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fawninthesnow · 3 days ago

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𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥: One Shot

𐙚 Marcus acacius x fem!reader/emperor geta x fem!reader 𐙚 18+

Summary: You are the Empress of Rome in a mundane marriage to Emperor Geta. After a military banquet, you find yourself in the bedroom of his subordinate, Marcus Acacius.

Warnings/Contains: fem reader, smut, teasing, pinning, [slight] dirty talk, unprotected sex, cheating, deny orgm, not proof read,

Word Count: 2.5k

More on my Master list!

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msfantasy-comics · 2 days ago

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The Ex gets Married

Bruce Wayne x Ex-Girlfriend!Reader

Summary: Bruce breaks up with Y/n and ends up in a tumultuous relationship with Selina. Bruce finds out about his ex-girlfriend moving on and is heartbroken.

Warning: Bruce does not have a happy ending.

Many years before, Bruce, had to make a life altering decision.

Should he follow his head or his heart?

He loved both Selina and Y/n dearly for very different reasons.

But there was no use pondering the decision further. Selina was a safe bet.

Selina, whilst fickle, was still a woman capable of handling the rough and tough life style that accompanied his alter-ego. Selina’s life parallels his own; their secret life, their deep rooted trauma, their years of personal growth together.

When considering these factors, it was indisputable, he had to follow his head, and in the end he got exactly what he asked for.

An unbridled romantic companion that was only ever present when it suited her.

Selina was never consistent in supporting Bruce. Only being present at the worst of times, and never being available to celebrate the best of times.

Selina was incapable of bonding with his sons. It’s not like she didn’t try, the boys were just utterly disinterested in bonding with a woman who seemed to sail in and out of Bruce’s life on a whim. Dick, Jason, Tim and Damian felt Selina was not going to be around long, so they always turned her down or avoided Selina when possible.

Selina was uncomfortable with the mundane. Drama followed her where ever she went. Her constant blow outs strains Bruce beyond measure.

As usual, Bruce retreats to his cold and lonely bed. It’s been weeks since he last heard from Selina. He stares at the ceiling and wonders what his life could’ve been like had he followed his heart.

You were always the first to hold Bruce and comfort him in his times of need. You were always pushing to celebrate ridiculous milestones and insisting it was important since it was an achievement.

You put in so much effort bonding with his sons. You’d spent days in Bludhaven, looking after Dick in hospital when no one else could. You drove to Jason’s favourite dive bar, drank beer with him every Friday. You attended all of Tim’s extracurricular events. You would drink tea with Damian and listen to him vent his frustrations with his teammates.

Better yet, you were always in bed waiting for him. Arms always spreading open, ready to embrace him after a difficult night out.

Bruce missed you dearly, but he knows he made the right decision. Selina was capable of protecting herself- you weren’t.

Bruce constantly reminds himself of that time Joker almost took your life as you helplessly dangled from the building. Your survival from that encounter was pure luck. If Bruce wasn’t your boyfriend, you would’ve been safe.

So, Bruce made the right decision following his head. Following his heart would’ve brought nothing but heartache.

The house seemed unusually quite. There was no noise, no movement. He hasn’t heard anything from anyone.

“Alfred, where are the boys?” The older gentlemen continues to assemble the cucumber sandwiches, pretending he didn’t hear a single word. “Alfred?” The older man sighs as he contemplates telling the truth, to honouring the lie fabricated by the boys. At last, Alfred opts for the ugly truth.

“The young masters are attending a wedding ceremony.” Alfred answers bluntly, unwilling to be the barer of bad news.

“A wedding ceremony? Who’s wedding is it?” Alfred places the plate in front of Bruce, continuing to avoid eye contact. “Alfred, answer the question.”

He sighs as he pours a glass of water. “John Constantines wedding.”

Confusion crosses Bruce as to why his sons are attending that man’s wedding. “I didn’t know he had a significant other, who is he marrying?”

Alfred looks off to the clock as Bruce waits impatiently for the long drawn out answer. The clock strikes twelve, which floods the house with a melody to notify half the day has passed. Finally, Alfred speaks. “As of 12’oclock John Constantine has married his beloved wife Y/n Constantine.”

All colour in Bruce’s face drains, his mouth goes dry and he’s not sure if his heart is beating. “Y/n… she’s married?” Alfred nods unsympathetically.

“The women you love has married someone that isn’t you.” Alfred’s words rubs salt in Bruce’s already wounded heart. “Incase you were wondering Master Bruce… Selina Kyle had introduced the two around the time you had broken up.” Bruce’s head turns to mush at the news.

It’s not like he intended to get back together with you or anything- so why is he so upset?

Of course you would move on eventually, he knew that. That’s just common sense. Why would you be single for the rest of your life?

Yet despite all common sense Bruce’s heart continues to squeeze painfully, his head thumping away as a growing migraine takes place.

The love of his life has gone on and married someone else.

God.

Is it too late to win her back?

What was he thinking ? Of course it is.

There’s no going back.

Bruce will just have to accept his decision.

#dc imagine #dc x reader #batboys x reader #batboys imagine #batman x reader #Bruce Wayne x reader #Bruce Wayne imagine #batman x you #dc comics x reader #batman imagine #ExGirlfriend!reader #cw angst #ex!reader #Bruce Wayne x Ex-girlfriend!reader #Bruce Wayne x ExGirlfriend!reader

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yexthiccxa · 3 days ago

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Secrets of the Second Shift - (Part 4)

summary: choso invited you over for dinner (part 3) and he's serving appetizers, dinner, and dessert 👅 smut with a little angst on top

wordcount: 3.5k words

full fic c/w: choso smut, choso/fem!reader, choso/oc, modern!au, some plot, plot what plot, porn with plot, gentleman!choso, soft!choso, praise kink, blindfold sex, oral, fingering, vaginal sex, fingering, oral, multiple orgasms

a/n: let me know if you want to be added to the tag list for this!

Tumblr Master List | Read this chapter on AO3!

✦✧✸✧✦ 18+ MINORS DO NOT INTERACT ✦✧✸✧✦

Choso guides you to the table, pulling out a chair to offer you a seat. “Please, sit,” he says, his voice soft.

He heads over to the oven to pull out a couple dishes. “What’s on the menu for tonight, chef?” you ask playfully.

“For starters, we have roasted garlic and herb bread.” He sets down one tray with a graceful retrieving the next. The smell immediately makes your mouth water. “For dinner, we have baked chicken and pesto risotto.”

Before he makes his way around the table to sit down he leans in close to whisper in your ear. “And for dessert,” he adds, a smirk curling at his lips, “I’ll be having you.” He presses a kiss to your cheek before taking his seat.

You roll your eyes for show, but there’s no hiding the smile that’s tugging across your face. “You didn’t listen to a single thing I said back there, did you?”

Choso’s expression is calm, but there’s a flicker of playfulness in the way he looks at you. “Don’t worry, every word was crystal clear—boundaries, keep it clean, no work, no apartments… after tonight.” Emphasis on after tonight.

You hate how he’s right. But deep down you didn’t really want him to be wrong.

The tension between you settles into a strange, quiet understanding.

Dinner is nothing short of incredible. Each bite you take is a perfect blend of flavors that dance on your palate. The chicken is tender with a crisp, savory crust. The pesto risotto is rich and creamy, and the roasted garlic bread has just the right amount of bite. You take a moment to close your eyes just to fully appreciate the depth of the flavors before shifting your attention back to Choso.

As he talks throughout the meal, your focus remains entirely on him. You notice how his face lights up when he talks about his team. There’s pride in his voice when he shares how his team was built from the ground up and how he held them together when the acquisition almost tore them apart.

And then there’s the way he listens. He holds your hand across the table, his thumb brushing slow, thoughtful circles against your skin as you share your most successful projects. When you open up about your struggles with Naoya, he squeezes your hand because he knows that name makes you wince. It’s gentle but firm and his silent way of telling you that he’s there for comfort.

It’s a small gesture, but it’s enough to make your heart stumble.

But what you can’t get over is the way he looks at you. It’s a look of desire, yes, but it’s layered with something deeper—an unspoken curiosity. It’s as if he wants to make you whole, piece by piece. He wants to know what drives you, what broke you, and why you’re so hesitant to let someone in. He doesn’t say it, but you see it in his deep brown eyes: I want to know you.

You could tell Choso everything—all the answers to all the unasked questions. But you can’t bring yourself to share. You’ve let yourself open up before, let yourself get too comfortable, but all it did was lead you to heartbreak. And with Choso, you’re starting to recognize this feeling all too well. It’s a dangerous path. The kind of path that you aren’t ready to walk again.

“Hey, what’s going on?” Choso cuts in.

Wait. Were you just thinking out loud? The thought startles you, but you shake it off quickly, masking your expression as you pick up the empty dishes and head for the kitchen. “Nothing’s going on,” you say, your voice just a little too breezy. “We should clean up.”

Choso follows silently and you feel his hand on your shoulder. You’ve come to recognize the comfort his touch brings, though you’re not sure that’s a good thing.

“I don’t know what you’re thinking,” he says quietly, his voice gentle but firm, “but I can see something’s wrong. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, but can you at least let me know what would make it better?”

You hesitate. He’s too perceptive. The thought that he might already know what’s bothering you makes you uneasy. Instead of answering, you deflect. “How can you tell if something is wrong?”

A small grin tugs at his lips, lightening the heaviness between you. “I run a team that thrives under efficiency. It’s my job to know when something’s off.”

His confidence earns a soft laugh from you, and you take the opportunity to lighten the mood. You turn, placing the dishes in the sink before reaching out to playfully poke his chest. “While I’m impressed by your attentiveness, I don’t appreciate being managed like I’m one of your direct reports.” you tease, trying to regain some ground.

He brings himself closer to you. “Well, I did mention that being under me wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, remember?”

“Thanks for the reminder, but what did we say about keeping work life separate?” When you finally glance up at him, you are at a loss for words.

Suddenly, you’re hyper-aware of just how tall he is, how close he’s standing. The warmth of him radiates through his shirt, and in a split second, you’re reminded of the muscles that lie beneath. Your heartbeat stutters as the moment stretches on just a little too long. You look away to hide the tint of pink flowing to your cheeks.

Choso doesn’t let you slide. Instead he gently places his fingers under your chin, catching you as you turn away. “The same thing we said about everything else.” He leans in close until you’re inches away from each other. “All of that starts after tonight.”

There’s no harm in one night, right?

Everything around you stands still. The only thing you can think of is the fire building between you, and the inevitability of what’s about to happen.“Better make it count,” you reply.

That’s all Choso needs before he makes his move.

You can tell he tries his best to show restraint, but the way Choso cups the back of your head to bring his lips to yours shows you anything but that. Every ounce of composure has completely shattered. His movements become demanding, hungry, starving. He’s kissing you like he’s savoring the way you taste. It’s as if he’s been deprived for years.

He moves his hands down your sides to firmly grip your waist and set you on the counter, causing the container of utensils to crash against the backsplash. The movement rolls your head back, giving him the perfect access to the delicate skin on your neck.

The way he has his mouth on you sends a shock of excitement straight to your core. It’s like his lips are taking care of you in all the right ways. Every breath that hits your skin is a reminder of how much he wants you.

You release a quiet moan as he kisses his way down and slides off a strap of your dress. Deja vu hits when you find your breast exposed and his mouth on your nipple. But this time, it’s nowhere near enough. He’s desperate to have all of you.

“Oh—fu, Choso.”

Hearing you say his name triggers something in him—something primal, something feral. He doesn’t miss a beat as he places his hands around your ass to slide you into him. Seconds later, he hooks his arms under you until you’re straddling his waist.

Choso carries you over to his room while your hands begin to tangle in his hair. Something about this moment seems effortless. Well, actually everything about Choso seems effortless. It’s one of the qualities that keeps you wanting more—and right now is no exception. You crave him—his touch, his taste, the heat of his skin against yours.

As Choso sets you on the bed, you pull up the edges of his shirt over his head—revealing an intricate string of tattoos from his shoulder to his bicep. Fuck—as if you couldn’t be anymore attracted to him than you are now.

He finds your mouth once again and reaches his arm around your back to unzip your dress, slipping it down and tossing it to the floor.

Choso takes a moment to study every single curve of your body. “God, I never want to forget how beautiful you look. I think it’ll be forever ingrained in my mind.”

As he unlatches his belt and takes off his pants, you memorize every muscle—from his arms, to his abs and everything down below. The sight before you helps you piece together every memory you had of him from Friday night. Remembering how good he felt turned you on, but finally seeing the man who made it happen has you instantly soaked between your thighs.

The hunger in your eyes takes over you causing you to grab his arm and pull him down to you. You feel a sense of security knowing that his body is pressed up against yours. “Choso, I want you,” you breathe out.

A devilish smile forms before he pins your wrists to the bed. “It seems you have a reputation for being a bit hasty.” He buries his face into your neck, sucking your skin into his mouth. “I still have to return the favor.”

You arch your back as his mouth trails down your sides and eases off your panties. The feeling of his breath tickles your sex. He doesn’t go directly for your center, but instead begins to kiss around it. Your desperation turns into all out torture.

Choso places his lips onto your clit, causing shivers to shoot through your spine. “I promise we’ll get there, my love. But first, all you need to do is…relax.”

The hushed vibration of his tone lingers between you two, but before you know it, the wetness of his tongue sinks into you. He buries his tongue as deep as he can go before slurping up all the juice you have hidden inside.

A string of curses leave your lips. “F—Cho. Oh my god.”

“Mmm, you taste even better than the first night we met.” he moves to your clit and teases you with his tongue. All you want in this moment is for him to lap up all the wetness between your leg, but instead he toys with you—what a fucking sadist.

“Choso, please” you whisper.

He gently lifts to speak, his tone is laced with a mischievous charm. “Please what? I can’t hear you.”

Your shallow breaths leave you dizzy. “I want your tongue on me.”

His voice drops lower, leaving you intoxicated by the sound. “That’s it. Beg for it, princess.”

“Choso, please—”

He hears your calling and rewards your pleading by letting his tongue massage your clit. The feeling causes you to twitch. His tongue is hot, wet, and renders you completely silent—well, except for the faint moans that leave your lips.

As he continues his rhythm, you feel your body sizzle with heat. Your breath becomes short and labored as he grips your thighs. With your skin being so delicate you wouldn’t be surprised if he left bruises that would surely last for days.

Choso’s movements intensify and your fingers instinctively twist into the sheets beneath you. When they frantically search for something to hold onto, you know you’re almost at your peak.

“Fuck Choso, I’m so close—” you cry.

Choso keeps his pace and his final stroke sends you over the edge.

The coil within you unwinds as you tilt your head back to let the pleasure soak in. The endless feeling of peaks and valleys radiate from your core into the rest of your body. It’s like a rippling current of fire sweeps under your skin. Your body tenses until the last bit of ecstasy squeezes out of you.

Choso definitely made good on his promise, you’ll give him that. “We can call it even—consider your debt paid,” you say as your body relaxes, sinking into the sheets.

