#this was supposed to be longer but i need a break

[novacorpsrecruit]

“She’s Cheating On You”

Gen | WC 1,234 | tw: perceived romantic Stobin (fake dating), misunderstanding

Eddie wasn’t sure why he was happy.

He should be upset for Steve. Mad. Angry.

He shouldn’t be buzzing with anticipation, waiting for the perfect moment to spill the beans.

It’s just that since Steve and Robin started dating, he couldn’t stand being around them. He knew they were close, but they promised they weren’t like that. They weren’t supposed to be like that. Except a few weeks ago, they surprised the party at a movie night, hands intertwined as they announced they were going steady.

And Eddie should’ve been happy for Steve.

Except that broke his heart.

He wasn’t sure why. Steve was out of his league, batting for the other team. There was no way he would go for someone like Eddie. So Eddie tried to push him towards Nancy. Nancy was the type of girl Steve was supposed to like. Because if he likes someone like Robin —

That meant he could’ve liked someone like Eddie.

If only he was a girl, right?

So maybe Eddie distanced himself from the couple. Not wanting to see them so sugary-sweet and couple-like. Eddie felt sick to his stomach thinking of them kissing. He avoided family video unless he saw Keith’s car parked outside. He tried to make conversations brief, afraid that his jealousy and heartbreak would show.

But he still couldn’t say no to Steve.

Steve had cornered him after Hellfire, all but demanding a movie night of their own. Steve even said they could watch Evil Dead like Eddie’s been begging for months. It should feel like a victory, but Eddie’s stomach felt like stone. He remembered asking, “is Robin coming?”

“Nah,” Steve shrugged. “Girls night. Figured it could be just us.”

Eddie nodded. There was promise of pizza and beer as long as Eddie picked up the tape.

So maybe Eddie went out to Indy the night before. Hoping he could find someone to ease the pain before he spent the following day with Steve. But that’s where he saw her.

Robin and this girl — a short redhead — dancing in the back of the club. Robin tilting her chin up ever so gently to capture her lips in a kiss.

And Eddie felt the world slow to a stop.

Robin was cheating on Steve.

And Eddie couldn’t have felt happier.

Which also made him feel like a huge asshole.

His best friend, a full romantic, was cheated on by his soul mate. Eddie should be upset. He should go and break the girls up. Tell Robin that she should be thinking of Steve, and not in this gay bar. That she’s going to break his heart.

But Eddie will be there to pick up the pieces.

Eddie left, no longer interested in finding someone. He needed to find a way to tell Steve.

He ran through the scenarios, trying to imagine how Steve would react to the news. Would he break down and cry? Would he get angry and yell? Would he look at Eddie, tears in his eyes and admit his love for him?

How would Eddie try to comfort him? Tell him that Robin’s no good for him? That he deserved better? That Eddie could be better for him?

How would Eddie even break the news? Would he start all soft, taking Steve’s hands in his like he’s telling him that his grandma passed in her sleep? Would he tell him that he’s heard from a friend or that he saw with his own eyes? Would he just rip the bandaid off?

No. Steve deserved gentle. He couldn’t just blurt it out —

“Okay, what gives?” Steve said, reaching for the remote and pausing the movie. “You’ve been antsy all night.”

“She’s cheating on you,” Eddie blurted out. “Robin. She’s — uh — cheating on you.”

Steve sunk back into the couch, a furrow in his brow. “What?”

“She’s a lesbian,” Eddie said. “I saw her last night at this gay bar in Indy with this girl and I — uh — she kissed her.”

Steve’s face softened into something sad. “Oh.”

“Yeah,” Eddie said softly. “I’m sorry.”

“What —“ Steve started, his brow wrinkled as he tried to process his heartbreak. “What were you doing there? At the bar?”

“Oh — uh —“ Eddie frowned, as he tried to process Steve’s question. He thought Steve knew he was gay. Did he assume that Steve would be okay with that? “I — uh — I’m gay.”

“Yeah,” Steve said, pulling a knee up and towards his chest. “I — uh — know that. But you were there?”

Eddie nodded. “And saw her there.”

“Did you — did you stay long?” Steve asked.

“No, I left after I saw her,” Eddie said. “I was trying to figure out how to tell you.”

“You didn’t talk to anyone?”

Eddie wished he could read the expression on Steve’s face. Wish he had whatever weird telepath connection him and Robin has — had. He wished he could peer into his brain and figure out his thinking. “No.”

Steve nodded silently, lips pressed together.

“I’m sorry,” Eddie repeated. “About Robin.”

“What?” Steve asked, like he forgot about how they got to the gay bar in the first place.

“I’m sorry that Robin’s cheating on you,” Eddie said. “That’s a shitty thing to do.”

Steve shrugged, picking up the remote and pressing play. “I told her she could.”

Eddie felt his brain break. “What?”

“I told her that she could,” Steve repeated plainly. Eddie reached for the remote and paused the movie.

“What do you mean?”

“I’m her beard,” Steve said. “Well, I guess we’re both each others’ beards.”

“You have to be queer to have a beard,” Eddie said slowly.

“Yeah,” Steve said.

Eddie leaned back into the couch and processed this information. Steve and Robin are beards. Steve is single. Steve is queer. Steve is queer. “You’re single?” Steve nodded. “You’re into guys?”

“Specifically one guy in particular —“ Eddie felt his heart drop. “—but he keeps trying to bring up my fake girlfriend while we’re on a date.”

“On a date?” Eddie nearly shouted. Steve let out a laugh. “Oh my god —“

It made sense. The way Steve looked nervous when he talked to him about the movie night. The way Steve’s body was pressed against his, his arm thrown lazily over his shoulder. The way Steve looked disappointed when Eddie said he went to the gay bar last night.

“Oh my god,” Eddie repeated. “I went to the bar to get over you. I thought you weren’t into me.”

“Totally into you,” Steve grinned. “Even after you kept trying to push me towards Nance.”

“Oh,” Eddie said sheepishly. “Sorry about that.”

“Between you and the kids, always pushing one of us to date,” Steve said. “We kinda got sick of it. So we decided to fake date. Just — uh — didn’t think you’d push us away after that.”

“I was jealous,” Eddie admitted.

“That’s what Robin thought,” Steve said, shifting in his spot. “She said that maybe I needed to be more forward.”

“More forward,” Eddie repeated softly

“Yeah,” Steve said, a smirk on his face. “Maybe like this —“ he leaned into Eddie’s space, capturing his lips in a soft kiss. When he pulled back, Eddie felt like Steve took his oxygen with him.

“I’m happy Robin’s cheating on you,” Eddie admitted. Steve grinned.

“Me too.”

[whor3ing]

𝑩𝒆𝒕𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒔 | 𝑪𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒔 𝑺𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒐𝒍𝒐

Chris Sturniolo!bf x f!reader

WARNINGS : smut, phone sex, FaceTime, tapping it on the screen, established relationship, lots of dirty talk, mutual masturbation, mentions of breeding! mentions of spitting (in mouth) usage of “slut”

╭────── · · ୨୧ · · ──────╮

IN WHICH.. after a rough day and missing Chris while he’s away, What starts as playful teasing to cheer you up, quickly turns intense. Chris guides you through the heat of the moment, making the distance between you feel like nothing.

╰────── · · ୨୧ · · ──────╯

second tumblr post! word count : 4.4k ♡

Any day without Chris' arms around you late at night felt like something was missing, similar to the last piece to a nearly finished puzzle, the one that had made everything click into place.

You'd gotten used to his warmth, the way his body seemed to fit against yours so perfectly, the steady beat of his heart slowly lulling you to sleep every night without fail. Being in his arms made you feel safe, loved, and wanted. With each breath, each beat of his heart, you felt your mind grow quiet and your body relax, as if each hum of his heart was him whispering "i love you' over and over.

You knew him going on this brand deal trip had been a good idea for the channel, and you knew that it had already been planned months in advance, but missing him was hard, and missing him was painful. It was only supposed to be a few days now, but each one seemed to drag on longer than the last and it made you relentlessly question if the clock was against you, if time moved slower than it actually did.

Just the night before he had left, his arms had been curled around you and you had been resting on top of his chest, his fingers combing through your hair. Everything had been perfect, everything had felt complete. But tonight, you were alone, and it felt like the quiet of the room echoed louder than it should.

Your day at work had been a full-on nightmare—endless tasks, long hours, all of it seemed to last forever. Every email you had sent felt as if it was another weight added onto your shoulders, and every conversation felt like it had drained every ounce of energy from you. Even now, the fluorescent lights of the office still lingered in your eyes, making your head throb with a dull ache.

Usually, you would come home to Chris, the soft sound of his voice greeting you, followed by his arms pulling you into a warm embrace. He would hold you close, put on a random film and snuggle into you, his hands always wandering to your thighs. He would rub his palms on them, cursing at how soft your skin was while smiling at you, and with that, he would lean in to kiss your forehead as you would drift off.

But tonight was different. The apartment was cold without him, the sheets of your shared bed empty and frigid.

With a sigh, you pick up your phone, swiping up to enter your password.

Your thumb hovers over Chris' name in your contacts; needing to hear his voice, needing him to somehow fill the empty space in your chest, the same emptiness lingering throughout the entire apartment.

Without thinking too much, you press call.

The phone rings only twice before Chris picks up and upon the first word he speaks, you can hear the smile in his voice, immediately warm and familiar.

"Hey, sweetheart, wasn't expecting you to call so early, what's up?"

Sinking into your bed, you let out a heavy sigh, letting your gaze drift upward to the ceiling fan, its quiet hum the only other noise in your quiet apartment.

"Hey," you reply, your voice barely above a whisper, the word catching in your throat. You clear your throat, trying to dislodge the lump that's formed there, and continue, "I needed to hear your voice, I miss you."

As the words leave your lips, you feel a slight tremble in your voice, something that your boyfriend, Chris would never dare to let slide.

There's a pause on the other end, and when he speaks again, his tone is softer, full of concern. "I miss you too, you alright, baby?"

You nod, even though he can’t see it, your eyes fluttering shut as you take in his warm voice. "Just… it’s been a rough day," you admit, curling into your blanket. "I can’t stop thinking about you, Chris. It’s so hard without you here."

You hear him chuckle from the other side of the phone, his voice still soft and concerned, "I wish I could be there with you right now. You know I’d make it all better, right?"

"I know," you murmur, your lips pursing. "I just miss everything about you. I miss your arms around me, I miss your smell."

He lets out a light, teasing laugh, cutting out slightly over the phone as he inhales afterward. "My smell, huh? Really, ma? You miss the way I smell?" He chuckles his laugh sweet, "You sure it’s not just my cologne you’re missing?"

You shake your head as he talks, sitting up and propping your back against your headboard, a smile finding its way onto your face. "No," you say pausing as you try to sound serious, "It's you. It's just you."

You smile as Chris lets out another laugh, his voice playful, "Well, well, aren’t you the romantic." He pauses, letting out another soft giggle. "You must really be going crazy without me, huh? Can’t even sleep without my scent on your pillow."

Without thinking you laugh, slapping your hand down onto your comforter as you giggle, "Shut up, it's not funny!"

"It’s a little funny," he teases, his voice husky. "There's that laugh I love," he murmurs.

His words settle in your chest, and a warmth spreading through you. "You’re ridiculous," the smile tugging at your lips as you talk. "But I missed you, I missed you so much."

"I know, baby, I miss you too," he murmurs, chuckling. "Maybe I should become a therapist, I should start charging you for daily sessions with how fast I brought that smile back."

You roll your eyes as you let out another small laugh, raising an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? What's the payment plan like? Not sure I can afford daily, maybe weekly."

"Depends," Chris pauses and there's a silence on the other end of the phone.

After a few seconds, a low chuckle leaves his lips. "You offering cash, or are we talking.. other forms of payment?"

You smile, licking your lips and leaning your head back to rest against the headboard. "Wow, so nasty of you to be talking like this when your brothers are god knows where."

You hear rustling for a moment over the phone before you hear Chris chuckle again, the sound absolutely adorable. "I may be a little dirty, but I'm still a gentleman," He whispers, his voice like velvet even despite the crackles of the air in the background as he speaks.

You can almost hear the heat in his voice and it burns you even through all of the distance, leaving tingles on your body as he continues, "Matt and Nick went out, some stupid costume store for a video idea. They're going to be gone for a while, and I have to admit, I'm kind of glad."

His voice drops to a low, husky tone, sending shivers down your spine. "I was thinking about you baby, and I couldn't focus on anything else."

You feel a warm blush rise to your cheeks as you hear his words through the phone, your pulse beating faster, so loud you can nearly hear it through your ears. "What were you thinking about?" You ask curiously, soft grin reaches your face and your hands begin to toy with themselves as you lay the phone on your lap to listen.

"I was thinking about how your breath hitches when I do that thing with my tongue, and how your fingers would dig into my back when I do that thing with my hands."

"How your back arches when I fuck you," He pauses, his voice exasperated. "When I tell you to keep looking me in the eyes while you take my cock in that dripping pussy of yours."

His words leave you breathless and full of desire. You can feel your face burning with heat, your nipples hardening against the fabric of your top with every word he speaks, as if his words are urging you to want him even more than you already do.

"Chris..." You whisper, his name barely audible over the sound of your own ragged breathing.

"Yeah, baby?"

"I want you," you finally manage to say, your voice barely above a whisper. "I want you so bad, Chris."

"I want you, let me see you, baby," You hear him lick his lips, his breathing just as loud as yours. Turn on your camera, can I see your pretty face?"

You smile, pressing the familiar FaceTime button, and as the camera flickers to life, you adjust yourself to fit in frame, the soft light from your room casting a glow over your features, putting them on full display for him.

Chris' camera flutters to life soon after, you see him in the corner of the screen.

The first thing you notice is his hair, tousled and messy as if he's been running his fingers through it out of habit. The soft lights of his hotel room and the sunset outside of his window catch faint golden undertones onto his skin, making him look like an absolute dream.

His jawline catches the light when he shifts slightly to look closer at you, the shadow of his stubble visible to you as a grin forms at the corners of his mouth, a grin that's just for you.

He looks absolutely perfect, in fact, you weren't even sure how a person could manage to look that good during every second of the day until you had met him.

