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satorusugurugurl · 6 months ago

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Ferris Wheel

Summary: Marie’s Summer Fest prompt: Ferris Wheel

Pairing: Fushiguro Toji x AFAB!Reader

Warnings: public play, fingering, exhibitionism, degrading, dirty talk, sort of dom themes

Word Count: 1,242

A/N: The Tojo brain rot has been so real! bark bark bark wooof!! 🥵

The smell of deep-fried food and motor oil from the amusement park did not sound like a very good combination of smells, but as you held your boyfriend's hand wandering through the park, you had to disagree. Smelling all the different scents, from the fried Oreos to the cotton candy being made, had your mouth watering! The bright lights, the sounds of delightful screaming, and the way to Toji squeeze your hand

“Hey,” a large hand ruffled the top of your head, pulling your attention away from the different food vendors. “Did you still want to ride the Ferris wheel?”

Toji strokes some of your stray hairs away from your face while he carries the giant turtle plushy. He had one for you under his other arm. He had completed a well-paying job and decided to take you to an amusement park after you complained about it while Shiu drove you back to the hotel. You insisted to him that it was an excellent way to unwind after getting a fat paycheck

“Yeah!” You beamed, grabbing his hand and tugging him towards the Ferris wheel, only for him to stop.

“I gotta wash my hands first; give me a second.” You cocked an eyebrow taking the turtle plushy from your boyfriend while waiting off to the side for him to return. Why would he need to wash his hands before getting on another amusement park ride

His strange behavior disappeared to the back of your mind. But once you slid into the swing on the Ferris wheel, you couldn’t help but notice how his hands remained in his pockets until you got into the swinging seat. You only realized why his hands remained in his pockets as soon as you were out of any eyes when his hand gripped your thighs, squeezing it gently as the multicolored lights of the Ferris wheel danced across his face.

‘Have I told you how sexy that little sundress looks on you?” To emphasize his point, Toji’s fingers slid under the hem of your lilac dress.

“No, you haven’t.”

Fingers further up, running along the inside of your thighs. “Well, I had planned on taking you back to the hotel room and worshiping you in it. But somebody wanted funnel cake and wouldn’t shut up about it.” An almost breathless giggle passes through your lips.

“Yeah, it was delicious.”

“Hmm,” his rough fingers push your soaked panties to the side. “But it’s not as tasty as you.”

Oh fuck, this was why he had washed his hands

Just as the realization strikes you, he slides his index and middle finger slowly over your slick folds, lubing up his fingers. Once he deemed them wet enough, Toji shoved them inside of your cunt, growling at the way your wet walls hugged him as he set a slow pace, pumping them in and out of you. Your boyfriend smirked at how you brought the turtle plushy up to your mouth to muffle the sounds of your moans. He slowly focuses on your weak spot, that sweet, spongy spot inside of you, since he doesn’t have much time to get you off.

“Oh fuck, oh fuck, T-Toji.” Your voice muttered into the plushie. “Nnngh fuck—”

“Yeah, does my pretty little girlfriend like when I finger fuck her stuffing her tight little pussy in public?” The bustling of the crowd, rides, and games are nearly drowning out the wet squelching sounds of Toji’s fingers fucking into you. Your boyfriend, however, could hear every sweet sound that your pussy made, along with the moans and cries you fought back. “You don’t have to answer that. Your pretty little pussy squeezing down on my fingers already did.”

Toji uses his thumb to rub teasing circles around your clit as your fingers dig into your stuffed animal as the swing you’re in stops at the very top of the ride. You can hear the couple below you laughing and talking. Unaware of the fact that your boyfriend was knuckles deep inside of you, pushing you closer towards your orgasm. Toji’s navy eyes were glued on your pulse, watching it quicken with each carefully calculated stroke of his fingers. Your boyfriend knows you're close by the way your thighs clamp around his hand and how your breath quickens as your eyes dart towards him, full of unfiltered.

“Close,” you whimper, your hips slowly rocking against his hand.

“Close? Are you gonna cum baby?” You nod. “Alright, you can cum when I count to zero. How does that sound?”

“Yes, please.”

“Ten.” Toji rubbed your sweet spot harder. “Nine, fuck you’re so cute, eight—” your mind is fuzzy, lost in pleasure as the Ferris wheel slowly starts to move again. “Oooh, would you look at that? We better hurry up.”

You feel like you’re going to explode as Toji continues to slowly count down as you get closer and closer to the end of your ride. Your pussy twitches as you turn your head, lips slightly parted with soft cries. Your dark-haired muscle mass of a boyfriend smirks, speeding his fingers up, fucking into you faster, savoring the way you tilted your head back

“Three~”

“Toji, please—”

“Please, what, baby?”

You can hear the sounds of the crowd lined up to get on getting closer. “Please let me cum—” The smell of sandalwood and gunpowder wafts over you as Toji leans close to your ear.

“What was that? Say it louder?”

“Please let me cum—” You please in a harsh whisper.

“That’s a good girl, two—” fingers curl inside of you, moving in and out faster. “—one—” God, you’re so close to the end of the ride, and you’re close to reaching that sweet release. “It would be fun to edge you right now.”

“Toji, please!”

The desperation and tears in your eyes have all thoughts of edging out the window. “Zero, cum, you little slut.” Toji commands, pressing down on your g-spot as hard as he can.

You were mere seconds from screaming out his name as you gush over his fingers, but Toji luckily catches your lips on his, sucking in every moan that slips out of your mouth as you cum all over his fingers. Just before you reach the bottom, Toji adjusts your panties and dress before seductively licking and sucking his fingers clean as your ride reaches the end.

The smirk on your boyfriend's face is wide as you struggle to stand up. Your struggles don’t go unnoticed as you win a concerned look from the ride operator. Instead of continuing to watch you struggle, Toji wraps around your waist, helping to steady you as he grins at the questioning, watchful eyes of the teenager who focuses on your shaking legs.

“She’s scared of heights,” Toji answers the question that isn’t asked. In turn, he ignores skeptical glances from the other park-goers as he leads you down the stairs.

“You asshole, I’m gonna make you regret that stunt you just pulled.” There was, however, not much heat in your tone, which means you weren’t all that serious.

A firm smack on your ass is how Toji responds before blowing on your ear. “Oh baby, I’d love to see you fucking try.”

Forever Tag List:

@darkstarlight82 @pandoness @nealeart @simp-plague @sugurubabe @chilichopsticks @reap3erslov3

Summer Fest Tag List:

@typicalife-101

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lkaruss · 9 months ago

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An extensive KFP 4 rant (spoiler heavy)

So, Kung Fu Panda 4 was… an experience. It took about 3 glasses of whiskey to get through it.

There is so much wrong with this movie, from the pacing to lore breaking issues. However, this is an attempt at trying to formulate my opinions regarding the film, and explain why certain story decisions were detrimental.

My live reaction to the film:

The movie makes it clear right from the start that it was made for very young children. It’s filled to the brim with jokes. If there is a chance to make a joke, then there is a joke. Regardless if it's appropriate or if it hurts the story/lore/characters. In normal circumstances, this would be offset by the fact that the jokes are creative and unpredictable, but they aren’t. I would say most of them can be seen either from a mile away, or they just fall flat. I think I only managed to laugh once or twice when Po’s dads were doing something, but outside of that, the film couldn’t get a chuckle out of me. On the contrary, I found many to be cringe, and some even made me uncomfortable.

But why am I talking so much about the jokes? In the previous Kung Fu Panda films, the jokes were used to break tension. The way the seriousness of the story and the jokes were in harmony is what made those films so memorable and impactful. The story (and films) took itself seriously, but it would sprinkle in jokes that fit the universe, the situation, and most importantly originated from the scene themselves.

Compared to this, the jokes in KFP 4 are, unoriginal, forced, and usually can be traced back to pop-culture. The last one being important as the original Kung Fu Panda films stayed away from referencing pop-culture as it would break the immersion and authenticity of the setting.

This ties into the ERA that these films depict.

Setting

Based on my limited understanding, the original films have done an excellent job at depicting a world that is supposedly set in an authentic ancient China. From the way names are handled, to symbolisms, everything was well done.

The same cannot be said about Kung Fu Panda 4.

I’m not an expert on chinese culture, but from what chinese friends have told me, „Juniper” city doesn’t sound Chinese at all, or has a meaning in Chinese. It’s essentially a Latin word for a common plant that can be found all over the globe.

The architecture of the city is also questionable. It’s trying to give off a metropolitan feel, which doesn’t fit the ERA. Additionally, the architecture of the buildings is odd. It’s like a mesh of the architecture of several Asian cultures.

Then there are some of the names. „Steve” and „Scott” to be specific. These are the names of some masters and I don’t think I need to explain why these don’t fit the setting at all.

I was constantly questioning what movie I was watching as it was hard to believe this is Kung Fu Panda.

Identity crysis

What made me question the film’s identity the most however is the story.

This 4th film felt like a 1st installment rather than a sequel. It conveniently disregards everything from the previous movies that would contradict its plot and world.

The film immediately starts with Shifu coming out of nowhere and saying Po has to choose a new Dragon Warrior at that very moment. Not only did this feel incredibly random, but it’s also thematically incorrect.

First off, why is Shifu saying this? Why would he want Po to pass on his „title” if it's destiny? Why would he want him to do it now? Why did he not even consider ANYONE FROM THE FIVE and instead got 5 randos as candidates out of the blue?

The issue with the whole premise is incredibly flawed. Let me explain…

Po was chosen as the dragon warrior in the first film. There he proved his worth as such. The key to this is that he is the chosen one because it’s his destiny to deal with threats that no one else can.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that he is the best. He is the guy who is and will be in the right place at the right time, with the right tools to deal with threats that no one else can deal with. But I digress, it's a different topic.

The point is that Po’s role as the Dragon Warrior is his destiny. The „title” merely represents that role in the world. So you can pass the title to anyone you want, but that does not change the fact that due to destiny, it’s still going to be Po’s role.

This is not just a coincidence though. Po has shown many times that he has a very open view of the world. This is then combined with his traits of being is warm, outgoing, energetic, friendly, goofy, and unorthodox. He represents the Dragon, Yang in the Yin Yang.

All of this is important to understanding why there is only 1 dragon warrior, and that is Po. End of the story.

The film however completely throws all of this out the window and goes with the new Dragon Warrior plot anyway.

That means the new Dragon Warrior is literally right there next to him. Master Tigress.

Now you might be asking why that would be the case.

This film, although throws out all the symbolisms of the previous films, still shouldn’t disregard the other characters that are around Po.

The 2 characters work like the 2 sides of the Yin-Yang, as complementary forces. They are opposite forces that need each other in order to create balance.

Her influence is extremely necessary throughout the three films, particularly the second and third. It is her companionship, her support, and her constant push against Po’s natural instincts that lead to the best outcome.

Po has achieved a lot of spiritual enlightenment and character development. A lot of it through his own means, but without Tigress he wouldn't be where he is right now.

The Yang is the strongest when it contains the Yin, and the Yin is the strongest when it contains the Yang.

But this dynamic goes both ways. Although we mostly see the effects of this relationship on Po as the films focus on him, it has also changed Tigress. This leads to her opening up more and being more expressive as the films went on, giving us glimpses into the compassionate person she truly is.

While symbolically she is not the dragon, the 4th film establishes that it doesn’t care about the symbolisms or anything that the previous films have established. So naturally a character that compliments Po this well, should be put into the spotlight and get the character development that she deserves. A character that went through serious changes, but is still left incomplete. You might as well make her the new Dragon Warrior then.

She - altough deserved the title the most even in the first film - lacked the ability to see the world from a perspective that's required to handle certain situations. The Dragon Warrior is way more than just being the perfect warrior. Po's presence was necessary for her to change her attitude. Leading to her slowly becoming her best self. Knowing all of this, it's not such a wild thought that if there has to be a new person who takes over that role, then Tigress would be a great choice for that.

But what is there for her to learn from Po? Spirituality.

Tigress has always been a grounded, by-the-book character. This can be mostly attributed to her upbringing. Her changing and becoming more open, seeing things differently would have been something interesting to explore, and this would also take care of the issue of the „new trilogy” copying the original trilogy’s main character development.

However, the film completely ignores her existence, and the new Dragon Warrior is instead a random Zootopia fox.

The (new) deuteragonist

There is so little to say about Zhen. The best thing I could compare her to is an untreated wooden board.

It’s rough, full of splinter, and there are many like it. Probably one of the most cliché characters I have seen in a very long time.

She is generic, has an overused „misunderstood fox thief” trope, and a character arc that is so predictable that we all knew what was going to happen just from reading the film’s synopsis at the beginning of 2023.

Her backstory is a copy of Tigress’ except if Shifu was evil. An orphan who is taken in by a master who emotionally neglects her. Said orphan doing what her master wants in order to be loved/accepted by said master. Except that Zhen doesn’t seem to have any attachment or loyalty to the Chameleon. So the „Sad backstory” fails to garner any sympathy towards the character.

Her dynamic with Po is non-existent, which is why their „friendship” is forced. The creators tried so hard to make the two bond, that they forgot to give them time, shared experiences, or anything that would resemble an emotional connection between them. They just quickly went over everything that they have in common in a dialogue and that’s it. There was no prerequisite completed that would make Po care about Zhen or vice versa.

Furthermore, Zhen doesn’t fit the traits that the dragon has, she is not spiritual either or has an open view of the world. So why is she the new one then?

And I wanted to avoid talking about this, but the character is a textbook Mary Sue.

per wikipedia

Zhen is more than capable in a fight to keep up with Po, even though it was not shown why she is so good at fighting. One thing is for sure, she shouldn’t know Kung Fu as she certainly didn’t learn it from her „master” the Chameleon if the film’s plot has any consistency.

She is not only able to manipulate Chi, but also to use Po’s staff without knowing anything about either of those.

A previous character’s role being retconned so that she can take it for herself (See the rant about the Dragon Warrior title above)

She always gets along with characters that matter, getting what she wants.

No real character drawbacks.

A throwaway character like this, should be a minor support character, not the new main protagonist for crying out loud.

Her inadequacies are so blatant as a character, that no wonder they didn’t even want to have at the very least Tigress in the film as Zhen would immediately become irrelevant to the audience. They put all the spotlight they could on her, at the expense of the story, and in the end achieved nothing in return.

Tell me with a straight face that a character that has an entire movie focusing on them - who still remains a generic, boring character by the end, without any story potential - should be the new main protagonist. The fact that most people don’t even refer to the character by her name, but by the actress’ name Awkwafina should tell you everything about how memorable she is.

Most new characters and animal designs don’t fit the KFP art style.

