, so the listing must be gone now, right? Only one left, and all that. Nope.

Of course not, because this is a scam. This asshole is going to keep doing this as long as they can, because it's making them a shitload of money.

Knowledgeable, considerate, genuine people buy this shit, because they want to believe. They're desperate for something they can't otherwise attain easily or safely.These scams are deliberately curated to fool the unwary, the hopeful, the desperate, the naive.

You are not immune to scams.

Let's summarize, quickly, the big warning signs found in this shop that mark it as a scam:

No social media, website, or other presence outside the shop

Big promises without explanation of how they're possible or how they're going to be fulfilled; minimal proof of completion promised

High prices slashed with sales throughout the shop

Sales that don't end to create an extreme and fabricated sense of urgency

Negative reviews with five stars, reviews edited in exchange for refunds, reviews edited by other coercion

Multiple positive, samey reviews from the same person on multiple products all on the same day

A listing that is mostly bragging about power and prestige rather than explaining the product/service in any kind of detail

Mismatch between the tradition/practice of the person and the services being offered and/or the language being used (being of an "ancient tradition" and yet using very modern New Age terminology)

Stolen listing photos, AI-generated images

It's a lot, but like I said, I picked this one because it has pretty much everything.

I believe that magic can help a trans person along their transition journey. Absolutely. Sure. Make your meds work faster, prevent misgendering, protect you from harm, smooth coming out conversations, etc. I've done all of these things successfully myself.

Magic cannot force an impossible change. If something isn't physically possible, magic isn't going to make it happen for you. A spell won't change your chromosomes. In my paradigm, this is explained by knots of Fate and Being that can't be untied.

This spell would not do anything. Even if the seller was genuine, this spell wouldn't do anything for you. Maybe if it was a spell intended to help your HRT act quicker or more effectively, or help you find a surgeon more easily, or something else like that, I could believe it. But a magic spell from Etsy isn't a replacement for medicine.

It can be fun to perform these spells, though. Spells to transform yourself into a fucking dragon rule. They're fun experiments. The day one of these spells works, you'll never hear from me again, because I'll be a jellyfish floating in the deep depths of the ocean forever and ever.

Have fun with magic. Just don't spend $150 on an Etsy scam for a scrap of false hope.

And, just as a final note, fuck Etsy for letting this kind of thing go. Fuck Etsy for giving scammers like this one (and many others) "Star Seller" status. You'd think they wouldn't just award that to anyone. You'd think that kind of recognition would come with some oversight for quality assurance, but no. Etsy lets scams like this thrive because they make a huge profit. Etsy's quality has been dropping across the board for years now, and I would genuinely encourage legitimate sellers looking for a place to hawk their wares to go elsewhere.

Know that I've reported this shop to Etsy. We'll see if that goes anywhere. I'll update if it does.

Final Notes

Many sellers in this series anonymous for a reason. Please do not go find these people. Even if I'm exposing a blatant scam to warn people about it, do not harass anyone. Harassment of any kind will not be tolerated. When appropriate, I attempt to contact the seller(s) to discuss their ads and listings or report them where possible. Again, do not attempt to contact or bother the sellers, even if my coverage of them is negative.

If you spot an ad or a product listing in the wild that you want me to see or cover, send me a link, a screenshot, or the name of the shop. You can send it via ask or DM on Tumblr or to thewitchaese@gmail.com. Or, if you're a legitimate seller and want me to take a look at your listings (anonymous or not), shoot me a message or an email to chat about it! Examples of what to do are just as important as examples of what not to do, after all.

And, if you enjoy this series or my other work, please consider dropping a couple dollars in my tip jar! Writing is my full-time gig, and contributions help keep this boat afloat.

Thanks for reading!