The most amazing part? He was all yours.

His voice pulls you back to reality, warm and teasing. "See something you like, or are you just gonna keep staring, baby?"

You roll your eyes, though the blush creeping up your neck betrays you. "Oh, please," you tease. "You’re the one who wanted to see me."

Chris leans a little closer to his screen, his piercing blue eyes sharpening as he takes you all in. His eyes travel over your frame, lingering for a moment before his lips part slightly, his voice dropping just a bit. "I mean, can you blame me? Look at you."

His eyes trail over you slowly, and then he pauses, his lips curling into a smirk. "Wait a second... Is that my shirt?"

You glance down, your fingers instinctively brushing over the soft fabric, the only thing you were wearing a side from your underwear, "What if it is?" you ask, arching a brow, trying to sound casual despite the sudden flutter of your pulse in your chest.

His laughter comes easy, warm and deep. "You’re unbelievable," he mutters, but there’s something softer behind his tone. "I was wondering where that went."

Relaxing a bit, Chris leans back slightly, running a hand through his hair, but his gaze never leaves you. When he speaks again his voice is soft but teasing, "You know, you wearing my shirt like that? It's not fair."

"Fair?" you repeat, tilting your head with a playful smile. "What’s not fair about it?"

Chris sighs, tugging at his hair,"The fact that I’m sitting here wishing I could take it off you myself."

"Maybe if you were here, I’d let you," you murmur, your eyes locked onto his.

"Don’t tease me like that, baby." You watch as his tongue licks around his lips, his eyes laced with desire, "You know I’d do it in a heartbeat."

"Who’s teasing?" you reply softly, your fingers toying with the hem of the shirt. There’s a moment of silence, charged with electricity, before you meet his gaze again. "What if I took it off right now?"

Chris’s breath hitches audibly, his confidence momentarily faltering as his eyes darken. "Don’t say that if you don’t mean it," he murmurs, his voice low and rough.

Adrenaline and desire course through you as you slowly lift the hem of the shirt, just enough to tease him, right below your breasts, allowing them to peek out, just a little bit. His reaction is immediate—his eyes are glued to the screen, his jaw falling open as he takes in the sight of you. .

"Your turn," you say softly, smiling as you tease him. Your hands reach up to rub at your tits, the hem just covering your nipples.

Within an instant, Chris shuffles slightly letting the camera fall to the side of the bed. You hear the sound of fabric sliding against his skin and a moment later, he picks up the phone resting it on top of his stomach, one of his arms behind his head as he props it up to see you rubbing your tits for him.

Suddenly, he angles the camera even further down, revealing a very obvious bulge in his boxers. His boxers are tight against his cock and you feel yourself nearly drool as the outline of his hard dick is directly on display in front of you, straining against the fabric.

You watch as his fingers trail over the waistband of his boxers, teasing you just as much as you’ve been teasing him. He’s still staring at you, waiting for your next move.

Your hands move instinctively, pulling your shirt off, your tits falling out from underneath his shirt. You reach over, letting it fall to the side of the bed as you arch your back slightly, giving him a better view, as your fingertips trail across your bare chest. His eyes seem to devour you from the screen, and you know he’s getting just as impatient as you are.

You drag your fingers down your body, feeling the slight shiver of anticipation in your fingertips. The way his eyes stay locked on you makes your pulse race faster, a part of you already craving him even more. You glance, making sure he’s watching as your hand moves lower, slipping down to rub against your thighs, just as he would if he were with you.

His breath hitches as you continue rubbing yourself, the sound of his voice a low growl in your ears, even with the static from the call.

"God, you're so fucking beautiful."

His breath is hoarse as you see his hand slide down his body, down his abs as he rubs them for you through the phone, just as you would.

"I want you to take those panties off, please baby. Let me see all of you."

His words stir something deep inside you, and without thinking twice, you push your pants down, dragging them past your thighs, over your hips. Your heart races as you make sure he’s watching, feeling the weight of his gaze as you slowly expose yourself to him, piece by piece, just like a puzzle.

His eyes glisten as he watches you take them off, his mouth open, full of drool as you open your legs for him, placing the camera directly in front of your pussy.

"God, fuck. You're so fucking wet."

His words send shivers down your spine as you feel your body heat up, the anticipation of what's to come making your heart race. You watch him on the screen, his hand still rubbing his abs, his eyes locked on the camera pointed at your pussy.

"I want you to touch yourself, show me how much you want me," he murmurs as his hands slide further down his body. He smiles, angling the camera right below his bulge as he begins to rub on his v-line.

With instinct, your right hand slides up your body slowly. Your hands slide against your thighs, your stomach, all the way up to your mouth where you silently spit into your hand.

Your hand slides back down your body, your fingertips brushing against your needy clit, so wet and so wanting.

"Wish I was there, my god.. I would spit in that beautiful mouth and make you use that to rub yourself," he murmurs. Your eyes stay trained on his and on his body as he slides his boxers down, his cock springing out from under them.

His words are like a drug to you, making you even more aroused. You moan into the phone, your breath coming in short gasps. Your eyes follow his cock as he spits onto his hand in the same way, his hand sliding to hold the base of his cock.

With a small chuckle, he positions his phone to be right below it. You can see how big he is, how thick he is. He smiles, leaning his cock forward gently to tap it directly onto the camera.

The head of his cock hits the camera with a loud thud three times, you can hear how hard he is.

"Do you like what you see, baby?" he asks, his voice low and seductive as his cock stands straight up, his fingers beginning to slowly stroke against his rigid shaft.

“Do you like it when I slap this dick on this camera for you, just like how I should be slapping it against your clit while I make you cum for me with my fingers.”

He continues to tease you, slowly stroking his cock as he talks dirty to you. "I bet you wish you were here with me, don't you? Feeling my hot cum on your tongue."

His words cause you to rub your clit even faster, your hands diving into your wet folds as you watch him stroke himself.

He leans in closer to the camera, his cock just inches from the lens.

"Mmm, you're such a dirty girl, aren't you?"

He moans, biting on his lips as he watches you pleasure yourself to him. "You love watching me jerk off over the phone for you, don't you?"

He gives a slight thrust of his hips, his cock twitching in his hand. "I bet you'd love to taste it, wouldn't you? To have my cock in your mouth, down your throat, choking on it as I fuck your face."

You moan, murmuring yes a thousand times as you rub your puffy wet pussy for him, your breath hitching every second with just how good he makes you feel.

"Take your fingers and slide them into your wet pussy, baby," he moans out, his hand working magic on his cock as he strokes it even faster for you.

You can see so much precum, so much of his spit running down the sides of it with every stroke he makes. You can't help but wish that it was your spit, that his precum was deep down your throat, and looking at him, that's all you can think about.

You wish you could run your tongue against the shaft of his dick, you wish his hand could be replaced with yours. You wish it was your mouth he was fucking into instead of his hand, wishing that it was your pussy making him feel that divine.

He groans as he sees you slide your fingers inside of your pussy, smiling with his tongue over his teeth as he sees you begin to finger yourself.

You moan softly, arching your back as you push your fingers deeper into your wetness. You glance down at the phone, watching his eyes follow your every move. You can see the lust in his gaze, the desire to be with you right now.

"Oh fuck," he breathes, his voice thick with need. "I wish I was there with you."

The tip of his cock swells, his shaft hard and rigid, just aching for you, and his hand immediately picks up the pace on his cock as he imagines that your fingers inside of you is his cock instead, fucking you so deep.

"I want to fuck you so bad," he whispers, voice strained with desire. "I want to feel your tight pussy wrapped around my cock, milking me dry."

He groans, his hips thrusting forward as if he could push his cock through the screen and into you, if only it were that simple.

"I want to breed you," he whispers, his voice thick with desire as he pumps his cock with his hand, stroking it so good for you. "I want to fill your pretty pussy with my cum and make a baby with you."

“tell me you want that”

You gasp, your fingers only moving faster at the mention of having his cum inside of you, spilling out onto your thighs. "Oh god, yes Chris, I want you to breed me.” you moan, slipping your fingers out of your warmth to rub at your swollen clit again in large circles.

You can hear him taking deep breaths on the other end of the line, trying to control his voice from faltering as he rapidly strokes his cock for you. "I wish I was there with you," he says again, his voice strained.

"I would cum inside you, I would cum in you and then I would finger that pussy and rub it all over that wet clit," he moans in the middle of his talking, his voice coming out as if it was meant to be a whine.

You can feel your orgasm building, your fingers moving faster and faster on your clit as you moan louder. You moan, reaching your other hand down to finger yourself at the same exact time, "Oh god, I'm going to come, Chris please come with me," you gasp, your voice breaking.

It's as if you can almost feel him with you, his hands on your thighs holding them for you as he watches you come undone.

“No, slut. Hold it for me,” he coos suddenly.

You gasp out exasperated, your mouth quivering as you slow down your pace, trying to hold yourself together. You want to come so bad for Chris, you want to soak your sheets and scream out his name.

But he won’t let you.

You look at him pleadingly, he can see you so exposed so vulnerable as you look at him, pleading with your eyes.

“Aw, does my baby want to cum for me?” Chris’ voice is soft, as he spits into his hand, his hand slimy and wet as he slides it back onto his cock, rubbing it so fast for you.

You can hear him grunt as he urges you to continue, “I didn’t tell you to slow down. Rub that pussy, now.”

Obeying, your hands find your clit again and you rub your wetness in circles, his eyes never leaving you, moving from your cunt to your face to your tits and back again.

Your legs shake as your movements urge you closer to release, your pussy clenching, begging for his cock inside of you.

Chris nods at you, his voice whiney, “Oh fuck, ma. Oh god, put your fingers back in there for me.”

You whimper as your fingers enter you once again. Staring at his cock, you imagine that instead, it’s him entering you. Chris fucking your pussy so good, Chris in front of you pounding you into the bed.

He lets out a moan, his cock making you salivate and his noises driving you insane with how badly you crave him.

Within an instant, Chris can’t seem to hold himself anymore and instead of denying you like he loves, he’s too close to make you beg anymore.

"Come for me baby," he groans, struggling to keep his eyes open to look at you. "Come all over your pretty hands for me, yes.. God yes."

“Please, Chris,” you whimper, your voice pleading, desperate to come with him, “I need you… I need to feel you.."

"Show me how much you need me, do it slut," he moans, stroking faster. "Show me baby, let me watch you."

Chris leans forward, his lips parted as he breathes your name, his hand still gripping the phone tightly, positioning it so he can see you, and you can see him.

You move your fingers faster, harder, needing that release more than anything else. You hear him do the same, his hand moving faster, each stroke pushing him closer to his ownrelease.

"Come on, baby," he urges, his voice a low growl. "Let go for me. I want to see you fall apart, tell me you want my come.”

“I want you to come, Chris. Please come for me,” you murmur as your body starts to convulse.

You feel your whole body tense with his words, your back arching as the pleasure rips through you, your hands nearly dropping the phone as you finally come for him.

You're lost in the moment, unable to think, unable to do anything but gasp for air, your hand still between your legs as your body quivers, waiting and watching for Chris to come for you.

As promised, Chris follows right behind you, his moans louder than before, and you can hear the sound of him finishing, his voice raw with release and raw with pleasure. You watch as his come drips from the tip of his cock, begging to be licked up.

On the other end of the screen, Chris collapses back onto his bed, laying fully down, his face flushed and his hair messy, his cum all over his stomach.

"Well… that was definitely worth the wait," he murmurs, his voice warm and affectionate. "God, I wish I could kiss you, baby."

You smile to yourself, your heart fluttering at his words. "I wish you could too, Chris," you whisper back, "Come back soon, I'm dying without you here."

"Just a few more days, my love. I promise." He smiles, messing with his hair as he smiles at you. "And when I get back, I’ll take you out, wherever you want to go. Maybe a fancy dinner… or," he pauses, giving you a sly grin, "we could go somewhere more fun, like an amusement park. Y'know, so I can win you a giant teddy bear."

You can’t help but laugh at the image of him winning you a stuffed animal, and you playfully roll your eyes. "An amusement park? Really?" you tease, "You’re gonna win me a stuffed bear?"

"Yeah, absolutely. I’ll win you the biggest one, just so you can carry it around everywhere and make everyone jealous." His smile widens, a grin too big for his face. "And then, we’ll ride all the roller coasters, just to make sure you’re holding onto me the whole time."

He chuckles, throwing his head back at his own remarks.

He makes a soft kiss sound as he continues,"hey, I’m just trying to make sure you don’t fly off the ride. Somebody’s gotta keep you safe, right?" You roll your eyes, smiling at how adorable he is.

"And I think you’d be holding onto me for more reasons than just the ride."

You raise an eyebrow, your heart racing a little as you grin back at him. "Is that so?" you tease a serious undertone to your voice. "Well, maybe I’ll just hold on tight to you then, but only if you win me that bear."

"I'm gonna win you the biggest damn bear you've ever seen."

i love my cutie endings, thank you so much for reading!

as always sorry for any writing mistakes!

if anyone has any requests and likes my style of writing, please please lmk! I have lot of free time and am trying to come up with more ideas for scenarios ♡

.ೃ࿐ rafe smut "gods & monsters" otw!

ೃ࿐ chratt fics upcoming

[redwingstan]

"you know what we are. you just want to hear me say it." with bucky please!

debts paid - bucky x reader insert

author's note; thanks for your request, anon! hope you like it! (I may make a part 2 with this one!)

"So, what are we?"

Bucky grunted, a response you got when he didn't know what to say, or when he was just playfully annoyed. This time you couldn't tell which one it was.

"What happened to not asking questions?" He said as his back remained to you. He was hunched over the balcony, looking below at the bustling streets filled with people heading to their destinations.

"The same thing that happened to no secrets," you mumbled, shoulders dropping as if the miniscule book you held in your hands weighed a ton.

There was a rule you both had agree upon back in the day—a two for one special that kept your relationship—friendship, whatever—thriving: If you were both honest from the jump, there was no need to ask questions, no need to harbor secrets.

Looks like you both were breaking the rules tonight.

Bucky did a double-take as you stood next to him and nudged the little black book against his bicep. It took him a second or two to realize what it was. When he did, he took it before as if you hadn't already read the contents inside.