He gives you no time to react. Instead, he opens the drawer of his nightstand and takes out a condom. “Well then, I guess it’s time to start a new tab.” He leans back over to give you a quick kiss. “Now that you’re here, I have no intention of letting this end anytime soon.”

You watch him roll a condom onto his shaft, stunned by how big he truly is. You remember feeling him stretch you from the inside out, but seeing it with your own eyes is a different kind of euphoric. Choso is the type of big you’ve only dreamed about. Between that, his muscles, the tattoos, and his gorgeous face, it feels like this man has it all. And now you were going to have all of him.

“Why don’t you show me that pretty little pussy again?”

You open up your legs and slide one hand down the middle, spreading yourself wide open.

Choso’s eyes go wide. He’s never seen anyone as stunning as you. He’s hypnotized beyond his control, and he can’t bring himself to fight it—not that he’d want to.

He eases his way into you, causing a moan to escape your lips. Sliding into you was easy, but adjusting to his size was a different story—a deliciously painful one at that. If he was a sadist, you were a masochist, like a match fucking made in heaven.

“Fuck me—” Choso grits out. “So. goddamn. Tight.”

The feeling of him breaking you open feels like pure bliss. It’s like nothing else matters except you, Choso and the connection that was never meant to be broken.

His movements are steady but rhythmic. They start off gentle, but once he’s had enough to coat his whole length, the sound of his hips pounding into you begins to fill the room. Every thrust gets deeper and your moans only grow louder.

In. Out.

Just when you think he’s had his fill, Choso picks you up to claim you in every part of his room. He presses you up against the wall. When you try to take back control he has you bent over his desk. No spot is safe when it comes to demolishing every last bit of you—and you’re loving every second of it.

After pounding into you for what feels like hours, he returns you back to the bed. You’re exhausted but your hands still try to grab hold of something, anything—just so you can find a way to center yourself while he has you in a frenzy. They finally dig into his back and weave through his hair as if it's the only way to stay steady while he ravages you.

“You feel so ….fucking good …inside me.” you struggle to get out with every push. “Fuck—yes, Choso.”

Choso loves how you sound when he drills his way inside of you. When he sees you on the brink of unraveling, he picks up one of your legs and places it on top of his shoulder before pressing into you. This time it’s harder. This time he’s going faster. And this time, he’s slamming into a spot that has you hitting notes you’ve never hit before.

“Let me hear you, beautiful.” he purrs as he locks his gaze onto yours. “Let the whole fucking world hear.”

Just when you think Choso couldn’t make you feel any better, he takes his thumb and presses it into your clit—massaging it to match his pace. He moves in circles, hitting every spot in perfect sync. He has the hands of an artist and the touch of a god—this man will truly be the death of you.

“Just—just like that. I think…” you pant.

You don’t need to finish your sentence, because he already knows. “Yes baby girl, do it. Come all over me.”

“Choso, I want you to—”

When he looks down to you, you see an intoxicating mix of lust and sincerity in his eyes. “Don’t worry, I’m right there with you.”

His acknowledgement is all you need to push you past your limit. You explode into a throbbing mess and it doesn’t take long for Choso to follow.

“Fu- fuck—god. That feels—” he roars as his dick pulsates in you.

Your cheeks flush at the thought of him finishing inside you. The only thing that would make it better if it were raw instead.

Your orgasm this time feels as good as the last one, if not better. As your body stiffens, every nerve is on high alert. The surge of desire races through your veins, sending a shock of electricity through your body. When you begin to settle, your breath slows down, a contrast to the rapid pounding of your own heartbeat.

One final breath and Choso puts his arm around you, holding you close while his fingers trail through your hair. “How are you feeling?” he asks softly, his voice warm and soothing.

You want to respond, but your body has other plans. The feeling of his touch comforts you as you nuzzle closer and close your eyes. You fight the urge to flutter your lids, but the exhaustion begins to creep in despite your best efforts.

“Fantastic—,” you murmur, but even as you say it, you feel yourself dozing.

Choso kisses your forehead, his arms tightening around you. Being with him feels like a rush of pure, unfiltered joy where the world is impossibly right and there’s nothing that can go wrong.

You wish this was everyday life. But deep down inside, you know that it doesn’t work like that. It can’t work like that. It never works like that.

Stop, you tell yourself. Not tonight.

You push those reservations aside for another day.

✦✧✸✧✦

Choso lies still, feeling the weight of you in his arms. He debates whether he should wake you up or not so he can drive you home—after all, you both still have work tomorrow. But when he glances down and sees the peaceful look on your face, he hesitates. You look so comfortable, so safe.

Selfish, he thinks. I’m selfish for wanting you to stay.

He lets out a sigh. The idea of forcing you into the cold night and dealing with the weight of responsibility, feels like an unnecessary cruelty—for both of you. He takes a chance and decides he can take you home early in the morning with more than enough time for you to get ready. The thought of stealing a few more hours with you, even if it’s just to sleep is hard to resist.

Carefully, he slips his arm out from under you, moving with deliberate caution to avoid waking you. Once free, he stands and surveys the aftermath of the evening. Clothes are everywhere, the food is still out—everything is a chaotic mess but he doesn’t care because he made it with you. He picks up your clothes, setting everything neatly in one place. Then, with the same care, he moves to the kitchen to clean up the remnants of dinner—the half-empty wine glasses, the abandoned plates. He moves with quiet purpose, giving himself something to do as his mind races.

What am I doing? He wonders, putting away the remaining set of dishes.

You are everything he wants but someone he can’t have, unless you let him. You’re a strong, beautiful, and intelligent woman. But he can see it: even though you make an effort to try, you’re guarded, hesitant, as if afraid this could become something more.

Choso feels the invisible walls you’ve put up. He isn’t sure if it’s out of caution or traces of something deeper, but it makes him tread lightly. Yet here you are, asleep in his bed, and he can’t deny how badly he wants to be with you, to know you.

Once the mess is cleaned, Choso gets ready for bed, brushing his teeth and washing his face to cool the heat still lingering in his body.

He checks his phone and sets an alarm for 6 a.m. Hopefully that’ll be enough time to get you home before you need to start the day. As he slips back under the covers, he scoots closer to you and rests his hand on the curve of your hip. He closes his eyes, letting the rhythm of your breathing lull him to sleep.

✦✧✸✧✦

It’s 6:00am and the deafening sound of his alarm shatters the silence. Choso groans, blindly reaching out to shut it off. He rolls over instinctively, his arm seeking the familiar warmth of your body—but there’s nothing.

His eyes snap open. The sheets are rumpled but empty.

Sitting up, he glances around the room. Your clothes, your shoes—they’re gone. He grabs his phone, but there are no calls, no messages— nothing. The truth hits him like a cold gust of air.

No apartments after tonight, Choso reminds himself. He immediately dreads the fact that the night has ended and another day begins.

Choso drops back onto the bed, the empty space beside him feeling heavier now.

Everything now is crystal clear—there’s clearly a path you want to take. And while he wants to join you, he’s starting to question if he’s ready to follow.

taglist: @jud3thedude @makingtimemine @chosslut @liiiacke @trishiepo0 @celestialforce

#jjk smut #jujutsu kaisen smut #choso smut #choso kamo smut #choso x reader #choso x you #kamo choso smut #kamo choso x reader #choso kamo x reader #kamo choso #jjk x reader #jujutsu kaisen x reader

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sinnabarmoth · 2 days ago

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Tribute for the Dragon (5/18)

Pairing: Dragon|Sylus x Fem|Reader

Summary: Sylus comes across you in the hot spring but desires burn hotter.

Content Warnings: Adult language. Mutual masturbation.

Length: 2500

Chapters: (1) (2) (3) (4) (6)

Read on AO3

To say that life in the mountain was now much harder for Sylus to stand would be an understatement. After coming into the mountain that first time and finding it filled with scent of your arousal permeating every corner, he did not know how to function around you any longer. Even when you were not aroused he could still remember the scent with clarity, could still hear your voice moaning, and it drove him insane.

He was not angry by any means. No. He was worried that this would end up with him slamming you against a wall and fucking you mercilessly one of these days. He had thought you a pretty little treasure before but now he could not focus around you. The very idea of you was so intoxicating now it made him lose all sense. It was as if that day had unlocked something inside him that he would not be able to get back.

Everything finally came to a head one misty morning when he decided to take a soak in the hot springs. He was halfway there when he caught the scent of you already out there. That would not have been a problem in itself but this time it was not your normal scent. It was your arousal again.

Really, this dragon sense of smell was a blessing and a curse it seemed. Great for tracking food and enemies, and you when you got lost in the tunnels. It was nothing short of a menace now.

Reason told him to turn around and leave. He was already having a problem keeping his wits about him when he was around you now. He didn’t need to tempt the fates by getting closer to you while you were aroused. But did his feet listen to him? No. They carried him right to the hot springs where your nude and wet body was reclining in the hot steamy water.

He stayed in the entrance, claws dug deep into the wall to keep him tethered to reality. You were humming pleasantly, the smell of your arousal getting stronger the more you hummed. He watched for a moment and realized that one of your hands was underneath the murky water. You were touching yourself again.

This constant tension around you had to stop one way or another. And by the hells he was going to see if he could swing it in his favor.

He stood and watched, waited as you worked yourself up. Your eyes closed in rapture as your hand got quicker and quicker. You were close. So close.

Sylus scraped the claws dug into the wall down and your eyes snapped open as Sylus stepped out into the outcropping. Your eyes went wide and you sunk down to your chin in the water. “Oh hello,” you cleared your throat, “I was not expecting you to be out here so early.”

Your eyes drifted down to the towel around his hips. “I um, I’ll leave.” you said.

“There’s no need for that.” Sylus knew he was tempting fate but he could not stop himself. You averted your eyes as he discarded the towel and got into the hot spring with you.

You were keeping yourself pressed against the opposite side of the spring, arms crossed over your chest. Once he was in the water you looked at him again. “Really, master, I’ve been in here for a while. I can leave.”

“If you wish to go you may.” he said.

You looked around, staring at the spot nearby where you had left your own towel. “Um, can you close your eyes?”

“No.”

“Sylus!”

He knew he was getting under your skin when you forewent any title and just called him by his name. It made him grin. “There’s nothing for you to be ashamed about. The naked form is a very normal thing. No one judges the deer for not wearing clothes.”

“That’s because it’s an animal.”

“And so are we. Sentient thought does not excuse that we have instincts. We crave food when we are hungry, help when we are injured, and a companion when we are lonely. That’s about as animal as it gets.”

You groaned. “Well unlike animals, and I guess dragons, humans have a certain amount of privacy when it comes to their naked bodies. So please close your eyes.”

“I will not.”

You huffed, dropping the subject. Seemed you were intent on waiting him out. And all for what? So he wouldn’t see you nude? Granted, he wasn’t sure how he would react to seeing that either but your certain eccentricities were odd to him. Why were humans so cagey about their bodies? It was just another part of their society that he did not fully understand.

“If you’re not going to leave you can lather my hair again.” he said. He watched as your eyes widened, your arms clutching tighter around yourself.

“I’m still naked!”

“And does that really bother you? Do you think I’m going to do something to you?” Well, he may end up doing something to you but he had a feeling that you may not mind all that much if he did. Not if that new wave of arousal that sprang up around you was anything to go by.

“No, but--”

“Then there should be no problem. Come here.” he sent his tail out to wrap around your body, tugging you closer.

You gave a surprised yelp as the water rippled around you as you were yanked. Sylus had to grit his teeth against another fresh perfume of your arousal. You rolled your eyes but he was noticing you liked when he threw you around like this. There was so much he was learning about you.

He turned his back to you so you had some modicum of privacy. You had to sit on your knees to comfortably reach his hair and he could tell that it left the top half of you exposed to the air. All he wanted was to turn around and see more of your body, watch the way your nipples turned hard against the cool air of the mountain wind. Fuck he was salivating just thinking about it.

Deep breath. Control. Don’t scare her.

You grabbed the soap and went about washing his hair like you had last time. Your hands felt heavenly, so soft against his scalp. Fuck! He wanted to feel your touch all over his body.

Without thinking he leaned his head back against you, his head resting on your chest. He could hear your heart hammering behind his ear. You did not stop. Your hands moved further up and around the area of his horns. He took in a deep breath, the sensitivity of it rocketing down his body straight to his cock. It was a good thing the water was so murky so you couldn’t see how hard he was right then. It was made no better that with every small sigh of pleasure that escaped him your arousal grew. It made his head foggy with want. If he wasn’t careful he was going to do something reckless.

He needed to get a handle on this before he snapped. “It has come to my attention that despite the freedoms I’ve given you, I’ve still deprived you of something.” he said.

You tilted his head back to rinse out his hair. “What are you talking about?”

“Then again,” he continued, trying to control the growl in his throat, “you have probably been deprived on if since all the young men went off to fight the king’s war.”

“Can you speak plainly?”

Well, no avoiding it now. Either this was going to go one of two ways. “Do you know that dragons have a unique sense of smell? It is not a myth when people say that we can smell fear. But we can smell lots of other things too.”

“What does this have to do with anything?”

“Oh my dear little wildfire,” he grinned, “You want to know what I can smell on your right now? Your desire.”

“What?”

“It is a strong and heady scent. The other day I came back to the mountain and the halls were choked with it.”

“You must have been smelling something else cause I--”

“There’s nothing to be afraid of.” he turned finally but you had sunk back into the water. “I do not judge. You have urges just like any animal, it’s nothing to be ashamed about. I can smell it now. The steam cannot mask it. It rolls off you like perfume.”

He was closing in on you, your back pressed against the wall as he hovered over you. He leaned in close to your neck and inhaled deeply. “Intoxicating. Even now, I can smell it getting stronger and stronger.”

“Sylus…”

“I didn’t let you finish earlier, so you can do that now before you combust.”

You raised your chin high, an effort at exerting some control over the situation. “The reason I am going to combust is because you are talking about this with me. If you knew the entire time, why not tell me sooner?”

“More fun this way. Now, what are you going to do?” he leaned back just enough to look in your eyes, your pupils dilated wide. “Are you going to finish yourself off like I know you want to or are you going to run back to your room? The scent won’t go away any case, not until your body is rid of the feeling.”

He could see you debating. Your knee jerk reaction was to run but that lovely little brain of yours was not thinking rationally. He knew what you wanted. He knew the idea of it intrigued you. You wanted to touch yourself. You needed to touch yourself and it was driving you mad.

“I…I will do it myself. But you have to leave.” you turned your face away from him.

“Why?” he grabbed your chin and pulled your face back to his.

“Because I’m not touching myself while you are watching!”

“Do you want me to touch you?” he asked. More pleasure rolled off you and his eyes slipped closed as he inhaled it. Fuck he was so hard. “The idea intrigues you.”

“Stop sniffing me!” you shoved his face away.