[just-a-sleepy-idiot]

Multifandom Preference: Being petite and very short compared to them // PT. 2

This is dedicated to the people who commented on part one: @robin-the-enby @maria-moll @agentfandom @whoneedtheyantonchigussyate @humanfleshismeat and @kennedyisityou

Content/Warnings: Once again kinda size kink coming through, might read a bit like objectification in some instances, Definitely some Sadism in the Hannibal section, Gender neutral Reader

Anton Chigurh

He likes the practicality of it a lot, honestly Anton considers you travel sized at this point because he can hide you easily if there's trouble and then come back later to where he deposited you after he's done dealing with whoever was after you. He's not the Gentleman type at all but seeing how pathetic you carried your bags when he started to bodyguard you around was enough to decide that he would take those for the rest of time. Will look at you with a mixture of amusement and condenscation when you try anyway before taking the luggage away from you. If you protest he will carry you like luggage as well, I dare you. But sometimes he will just observe you, look at you while you get on your tiptoes, climb into bed ect that makes you very aware that he is fond of your height in some way.

Brahms Heelshire

Since he can't have anyone see him, he makes sure to put one of his sweaters or cardigans on you whenever he knows some delivery person or similar is coming by. It really is a mixture of possessiveness and loving to see your frame swallowed in clothing his size, while you just think he's worried if you get cold. Brahms is spoiled as hell but he also really enjoys doing things for you, and when he decides to make dinner for you both he likes lifting you up to sit on the counter and watch him. It's just so terribly easy, it excites him whenever he finds a reason to do it. Especially when it means getting to wrap his arms around you for a moment and taking in your scent- even while you go on capture a bug on the ceiling with a glass or something while he holds you up.

Dennis

It's hard to keep his distance at all times, even though he certainly tries his best to adhere to that self set rule. Dennis is strong, the strongest after the Beast itself out of the horde, so he is well aware of what his body is capable of doing if he were to let that cautiousness slip. But nonetheless, accidents happen. Like when you nearly fell unconscious and he had to catch you, or when you nearly did something dangerous and he had to reach out and grab your arm. In both occasions you halted insteadly, flinching when his hand firmly pressed onto your hip or caught onto your wrist. It made a pleasant shiver run through him, this ambiguity of wanting and not wanting to be close to you because of the implied vulnerability of your height drives him mad. But you will not hear a word from him about it, only see him press his lips together and huff or sigh in contained frustration.

Hannibal Lecter

He is outwardly very considerate and Gentlemanly toward you, pacing his steps when you walk together or taking over the umbrella in one case because you can't really hold it up his head as well without extending your arm like an athlete with an Olympic torch. But when you happen to get your leg hurt, just a little, it is exhilarating to him. Seeing your composure shift from a functional person to something alike an injured bunny is so damn amusing and befitting of that height difference. He will gently guide you to sit on his couch and touch your ankle to put it up while he goes to fetch his first aid kit in the other room. Hannibal will be so forthcoming, because seeing you whine and squirm a little while he puts on a bandage is satisfactory enough to return the favor and make sure you are well cared for and get comfortable. He makes you your favorite drink and will make sure permit you lean on him or grab onto him as to not put pressure on the injured leg while you put on your shoes or something while he patiently gazes down on you.

If you liked it please comment!

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[dronningreid]

HOW (NOT) CATCH A FIREFLY

↪In which reader has to face the consequences of her past decisions when she goes to Spencer's wedding. Will it be too late to redeem the past?

who? Spencer Reid x Fem!Reader inspired by: The manuscript by Taylor Swift (A little bit, literally just in one sentence) category: angst (really, ANGST) warnings: Discussions, special appearance sassy Reid (did I mention I love him?) and I think that's it. English isn't my first language. word count: 3.5K a/n: I was finally able to write so I'm happy again thanks to Spencer Reid (the love of my life). This is actually something that made me cry so I'm sorry? But in my defense I do vent when I write (Although maybe this time I went a little too far) Anyway, I hope you like it and sorry for disappearing.