You sighed and looked straight ahead at the skyline. "I don't know whether to be relieved that you didn't forget about me," You sighed. "...or offended that I'm the last person on that list."

Granted, you didn't even bother skimming the list hard enough to recognize any of the names. You didn't even know what the list meant. You only managed to see your name—your first initial and last name scrawled at the very bottom— and that was enough for you to confront him about it.

Gently, he settled his hand on yours as he shoved the book into his back pocket.

"You weren't supposed to find this—"

"To be fair, I didn't have to go looking for it. You don't have much furniture."

Bucky's apartment was desolate save for a tv, and whatever bundle lay in the corner of what was supposed to be the living room. No furniture, not even a coffee table was in sight. The book happened to be laying on his makeshift bed made of disheveled blanket and jacket.

Bucky sighed as you pulled your hand away from his. You turned to head inside, but he made another quick attempt at your wrist. This time with a more firm grip. You spun around, though made no effort to close the space between both of you. Bucky took it upon himself to step forward, his grip on your wrist transferring to your hand. His thumb ran over the back of it in remorse.

"Okay," he said with a heavy sigh, eyes softening as he looked down at you. "I'm sorry. I know I should've been more honest. I know I should've found you sooner." He lifted your hand and gave it a soft kiss before lowering it. "Forgive me? Please."

"Under one condition," you said, appearing unphased on the outside in regards to his gesture of affection. He knew it was one of the things that worked to settle your nerves.

He lifted a brow in curiosity before lowering your hands, though he didn't let go of them.

"I get to ask three questions," you stated, chin lifted in defiance.

"One," he argued.

"Two," you countered, taking a step forward with a subtle grin on your lips.

Bucky's brows furrowed. "One."

You narrowed your eyes in defeat. "Then my question still stands." Your eyes traced his tired face. He looked beaten, like he had gone more than hundred rounds with the world. The bags under his eyes indicated a lack of sleep. The rough stubble crawling across his jaw made him look more rugged. His hair was cut short—a stark contrast to the longer dark locks you were used to. Six years had certainly done a number on him.

With a sigh of your own, you gave his hand a squeeze. "What are we, Bucky?"

He groaned in internally, though it wasn't out of annoyance, you knew. He wasn't the best at talking about his feelings, but you never held that against him. At least after years of not seeing him on account of The Blip and a year after, you believed you were owed an explanation to this question. A question you had been holding on your tongue since the moment he told you he might not be coming back.

His gloved thumbs traced your hands as he gently tugged you towards his chest. "You know what we are. You just want to hear me say it," he said.

You grinned. "I do," you said tilting your chin upwards with a lifted brow.

With dark eyes, the infamous Winter Soldier stroked your cheek. He placed a kiss on your temple.

"I can't be the only one to say what we are," he sighed, "but I know that you're one of the only people I can trust, and losing you again would be another devastation I wouldn't be able to bear." He stroked your cheek gently, eyes looking everywhere but at you. Your fingertips migrated over his stubble and guided his eyes back to your face. The Winter Soldier gave you a look of surprise before his lips settled into a subtle smile.

He kissed your temple once more.

"Does that answer your question, doll?"

[madthetruemad]

There is No Law that Emperors Must be Fair

Emperor ! Jing Yuan x Princess ! Reader

Chapter 16 | The Lion, the Wolf, and the Not Amnesiac

Summary | You are set to marry the Emperor, Jing Yuan. In order to break the engagement, you stage an accident and fake having amnesia. But now, your own cruel, cold, and distant fiancé, who seemed to not want anything to do with you, is now acting all lovey dovey!

Previous | Fic Masterlist | Next

You fiddled with your necklace as you paced your room. Throughout the rest of the day Jing Yuan had shown you around his castle. To say you were impressed would be an understatement. The place was huge and it was far more than you have seen then in your previous lives. He even showed you the door to his room which was a lot closer to your own room then you previously thought.

And now that you were back in your own room for the night after dinner, you were left with a promise that Jing Yuan would come get you.

You’ve already bathed and done all the other basic hygiene routine, so now you just have to wait… right?

Or maybe Jing Yuan wants you to come to him!

You immediately started to pace the room. Your eyes hastily turning to the door before steadying your breath and deciding to just go for him. That way you can just get this over with and not get any grey hairs while you wait here!

Opening the door, you had accidentally startled Gepard who had so graciously taken up Blade’s- wait Blade is guarding my door too?!

“I- is it really necessary for me to have two guards at my door?”

“Usually one would suffice,” Gepard answered, “but Blade here doesn’t trust me,” he ended his sentence with a pointed glare directed at Blade.

“You are a guard from a foreign land and the princess doesn’t remember you.”

“Funny, cause last time I checked you’re a guard keeping her in a foreign land who she also doesn’t remember.”

The two glared at each other causing you to sweatdrop, oh dear…

“Well, while you two chat I’m just going to…”

“And where are you going princess?”

“To… go to the Emperor’s room…”

“Didn’t he say that he will come get you.”

You fiddled with your nightgown, “he’s taking too long and I feel like I will back out if I wait any longer. Besides, he never said I couldn’t go to him first.”

Blade sighed at your explanation, but Gepard saw this opportunity, “alright then princess, we’ll be right with you.”

Blade grumbled something under his breath, but didn’t say anything else on the matter as you left to go in the direction of Jing Yuan’s room. The two following closely behind you.

“Then it’s just this turn here, right?”

Bingo!

Smiling to yourself as you spotted the familiar door, you went right up to it.

Knock first, y/n.

Straightening your night gown, you then lifted your arm and gently knocked on his door. Your knuckles hitting hard against the wood as a sound reverberated loud.

You heard an irritated, muffled voice from behind the door and hoped he wasn’t mad at you, but it was too late now. Just smile and-

The door opened and you found yourself frozen still.

The maid from the dining room who had spilled your drink on you by pushing Jiaoqiu was standing before you. Her top and skirts where gone, along with her under clothes. The only thing that covered her was a heavy blanket.

“How many times do I have to tell you girls, it’s my turn-,” she stopped herself when she finally focused on who was in front of her. Her lips slowly curling into a small little smirk.

“Oh princess,” she said in a mocking tone, but you weren’t going to have it. Stepping in front of you, Gepard glared down at you, “you dare present yourself to the princess and mock her, maid?”

Push her aside and confront Jing Yuan or go back to your room. You weighed the options carefully.

“Gepard.”

You grabbed his arm and tugged at him to get him to back down.

“Yes, princess?”

“You are not to follow the Emperor’s orders anymore, and Blade. I don’t care if you’re my supposed guard. Gepard is all that I need, so you are dismissed.”

You turned on your heel, “follow, Gepard.”

The blonde was happy to oblige, leaving Blade at the Emperor’s door next to the maid.

“You better get back in there, or the Emperor will wonder what’s taking you so long.”

The maid merely giggled and closed the door back. Meanwhile, you hurried back to your own room and even went as far as brining Gepard in there.

“Uhm.. Princess, I don’t think I should be in here…”

“Gepard, please not now.”

He watched you for a few seconds as you paced around the room, and Sunday’s words echoed back at you on how you needed Blade as an ally, however, you looked to Gepard and made your decision. At one point in time, you and Gepard were friends. He was someone you could trust with your life.

“Gepard.”

“Yes, princess?”

“I don’t have amnesia.”

“I know.”

“In fact, I staged the whole thing of getting amnesia in hopes of the engagement being broken off and so I can go home- wait…. You know? How?!”

“That act may fool the Emperor and Blade, but I’ve known you since we were kids. You have a few tells that let me know when you’re lying.”

“I have tells?! Like what?”

Gepard smiled and kept his lips shut tight on the matter, “if I told you, then you would just try to hide your tells.”

You grumbled as you crossed your arms over your chest, “and when were you going to tell me,” you asked.

“When we were alone or at least near other allies.”

“Other allies?”

Gepard nodded, “I didn’t just come here to be your guard, I came here to get you out too. Your father… talked to some trustworthy people a day or two ago, and we think they can help us out.”

“Who?”

“Do you know who Jiaoqiu and Moze?”

You nodded. Technically speaking, you hadn’t met Moze in this life yet- wait. But Moze literally helped kill you that first time?!

Calm down, y/n. That was a past life and at the time your father hadn’t gotten help yet, so when you died that one time, Moze wasn’t an ally then, but he is now.

“But they are retainers of…”

Gepard nodded again, “we are getting help from General Feixiao.”

Taglist pt 1

@danae-misfortune @frogsasfrogs @openthenyoor01 @zuhaine @ughlostmyotherac @joyfulnightprincess @thechibifoxcub @ceaether @satanisasofties @thetwinkims @yanrandom @honeybunbunn @superdonkeypatroleggs @ohmyfinggod @baboon-milk333 @zareri @kclremin @rains-mae @yccoffeesimp @bloomiesty @moon-taffy @superdark-soul @pinkismyfavcolor @isa-l0v3r @its-astrotea-love @reapersan @junephantom21 @erisfayred @greyrain23 @justadekusimp @uzxotic @alisstaa @avalordream @unlivingdisaster @pix-stuff @sleepyxion14 @pillows-blankets @anicega @junni-berry @niaainthere @sorachitsuki @dyingsweetmackerel @rosariymchapter @immahuman @fluffy-koalala @momoniq @orphiclueur @insightedly

[smallestapplin]

A sweet turn of events

This is a commission! @reallyshadowycollective thank you!🩷

Warnings : Optimus gets hurt, fluffy and cute ending I looked up the stages of courtship for this. Spark bonding. Everyone is fine dw.

-

-

Being Optimus’s partner was wonderful, he was always so kind, devoted, even at his busiest he’d still find a way to be there, for such a large bot he treats you like a prized treasure, loved and cared for. Being with Optimus for so long gave you an edge, despite being much smaller than the autobots around base, you were considered a boss of sorts, the only bots who’d still talk back to you were Prowl and Ratchet.

Though it also allowed you to bully your way passed Bulkhead and into the medbay after hearing so much commotion, knowing they had come back from a patrol and something went wrong, you weren’t expecting to see Ratchet and Wheeljack looking panicked, hovering over a badly damaged Optimus’s open spark chamber.

“Our tools can’t reach back there.”

“It’s too close to his spark, if we aren’t careful…”

“He’s still losing a lot of energon, that peice of scrap metal there. H-hey, why are you here?”

Wheeljack finally noticed you, his optics wide as he rushed over, trying to usher you out. Ratchet tries to hold a glare but it’s clear he’s worried.

“I’m not leaving until you tell me what happened.”

Despite Wheeljack holding you tightly in his servos, he pauses, looking back between you and Optimus.

“An ambush on a routine patrol, boss bot took a hit or few for some of the others. We ain’t got much time, we need you to-“

“Let me help. You said your tools can’t reach where it’s needed, right? Let me do it.”

The two look to you like you’re crazy, Ratchet even especially.

“What!? No! There is too much energon leaking from his fuel lines, it’s too toxic in there for you.”

Yet you don’t take it as an answer.

“Ratchet, I am not asking. We need Optimus, we can’t just stand around arguing over this, when we could be saving him!”

Wheeljack looks to the head medic with a solem expression, you are their friend too, they can’t imagine base without you, but they also need Optimus as their friend and leader. Ratchet can feel his spark sinking, he has to sacrifice one friend for another. Looking down at Optimus’s battered frame, he’s barely hanging on, if they are going to save him it has to be now.

“Fine.”

“But, Ratchet-“

“We don’t have any other way, we can’t wait around much longer.”

Wheeljack walks you to the medical berth, your heart breaking at the sight of your beloved but it makes you all the more sure. Ratchet hands you human sized thick gloves and a mask.

“These will only protect you for a short time. I will walk you through it.”

You are quick to put them on as Ratchet hands you a bunch of self adhering tape. Wheeljack loads up the x-ray, so much more in depth and clear than any you’ve ever seen, even showing you where the problem areas were.

“We will tell you where to go, but right not stop his fuel lines from leaking energon and the get to the scrap metal poking into his spark chamber.”

You nod as Ratchet helps lower you down into Optimus Chassis. It’s a mess, you want to cry at the scene before you but you stay strong, pressing on as you get to wrapping leaking lines, and pulling small metal bits from places you’re certain they aren’t suppose to be. The longer you’re in here, the heavier your head feels, but you fight to stay clear, working towards your lover’s spark.

You can hear Wheeljack and Ratchet’s voices telling you where everything is, telling you what needs wrapping, encouraging you to press on. Until you made it to Optimus’s spark, it’s massive compared to you, but you can see the issue instantly.

The metal is at an odd angle it would make the most crooked tools break, and it’s far too close to Optimus’s spark for any servos to get in here, but those decepticons didn’t account for you. You grab the sharp jagged metal, pulling and wiggling it as best you can, slowly but surely working it out until you hear it.

A pulse? A voice maybe?

You look at the bright blue glowing spark, noting how much it’s glowing.

“Shh, it’s okay Op, I’m here, I got you.” You spoke low, just for the both of you to hear, if he could hear you at all.

You grab the metal again, widening your stance and pulling again, you hear it again almost akin to a groan.

“I love you, I got you. Please, just hold on.”

You know you could die here, you know this isn’t the safest place for you like this.

You’ve been in his chassis before, it’s the safest place for you, it’s hard for anyone to get to, but for you Optimus would carry you around there. Memories what keep you going, refusing to left him fall like this.

Finally with one harsh pull the metal is freed, the force taking you down but you yell for Ratchet, moving to over get it out into the open for him to grab.

“Let me guide you this time!”

He doesn’t argue this time, grabbing the solder to close up the gaping hole behind the spark, you guide his servo making sure to be between him and Optimus’s spark, protecting him from any of Ratchet’s movements. The room is spinning, but you refuse to move, even as Ratchet starts cleaning up any leftover energon, even as the medic softly calls your name.

Your energy feels depleted, but as you lean your head against the thrumming spark, you smile, you feel safe at home.

You don’t hear the panicked voices, don’t get them calling for one of the racers to take you to a human hospital.

As your eyes slide closed, eyelids feeling heavy, you could only think about how you’d do it again in a heartbeat to save your beloved. There is a harsh glow behind your eyes, making you groan as your eyes flutter open. When did you fall asleep?