“It’s impossible to not smell it.” he grabbed the hand that had been shoving at him and gave a small bite to your fingers. “Now, do you want me to touch you or are you going to do it yourself?”

“You think I’d let those claws anywhere near my cunt?” you eyed his hands.

“Oh that,” Sylus concentrated, the armor and claws around his hand retracting to reveal a normal human hand. Fucking hells. There was a reason he never did this and it was because it hurt like hell to do. But if it meant that he could sink his hand into your pussy it’d be a pain worth enduring.

You watched the claws retract into the armor of his arm and your brow furrowed. “If you could do that this entire time then how come I’ve been washing your hair?”

“Because it takes a lot of energy.” You didn’t need to know how badly it hurt to do. “But this isn’t about me, this is about you. Now answer the question. Are you touching yourself, or are you going to let me?”

You ducked out from his grasp and pressed yourself against the opposite wall. You were facing the wall so your back was to him and he worried for a moment you were going to leave. But the smile nearly split his face when he saw one of your hands disappear under the water.

Brave girl.

For a minute he indulged in basking in the scent and sight before him. Though you were facing away he could see the way your muscles flexed as you drove yourself higher. You tried biting them back but you couldn’t stop the hums and small gasps of pleasure.

Sylus could not take it any longer. His cock was aching to be touched. So he took himself in hand and began to stroke himself, all the while watching you.

He groaned aloud as his cock finally found some relief and your head turned to look at him. He caught you looking and you tried to turn back around but he wasn’t losing this too. “Don’t turn around. Look at me.”

You glanced back at him. “That’s an order from your master. Now turn and face me.”

If you had disobeyed he would have been disappointed but he would not press it. So he was so very pleased when you did turn around. One arm was slung over your breasts while the other played with your pussy. All the while you kept looking at him. Your eyes darted down to the place in the water where he knew you could tell he was stroking himself.

The scent of your arousal was so strong he wondered if it would permanently stick to him. You were getting close. And knowing that he was watching you pleasure yourself only turned you on more. He wanted to say something. Encourage you. Tell you to keep going until you finally came. But he kept it back. Another time perhaps.

Your attempts at hiding your pleasurable moans had dissipated and you let the free into the air. Sylus wanted to swallow each and every one. He gritted his teeth, the end almost upon him but he’d be damned if he came before you did.

Your breathing got shallower and your head tilted back, eyes closed as you neared your finish. You had stopped trying to protect the modesty of your breasts, instead pulling and pinching at the sensitive material of your nipples. He imagined taking one of those breasts into his mouth, teasing the nub himself with his tongue until it was a hard peak. Then he’d pull on it with his teeth and watch how you moaned and squirmed for him.

You covered your mouth, muffling the final sharp cry as you came. Sylus was not far behind and he came just a moment after.

You were slumped against the wall trying to catch your breath, your body shaking slightly in the aftermath. By the hells your were beautiful when you came.

“There,” he said, “Does that not feel better?”

Your head whipped to him, remembering that he was still in here with you. “This--this was an anomaly! It won’t be happening again!”

“If you say so.” he reclined against the wall of the spring, “But if you do ever decide you desire a partner for such activities, I’d be happy to provide such assistance.”

“You--you--” grabbed the bar of soap and hurled it at him. Sylus was shocked enough that he reached to grab it, stretching his arm up high to catch it. You had taken the moment he was distracted and leapt out of the hot spring and ran back inside the mountain.

“Well, that went better than expected.”

#love and deepspace #lads sylus #lads mc #sylus x mc #sylus x reader #dragon sylus #lads dragon au

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uniquecellest · 2 days ago

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Imagine a cherik sugar baby/daddy fic all Charles' pov. He and Erik have had the arrangement for a couple of years, yet Erik starts pulling away, Charles knowing that he's in love with Erik forcing himself to stay out of Erik's mind in fear that he'll see Erik wanting to break things off or he'll just push his own feelings into Erik making Erik think it's reciprocal when it's not.

Charles breaks it off still allowing Erik to live with him, Charles moving into a guest room bc to him Erik deserves the world. Erik finds a new place and on the day he leaves both hope for the other to say something. Neither does. Charles continues to stay out of the master bed bc of his memories with Erik, he considers getting a new place of his own and renting the place he shared with Erik or giving it to Raven. He and Erik throwing themselves into their studies/jobs as to not focus on what happened. (Maybe someone gets Charles into full blown alcoholism and drugs).

One night Azazel visits cause he's sick and tired of Erik being a sleep deprived dick but he sees Charles also sleep deprived and worse off than Erik, Charles isn't entirely sure Azazel is real. Azazel goes back to Erik not even talking to Charles. Then some days/weeks later Azazel drags a furious Erik (Erik having no idea where they were going and refused to go no matter where or to who) and Erik sees Charles in the worst stupper he has ever seen/known about. Erik stops Charles from taking another sip/injecting himself, Charles already out of his mind confesses that he knows that Erik is a hallucination but admits that he tried so much to get over Erik bc Erik doesn't want him (possibly never has) and the only way to get Erik off his mind was to be high/drunk all the time

Erik helps get Charles some food and water. Upon waking up the next day Charles finds out Erik wasn't a hallucination and Charles fears that after his confession Erik definitely doesn't want to be around him anymore and that he only stayed to make sure Charles woke-up. They talk, Charles wanting to avoid the subject - bc Erik out right rejecting him will only crush Charles even further - Erik is having none of it and wonders if Charles even loved him why didn't Charles reach out? Ask him what was going on instead of just breaking up? Charles doesn't speak for a moment. Erik decides to let Charles into his mind to see why he avoided Charles.

We see Erik coming to terms with being in love with Charles a few months after they started their arrangement, that love growing the more they're around each other, then a few weeks/a month or two prior to the break-up where Erik was planning an actual date for Charles after which he'd properly ask Charles out but then Charles broke-up with him and Erik felt that Charles found out and didn't want him despite Charles offering to let Erik still stay in their shared room, wanting Charles to confess the day he moved out. The days after going into a mind numbing pace of school/work/study. Erik asks to see Charles' thoughts, Charles shares, after which Erik kisses Charles and they start a new

#cherik #erik lehnsherr #charles xavier #magneto #xmen #professor x #x men #charles xavier cruhsing harder than a 12 yr old #charles xavier is emotionally constipated #charles xavier is bad at feelings #erik lehnsherr loves charles xavier #erik lehnsherr is emotionally constipated #erik lehnsherr is bad at feelings #erik lehnsherr is crushing harder than a 12 yr old girl #erik lehnsherr is a workaholic #charles xavier is a workaholic #charles xavier needs more exploration in his abuse of alcohol and dr*gs

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suitelif3 · 2 days ago

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The sweet taste of eggnog

rated t | 1.2k | ao3

For @steddiemas, prompt: baking, eggnog

The bell dinged above his head as he opened the door, immediately smelling the wafting scents of blueberry, lemon, chocolate, and gingerbread, overwhelming his nose with the sweet scents. Eddie could already feel his mouth watering, his sweet tooth on the prowl for something good. The variety of pastries and desserts were never ending, all of them stacked behind the glass counters. His eyes scanned his options, but had no idea where to start. Everything looked so good, he could hardly decide.

“Be with you in a minute!” A voice called from the back.

Eddie took his time walking up and down, peering through the glass, trying to narrow his options down.

“Hey, find what you’re looking for?” The voice said from right in front of him.

Eddie looked up to see a fucking Adonis of a man, he had gorgeous eyes that were shining brightly, chestnut hair pushed back with smears of flour in it and a light dusting of white on his cheek. The man seemed to be doing a lot of activity in the back since he had splotches of red along his neck and jawline. Eddie wanted to see how far down they went.

“Yes, absolutely.” Eddie gazed intently into this beautiful man’s eyes.

“Great! What can I get you?” The man grinned, his face radiating, and making Eddie positively weak at the knees.

“Your name.” Eddie breathed out. He flushed, not meaning to have said that out loud.

“Oh!” The man parted his lips in surprise, looking confused for a split second before turning his lips up into a soft smile. “It’s Steve.”

Eddie started coming in regularly, always eager to talk to Steve. Every time Eddie ordered something, they chatted about a multitude of things: their interests, hobbies, favorite movies, music they liked -“You need to listen to Master of Puppets, Steve. It has the best guitar solo you will ever hear!” “As long as you listen to Backstreets.” “Deal.”- trips they wanted to take, dreams they had for the future, and pretty much anything else they could think of. Eddie was falling for Steve harder the more and more he came into the bakery.

A couple months into Eddie coming by a few times a week - he noticed his pants were getting a little tighter - he decided he was finally going to ask Steve out. It was getting closer to Christmas, and he wanted to have some holiday dates with Steve like walking around looking at the lights, hands intertwined, and clutching mugs filled with hot chocolate. He wanted to wear ugly sweaters together, all snuggled by the fire, with A Wonderful Life playing in the background. He wanted to take a stroll through the snow, and maybe kiss Steve under the mistletoe when he came over. But he was running out of time.

He pushed open the door, the familiar ding of the bell interrupting the quiet from inside.

Steve came out from the back, holding a large cardboard box. His biceps flexed holding up the weight, and Eddie stared unabashedly.

“Hey, Eddie!” Steve smiled at him like he always did, his whole face lifting, crinkles around his eyes. He was so beautiful when he smiled like this. “We have some holiday specials, wanna try some?”

“I always want to try what you make, sweetheart.”

Steve honest to god giggled, and Eddie wanted to savor the sound if he didn’t get to hear it over and over again. He watched Steve put down the box, the veins of his arms protruding. “I was hoping you would come by today, I just baked a new batch I wanted to sell for the holidays this morning. We have some gingersnap, peppermint, shortbread, and eggnog cookies. Any of those sound appealing?”

“All of them do, sweetheart. But I do have some fond memories of the taste of eggnog.” Eddie briefly remembered the Christmas nights he would have with his Uncle Wayne, him taking off work from the plant, and spending the night with Eddie. How after the big Christmas dinner they could afford - mostly being boxed mac and cheese, deviled eggs, a casserole they could throw together, and maybe a discounted ham if they could fine one - they would drink their weight in eggnog, talk throughout the night and later fall asleep watching whatever Christmas movie they could find.

Steve nodded his head with a smile. “Eggnog it is then.”

Eddie waited until Steve got the cookies from the back, trying to obtain the confidence to ask Steve out. He fidgeted in place, hoping this would all go well.

Steve came back, presenting a whole tray of eggnog cookies. They smelled of saccharine, and looked delicious. The cookies were in the shape of a glass, with icing filling it with the color of eggnog. They were so cute and christmassy, and Eddie knew Steve put his all into these cookies. Like he always did.

Eddie picked a cookie off the tray, immediately taking a bite. He couldn’t help the little moan he let out around the cookie. It tasted so good, the flavor melting in his mouth, and taking him right back to those Christmas nights with his Uncle. The cookies tasted heavenly.

“Oh my god, Steve.” Eddie groaned out. “These are devine, literally transporting me to all the times I drank eggnog but sweeter! I need to take so many of these home, my Uncle would love them.”

“You can take as many as you want Eds. I can even give you a dozen on the house.” Steve winked at him.

“Literally marry me.” Eddie breathed out.

Steve flushed, the red spreading on his cheeks, all the way down his neck, maybe further but Eddie couldn’t see under his sweater. “Uh- what?” Steve half laughed.

Eddie froze, not believing he was ruining his chance. I mean how could he not want to marry the man who not only looked like a god but could bake the most godly creations Eddie had the pleasure of tasting. He wanted Steve in any way he could have him, and needed Steve to know that.

“Um, I mean, only if you would want to, but not like now! In like a couple years maybe, if things go well. But we also don’t have to! Just throwing it out there, really. But I would love at least a date. With you. At some point in the distant future. We could go on a holiday date maybe?” Eddie floundered.

He couldn’t read the look on Steve’s face, but it looked almost fond, endearing maybe? It was hard to tell behind all of the panic Eddie was currently feeling.

“I would love to.” Steve beamed at him.

“Oh! You would?” Eddie burned crimson, feeling hot all the way to the tips of his ears.

“Yes, Eddie. I’ve been waiting for you to ask.” Steve’s eyes sparkled, making him look even more stunning.

Steve leaned over the counter, reaching to pull Eddie closer. Eddie went willingly, helpless to do anything but follow.

Steve cupped his cheek, and pressed their lips together in a sweet, chaste kiss. When Steve pulled away, Eddie lingered in his space, their lips brushing. Eddie pulled him in again, deepening the kiss. He could taste the sweetness of Steve’s mouth, running his tongue along the edge. He savored the subtle hints of eggnog coating Steve’s soft lips. It was all he could ever wish for Christmas.

I’m actually pretty proud of this one! let me know what you think, always eager to hear comments <3

thank you to my beta reader @hiseyebrowsaregone!

#steddie #steddie fic #fluff #bakery au #baker steve #eddie x steve #prompt: baking #eggnog #getting together #so much fluff #steddiemas2024

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admirationandromantics · 3 days ago

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Painting Date

Another request, thank you for sending them!! I finally finished the prologue for the Chris story, so 1/12 parts done. Get ready.

Anyways, this is a little shorter than usual, because sometimes that just happens. This is an au where shit didn't go down, so enjoy <3

“Josh, get two glasses of water!” I shout to the kitchen, getting the last colours piped on the pallet. We were on Blackwood Mountain, a weekend getaway to relax and calm down, a way to disconnect from the bothers of the real world. The first day was painting. I brought a bunch of paint, a couple of canvases and some brushes. We sat up in front of the big windows of the lodge, looking out on the sublime mountain. We may not be master artists, but even they cannot do the landscape justice. Whatever it turned into, I would love it. Anyways, the most important thing was to destress, to merge into nothingness and build our relationship without interference.

“Here we go” Josh exclaims, walking in with two cups, almost filled to the brim. I actually meant two cups each, but it’s too late to ask him about it now. He puts them on the table in front of us, kissing my head before sitting down beside me.

“Damn, it’s beautiful outside” he says, eyes wide from the mesmerizing view.

“Yeah, I know, we should come her more often”

“We really should, shame about the snow though”

I look out, seeing the white neat blanket covering trees and stone. It’s absolutely beautiful, whatever does he mean? The snow is untouched by both animals and humans, nature in its purest form.

“It’s natural, untouched, what’s wrong?”

“We could’ve at least made some snow angels, if you know what I mean” he answers teasingly. He’s turned to me, brow arched and a smirk plastered on his lips. I laugh at him, at his suggestive tone. How forward.

“Get your head out of the clouds before the paint dries”

“Doesn’t look dry to me”

I comply, adding to the tension he’s building. My finger finds its way to the blue paint, taking a small amount before smearing it on his nose. His mouth opens in surprise, shocked by my challenge. I take it a step further, smiling as I tease him.

“I guess you’re right, it isn’t dry”

“You didn’t just do that”

“I believe I did”

He leans forward, and I do the same, meeting each other in the middle for a kiss. Lips collide, soft and hungry. His tongue licks my lower lip, begging for entrance. I let him, tongue roaming in my mouth as I deepen the kiss. My hand fares to his neck, pulling him closer. His wet nose graces over my skin, and I feel the paint stain my face. He’s adorable.