Something that will hurt longer than it lasted. What do you call something like that? When it was going on you never called it what it was and Spencer was the one who paid the terrible consequences.

The cold freezes your fingertips, how is that possible if it's a sunny day? Seemingly a perfect day, but not for you.

“I didn’t think you’d come.” Spencer’s sweet voice made you turn around, only this time it didn’t sound sweet at all.

You stopped to appreciate his suit, for the work you almost always saw him wear those suits that made him even more attractive than he already was. But what was different this time was the boutonnière on the left lapel of his jacket. “Well, you invited me.” you replied with an awkward smile.

His brow furrowed. “Not me, Max was the one who invited you.” He corrected you roughly, not like all those times he gently explained the difference of some things which you couldn’t remember right now but the knowledge was there, being overshadowed by the memories.

Your lips formed a straight line, how to respond that? “Yes, she was very nice to invite me.”

Reid’s face softened, just a little. “Yeah, well everyone in the BAU had an invitation except you so she decided to give you the chance I took from you.” Just like you had taken away a chance from him years ago, but he didn’t say that even though he wanted to. “Seriously, I didn’t think you’d come.”

And he was right, you weren't going to go but now you're there. You hadn't thought of it that way, but maybe it was a way to punish yourself for making him lose almost eight years of his life or maybe it was a way to seek redemption…

Of course attending his wedding was a punishment, but not just for you.

“But I’m here, hoping that you’ll be very happy with Max.” You whispered, wondering why honest words made your heart bleed. “And I’m so sorry for the pain I once caused you.” When you say more your chest feels heavier. The truth was supposed to set you free, not oppress you.

Spencer sighed, trying to keep that icy expression but the apologies he always expected had an effect on him. “It’s okay.” No, it wasn’t. “You’re like a firefly, once they’re captured they don’t glow anymore. I just never wanted you to feel trapped, much less by me.” His throat threatened to close up so he cleared it. “And as for the rest, Max already makes me very happy. I hope that someday you find someone who does the same for you.” A hint of sadness crept into his forced smile.

You had already found him, but you crushed his heart which caused him to give the ring to someone else.

The quartet began to play their violins, that was the signal that the bride was approaching the altar. Everyone took their places, fortunately yours was next to Penelope, unfortunately in the first rows.

Max was holding her father's arm, whom you only saw once after you and the team saved him and Max's little sister from a kidnapped. A long and not very pleasant story, which luckily (or maybe not) ended well for the two of them Max and Spencer. A sentence written in cursive on the invitations indicated that today was the first day of a forever..

Maybe the word “forever” was that it took your breath away and oppressed you to the point of wanting to run away. Yes, maybe that simple word was responsible for your miserable life caused by the fear of belonging to someone thanks to the signature on a paper.

Everyone watched as Max walked down the aisle, accompanied by the beautiful melody coming from the violins. They could see how her beautiful white dress dragged a little on the perfect grass and they could also see that the outfit made her look so beautiful, of course she must look fantastic on her day.

But you weren't with the flock, as Max moved closer to a life with Spencer, you could only watch him and no one else. You could see the goofy smile that once was for you and you could also see how he was close to shedding tears, just seeing his fiancée in a dress she would surely wear once in her life apparently had that effect on him.

And you knew very well that you had no right to make claims, you had the opportunity to be that woman, his woman, but you preferred to run away. Even so, that didn't stop one conclusion from breaking you down: He never looked at you that way and now he never would.

You had taken it upon yourself to burn everything that had to do with Spencer and now you were sitting there with one word stuck in your throat. The only thing left to say before it was too late.

Your throat closed up and the air seemed to be a private service you hadn't paid for. You took a deep breath before looking anywhere other than the scene that was about to unfold under the flowered arch. But that only made your melancholic-natured brain hit you with a memory. Something you couldn't quite burn off.

That's what brings you back to a place. Of course Rossi had to offer his mansion to Max and Spencer for their wedding. But there had been a wedding there before Will and JJ's.