You blink as frames come into view but too difficult to make out.

“Oh thank the all spark you’re alive!” You never heard Ratchet so relieved.

“You gave us a scare, I was sure you’d be meeting Primus by now.” Wheeljack places a cold wet cloth over your forehead, chuckling as you grow in relief.

When has your body gotten so warm?

“But still, a human spark bonding with a cybertronian, I never would’ve thought that was possible.”

You groan, you’ve heard those terms before but your head is throbbing, it hurts too much to think right now. Despite the pain you can’t help but have one fleet thought, is Optimus okay? As if hearing your thoughts, you can hear a faint rumble of Optimus’s engines purring.

Sluggishly you sit up, ignoring the loud protests from the medics as you move closer to an obviously tired Optimus, who opens his optics to look at you, despite his exhaustion he looks so content and happy to see you. Optimus lifts a servo up to cup your body and hold you closer.

“Hello, my light.”

“How are you feeling?”

He hums, laying limp back against the medical berth.

“Tired, but are you okay? You shouldn't have-“

You cut him off with a stern grunt.

“I’d do it again, I’d do it as many times as it takes to make sure you’re alive and well. I love you, and I refuse to not at least try.”

The others in the room leave to give you two some alone time. Leaving you and your beloved alone. He seems to hear your words, but seems somewhat dazed.

“Do you have a preference for when to hold our ceremony? Or maybe you have a tradition you want incorporated?”

“Huh?”

You look up to Optimus, who now looks confused at you. You two have been dating for a while of course, acts of intamacy, acts of disclosure, acts of giving, you two had been doing such things for years, was this not your act of devotion? Was this not the grand gesture of love you intended it to be?

But you spark bonded with him, he can feel the ties between you two now.

Did you not know? Surely you had to, your actions were loud and clear, your words were even louder.

“My love, don’t look at me like that, please.” You kiss his chin, trying to soothe him.

You feel an ache in your chest, it feels so heavy, can you feel his emotions now? Surely not.

“You bonded my spark to you, it’s not something that can be forced, I thought you wanted to make it official if Ratchet and Wheeljack haven’t told the others yet.”

Though your head is spinning, you feel light headed at the idea of marrying Optimus Prime, you didn’t know you could do that! But seeing his expression so light and dreamy makes your heart swoon, you don’t think you could tell him no.

Who are you kidding, you’d love to.

[cissy0writes]

Little Matchmaker

Part 2

Jinx x gn!reader

Summary: The little girl you've been taking care of for a few months stopped showing up one day. A few days later she's on your doorstep once again, but this time she isn't alone... (angst & fluff)

Warnings: mentions of violence and death, selfloathing thoughts, suicidal thoughts, probably ooc Jinx

Wordcount: 2.9k

A/N: I'm so sorry for the long wait! I had a small accident at work and got a concussion, sadly I wasn't allowed to look at a screen for longer periods of time... But I got the okay from my doctor last friday, so I finished it in the last few days. It's not perfect in any kind of way and probably contains a bunch of mistakes, but I hope you still enjoy it!

Things have been harder lately; ever since Silco's death, Jinx has been worse than ever. She barely slept or ate; most of the time, you practically had to force food down her throat.

But what worried you the most were her hallucinations. They happened more frequently now, not a day went by without one. You tried your best to help her, but you quickly realized her hallucinations were an opponent you couldn't beat.

You've been patient with her, taking care of her needs all by yourself. It was hard; your assuring words and whispered promises just didn't do it anymore. But what else could you do? How else were you supposed to show her she wasn't alone?

Unknown to you, Jinx had already made her decision and had decided the best way to move forward was to leave you behind. It's better this way. She told herself. If she pushed you away now, you would never get the chance to leave, to betray her. And better yet, she wouldn't be able to unwillingly cause your demise.

You were working on a sketch for your next big project when she approached you. The way she said your name, so hollow, so emotionless, already told you that her next words would break your heart.

"This isn't working anymore. I think it's time to part ways." Her expression was grim, her tone nonchalant, as if the idea of life without you didn't fill her body with anxiety.

"What? No-" You quickly shook your head, eyebrows furrowed together as you stared at her, "no, you don't mean that."

She had scoffed in response, face hardening as her stare turned almost cruel. "I don't need you hovering around me like I'm some stupid toddler. I'm better off on my own."

You had feared this would happen eventually. You knew it would happen, but that didn't mean you'd accept it just like this. No, you argued, pleaded, begged. But she didn't budge; her mind was set in stone.

"I know I've been too much lately." You said with unshed tears brimming at your waterline. "But I can change, I swear I can change. Please let me show you that I can change."

"Don't bother." She replied with a roll of her eyes. "You don't have any use here any more. I don't need you anymore."

Her words cut deep, and she knew it. She knew how your past left you broken and believing you only deserve love if you earn it, if you're useful enough. She used this insecurity for her own gain; she thought if she just hurt you enough, you'd stop arguing and just accept everything.

But even as the first tears started falling, you still didn't budge. You frantically shook your head, "I can be useful again."

Jinx turned around and started walking away, so she didn't have to see your pained expression. She couldn't stand seeing you cry, and knowing she was the reason for the tears made it so much worse.

It's better this way. She repeated the thought over and over again. It's better this way. She can't leave me if she's gone already. I can't hurt her if she isn't around.

In one last desperate attempt, you reached out for her. "Please. Jinx, please, I love you." But the moment you touched her shoulder and she turned around, you knew you fucked up.

Her palm met your cheek with a loud smack, and for a moment, her expression mirrored the horror you felt. This never happened before; no matter how mad she was, she never hit you before.

She schooled her expression back to careful indifference and practically spat her next words. "I don't, and I don't want you here."

That's when you left, heartbroken and tears streaming down your cheeks.

Months passed, but her words kept haunting you until you met Isha. You always imagined meeting her again one day, but not like this, not while you looked like the mess you were.

You blinked, once, twice, then cleared your throat. "She's been with you?" The words didn't sound nearly as calm and collected as you wanted them to; instead, your voice came out shaky and uneven.

"Yeah," Jinx muttered out with a nod, her expression unreadable.

You didn't know what to say or do; thankfully, Isha seemed to pick up on the awkward atmosphere. She moved out of your hold and held out her hand, looking at you expectingly. You immediately grabbed her hand; you would never question her choices or decisions ever again. After you slowly got up on your feet, she reached for Jinx's hand as well. The blue-haired girl muttered weak protests but took her hand nonetheless.

None of you said a word as Isha marched towards the door of your shop, pulling you and Jinx along with her.

Once inside, Isha led you two up the stairs, and you started to wonder if this was a good idea. Jinx has never been here before, after all. Before she broke up with you, you lived with her. You were nearing your bedroom, and as soon as you were inside, Isha dropped your hands and walked over to the desk you previously sat in front of.

She stepped over the chair on the ground and rummaged through the papers on your desk. You and Jinx watched her with confused expressions, but when she turned back around with a drawing in her hands and a grin on your face, your face morphed into an embarrassed grimace.

The drawing was of Jinx; you had made it years ago, and after your break-up, you couldn't find it in your heart to get rid of it. It was a reminder of the good times and the happy memories you shared with her.

The picture only showed her face; she was laughing, her eyes squeezed shut, and her lips pulled upwards in a beautiful smile. It used to be taped on the wall beside your bed, a place where you could see it every night. You remembered the day you put it away, and finally, your mind began to put the loose ends of Isha’s disappearance and her return with Jinx together.

Isha was a very creative child; she loved to draw and paint. Whenever you had a client, you gave Isha a stack of paper and a package of colorful crayons. She would sit on the small table in the back of your shop and be entertained for hours. From now and then she would go to you and show you her newest masterpiece.

You kept every picture Isha ever drew in a box under your bed beside one. The one picture, a drawing of you and Isha side by side as stick figures, holding hands and smiling, was too precious to put away.

She was so proud when she showed it to you, her smile contagious and her eyes practically shining.

"Oh, this is beautiful!" You had told her with a wide smile, carefully taking the picture out of her hands. You ran your fingers over it, admiring it with a soft expression. "You know what? I'm going to hang this up beside my bed." You said to her when you looked up again.

Isha nodded her head frantically up and down, her expression filled with excitement as she ran past you up the stairs. You followed after her with a chuckle and a shake of your head.

Inside your room, you stopped in front of your bed, staring at Jinx's picture on your wall. You just stood there for a while, Isha’s drawing is still in your hands as you got lost in thought.

The pull on your shirt brought you back to reality, and you looked down at Isha, who gave you a curious look. You shook your head and gently pealed the taped picture from your wall, making sure not to damage the paper.

You placed it on your bed and went to your cupboard, rummaging through it in search of more tape. When you found it, you turned around with a smile, but Isha wasn't looking at you- she was looking at the drawing of Jinx.

She tilted her head to the side as she looked back up, pointing at the picture and giving you a curious look. You sat down next to her on your bed, taking the picture from her with a sigh.

"This is an old friend of mine, someone I really liked." You explained to her as you traced your fingers over the paper. "I haven't seen her in a long time... We had a fight, you know?"

Isha nodded in response, a look on her face as if she understood that you and Jinx used to be more than friends. You shook your head and put the picture away again. "It doesn't matter now. Let's put up your drawing, okay?"

You never mentioned Jinx again to Isha, and you were under the impression she simply forgot your talk. But now, as she pointed at the drawing and then at Jinx with a proud look on her face, you realized the reason she was gone for so long was because she found Jinx. She found her and brought her to you, and some part of you wanted to break down in tears again at this realization.

"You kept this?" Jinx asked with a frown as she turned to you, her tone skeptical, almost hesitant. "Why?"

Because throwing it away meant we were truly over. Because as long as I had this, at least a part of you was still with me. Because it reminded me of all the happy memories we had together. Because I still need you like I used to. Of course, you didn't say any of that; instead, you looked away from her and shrugged. "Didn't have it in me to get rid of it..."

You walked over to Isha and took the picture from her, putting it back on your desk and handing her a fresh sheet of paper and crayons. "Can you make me a new drawing?" You asked her with a smile, and she lit up with excitement at your request. She nodded and quickly left the room, no doubt going to her own room to draw.

"So..." You began as you turned back to face Jinx, feeling unsure if having her here was a good thing or a bad thing. "It's been a while."

Jinx nodded with a grim look on her face, scoffing out her words. "Yeah, but you seem to be doing well. Look at you playing happy family."

You shook your head with a sigh. "Do we really have to do this again? Can't we just for once talk like normal people?"

"Spoiler alert, sweetcheeks. We're not normal." She scoffed out with a roll of her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest.

You sighed again, picking up the fallen chair and sitting down on it. You just looked at her for a moment, studying her from head to toe. She hadn't changed at all, at least not physically, you wondered how her mental state was. Did it get better or worse?

"Why did you push me away?" You asked after a while. You just couldn't help it, that question haunted your mind all this time. Why?

Jinx seemed caught of guard, her eyes widened for a moment before her gaze hardened again and she stared at you with squinted eyes.

"What's it matter now? It's been months, move on." Her voice quivered ever so slightly, her unbothered facade slowly cracking away.

"Please." You said as you looked at her with a frown, shaking your head at her. "I just want to know. I need to know. Why?"

Jinx scoffed, averting her gaze and shrugging her shoulders. "You would have left anyway, figured I make it easier for the both of us."

Your frown only deepened and you shook your head almost frantically. "That's not true- I would have never left you, never."

Jinx was quiet after that, her expression torn between regret and guilt. But she quickly shook the thoughts away, narrowing her eyes once more. "Yeah, that's what everyone always says. Let's be honest sweetcheeks, either you would have left or died. That's how it always goes."

"Why do you sabotage yourself like that?" You asked with a hint of disbelief. "Why can't you just accept that people actually care about you? That people love you?"

"Because I'm a jinx!" Her voice rose and she threw up her hands in exaggeration. She half expected you to flinch away from her -given how your last encounter with her ended- but you didn't even bat an eye at her small outbreak. "I destroy everything around me! I get everyone who cares about me killed one way or another!"

You shook your head at your words, looking at her with something close to pity and she hated it.

"You're not a jinx. You're just Jinx. People in Zaun die left and right everyday, that has nothing to do with you."

You hoped your words would soothe her, would make her understand how wrong her thoughts about herself were. She just gritted her teeth and looked away from you, not bothering to respond in any way.

You sighed and looked down at your lap. "Aren't I tge perfect example? I care about you more than anything and I'm still alive. I care and I didn't die, isn't that proof enough?"

"You still care?" Jinx asked hesitantly, her expression almost vulnerable as she studied you with her gaze.

"Of course I do." You said the words as if it was obvious and to you it was. How could she be so surprised about it? Did she really think your devotion to her just stopped?

"Why?" Her voice was uncertain, almost disbelieving.

You let out a breathy laugh, shaking your head and getting up. You walked slowly towards her, doing your best not to startle her as you reached for her face. She flinched away for a second, her gaze looking haunted before she took a shaky breath in.

"I love you Jinx, that never changed. I don't even think it _can_ change." You told her quietly, gently cupping her face in your hands as her lips began to tremble.

It only took two seconds before the first tears rolled down her cheeks. Her body shook as sobs escaped her and she threw her arms around you, clinging desperately onto you.

"I'm sorry. I- I'm so sorry." She cried out against you, pressing her nails uncomfortably into the skin of your shoulders. You could feel her tears soak the front of your shirt, could feel the pain in your shoulders, but you didn't mind. You never minded.

You rubbed her back up and down in a soothing way, whispering soft assurances in her ear as you felt yourself tear up as well. "It's okay... it's okay..."

"I... I- I'm sorry... please don't leave." Jinx's voice sounded almost like a whimper and you held her a bit tighter.

"I won't. I won't." You promised her, voice thick with emotion and you squeezed your eyes shut as the tears became too much. "We'll make this work."

"H-how?"

"I don't know," you mumbled with a slight shake of your head, "but we will. I swear we will."

You don't know how long you two stood there, just holding each other, but no matter how long it was it didn't feel long enough. You finally had her back, she was in your arms again... For months the mere idea of this seemed impossible, but this was real. She was really here with you again.