A good example of this is Zhen.

This is how a fox would look like in Nico Marlet’s KFP style:

And this is what we got:

Sorry, wrong picture. I meant this:

Now, I’m not a character designer, or a professional artist, I only draw a couple of his characters, but I can see that this is way too far off from his work. If not from personal experience, then from the interviews that Nico Marlet himself gave.

The same issue applies to the villain of the film, the chameleon, but atleast with her they tried (somewhat).

The Villain

They say a film is as good, as its villain. This seems to be true in the case of this film too.

The Chameleon sucks.

She has no connection to anyone from the cast. She has no emotional leverage or pressure on the cast. She is not scary or powerful enough to make the audience care about the cast. Her motivation is so terrible, it might be one of the reasons why the Five was kept out of the film because their mere existence single-handedly demolishes her reason for breaking bad.

Outside of this, the character is unoriginal and uninspired. She basically can “lick” people and steal their Kung Fu? I honestly don't know how to put this into words because it doesnt make any lick of sense (I did the funny). If anything it's a budget version of Kai.

They didn’t even bother to give her a name.

What I will say though is that Viola Davis did what she could with what she was given. I found it amusing that she managed to give the chameleon those serious villainous vibes, while at the same time, the character is a joke. If that’s not a testament to the voice actor’s abilities then I don’t know what is. She was definitely wasted on this role.

As for the “returning villains”. I knew they were only there for cash-grab from the moment they said that all of them would return. Shen, is dead. He is not a Kung Fu master, he doesn’t have any connection with Chi, and he hasn’t been banished to the spirit realm. Then there is Kai, whose soul/spirit doesn’t exist anymore.

The only one that could ever return was Tai Lung. However, due to the gravity of his character, if he does return it has to be done perfectly regardless of what direction his character takes.

Now, many of us knew from the start that whatever they were gonna do with him would be bad (I mean there is a massive beef between Tigress and him, and yet she is not even in the film), but I think I speak for all of us when I say that they managed to somehow lowball it even worse than expected.

Basically, the Chameleon brings him back from the spirit realm, licks the Kung Fu out of him, he says like 3-4 lines, and returns to the spirit realm…. what the actual f*ck.

I’m sure I don’t need to go into a 10-paragraph rant on how much storytelling potential was wasted with this, because everyone knows. From reconciling with his dad, to her little sister having a crazy beef with him, to having to accept all the wrongs he did, accepting that he is not the Dragon warrior etc. etc. etc…

There was always only 1 chance of bringing him back. If he came back in a new film or show (again) it wouldn’t have anywhere near the same impact as it should, and it would also feel weird to the audience.

DreamWorks, you had 1 chance to bring this guy back, and you wasted it all on this film.

The non-existent magic system.

Or rather, how this film didn’t care about it at all.

Kung Fu Panda has a relatively grounded world. It’s animals that do Kung Fu based on their natural abilities. The closest thing we got to supernatural was Chi, but it was well handled in the 3rd film in my opinion.

Chi is life force and not magic. This means if you use it, you are exhausting your own life force. This means you would only use it in certain situations, such as healing someone who is mortally wounded, or perhaps to enhance an attack in a desperate fight.

The film doesn’t care about this and handles it as just a regular, inexhaustible force of energy. This can mostly be seen with Po as he uses it whenever he feels like it.

The other type of magic is what the Chameleon is using. It’s not explained, or shown how it works. It’s just there to further progress the plot so that the character can take the Kung Fu from others. (Seriously, how does that work?)

The Kung Fu action

The fight scenes were also a downgrade compared to the previous films.

In KFP 4 they felt less energetic, less grounded, and overall too cartoonish. As an example, Po can jump ridiculously high because… I don’t know, I guess the film just ignores the fact that he is Panda who sometimes even struggles to pull himself up to a rooftop.

The previous films incorporated the strengths and weaknesses of the animals that fought. Po is not very mobile, but he is very durable, and his fighting style compliments this. However, when he really needs to get somewhere, his lack of mobility is then offset by his friends, the Furious Five.

The Furious Five

Their absence can be severely felt throughout the movie. That is because in their place was a generic character that had forced interactions with Po.

They have great synergy with him, that cannot be replicated, however minor their role might be sometimes. They serve as a great way to fill in those empty spots in the story, and to elevate the villain. Additionally, their fight scenes are entertaining and help to spice up the choreography.

Although they are great companions, if the film really doesn’t have the time to spare for them, then it's understandable if they aren’t around. However the same cannot be said about Tigress.

A Kung Fu Panda film has to have Po and Tigress interact, due to the reasons already explained above regarding her, and also because of the following:

They are direct opposites, which is why their relationship is so entertaining, regardless if you look at them as platonic best friends, or as a potential couple.

Po is warm, outgoing, brash, energetic, friendly, goofy, and unorthodox, however, he is also serious when needed. While Tigress is introverted, calm, calculated, passive, and intuitive, but deep down she is also a very compassionate and conflicted person that we rarely see. This is then in conjunction with the emotional bond that the previous films have built up between them. These are the reasons why just putting these two in a room is enough to create entertaining scenarios. They add a lot of fun, heartfelt, and emotional moments to every film.

Whenever Po is facing a problem, she is right there to help him through it, whether by talking it through or by beating some sense into him (literally).

She has always been quintessential in Po’s development and motivations.

Memberberries, Memberberries everywhere…

It was jarring to see the film disregarding the existence of the previous movies to justify its plot, but at the same time heavily relied on tropes, and scenes from said films. I’m not kidding when I say that there were moments that were ripped straight out of them.

One of those moments is the standoff between Po and Zhen before the final fight. Zhen wants to stop Po to avoid him getting hurt, but the fight ends with her hugging Po….

Yeah… it was a blatant copy of the prison scene from the 2nd film. However, I think the 2 scenes here perfectly encapsulate why the previous films worked, and why the 4th film doesn’t.

The prison scene in the 2nd film was essentially an emotionally unstable Po being held back by a caring Tigress. Po is so focused on getting to the truth that he forgets the reason they are there, and would put his and his friends’ lives in jeopardy to know what happened to him and his parents. So much so that Po was ready to get beaten to a pulp by Tigress instead of staying down there and waiting until the Five finished the task.

But instead of that happening, Tigress saw how lost Po was, and realized she needed to calm him down to help him understand their situation. And so the person who has always been portrayed as an unfeeling, hardcore, essentially perfect warrior gave Po an unexpected hug and told him he is too important for her to lose him.

This moment has gravity and weight, because of how she is perceived, because of how Po views her, and because Tigress was forced out of her comfort zone to emotionally connect with Po, to help him. It’s a moment of pure comradery and care towards each other that ascends the situation they are in. It’s a moment that in many ways defined their relationship going forward.

In comparison to this, the scene that copied this in the 4th film has none of the emotional underlinings that I discussed, and so it falls flat and feels cringe rather than heartfelt and warm. This is mainly due to Po and Zhen having no connection, bond, or reason to care about each other. But then there is the other element that I discussed when talking about the villain. Po is in no real danger, and it never felt like he was.

Production

From the early leaks, it was blatantly obvious that the production of this film was rushed. Between the artificially forced plot, the generic character designs, the non-existence of the Five, the lack of time, money, commitment, and care was apparent.

However, due to an interview that the Co-director did with some folks on the subreddit discord, light was shed on the nightmare that was the production. I won’t go into details, as everyone should read the Q&A for themselves, but I’ll touch upon a point that was brought up as an excuse for this film turning out the way it did.

(this is a real concept art from the production btw)

Some are saying the reason the film turned like this was due to the budget restriction. That they simply didn’t have the money to have characters like Tigress return due to Angelina Jolie costing a ridiculous amount of money.

But then I have to ask: They had the budget for characters like Shifu (Dustin Hoffman), Po’s dads (James Hong & Bryan Cranston), Tai Lung (Ian McShane), who in the end turned out to be completely irrelevant to the story, but not at the very least for Tigress (Angelina Jolie)?

I’m not saying that you cannot make a story with these characters, because you obviously could make a great one. What I’m trying to point out is if you have such a limited budget, are you really going to blow it all on actors who play characters that essentially add nothing to the story? This is why I call bullshit on them not getting at least Angelina Jolie back to play Tigress.

Let’s not even mention how you could always recast these characters anyway (although it's clear that the execs are the ones forcing the use of A-list actors).

So for the sake of the argument, let’s come up with a story, that has a reason to exist, has characters that you can do something with, and fits the budget that you are given.

For me - considering that this film was essentially a buddy adventure film - it's an easy task. Just have Po help Tigress explore her origins. I know it's cheesy and basic, but at the very least you have what’s needed for a decent story that would be able to expand on a beloved character, and even help develop Po into a spiritual leader as he has to aid her best friend.

Another idea is what my friend and I had come up with. Have Po bring Lei Lei (now much older, and is a student under him and Tigress) on an adventure. You wouldn’t even need Tigress to appear in the film, because these characters would reference her many times. Lei Lei is a copy of Po in the sense that she wanted to do Kung Fu because she puts Tigress on a pedestal. Because of how influential she was in her life, Lei Lei’s personality is a copy of Tigress’.

I’m just shooting ideas here, but at least these wouldn’t ruin the continuity of the franchise and would be able to navigate the studio limitations that the creators had to face. (from the ones we know of).

"Limitation is the mother of creativity"

KFP 4 was a shallow, artificial story that didn't add anything to the franchise, only degraded it and stripped it of it's remaining value. It's missing the foundations of a KFP film, such as the heart, artistry, and warmth. It's not unexpected as none of the original brains worked on this film.

So what can be expected from this franchise going forward?

Well, not much honestly. It was a weak attempt by DreamWorks to continue the main storyline, not for the sake of the story, but to milk as much money out of it as they can. Even though with a little bit of effort they really could have at least made a good film in the end. However, between the incompetence of the decision makers, the rushed production, and the new people not knowing much about the franchise, that was never going to happen.

The only thing that we can hope for is a spinoff (which is about a decade late at this point), that focuses on Tigress. It’s the only way I see anything for this franchise going forward and hopefully, this film served as a wakeup call for the executives.

Thank you to those who had the patience to read through my inessential rant. Let me know what you guys think about the film.

#kung fu panda #kung fu panda 4 #kfp #kfp 4 #review #rant post

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twopoppies · 1 year ago

Note

Are the any new fics (within the last couple months) that are good? I’m in a reading drought and I feel like I’ve read every Larry fic there is :( I got so desperate I even thought about looking into f/m fics..

NOOOOO NOT THE HET FICS. DON’T DO IT. 😆

I think I’m just going to use your ask to post my year-end favorite fics. Hope you don’t mind.

It’s been a tough year for me, and I haven’t gotten to read a ton, but these are all excellent.

Secrets, Santa? By @indiaalphawhiskey (E, 19K) disaster gay Harry in all his bumbling, endearing glory still manages to make his incredibly hot boss (Louis) fall for him. This one has snappy dialogue, great internal monologue, and scorching smut. I’d expect nothing less from this author.

your lips in the low light by etherealbliss / @givesuethemoon (E, 21K) It’s been a long time since I read a Larry Uni AU, and this one checked all the boxes. This author managed to really capture the immaturity and obsessive emotions of university age lovers arguing and breaking up, and making each other jealous, and fucking and fighting some more, and ultimately making up. Harry is bratty and sensitive and Louis is dense and long-suffering and they’re perfect for each other.

Scorpions et Madragores by Stria / @nooradeservedbetter (E, 23K) Read the tags and author’s note on this one because there are some themes that could be triggering. This is a dark fic and Harry is a pretty creepy vampire, but the story is very well told and there’s a happy ending.

2 a.m. texts by everysingleday / @sun-lt (T, 30K) This was very sweet and very funny and had just enough sexiness (although I wouldn’t have minded more. LOL!) Link is to a download.

The Doppel Effect by yeah_alright / @uhoh-but-yeah-alright (T, 6K) the concept for this fic was so original and a really compelling read, I can’t help but hope the author gets inspired to continue this ‘verse.

Danger I Can’t Hide by CelticSky (E, 227K) This one’s got all the tension and drama you’d expect of a World War II story—life and death high stakes, friends and lovers unexpectedly torn apart, battles and heroism, plus the added stakes of classism and homophobia—then add a slow burn, high risk, scorching love affair spanning years. If you want a story that’s complex and fantastically researched, plus lovers to root for, read it. It’s long. But I couldn’t put it down. When I finally did, I picked it right back up and read it twice more. It’s that good.

one conversation by fondleeds (NR, 1K) This really is just a couple of scenes, and the story is open-ended, but, if for no other reason, read it for the beautiful way the sentences flow. My notes on every fic of theirs begin with: “I wish I could write like this.”

Night Shift by banaanipoika (E, 9K) This was incredibly sexy and beautifully written. I loved that there was such a unique setting with so much descriptive language making me feel like I could smell and feel everything in that hospital room.

On The Pull by @homosociallyyours (E, 4K) Short, but really sexy and just the right amount of bittersweet and hopeful. Loved the characterizations and the smooth writing. So few people write canon Larry these days so this was a nice change of pace.

Devil in my brain, whispering my name by @lunarheslwt (E, 9K) i i thought this author struck a great balance between the dirtiness of a demon defiling an angel and the way the angel gave in to his desire to be defiled. Super sexy.

pull you closer (kiss me harder) by @sunshineandthemoonlight (E, 6K) This was absolutely beautiful — just the perfect amount of tension and wistfulness to make me tear up. But then it was sexy and full of hope at the end. I loved how Louis supported Harry and gave him exactly what he needed (and really, H gave Louis what he needed, too).

#my fic rec #Favorite fics 2023 #Larry fic rec

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di-42 · 4 months ago

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Well, what a good month for reading August has been! A few days off can make such a difference!

As always I'll try and tag the writers whose Tumblr username I know, so they know they are loved!

If your fiction is on this recommendation list and you'd rather I take it off the list, or if you know a writer who's on this list would rather not be, please let me know and I'll remove their fiction immediately.

I have really enjoyed these fictions, including not one but two Christmas stories. In August. Because, why not? i hope you'll love them too!

August's Awesome Fictions

WIPs:

Wavelengths & Frequencies by imposterssyndrome @maaikeatthefullmoon and shades_of_eccles_cakes @shadesofecclescakes (rated E, chapters 5/?)

I'm absolutely loving this enemies-to-lovers human AU where Crowley and Aziraphale are radio DJs. They loathe each other. They also can't stop thinking about each other! Of course they end up working for the same media corporation. The humour in this story is sharp and clever, and the characterisation is excellent! It's updated every Monday and honestly the only problem I have with this story is that I receive the notification email on a Monday morning and need to wait until at least the end of the working day to dive in!