The ceremony was about to begin, so Spencer came back to your side. “I hope you don’t pull a ring out of my ear like you just did to Henry.” You said.

He let out a soft laugh and shook his head. “I won’t.” He placed a kiss on your cheek. “Though I must admit, it is an interesting idea for a proposal.”

Maybe that would have been the perfect time to tell him that marriage wasn't something you were interested in, but it was JJ's day so you didn't say anything. Although your mistake in that moment was smiling and intertwining your fingers with his, as if you were willing to wear a diamond on your ring finger.

Four years, four years ago your and Spencer's story had come to an end and yet it felt like it was just yesterday when he crossed through the door of your apartment, taking with him things you didn't think you'd miss until you heard him say. "I do.”

Nothing, nothing would be enough to compare or describe the pain you felt at that moment. It was like someone invaded your chest, ripped your heart out in one go and left you with a void that would sprout cobwebs because no one would be enough to fill that hollow space on you.

When Spencer went to prison it was one of the hardest times both had to deal as a couple and as individuals. But it was something both managed to deal with together and maybe that's what gave him the wrong message.

Of course, how not to misinterpret the nights you hugged him after every nightmare, how not to misinterpret the millions of letters and finally how not to misinterpret the constant visits that made you a little negligent at work, which would have justified your dismissal if Emily were a different chief.

Maybe if you hadn't been there that day…

You were filling your coffee cup when Penelope showed up, waiting for you to put down the coffee pot so she could fill her cute octopus cup which is currently Spencer's and is named Mildred.

“Why are you so quiet?” You asked before putting the coffee pot back.

“Me? Quiet?” Despite her efforts, there was that telltale tone in her voice.

“Yeah, you. You didn’t give me any of those typical Penelope Garcia witty greetings.” A mocking smile formed on your lips.

“I’m completely fine, I just don’t have any witty greetings today.” She excused herself without looking at you and dedicated to filling her cup.

“Mhm, yes, of course.” You looked at her under the light of the five hundred and sixty hours of your profiling course. “You have a secret. That is the reason for your silence, you are afraid that if you speak you might say something that I should not know.”

You were amused that she was still able to look at you in surprise knowing full well that she was working with more profilers than her sanity could handle. “I’ll just say that you should get a manicure.” She looked straight at your nails before gracefully turning around and heading back to her cave.

Maybe that must have made you laugh a little, but you didn't need to be a great profiler to understand what the hell she was talking about.

A week.

That's how long it had been since Penelope gave you a big little spoiler of what your future would be like if you didn't do something about it, so you decided to do the worst thing you could think of and you were avoiding Spencer at all costs. And even though you two were technically still together, your apartment felt empty without his light.

The cobblestones were slippery from the rain and your fingers were frozen. Before pushing open the door of the building you blew into your hands, hoping that your breath would bring the warmth you needed.

Finally the elevator dropped you off at your floor and you only had to walk a little to get to the door of your apartment but…

“We need to talk.” His tone retained that sweetness that was only meant for you, but the weight of the situation was evident in the hint of seriousness that carried in his voice.

“There’s nothing to talk about.” You brushed it off as you approached to greet him with a short kiss.

He kissed you back, because well he couldn’t help it. “There isn’t? I say we definitely need to talk.” He said as you opened the door to your apartment. “It’s not normal for you to avoid me, much less for this long.”

You left the door open for him. “I’ve just been busy.” You replied.

He closed the door behind him. “I know, we have the same job.” He sighed before walking over to you and placing his hands on your shoulders. “Please can you tell me what’s wrong, sweetheart.” Spencer had that pleading look in his bright, tortured eyes.

“Nothing’s wrong with me.” Your walls rose so high that even you felt upset with yourself.

“Then why are you avoiding me?” Spencer tried hard to keep his tone calm even though he was starting to get frustrated and irritated.