You only pulled apart when Isha pulled on the fabric of your pants, you hadn't even noticed her entering the room again.

Your left arm was still around Jinx, not daring to let go of her just yet and you could see her looking away out the corner of your eyes. You rubbed at your eyes with the back of your hand, wiping away the tears before looking down at Isha with a smile.

Isha stared at you with a frown, obviously concerned about you. She glanced at Jinx for a moment and then back at you, tilting her head to the side and giving you a questioning look.

"Everything is fine." You told her with a smile before your attention got pulled to the piece of paper she was holding in her small hands. "Did you finish your drawing?"

Isha seemed a bit skeptical for a moment but she shrugged it off as soon as you mentioned her drawing, instead she nodded excitedly and held it up for you.

You carefully took it from her to look it over. You couldn't help but smile brightly as you saw what she drew. Three stick figures, one that looked like Jinx on the left and one that looked like you on the right. In the middle was a smaller figure, Isha, both you and Jinx were holding one of Isha’s hands. All stick figures were smiling and over them were big red hearts.

"It's absolutely beautiful." You looked back at Isha and reached out to run your hand through her hair.

Isha beamed at your praise and you let out a chuckle before tapping Jinx's arm to get her attention.

You handed her the drawing and watched her expression. She looked so much younger right now, her eyes tearing up again and her lips quirked in a wobbly smile.

At that moment, as you watched Jinx carefully tracing the figures with her fingers, you knew everything would be okay.

[cryptidmickle]

hi your amnesiac au has me in SHAMBLES plsplspls im crying sobbing stabbing the floor

im so glad i discovered your blog 😭 your art is so lovely and nice and just. Yes. eats everythibg snd leaves no crumbs /silly

PLEASE i require more info about amnesiac au.

could this happen to the other Beasts? if it can happen to Shadow Milk, it might be possible with the others, should their Ancient counterparts get lucky with their attacks

does Shadow Milk gradually become less of an ass? does he seek answers as to Why he was so awful? does he care at all?

how horrified is he at the revelation that he was such a huge issue for the faeries + PV, if at all? he already doesn't know much about himself, so would not knowing he was such a problem, such an awful person, terrify him, considering he doesn't remember any of this?

idk. i personally would be so so incredibly horrified and terrified that i was so terrible and..well, monstrous, if i may. i kinda project onto Shadow Milk im ngl so that's probably why im saying any of this

IM SORRY THIS IS SO LONG im just so,,, AAAUAGTHYBHLRHTLBFLTTKG /POS abt this entire au. hoenstly it inspires me; both your art and your ideas and concepts

hope you have a good day!! stay safe /gen

SOBS IM SO GLAD YOU LIKE THIS AU!!! i read all the tags on my posts btw so if any of u went crazy in there i saw it and went crazy w u. im deranged and mentally ill if u cant tell.

i would say the cracking of the souljam and loss of power is very possible for the other beasts! the amnesia however is a Very special case of pure vanilla fucking up the spell he cast

the other beasts would be depowered and much weaker, but retain their memories...... actually, would their corruption break as well since the souljam disconnected entirely from them? hm, i think redemption would be more possible if an ancient got a lucky shot, in that case

shadow milk does in fact become less of a jerk! what with no longer being secluded in a spire losing his mind and sense of identity all by himself, his personality is forced to become. eh. LESS THORNY.

pure vanilla is socializing him like a dog and he is NOT enjoying it. but i am. put that guy in situations.

shadow milk does in fact seek answers to why he did so many terrible things! he knows his... current personality isn't the greatest, but he can't imagine doing some of the things described

he feels a certain disconnect to the him others describe terrorizing them to the him of present, while he feels bad for what happened to them he doesn't really feel apologetic because was it really him? how's he supposed to know?

should he feel sorry because it technically was him, just.. evil? would that excuse it if he doesn't feel sorry at all?

this is where shadow milk and white lily have similar dilemmas because they both have previously done terrible things to others, especially pure vanilla. they feel bad about it, they dont wanna hurt him or others like that ever again

but then this is where they separate because shadow milk doesn't feel at fault, he doesn't remember doing all those things, he doesn't even know who that was! you want me to grovel forever about it? pathetic, what's done is done anyways, why not try to do something now?

white lily absolutely despises that mindset as she's competing with pv over who can hate themselves more, and she is winning. she thinks they both deserve to repent forever for their crimes but is constantly reminded of the fact that she remembers but shadow milk doesn't! she knows what she did, why she did it, it was bad and terrible, but she understands and that's what's important and she must repent for it

shadow milk doesn't know, he doesn't know anything at all and theres even more that they can't tell him as he's apparently been evil for centuries. it's hard to argue that he needs to feel bad when the personalities are truly separated.

......i went on a ramble again.

he doesn't feel bad about what he did but he is in fact, very unnerved that he may be capable of those actions again, and with pure vanilla trying to teach him to be good and kind its...... panic inducing sometimes, that maybe he can do something terrible again, that the evil is possibly just lurking under the surface and hes fooling himself and everyone around him

[luvst4rc0r3]

“The price of love” PT2

Sevika x F!Reader

Warnings: injections

WC:747

Note: I was not about to leave the ending on a sad ending

PT.1

The apocalypse wasn’t kind to anyone, but Sevika had always been a fighter. Losing you had taken something from her—ripped a piece of her soul right out of her chest—but she hadn’t let herself stop. Not when there was still a flicker of hope, no matter how faint.

She’d heard rumors. Whispers of a cure. Something buried deep in the labs of the old cities, guarded by the same horrors that had taken you from her. Sevika had spent months following every lead, breaking through hordes of the dead, cutting down anyone foolish enough to stand in her way.

She had to find it. She had to find you.

And then, she did.

The lab was a ruin, but it still held what she needed—a vial of green liquid glowing faintly in the dim light. The supposed cure. The scientists who’d created it were long gone, but the notes they’d left behind promised it could reverse the infection, even in the late stages.

It was a gamble. But Sevika had always bet on herself—and now, she was betting on you.

Finding you wasn’t the hard part. She’d kept track of you, even after she’d left you behind. She couldn’t help herself. She’d seen you wandering, your body no longer your own, stumbling through the empty streets like a ghost of the person you once were.

You were still there, in that same abandoned neighborhood she’d last seen you in. When she spotted you again, her heart clenched. You weren’t the same. Your eyes were clouded, your movements jerky and unnatural. But you were still you.

“Hey, sweetheart,” she whispered, stepping toward you slowly, her mechanical arm humming faintly as she extended her human hand.

You turned at the sound of her voice, a low growl escaping your lips. For a moment, it felt like you recognized her, like something in you remembered.

“I’ve got you,” she murmured, her voice soft and steady. “I’m gonna fix this. I promise.”

The struggle was brief. You were strong, but Sevika was stronger. She pinned you down gently, her heart breaking as you thrashed beneath her, snarling and snapping like a wounded animal.

“I’m sorry,” she said, her voice cracking as she pulled the syringe from her bag and plunged it into your arm. The green liquid disappeared into your veins, and she held her breath.

“C’mon,” she whispered. “C’mon, don’t do this to me. Come back.”

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, you stilled.

Your body went slack, your breathing shallow as the infection began to retreat. She stayed by your side, holding you close, whispering your name over and over like a prayer.

Minutes felt like hours, but then your eyes fluttered open.

Not clouded. Not empty.

Yours.

“Sevika?” you croaked, your voice hoarse and weak.

Her chest tightened, and she let out a shaky laugh, pressing her forehead to yours. “Yeah, it’s me.”

You blinked up at her, confusion flickering in your tired gaze. “What… happened?”

“I found a cure,” she said softly, brushing a hand over your hair. “You’re okay now. You’re gonna be okay.”

Tears welled in your eyes, spilling down your cheeks as you clung to her. “You came back for me.”

“Always,” she said, her voice thick with emotion. “I’m not losing you again. Ever.”

The cure worked. Not just for you, but for everyone.

Sevika kept fighting, helping spread the cure to the infected and wiping out the last of the zombies. Eventually, the world began to heal. The cities were rebuilt, the dead were laid to rest, and life—real life—started again.

You and Sevika found a place to call home, a small house on the edge of a quiet town. There were no more safehouses, no more monsters lurking in the shadows. Just you, Sevika, and the life you’d fought so hard to reclaim.

One night, as you sat together on the porch, the stars shining brightly above, Sevika reached for your hand, threading her fingers through yours.

“You know,” she said, her voice softer than you’d ever heard it, “I didn’t think we’d get this far.”

You smiled, leaning your head against her shoulder. “Me neither. But I’m glad we did.”

She pressed a kiss to your temple, her lips lingering there as she whispered, “I love you.”

“I love you too,” you said, squeezing her hand.

And for the first time in a long time, you felt like the future was yours. Together.

Y’all wish me luck on my midterms😭

I want food

[vityaposting]

how to heal a rusted heart - machine herald x gn! reader - part 3

part 1 | part 2 | final

warning: this chapter contains brief nsfw content (viktor giving, reader receiving, no genital descriptions)

You don’t go through the procedure after all. Not immediately, at least.

The rest of the week comes and goes, and Viktor becomes your new constant. Even in the darkest hours of the morning, when lonely nightmares continue to torment you, you can always count on him to be awake in his lab, fiddling with some invention or another. He receives you surprisingly warmly no matter the time, considering his supposed inability to feel something like warmth. He always sets whatever he’s tinkering with down when he realizes it’s you, flips his welding mask over his forehead, and smiles a genuine, crooked grin.

Did you fail? you remember asking him.

I simply have not yet succeeded.

The most curious thing is that he doesn’t even seem to be trying. If he still wishes to rid himself of emotions, it must sit low on his priority list.

It doesn’t matter what state you’re in when you find him. He abandons his project and opens his arms, inviting you to wrap yourself around him. He touches you like he’s been doing it all your life. Once you’re settled against him, he’ll resume his work. More often than not, the quiet buzz of machinery and low lighting of the lab puts you to sleep.

He never wakes you until dawn breaks. Once the sun begins to peer through the lab’s singular cloudy window, he shakes your shoulder and whispers, “My schedule today is clear. Are you ready?”

“Tomorrow,” you mutter back contentedly, not ready to part from the feeling of warm metal against your body. He nods and gives your neck a brief nuzzle. Even when you provide the same excuse every day, he never loses his patience. Never stops inviting you back to the lab. It’s like he knows you’re not telling him the whole truth.

This routine continues for several weeks. Tomorrow, tomorrow, always tomorrow, but never today. You can survive a while longer, you tell yourself. His company numbs your grief and loneliness, and you haven’t seen your ex-lover since that day in the market.

You remember how he held them, collar pinched tightly between the claws of his third arm. You compare that with how he holds you, embrace strong but not suffocating; comforting, not condemning. He holds you like he values you.

You can’t fathom why.

If he saw you at your worst, he’d drop you like a hot pan of sweetmilk on the stove.

“I suppose I may as well ask if any physical augmentations interest you,” he says one day. “You know. Feed two poros with one snack, or however the saying goes.”

You’re perched on a stool at his side, eyes on his work; he’s got his metal palm open on the table and is soldering some wires together. The way he quite literally opens himself up in front of you like this makes your nerves buzz. You’re watching the sparks fly from his hand so intently that you don’t hear the question at first. He gently nudges your shoulders together to get your attention.

“Oh,” you say. Truth be told, you’ve got more than a few ideas, but asking him seems so… presumptuous, what with everything you’ve cost him already. His time. His energy. You don’t need to cost him his supplies too.

And yet, the idea of him laying his hands on your chest and splitting you open so delicately, of baring your fragile insides… of letting him replace your most delicate parts with cold, certain steel… it’s a fantasy that makes you want to cross your legs. You’re not completely sure why. He could be elbow-deep in your chest cavity with his metal fingers around your heart, and all you’d be able to say is take it, it’s yours.

You swallow in an attempt to banish the heat from your face. “Eventually. Maybe.”

“Do you have anything specific in mind?”

“Maybe just a… full performance optimization. I don’t know. I’d hate to trouble you with more requests.”

“My dear, it is no trouble. That’s what I am here for. That’s my job.”

The pet name shoots straight to your head and renders you dizzy. “I’m not paying you. This is Zaun, I don’t have—”

“I do it for the love of humanity, contrary to what many may tell you.” Viktor chuckles lightly. Closing the panel on his palm and setting his tools aside, he turns to face you fully. “When I look at you—when I look at any human—I do not see flaws. I see potential.” His metal hand, warm with its recent repairs, comes to rest at the base of your neck. His fingers curl just enough to brush against your pulse. For a moment you forget how to breathe. You want to close your eyes and lean closer, melt into him, let him have you until the whir of his fans is indistinguishable from your own labored gasps, let him carve you open and touch your innards as tenderly as if they’re his own wires… the image is sudden and unbidden, and you thank whatever gods might be watching that Viktor doesn’t seem to notice how much you’re fidgeting.

“There are so many possibilities. I could replace your lungs. Grant you the ability to breathe underwater. I could enhance your hearing—I may even be able to build a mechanism that would allow you to play music straight into your brain, no gramophone needed.” He grins, seemingly at his own genius. You grin back. “I could—”

A buzz echoes through the lab. A twinge of something unrecognizable crosses Viktor’s face, and then he’s on his feet, and his touch is gone, leaving you aching. “A visitor. I will return shortly. Please don’t burn yourself with any lasers.”

“Sure,” you say.

It doesn’t occur to you to worry. Viktor hasn’t received many visitors while you’ve already been there, but it’s happened a couple times. A quick consultation would send them on their way.

This time, when two voices drift from the front hall into the lab, you freeze.

“It’s just a suggestion. Look, I know you hate me, but you have to hear me out on this. It’s ruining their life. It ruined our relationship. Wouldn’t it be a simple augment? I thought you were all about helping people.”

Then Viktor’s low, mechanical growl: “You dare walk into my laboratory and tell me how to treat my patients? You are more entitled than I thought. Leave before I turn you to ash.”

The first voice scoffs. “If you’d been through what I’d been through, you wouldn’t be so fast to dismiss me.”

“Leave.”