He shifts, and I open my eyes to see his hand subtly coat itself in paint. He acts quick, hand shooting forward. Luckily, I notice, and pull back just in time.

“Josh…” I try to calm him down, talking sense to get to an agreement. He stands up, walking towards me. I step back in response, mirroring the movement.

“You so gonna get back”

“No, Josh, it was just a little, that’s a lot” I explain, pointing down to his green-covered hand. He continues smiling, coming closer towards me. I take a leap, jumping over the sofa so we’re on opposite sides. He laughs at me, but keeps up his pace, walking around the furniture. I do the same, still being on opposite sides.

“You think you’ll get away that easily?”

“Well, you love me, you’ll let me off the hook in a couple of minutes”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes, really” I smile as I continue going round. He pulls a heavy chair on the other side, blocking the path I’ve been going three times already. Shit. He then starts running, making me yelp as I go the same route, trying to climb over the chair.

I’m too slow, and he grabs hold of my waist with his clean hand as I squirm and shout.

“I swear to God, Josh, I’m gonna kill you”

His green hand comes closer, and I keep trying to get out of his grip. It doesn’t work. He’s caging me, arm strong as he holds me in place.

“No, no, no!”

His hand makes its way to my face, but I grab it with both my arms, holding him centimeters away. He’s strong, and I tilt my head upward as he makes contact with my throat, grabbing harshly. I choke a bit, air leaving as I try to kill a moan. His body is pressed up against my back, hand still around my waist to get me closer. He pushes more on my throat, causing my head to fall back on his shoulder, ear against his mouth.

“Told you that you wouldn’t get away that easily”

He kisses my ear, hand moving from my side up to my chest, groping. I let out a whine, feeling my heat pool as he continues touching me. Suddenly, he lets go, taking my hand with his clean one and dragging me back to the canvases.

“What just happened?” I ask, confused by the sudden change in atmosphere.

“Let's paint before it dries”

“Wait, you can’t do all that and just stop”

“Yeah I can”

“Asshole”

He smirks, sitting down in front of the windows yet again. I do the same, taking a deep breath and feeling up my throat. The paint is dried, a green handmark showing exactly how he held me.

“For once, it’s not red” he whispers, paintbrush already in hand as he starts painting.

“Oh, just wait, I’m gonna get you back”

“I’d love to see you try”

#until dawn #joshua washington #josh washington #josh washington x reader #josh washington x reader smut #until dawn josh #josh x reader #josh washington imagines #josh washington until dawn #joshua washington x reader smut #joshua washington smut #joshua washington x reader #josh washington smut #until dawn headcanons #until dawn imagines #until dawn oneshots

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devildomwriter · 17 hours ago

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You Go To See A Christmas Carol Part IV

It’s intermission and it’s not going quietly, if anything it’s getting much worse even with the cops gone.

Mammon: “…”

Satan: “You’re awfully quiet Mammon…”

Mammon: “Do you guys think I love money more than people?”

Everyone: “Yes.”

Mammon: “…”

Mammon: “Ya don’t think a ghost’ll come after me though right?”

Solomon: “I can arrange it.”

Lucifer: “So can I.”

Diavolo: “That sounds like great fun.”

Mammon: “Hell no, don’t you dare! Some ghost ain’t gonna teach me a lesson or make me cry dammit!”

Belphegor: “Then why were you wiping away tears when Belle left, huh?”

Luke: “Wow Belphie you actually stayed awake?”

Belphegor: “I enjoy watching Mammon’s future play out in front of him.”

Diavolo: “Hahahaha.”

MC: “Well, I think I need a drink, where was that bar?”

Lucifer: “I’ll show you.”

MC: “Can you walk there?”

Lucifer: “I only had two beers, that’s water to me.”

MC: “If you say so.”

Diavolo: “Perhaps I’ll get a drink too.”

Barbatos: “I can fetch it for you Young Master.”

Diavolo: “Thank you Barbatos.”

Solomon: “So…”

Diavolo: “…”

Solomon: “Are we gonna prank Mammon later?”

Diavolo: “Message me.”

Solomon: “Right.”

Mammon: “You guys are being suspicious!”

Asmodeus: “I’m back! What did I miss!”

Everyone: “Asmo!”

Asmodeus: “Hey guys! I could hear most of the play, that Scrooge guy is a lot like Mammon, yeah?”

Satan: “Sadly the resemblance is so uncanny I cannot separate the two in my mind anymore. You ruined a Christmas Carol for me Mammon!”

Mammon: “What the hell did I do?”

Simeon: “Well there’s still the ending, right Satan? And I’m sure Mammon won’t be so much like the character then?”

Mammon: “Huh? Does something happen to Scrooge?”

Simeon: “I’m not going to spoil anything for you.”

Mammon: “So…Asmo. What were you up to?”

Asmodeus: “More like who was I in to?”

Simeon: “Luke let’s get some popcorn.”

Diavolo: “I think I’ll go find Barbatos.”

Belphegor: “Beelzebub let’s get some refills.”

Beelzebub: “Okay.”

Solomon: “You know I think I’d like to hear this story too.”

Asmodeus: “Ugh, they’re all such prudes! But not you Solomon.”

Solomon: “I don’t know if that’s a compliment…”

Asmodeus: “Yeah so anyway I just charmed the cops so they thought everything was fine. They were kinda confused about why they were there to begin with but they got one look at me and that’s all they needed!”

Solomon: “You didn’t charm them, right?”

Asmodeus: “Into having sex?”

Asmodeus: “Hell no. I’m not into that dubious consent stuff, not unless it’s roleplay.”

Solomon: “Well that’s all I need to know. Where are they now?”

Asmodeus: “I sent them on their way. Told them they need a vacation from all this mess.”

Solomon: “Well they’re probably not even in the city anymore if you told them to leave…”

Asmodeus: “Aren’t I so kind! I’m even sending people on vacations!”

Solomon: “Sure…”

Mammon: “Hey Asmo? Didn’t ya have some fancy necklace on earlier?”

Asmodeus: “My Devicci? What! Where is it!? Mammon you didn’t take it did you!”

Mammon: “No! I was gonna though that’s why I noticed!”

Asmodeus: “Ugh! I probably dropped it in that room! Mammon come help me find it.”

Mammon: “Why me!?”

Asmodeus: “As punishment for trying to steal it!”

Mammon: “Fine.”

MC: “Oh, hey Asmo. Where are you going?”

Asmodeus: “My necklace!”

MC: “What!?”

Mammon: “His necklace!”

MC: “…okay then. I think I’ll get a second beer in case…”

Lucifer: “You’re a lightweight we’ll start you small. You’re in front of Diavolo and Luke remember?”

MC: “Right. Can’t embarrass myself in front of him, that’d be a nightmare. You’re used to it though so you can have my beer instead.”

Lucifer: “Hold on a minute?”

MC: “The lights are blinking we need to head back.”

Solomon: “Welcome back you two.”

MC: “Where did everyone else go?”

Solomon: “They weren’t interested in hearing about Asmo’s escapades.”

MC: “Oh. So are the cops gone?”

Solomon: “They are somewhere.”

MC: “Not here though?”

Solomon: “Not those two, no.”

MC: “Okay good. I didn’t see any on the way to the drinks either.”

Solomon: “I see. It must’ve calmed down then.”

Lucifer: “Finally. I don’t want to have to deal with anything else tonight, that fiasco earlier was enough.”

MC: “Yeah. They really thought Levi was trying to trap me too.”

Lucifer: “Hehe, Levi?”

MC: “The officer guy out front was really worried about me, I didn’t mean to scare him. He gave me a line to call if I needed help, Levi took the card to look up what it was and now he’s suspicious. …Where did he go anyway?”

Leviathan: “I’ve been here the entire time, how could you not notice me?”

MC: “What? You didn’t leave when Asmo was talking about…stuff?”

Leviathan: “Did he say something weird? I had my headphones on.”

MC: “Nope…”

MC: “Okay, so everyone’s here except for Mammon and Asmodeus…”

Luke: “No! Mammon has to see the end of the play! It’s really important.”

MC: “Luke I hate to break it to you but this play isn’t gonna set him straight.”

Luke: “Aww.”

Satan: “It was getting to him though.”

MC: “We can show him the movie.”

Luke: “There’s a movie?”

MC: “Yeah, we can watch it together later if you want.”

Luke: “Yeah!”

The countdown projected onto the curtains stopped and the theatre went dark. Murmurs turned to whispers and all was quiet as the story resumed.

Meanwhile, downstairs Asmo and Mammon were scrambling.

Mammon: “It’s stupid dark down here.”

Asmodeus: “Ugh I know! We have nocturnal vision why is it still so dark!?”

Mammon: “Do we have nocturnal vision? Did we ever get that…?”

Asmodeus: “Umm, I think we do?”

Mammon: “What is this place anyway? Buncha giant—aaaaah!”

MC: “Did you guys hear a scream just now?”

Lucifer: “…”

MC: “Never mind.”

[The Ghost of Christmas Present shows Scrooge his assistant spending time with his family and crippled young son, Tiny Tim. Even Scrooge’s heart is warmed by the young boy.]

[He is then zipped to his nephew’s Christmas party. The bright home is full of giant presents and fancifully dressed guests and Scrooge begs to stay. As the day continues the ghost begins to age.]

Luke: “Ew, how did they do that with his face?”

Simeon: “Makeup?”

Satan: “I think it’s a trick of the light?”

MC: “He looks like he’s melting. Solomon, you’re so far past that stage of life.”

Solomon: “Haha, you have no proof.”

Asmodeus: “Mammon you gave me a heart attack!”

Mammon: “Th-Th-That thing…”

Asmodeus: “Huh? Ooooh, it’s the Grim Reaper, looks like a giant costume that someone stands in like a puppet! How neat!”

Mammon: “Wait? Are we in the prop room?”

Sounds of squeaking wheels echo in the room as something large is being moved.

Staff A: “Get the reaper prop ready! And dim the lights just a little, we don’t want the audience to see anything!”

Staff B: “On it! Casey come help me with this thing.”

Mammon: “Shit! Hide!”

Asmodeus: “Shh! Be quiet! What are we supposed to hide in, they’re gonna turn the lights back on.”

Mammon: “This thing, there’s a door!”

Asmodeus: “Hurry, hurry!”

Staff B: “Did you hear something?”

Staff C: “Maybe it was a ghost?”

Mammon: “G-ghost?”

Asmodeus: “I cannot believe you’re my brother, they’re talking about us, dimwit.”

[The ghost of Christmas present reveals two small deformed children, Want and Ignorance.]

MC: “Damn he just defined my whole generation.”

[The ghost laughs as he dies and fades into nothing.]

MC: “Yeah, that’s still really accurate to my generation…”

Luke: “That was amazing!”

Beelzebub: “That’s pretty sad…”

Simeon: “You have such a kind heart Beelzebub.”

Beelzebub: “He was so big. Like jelly.”

Luke: “Huh? Did you think he looked tasty!?”

[As the second ghost disappears Scrooge recoils as the third ghost confronts him looking like a grim reaper.]

[Scrooge is taken by the Ghost of Christmas Yet-to-Come through several scenes of people talking about and celebrating a man’s death.]

[Two men discuss the riches he left behind.]

[Others trade and sell the man’s things.]

[A couple rejoices that their cruel creditor is dead.]

[Scrooge begs to know the name of the dead man and is faced with his own gravestone. Scrooge pleads for his fate to be changed and promises to renounce his greedy, uncaring ways and finds himself back in his bed Christmas morning.]

Luke looked relieved unsure how this was going to play out and Diavolo smiled at the turn of events despite having seen this play before.

You grinned and held his hand choosing to relax but that was quickly changed.

Staff B: “This box is a lot heavier than I remember?”

Staff C: “Didn’t they put the toys in here or some kinda confetti canon?”

Staff B: “Oh yeah.”

Mammon: “…”

Asmodeus: “…Mammon.”

Mammon: “Yep…we’re dead.”

[Scrooge attends his Nephew’s party full of giant gifts and is welcomed inside.]

Scrooge: “I’m here… If you’ll have me.”

Nephew: “Uncle! I told them you would come!”

Nephew: “Come in! Come in! Martha the present!”

[The present burst open with confetti and a loud scream.]

Lucifer: “…”

Diavolo: “…”

Satan: “…”

Barbatos: “…”

Solomon: “…”

Simeon: “…”

Belphegor: “…”

Beelzebub: *munch* *munch*

Leviathan: “…”

Luke: “Huh!?”

Mammon: “…”

Asmodeus: “…”

Actors: “…”

Lucifer: “Hehe…hehehehe…”

Diavolo: “Oh dear.”

MC: “Umm…Lucifer…”

Solomon: “Where do you suppose he’s going.”

Diavolo: “…This isn’t going to go well…”

Mammon: “What do we do?”

Asmodeus: “Start singing?”

Without prompt, Mammon and Asmo begin trying to sing a carol in unison.

Nephew: “My it appears a few of my guests had a bit too much to drink.”

Scrooge: “You see them too?”

Nephew: “Why of course? You didn’t think you were seeing things now did you uncle? Besides I need not see them, it’s impossible to not hear such a ratchety sound.”

Mammon: “Ratchedy!? I’ll show you!”

Asmodeus: “Sweetie you were so off-tune, calm down!”

Scrooge: “Who’s that at the door?”

Nephew: “My, I don’t believe we’re expecting more guests. Perhaps carolers have graced our manor today to make up for this awful intrusion.”

Diavolo: “…”

Belphegor: “…”

Barbatos: “…”

MC: “Yep, he’s drunk.”

Dressed in the style of the cast, something he no doubt stole from another unfortunate actor lucifer walked into the scene like he belonged there.

Lucifer: “Pardon me good sirs I’ve come to collect a few uninvited guests I believe they mixed up the addresses on the invitations I sent out.”

Nephew: “Yes, please do collect your friends, I’m afraid they’re in quite the state given how horribly they’re dressed.”

Asmodeus: *gasp* “You did not just say that to me!”

Mammon: “Here we go.”

Asmodeus: “I AM fashion! You filthy peasants should be honored to lay your eyes upon me.”

Mammon: “On three?”

Lucifer: “Up you go!”

Asmodeus: “Hey don’t you dare carry me away like some drunk! I don’t care who these people are pretending to be they do not get to critique my style when they’re dressed like British hobos from the 16th century! I would know! I was there!”

The audience claps as Lucifer and Mammon carry Asmodeus off stage.

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#obey me shall we date #obey me skit #obey me 25 days of Christmas #25 days of obey me Christmas #obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #obey me satan #obey me leviathan #obey me asmodeus #obey me Beelzebub #obey me belphegor #obey me diavolo #obey me solomon #obey me simeon #obey me luke #obey me barbatos #funny obey me #obey me story

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icarusflewsworld · 3 days ago

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Rhysand & Cassian & Azriel X OC

Hello, here is the chapter 19 of a fanfiction on the world of Acotar where our three favorite Batboys are the mates of a single woman.