Your pulse was racing, you could feel your ears throbbing, and uncertainty added to the equation so the words came out like bullets. “Because I don’t want to marry you!”

Spencer stood still in place, not even blinking. “…Just with me?” His weak words were a huge contrast to yours which sounded like thunder, the kind of thunder that sets things on fire.

“With no one, I don’t want to marry you or anyone else.” You quickly clarified with a brusqueness that didn’t help improve the tension. “Why ruin everything when our relationship is perfect as it is?”

He shook his head. “No, it’s not.” Spencer took a step back and let out an exasperated sigh. “In all these years of dating, why haven’t you ever said anything?” He ran a hand through his hair, trying to remember if he’d misunderstood everything. “I don’t get it. I made advances and you seemed okay with it.”

“Well, you never asked me directly.” You excused yourself.

“You know very well that I always wanted a family.” He reminded you in a firm tone. “When I got out of prison you were always there and I thought you would still be there…” He couldn’t control the pain that materialized in his eyes.

“I’ll be here, not the way you want but I’ll be here.” You tried to keep away the desperation in your words from being evident.

"If you weren't planning on marrying me, why waste all these years of my life? It's too late for me now." You hoped your words hadn't hurt him like his words hurt you right now, because if that was the case then you had hurt him deeply.

“Too late for what?” You asked with annoyance, although fearing the answer.

“To find someone who is ready.” Spencer blurted out as if it were nothing, as if he hadn’t just dropped a bomb on the most fragile building.

Of course, just because you weren't ready didn't mean someone else wasn't.

You nodded, a grimace appearing on your face. “Well, you’re not the only one wasting time on this relationship. I’m glad to tell you it’s over.” A new ounce of cruelty was added with each word.

It's funny how it would never have occurred to you to hurt Spencer in any way, but at that moment you just wanted to make him feel more miserable than you. Which wasn't hard to achieve, but it would be hard to forgive.

His face lost its anger and turned into a sad disbelief. “What? No, I don’t want to break up.” He shook his head multiple times. “Please no, I’m so sorry about what I said, I don’t have an excuse and I understand that you’re upset but…” You didn’t let him finish.

“I said it’s over.” You spoke firmly, emphasizing each word.

Spencer murmured your name in a pleading tone. “Please don’t do this, I love you.” It was the first time that phrase was used as a desperate attempt to not lose you instead of being a way to express how he felt about you.

That almost softened your heart, but unfortunately for him, one of your worst qualities was resentment. And yet, despite all that, he loved you.

You didn't even give him an answer, much less look at him. Both knew that someone had to give in to save whatever was left of your relationship, but you were too proud and he wasn't willing to continue humiliating himself. So he ended up leaving. Maybe if you had said something…

The days after the breakup were tough, especially since both work together and neither was willing to give up their jobs. Although after Penelope left, Matt and Spencer were assigned to special missions and you didn't see him very often anymore. Still, you could recognize the strength of both for putting up with a couple of years working together. Although you and him receive the occasional scolding from Emily for arguing in the middle of a case.

In the meantime, it was already dark and the sun had gone along with your ability to feel happy for two people who definitely deserved it. You knew, you knew it was the right thing to do and yet it still didn't feel that way.

Unfortunately, the melancholy of the night was accompanied by a revelation or maybe it was just the longing for what if...? If what if were a reality, you would have been married to Spencer for years, you would possibly already have his childrens, and perhaps everything would be perfect, or perhaps not, it was something you would never know.

They say it's never too late but this time it was. Now Max had the chance to take the Reid name even though she preferred to keep her maiden name. You wondered what you would do in her place, probably the same but you didn't have the chance to make that choice. You took that chance away from yourself.

There were at least five couples on the dance floor, including Max, who was dancing with her dad.

You frowned at not finding Spencer, but then it seemed like your longing summoned him because you heard his voice. That unrecognizable voice that you could never forget, which would be the protagonist of your dreams and torments.