“I’m just saying. There’s something seriously wrong—nobody’s ever gonna be able to care about them if they don’t stop acting like that—”

You bite back a horrified cry. Memories of the day in the market crash over you like waves in the Zaunite harbor. The fury that radiated from Viktor like heat waves. The crushing despair that rooted you to the spot, heart cracking down the middle like you were being abandoned all over again. You never wanted to relive it, but your greatest flaw chases you everywhere you go. You’re not even safe in your Herald’s laboratory. Like that. Gods above, you’d tried to cure yourself without an iota of help. You’d tried desperately.

“I treat patients when and only when they ask for it. Leave my premises at once.”

A brief pause. “Fine.”

At least you didn’t have to see their face.

Viktor hurries back into the lab a moment later. Your face is buried in your knees, so you can only hear the clanking of his footsteps—until he crouches in front of you and gently takes your chin between his thumb and forefinger. You swallow a pitiful whimper.

“Breathe,” he says. “Remember? In, out. They’re gone. It’s okay. You’re safe. I’ve got you. I’m not going anywhere.”

“They’re right,” you gasp. Unshed tears make the words feel thick and odd in your mouth. “There is something wrong. It’s all my fault. I hurt them. I didn’t know how to love them right. I loved them too much.”

“No. No, my dear. They did not know how to love you.”

You laugh mirthlessly. “I’m a nutcase. They were right to leave me.”

“If that’s how you wish to describe yourself. You’re still a person worthy of love as all the rest.”

“I’m too much for everyone.”

“You won’t be too much for the right person.”

“Who’s to say there is one? Who’s to say I’ll even find them?”

“You have time to look,” Viktor murmurs. “Come here. You still find comfort in being held, correct?”

“Of—of course.”

He’s got a makeshift waiting room set up in the corner of the lab, complete with a ratty couch and a coffee table that’s seen better days. You guess he isn’t often busy enough to warrant needing a waiting room, but you’re grateful for it anyway as he beckons for you to sit. You want to feel him against you completely. He’s warmer, more alive, than any real person you’ve ever tried to love. You toss your legs over his lap and he pulls you in to rest against his side. As it always seems to, the whirring of his fans seems to instantly lull you. Your suppressed cries fade into weak hiccuping.

“All I ever wanted was to be loved,” you mumble. “As much as I love. I just want to feel valued. But it's so hard when my brain is… is wired all wrong. I’ve tried so hard. I don’t think I’ll ever get it right.”

“Well,” Viktor says. You can feel the rumble of his chest against your own. “You’ve made my days far more enjoyable. You’re delightful company.”

“Do you mean that?”

“I am not one to waste time on white lies. I have come to care about you very, very much.”

“But you see how difficult I am. You see how crazy I can get. They were right, what they told you. I hurt them.”

“I wasn’t there to see that, so I can neither confirm nor deny. Either way, that was then. You, as you are…”

The gentle sensation of his thumb brushing over your cheek makes you want to break down. “Viktor.”

“I had hoped I had removed my capability for such sentimental affection. It seems I was wrong.”

“Viktor.”

He tilts his head. You’re willing to bet that there are literal gears turning in his mind. “It has been quite a long time since I have kissed someone. I have not felt the desire in years. You, however… have changed that. I am not afraid to admit it, but I understand if you wish to turn me away. I will not take offense.”

“You… you want to kiss me?”

“Very much so. I did not know I could want as much as I want this right now.”

You close your eyes. You must be dreaming. “Please.”

“Of course,” he murmurs.

He doesn’t taste like metal or electricity or any of the other flavors he’d taken on during your various daydreams. He just tastes like a person. He’s softer than one, though, or at least the ones you’ve kissed; the way he parts his lips against yours makes you want to press in closer, claim him for yourself. You may not be patient, but you are nervous, so you wait for him to take the lead.

You worry he’ll pull away after just one. He doesn’t. You suppose that must be one of the benefits of not having a fully-organic respiratory system—breathing is optional. He kisses you again and again, runs his tongue along your lip, draws out a few sweet whimpers from you that make him smile against your mouth.

In the end, it’s your faulty human lungs that tear the two of you apart. “Viktor,” you laugh. “I still have to breathe, you know.”

He grins, goofy and boyish. “My mistake.”

He swoops in again, then, pressing kisses down your face and across the curve of your jaw. Each brush of his lips against your skin makes you giggle—until he finds the hollow of your throat, and the scrape of his teeth turns your laughter into small, strangled noises you don’t quite have the word to describe.

“I’ve always…” he whispers between gentle bites, “been so enamored with the human body.” A kiss against the side of your neck. “The further I stray from my own humanity—” he kisses your shoulder, just over your shirt— “the more beautiful others’ is to me.” A simple, chaste kiss to your cheek. “Especially yours.”

“That’s not very Machine Herald of you, is it—fuck.” He ducks his head sharply, and the graze of his teeth over your collarbone makes your vision go white for a moment.

“You really are so starved of affection, aren't you? You poor thing.” Somehow, there’s not a trace of mockery in his honeyed words. “That’s no way to live.”

“You’re telling me.”

He’s fiddling with the hem of your shirt now, and you wish he’d just put you out of your misery. Not that you’re much better—it’s hard to avoid toying with his collar, imagining what sort of artwork of metal and flesh would greet you underneath.

He looks at you. There’s laughter in his eyes—the bastard is teasing you. “Viktor. Come on.”

“Insatiable. I just want to make sure you’re okay with this.”

“Of course I’m okay with it, I—” You pause. “Are you?”

“I want you so terribly I’m slightly worried I’ll overheat because of it.”

You frown. “Is that… a frequent problem you have?”

“Well, I wouldn’t know. Either way, there are safety measures in place to prevent things from becoming too explosive.” He taps his chest. “I designed each and every part of myself meticulously, so please be gentle.”

“You’re half steel. I think you’ll be fine.”

“Eh, you’re probably right.”

You’re both laughing as he tugs your shirt off, and you’re still laughing as he lays you down and drags kisses across your chest and down to your stomach. You hadn’t realized you were so ticklish.

“Gorgeous,” he says reverently. “I truly have come to adore you.”

“Vik—”

“Shh, shh, it’s okay. Tell me how you feel. Tell me what you like.”

“All of it,” you breathe, laying the back of your head on the couch’s armrest. You’re so damn dizzy. “I just… I’m…”

“Use your words, my sweet.”

The command has the opposite of the desired effect. “I don’t know. I’m sorry.”

Viktor sits back on his heels. “Well, we can’t go on until you do know.”

You’re able to lean forward just enough to brush your hand against the metal plate on his neck. “I want to see you.”

“Curious, are you?”

“No, I—yeah.” You feel yourself blush ferociously. “I want to know…”

“How much of me is metal. And how much of me is flesh.”

“Well. Yes. I suppose so.” More importantly, you want to touch him, feel the warmth of his skin and the smoothness of steel simultaneously—but that’s far too embarrassing to admit. You want to know if dragging your hands along metal will make him spark and short-circuit. You can scarcely believe this is real at all. Come morning, you’ll probably think you imagined it.

“Then see me you shall.”

It doesn’t take long for him to shrug off his shirt, but the wait is agonizing anyway. He captures your lips in a desperate kiss as your hands wander down his torso. He’s thin and angular, finely sculpted and soldered together. One metal plate replaces the skin where you suppose his lungs used to be, and a larger plate wraps all the way around him, forming what looks like some sort of permanent back brace. His spine is fully steel as well, and you run your hand down each metal knob with careful reverence. He’s the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen. Humanity’s best and brightest, and the potential of everything it could still become.

“I didn’t know it was possible for me to feel like this,” he whispers, breath warm against your cheek. “I truly thought I’d done away with such frivolous things. At least… more so than this. But you… do not make me feel like my affection is frivolous. It makes me wonder… what else I’ve missed out on.”

He’s placed his hands on your hips to steady himself, thumbs tucked just below your waistband. If you could bear the humiliation, you would have begged for him. The sheer need is like electricity in your veins. You half-wonder if you’re just as much a machine as he is, what with how close you are to short-circuiting.

“Keep doing what you were before. It felt nice. To be…”

“Admired?” he offers. “Worshiped?”

“Uh, yeah. That. Please.” You sound so pathetic to yourself that you wince. Viktor only offers your side a reassuring squeeze and lowers his head again.

“It’s interesting,” he hums between kisses. As he leaves the gentlest of bites across your shoulders, his prosthetic hand reaches for yours and laces your fingers together. “Those I have helped—some of them, at least—insist on deifying me. Believing me some sort of… savior.”

You suck in a sharp breath. “Can’t say I blame them.”

“I wonder if they’d change their minds if they knew how willingly I give myself to you.”

“I find myself moderately repulsive on a good day.”

“And I find,” murmurs Viktor, “that you are a culmination of everything beautiful about personhood. When I gave up my humanity, I aimed first to fix my flawed mind. I believed that to be my greatest obstacle. The most human thing about me.” With his still-organic hand, he traces the side of your face softly. “I see myself in you. To be able to care for someone like this… makes me almost glad I failed. Perhaps I can spare you some of your own self-loathing if I tell you now that you are more than worthy of the love you crave.”

Nothing about me is worth the effort I’d require, you want to say, but you aren’t given a chance to speak. His next fierce kiss silences you, prompting a sharp gasp into his mouth, to which he just chuckles. His hand is trailing lower, lower, feather-light and agonizing. He traces the curve of your hip and across the top of your thigh. He rests his thumb on the button of your pants and pauses. “I know this is new for you. I understand it may be a bit overwhelming. Would you… like to continue?”

There’s no doubt in your mind, but something makes you hesitate anyway. Why? you wanted to ask instead, because for all his sweet words you still didn’t understand. So you say as much. “Yes. But I—Viktor, I just don’t get it.”

“Then let me show you.”

Wriggling out of your pants and undergarments is a little ungainly, but Viktor doesn’t comment on your gracelessness. There’s nothing but warmth in those molten eyes as he sits back to look at you. The low lighting of the lab casts shadows across his angular face, and the feeling of those laser-sharp pupils trained solely on you is making you burn. You understand why some see him as a god. It’s a struggle to not look at him the same way.

You reach up to place your palm against the plate over his heart and let the steady thrum of machinery send gentle vibrations up your arm. He was just as mortal as you, once. With the same struggles. With the same broken mind.

If he can reinvent himself—be so loving, so gentle, despite the pain he’s survived—why can’t you?

He’s slow at first, painfully so. He squeezes your hand and kisses your waist, your hip, moving inward until he’s tantalizingly close to your inner thigh. A few light nips to your sensitive skin make you so restless that he has to use the hand that’s not holding yours to pin you in place. You feel him smirk against you.

And then he shifts just slightly to the left, and puts his mouth just where you need him. Your cry is involuntary—your hand is in his hair, suddenly, tugging, and a low noise of what you can only hope is desire rumbles in his throat.

He’s like a man starved. He laps at you like he needs you to survive—ironic, considering, you manage to think through your haze—his tongue deft and his lips soft as his metal thumb rubs comforting circles on the back of your hand. He’s thin and willowy, but he’s so strong, holding you securely in place. You can hardly move. Not that you’d want to.

He pauses every few moments to whisper praises that leave you with tears in your eyes. “Look at you, pretty little thing.” “You’re beautiful.” “You’re so, so good. So wonderful for me, my sweet.” A blissful fog has descended over the lab. Zaun is gone—it’s just you and Viktor.

Your throat’s too tight to say anything back, save for a few indecipherable mumbles. He only shushes you gently. “It’s okay. You don’t have to talk. You’re doing perfectly.”

You whimper a small thanks and let him continue. It’s hard to keep quiet when he’s working you so expertly, drawing you closer and closer to the edge. His name tumbles from your lips in a steady stream of pleads, met with his quiet “yes, yes, I’m here, I’ve got you.”

He seems to take pleasure in drawing out your desperation for as long as possible. It isn’t until he brings his hand up to replace his mouth, swallowing your moan with an open-mouthed kiss, that you’re unable to preserve yourself any longer. “Viktor,” you mumble. Your back is arched, face tilted toward the ceiling, fingers still curled in his messy hair. “Please. Please, please, please…”

“Let go,” he instructs you softly. “I’m not going anywhere. You’re safe. You’re so beautiful when you’re this close.”

His words, coupled with a few precise movements of his hand, are what ruin you. It’s as if you’re being engulfed in fire, like a finely-crafted machine in a forge, sparking and buzzing like you yourself are made of wires and steel. He praises you through it, his hold tightening ever so slightly as you tremble in his grip, completely spent.

You’re speechless at first. He kisses you, drawing his tongue across your lip, and then he pulls away, brushing his hand over your cheek. Only now the sting of the places he’s bitten you and the ache of the way he’s pressed against you are starting to realize themselves—it’s a dull, pleasurable sort of pain.

“How are you feeling?” he whispers.

Something in your chest cracks. The most terrifying man in Zaun is bent over you, holding you like you’re something worth protecting, looking at you like you’re something that doesn’t even need to be fixed. You can only nod and let your eyes flutter shut, breaths coming quick and shallow. Looping your arms around his neck and pulling him closer, you hope, is answer enough.

“Do you need anything? A glass of sweetmilk, perhaps?”

“No,” you laugh, your voice cracking. “That’s nice of you, but… I guess I just…”

“Would you like to be held?”

He already knows you too well.

“I’d be more than happy.” Slowly, he lowers his full weight onto you and tucks his head under your chin. The weight and warmth of the metal on his abdomen is comforting against you. “You are wonderful. Truly.”

He sounds tired, too—affection wells up in your chest. You brush a kiss against his hair. “I hope I didn’t disappoint you.”

“Far from it. In fact, I could say the same thing.”

You consider this for a moment. “I still don’t know if I fully understand why you’d ever want me.”

“I suppose that’s fair enough.”

“You could have so much better.”

“Could I?” he murmurs, punctuating the question with a kiss to the underside of your jaw. “Who do you think I’d rather have—a blind follower who believes me incapable of flaw, or a person with the gentlest, biggest heart I’ve ever had the privilege to know? The answer seems obvious to me.”

“Well, when you put it that way.”

You’re both silent for a few long moments. When he speaks again, you’re on the verge of dozing off.

“Do you still want to go through with the procedure, my dear?”

“Maybe later,” you say.