I hope you enjoyed reading and had a good time!!!

Since it's Christmas next week, the next chapter or maybe the next chapters will be posted in a week. On Friday, December 27th.

So I wish you an excellent day and a good weekend. But above all I wish you a very very very merry Christmas with lots and beautiful presents under the your Christmas tree. I hope you are happy. With all my love, ❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹

! Don't forget to read the other chapters ! : Here

Enjoy the read ! ❤️❤️❤️

Chapter 19

Azriel's leg bounced nervously up and down and his fists were clenched on his thighs. Despite the fact that he was sitting on the living-room sofa, his back was straight, contracted all over. He stared at his lord in awe, "You're not seriously considering this, Rhys?" He'd thought he was hallucinating when his brother had offered to take Luxiana to the Weaver to retrieve her mother's ring. He'd thought he was hallucinating when his brother had proposed taking his little, smiling, sunny, weak and fragile mate to steal from a creature as powerful, crazy, cruel and dangerous as the Weaver. "It's far too dangerous! She's only human!"

Rhysand sighed again. He had crossed his arms. He was trying to stand up straight and look confident as his two brothers stared at him in horror. "Precisely, as she has no magic, the Weaver won't feel her. She'll just have to be as quiet as possible." He'd given it a lot of thought last night. His mother had left his engagement ring with the Weaver for several reasons: so that he wouldn't misuse it, and to make sure that the woman he wanted to marry was strong enough. His mother had explained to him that becoming the wife of a high lord was dangerous, and that the person he wished to marry would have to be at least cunning and courageous enough to steal his ring from the Weaver. Even so, he couldn't quell the huge ball of anguish clenching his stomach violently. He knew Azriel was right. It was so dangerous and he was so afraid for his mate.

"And if she detects her, what are we going to do, eh, Rhys?" spat Azriel, rising from the sofa abruptly. He could feel that his eyes were wide open and he could well imagine them injecting with blood. He wanted to make his brother eat the floor. How could he contemplate putting their soul mate in such danger over a stupid ring? He held back from staring at his lord with a grimace of disgust. He didn't deserve Luxiana.

Cassian was on the other sofa. He had his neck bent back and a thinking gaze on the ceiling. He was thinking. His two brothers were right. He didn't like knowing his mate was in danger, but he knew Rhysand's mother would have wanted Luxiana to be able to get through this. Especially when she was linked to the three of them. He wanted so much to respect the woman who had saved him from cold and starvation, but at the same time, he was terrified that his cute little human would end up hurt. Or worse. But he also knew she was resourceful and could survive. In any case, he wouldn't let anything happen to her, even if he had to die under the power of the weaver, he'd get his future wife to safety first. "Then we'll go get her and protect her," he asserted to Az, straightening his head to stare at the Illyrian with the blue siphons.

Azriel turned towards Cassian to widen his eyes. "Because you're okay with this???" he shouted through clenched teeth. He felt like he'd been plunged into water so cold he couldn't breathe. He was tetanized by the hatred he felt for his brothers.

"Cass is right, there's no reason for her to get hurt, we'll prevent that from happening," Rhysand added in a calm voice he didn't even know how he managed to have, while inside he was as anxious and trembling as Azriel.

"What if we don't make it in time??" The spy master gesticulated in all directions. "Need I to remind you who the Weaver is? She's considered a goddess because she's so powerful! Far more powerful than the three of us put together, Rhys. She's protected by laws and a high lord isn't allowed near her. Whatever happens, it will only get us into trouble. And I don't want any of that trouble to be my soul mate being injured!"

Rhysand let all his air go as he dropped onto one of the sofas. He knew he'd break every law to keep his soulmate from getting hurt, and that he'd take the consequences without flinching. But he also knew that Azriel was not wrong and that many things could go wrong. He rested his elbows on his knees and buried his face in his hands. He stayed like that for a moment, hating himself with every fiber of his being. He hated himself. He'd never get over it if Luxiana was hurt because of him. The Weaver was so powerful that anything could happen to Luxiana before he could reach her and teleport her away. But at the same time, all Luxiana had to do was to go in, steal the ring and come out all silent. The Weaver was blind, she wouldn't even know she was there.

He dropped his forearms to his thighs to stare at Azriel with a worried but sad look on his face. "I believe in fate and I'm convinced that my mother knew what she was doing. I'm convinced that she subconsciously knew that the three of us would share the same soul mate and that's why she adopted you. I'm convinced she suspected that our soul mate would be able to get that ring back. She wouldn't have left it there otherwise."

"Rhys, do you hear yourself?" shouted Azriel, flabbergasted. "Your mother wasn't a prophet! You want to risk our soulmate’s life for a stupid ring!"

Rhysand gritted his teeth and lowered his eyes.

Cassian leapt to his feet, anger pulsing through his veins all at once. "Be careful how you talk. She saved us. We owe her respect. And anyway, I told you, I wouldn't let our mate die."

Azriel glared at him. How dare he think he didn't respect Rhys's mother when he considered her his own. But he could believe whatever he wanted. The important thing now was his Luxiana. "What if she's hurt? Can you imagine her in pain? Can you bear the thought of her suffering, even for a second? I can't. I can't! It would destroy me to know she's in pain, even if it's just a scratch! And you too, for God's sake. Even ignoring the fact that she's our soul mate, we're Illyrians, it's in our fucking genes. It would kill us to see her hurt!" He grunted, trying to calm himself but failing. He turned to his lord to speak more calmly. "Rhys, you know I loved your mother, but there's no way she could have known our soul mate was human and fragile. She certainly wouldn't have left that ring there otherwise."

A heavy silence settled over them, pressing down on their chests. Azriel couldn't breathe, but he didn't even realize it, too absorbed in killing his two brothers with his eyes. Cassian looked doubtfully between Rhysand and Azriel. They were both right, and he was lost. He didn't know what to do or think. Rhysand was staring into space. He felt so bad. So guilty for having suggested this. He'd never get over it if Luxiana was hurt because of him.

"Maybe we're getting in over our heads," Cassian finally says, forcing his two brothers to turn questioning irises on him. "Let's just tell her the idea and the risks and leave it at that. It's her choice, after all."

Azriel rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Haven't you figured out who she is yet? I mean, she's bound to want to. She doesn't seem to give a damn about putting her life in danger. It's up to us to stop her, but you don't seem to have figured that out yet."

Rhysand cleared his throat so as not to look as bad as he felt. "Maybe, but anyway, if we don't keep her busy, she's going to want us to go and get the book of breathing so she can get back to Feyre as soon as possible. At least this way, we keep her with us a little longer."

Azriel closed his eyes fiercely, his nostrils swelling. He couldn't believe his ears. None of them deserved Luxiana. And worst of all, he didn't stand a chance against them. They were two against him.

"Let's go wake her up and talk to her about it," Cassian breathed as he rose to his feet. "We'll see what happens and what she says."

Rhysand nodded, stood up and set off. Azriel reluctantly followed his two brothers. They walked in a heavy silence. Azriel gritted his teeth so hard his skull ached. His gait was stiff. Rhysand walked swiftly with an air of determination, but it was mainly to get there as quickly as possible before ducking out. He felt like throwing up. Cassian could feel a mixture of similar emotions running through his veins. He felt everything his brothers felt. He was lost. He moved forward with folded arms.

They arrived in front of Luxiana's room. Rhysand's almost trembling hand rose to knock on the door, and they waited there, restraining themselves from running away. The door opened slowly, revealing their soul mate. And when they discovered her - in a white silk nightie reaching halfway up her thighs, with what seemed to be the remains of a bun around her tangled hair that went in all directions, with a face marked by the folds of the sheets as she looked at them with half-closed eyes - nothing else mattered. Nothing else mattered to the three Illyrians but her.

"Hum?" she groaned, squinting a little more. She glanced at the morning sunlight seeping through her bay window before shifting her pupils to the three Illyrians. What time was it? What were they doing there? God, they were so sexy. She wasn't used to this kind of vision as soon as she woke up, but she liked the idea. She rubbed both eyelids with her fists. She rested her irises on the three Illyrians in front of her, whom she suddenly found abnormally white. "Is everything all right? What's going on?" She cleared her throat, but her voice was still raspy.

Cassian couldn't help but laugh tenderly, almost mockingly, as he detailed her. Her pupils sparkled so brightly he could feel them. He stared down at her hungrily. She was so sexy like that. The desire awakening inside him heated him up completely. God, he wanted to kiss every inch of her legs.

Fireworks exploded in Azriel's chest, spreading through his whole body to tickle him. His arm muscles burned, he wanted to hug her. His fingers stung, he wanted to touch her. He moistened his dry lips, he wanted to kiss her. How could anyone be so cute? His soul mate was the sweetest woman who'd ever walked this earth. There was no way he was going to let Rhysand put her in danger.

Rhysand's heart missed a long beat. A very long one. So long that he felt like falling, forcing him to take a step back to catch himself. He wanted to see this every morning. He just wanted to spend his life with this woman. His whole life. But she was only human. It would be so short. He had to preserve her to keep her alive as long as possible. Anyway, he couldn't even imagine hurting her. "Nothing," he finally breathed, smiling.

Cassian and Azriel turned a shocked, questioning gaze towards him. Rhysand took another step backwards, paying no attention to his brothers. "Nothing at all," he added in the same way. He took a deep breath, relieved. It was safer this way. "Sorry to have bothered you." Unable to restrain himself, he raised his hand to gently caress the angle of his soulmate's jaw with his fingertips. It had only lasted a second before his arm fell back, but he'd been electrocuted through and through. He took another step backwards.

"But Rhys...," Cassian began in their heads with total incomprehension and glancing at Azriel who was in the same state.

"Az was right, I'm an asshole," he replied telepathically. "How could I even think for a second about putting our soul mate in danger. Look at her. It's out of the question. I don't want to risk it," he turned to start walking away from the room. He cursed himself. How could he have considered taking such a risk?

Azriel took a deep breath as he closed his eyes. His brother had come to his senses. He wasn't so bad after all. He returned his gaze to Luxiana, who detailed them with a curious, tilted head. He smiled tenderly. She was so adorable. "Go back to bed." He reached for the handle to close the door, but Luxiana shook her head at the sight of him.

She slipped through the room's narrowing opening to chase Rhys, grabbing him by the sleeve of his black jacket. The lord stopped abruptly to turn back to her with wide-open eyelids. "Why are you here?" the blonde insisted.

Rhysand took a breath to speak, but Luxiana interrupted him by crossing her arms with a stern look. "And don't tell me it's nothing. There's got to be a reason." She suspected he hadn't just come to wake her up, he would have told her otherwise. No, something had happened and she was determined to find out what.

Cassian leaned against the wall beside him, quietly watching the scene unfold before him. He smiled, knowing that Luxiana was about to martyr his two brothers.

Rhysand looked at her tenderly, he couldn't help it. She was so stubborn and reckless. He couldn't lie to her and anyway, he had no other explanation coming to him. "We...," he searched for his words as he lowered his eyes, feeling ashamed. "I wanted to take you somewhere but it's too dangerous after all. I've changed my mind."

Luxiana frowned so hard that it distorted her whole face. She squinted. "Go where?" Then she smirked, "if it's dangerous, I'm in!"

Azriel looked up at the ceiling before casting a reproving look at his soulmate. "Of course," he growled. "That's why we're not going. You're too reckless."

"It doesn't matter anymore, anyway," Rhysand added, shaking his hand toward his brother. "We're not going, that's decided."

Luxiana made a disappointed, whimsical pout. "If you don't want to go because I'd be in danger, don't you think that's for me to decide?"

"That's exactly what I said," Cassian smiled proudly.

"Owwwn," moaned the blonde, turning to Cassian with a tender look on her face. "I knew it, you're the cutest of the three."

Cassian smiled with all his teeth as he puffed out his chest, but Azriel and Rhysand glowered at him.

Luxiana turned back to Rhysand with determination and a little anger. At least, that's what she was trying to let on, because she wasn't really angry. She thought all three of them were cute. "Besides, I don't see why you're worried about me. It can't be that dangerous."

"It is," Azriel articulated, crossing his arms.

"That's for me to decide," she glanced sideways at the master spy before refocusing on the lord. "Where did you want to take me?"

Rhysand, unsure of what to do, glanced at Cassian, who nodded in encouragement, then set his pupils on Azriel, who shook his head from left to right to dissuade him. The lord huffed. “We wanted to take you to see a creature called the Weaver. She's a fae who.... "

"Oh Stryga!?" she exclaimed, interrupting him with a big smile. "Yes, I know," she nodded, waving her hand in the air to urge Rhysand to abbreviate his explanation and resume.

The three Illyrians frowned, casting confused glances at each other. "What do you mean you know?" asked Azriel, staring at her from the side. Cassian straightened up to walk over to Rhysand and get a good look at his soulmate's face.

Luxiana looked up, opening her mouth several times in search of her words. She held back a grimace. She had spoken too fast again, without even thinking about what she was saying. She needed to collect herself now. "I read a lot of books," she shrugged, throwing the shadowsinger a smile, it wasn't a lie after all. "Stryga is the super-powered fae from another dimension exiled to the forest hundreds of years ago, blah, blah, blah, I know my stuff. So what did you want me to do? You wanted me to kill her?"

The three Illyrians raised their eyebrows in surprise, blinking several times at this unexpected statement. But although they found it strange, they didn't suspect it was a lie. In any case, there was no way she could have known the Weaver otherwise.

Cassian blew out a laugh at the last words of his soul mate, who had the most serious face possible. "No, no, I doubt it's even possible to kill her, and even less by you."

"Oh well, I'm pretty sure I can," she asserted in all seriousness, nodding several times.

Azriel caught the bridge of his nose and sighed. Damn it, if she really knew who the Weaver was, how could she think she could kill her? She was so naive.

Rhysand looked at her tenderly. He smiled, shaking his head. "No, we wanted you to go steal something from her."

Luxiana darkened her brows, "Steal what? Why me?" Then she widened her eyes after a moment's thought. "This is some kind of test before summer court to make sure I'll be able to steal the book, right???"

Rhysand let out a little laugh with Cassian. He nodded, trying to hide the mocking glint in his pupils. "That's right, but...," resumed the lord before being interrupted by Luxiana.

"Hihi," she said, shaking both her clenched fists in front of her. She turned in one swift motion, gliding gracefully across the floor as she started to make a dash for her room. "I'm going to get ready."

Azriel had the reflex to catch her by the forearm before she entered her room. His soul mate turned to him to find out what he wanted. "We said no, we're not going. It's much too dangerous for you."

Luxiana turned to glare at the master spy. She crossed her arms. "But if I'm the one who'll be in danger, then that's my decision."