“I have to admit, you impress me.” He sounded much more relaxed now, of course, his wife had that effect on him. You knew that when Max stayed by his side after Cat Adams.

“Why?” You knew the answer, but you wanted it to come out of his lips.

“If it was your wedding I wouldn’t have even shown up.” The ease with which he admitted the truth caught you off guard. “I guess you’re stronger than me, you always were.” No, that’s not true.

“Strong people don’t run away.” You had the opportunity that very few people have, correct Spencer Reid.

“I guess you’re the exception.” Then he extended a hand in your direction. “Dance with me.”

You stared at his palm for seconds disguised as minutes. “You hate dancing.” You muttered.

“Yes, but I know I would hate myself more if I didn’t end this in a proper way.” There it was, the Spencer you knew. Now someone else’s Spencer.

So you took his hand and he led you to the dance floor. Once he put his hand on your waist and you put your hand on his shoulder the rest of the people disappeared for you and secretly for him too.

Both swayed in silence to the slow ballad. Inevitably your eyes fell on the ring that wrapped around his finger perfectly, regret maybe prompting you to speak. “Would you have waited for me to be ready?” You whispered.

“Would you ever have been ready?” Reid murmured, this time not meaning to hurt you but he did it anyway.

You squeezed his hand a little. “I’m ready now.” Your words were low, but without hesitation, not this time. Who needed alcohol to make a strong statement?

Spencer sighed and pulled you closer to him, placing his hand on your back. “You’re being cruel right now.” He spoke in a low tone, but firm and calm at the same time.

“Please.” You pleaded. “I just need an answer.”

He swallowed. “Yes, I would’ve waited for you.” He whispered in your ear.

The party continues, with dancing, drinks and several kisses that you were not the protagonist of but bitterly had to witness.

You couldn't take it anymore, so you grabbed your coat and bag before heading for the exit. Since you had a reputation for being a runaway, you didn't bother to say goodbye to your friends, much less the happy newlyweds.

“Wait.” Whatever you want.

You stood still in your spot, waiting for him to come to you. “You can’t leave without your slice of cake.” Spencer handed you the plate and gave one of those smiles that hadn’t been directed at you in years.

There were a thousand things you wanted to say to him. But only one thing made it past your lips. “Thank you.”

He nodded. “Wait, I have something else for you.” Then he pulled something out of his trousers pocket.

That couldn’t be what your eyes were seeing, so you closed them and blinked multiple times. But he was still holding that beautiful engagement ring. “This was always for you, even if it doesn’t have the meaning I once wanted it to have now.”

Used to mean something, but now it means nothing.

You didn't take the ring, you just watched Reid in silence. He had chosen perfectly well…

At your silence he spoke again. “I heard some men recycle them. You know they buy an engagement ring for one woman and if they get rejected they save it for the next one. I couldn’t do that to Max, or you either.” He took your hand, extending your palm and placing the ring on it.

“No, I can’t accept that and I don’t think Max would be okay with this…” Your eyes remained fixed on the piece of silver and diamonds.

“It doesn’t mean anything now.” Ouch. “It did before and if it were still like this she would definitely be upset and me too.” Spencer clarified. “But now I want this to mark the end of what was supposed to be a beginning.” He paused. “I won’t force you to accept it, but I know the man who loved you would’ve wanted you to have it.”

You closed your palm around the ring. “Don’t talk like he doesn’t exist anymore, Spencer. You’re still the same, you just don’t love me anymore and that’s okay, that has nothing to do with who you are.” The word love ripped through your throat.

“It had everything to do with what I was.” He confessed.

The silence reigned long enough for both to turn around, walking further and further away and returning to the place where they now belonged.

With every step you took you wished that he would catch you and never let you go, not this time. But it was too late to do anything, trying anything now would be fighting a battle you know is lost.