You're The Bad Guys by Nebz_AlphaCentauri @alphacentaurinebula(rated E, chapters 8/?)

Human AU set in the Cold War. Aziraphale is an MI6 agent, Crowley is a KGB agent. They're assigned to the same mission in Berlin by their respective head offices. This story is full of suspense! I love the characterisation of our heroes and each chapter leaves me wanting for more! Updated every Friday.

My own WIP And I Did (rated E, chapters 6/13)

A post season 2 fiction where Aziraphale is Supreme Archangel and Crowley is Grand Duke Of Hell.

In my not-a-summary I say that this is a story about faith, about love, and about choices. Which is true. But I have come to think of it also as my apology dance to Crowley. My headcanon about Aziraphale has always been clear and my first fiction was me sharing that headcanon basically. I wasn't as sure about what Crowley would do after the final 15 as I was about what Aziraphale’s motives were. I didn't see Crowley drinking himself oblivious or taking a road of self destruction. But I didn't know what he would do. So I skipped that part and started that fiction from after the failed second coming, but still I didn't think I did Crowley justice. Then it hit me, and that was when I started writing And I Did. I knew what Crowley would do. Crowley would do what Crowley does. And what does Crowley do best? This is a story about faith, about love, and about choices. I try to update every weekend, but I might not be as reliable as I’d like!

Complete stories:

The Truth About Plants & Queen by ShortInsomniac98 (rated E, 11353 words)

Human AU where Crowley hosts a night radio program and Aziraphale calls in. I love how their relationship develops in this story and I loved to see a friendly side of Gabriel! (And I mean Gabriel!)

The Anon Before Christmas by @foolishlovers (rated E, 66732 words)

Ah. Where to begin. Every now and then, you read a fiction that just makes you feel at home. Makes you feel like you’re in safe hands. Like you’re in for a real treat. This absolute gem has very quickly become my favourite human AU. For several reasons. The characterisation of the two main characters is absolutely spot on. I could hear Crowley talking in DT’s Crowley voice and see him moving in DT’s Crowley way, and I could hear Aziraphale talking in MS’s Aziraphale voice and see him moving in MS’s Aziraphale way. The pace of the development of their relationship from enemies to lovers is just perfect. It’s told from Crowley’s POV and you can see how his perspective changes as the story progresses, but the writer is so good that Aziraphale’s change of perspective shows perfectly through Crowley’s POV too. The array of side characters is so good that it actually pains me to call them side characters. I wrote in one of my comments to the fiction that I will forever adore this story’s Bee, and I meant it, but Newt and Ana are equally fantastic (and I loved the other cameos too!). Also, and this is especially important to me, this story is as much a love story between Crowley and Aziraphale as it is a story of true friendship among all the characters. They look after each other, they have each other’s back, they support each other. I am so lucky and privileged to be able to see myself represented in that aspect of the story. Last but not least, this fiction doesn't overstay its welcome one bit. You are happy about how everyone ended up, but still could read more. It’s like you are part of the gang and want to know what your friends are up to. Everything in this story was perfect. I realise I haven’t mentioned what the plot is about, but hopefully by now you might want to find out for yourself!

Planes, Trains & The Apocalypse by walking_contradiction42 (rated teen, 32382 words)

Human AU where Crowley and Aziraphale meet on a plane on their way to Tadfield (via London) for Christmas. Crowley can't stand Aziraphale and only wants as uneventful a journey home as possible. Ha!

I understand there’s a film with a similar title, you definitely don't need to have watched the film in order to enjoy this lovely fiction.

The Bookseller And The Garden by oceantears (rated teen, 13668 words)

Fluff, fluff, fluff! Canon divergent fiction where Crowley is a demon stationed on earth, Aziraphale is an angel stationed on earth, but they have never met until present day. There's no end of the world in sight, only an angel and a demon falling in love and not knowing how to break it to the other that they're not human. I laughed all the way through.

After The End (part one of Nice And Ominous: A Reluctant Eschatology Of The Second Attempt) by beardo @e-rated-beardo (rated teen, 26086 words)

Crowley learns to cope after Aziraphale goes to heaven, with a little help.from his friends. And from the Bentley. I love the writer’s humour and the conversations between Crowley and the Bentley are hilarious.

Series:

Aziraphale’s Diaries by azzfell, @fellshish

This series is hilarious, warm and fluffy. So far there are four stories, all consisting in, yes you guessed it, Aziraphale’s diary entries. In the first story, Empirical study on the principles of snake care (rated teen, 2048 words), Aziraphale suddenly realises he hasn’t paid enough attention to Crowley snake-y needs. He decides he wants to make up for it. Hilarity ensues. Put your cup of tea down before day 6, trust me. In Experiments of an angel who has read entirely too much fanfic (rated teen, 3064 words), Aziraphale discovers fanfiction shipping him and Crowley and decides he wants to test some of the tropes on the demon. Reading Crowley’s reactions through Aziraphale’s POV lens will make you feel warm inside. Drink down at day 10. In How to be a demon: a brief history of the Arrangement (rated teen, 2663 words), Aziraphale recounts some of the temptations he’d had to do during the years, to honour the arrangement with Crowley. The last entry will make you melt. In Adventures of a mystery shopper in the bookshop (rated teen, 3090 words), Aziraphale is worried that Crowley is getting bored, so he wants to help by giving him something to do. Peeps, for this one don’t even pick your drink up. You’ll end up spitting it all over your laptop/phone/tablet.

One shots:

Keep Digging by Appleseeds (rated teen7068 words)

Human AU. Crowley and Aziraphale work in the same office and Crowley is trying to gather the courage to ask Aziraphale out, only to get cold feet at the last moment. In order to try and save his face, he needs to do what the title says. I howled with laughter. Just put down whatever you’re doing and go read this right now. It’s unbelievably hilarious.

But It’s Pretty by Supergeek21 (rated E, 2544 words)

Aziraphale and Crowley have a conversation on why the Bentley is yellow and why the walls are yellow. Things get deliciously spicy.

You've Got Kudos by curtaincall (rated M, 4128 words)

Aziraphale and Crowley both write Good Omens fanfiction on Ao3. Crowley’s stories are sweet and romantic. Aziraphale’s stories are smutty and spicy. They love each other's stories without knowing who the writer is. This fiction was a treat!

The Corset by smitten_obviously @sabine-smitten-obviously (rated G, 1248 words)

A funny and sweet account of that time in the 17th century when Aziraphale decided to wear a corset. I really loved how sweet Crowley is here, without overdoing it a bit! A little gem.

My own little one shot, Angel! Angel! They're At It Again! (rated M, 5566 words)

It's the year 2030. The world never ended. Aziraphale and Crowley are living happily and safely together as a married couple. Everything would be well, if it wasn't that lately Aziraphale has been a bit busy. A bit distracted. Now, Crowley can't have that, can he? He seeks the advice of his girlfriends, who unwittingly give him an idea on how to liven up his marriage. A fluffy and hopefully funny way to the South Downs cottage.

Poems:

To Wish To Fall by ArchangelRemiel @sassysnakedemon

A lovely and sweet poem that explores different ways of falling.

The Devil's Red Hair by lickthecowhappy

I really loved this very emotional poem! Aziraphale has a little souvenir helping him cope in heaven.

June's list here.

September's list here.

#good omens fanfiction #good omens #good omens fic rec #good omens fanfic #good omens fic #good omens fanfiction recommendation #good omens fanfiction recs #good omens fiction #good omens fiction recs #this fandom is amazing #and incredibly talented

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jolieblack · 7 months ago

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Something finally came to me! (I usually can’t write to prompts to save my life.)

May Prompts 2024 by @calaisreno

May 24th: Imperfect

We've always done things the wrong way round.

We moved in together at a time when we knew no more than four or five facts about each other. Significant facts, granted, such as John being a war veteran and me having no patience with idiots, but neither of us could have claimed to have had anything even close to the full picture at the time. I sometimes wonder what would have happened if either of us had. Only on my really bad days, though.

I don’t have all that many of those any more, luckily. And when I do, I have plenty of good memories to help me pull myself up again. Take the ones of how we confessed our love to each other to a beautifully decorated room full of people in festive dress and in even more festive spirit, to much applause and cheering and well-wishing. Yes, you heard that plural right. Those are two separate memories, years apart and in two different places. I got to go first, and it wasn’t even me who was getting married at the time. That’s another thing that most couples would do differently. Coordinate it a bit better, at least.

The second time around, as a lot of you will remember well, it was John's turn to talk, and I‘d been told in no uncertain terms to keep my mouth shut and say nothing, not even to correct his grammar, till he was done. I can now attest that it is true that the groom never gets to have a say in anything at his own wedding. Someone got his late revenge there. And believe me, that doesn’t depend on whether it’s one groom or two. Yes, and I know there are still people out there even in this day and age who feel that it’s not normal to have two grooms at all. They can all go away and never show their ugly faces again where I can see them, or smell the foul breath of the bigoted filth they’re spouting. That’s not the wrong way around, that couldn’t be more right for both of us.

But we did other things the wrong way around, too. In most romantic stories, killing someone to save the person you love is usually the culmination of long mutual trust and dedication. It‘s supposed to be the crowning glory, the final sealing of a bond that has long been in the making. It’s not supposed to be the starting point. And John is usually the more patient of the two of us, but when it came to this, he could barely contain himself for 36 hours after our very first meeting before he did it. Ever heard of timing and pacing, Doctor, I hear you people wonder? And he’s supposed to be the one with the talent for good storytelling. The timing was good, though. The timing was excellent. There’s another 'what if' for you that is no fun to contemplate at all.

There is killing out of love, and - I have to say it, I can’t not, I‘d be lying by omission if I didn't - there's also dying out of love. I doubt, however, that there’s anyone out there who has ever put a more elaborate effort into pretending to die out of love than I have. As far as I‘m aware, that’s not really a romantic convention, either, and I sincerely hope I haven’t started a trend. I honestly can’t recommend it. Effort is well and good, and I dare say the execution in my case was flawless, but I can’t deny there was a certain lack of forethought as to the emotional impact on both parties concerned. Don‘t try this at home, folks.

People also usually date first, then start cohabiting, then get married, then raise children together. Please don’t ask me to define at what time in our lives exactly John and I were dating and when we weren’t yet. To this day we have never been able to agree on a definition for this mysterious activity that emphatically, according to John, for whatever reason, does not encompass two people who like each other going out together and having fun. But it is an undisputed fact that we had been raising a child together for a good while before we got married. And we have been going out together and having fun for years uncounted now. Crime scenes never fail to work that particular magic on us. Oh wait, no, that was another example I had on my list for what most other couples do differently. Hang on, do I see a certain Chief Inspector of Scotland Yard raise his hand in objection? Raising both hands, actually, showing us… what, seven fingers? Is that the number of couples working for the Metropolitan Police that you know personally who have met at crime scenes? Or are you reminding us of the number of times John and I were actually kicked off a crime scene because we were enjoying ourselves entirely too much, and were told not to come back till we could behave like adults? I could have sworn those were more than seven occasions, but I‘ll take your word for it.

Talking of raising a child together, I‘m sure Rosie will say a word or three about that herself later, but I have never understood why most of you had doubts about the practicability of that particular endeavour. Let me just tell you that a baby carrier is entirely compatible with a cashmere scarf, or didn’t you know cashmere can absorb up to a third of its own dry weight in liquid? And it got only easier from there when Rosie grew older and stopped affectionately drooling on whoever enjoyed the happy privilege of holding her and carrying her around. She hasn’t demanded being carried around in a good while now, and I don’t know what our poor old backs would say to that these days. But we were talking about happy memories, weren’t we, so there’s another. And at least in the metaphorical sense, I hope you know, Rosie, that you’ll be held and carried for as long as you want and need, as long as we both live. You were my daughter even before I was your father’s husband, and that has been one of the greatest honours bestowed on me in my life.

Because this is who we are, isn’t it, our crazy little family, where nothing is as you’d expect it to be. But we still wouldn’t have it any other way, topsy-turvy, weird, flawed and utterly imperfect, but also utterly us, unique, one of a kind. I don’t know if it was fate that threw us together, or if it really was just a whim on the part of the comfortable, corpulent, bespectacled gentleman sitting at this table over here, smirking with his trademark benevolence. But there’s a debt of gratitude to be paid there, and today is a good day to do it. In this at least, we’re doing the conventional thing, but who’s to say we’re not allowed to do that at least once in a quarter-century.

So, ladies and gentlemen, dear friends and family from far and wide, I give you: John Watson, the man of my life, the man at my side for over thirty years, and for exactly twenty-five years in the legal sense on this very day. Please raise your glasses with us to the next twenty-five. And for God’s sake stop snivelling like that, Mycroft. You’re embarrassing the whole room.

#bbc sherlock #may prompts 2024 #mayprompts2024 #jolie writes #imperfect #bbc sherlock fanfiction #johnlock #old married couple #johnlock fanfiction

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rwrbficrecs · 1 year ago

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Here's our October recs ❤️ also, look at our new banner !! 🥰 Happy reading !! I’m just too soft for all of it by @bellamysgriffinprincess (book/movie-verse)

@dot524: This is a sweet one shot where Henry is struggling with depression, Alex drops everything to be with him, and they comfort each other. Very well done.

Confidential Memorandum by @sherryvalli (book-verse)

@wilmonsfolklore: this is such a sweet kidfic. Henry is Alex's boss, and Alex keeps getting calls from Henry's daughter when Henry is busy. It's heartwarming and comforting and the dialogue is wonderfully written, especially their love confessions.

@babiemonk: the perfect lighthearted kidfic! The child dynamic is perfect and the humor is spot-on. If you’re looking for a fun, feel good, story with some domestic fluffiness this is it.

@rmd-writes: a sweet, funny fic with excellent banter, and a stellar supporting cast of OCs. It quite literally made my face do this: 🥰 I saved it with the note "read when you need to feel better about the universe).

Aged Like a Fine Wine by @three-drink-amy (book-verse)

@babiemonk: Alex and Henry are older now and cakegate never happened. There’s lots of emotions and angst and growth and it’s really quite beautiful but also tragic at times. It hurt my heart and my feelings before putting them back together again.