"No, precisely, it's not your decision, since you're not capable of making a reasonable one," Azriel spat dryly. Then he closed his eyes for a second, cursing himself for his tone and words, but Luxiana wasn't even a little intimidated or hurt.

She shrugged with a doubtful grimace. "She's old and blind, certainly no threat to me."

Azriel thought she was so cute, he could have smiled if he hadn't been so worried.

Luxiana anchored pupils glowing with supplication in those of the three Illyrians in turn. "Listen, I just want to prove to you that I can do it. Because I can. Trust me."

Rhysand's heart slammed against his ribs. He couldn't resist his mate’s adorable face. And he didn't want to hurt her when he trusted her. He took a deep breath. "Are you sure about this?" he asked her, because he wasn't sure at all.

"Yes," she assured serenely. "It's my decision, not yours."

"No," Azriel screamed in horror, turning to his brother. "The Weaver could disintegrate her just thinking about it."

Cassian huffed, rolling his eyes. He was worried too, but his brother was abusing them. They were going to protect her and their mate was smart. She wasn't a child. "Stryga won't do it, she has a habit of slowly killing people who infiltrate her home."

"Is that supposed to reassure me?" gasped Azriel with wide eyes. He was almost trembling with fear. He felt like he was going mad. Was he the only reasonable one here?

"She won't be hurt. We'll intervene first," Cassian assured, taking a threatening step towards Azriel, who was beginning to irritate him.

Rhysand breathed imperceptibly before stepping between his two brothers and breaking the distance between himself and his soul mate. He placed his hands on Luxiana's cheeks to cling to her face. He slowly drew his head closer to hers, while she merely looked at him with affectionate eyes and a reassuring smile. He swallowed hard. How could anyone look at someone who approached them like that? She was so sweet.

Luxiana's heart pounded violently in her chest. The high lord approaching her was having quite an effect on her, and when he'd placed his hands on her cheeks, her whole body had begun to tickle. She did everything she could to keep smiling and not look as upset as she was.

Rhysand stopped only inches from his soulmate's lips, zoning in on them for a moment before plunging an intense gaze into the blonde's. "Are you sure you want to do this?" He lowered his eyes for a second. "To tell you the truth, it's an important object for me that you'll have to get back, but if you don't want it, we won't go. You're much more important. If you're feeling even the slightest bit of stress, or any other disturbing emotion, we'll stay here. You don't have to prove anything to us anyway."

"Rhys, I'm not afraid," she assured comfortingly.

But Rhysand's heart had trembled. She'd called him by his nickname. Could he really risk putting her in such danger? What if something unexpected happened? What if something went wrong? It wasn't worth the risk.

Luxiana, almost able to read Rhysand's hesitation in his eyes, let out a small cry of frustration. "There's no point thinking about it any more. Now that I know all this, I'll go to the Weaver with or without you, even if it's years away. So either you stay here, or you come with me."

Rhysand laughed softly as he glanced at Cassian, who nodded to confirm that he suspected Luxiana would. Rhysand lowered his eyes to detail the blonde in his hands for another second. He was worried, but he suspected she'd try. She might even hurt herself trying. Or worse, she might succeed and they wouldn't even be there to defend her. He took a deep breath, then nodded in silent thanks. "She won't be able to see or smell you," he explained, suddenly regaining his seriousness.

"Fuck, Rhys," Azriel tried to interrupt, realizing that his brother was giving in. He put his hand on his lord's shoulder to get his attention, but Rhysand took no notice.

"If you're as quiet as possible, you can go in, steal the object and come out without her even knowing. She won't be able to hurt you."

"Rhys, I said no," Azriel shouted authoritatively, pushing Rhysand, who had to release Luxiana.

Cassian growled as he lashed out at his brother with his pupils. "It's her decision, Az, respect it. And if it's not then go, we'll go without you."

Azriel gave him a look so black that his irises were that color too. The three of them were against him. There was nothing he could do, and it was driving him mad. But there was no way they could go without him. He had to be able to protect his soul mate. He gritted his teeth but said nothing.

Cassian, having realized that his brother was giving up in spite of himself, turned to Luxiana with a confident, serious expression. "We'll be there in case of trouble. She won't hurt you, I'll make sure of that."

"If there's the slightest problem, we'll intervene," continued Rhysand with a reassuring face, but a ball of anguish emerged in his stomach.

Luxiana simply nodded with a broad smile. Then she happily ran to her room to get ready.

A few minutes later, while Azriel was still trying to convince his brothers not to go, and while they weren't even listening to him, Luxiana resurfaced. The three males turned to her and gasped. She was wearing black leather pants, equally dark thigh-high boots, a white shirt under a corset of the same color, and she'd pulled her hair back into a ponytail. "It's great," she raved happily. "All I have to do is ask at the house and she gives me the outfit I want, I love it!"

Cassian rolled his eyes to close them. He raised his head as he turned away from the blonde and ran his hands vigorously over his face. She looked so sexy in that outfit. He wanted to make love to her in this outfit, damn it. He was dying to jump on her, and he didn't know what kind of self-control would stop him, but he was admiring himself.

Rhysand smiled pretentiously as he detailed her with eager pupils. She immediately looked a lot less cute like this. He loved it, but he couldn't help smiling at the irony of the situation. She was so sexy when she was just cute.

Azriel paced all around them. He was so anxious that he only noticed his sister's outfit for a second before he started walking nervously again. Damn, he'd have to make her a suit of armor. She wouldn't be protected enough with this leather.

Then Rhysand finally held out his hand. "Ready?"

She caught him with a confident smile and a strange gleam of coldness in her pupils. "Ready."

Without further ado, the lord teleported them a few steps away from the Weaver's house.

Luxiana spun around, letting go of Rhys, to take in the tall trees and dense vegetation that now surrounded her. She glanced coldly at Stryga's house. The corner of her mouth lifted in a kind of spasm that the Illyrians couldn't see. Then she turned her determined gaze back to the three males in front of her, who were staring at the building with apprehension and even fear for Azriel. "What shall I steal?"

Rhysand turned his violet irises on her and was surprised for a second. She looked serious, her eyebrows slightly furrowed and her eyes cold with determination. The lord lifted his chin, smiling in a corner to give himself a haughty, confident air he didn't have at all. He didn't want to worry her, it was stress that made you make mistakes. "You will know when you see it," he replied simply.

Luxiana frowned, pulling her head back in surprise. "Probably not, no."

Azriel gritted his teeth and took a sharp breath. He glanced sideways at his brother. "Rhys, at least tell her what the object is that she has to steal, so that she spends as little time as possible in this damned shack."

Rhysand didn't even turn to him to answer and remained with his eyes planted in the blonde's. "I'm sure she'll find what she has to steal. You'll feel it."

Luxiana scrutinized him for a second with squinted eyes. Then, as she detailed him, she realized that he seemed really sure that she was going to guess what to steal. And she believed him. Anyway, it wasn't as if she was risking anything. So she nodded once and only once. "All right, I'll trust you."

Cassian took a step closer to his soul mate. He caught her chin between his thumb and forefinger to turn the blonde's head towards him and plant an authoritative gaze in hers. He was trying to calm the stress and anguish rising inside him and wanting to make him tremble. "You enter, opening the door as quietly as possible. Walk carefully, taking slow steps. Be careful not to breathe too heavily either, and above all, watch where you step. You absolutely mustn't make any noise! Don't rush," he advised with concern.

"Okay," Luxiana breathed, laughing softly with an expectant face. "You're too cute, but I swear everything's going to be fine. It'll be over in a jiffy." Then she turned to walk in the direction of the house. "I'll be right back."

But fear suddenly exploded in Rhysand, who moved on his own to hold her by the arm. She turned to him. "Are you sure? We can still go away?" he said hastily, dying of worry.

Luxiana huffed and rolled her eyes, a little wearily. If only they knew. But they couldn't suspect anything. So she smiled to comfort him. "It's my decision. I am."

Rhysand let go of her, but before she could get going again, Azriel caught her by the arm and pulled her sharply towards him. "What ag...?" Luxiana couldn't finish her sentence as Azriel turned her around to tighten the strings of her corset and wedge them inside so they wouldn't disturb her or get caught somewhere.

Azriel was scared to death. A mixture of adrenalin and terror coursed through his body, making his muscles feel like they were being torn apart. "You watch yourself and your surroundings," he warned with a cold voice. He turned her around again to face her, crouching for a second to pull a little more at the top of the blonde's boots and make sure they were secure and held in place.

Luxiana watched him with wide-open eyes, completely paralyzed. Her heart was dancing in her chest. No one had ever been so kind to her.

Azriel stood up, "If you're scared or feel something's wrong, you turn back immediately." He grabbed the wide sleeves of his soul mate’s white shirt to fold them a little dryly up to her elbows. "If something happens that we haven't felt or heard, you run. If she attacks you and we're not there, you call us, screaming at the top of your voice to warn us." Then he grabbed the back of the blonde's hand to raise it and present his palm to the sky. He grabbed Truth teller to pull it from its scabbard, twisting it between his fingers to grasp the blade and be able to slide the dagger's handle over his mate’s palm. "If she comes after you and we're not there, you shove this dagger down her throat. It won't kill her, but it'll give you some time, okay?"

Luxiana shifted her pupils between Azriel and the weapon he had just given her, her mouth half-open in astonishment. Then her cheeks flushed in realization. She blinked in search of her words, but found none. She simply nodded, closing her fingers around the handle.

Azriel grabbed her by the shoulders to shake her once and back to accentuate his words. "You really must be as quiet as possible." Luxiana wanted to speak but Azriel cut her off. "Promise me! Promise me you won't do anything inconsiderate or stupid?"

Luxiana finally pulled herself together and managed an affectionate smile. "I promise."

Azriel slowly released her against his will. He had to fight every muscle in his body not to grab her and drag her away.

The blonde stared at the three of them hesitantly and a little wearily, to make sure none of them were going to interrupt her again. But they didn't seem to have anything left to say, and only looked at her with concern. She nodded, tucked the dagger away in her boot and turned, so that at last she could leap happily towards the Weaver's house.

Azriel could feel himself trembling as his soul mate walked to her death. "I swear, if anything happens to her, even a scratch, I'll kill you," he threatened in a nasty voice.

Rhysand's heart missed beat after beat. "If anything happens to her, we'll let you.”

"Damn the ass she's got," Cassian admired with a big grin and twinkling eyes while avidly detailing his soul mate as she walked. He hadn't heard a word his two brothers had just tell. That said, he snapped out of his trance and lost his smile as he felt Azriel's murderous and Rhysand's jaded gaze. "What? We've never seen her in pants before, I profit."

They gave back their attention to Luxiana. From where they stood, between the thick forest trees and a little diagonally from the house, they could see the front door from the side. Their mate stopped in front of it.

"Come on, open it, all. slow.ly," Azriel mumbled, articulating each syllable to encourage the blonde, as if she could hear him.

But... Luxiana raised her foot, gaining momentum with her leg to crush her heel on the wood and smash the door, which opened with a wrenching sound, slamming even louder against the wall that held it.

The three Illyrians gasped, their eyes widening as the sound continued to spread through the trees. "Fuck!" shouted Cassian. Their hearts missed a beat. They started to run towards her, but halfway there, the blonde turned back to them, grinning with all her teeth. "There's no one there," she assured them with a shrug.

The three Illyrians froze in their tracks a few steps from the house. They couldn't see inside, but if the Weaver had been there, she would already have pounced on their soulmate. They couldn't believe it. The three males glanced at each other in confusion.

"She's not here?" exclaimed Cassian in an almost high-pitched voice, bewilderment distorting his features entirely.

Rhysand shook his head, frowning, but his irises were still fixed on the blonde, and his muscles tense, ready to react if Stryga threw himself at Luxiana by surprise. "It's not possible, she can't leave her house." He couldn't believe it.

Azriel's breathing was rapid and noisy. He couldn't breathe. "No, something's wrong. We're leaving!" He took a step forward.

Luxiana prevented him from advancing any further by raising her palm towards him, and against all odds, he stopped. "No, it's all right. And Rhysand can’t come closer. I'll be right back." She infiltrated the house.

Azriel hiccupped almost silently as he saw her enter. He was about to chase after her, but Cassian held him back by the arm. "Wait, let's give her some time. If the Weaver isn't there, she's safe."

"He's right," Rhysand added uncertainly. He shoved his trembling hands into his pockets without taking his eyes off the house. "If she were here, she wouldn't have allowed Luxiana into her house. I don't know how it's possible, but she's certainly not present."

But the weaver was there. She was there. She was standing in her living room, a few steps away from her door. Facing Luxiana. She was far too far from the light of the entrance to be visible to the Illyrians.

She was there. The goddess of death was there, facing Luxiana, but she wasn't moving. In fact, from the outside, you'd have thought she was completely paralyzed, but... her muscles were trembling, her precarious, almost non-existent breathing was shaking her chest spasmodically, and her eyes were widening a little more every second with fright.

Luxiana moved slowly towards her, entering the chalet a little further, making her disappear from the Illyrians' view. But even if they saw her from behind, the three males wouldn't suspect a thing. They couldn't imagine that, from the front, Luxiana's face was cold, haughty, and cruel. They wouldn't even be able to imagine that their soul mate was heading straight to one of the most powerful faes, totally terrorizing her.

The weaver was blind, but when she heard her door being kicked in, she got up from her chair and ran to tear the thief's bones out. Only, she was paralyzed in her step. She had completely frozen in fear. She'd smelled her. She'd smelled that scent she knew so well. The scent she couldn't forget. The scent of cruelty, suffering and death wrapped in a touch of vanilla.

The fae said nothing. She didn't move. She knew it would only make it worse. She was terrified. Why was she there this time? Was she going to kill her? Or was she going to do one of those much worse things she knew so well how to do?

Luxaina walked quietly through the house, circling Stryga with a wry smile as she detailed her up and down like an animal around its prey. Then, remembering that the three Illyrians were waiting for her outside and that she had no time to play, she refocused on observing all the objects around her. She even began to touch and move them with her fingertips, hoping to irritate Stryga a little.

She glanced at her sideways, but her smirk faded. The weaver didn't move. Luxiana was disappointed and made a pout that matched her feelings. She would have liked at least a little challenge, a little action. But apparently, Stryga had learned from her mistakes from last time. Anyway, with the three Illyrians just a few steps away, there wasn't much she could do.

She regained her seriousness and hurried to analyze all the objects. She had to get out of here as quickly as possible before they showed up and wondered why the god of death was terrorized in the middle of her living room. She couldn't see herself explaining.

After a quick but meticulous search, she grabbed the object that attracted her most, then headed for the exit to join the Illyrians, but as she passed by the Weaver, she stopped.

The blonde suddenly stood in front of her and smiled mockingly at Stryga who -sensing the presence of cruelty incarnate before her - flinched. Luxiana moved a little closer to the livid face and lifeless eyes of the Weaver - who was forcing herself not to back down but was still trembling a little more - to stare at her with a hungry smile, tilting her head left and right.