And finally, the only thing left was a story. One last souvenir from a journey as special as it was devastating. Your name will always be present in the stories Spencer will tell his children, the same stories that will be within your reach, but the story isn’t yours anymore.

[ladydeathwrites]

Heels over head…

(Pure fluff, cheesy romantic type of fic. This is my first CaitVi fanfic so please be kind!!)

Tw: slight mention of smut. Slight spoilers of season 2

Violet had never been could with relationships or romance. The only relationships, if you can call it that was with another prisoner and that didn’t last when she was released by none other than Caitlin Kierman. If she had believed in love at first sight, she would have sworn that what she felt the moment she interacted with her. But Violet being Violet kept her walls up portraying a cold harsh persona. Then there was the moment of Caitlyn risking her safety to saving her life that definitely made her open up. Then there was the moment of them in Caitlin’s room where all she wanted was to stay in the moment forever. That perfect beautiful blue haired woman had captured her heart faster than she could keep up. Everything in her told her that she deserved so much better; better than her, someone who was stubborn and harsh at times. It was why she had left that beautiful blue haired woman standing in the rain with a look of hurt of her face that made Violet’s heart ache. But they found their way back to each other, twice in two entirely different situations and nothing changed how Violet felt. She was in love and when she was around Caitlin her soul was at ease, she felt at home, wanting to tangle her hand in those soft blue locks. After the battle and all the death — almost nearly losing Caitlyn for good put things into perspective. As they sat on the couch in front of the fireplace, her rough callused hands playing with those soft blue locks, her chin against her shoulder breathing in that scent while Caitlyn laid against her it clicked. She couldn’t promise that she knew what she was doing but she was dedicated to this woman — head over heels in love and there was no one else in this world that could ever compare. “Marry me?” She blurted out, she didn’t even have a ring this was how unprepared she was but how certain she was about this decision. Caitlyn eyed flew opened and lifted her head to meet Violet’s blue eyes. “What– did I hear you correctly– marriage–?” She asked with a hint of uncertainty in her tone, maybe her mind was playing tricks on her or Violet was seriously asking her to marry her. “Cupcake, I can’t say that I’ll be good at this whole thing but what I do know is that I’m in love with you and there isn’t anyone that’ll ever compare to you. So, yes. I asked you to marry me.” Her voice was shaky despite the confident persona she was trying to wear, she was the most vulnerable and nerve wracking thing she’d ever done. Caitlyn blinked as her look of shock fade a soft smile growing on her glowing features. “Violet… I love you and yes I will marry you.” She whispered as she moved to face her, sitting in her lap now. Violet eyes lit up with happiness, capturing those perfect lips with hers, her rough hands caressing her cheeks before she slowly pulled away. “I’m gonna save every dime to put a rock on your hand.” She promised and Caitlyn just laughed before embracing her into a hug. “I don’t need anything fancy. You could make me a paper ring and I’d still wear it with pride.” She reassured her pink haired fiancé. Violet jumped back into action again kissing those perfect lips and the night was filled with pleasure by the fireplace to say the most.

[mistress-light]

Half-Life • (dev. Valve 1998)

[valeriannnn]

Wolcred Week 2024 Day 5: Laughter | Gift

[starbuck]

“bro, SHOULD we?”

[landminepeople]

in response to op’s tags because I have spent a frankly embarrassing amount of time trying to piece together a timeline of what happened in between the books:

Judith sent out an SOS from Canaan House to the Imperial Flagship. Depending on the technology and how far away the Erebos actually was, it could've taken a long time to actually receive the message. Once they received it though, the Emperor or Mercymorn could have traveled through the River to arrive relatively instantaneously. They didn’t. I personally believe that the Emperor was incentivized not to rush to their rescue. His two oldest Hands and Gestures had ascended “under scrambling pressure.” Why not eight more? An emergency would certainly speed along the process. 