In my dreams (In your dreams) by @lizzie-bennetdarcy (book-verse)

@babiemonk: very cute drunken love confessions— absolutely precious friends to lovers

all of our love filling all of our room by @kill8a (book-verse)

@inexplicablymine: this is so incredibly soft and childhood friends to lovers I have reread this more times than I’m willing to admit

Help Me Hold On To You by @affectionatelyrs (book-verse)

@read-and-write-: A one- shot, a very cathartic one about the aftermath of a fight between Alex and Henry. This is one to cry from beginning to end, it's beautifully written and you will be left speechless.

flatline by rizcriz (book-verse)

@wilmonsfolklore: exes to lovers is one of my favourite tropes and this work shows perfectly how naturally and fully Henry and Alex love each other. it's sad and heartbreaking but it has a happy ending that makes the crying all worth it.

What I Need Tonight by @sparklepocalypse (book-verse)

@zwiazdziarka: This fic was written for Kinktober's prompt "selfcest", which for some might be sound a little too weird, but that's exactly why I picked this one as my monthly fave. If you like reading smut, give this a chance. Yes, it's hot but also emotional and it has Oxford-time slutty Henry!

heartbeats under coats by @hypnostheory (book-verse)

@heybuddy-drabbles: one of my favorite works to come out of FirstPrince week. It's really sweet and sexy. There was only one bed at its finest.

All Booked Up by @three-drink-amy (book-verse)

@heybuddy-drabbles: another FirstPrince week gem. This was just so beautiful. Alex and Henry meet during a vacation, spend three perfect days together and then loose contact until June and Nora force Alex to read a book they both love and something about it makes Alex think of Henry. I absolutely fell in love with it.

@rmd-writes: it's no secret that I'm an allmylovesatonce fan and this is one of my ultimate favourites of hers. A very cleverly told love story, with some wonderful June and Nora content as a bonus!

praying our bridges don’t make waves by @anincompletelist (book-verse)

@rhubarb1210: This fic is such a cool take on soulmates. Henry agrees to pretend to be Alex’s soulmate to get June health insurance. Lots of universe building. And I can’t give away more! Inspired by Fractured by @clottedcreamfudge

everything's growing in our garden by matherine (book-verse with a few movie elements)

@indomitable-love: Absolutely loved this hanahaki fic – the pacing and tension are so good, the relevance of all the different flowers is just beautiful

It's Nice to Have a Friend by @mainstreamelectricalparade (book-verse)

@read-and-write-: Childhood Best Friends to lovers AU, where Henry, the prince of england meets another boy during a holiday, they send each other letters and they fall in love, it's soft and it's beautiful, a love that tascends the page and is reflected on all the characters actions.

I feel the beating of your heart, I see the shadows on your face by @anincompletelist (book-verse)

@daisymae-12: This fic has such an interesting premise, and although I’ve never been into the bodyswap trope I’m so glad I gave this one a chance. It was done so incredibly well and was such a fun, wholesome fic.

Henry Fox, All-American Hero by @tintagel-or-cockleshells (book-verse)

@daisymae-12: This is a fic inspired by Meg Cabot’s All American Girl (which I am a huge fan of) and everything about this fic had me screaming in delight. Loved this so much, I’m obsessed.

maybe take me into your room by @smc-27 (book-verse)

@thesleepyskipper: Alex and Henry are both the children of ambassadors to Canada from their respective countries in this lovely AU. Friends-to-lovers perfection, this was so, so good.

a degree of fate by @softlofty (book/movie-verse)

@dot524: In this AU, Alex and Henry meet as university students. This is a sweet get-together fic with depth and heart.

It's Tradition by @f-ing-ruthless-baz (book-verse)

@zwiazdziarka: Alex and Henry's soulmate bond revealed itself publicly and now they have to act like they're in love, even though they hate each other. This fic is such an excellent use of soulmate trope and looks into so many possiblities in a world were soulmate bonds exsist. It's also super funny, a little angsty and Alex is even more oblivious than usually.

I’d be smart to walk away (but you’re quicksand) by @littlemisskittentoes (book/movie-verse)

@dot524: Such a wonderful, heartfelt 5+1 based on canon events when Henry walked away and one where he stayed.

Catalyst of Change by @uglygreenjacket (book-verse)

@myheartalivewrites: an AU that’s pretty close to canon in some ways: Alex (still a well known child of politicians) and Henry (still a prince) meet as students in Edinburgh. This story is sweet and gentle and heart wrenching at points, but also incredibly uplifting in Henry and Alex’s determination to be together no matter the obstacles. And the Scottish setting is gorgeous and really evocative.

Ghosted by @tintagel-or-cockleshells (book-verse)

@suseagull04: Twists and turns abound in this story that borders the line between life and death. I love the depth of the plot and just how deeply and quickly Alex and Henry fall for each other- and the fantasy aspect immediately put this high on my list of faves! Not to mention all the great references to my favorite things throughout the fic. This fic is amazing!

Such a Burden, This Flame on My Chest by @three-drink-amy (book-verse)

@heybuddy-drabbles: a 911 Lone Star!AU very angsty but with a happy ending. Alex going through grief felt really fucking relatable. It's also spicy in contrast with the angst.

But I love him, whether or no. by @leaves-of-laurelin (book-verse)

@dot524: This firefighter AU is one of my favorite RWRB fics ever, and I’m glad I was able to follow it from WIP status to complete this month. Alex as a firefighter is irresistible (Henry thinks so too) and somehow these two feel so true to character even in a completely different context. There are so many fun scenes here - riding a bull, an airport scene, shenanigans at a fire station, sentimental piano playing - but none of them are forced. Truly a wonderful fic that I know I’ll be returning to again and again.

@wilmonsfolklore: seconding this one so so so much!! read it in one sitting and have been thinking about it ever since then. there are so many heartfelt and sweet conversations in it. everyone's so true to their character in such a different situation. can not recommend it enough

#monthly faves #rwrb fic recs #firstprince #firstprince fic recs #red white and royal blue

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padfootdaredmetoo · 1 year ago

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Hi lovely! Hope you’re doing well. I really like your writing and I was wondering if you’d be open to do a Tangerine smut where he realizes how much effect he has on reader (like with using pet names and stares and stuff) and he decides to make use of that?? Idek if you like something like that so if you wanna adjust pls feel free! Thanks so much💗

Heyo,

Thank you for this request, it's honestly been on my mind FOREVER. This is a mess with poorly written conflict and plot, but hopefully, I make up for it with spice. Thank you for sending this in and for being so patient with me, love. Enjoy!

Warnings: BIG dom/sub vibes, shooting, guns, violence, bad plot, smutty smut, established relationship, anxiety, mentions of the reader having a rough childhood, fingering, fucking, idk all the spice I guess, very supportive partner? good aftercare, very loving

So far vacation was an excellent idea. Lemon was occupied, flirting with anyone he could manage leaving him the space to fully enjoy the lovely lady pressed to his side. The relentless tropical heat placed you in various soft summer dresses. He watched you sip on your drink, providing commentary on Lemon’s interactions across the bar.

He was only half listening, recognizing that your tone was relaxed and happy. His shoulders relaxed, a feeling he found strange. He and Lemon were out. That life was long gone behind them. The past few months were strange in their predictability and slow pace. There was something else though, in the pit of his stomach. Something told him the other shoe would drop eventually.

There was only so much he could handle before he wanted that dress discarded on their bedroom floor. He pulled you up and enjoyed the flash of electricity that sparked in your eyes. Your red lips curved into a grin and he regretted the decision to go for drinks so far away from the hotel.

You leaned into his side as his arm came around your shoulders, Tan hoped that he wouldn't have to live a day without that feeling.

You both enjoyed the warm air as you walked along the boardwalk. His eyes fluttered around, checking every shadowed corner, every vantage point. He knew that he might relax a little, but some things would stay with him forever.

He could feel the hair on the back of his neck rise up before he heard the shot fire. He pulled you behind a closed kiosk. It was quiet except for the ringing in his ears. He looked across the street to an empty warehouse. Pulling you along he made a run for it, putting you in front of him.

Once inside he rounded the corner and heard a familiar voice yell out “GET DOWN.” He was distracted by the immediate rage he felt that Ladybug was here. Causing trouble and now giving him orders. Piece of shit. He didn't realize that you had immediately ducked down behind a large metal barrel instead of following him to the shipping container.

He could see your face in the shadows. Your eyes were wide and your hands were shaking. Another round of gunfire exploded from the entry.

There was a horrible bird call that made Tan smack his forehead despite feeling relieved that Lemon was there. He hoped, for your sake, that Ladybug would be siding with them in whatever mess this was. Then, when it was over, he would kill him slowly for dragging you into this.

His eyes only strayed away from your face to survey the space around you. That barrel was going to give away eventually and he needed to tell you to run across when they reloaded. Stuff like this never needed to be spoken with Lemon, but you had clearly never been in a spot like this.

Using his hands he tried to explain what to do. You mimed it back to him the best you could and he gave you a thumbs up. He held his hand up telling you to stay in place as the bullets cut through the space between the two of you. Your arms covered your head but thankfully you were tough enough to keep your eyes on him, focused on the goal.

The fire stopped and he took a breath motioning you to run across. He stepped out and provided cover. He could hear Lemon somewhere on the rafters also picking off the enemy. He could tell that Lemon had the advantage and he knew it would be over soon. He caught you in his arms and held you close. He guided you down to a crouched position. His hands ran across your body looking for the slightest bit of damage.

“Good girl.” He whispered breathlessly. Despite the chaos, he lived for the way your face changed. Your eyes got heavy, and you sucked in a breath. He knew you were in shock, probably not in your right mind, but he put his thumb on your bottom lip. His fingers brushed your neck, feeling your pulse hammering. He should stop, this was not the time or place to be distracted. But his confidence in his brother’s abilities awarded the darker parts of him a few more moments with you like this.

“You did so good for me.” His voice was thick with intention he was consumed by the way you went under for him. Being shot at in a foreign place tucked behind a storage bin, you clearly had too much faith in him. His other hand slid up the inside of your leg, just high enough to brush across the wetness that he wanted so badly. You closed your eyes and he heard Lemon’s victory cry. Reluctantly he helped you stand up.

“Finish this later” He mumbled righting himself. He hated himself for doing it, for enjoying it, when he should have been protecting you.

Ladybug told them a long-winded story about the mission he was on as he drove the large SUV away from the warehouse now consumed with flames. Tan knew that he brought those idiots here to where they were because Ladybug knew they would help him. Stupid fucking ididot.

“I’m sorry where are my manners -” Ladybug's eyes landed on you from the rearview mirror and Tan gave him a look. Apparently, it did its intended job as Ladybug gave him a respectful nod and made no reference to you for the rest of the drive.

The night became longer and longer. They packed up their hotel room and Ladybug got them onto a private flight. The getaway was smooth, and they were comfortable all things considered. Tan was obsessed with you, unable to understand your behavior. You didn't lean into him, you clung to him. He thought about everything he knew about you as they got carted from plane to plane - then from car to car. He felt he had surely made the top three traumatic events in your life.

He would get you somewhere safe enough to snap out of whatever haze you were in. You would rightfully lose it at him and he would return you home and pay for some extra security on your apartment.

You didn't want to talk, you just drifted in and out of sleep holding onto his arm. He was thankful that Ladybug ignored your existence while still handing Tan blankets and a hoodie for you.

Eventually, they ended up at a safe house they had in Norway. He carried you into the cabin, noting that he would need to get you some new clothes tomorrow. The place was freezing having been abandoned.

Tan sat you on the edge of the bed and stepped back out into the hallway to see what Lemon needed from him. Without looking up from the laptop on the center island of the kitchen, Lemon just pointed back to the bedroom. Tan was relieved, and let Lemon do the setup.

Unsure of how to start the conversation he shut the door and sat on the bed next to you. You tucked your knees to your chest and wrapped the many blankets around yourself.

“So, well. Erm - bit of a mess back there huh?” He hated himself even more for his inability to do the right thing.

“That was a lot. Sorry, I’m not really prepared for this type of stuff. I don't know how to push it down like you guys.” You said with chattering teeth. Your words ran through his mind a few times.

“Your apologizing?” He was suddenly angry, he would never be able to fully understand how badly your parents had messed you up.

“Yeah, I was kinda useless. No gun, but also not a lot of training either - not to mention I sort of just shut down after.” You shrugged. “Sorry, I couldn't bring more to the team.”

He wanted to shake you and shout. Tell you to be angry, show you how. Instead, he remembered the last time he shouted at you and how much pain it caused you.

Instead, he grabbed your shoulders. “Sweetheart. Baby.” He said calmly. “You should be very angry at us.”

He watched you slip away again and he wanted to punch the wall.

“I put you in a lot of danger.” He watched you focus on his lips, eyes heavy. He considered derailing this conversation entirely but knew how important it was that you understood.

“I didn't mind.” You mumbled airly. He let out a sigh, swearing under his breath.

“Baby, you should mind.” He said seriously. “Look -”

“Tan, you kept me safe.” You whispered back. “This is the best thing I have. I don't mind if it’s dangerous.”

“You should - You-”

“Please” You pleaded with him in a wet voice.

“What?” He asked caught off guard.

“Just - not tonight. I want you to -” You couldn’t find the words and nodded at him like he would figure it out. “Just do the thing,” You said finally.

“What thing babygirl?” He gave up and decided he would punish himself for it later. “You tell me what you want, baby.” His tone of voice was enough to send you into the haze.

“I don’t know, just want you.” You said in a small voice and he finally kissed you, eating up the moans that escaped your lips. You were dangerously submissive. Something he wanted to handle delicately but struggled with as you would beg him for more.

He slowly got you out of your clothes, not wanting to push you. You laid back on the bed looking almost pained by experience. He brought his hand out to rest on top of your chest. He felt your chest sink as a large sigh escaped you.

“So beautiful” His words painted a thick blush across your face that ran down your neck.

“Did so good for me today.” He praised you and you looked possessed as you bathed in his words. “Such a good girl.”

It was even more evident how badly neglected you must have been as a child. Anger swelled in his chest before he reminded himself that he might as well shower you in it now. That's what you wanted.

His hand ran slowly down your chest. His hand cupped your breast and he slowly encircled your nipple before giving it a light squeeze. He watched your patience wear thin at his slow pace. He was sure you would snap at him like you usually did. This time was different, fat tears swelled in your eyes and spilled over your cheeks.

“Baby what’s wrong.” He asked brushing the tears off your right cheek.

“Want you.” You choked. He didn't think it was humanly possible to be this vulnerable and open. Yet here you were, tied up in knots over how badly you wanted him.

He shushed you soothingly. It was impossible to deny you. He ran his hand down your stomach and finally to the place you needed him.

He gave you praise over every little moan and twitch, watching you fall apart. He got you to climax, thinking this would snap you out of it. Your chest was heaving and the dreadful tears were back.

“Please.” You gasped. He again, could not deny you, even if he wanted to.