Viktor hums acknowledgement and kisses your shoulder. You’re lying—you know it, and you’re fairly certain he does too. Anything to give you a reason to return to the lab, you suppose—though you’re beginning to suspect you wouldn’t need one anyway.

[worldly-fluster]

Snapdragon

Dragon!Sylus x non-mc! Reader

AND

Sylus x non-mc Reader

Part 3 of ?

(Each Part looks different in the beginning lolol oh well)

---

I sat waiting for a while, this is the first time in the few days I have been here that I've been left alone...the longest time in a little over a year that I've been without my Snapdragon.

Being left with my thoughts and memories, I can't help but think. With nothing and no one to distract me.

-**

"What do you think of this?"

I held up a small dragon doll I made from a blanket Sylus accidentally tore up with his claws in his sleep.

"...what is it supposed to be?"

"It's supposed to be a dragon...does it look bad?"

Sylus lifted the limp, lumpy dragon from my hands to see it closer.

"Hm...not bad but why would you do this?"

"Bored mostly, and this little dragon can keep me company when you're busy."

"Well I'm here right now."

He threw the little lumpy dragon to the side.

"There's no need for any other dragon."

---

"How did that...song go again?"

"Hm?"

"The one about Stargazing...intertwining souls?"

"Ah, it's one of my favorites. It goes like...hm..."

"Hm?"

"No give me a second I'm trying to remember the words for the chorus...ah! Got it, ahem..."

Sylus kept his attentive gaze on me as I sang the chorus, and tried to remember the rest of the song.

"Take my heart don't break it, love me to my bones. All this time I wasted, you were right there all along. You and I stargazing, intertwining souls. We were never strangers, you were right there all along."

"...more?"

"That's...all I remember off the top of my head, sorry."

"Don't be sorry...I liked it."

---

"Snapdragon~"

"Hm?"

"I might need some new clothes...these ones are kinda..."

"What's wrong with your clothes?"

I held up a dirt covered sweater, the shirt I was wearing torn and stained, my pants no better. I felt stinky and dirty, I really wanted- more like needed, new clothes.

"What's wrong with the garments you have now?"

He didn't see a problem with your attire, he actually kinda liked your natural smell that clung to the cloth covering you. Of course he did, he was a dragon first and foremost. Also, you didn't need anything fancy, it wasn't like there were any people you needed to dress for.

"I...I feel gross. If I stay in these much longer I might even get sick."

As soon as you said 'sick' he immediately started moving to get up. He didn't want you to get sick, that would be troublesome.

"I will go get you something."

"Thank you Sylus."

---

I lay, spread out in my little area Sylus let's me occupy, not knowing what to do...

"I'm doing nothing because nothing is doing me."

Sylus sits up and stares incredulously at my prone form.

"...what?"

"Did you know that the Egyptians thought the most significant thing you can do in life is die?"

Sylus stared with wide eyes for a moment before huffing and sprawling out next to me.

"There's something wrong with you..."

"Yep."

---

For some reason today, Sylus was acting...weird.

He wouldn't look me in the face, if he did it wasn't for long, and when I would do something his eyes almost always followed me.

When I asked about it he just responded, "Nothing."

I gave up after a while and went on to do my own thing...but boredom found me quick.

In my boredom, because he wasn't talking much, I thought maybe he would look pretty with some jewels hanging from his horns.

As I got close to him, he had his back to me but when he heard me coming he slightly turned his head to see what I was up to.

I stopped just a bit away from him and asked-

"Can I play with your hair again?"

A minute later I found myself seated next to him. He was laying on his stomach with his face in mine, his arms curled around me slightly. There was a slight rumble coming from his chest as I played with his hair and rubbed the base of his horns. He hardly noticed me loosely hanging jewelry from his horns, and if he did he didn't show it.

After I was done, I gently pulled his face from my stomach, my hands on either side of his face. I smiled when I saw his half lidded eyes and small frown on his face because I stopped playing with his hair.

I lightly squeezed his face, making his lips pucker and his eyebrows furrowed.

"You're so...ugh!"

I couldn't handle the way he was being adorable and planted a kiss on his nose, making him widen his eyes and go crosseyed.

That alone was too cute, once again, so I peppered his face with many more kisses. The cuteness aggression getting to me.

He grunted but didn't make to move away as he closed his eyes. His heart fluttering faster than he's used to. He didn't know what to do as you continued your affectionate tryst.

He could get used to this.

-**

While remembering those moments, ones I wish lasted forever, I didn't realize there were tears falling down my face.

I was knocked from my memories when I heard a cawing from above, right before the fluttering of crow wings as Mephisto landed on the bench beside me.

Caw! Caw?

I wiped my face, trying and failing to hide my tears.

"I'm okay, I'm okay...just remembering some stuff."

I let out a sad chuckle as Mephisto waddled closer.

"Maybe even a little homesick but... it's okay."

I gently held out my hand to lightly run the back of my fingers on his feathery chest. His smooth feathers soothing my whirlwind of thoughts.

"Is it though?"

I heard a deep, familiar voice behind me, startling me a bit.

Letting out a noise of surprise I turned around, my wide eyes landing on a familiar face that lacked the dark scales I was used to. My heart thumped in my chest uncomfortably.

"...Sylus...right?"

He chuckled as he nodded slightly.

"And...MC if I'm not mistaken. You aren't the MC I know though."

"No."

"I heard from Mephisto that you knew a Sylus before?"

"Oh um yeah, I did..."

"... Interesting. Tell me more on the ride."

He took a step to the side, letting me get a full view of the fancy sports car behind him.

Strange, I thought he rode motorcycles?

"I normally have a different ride, but I think the privacy of a car is much needed at this time."

He holds out his large, pale hand.

"Come."

***Sorry it's short lol it's more of a filler chapter***

@poptrim @lavvytae

I think that's all the tags I have RN lol ❤️

[cosmicanemoia]

Got to Believe in Magic

Melissa Schemmenti x Reader

This has been collecting dust in my notebook for quite some time now. It is supposed to have two more chapters, but I couldn't get to it. Anyway, I just want to share this here so...

After the said interview, Melissa realizes that you are exactly what she’s looking for… in a tenant.

You find it hard to sleep every night. You have tried everything… literally everything; even the pills (after some time) didn’t help much.

And every morning, you find it hard to get up and start your day. Instead of feeling rested, you just feel more tired than ever.

Your girlfriend had just broken up with you, kicking you out of your shared apartment. You don’t mind staying at some fancy hotel (you are actually loving it), but your bank account really does. You realize that you need to find an affordable place to live or else you’ll be bankrupt (given your teacher’s salary).

–

Melissa had just kicked Jacob out of her home. No matter how she enjoys finding a new best friend in him; she doesn’t like the number of boys Jacob brings into her house.

But of course not after he found a new place ‘to whore’ himself out. Melissa blatantly told him and in turn he could only nod in understanding.

–

Jacob (your fellow 8th grade teacher) told you the whole story of how he got kicked out of his friend’s house, without unnecessary and unrelated details that you could only wish to escape.

After half an hour, he suddenly widens his eyes and grins at you. You just look at him dumbfoundedly and urge him to continue, “what?”

“I just had the most brilliant idea.” he declares, and you just raise your brows as a response. “Aren’t you looking for a place? I’ll recommend you to Melissa.” he beams, and you just simply reply, “Yeah, sure… whatever.”

Jacob rushes over to the break room on the ground floor to find Melissa and tell her the good news. “I just found you the perfect tenant. You’re going to love her. Would you like to interview her?”

“I doubt there is such a thing as perfect, but sure, kid. I need the extra income anyway.” Melissa replied to him.

Jacob then rushes to the break room upstairs from where you are eating. He sees you and grabs you by your shoulder and drags you to where Melissa is. “Woah! What are you doing? I’m still eating.” You asked, and he simply replies, “Melissa agreed to interview you… and you’re almost done. Let’s go.” You scoff and chuckle at him “I didn’t know it would be right now.”

–

That is how you find yourself now having an “interview” ‘more like interrogation’ you thought to yourself in the break room with ‘Ms. Schemmenti’. You recall her telling you not to call her by her first name ‘cause you don’t know each other very well.

After the said interview, Melissa realizes that you are exactly what she’s looking for… in a tenant.

She finds out that you’re quiet and keeps to yourself, not nosy, but not a push-over, and many more qualities she admires and likes… in a tenant.

Melissa turns to Jacob to ask, “where did you find her? Is she a newbie?”

Barbara can’t help but scoff and reply, “she’s not a newbie; she has been here longer than Jacob and Janine.”

Melissa turns to her friend in shock… “you know her?”

Gregory can’t help but chide in, “We all know her. I thought you knew her too– and that’s why you agreed to do the interview.”

Barbara added, “very resourceful woman. She once fixed the leak in our sink when Gerald and I invited her over.”

Melissa, who was dumbfounded, can't help but declare, “how come I’m only hearing about her now?”

Ava barges in before anyone could answer her question. “What are y’all talkin’ about?” She asks as she pours almost all of the sugar available into her coffee.

Jacob answers, “we’re talking about Y/N.”

Ava ooh’ed at the revelation and declares “she sleeps with one of y’all. I see.”

The small group simultaneously says, “WHAT?!” turning their heads in the principal’s direction. Ava shimmies her shoulder in response… she grins and claims “that girl is a beast.” and makes her exit.

Everyone turns to look at each other with confusion written on their faces.

Barbara speaks out, “I don’t know who she’s talking about. She must be mistaken because that woman is nothing but an angel sent from above.”

Melissa scoffs and snides, “yeah, right.”

All their heads turn to Jacob. Melissa asks, “you know something? you guys are close, right?” He replies, “I don’t know. I mostly do the talking; she’s quiet and keeps to herself… Maybe Ava is mistaken.” Barbara adds with her brows raised, “she surely must be.”

The bell rings, signalling that break time is over.

–

“Can I help you with your things?” Melissa offers, but you refuse, “no, thank you. I have it covered.”

“Are you sure?” she asks, and you reply, “I’m sure. Thanks for the offer.”

After a few moments…

“Done already?” Melissa stands at your door frame.

“Yeah. I don’t have a lot of things, so there isn't much to unpack.” You shrug.

“Well, I’ll leave you be. I hope you won’t be a pain in the ass type of tenant.” She jokes, and you humour her, “I’ll try, boss. I’ll try.”

“See you around.” Melissa turns and walks away, and you say, as she leaves, “you too, Ms. Schemmenti.”

You slump in your bed and start trying to sleep, but you can’t help but think… and you don’t know how, but somehow your thoughts have drifted to the woman of the house.

–

You see Melissa Schemmenti at school. You have heard a lot of things about her from Jacob. You sometimes pass each other in the hallways. You’d be lying if you say you weren’t attracted to her… she is a very attractive woman. That attraction never developed into anything more, and you thought that never in a million years would she go for you, let alone notice you. So, you push that feeling out and never think about it again. You smile to yourself. You can’t believe that you are now living under the roof of your former crush. You fell asleep thinking about her.

–

It had been three days since you moved in in Melissa’s spare room. She realizes that you are indeed quiet and that you really keep to yourself. She had just finished cooking, and she thought, ‘what’s the harm?’. She lays another plate and goes to your room. When she got there, she knocked… no answer. She knocks once again and calls out your name, and still no answer. ‘She must be asleep,’ Melissa thought to herself. She knocks more aggressively and calls for you a little louder, but no answer still.

Just when Melissa’s about to try again one last time, she hears the front door open and shut. ‘She wasn’t asleep, she was out,’ she thought to herself. She’s been doing that a lot lately, thinking to herself ever since she met you for the interview, and the contradicting comments she got about you from her best friend and the principal gnaws at her.

“Hey, hun. I was knocking at your door just now, and there’s no one answering.” Melissa greeted you.

“Uh, yeah… I was– um, out.” You scratch the back of your neck and nod in her direction.

You just stood there, staring at each other, and gave her an awkward smile. There is silence, but you wouldn’t describe it as uncomfortable.

“So, what can I help you with?” You break the silence as you walk past her.

“What makes you think I need your help?” Melissa sneered.

You furrowed your brows in confusion, but you weren’t fazed, “uh- I just… you said you were knocking at my door earlier, right?”

“Oh! that,” she chuckles, “I was going to ask if you’ve been eaten and if you’d like to join me for dinner.”

“Oh.” You stare at her, and she tilts her head to the side, waiting for you to say something more.

“I would love to. Really, I do. I’ve been waiting to taste you –r cooking, but unfortunately I have already eaten.” You declare, and Melissa depletes a little at that new information, but nobody notices.

You walk towards her and grab her wrist softly yet firmly. You look her in her eyes and say, “maybe next time.”

Melissa beams, and she bears what you just said in her mind. ‘maybe next time.’ she mentally notes to put more effort into it, for when that next time comes.

The redhead doesn’t know anything about you, but she sure does have a good night after that interaction with you. She even forgot her peaking curiosity earlier about where you have been.

–

Ava barges in the break room with a devilish grin plastered on her face, “your girl’s been busy last night, Jacob.”

Everyone turns their head towards the principal. Jacob asked, “what? What girl?”

Ava replied, “Y/N, who else? ” side-eyeing Janine.

Jacob urges her to go on, “what about her?”

The principal rolls her eyes, “I thought you two are best friends? Anyway, a friend of mine sent this to me… ” She shows everyone something on her phone.

Barbara shakes her head, not believing what she just saw. Melissa’s eyes widened at the sight. Gregory and Janine chuckled, and Jacob cheered, “yes, get it, girl!”

Mr. Johnson chides in, “y’all are amused by that? Try going out with her. There’s this one time that I went with her, I thought she abandoned me, but then she introduced me to this hot couple who asked me if I wanted to have a thr–”

The door to the break room suddenly opens before the custodian can finish his sentence, and you walk in. “Hey, Hill, I thought you’d join me for lunch… You know how waiting makes me feel.”

You let your eyes wander and soon realize that they’re all staring at you. “You all looked like you’ve just seen a ghost,” you quipped, “I’m sorry for barging in like that– I should have knocked.”

The room is still silent and awkward. Mr. Johnson decides to break it, “Hey, Y/L/N, are we still on this friday?”