Luxiana held back a laugh. In the end, she preferred it when Stryga greeted her like this. With fear. She deviated her face to reach the Weaver's ear and be able to whisper to her as quietly as possible so that the three Illyrians outside wouldn't hear. "Good girl."

She ignored the brunette's umpteenth startle to turn cheerfully and hop out of the house. She closed the rickety door behind her, smiling a little wider as she heard her host's body fall to its knees in relief at her departure.

Then, she made her way towards the three Illyrians, who took a step forward when they saw her exit. Cassian leaned forward to put his hands on his knees and try not to fall. Azriel trembled, but took a deep breath. Rhysand's heart stilled and his breathing calmed.

"I don't know why, but no one was there," she assured them again, shrugging her shoulders as she came up in front of them. She threw a look at Azriel. She wasn’t lying, after all, no one else was there.

"I don't want to know," said Cassian, moving his eyes frantically in all directions, expecting to see the Weaver emerge from the vegetation to attack them.

Azriel whirled around his mate, looking her up and down to make sure she wasn't hurt. "It's fishy, let's get out of here," he ordered Rhysand.

The lord's eyebrows were furrowed and he looked at Luxiana and the house with confusion. It wasn't normal, but the main thing was that Luxiana wasn't hurt. They had to leave before the Weaver became aware of their presence. Without further ado, he teleported them all into the living room of the Town house.

"Told you it'd be easy," Luxiana smiled happily, putting her fists on her hips. Then she hiccupped as she remembered she still had Azriel's dagger. She leaned forward to grab it and hold it out to him. "Thank you so much, I didn't need it."

Rhysand was completely paralyzed by shock and although he was staring at Luxiana, he couldn't even really see her, too busy thinking about what had just happened.

Cassian ran his hands through his hair, sighing for a very long few seconds. "What the hell was that?" he articulated disbelievingly.

Azriel reacted at last, savagely grabbing his dagger from his soulmate's hands. "Damn it, she didn't do anything we told her to do," he shouted, killing the blonde with his eyes. His face was red under the anger provoked by the memory of the fear he'd felt. "You're completely insane!"

Luxiana winced with agreement as she nodded vigorously. "Because you doubted it until now?"

Azriel shrieked as he swung his dagger into the sofa. He turned to clamp his hands violently over his face as his shoulders rose and fell rapidly with his breathing. He couldn't believe it. How could his soul mate be so reckless and unconscious? She was the most fragile person he'd ever met, yet the one who took the most risks. He was scared to death. He wanted to cry. How was he going to protect her?

"He's right about that one," Cassian exclaimed sternly, crossing his arms to glare at Luxiana. They couldn't hide her temples throbbing with anger. "What possessed you to break down the door?"

"If the weaver had been there...," Rhysand rumbled in his cold high lord voice, unable to stop his shiver of anguish at the prospect of what would have happened. "She would have killed you on the spot. It was unconscious, irreflexive and incredibly stupid."

Azriel turned abruptly toward his soulmate, but when he noticed Luxiana's smirk, her laughing air and her innocently tilted head, his anger redoubled as it exploded in his chest. "This isn't a game, Luxiana! We're talking about your life! We told you to be fucking quiet!"

Luxiana rolled her eyes, sighing exaggeratedly. "At least twenty times, yes."

The three males could hardly breathe because of the anger oppressing them. Rhysand was doing all he could to keep his cool and his mind of steel, but he sensed that Luxiana was going to wear him down. Cassian had to fight with himself not to go and shake his soul mate to set her straight. Azriel broke the distance between him and the blonde, almost sticking to her with a menacing air. "Don't roll your eyes when we're talking about your life and safety! It's important, dammit!" he spat dryly, his voice vibrating with hatred. But Luxiana didn't flinch, just looked down at him with a curious smile and expression. Azriel breathed to speak more calmly. There was no point in shouting at her anyway, but he felt so bad. "You promised me to be careful, aren't promises worth anything to you?"

Luxiana chuckled a cute laugh as she flashed her dimples, "well, technically, I promised not to do anything inconsiderate or stupid, but believe it or not, my door-busting was quite considerate and thoughtful." She crossed her hands behind her back and smiled innocently.

The three Illyrians were speechless. Fear and anguish made them want to vomit, shake and fall. Their soul mate was completely mad and suicidal.

Azriel took a step backwards, shaking his head, unsure of what to do. Then he turned back to his two brothers, pointing at her. "I'm going to lock her in a windowless room and tie her to her bed so she doesn't escape and put herself in danger."

Rhysand forced himself to take deep breaths as he closed his eyes to regain his composure." The important thing is that nothing serious happened and she's fine." He nodded. That was what mattered.

Cassian ran his hands through his hair and over his face, cursing. He glanced back at his mate. "At least tell me it wasn’t all for nothing and that you found the object we wanted."

"Yes, I found it!" she exclaimed happily, jumping up and down as if poised on springs.

The eyes of the three Illyrians, especially Rhysand, began to sparkle.

Then Luxiana put her hand between her breasts, where she had hidden the object, under her corset. She pulled it out to show them with a big smile. "Tada!"

But the three Illyrians lost their expressions and Rhysand's gaze went fade. She had stolen a necklace. A steel chain with a wire holding some kind of small, sparkling violet stone dangling from it. It wasn't her mother's ring. Rhysand touched the stone with his fingertips, not quite believing it.

Cassian closed his eyes and huffed, completely disgusted.

Azriel gritted his teeth as he turned his head. "All of that for this, I don't believe it."

Luxiana frowned, playing innocent. "What?" She slowly lowered the necklace with a startled look, "this isn't the object you wanted, is it?"

Rhysand looked at her for a moment before giving her a gentle smile to reassure her. She looked so worried and sorry. "Don't worry, it's nothing."

Luxiana opened her mouth as she furrowed her brows, adopting a guilty face. "I'm sorry, I had no idea what to look for."

"Of course not, it's not your fault," Cassian tried gently to reassure her.

"It's mine," Rhysand resumed, lowering his eyes. "I should have told you what we were talking about, but... I'd thought..." He had thought that, since she was his soul mate, she would have known it was the ring she was supposed to steal. Anyway, it wasn't as if he needed any more proof that this woman was really meant for him, but he would have liked it. His mother would have wanted her to. "Anyway, it was stupid. Let's forget it."

Luxiana studied them for a moment with half-closed eyelids. They had given her no clues, no answers.

Rhysand, disappointed, was about to turn and leave, but Luxiana retrieved the very first object she'd stolen from her corset and held it out under the noses of the three Illyrians. "I suppose this isn't it either, then?"

All three looked up at her before widening their eyes.

Cassian let out an exclamation of surprise. "So you found it?"

Luxiana was still staring at them with squinted eyes, searching for information in their expressions. "Looks like it."

Rhysand began to bubble with joy and hope and a host of other emotions that could be seen sparkling in his irises.

Azriel looked at her in amazement before smirking. "So you were playing us with that necklace?"

Luxiana returned his smile. "Looks like it," she repeated, shrugging her shoulders with an air that was half provocative and half innocent.

Azriel's smile widened and his eyes sparkled. Oh, she was his soul mate, for sure.

Rhysand raised his hands to grab the ring, but Luxiana moved her arm away, placing it behind her, as far away from the lord as possible.

Rhysand threw her a quizzical expression as he dropped his arms.

Luxiana shook her head sharply. "I'm not giving you this object until you explain how I knew this was what I had to steal." No matter how much Luxiana racked her brain, she couldn't understand why she'd been drawn to that ring and why as soon as she'd seen it she'd known it was the one to retrieve.

"We could take it from you by force," Cassian smirked with a twinkle of amusement in his pupils.

"No you couldn't," Luxiana replied haughtily, wrinkling her nose. "So?" she insisted for answers.

Rhysand smiled confidently without difficulty. He was just so certain now. She had passed her mother's test. It didn't matter if the Weaver hadn't been there, maybe it had even been fate, that Stryga hadn't been there to stop Luxiana getting the ring back. She was his soul mate. She was his wife. "You just knew, that's all."

Luxiana glowered at him. "That doesn't answer my question."

"It'll answer it one day, believe me," laughs Cassian with irises shining with mischief.

Luxiana squinted her eyes to stare at them one by one, trying to understand what they were referring to, then huffed in defeat. Well, for now. Because she was determined to get the answer to her question. "May I at least know why this object is so important to you?"

Rhysand's smile turned wistful and his gaze sad. "That was my mother's engagement ring."

"What?!" gasped Luxiana, dropping her arm limply against her and frowning. "But what was she doing at the Weaver's??"

Rhysand burst out laughing tenderly. "My mother dropped it off by herself to... keep me out of mischief." He searched for words, he had to be vague. "She was afraid I'd rush off and marry someone who... who wouldn't live up to her expectations."

Luxiana first widened her eyes in realization before hiccupping in surprise and then alarm. "And you used me to get it back?!" She clapped Rhysand on the shoulder, making all three of them laugh.

"Yes," he admitted deadpan. "I was convinced you were the right person for the job, and I was right." He leaned forward to catch the ring in Luxiana's hand, but she took a few steps away with an offended expression.

"Then no, certainly not," she refused, shaking her head curtly from left to right and glowering at Rhysand. "There's no way I'm going to be one of the reasons you marry a woman your mother didn't think was up to the job. I'm not going to let you disappoint your mother, I'm telling you. This ring, I'll keep it and you'll have to introduce me to anyone you want to marry, and I'll..." she searched for words, thinking.

The Illyrians glanced at each other with laughter. Cassian held back as best he could to keep from laughing even harder at the irony of the situation. Azriel shook his head, looking tenderly at his soul mate. Rhysand raised a provocative eyebrow to encourage Luxiana to continue.

"You know what? I'd put them through tests!" she exclaimed suddenly as she got the idea. "They'd have to be up to it to marry you, believe me, I'd be a lot worse than your mother or the Weaver." She crossed her arms to glare at Rhysand. "Ah, that'll teach you not to use me again to cheat your mother's goals. I wouldn't let you do that, no."

Cassian burst out laughing, unable to hold it in any longer. He laughed so hard that he leaned forward.

Azriel detailed her in the same way before turning to Rhysand. "Oh I'm sure your mother would have loved her."

Rhysand nodded without taking his eyes off his soulmate. He leaned forward with a smirk but a seductive gleam in his pupils. "You can keep it, Luxiana, this ring is for you anyway."

Luxiana's heart leapt into her throat. She swallowed hard, forcing herself not to back down. She bit her tongue to keep her cheeks from heating up, but it didn't work. Her whole face was probably completely red. "You bastard," she muttered through her teeth, making all three of them burst out laughing.

#a court of thorns and roses #acotar #acomaf #azriel #cassian #rhysand #cassian x oc #acowar #azriel x oc #azriel shadowsinger #azriel acotar #azriel spymaster #rhysand & cassian & azriel x oc #rhysand x oc #acotar fanfic #acotar fanfiction #acotar fic

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heartinhyacinth · 3 days ago

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Please read fully if possible.

For a brief moment, I was unsure about sharing this here. Then I remember the scene from TGCF between Xie Lian and a farmer from Yushi Huang’s kingdom.

“If I am causing trouble for the rain master, I will not pester any further.”

However, the farmer said, “why won’t you pester? Because it’s shameful? This is about the survival of your {kingdom}—shouldn’t you pester us to death? Is it so hard to lower yourself and ask?”

Then I remember Hua Cheng. To watch your beloved in pain with your own eyes and be unable to do anything—that’s the worst suffering in the world.

The doctors, as well as I, strongly suspect cancer. Amputation was recommended as pretty much the only option to reduce pain, but there lies the risk that the cancer has metastasized to her chest or throughout other areas of her body. We cannot afford to do both. If we take more X-rays and find out it hasn’t spread, we cannot afford to amputate her paw before it does. If we do not check if it has spread, we may go into debt and put her through more suffering only for it to be too late for amputation to help much anyway. We would not be able to afford any more treatment after that.

If you had asked me before what the worst pain of my life was, I’d have said something along the lines of suspected gastroparesis or the time I had to get surgery for a badly infected ingrown toenail when I was thirteen—nitroglycerin was sprayed on my toe as a numbing agent before a needle as thick as spaghetti was inserted into it and a quarter of my nail was removed nearly all the way up to the joint.

However, If you’d ask me today what the worst pain of my life was, it would be this. If you’d ask me a week from now, it would be this. If you’d ask me in a year, though perhaps as soon as even a month, I fear it would be something far worse.

She is in pain and action needs to be taken as soon as possible. This world thrives on insisting upon every chance imaginable that money and independence should live as the core themes of humanity. So far, it is getting its way about the ��money’ part. I ask that it does not about the ‘alone’ part.

Her name is Lily. She is the friendliest cat you will ever meet in your entire life. She does not care if you are a human, a dog, a cat, or even a rock—she will love you. She sleeps in my jacket when it’s cold. She lays on my face. She sits on wrapping paper like the gift that she is. She loves bread and tortillas and cheese. She sticks her head in my water glass when I’m not looking. She bosses around her best friend—a cat twice her size that everyone else is scared of. She cuddles with her and sleeps with her head tucked in the crook of her neck. She sticks her whiskers up my nose when I’m sad and makes me laugh and licks my tears away. She sits on my shoulder like a bird. She sleeps between my arms with her head on my pillow next to mine. She walks on the piano and plays music. She loves kisses more than air itself and perks up when she knows they’re coming. She cuddles up so close to me I always say it’s like she’s trying to crawl inside my mouth. She purrs more than she doesn’t. She is sassy and will bite your nose or your toes if you put them by her. She looks at me like I’m her entire world and she is mine. She’s my bright-eyed girl who was happy from the moment she arrived.

She is my child. She is my best friend. She is in pain.

This world says her life is not worth it if I cannot pay. This world will not compromise.

This world says If I cannot do it, I am alone. I am asking you to be the compromise. I am asking you to say this is not our world. I can’t do this alone.

Anything at all is appreciated more than you can ever know. Even if all you’re able to do right now is share this ❤️

#gofundme #I don’t know what other tags this is supposed to have #she is my cat the fundraiser was made by a friend to clarify

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lillaydee · 2 days ago

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In Time Part 12

Rancher Joel Miller / Reader

You lost your dear Uncle. Your TV Star boyfriend dumped you. You needed a job. You got one at a ranch in Wyoming. Where you met Joel. A very grumpy man. Grumpy man has issues.

WARNINGS:

Grumpy Joel, Hurt Joel, Grieving Joel, Joel is Bad at Feelings (The Last of Us), Joel Needs a Hug (The Last of Us), Joel Has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (The Last of Us), Mentions of Hostage Situation and Shooting, Alternate Universe - No Cordyceps Outbreak (The Last of Us), Mutual Pining, Fluff and Angst

SERIES MASTER LIST

Part 11

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Joel was at a loss; he was shocked by what was happening. One second, he was comforting his inconsolable ex, the next, her tongue was invading his throat, and she was aggressively grinding on his lap in the middle of the chow hall. He was torn between biting her tongue off, or just throwing her on the floor, risking deliberately harming a woman for the first time in his life.