“Be a good girl and wait for me.” He said firmly removing his hands to take off his clothes. You lay there on your back, legs still wide apart, for the first time without shame. You always wanted to be under the sheets or hidden. He looked down at the wet mess between your legs, he felt pride in making you happy. This wasn't something he was taking from you, this was something he was giving you.

Once coming to terms with this being about you, his hesitation left him. He knelt between your shaking legs, enjoying the way his fingers slid through your folds with ease. How his two fingers slid inside you with no resistance. Your body was truly desperate for him.

You moaned and contracted tightly around his fingers.

“Good girl, squeezing me so tight.” You let out a ragged breath in response. He wanted to stuff his cock as deep as you could manage, but he was enjoying the way you unraveled for him too much.

He pushed the length of his cock through your folds enjoying the way your hips bucked wildly as the head of his cock brushed your clit.

“Fuck” He breathed. “So good for me baby.”

He circled your entrance again with the tips of his fingers. “Gonna put it right here, baby.” He watched you squirm with impatience but pushed you further. “That what you want?” The pushed his fingers in slowly. “Want my cock right here.”

Your walls contracted around his fingers again as you let out a moan.

“Please.” You begged.

“Please what? Use your words. Be good for me.” He chuckled as you tightened around him again.

“Please let me have your cock, there - please.” The words were a struggle for you as his fingertips rubbed against the sensitive spot.

“Good girl.” He removed his fingers and with much control, he pressed the now slightly purple head of his cock against your entrance. The wet heat was unbearable, he took a deep breath and as slowly as he could manage pushed into the spongey tightness. You choked out a sob that was jarring to him. He stopped and watched you try to buck your hips up. His hands came down on your hips pressing the down into the soft bed.

“No,” He said firmly. Your face twisted up with impatience. You relaxed then he pushed inside slightly further. Your back arched and he stayed at that depth, slowly moving in and out. Even with your hips being still, your hot walls tried to pull him in further.

He had never understood it. Never had any reason to pursue it. If anything, he thought it was weird. When the words fell from your lips with such reckless abandon, all his self-control snapped.

“Dady”

He left no time for embarrassment to worm its way in. He was now consumed with desperation. He pushed into feeling himself stretch you out fully. Your cervix crowned the head of his cock and he retreated, only to press into you hard and fast.

Your mind and body broke down around him. Nothing made sense anymore, no time, no problems. Just you all around him.

You came, coming down around him tight enough to push him out. This only made him hold you down harder wanting to be in you fully when he found his own release.

“You going to cum again like that for me baby?” You let out a strangled noise and he pushed further. “I want you to cum nice and hard for me, help me off, baby.”

He felt your body start to fill with tension.

“Help me cum” Your body started to get tight, this time he held you down. “Just like that, good girl.” He grunted. Your body swallowed him down before constricting around him. Your body choked around with enough pressure to force him to release. It hit him like a truck, staying still as your body pulled his seed from him. After what felt like an eternity of breathlessness and pulsing he collapsed and tried his best not to crush you.

He felt your arms settle around his neck. Your fingers running through his hair.

“I don't know what that was. I don't know why I liked it. But I did.” You said firmly and he let out a chuckle.

“Did I get you back then?”

“I’m here.” You said.

“You mad about everything?” he asked, happy to be able to talk to you with a clear mind.

“I feel a lot of things right now, mad isn't one of them.” You whispered giving his hair a slight pull.

He enjoyed how you didn't protest him when he tried to look after you. You were always so eager to show that you were independent, so certain he would punish you for anything less.

Now you were letting him wash your hair. Your muscles relaxed as his hands ran over you with soap.

Once dried off you curled up against his side and fell asleep. No nightmares, just sound asleep at his side.

It was almost enough to make him feel like this was meant to be.

The time he shouted at her

#tangerine #tangerine x reader #tangerine x you #tangerine imagine #bullet train 2022 #bullet train #bullet train movie #bullet train imagine #Bullet train smut #tangerine bullet train #tangerine smut #aaron taylor johnson

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zebulontheplanet · 6 months ago

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One of the things I’m proud of as an intellectually disabled, learning disabled, medium support needs individual, is how well I’m doing in school after being homeschooled basically all my life and never doing well in school before. I’m only in my first semester, and I know it will get harder, however I’m doing really well in my school.

When I tell people that I’m in a school for the disabled, they automatically undermine it, and at first, I did too. I thought “they surely dub down the curriculum”. I was told on the first day that wasn’t the case. I was told on the first day that I picked THE hardest program within my school, and I picked a program that was indeed no different than if I went to a regular college. The main difference? It’s at a slightly slower pace. And it has more accommodations. Accommodations do not mean that things are easier. They simply allow others that struggle more to actually have a chance.

I’m doing well in my classes. I have mostly As and Bs. One C, but I’m working on it. I am currently, thriving. and I’m very proud of that.

That does not mean I’m not working hard. I’m working REALLY hard. I’m working probably harder than a lot of my peers. But that doesn’t mean that I’m not doing well. I study. All the time. It’s what I do. I don’t go to parties (not that there is any here anyways). I don’t go out. I don’t do drugs. I don’t drink. I don’t do any of that. Not that any of that doesn’t mean you’re a hard worker, because you can still absolutely do these things and thrive and succeed, but it does mean that I spend most of my time doing three things. Going to class, studying, and spending time with the one person I like here. My partner.

Not only am I thriving in some areas, I’m doing better than some of my peers in some areas. And yeah, I’m bragging. Because I deserve to brag. In my typing class/transcription class? I’m anywhere from one to two chapters ahead of all my peers. Yes, all. And I sorta joke that this is because I literally type to communicate.

During my student review, I was the shortest one. Why? Because my teacher and counselor simply said “yeah, keep doing what you’re doing” and sent me on my way. I don’t miss class. I don’t skip. I don’t do any of that. My peers? Whole different story.

I’m doing well, and it kinda makes me want to rub it in all the ableists faces that think that people like me can’t excel in college. It makes me want to rub it in everyone’s faces, cause hah. I actually can do well in school. Fuck you.

#zebrambles #autism #actually autism #actually autistic #medium support needs #intellectual disability #nonverbal #actually nonverbal #long post #college #school

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priceyprice · 1 year ago

Text

Prof!Price

18+

Prof!Price as he's sitting behind his desk in his professor office.

His class is in 20 minutes, waiting for the printer to copy the last minute quiz for the students and see how much they're learning with his works and his passion.

Professor Price is a responsible man. You'll never see him late for something. If he won't be able to make it, he'll call in advance to make sure whoever he's meeting doesn't have any worries or don't waste their time waiting for him. It is not a surprise seeing Price earlier than the hour expected.

He's also good with suggestions. He can suggest any book, a good restaurant, a good country, and even an excellent person. He would recommend anyone or anything that's fit for the role they asked him.

If other teachers asks him about who's the best student in his class, he would have in mind just one person.

Obviously, that person can't fail him.

"W-Wait..." She said as she threw her head back in ecstasy. "I-I can't ans...answer if you're like th...like this oh my-..."

Price stopped kissing her. His head appeared from under her skirt as he looked up at her. "Mmm... That's not the answer I'm looking for. Try again."

He went again in between her legs as his tongue licked a straight line through all her sensitivity. She lets out a little whimper and wriggled, feeling the uncomfortable desk below her. "Wh-why ar... ah... are we doing this...?"

"You're my best student." He said, kissing her inner thigh, marking it with a little bruise. "I need to make sure my student is well prepared for her quiz and doesn't let down my word of trust I put on her with other professors." Price said as he let out a little laugh. She almost collapsed when she felt his hot breath all over her.

Truth be told, he just wanted to eat his lover out before class starts. The bonus points are the favoritism he has that let her see the questions of the quiz.

He sucked her bud like it was the last time he would be between her legs. Her wetness is getting stronger by the second as she's starting to feel the familiar heat below her stomach. "Now tell me again... According to the book, what happened to her when she saw him at the cliff?" He said before his tongue entered her insides. She lets out a moan as one hand flew to his head, fingers locking around his short hair and the other crumbling the paper with the questions and answers. "Lord... Price I can't... it's too mu-..." She cried before she could even finish her sentence.

"No, my love, it's not too much. You can take this. Now answer the question." He said groaning, savoring the sweet and salty taste of her essence. His pants were about to burst in any second. He wanted to make love to her and treat her as she deserves, but they don't have the time for that.

His tongue picked up again the pace, giving her rapid thrusts as his hands adjusted the grip on her thighs. John's pretty sure his fingers will be leaving marks and bruises, but he doesn't care. He will take care of it later in his bed.

She moans loudly, raising the probability of getting caught by someone passing through his office. "Oh... I'm close. I'm very close..." Her eyes getting watered with the feeling of the familiar knot in her belly. "Slo... Slow down... no, I'm too close... Fuck... I'm..." At this point, she couldn't even say something coherent, her mind clouded with an intense pleasure.

His tongue didn't stop at her remarks. Price just picked up the pace, going faster. "Come for me, my love. Let me feel you."

Those words snapped something inside of her.

She cried loudly when her orgasm broke. Waves went through her body, making her a shaking mess with pure bliss. Her juices went all over his lower face, and he drank it like a fine wine only made for him.

She collapsed on his desk, looking at the ceiling of his office. Chest rising up and down as if she was running a marathon. The hand that was on Price's hair started caressing his head, thumb grazing his ear softly. Her eyes closed for a second, liking the feeling of his hair in her hand.

There is nothing better than getting tongue-fucked by your professor in his office, she thought with a sarcastic emotion.

Three knocks on the door made her jump slightly. Her heartbeat went up within a second, leaving no rest to her breathing.

Someone is there.

She tried to get out of his grip, but he held her steady in that position. "Price, there's someone knocking on your do-...Ah fuck-..." She flew one of her hands to her mouth when his tongue entered her sensitive hole again without any warning.

"Jo... John, what are you doing?!" He stopped kissing her, peering over her skirt for a second. "There's someone on your door and you-..." Her sentence got interrupted by a moan when he sucked her sensitive folds all over again.

"You didn't answer my question." He said in a serious tone, angry at the person behind the door, interrupting his precious time with her. He doesn't care who's waiting for him. The only thing that matters is her right now. "Tell me what happened to her when she saw him at the end of the cliff."

She puts her elbows on his desk to get some support to look at his eyes filled with hunger and lust. "Are you serious-... Oh my..." She threw her head back again, letting out a little cry when his tongue licked from her hole to her clit.

"Tell me, hurry up."

Her mind was clouded again with the feeling of his tongue only. Is incredible how much control he has over her, how much he knows about disconnecting the only string of her consciousness, and only bringing her to a stage of pure ecstasy.

She opened her mouth only to let out a whimper. "Shh..." He said, tapping her thigh, a gesture he does when he wants to silence her. "You better start answering before they know that you're in your professor's desk with legs wide open, showing him where you like his mouth."

Three knocks again made her fear grow bigger. She doesn't know why he's taking this situation in a slightly matter. Just a simple door is hiding the person from seeing this scandalous scene.

But also, it excites her.

The feeling of her professor and her lover not wanting to let her go with his hands on the soft flesh of her thighs gripping her with so much force is driving her crazy.

"J-John... no..." His tongue picked up the pace he had earlier, her back arching from the surface of the desk. "Price... Okay I'll-...I'll sa-... ah... say it." She bit her lip, trying to stop a moan from the depths of her throat.

"Go on."

"Fuck... She collapsed... She collapsed at the same time... he jumped into... into the cliff." His mouth cut any contact, shivering when cold air hits her as her chest was rising and falling fast, letting her catch a long breath. Before she can process what's happening, his hands takes her underwear, putting it back on.

Price helped her get off his desk. She gets off but places her hands on his arms, trying to look for some support to her wobbly legs. He puts an arm around her waist, holding her steady.

"Be careful, my love. I don't want you to fall."

She looks up at him with disoriented eyes, still trying to get down from that cloud of ecstasy. She looked so beautiful, with her hair in a few directions, a few strands plasted in her sweaty forehead and a cute little blush, as if Claude Monet took his time to pick the most beautiful red for her to mark her cheeks. He almost forgets the person behind his door, waiting for his approval to come in.

Price kissed her softly and took her hands. "I need you to get under my desk and wait until that person is gone. Can you do that?" She nodded, looking at him. She went down on her knees and crawled under his desk as he sat down, with her between his legs.

Price adjusted his hair and shirt, cleaning the remnants off and making it seem like he wasn't eating someone on top of his desk a few seconds ago.

Suddenly, a little hand comes up to his leg, and a head rests on his inner thigh. He tensed at first but relaxed when he saw what she was doing.

She was hugging him.

Fuck the emotion he was feeling was beyond universe. She's so cute. He loved her so much.

He rests a hand on top of her head, caressing her hair softly. "I love you." He said with a little smile.

"I love you too."

Price cleared his throat, getting his attention back to his door.

"Come in."

The doors opens revealing one of his colleagues and friends, who interrupted his precious time with his lover. "Vargas, Good evening. I apologize for making you wait. I was talking with a colleague on the phone and I couldn't hear you."

"Price, hermano, I'm surprised to see you here." Said Mr. Vargas with his eyes wide. John just raised an eyebrow at his comment.

"What do you mean? This is my office."

The professor checked his gold watch, glasses slipping off his nose while his head was tilted down. "Your class starts in 10 minutes, I think you're a little late."

Price's smile dropped a for a second at that. Fuck... he hates being late to his class.

Price is that kind of professor to be in the classroom 30 minutes before class starts so he can prepare everything and make things go smoothly. But right now, he doesn't have anything except the bunch of copies lying on his printer.

He won't blame himself nor the person under his desk. If it means eating her out and pleasuring her, it will be an honor to be late every day for the rest of his life.

This wasn't the first time to be almost caught in a situation like this. Sometimes they're very cautious with everyone and everywhere, but other times... things like that happens and Price needs to hide her under his desk or in a closet and try to finish his conversations with the other people.

"Bloody hell, I'm late."

Vargas laughed at that, but his expression was quickly replaced with one of confusion and curiosity. "What's that on your beard?"

Price touches his beard with his other hand and nearly froze at the sensation.

It was soaked.

He totally forgot about that detail.

The hand that was caressing her hair puts a little more pressure on. She was frozen on the spot with that question. "Oh, this?... I was drinking water before you entered and accidentally spilled it out."

Of course, he would say something like that. How can Price explain that his soaked beard was thanks to the woman under his desk, with a really notable expression of being eaten out?