After Judith’s SOS, Ianthe ascended, Silas and Ianthe fought, Colum got possessed, Palamedes confronted Cytherea, the entire fight with Cytherea happened, then Harrow sat with Gideon’s body for “a long time.” Camilla (who may have only had use of one arm depending on if Harrow would have been able to heal her) had time to collect 96 pieces of Pal’s skull. Given Camilla’s bitter statement that “The Cohort took the rest of him away,” and the fact that Camilla wasn’t sure that she got the right pieces, I assume that she was interrupted in this task by the arrival of BoE. Probably several hours (if not longer) had passed since Judith’s SOS. An Imperial spacecraft can make the trip from the Ninth House to the First House in “about an hour,” but BoE has notably less advanced spacecraft and would probably take longer, so it is plausible that they were somewhere in the Kuiper belt or even closer.  

It’s hard to say what exactly motivated BoE to go to the First House—maybe Judith’s SOS, maybe Cytherea had some way of contacting them, maybe because the Imperial Flagship was moving towards the Dominican system, maybe it was part of the plan to begin with—but they probably didn’t expect two baby Lyctors to be waiting for them. Cytherea was supposed to have killed the participants of the Lyctor trials. According to the BoE Memorandum For Record, Edenites are under strict guidance to not engage with Lyctors if at all avoidable. They are not equipped to restrain Lyctors in any meaningful sense, which is probably why they left Ianthe and Harrow. A cavalier primary, a severely injured necromantic Cohort official, and the Crown Princess of Ida on the other hand? That could afford BoE some bargaining power in their negations with the Empire, so Corona, Camilla, and Judith were likely captured as leverage. They were prisoners of war; they did not choose to go with BoE. At that point, I don’t think that Corona would’ve chosen to leave Ianthe, and Camilla “wouldn’t have left Harrow’s side if given half a chance.” So Camilla did the one thing she could do to entice Harrow to follow her: she convinced BoE to take Gideon’s corpse with them. I’m guessing BoE was not thrilled to be saddled with a corpse—it would be like keeping a live grenade that your enemy can detonate at any time—and the only explanation we have is Judith’s account of Cam explaining “some business about a note.” This note might refer to the ten-thousand year old note that Gideon found in a Lyctoral study, then gave to Palamedes after explaining the circumstances of her birth. I think that based on that conversation the Sixth had a working theory that Gideon was related to the Lyctors somehow, which is the angle that Camilla used to convince BoE to take the body as additional leverage. I don’t think that BoE knew that their magically incorruptible corpse was related to John until Pyrrha showed up and filled them in AFTER they’d already lost the body (though they might have figured out the Wake bit, if Camilla had seen fit to share the story of Gideon’s arrival to the Ninth House). 

On Corona leaving Ianthe: the worst part is that Ianthe didn’t even think she’d been abandoned. She was scared and angry because her sister had been captured by enemy combatants, holding on to the belief that she would know if her twin was dead. So the whole time that she was combing planets, she was thinking their reunion would be joyous because they had a common enemy: Blood of Eden. A common enemy had united them before: consider them teaming up on Babs or Ianthe convincing Coronabeth to support a duel against the already injured Camilla Hect for Trial keys. In fact, Ianthe probably thought that rescuing Coronabeth from BoE would make Corona forgive her for taking Babs instead of her. Ianthe didn’t know that Corona left her until “the Saint of Duty with bits missing” walked into the New Rho Cohort barracks and warned Ianthe that her sister was going to come claim asylum wearing a BoE listening device disguised as an earring. And then Crown did exactly that. 

let’s talk about the fact that boe got to canan first. they took the non lyctors and gideons body. they left cytherea. they left harrow and ianthe even tho they’d both have been out of commision. let’s talk about how corona left ianthe.

[flythesail]

Lockwood & Co. really does have the best book to screen adaption I've ever seen. And the changes that were made not only improved upon the source material, but most importantly - felt true to it.