“Of course, Mr. J,” you simply replied. You then look at Jacob and raise your brow at him, “well, are you joining me or not? you know I can’t go hungry.”

“Girl, we know,” Ava quickly affirms, then walks out of the room.

With that, Melissa’s curiosity about you just grows and grows.

Saturday afternoon, you were making yourself a snack. You didn’t notice Melissa in her living room, but she for sure did notice you, with your hair tied up in a messy bun, oversized shirt with no bra (she guessed), and very short shorts. You turn around, and you see your landlord staring at you, making you almost drop your food.

“God, Mel– I mean, Ms. Schemmenti, you startled me,” you remark.

Melissa is pulled out of her thoughts when you speak. “I guess you can call me ‘Mel’ now that you’re living under my roof.”

You smile at her in response, and the redhead’s stomach flutters… so, she thought she must be hungry. “Okay, have a nice day, Mel,” you uttered.

“Wait, stop,” she commands, and that makes you halt. You slowly turn to face her and stride towards her, then you inquire, “yeah– what is it?”

She watches as you chew on your food and how you stuff it still even though it seems full. She lightly chuckles and mutters, “you’re so goofy.”

“Huh?” You respond, and she quickly retorts, her voice now loud and clear, “I said I make a mean lasagna.”

You nod, “I’m sure you do. I heard so much about your cooking from Jacob.”

The voluptuous woman declares, “I’m making them for tonight.”

“Good to know.” You smile and nod at her, starting to turn and walk away, but Mel adds, “you can watch and learn if you want, then have a bite or two when I’m done.”

“Really?” You ask, and she just shrugs, “sure.”

“Cool. I’ll be in my room, just call me before you start. I don’t want to miss out on any process.” you said and walked back to your room.

‘What the hell just happened?’ Mel thought to herself.

The truth is she wasn’t planning on doing anything for dinner tonight. She said to herself that she’ll just order some fast food. She checked her fridge and cupboard and found that all the ingredients she needed were there. She sighs ‘I guess I have to call her now.’

You’d offer to help but decide against it, not wanting to hold her back. So, you just sat there watching the woman of the house in her element. A smile starts to spread on your face, and you mutter, “you’re beautiful.”

“Wipe that grin off your face or I’ll wipe it off for you,” she blushed.

After a few moments, she puts the casserole in the oven and says, “now, we just have to wait for a few more moments.” She clasped her hands together and stood there proudly.

“Just in time for dinner.” you declare.

You moan, “oh god– mmm,” with your eyes closed, and the chef’s face flushed at the sight.

“Mel, wow! This is so good!” You complimented after your first few bites.

Melissa is proud of herself, very evident by the shit-eating grin plastered on her face.

“Did you know that lasagna is one of my least liked foods?” you commented.

“I didn’t know that. You sure seem to be loving it now.” Melissa remarked.

“I am. Yours is the only lasagna I’ll ever eat.” you replied.

“No. Let me wash the dishes. You’ve already done so much today. Making that heavenly food takes a lot of effort. It’s only fair that I do this, so let me.” You argued after you cleaned the table.

You somehow sense that she’s going to fight you. So, you grab her hand and drag her to the living room. You tell her to sit down, and she quickly follows. You open the T.V. and give her the remote. You tell her to wait for a minute, and then you quickly disappear into the kitchen, but you come back as soon as you disappear, now with a bottle of wine (that she had been drinking earlier while she made the lasagna). You pour her a glass, grab her hand, and say, “relax and rest. I promise not to break anything.”

After washing the dishes, you see Melissa sleeping on the couch. You assume she wouldn’t want to wake up on a sofa (because you wouldn’t want it for yourself), so you lightly nudge her shoulder. ‘She looks so serene,’ you thought.

The sleeping beauty slowly opens her eyes and hums. “Let’s get you to bed,” and you help her get in her room.

“Thanks for the marvellous dinner, Mel,” you thank her before you retire to your room.

Morning comes, and Melissa wakes up and sees a cup of water and ibuprofen as she sits up. She smiles to herself and takes a sip from the cup. She didn’t take the ibuprofen because she didn’t have a headache. She just feels warm and fuzzy, ‘it’s a friggin miracle. I didn’t have a headache.’

–

Monday came. The teachers gather at the break room. Ava once again barges in. She types something on her phone. The small group receives a text, and their phones pinged simultaneously.

Mr. Johnson played the video on his phone with his speaker on full volume. It was loud, there was music, and people were cheering.

Melissa opens the message. It was a video of you getting a lap dance from a random girl. She sees red and she doesn’t know why, so she closes her phone with a huff and frowns, but no one notices that.

“When was this?” Barb asked.

“That was saturday.” Ava replied.

“What?!” Melissa questions, “are you sure this is her? ‘cause I was with her saturday.”

“Until midnight?” Ava inquired in return.

Melissa shakes her head no.

“That’s what I thought.” Ava deadpans.

–

You see Melissa in the hallway, so you try to greet her, “hey, Mel.”

Melissa just rolls her eyes at you and huffs as she passes you by.

‘Did she just roll her eyes at me?’ You scoffed.

Later that night, you decided to knock at Melissa’s door to ask and talk to her.

You ask her if you have done something wrong. She says that she’s just pissed off earlier. About what, she wouldn’t tell.

–

Jacob, Janine, and Gregory went out clubbing, and they somehow convinced the two veterans to tag along.

You are at the same club.

Ava is there too, and even Mr. Johnson.

Melissa was the first to notice you, but she didn’t say anything to the others.

Until Barb asked if it was you across the room, and they all agreed that it was you.

You were sitting on a stool, alone, so Melissa decides to approach you, but before she could get to you, another woman hugs you from behind and then sits beside you.

You see Melissa from the corner of your eyes, so you excuse yourself from your best friend to go and talk to her.

Melissa ignored you and went to the bathroom. You followed her, and when you got in, she quickly shut the door and lunged at you and kissed you desperately. She realizes that you aren’t moving, so she stops and pulls away, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that. I know your girlfriend’s just outside…” she whispered ever so softly.

You release a breath you didn’t know you were holding. She was about to walk out, but you grabbed her and pulled her towards you, and kissed her just as desperately.

When you both pulled away for a much needed air, you both sighed contentedly.

“What about your girlfriend outside?” She asked.

“I wasn’t aware I have a girlfriend,” you answered, “but if you mean the woman outside, she’s just my best friend. Do I smell jealousy?”

“I am not jealous.” She scoffed.

“I never said you are… though you looked a little green earlier.” You remarked.

“Shut up and just kiss me again.” She commanded.

Melissa wakes up from her dream. As she sits up, she whispers to herself 'I'm fucked.'

[jules-makes-stuff]

Been seeing ppl on reddit argue about magic in fantasy for a while and I don't want to lose 3 hours bickering over there but I have *thoughts*

By now hard and soft systems are pretty well known but people ague againt hard systems because it "takes away the, well, MAGIC of magic". I think people aren't considering tone and the overall goals of a work and are conflating personal taste with truth again.

In my mind it really depends on the above though. Say you are Hoffman writing The Golden Pot. You want your work to be dreamlike, ethereal, like a half remembered song. Everything operates on dream/fairytale logic and emotion is reality. You should absolutelt NOT explain magic. It should be a strange force adhering only to narrative and emotional forces.

If you are writing a magical realism piece, like One Hundred Years of Solitude, the magic again is there to emphasize the absurdity of reality people at the time faced. Explaining anything takes that away. Same with horror or something like Metamorphosis. You don't know why this is happening and that means you cannot stop it or it doesn't matter how it happened, only the consequences.

Then there are more classical fantasy stories like Lord of the Rings. Magic is something ancient and grand and mysterious.... and none of the hobbits have it besides stray magic items. That is what people miss, I believe, when using this example. Gandalf isn't our pov character. Most characters there do not have magic or only have limited magic w very specific limitations, tools essentially. So we can follow along and anticipate how these will be used. There is big, scary, unknown magic, but it is usually something used by the opponents or characters that come in and out of the narrative. And I think that's a good balance! Its fine that we dont know the science of magic, because we understand enough when we need to, we can make predictions and there is enough wiggle room for something like Gandalf the White to happen. A looot of fantasy had followed this setup: the mc has only a few well defined spells and magic items, the world has more deep magic.

But, I personally do like harder magic, if the mc is supposed to be a wizard (or the equivalent). I would call most battle shonen hard magic (I think this is where ppl might want to kill me) becauss in a good battle shonen we know what everyone can do and we can plan along with the characters and predict how the fight will go. When a problem is solved in an interesting way we can go "I should have seen that comming!"

In BAD versions people yell really loud and whoever yells loudest about friendship (once we wasted enough screentime to call the third act done) wins. And this here is my problem. Because I have seen stories where characters do the same with magic and it breaks my immersion. When magic used by the mc can suddenly do anything and everything what is the point? I'm no longer following a story w interesting twists and turns, Im waiting for the author to say "ok thats enough we can push the win button now". And listen, obviously its a made up story, none of this is real or matters, but its the authors job to keep the illusion alive that it isnt.

This is different from creating a mcguffin that can do anything once and having a quest about it, there getting the item is the challenge, not using it.

And a system being hard doesnt mean we need to know the science behind it, just that we need to know what it can do and the limits. In avatar they can manipulate the elements w martial arts. Period. Why? How? The spirits said so. Most ppl fuck up hard magic imo by starting to write a thesis about magical physics or overcomplicating it instead of taking 1 simple idea and exploring all the cool things that it can do. Witch Hat feels super magical and yet all there is to magic is drawing magic circles and we actively learn how to draw them in the series and the way the characters problem solve w magic and their try-fail cycles are super fun!

The point of this ramble is that I need structure that fits the narrative goals of the work. If we're doing a dream like narrative throw away explanations. If Im a wizard playing mind chess w other wizards you better tell me what chess pieces we have.

[lucy---lou]

Part 7 Lucys-hdg-story

I turn and turn and turn in my bed. I grab my plushie and try to sleep. Sure it's only around 1pm, but I just can't. Not even a short nap. All my thoughts are spiralling around Miss Duralis and Ellie and I just want a break.

Sure I'm angry at them for ignoring my consent, but they won't leave my head. "aaaaaaaaaaahhhhrrgg"

*donk*I hit my head on the table.

"Cutie don't hurt yourself otherwise I'll have to call an affini to check on you", Habi reminds me, my Hab Ai. Yes of course I gave it a name. It's the only thing I talk to all day.

"I'm alright habi"

The affinis urge to help anyone is sure fucking annoying and their Ais too.

My tablet dings

and dings

and dings again.

I already know who it is and try to ignore it. Leave me alone I think to myself.

I manage that for ten minutes.

Ah fuck it what do they have to say. First check Ellies chat. That one won't be as bad.

Elonly:Hiiiiii, I miss you. I know we only met yesterday, but you're just so cute. Especially on Class-As you just wouldn't let me go. I hope we could cuddle sometime again.

Elonly: I miss you

Elonly: Come back and cuddle meeeeee. I want you

Elonly: And kitten is such a cute nickname

Elonly: Be my kitten and cuddle me

Elonly: I'll chat with you later Mistress tells me to leave you alone. Such a meany

Well I was sort of expecting something like that. But wow thats alot aaaand I'm blushing again. Can they just not make me feel like this all the time. No I'm not cute. But she's going to be sad if I don't answer.

Lucy-lou:Heyi, I was literally in your hab two hours ago how can you already miss me. You know I didn't want to be on Class-As

*ding*

She's really desperate °-○

Elonly: Yay you're there. Btw your username is really boring. I don't care you were cute as fuck on them. And you didn't tell when we will cuddle again.

Lucy-lou: Just 'Lucy' wasn't available so I chose this. Simple but everyone knows who I am. I'll maybe cuddle you when I'm no longer mad at miss Duralis.

Elonly: That's even moooore boring. How about cuddlekitten that's soooo cute and fits you really well.

Elonly:pout, I'll tell Mistress to make you happy again so that you will cuddle me. I demand that!

Lucy-lou: No that name is to embarrassing. I'm not a cuddleslut.

If you want to cuddle so bad why don't you cuddle some other floret.

Elonly: But pleeeaaaseeeee that name is so cute. I will get you to use it ♡♡♡♡♡♡. But I want to cuddle you, not just any floret.

Lucy-lou: Yeah right well see if you can convince me to change it. I don't think I'm that special to cuddle you'll find somebody better

Elony:First of all you didn't want to let go of me. Second your appreciation noises are just so unbelievably cute. Third you melted in my lap even without xenodruggies. Oh and you're hot aswell, I'm not supposed to say that but you're hot and cute and I want you.

Lucy-lou: Well thanks I guess. Sorry I have to go to an appointment. See you later

Elonly:Owwwwwww see you later kitten ♡♡♡♡♡♡ miss you♡♡♡♡♡♡

I don't actually have to go anywhere I just can't cope with her flirting with me. Aaaahhh stop doing things to my brain. She's making everything even harder. I can't become a floret and I won't. Just need some distance to them, thats it. Then those stupid thoughts will go away again.

I glance at my tablet again, atleast not getting spammed by Ellie again There's a message from Duralis she wants to make up to me and says she sorry for upsetting me and bla bla bla. I don't think she truly sorry. I ignore the message for the time being. Time to play some games again that'll sure keep any thought at bay. I turn on the TV and connect my controller and everything else vanishes.

[i-donthaveanygoodidea]

The creation of an angel

[bogkeep]

first week back at school and ahhhhhh everything is a little overwhelming currently

- my living space is full of boxes i have simply not had the energy to unpack at all.... hopefully this weekend (but i have also been invited to a Social Event so WE SHALL SEE)

- this school year is going to have So Much Important Stuff happening inbetween the many weeks of practice placement

- such as The Academic Text

- AND i need to finish the big project i was supposed to have finished ages ago

- our teacher this year speaks swedish with a very thick french accent and i speak norwegian with a dialect, we really struggle to understand one another but maybe hopefully that will change over time.... please...........

- i'm stressed about Stupid Bureaucracy Stuff

- and im so so sleepytired :(((

- and it's too humid and warm for comfort :(((((

AT LEAST I HAVE CUTE SOCKS

purchased in a distraught jetlag haze and subsidized by my travel insurance. they're my favourites now