: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :

The masterlist for this series is here: ( John Price Masterlist )

I apologize for any mistakes or misspelling. Any suggestions are appreciated. 🫶

#cod 141 #captain price #john price #john price x reader #cod mw2 #task force 141 #141 x reader #prof price #professor price #fanfic #141 smut #john price smut #mw2 141 #captain john price #captain john price smut #price smut

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fiction-box · 11 months ago

Note

Hello! I would like to request F!Reader x Felix

It is the Winter Ball. One of them is weary of the dancing, the crowds and the merriment and decides to take refuge in the Training Grounds - only to find that the other had the exact same idea. They decide to do something that's more fun than dancing - a sparring match. Bonus points if reader is wearing a fancy gown the whole time.

Whenever your time allows - thank you in advance!

You are very welcome, and I would like to thank you for being respectful of my time.

I seem to be on a roll with these longer stories. I don't know why - more ideas just keep pouring into my head, and of course I want to do every conflict justice.

Thank you for giving me freedom with perspective! I wanted to write something from the view of Felix since I had yet to truly write for him.

Requests are open. The story will continue under the cut.

You stood by yourself on the sidelines of the great hall, your purple dress sparkling against the downward lighting of the chandeliers. There was nothing particularly interesting about you right now; you simply surveyed the dancers on the checkered floor. Dimitri led Mercedes through an elegant twirl, Ingrid talked Ashe through the steps of the waltz, Annette and Sylvain engaged in a heated discussion over something that probably wouldn’t matter in about fifteen minutes…

…and Felix was staring at you.

The swordsman had refused to do any more than the bare minimum for the ball. That meant that despite his suit - one required by the Archbishop’s insipid dress code - his hair remained up off his neck, and his back pressed against the wall.

Dorothea had been making eyes at him from across the room for the past three minutes now. Felix told himself that was the reason he kept staring at you. If he and the songstress never made eye contact, she wouldn’t do anything stupid. Besides, she didn’t seem interested in asking anyone to dance; the brunette would only be accepting such invitations tonight.

Why the hell did he even care?

He didn’t, but he followed your line of sight to Dimitri. The boar switched partners to lead Hilda around the floor, an exchange initiated by the up-tempo of the cello and Mercedes’ apparent request for a break.

Why the hell did you even care?

…did you-?

“Jeez Felix, you’re so obvious.”

Sylvain.

“Trying to find the courage to ask her to dance?” the redhead teased. “I could help you out, you know. I’ve heard I’m an excellent wingman.”

“Do I look like I’m interested in moving right now? And since when have you ever helped anyone but yourself?”

“Ouch. I mean, you’re certainly not helping yourself- your suit coat will get wrinkled if you keep leaning against the wall like that.”

“As if I care!” Felix pushed off the wall to contest Sylvain at his full height. He did care. “There’s no point in this - we shouldn’t even be having a ball right now.”

“No- No- No- Hey look, no sweat, okay?” Sylvain verbally backpedaled, putting an arm around his friend’s shoulder to guide him toward the refreshments. Subtly, he ran his hand along the wrinkles of his coat to smooth them out as they walked, “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to, but soirées like these don’t happen very often.”

“So?”

“So, you have just as good a reason to be here as everyone else in this room. You can wait however long you want before asking anyone you want to dance, but it’s pretty frowned upon to return to a party once you leave, you know?”

The heir of Gautier knew him too well. Nonetheless, he did make a good point. There was no need to rush to be flustered - he probably had an hour before the final dance of the night.

A drink found his hand, and the two nobles took up a space several paces away from the table. Felix couldn’t stop his eyes from searching for your shimmering gown.

You were still standing alone, still watching the dancers.

At least your eyes weren’t fixed on the boar this time. The son of Count Gloucester glided a blue-haired lady across the floor, her dress trumpeting as he gracefully led her back and forth. Your attention followed their sweeping motions.

Maybe you really did just want to dance.

His classmate’s hand came to rest on his shoulder again, “I’m just saying, you hate to see it, Felix. A beautiful girl like that, standing all by herself. You better make a move before someone else does - or before I take too much pity on her and ask her myself.”

He had called you a girl, “Stay away from her.”

“I’ll put in a good word for you, kay?”

But he headed the opposite direction. The bluenette watched him connect with a pouting Dorothea, immediately starting some banter he was sure he couldn’t care less about.

Felix found himself growing impatient, despite everything his friend said moments ago. If he was going to do this, he might as well get it over with now. That way the two of you would either get as much time as possible to spend together, or he could end his attendance at this event because the one reason for which he cared to stay wanted nothing to do with him.

Only, there was no place to put his drink.

Since you were standing by the southern entrance, and he loitered near the drinks at the western wall, you could see him out of your peripheral. That meant you could catch him too easily if he were to look at you again. Not that it wasn’t already considered rude to stare.

Taking a sip of the cool, vanilla drink, his mind began to think it through a bit. Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad thing to make eye contact. It would give him an excuse to approach you.

And another thing - although you hadn’t been alone the whole ball, you hadn’t been approached by any men, either. Even working to put his bias out of the way, you were objectively attractive. It didn’t-

Goddess, and you belonged to a house in the kingdom, too. A young, available, attractive noblewoman standing by herself at - judging the crowd - the largest social event of the season.

A mumbled ‘What the hell…?’ parted his lips as he surveyed the room again. He might actually understand Sylvain, for once. Logically, this whole scenario didn’t connect.

Finally finishing his drink and handing off the glass, he found it in himself to turn to face you.

You were not there.

His heart skipped a beat before his gaze scanned the dance floor for your dress, your hair, anything. Upon coming up empty, his mind shoved one thought to the front of his mind.

You left the ball.

Again, why? There were too many important people here for you to just up and leave. You hadn’t tried to mingle this whole time, content with simply watching everyone else twirl about the floor. Then, the moment he became too preoccupied with his drink and with Sylvain to pay attention, you vanished.

In light of recent events, it looked like Felix was about to copy you.

With no further reason to stay, he tried not to make a show of striding to the southern entrance. The last thing he wanted was for someone to chase him out or call him back in, especially if that person had red hair or…or connections to the Mittelfrank Opera Company.

His feet instinctively wound the path to the training grounds. He needed to blow off some steam and get out of his head so he could get some proper rest tonight. Even so, if his mind wouldn’t relent, he would work his body so hard that he’d sleep as soon as he finished bathing himself.

Music trailed him, but it couldn’t compete with the creak of the doors to the training grounds. Once the door shut behind him, Felix was well and truly alone. The notes of the orchestral violins couldn’t penetrate the thick wood and metal, and no one else had any reason to come here tonight.

Still, his actions quickly caught up with him. What was he doing here? Why did it feel like he was running away?

Get a grip.

He wasn’t running away, he just wasn’t wasting time, either. Heading to the rack, Felix grabbed a steel sword. It didn’t matter which one, so long as it was heavy.

The sand of the center pit caved beneath his feet. There was no need for a training dummy to warm up. Routinely, Felix swung the sword over his head. His arms needed to be steady even while his attacks retained momentum and strength.

…10…11…12…

Any time a thought of the ball wormed its way into his head, Felix would shove it out. No point in dwelling on his failure to act - the two of you were far too young for anything serious to happen. No need to worry about Sylvain finding you - after what he said earlier, there was no way he would leave all the other ladies in that room for the one he knew Felix was interested in. He knew Sylvain that well, at least.

…57…58…59…

Why the hell wasn’t this working? Usually he could focus on this. This one thing that belonged to him, that he had done endlessly before that insufferable ball, and that he would continue to endlessly pursue after it. His training should belong to him! This was supposed to be how he grounded himself.

Felix was having a very difficult nig-

The doors to the entrance groaned, a delicate piano solo floating in through the opening as the moonlight guided a figure into the facility.

Upon recognition of the shimmer of your gown, the swordsman lowered the weapon from above his head.

…82…?

Thoughtful of the ongoing formal, you pivoted around the door, slowly and mindfully closing it in an apparent attempt to make as little noise as possible. Finally, you exhaled and turned to the center of the grounds.

“Oh- I- Sorry! Sorry, I’ll go.”

But your eyes hadn’t adjusted to the light of the torches from the darkness outside, so your eyelashes fluttered as you reached past the door.

“No need,” Felix frowned. “You chose to come here, I don’t own the place.”

“Wait, Felix?” you marveled, turning back around only to blink against the light again. “I didn’t recognize you. I thought you were someone on maintenance.”

What. “What kind of maintenance staff wears a suit?”

“I didn’t get a good look, okay?” you defended, your eyes finally staying open and guiding you to where he currently stood.

Being this close to you now…it felt strange. Your makeup had been expertly applied, supposedly with help from Mercedes and Annette, the tailoring of your dress was much more obvious…

“But why are you here? You’re dressed for the ball, and I remember seeing you when I walked in.”

“You first,” he countered. “What did you think you were going to accomplish here in an evening gown?”

That caught you off guard. Your eyes found a spot on the ground beside you before trailing to the wall.

“I don’t know. I didn’t really have a plan. I’m not even sure why I’m here - I just feel like I’m supposed to be.”

His eyes narrowed, “What, are you trying to trick me into thinking this was fated or something?”

Your gaze drew back to him, confusion etched across your face.

“What?”

“Sylvain must have said something to you then, is that it?”

But you only looked more lost than you did before, “I’m sorry, I don’t follow. Sylvain and I haven’t spoken since…” your line of sight shifted above his head and slightly to the side, “…two days ago…? Professor Byleth puts us on stable duty every few days.”

The bluenette’s knuckles turned white as he clenched the hilt of his sword. Sylvain never said anything about this. Felix had no clue you were spending so much time together.

“Forget it,” he insisted, “you’re here, so we might as well do something productive. Spar with me.”

“In an evening gown? You practically said it yourself, I can’t do anything wearing this.”

Goddess save him, he did not know how to handle this situation. In terms of guiding the conversation, he did not think this through. There didn't seem to be a way for him to keep changing the subject or coming up with an idea for you to stay here, either.

All his defense mechanisms were failing, and he was becoming frustrated.

“Okay, your turn,” you crossed your arms, saving him for a moment. “Why did you leave the ball to come here?”

“There wasn’t a reason for me to stay, anymore.”

Some of the light in your eyes dimmed, just enough for him to catch it happening. Just enough to make him wonder why.

“Hang on,” he recovered, “you know I left to come here.”

“That’s not a question,” you affirmed.

“But you didn’t leave to come here. So why weren’t you at the ball?”

Your brows furrowed slightly, “I was at the ball-“

“No, you left before I did,” he asserted. “What were you doing in the time before you arrived here?”

Perhaps he was revealing too much. It shouldn’t matter anyway, and a normal person wouldn’t care this much. Even so, if you wanted to say you were just “called to be here”, he could reasonably contest that any information was up for grabs.

The way you stared at him had a way of making his neck warm. It was like you thought the answers were hidden in his eyes, your gaze focused as you supposedly retraced your night.

“Well, I did leave the ball for a little bit…” you recalled slowly.

After allowing you a moment, he pressed a bit, “Why?”

“Oh- Well, um…I needed to use the ladies’ room? At least, that’s the only other time I can remember leaving.”

The ladies’ room…?

Goddess, he was such a fool.

It was his turn to turn his head to the side, “I see.”

If his eyes could have burned the sand, the whole pit would be glass right now.

His thoughts were quickly interrupted. Out of the corner of his eye, Felix noticed you slipping off your shoes.

“What are you doing?”

“Well,” you started, kicking the raised flats to the side before picking up a training lance from where someone had discarded it, “this dress doesn’t have sleeves, and I figured that if I took my shoes off, it would be easier to move. The slit up my leg should keep me mobile enough, so long as I don’t have to run.”

Damn, you were actually going to do this.

You lowered into a fighting stance upon returning to the pit opposite him. A smile lighting up your face.

“The sand feels so weird. It makes me wonder if this is what the beach feels like.”

But the two of you lived in Faerghus your whole lives, so he couldn’t tell you.

“Don’t think I’ll go easy on you just because you’re dressed differently.”

“Right, then let’s get started.”

You looked prepared to assume the defensive position; a smart move, considering that too much movement might mean you would slip on the long fabric of your clothing.

Felix far from opposed. He was used to being the offense, anyway.

Placing one foot in front of the other, he crossed the grounds and held his sword up to strike. Quick and easy - the point would go to him before you could even-

Your eyes widened, “Felix, wait! Don’t-!”

He hadn’t registered your words fast enough to stop himself. Intuitively, you held your lance up to defend yourself, and that’s when Felix realized what you were so worried about.

The weapon he was using wasn’t meant for sparring.

Breaking above your head, the wooden pole of your lance gave in. Felix stumbled forward, fighting for his balance as you rolled to the side in an attempt to protect your head.

He hissed, cursing himself for making such an amateur (and deadly) mistake, “Damn, my bad.”

“Goddess,” he heard you breathe, your eyes wide from your position on the ground, “I thought I was about to die.”

That was a thought. His eagerness to train and avoid an awkward encounter with you nearly...well, it wouldn’t have been pretty.

Leaving you to get yourself up, he moved to trade the steel sword for a wooden one. The noble also elected to take off his blazer and leave it behind, giving his arms better range of motion.

Turning back around, he noticed you were still struggling to rise to your feet.

“Seriously? It can’t be that hard.”

But just watching you made him want to take it back. The sand had become uneven from when you dodged toward the ground, and your dress kept finding its way under your feet whenever you tried to stand. Whenever you pooled the fabric out of the way in one area, it only gathered in another to slide under you. Not to mention that after so much struggle, the yellow grains were all over your skin and gown. It looked uncomfortable, at best.

Frowning, Felix approached, “Hang on.”

With your consent, he placed his hands at your waist and lifted you to the point you could stand again. You thanked him, a light flush on your cheeks that he tried not to think too hard about.

“I’d say that was embarrassing,” you started, “but considering I very nearly earned a trip to Manuela a moment ago, I don’t think I should care.”

“Sorry about that.”

“Nothing bad came of it, so I don’t mind. Still, you should work on your etiquette.”

The swordsman raised a brow, “Excuse me?”

“You left me to fend for myself in the sand for two minutes while you went to exchange your sword and take off your coat. It’s like I’m not even here,” you teased, approaching the training racks. “And then not only did you prioritize your sword over helping me, but you couldn’t even grab me a new lance.”

“I’m here to fight, nothing else. If you have a problem with that, no one’s forcing you to stay.”

In all fairness, you were right. He was too wrapped up in being with you to register that he was about to hurt you, and then he was too worried about how he almost hurt you to remember to help you back up again.

Why was he so bad at this?

Thankfully, you seemed to ignore the more bitter parts of his previous statement and took it for what it was - a proposition to rematch.

You found your places opposite one another, preparing for a genuine spar. Felix watched you sink into your defensive position again, nodding to confirm you were ready.

This time when he charged, his sword remained in a lower position. He wanted to slice upwards, reading your potential roll to the side while still being ready to follow up swiftly.

The moment he brought the sword up into you, you pivoted and thrust the lance forward. It would have technically impaled him, but you were courteous enough (and skilled enough) to angle the weapon so it slid against his side instead.

Felix halted the momentum of his arms, bringing them down slowly and preventing the hit he would have landed on you.

“That one goes to you.”

Switching sides with you, the second son ran his hand along his side. A warmup, nothing more. You wouldn’t go down easy, and neither would he.

You were once again prepared, and Felix signaled that the second round had begun, but he did not rush forward. If you wanted to hit him, you would need to put yourself at risk.

It didn’t take long for you to catch on, though you make a point to approach at a casual walk.

“Are you serious?”

“Are you? You think I’m foolish enough to run at you after I couldn’t stand on my own? If you wanted to go fast, you should have taken up offense again.”

Once you were close enough, you suddenly lunged twice and brought your lance down and across his body. Felix lept back before charging forward, but you came in with a block.

You held strong against his resistance, but your feet couldn’t find a proper stance thanks to your limited range of motion. He probably had your fear of slipping on the fabric again to thank, as well.

Deliberately, Felix stepped on your dress.

A gasp parted your lips as the heels of your feet slid forward. You fell backward only for Felix to step forward and catch you, one arm around your back, one hand holding his sword to your throat.

“Th-that’s not fair, and you know it,” you protested, breaths quickened from the adrenaline of almost falling.

“You chose to come fight in this. You think your opponent is going to care how you’re dressed?”

After a moment, you relented, “Fine, you win this one.”

Usually, Felix would be okay with the “whatever means necessary” ideology. When it came to you, however, it only worried him. Did he really need you to have a disadvantage for him to win?

He lowered you to the ground before picking you up again, presuming you would take longer to regain your footing if he left you on the sand. You were set upright on your feet at the solid edge of the pit.

As he reached the other side of the sands, he noted that you still looked bitter - probably about the last point. Perhaps that could work in his favor.

However, even after several seconds, the emotion in your eyes didn’t go away. You appeared almost…insulted?

In the back of his mind, he retraced his steps. You yielded the point how you normally would, and you weren’t a sore loser. You appeared more baffled than anything when he had tripped you…

Shit.

Felix had completely manhandled you out of the training area.

And that would explain why you were simultaneously glaring daggers into him and scanning him up and down.

“Don’t worry, I’ll attack this time,” the bluenette managed. In fear of being wrong and coming off egotistical, that was probably the best apology he could give right now.

“Whenever you’re ready.”

No, you were decidedly not happy.

He approached, trying to build as much momentum as possible before choosing to open with a block. If you were looking to parry an attack, he would be left with an opening. If you were looking to block him too, he would likely knock you to the ground and gain the point.

Maybe then he could offer to help you up properly.

No, he needed to stay focused. He was training right now, not apologizing.

Effectively distracted, neither of his plans came to fruition as you reached out and grabbed his cravat, pulling it down and causing him to run past you.

“Wh-!”

A dull stab at his back shoved him out of bounds, taking away any chance he had at regaining his balance. He tumbled to the ground.

“You’ve been impaled, that’s mine.”

He wanted to be mad, but he was more shocked than anything. After all, he could hardly complain after doing a similar thing to you last round.

A hand in his peripheral offered to help him to his feet. Accepting it, he rose, picking his sword up off the ground.

At least that seemed to get everything out of your system, “Maybe you were right, we can’t really accomplish anything serious while we’re dressed like this.”

“It’s not like we…”

A song loud enough to be heard from within the training ground bounced against the walls. It caught him off guard, especially since he hadn’t been able to hear any music since you closed the doors earlier. Whatever they were playing now, the whole orchestra was involved.

“The last dance already?” your head turned to the entrance, as well. “There’s no way…”

“Did you promise someone a dance?” he guessed.

“Something like that,” you worried. “I told Annette and Mercedes that I would be sure to dance with at least someone tonight after all they did for me. I…kind of got carried away watching earlier, and then I got scared I would forget the moves, and then I left to come here.”

He didn’t know what to say, but there was no way you could go back now. Sand covered your slightly tousled hair, your gown, and he was sure it found its way into your shoes. Your cheeks were still somewhat red from earlier, and…

It was all his fault. He even stepped on your gown without thinking.

Goddess, he really needed to start using his head.

Tossing his sword into the sand, Felix took the lance from your hands and threw it aside too. Swiftly, he retrieved your shoes and placed them in front of you.

“Felix, there’s no way…” but you slid them on anyway, “…and the song already began. It will be over by the time I get there.”

Face unreadable, your classmate extended a hand to you. “Do you think it would count if we started now?”

“Wait, what? You…want to dance with me?”

“If you don’t want me to be your partner after everything that’s happened tonight, I’ll understand-“

You took his hand, placing your own on his shoulder and facing him completely, “You lead. I’m still not certain how this one goes.”

It was a lie. It must have been. The moment the pair of you felt the music together, you were off. The strings followed a simple waltz - an accessible dance that even most commoners could perform. An obvious choice for the last dance of the night.

He knew his frame to be stiff, but it didn’t matter. Especially not when you were so blatantly stealing the hypothetical show, swaying and leaning back as the two of you spun gracefully around an invisible point on the ground. Your arms barely ghosted his own.

In a rare moment, he wished his dance partner were less aware, less experienced. He wanted you to lean on him so he could lead you through the dance, but he knew that was not in your nature.

You were charming, assured, and independent. The dance belonged to you, so much so that he felt like a mere prop. He supposed that was how it went in the theatres Sylvain had always dragged him to in the past. The women stole the spotlight while the men were evaluated on how good they could make their partners look.

There was no doubt. You deserved a better partner.

“Hey,” his voice was unsure. It had been several measures since he last used it. “I…you shouldn’t be dancing with me.”

“What are you talking about?” you smiled, coming back to his chest and resuming your normal posture.

“I mean you should be in the great hall, dancing with someone that would actually do you justice,” he suddenly didn’t want to face you. “I feel like I took that away from you. I spend all my time here working with a sword - my last dancing lesson ended when I was twelve.”

He stopped himself, spinning you away before he could say too much. This was about you. You had missed what could have been one of the biggest days of your life. He pulled you back in and met your eyes. Felix missed an event he already planned on skipping.

“...it’s nice. I prefer it. This way it’s just us.”

“Just us?” he hoped you couldn’t hear his heartbeat.

“Oh- I only mean- I don’t have to worry about anyone staring at me because I don’t know the steps or anything.”

It was beginning to make him angry, if only because it made no sense, “Why do you keep saying that?”

You were caught off guard, slipping up for the first time tonight. Felix finally felt useful, steadying you enough to fall back into the orchestra’s rhythm.

“Well, it’s true, isn’t it?” you lowered your voice like you were telling him a secret. “That’s what my sister told me. She and everyone that visited the manor.”

Blinking a bit, you turned to the side, “I’m doing it wrong. My steps are too wide. My arms are too heavy. I must be repulsed by my partner if I’m leaning back that much. Those kinds of things.”

Your partner merely scoffed, “Jealous.”

He hadn’t meant for it to slip out, but he knew.

“They can’t do what you can. There are nobles all over Fodlan like that; people who don’t like being shown up. They’ll say anything to make you give up or feel bad about yourself, but they lack the ambition to do any better themselves.”

“You really think so?”

“Have you met anyone better at dancing than yourself?”

“Well, I…I’ve never seen myself dance before.”

“Then take my word for it. Show Professor Byleth if you doubt it, but just be prepared for her to demand a rematch for the Heron Cup.”

Honestly, Felix didn’t know why he was being so forward about this. It was just another unjust part of the world they were all tripping over themselves to fix, he supposed. Still, if dancers could be trained for the battlefield, he saw no reason for his house to settle on an amateur.

The piano slowed to play a few high notes and end the song on a major chord. Accordingly, the two of you came to a stop.

“Thank you,” you stepped away timidly, “for the dance…and…”

“I wasn’t trying to make you feel better. Manuela could teach you - you could do this on the battlefield much better than whoever actually won the competition.”

You hummed, probably pondering the thought.

Presuming it was time to head back before you both could be found and accused of something mindless, Felix picked up your weapons from where he had discarded them. He caught you brushing the sand off your skin and down your dress before he left to put the items away. The blazer he set aside earlier found its way to his back again, his cravat tucked in appropriately.

You waited across the hall to hold the door for him. Once you both walked through, it shut with a final thud, sealing away everything that happened in the training grounds that night.

He saw you talking to Professor Byleth after class the next day. Although he couldn’t hear what you were saying, some part of him hoped you chose to take his words to heart.

Perhaps it had been a good time to host a ball.

#fire emblem #fiction #fe3h #fire emblem three houses #fe x reader #fire emblem x reader #fe16 #fe3h felix #felix hugo fraldarius #felix x reader #fire emblem felix #fe felix x reader #fe3h felix x reader #f!reader #fem!reader

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froidefille · 26 days ago

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Day 2: a fic rated G

📚 The Pure and Simple Truth by @letteredlettered

Draco/Harry, 65k, G

Summary:

Harry, Draco, and Hermione go to a pub. Harry, Draco, and Pansy go to a pub. Harry, Draco, Pansy, and Hermione go to a pub. Harry, Draco, Hermione and Ron go to a pub. Harry, Draco, Hermione, Ron, and Pansy―you guessed it―go to a pub. I could go on. In fact, I did. Harry, Draco, Hermione, Pansy, Ron, Blaise, Luna, Goyle, Neville, and Theodore Nott go to a pub. In various combinations.

I suspect that I will not be the only one singing high praises to this fic today because let’s be honest – how many G rated fics out there have we read?? And we should! Have a whole fest for all those to unveil all the gems hidden underneath some excellent PWP :D

So for this one here – if ANY of you have SOMEHOW not read works by the one and only leterred, you do yourself a favour and do it like, right now. And if you have to do boring adult stuff like, ugh, work or study or fetch your kids from school – put leterred on speaker via RattleandHum (ThirdEye1234)’s georgeous podfic of Away Childish Things by Lettered or listen to their interview with The FanFic Maverick on spotify.

Now, onto the pub story! First off, I love the concept of it. Of actually giving each of the characters, one by one, their own moment. Whey're all so well-written here, I felt like I was reading about real people not just archetypes. For example, Neville got to actually be properly mad in this one! Which I always highly appreciate because the boy just deserves it. And Blaise? Oh my, Mr Zabini is to die for in this fic. His flirt abilities are through the roof, I was blushing through the screen. I mean, even Harry got a bit enamoured:

Harry explained to Hermione, “Blaise photosynthesises for a living.” “Er.” Hermione looked a little uncomfortable. She always looked that way when she corrected people's factual errors, but it actually hadn't convinced her to stop doing it. “Photosynthesis is what plants do.” “Yeah,” said Harry. “Blaise does what plants do. He lies around in the sun all day.”

And isnt that something we’d like to do for a living on this cold December day?

Also I am crazy for Protective Draco ™ and oh boy, does he deliver here. I will also never get tired of Hermione and Draco talking Deep Complicated Shit while Ron and Harry are like... so yeah, Quidditch is great, right xd ALSO, I may have a lil thing about Pansy & Ron as well as Pansy & Draco and both of these are A++ here.

And the discussions here just run! They don’t even flow, they run, and are so witty but somehow deep enough to get sad? How? HOW? The main story and relationships between the character are so well-paced, there's a lot going on but like, subtely, in hints and hidden in the background. It was such an experience to slowly unveil them!

All in all, 10/10 would recommend and see you tomorrow! (hopefully)

Some of my fav quotes under the cut <3

“Excellent,” said Zabini. “Death is unpleasant to me. I’m determined to avoid it.” “That’s going to be difficult,” Harry said. “Life is a sexually transmitted disease that is, in the end, fatal.” Zabini said. “I plan to have as little to do with it as possible.” Harry was startled into laughing. Resolving not to think about Hermione and Ron, he said, “What do you do?” “I warned you,” Pansy told Zabini, in her bored tone. “He’s not very quick.” “Nothing at all, if I can possibly help it,” said Zabini. When Harry continued to look confused, Pansy smirked. “He’s a professional gentleman, Harry.” Harry looked at Zabini in surprise. “You’re a hooker?” Zabini burst out laughing, a rich deep sound. Pansy just smirked. “Don’t you just wish,” she said. “I have no profession,” Zabini said, still smiling a brilliant smile. “I am a landowner. I live with my mother. I practise ennui.” Harry frowned. “It’s not hard.” Zabini laughed again. “I don’t suppose it is, but I would venture to say that you haven’t mastered it.” “Blaise is arrogant,” Pansy said. “And he’s an arse. I like him very much.”

“Okay.” Harry glanced at Pansy and Blaise, who were nattering on about ballrooms and the length of skirts. He turned back to Teddy. “Here’s an abstract for you, since you’re smart. Do you believe in conscience?” Teddy quirked his brow again. “Do you mean, an innate understanding of and urge toward right versus wrong?” Harry shoved his hands in his pockets. “Yeah.” Teddy blinked. “No.” “Then why do people think they have one?” His brow furrowing as he considered his reply, Teddy said at last, “Society breaks down if everyone thieves, murders, rapes, and pillages, and society benefits most individuals.” He shrugged. “People have developed conscience to benefit themselves.” Harry glanced at Pansy and Blaise again. When he caught Pansy’s eye, she blushed. In her slow and slothful way, she turned back to Blaise, but the colour stayed on her cheeks. Harry turned back to Teddy. “Then people do have it.” “Many people do. Some learn it. Some never do. It’s just like social cues, or a will to live. These things aren’t moral imperatives. They’re not even magic. They’re survival instincts.” “Where does magic fit in?” “Magic is a survival instinct too.” Teddy shrugged again. “People developed a sense of sight to better interact with their world. Lesser creatures don’t have eyes. People also developed a sense of magic.”

“Neville, it’s not like you’re holding a grudge,” Harry said. “It’s not like you’re a bad person just because you can’t forget that . . .” Harry knew he had to say it; he had to say it, or he’d be lying to himself, and Neville, and even to everyone―to Malfoy―and that wasn’t fair. “Because you can’t forget that someone tortured you, or tortured someone you love. If you were Bellatrix, right now―I couldn’t forgive you.” “It’s not forgiveness.” Neville ran a hand through his hair. “It’s just the forgetting part that’s hard.” Harry looked at him a while, Neville’s strong, kind face; his large, capable hands. “Malfoy says, don’t forget. He says we shouldn’t forget, so that it can’t happen again, and that’s how we make the world a better place.” Neville looked startled, then smiled a little, wryly. “Harry,” he said. “Do you even realize how many times Malfoy has said to me, ‘Potter says’?”

@hprecfest <3

#lettered #letteredlettered #hprecfest2024 #hprecfest #drarry #HPDM #THE PURE AND SIMPLE TRUTH #drarry rec #hp #hp rec #Have I reread like half of the fic to write this? maybe xd #hp fic rec

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magravenwrites · 9 months ago

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Do Not Go Where I Cannot Follow:

Part 1:

Finan x Reader

A/N: A massive thank you to @axe-does-writing for beta reading this for me, you're the best 🥰

This is set during season 4 as the Coocham squad are travelling through Mercia to avoid the sickness.

Warnings: symptoms of sickness, angst, keeping secrets, established relationship

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or GIF

You had lost count of how many days you had been travelling, trekking through Mercia on foot with the children, trying to avoid danger and the dreaded sickness.

It was only due to Eadith's bravery that you had managed to survive for this long; standing up to her brother so that you might escape. Though this brought you all some semblance of safety, you knew it would not last. Not if Edward’s men caught you. With this in mind, you decided to keep moving until you could find somewhere safer to rest.

Your feet had begun to ache, and Aelfwynn had started to become a dead-weight in your arms. It was a strain you weren’t sure you could continue with in your present state, but you were determined not to say anything until you absolutely had to; everyone had enough to deal with without you becoming a burden too.

Releasing a slow, measured breath, you adjusted Aelfwynn in your arms, trying not to show how much you were struggling. Luckily, with only Osferth behind you, you had managed to avoid detection.

Until now.

“Give her to me.”

Looking to your left, you found Osferth had sped up to walk beside you, already holding his arms out ready to take Aelfwynn from you. The look on his face brooked no argument and you could not find it within yourself to disagree with him. For all he was such a sweet and caring man, he could be very stubborn, a trait you were sure he had picked up from your husband, Finan. Without any complaints, you carefully transferred the young girl into his arms, making sure her head was comfortably settled on his shoulder before continuing to catch up with the others.

You hadn’t realised how much your slow pace had caused you both to fall behind.

“Are you alright?” he asked gently as you walked.

“I’m fine,” you smiled.

“Y/N, don’t lie to me, you’re as pale as a ghost! You’re getting sick aren’t you?”

“Keep your voice down!” you berated him, glancing to the front of your group to see if anyone had heard him.

You knew it was true, you had begun to feel progressively worse over the last two days. Your whole body ached, you had a persistent headache that had started to pound behind your eyes and you were sure you had the startings of a fever. Truth be told, all you wanted was to curl up in a ball and sleep for a week, but you knew that wasn't going to be happening any time soon.

“We don’t know if it is the sickness, it might pass in a day or two.” You weren’t sure who you were trying to convince, Osferth or yourself as you twirled your wedding band around your finger.

Releasing a long sigh, your gaze lifted to your husband at the front of the group, watching as he carried Aethelstan atop his shoulders. Your heart squeezed in your chest, overflowing with the love you felt for him. He had been excellent with the children during the journey. You hoped that one day you would be blessed with your own children, he would make an excellent father.

Osferth noted the action, guessing where your thoughts had led you. “He deserves to know. If you are unwell - if it is the sickness - he would want to know. He would be heartbroken to think you could not tell him. Do not ask me to keep this from him.” he begged.

“I know, but I can’t tell him, and you cannot either. He would freak out, he needs to focus on Uhtred, the children and getting us all to safety; he cannot do that if he is fussing over me.”

“Finan always worries for you regardless, it is his nature to worry over those he cares for. You know, when we are away, you are all he talks about, all he can think about is you: what you would be doing that day, whether you were well, or thinking about the day he can return home to you.” he lectured.

It made you smile to know that even when you were parted his thoughts still turned to you, the same way yours turned to him.

“Even so, I beg you not to tell him, if this does pass in a few days then there will be nothing to worry about.”

“And if it does not?”

“Then I will cross that bridge when I get to it.” You ended the discussion, seeing a small village come into view up ahead, hopefully where you could get some rest for a while.

With everyone on edge already, Finan's sour mood and near constant anxiety about the sickness had started to grate on everyone's nerves, though everyone knew he didn't mean it - he was just terrified, having seen its effects before.

Having reassured him multiple times over the course of your journey, you had discovered what really had him in such a state of panic: The one thing Finan wanted to do was to protect his family. To protect you, and make you happy.

But this? This he had no control over. That is what terrified him. That he could not protect you from this.

That was your main reason for not telling him of your illness. To know that you, his own wife, had the dreaded sickness. It would break him. You would not do that to him.

— Time Skip —

You had all safely settled into the village of Wulfrunetun, having managed to gain a few hours of rest while you planned out your next move. Aelfwynn’s condition had deteriorated in the last few hours, the poor girl barely able to keep her head up from exhaustion. You all hoped that with some rest she might start to feel better.

You had managed to get some rest in the shade outside, where it was cooler, trying to reduce your progressing fever. You felt rotten, your skin felt slightly clammy to the touch, and you were certain you could feel a bubbling in your chest whenever you breathed too deeply, but couldn’t decide whether that was just your overactive imagination and fear of the sickness playing with your mind. Surely the sickness wouldn’t progress this quickly? It had only been a couple of days since you had started to feel unwell.

“Ah, there ya are. I’ve been lookin’ for ya.” Your thoughts were interrupted when your boisterous husband came bounding through the door, heading over to you once he had caught sight of you, a grin forming on his face.

You forced a smile onto your face, standing up from where you had been resting under a tree. Finan’s arms immediately encircled your waist as soon as you were within arms reach, and you couldn’t help but fall into his embrace, leaning your head against his chest, letting his steady heartbeat soothe your anxiety.

Finan rested his head on top of yours, and the pair of you took a moment to simply enjoy each other's presence.

“You feel warm, are ya feelin’ alrigh'?” he asked, pulling back just enough to look at your face, his eyebrows drawn in concern.

“I'm fine”

“Are ya sure? You've been spendin’ a lot of time with Aelfwynn, I don't want ya to get sick.” He reached a hand to cradle your face.

You let your cheek rest against his palm for a moment, before pulling away and teasingly swatting his hand away from his fussing.

“I promise I'm fine, my love. I have just spent too long in the sun, is all. I would tell you if anything was wrong.”

Liar. The words tasted bitter in your mouth.

“Has Lord Uhtred formed a plan yet?” You asked, hoping to distract him.

“Aye, he has. Uhtred has decided we must travel back to Aegelesburg; Sihtric and Young Uhtred are going to search for Aethelflaed and Aldhelm and bring them to meet us there. We will be leaving soon.”

“What of Aelfwynn? She is not strong enough to travel any further.” ‘Neither am I’ you silently added.

Finan grumbled to himself for a moment, heaving a sigh through his nose. “Osferth and Eadith are goin’ ta stay ‘ere to look after her until things calm down in Aegelesburg, it wouldn’t be safe for her there, even if she wasn’t sick.” He pulled you in closer.

“Then I will stay here with her.”

“Absolutely not! You’re coming with me to Aegelesburg and as far away from this sickness as possible.”

You shook your head, pulling his arms from your waist so that you could hold his larger hands between yours.

“Finan, listen to me. I am still tired from travelling, and I would be glad for some rest. I would be of more use tending to Aelfwynn than I would be to anyone in Aegelesburg. Besides, the situation is still volatile, what happens if it turns into a siege? I would be safer staying here, and coming to you once it is safe.”

“Y/N, do not make me part from ya, please.” He begged, bringing his forehead to rest against yours.

It took everything in you to not break down into tears, but you knew it was better for him to be away from you, at least until you got better.

“I know, I don’t want to part from you either, but you must go, and I will follow as soon as it is safe enough to do so. It won’t be for long.” You murmured.

“Alrigh’” He reluctantly agreed, pulling away and pulling you into a bear hug, his arms completely enveloping you. You felt him press a kiss to the crown of your head.

“I love ya.”

Your heart felt fit to burst, and you blinked away the tears that welled up in your eyes.

“I love you too. Now go and get ready. The sooner you leave and sort this mess out, the sooner we can be together again.” You pushed his shoulder jokingly. He chuckled, letting his arms slip from around you as he headed back inside.

As soon as he was out of sight you slouched, coughing into your elbow to muffle the sound. You could feel the burn of it pulling at your chest, you could taste faint traces of copper in your mouth. It was definitely better that he leaves now.

— Time Skip —

The men were tying their saddlebags to the saddle of their horses, preparing to leave any minute. You watched as Sihtric helped Young Uhtred with his saddle, making sure everything was properly secure. He must have surely been missing his own children, his own wife. A pang of sorrow went through your heart at the thought. At least you got to travel with your husband, to say goodbye to him.

You wrung your hands as you continued to stand on the outskirts of the action, there had been something plaguing your mind over the last few hours, something other than the sickness you could feel creeping deeper into your bones and your secrets from your husband.

“Sihtric,” you called to him, your eyes darting to Finan briefly to make sure he was out of earshot.

Sihtric quickly finished helping Young Uhtred, clapping him on the back as he moved away to talk to you.

“I just wished to say goodbye...” you exhale nervously. You had to ask him - why was it so difficult to ask him?

His mismatched eyes studied you silently for a moment.

“Goodbye” he answered, half a laugh falling from his lips, unsure of where this was going.

Your gaze moved over Sihtrics left shoulder, falling onto Finan as he moved back and forth, finishing his preparations. It was for him you had to ask this.

Sihtric followed your gaze, looking over his shoulder, before looking back at you, questions now very present in his eyes.

“...I know you are not going with him now, but… look after him for me. Lord uhtred will give him something to follow, a purpose perhaps - but he will need you to lean on.” Tears rose in your eyes at the thought, making sure Finan had people to carry him forward if the worst should happen.

“Y/N, what is this about?”

“Just promise me!”

“Of course! I swear it, you don't need to ask.” He looked visibly shaken by your panic, stepping closer to make sure you were ok.

“I know. Thank you.” You breathed a sigh of relief. You needed to pull yourself together, you weren’t gone yet.

“Y/N, please, what is wrong? How can I help?”

“Nothing just - in case things go badly. There is so much that could go wrong.” you answered evasively.

You weren't sure if he quite believed you, there was still the lingering question behind his eyes.

You knew he could tell something was still wrong, he always saw more than was shown, heard more than was said. You supposed that's why he made such a good spy. Thankfully he did not press the matter, instead bringing you in for a hug.

“Everything will be fine, you'll see. Lord Uhtred has not failed us yet.” He looked so sure as he pulled away, for a moment you allowed yourself to hope. Perhaps things would be ok after all. You would fight this sickness with everything you had. For Finan and the rest of your family.

“I know, but you can forgive a wife for worrying.” You joked.

“Speaking of, might I borrow my wife so that I may give her a proper goodbye?” Finan interrupted, a sly grin on his lips. The same flirtatious grin that you had fallen for so many years ago plastered across his handsome features. Sihtric laughed easily, backing away to give you both some privacy.

You fell so easily into your husband's waiting arms, reaching your arms around his shoulders to bring him closer.

You saw Sihtric climb up onto his horse, not moving from your place in Finan’s hold, you call out to him once more.

“Sihtric! Be careful. Look after yourself.”

He nodded at you, looking between you and Finan.

“You as well, both of you.” With that, he urged his horse forward, joining Young Uhtred on the road to find Aethelflaed.

“Well I knew I might have to ward off some men vying for your attention, but I did no’ think I would have to count Sihtric among ‘em” Finan tickled you, just under your ribs, causing you to let out an undignified squeak.

You give him an unimpressed look, before smacking lightly on the arm. You cleared your throat, hoping to make it sound like you were just composing yourself, rather than staving off the coughing fit you could feel burning your lungs, no doubt induced by your scream.

“Oh please, you know I only have eyes for one man.”

“Oh aye? And who might that lucky man be then hmm?”

“Osferth of course! Why else would I be staying behind with him?”

You couldn't help the chuckle that crept past your lips at his shocked expression as he pressed his hand to his chest in mock hurt.

“You wound me! Are ya sure there isn't anything I can do that could convince ya to bestow your affections onto myself?”

“I suppose I could be persuaded.” you raise your eyebrows in suggestion.

“I am nothing if not persuasive.” he lowered his head closer to your own, his lips a hair's breadth away from your own as his tone deepened. The very voice he knew you loved, that could make your toes curl and your pulse race.

Despite the fact you could feel yourself getting hot under the collar, a feeling you were quite sure had nothing to do with your illness at present, you retained steady eye contact, not letting him know how much he had affected you.

“Well, I shall look forward to your attempts to win my favour upon our reunion, husband.”

His eyes lit up a fraction, enjoying the reminder of his title to you. As you watched him, your overdramatic, funny, fierce, loyal and ever-loving husband, you felt yourself fall for him all over again.

“I shall relish the challenge, wife. I will send word soon.” He closed the distance between you, capturing your lips with his own. He cupped your chin with his finger as his thumb brushed over the swell of your cheek, reluctant to part with you.

You deepened the kiss, attempting to pour all of your feelings into it, trying to convey all the love you felt for him and all of the things you could not say.

Eventually, the voice of your lord interrupted your final moments with Finan.

“Finan! Put your wife down and let us be on our way.”

You finally parted from each other, opening your eyes to look at your husband once more. You tried to banish the tears that rimmed your eyes and you prayed this would not be the last time you saw him.

“Be careful,” you whispered into the space between you.

He pressed a final kiss to your forehead, murmuring into your hairline “You too, I love ya.”

“I love you too” you told him as he began to move away, letting your arms slip away from his frame.

He mounted his horse, and Uhtred lifted Aethelstan so that he sat in front of Finan in the saddle before checking on Stiorra and making his way to his own horse.

You watched until the four of them were out of sight, and you felt Osferth’s presence at your shoulder.

“You should have told him.” he chided quietly.

“Perhaps,” you conceded, wrapping your arms around yourself at the sudden chill you felt in your arms.

“I am going to rest awhile, wake me if there is any change in Aelfwynn.”

He watched you go back inside, a feeling of trepidation sinking in his stomach.

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Hope you enjoyed it! Part 2 will hopefully be finished soon!

Tags: @axe-does-writing @solinarimoon @morosemagick @emilyhufflepufftlk @lauwrite1225 @madrielite

#the last kingdom #tlk #finan #finan the agile #finan x reader #Do Not Go Where I Cannot Follow

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