But his thoughts were all moot.

Because the next thing he knew, she was pulled off him and thrown onto the floor by a very angry pair of hands.

Cleo slid on the floor for a good few yards, shock written all over her face, magically no longer devastated at all, looking around for the powerful source that literally yanked her by the hair and waistband off of Joel before she found herself sliding on her ass. For a moment, she thought she should be looking for a big burly man. But no one fitting that description was anywhere near her, save for Joel who was still in shock on the chair she had pushed him into.

The only person standing near her was you.

The soft spoken, lady-like, would-never-harm-a-fly you.

You, who didn’t do anything when you found her naked at your boyfriend’s house.

She opened her mouth to shout at you, but the look in your eyes actually threw ice-cold daggers all over her insides.

You stood over her, advancing on her as you spoke, forcing her to shuffle backwards to get away from you. All the frustrations you had ever felt for this woman came pouring out of you like a faucet.

“I’ve had it with you trying to get your slutty paws all over my men. You already stole one man from me, and you want to steal another? You think you had it bad right now? You think you’re ashamed right now? You think you’re at your lowest now? You forget yourself, Cleo. I lived in Hollywood for over twenty years. I had top notch producers and directors and A-listers as neighbours and babysitters. I walked their dogs, I babysat their children, I made a living chopping their dogs’ balls off and curing their pets of cancer. One phone call to the right person, and you will know what being cancelled really means, Cleo. Get your ass off our floor and get the fuck out of here. If I so much as catch you breathing anywhere near my man, let alone put your filthy hands on him ever again, I will draw and quarter you myself. You understand me?”

She scrambled to her feet, opened the front door and ran off, not looking back.

It was like you floated out of your body and got snapped back into it.

You were standing in front of the main door.

How the fuck did you get there?

You turned around and walked back into the chow hall, your stomach rumbling.

You were met with many pairs of eyes staring at you.

“Well,” Mrs Adler said, “looks like we don’t need a guard dog after all.”

“Damn, Doc,” Tommy said. “The hell did you find the energy to pull her off like that?”

“She pulls calves and foals off of cows and horses. One malnourished D-lister? No problem!” Frank chimed in, eating his lunch as if nothing just happened.

You picked up a plate and began piling food in. Suddenly famished. Joel joined you, an amazed look on his face.

“Well, that was… something. You okay darling?”

“Yeah. Course. I’m just hungry,” you said, suddenly horrified that this man just saw you hulk out.

You sat down, and began eating, doing your best to avoid eye contact with him. He placed a glass of water next to your plate and sat next to you.

“So, your man, huh?”

Oh God, he heard that.

You couldn’t look him in the eye. The She-Hulk had been unleashed, and she was more than content to go dormant again for a long, long time.

He chuckled and leaned in to kiss you on the cheek. You got up to your feet and put your hand out in front of him.

“Nope. You are not getting those lips anywhere near me until you have brushed your teeth at least ten times and gargled an entire bottle of mouthwash. Perhaps sanitize your mouth with alcohol too. I am not kissing you right after that.”

You shuddered at the thought.

He laughed and put his hands up in surrender.

“Okay, She-Hulk,” he said, winking at you, retreating to his house to do just that.

You sat back down and continued eating. Tess and Maria joined you. Tess eyed you, impressed at what she just saw.

“You know, when I first met you, I thought, shit. She’s not going to last for long on a ranch. Too soft, too polite. Damn, I am proud to say I stand corrected.”

“Joel better watch it. Fierce, and chops balls for a living. Love it, sister,” Maria said with a grin.

You couldn’t help it. You laughed. You honestly couldn’t believe you just did that.

Would it be wrong to be proud of yourself a little bit?

---

Not a week later, Maria called you to the office, a lawyer representing David and Cleo with her. The entire family was there. The lawyer brought in an NDA, trying to ensure that you and the family wouldn’t be exposing his clients’ unfortunate past mistakes, ailments, misbehaviours and misfortunes to anyone. In exchange, they will keep all your identities secret and never bother you again, and Cleo would not be pressing charges on you for ‘attacking’ her, twice. He had even located ‘the source’ of the leak, and they had agreed to sign a document stating that they will not make any more statements regarding Sarah or her family, for a little incentive, of course, paid for by Mr Landon himself.

Maria, ever the lawyer, made sure the documents were iron clad, the family’s privacy must be protected at all costs. She advised you that if you declined to sign, the whole family will back you up, and she will personally make sure any lawsuits Cleo threw at you will be thrown out, but the document was legit now, and she and David will have no choice but to leave you and the entire family alone. Only once everything was to her satisfaction did everyone, yourself included, sign the document.

---

Of course, the world was not always fair. Cleo and David got back together, putting on a strong front, although you suspected they were only doing it for show. They never announced their supposed split, so pictures of them holding hands were everywhere, looking all loved up and happy. Cleo appeared on some talk show, talking about PPD, and her ‘experiences’ being affected by it, a supposed ‘expert’ supporting her claims. And then, of course, she put on the waterworks about how much she had been punished, her child taken way too early, and how she had found God, and hoped to see her in the Pearly Gates. Her fans ate it all up, loving her bravery for coming forward amidst all the criticism thrown at her.

No one showed those clips to Joel, naturally.

David suddenly was an inspiration to younger men with ED everywhere, talking about his problems on national TV before endorsing little blue pills for men like him. The couple appeared together promoting their show, claiming that they had married in an intimate ceremony, just close family and friends, which you suspect was a lie too. Their strategy seemed to work. People seemed to love them still.

Although, their show was cancelled pretty much immediately. Funny, that.

You didn’t hear of see much of them after. Last you heard from your friends in LA, Cleo was seen walking dogs and working at the pet saloon now. David had taken up teaching acting to aspiring actors. They were definitely no longer together though, never seen together again after that interview. Apparently, the offers dried up. Shame. Such a fickle industry.

---

The day after the lawyer came in, Tommy drove you and Joel to town to pick up your new secondhand car. You were very excited. Tommy dropped you two at the dealership, before leaving to run his errands. Joel stood in front of your new car, an incredulous look on his face.

“This is what you bought?”

You nodded excitedly, and unlocked your new car, only a few years old, practically brand new. You got in and watched as Joel struggled to get his huge frame into the passenger seat of the Mini Cooper you just bought. His grumpy face was back on as you drove the little car back to the ranch, his head bumping on the roof several times as the car bounced off the gravelly road to his house.

When you’d arrived, you gave him an excited look, and asked him what he thought of your new car. He responded by pulling you onto his lap, which ended with you bumping your head on the roof. Okay, maybe this was a bad idea, frowning a little, upset that making out in this car was near impossible with your hunk of a boyfriend. He kissed you on your nose with a small laugh, telling you he loved your car, but maybe let’s go inside?

After a bit of a struggle (for him) getting out, he dragged you into his house, and carried you straight upstairs. He began to pull your clothes off before you even got up the stairs, his lips on your body, never leaving it for a second as your bodies get all tangled up together in his bed, filthy moans and whimpers filling the room, before the two of you lay sated in each other’s arms.

“You really don’t like my car?” you asked him.

“I love it, but maybe we’ll take my truck if we go out okay? I think I’m in great danger of a concussion if I ride in that car too often.”

You smacked him on his bare chest playfully.

“It’s not for long. It’s already June. My contract runs out in November.”

He stilled.

“Do you really want to leave?”

You didn’t know how to answer that. How do you tell him that you wanted to stay more than anything, but it was up to him? This was his territory. His life. His family. He hadn’t dated anyone since Cleo, and that, to you, meant that you had no right to set the rules of this relationship. You couldn’t just decide to stay, even if you could afford to without the job. You two had been seeing each other for what? A month? Bit too soon to be making life altering decisions, no? Sure, you were crazy in love with him, but technically, you were still in the getting to know each other stage.

“It’s not up to me, Joel.”

“Where would you go if you leave?”

“I dunno. Back to England? Travel? I really don’t know.”

“Then stay, please.”

“Joel…”

“No, I’m serious. Stay.”

“When Peter comes back, what would be the point of staying? I can’t stay and take up his business, his livelihood. But I can’t stay just being your… whatever this is. We haven’t even decided what we are, it’s been a month!”

“I want to be with you. If you decide to leave, I will leave with you. Whatever you want. But please, think about it. Stay, stay here, with me. Please…”

Your lips involuntarily curled into a smile, happy to know he wanted you to stay.

“I’ll think about it.”

He kissed you; muttering thank you over and over.

“But we will still take my truck when we go out.”

“Okay.”

He stopped kissing you.

“Okay? Okay you’ll stay or okay we’ll take the truck if we go out?”

You didn’t answer, just pulled him back down for another kiss, one that didn’t stop for hours.

---

He picked you up at home, dressed in his best flannel and jeans. You asked him, yet again, if he was sure he wanted to do this? He was, he said. He needed to.

The drive over was silent. He had insisted that you sit right next to him rather than across the bench seat, he needed to feel you pressed up to him. You kept your head on his shoulder as he drove, your hand on his leg, occasionally stroking his arms as he let go of the steering wheel to take your hand in his. He was nervous, you could tell. And you couldn’t blame him, you would be too.

He parked in the lot designated for family for the day. The family was already there, he hadn’t decided to go until the last minute. You had called Tess when he decided to take the leap, and they had waited for the two of you in the parking lot.

All of you walked hand in hand towards the store. A tent had been erected right out front, the pictures of those who lost their lives three years ago stood at the front, their families sat in the front row.

It was a beautiful service. Representatives of the families spoke about the people they’d lost, spoke of grief, of hope, of courage. Anita spoke on behalf of the family for Sarah, and Ellie spoke for Annie, Joel’s hand on yours the entire time.

After, he and Ellie went up front, placing flowers underneath the pictures of their lost loves, holding hands, followed by a long hug. It warmed your heart to see them like that; they had come a long way, even in your short time there. You couldn’t imagine them any other way. Their evenings spent riding together, Ellie joking around with Joel, endlessly teasing him for being old. He acted annoyed, but it was clear to anyone who saw them together how much he loved her.

The entire family visited the cemetery next, Ellie officially introducing you to her mom, telling her what a kick-ass vet you were. She had been disappointed to miss the throwdown with Cleo, claiming she would have paid good money to have seen that.

When you got back in the truck after, you asked him if he was okay.

“Surprisingly, yeah. I thought I was going to cry, completely lose my mind, but I guess, talking to her every night made it feel as if she was still around, you know? It felt like she’s gone, but still with me.”

You could only nod. You could relate to that. Talking to your parents and Benny had kept you sane, so to speak. It felt good to know that it had done the same for him.

Everyone stopped at the Bison for dinner that evening, you a bit apprehensive to see Angela again. But she was nowhere to be seen. Andy told you that she had quit a couple of months ago, no idea where she disappeared to. Tess might have suggested that maybe she was making full use of a windfall she may have gotten. People in the village knew it was her to leaked the entire David-Cleo thing. Rumour was, she got away with more than a million dollars to her name.

“Well, at least I can come work here when Peter comes back. I’d go crazy sitting at home waiting for this one to come home from being fawned on by tourists and the mysterious surge of ladies who had signed up for horse riding lessons if I don’t have a job,” you said, laying your head on Joel’s shoulder.

“You’re staying? Even if Pete comes back?” Ellie squealed.

You shrugged. “Where else am I gonna go?”

Joel turned to look at you, asking you if you were sure. When you nodded, he pulled you in for a kiss, which earned an “Eww… get a room old man… I don’t know how you could let him kiss you like that Doc…” from Ellie.

Joel got up and pulled you with him, tossing some cash on the table before taking you outside and into his truck. You pressed yourself up to him, ready for the drive home, but he turned and pushed you onto your back, devouring your mouth as if he would starve without kissing you, his hands roaming all over your body, his mouth travelling to your ears, your neck, your chest, before ripping your panties off and unbuckling his belt. He searched in the console for a bit, tore open the packet he found, and the next thing you knew, the top of your dress was pushed down, you were screaming his name, your legs locked around his waist, his mouth on your nipples as he rocked himself into you over and over until the both of you stilled, mouths opened in silent screams before shuddering uncontrollably, breaths quivering, hands holding each other tight, not wanting to separate, ever.

“You’re really staying?”

“Mm hmm… I’m really staying.”

The grin he gave made him look sixteen again. He kissed you long and sweet, happy that he would get to do this for the rest of his life.

A knock on the passenger door jolted the both of you out of your rendezvous, Tommy stood with his back to the truck, warning the two of you to leave before everyone else comes out. Tess will have your heads if Ellie saw you two like that.

Joel thanked him, the two of you got dressed quickly and drove home. Joel reminded you that THAT was a good reason to use his truck whenever you two go out. You smacked him on his chest before cuddling up to him, sighing contentedly.

Joel made love to you again and again that night, his heart too full of you, wanting to show you over and over how appreciative he was that you’d decided to stay. As you were starting to doze off in his arms, he told you he loved you.

Sleep became the last thing on your mind after that.

---

You were sitting in Maria’s hospital room, her brand-new baby boy in your arms, Ellie cooing at him, her head on your shoulder. Oh, you were so in love with him already. Thank God you decided to stay. When you thought about it, saying goodbye to Joel wasn’t the only thing making leaving difficult. You couldn’t imagine not seeing these people every day anymore. And now, this dashing young thing arrived, and completely stole your heart.

“You are so cute, yes you are, yes you are, you are so cute I’m gonna kidnap you every day and put you in my little pocket!” you cooed at him, while Ellie giggled in your ear.

Joel sat at the other end of the room with his brother, watching you coo over his nephew. Oh shit. You’re a natural. Something about you holding a baby stirred something in him. You pregnant with his child. Him, talking to your belly at night. Now, that’s an image he couldn’t get out of his head, no matter how many times he shook it clear. God, Joel. It’s only been a couple of months. Chill. Take it slow.

He came over and took his nephew from you, much to your chagrin. He started speaking to him in his low, low voice, telling him he would spoil the living shit out of him, that he would want for nothing. Come to Uncle Joel if your daddy gives you grief, huh?

You sat in your chair, watching him coo over his nephew. Oh shit. He’s a natural. Something about him holding a baby stirred something in you. You, pregnant with his child. Him, talking to your belly at night. Now, that’s an image you couldn’t get out of your head, no matter how many times you shook it clear. God, Amelia. It’s only been a couple of months. Chill. Take it slow.

---

When August came, Peter called. He had reconnected with his childhood sweetheart while back home. He was giving his three months’ notice. Looked like you were really staying now, and Joel’s hidden worry that you would be working with Andy every day dissolved.

You were happy to keep working, your only problem being the many, many swarms of buzzing ladies who kept fawning over Joel during those touristy things. Shameless women crooning at him, telling him to teach them how to ride properly, calling him the BDE rancher, asking you to give them his number, wondering out loud how you could stand to work with someone that hot every day.

Joel shut them up, though, going out of his way to get close to you any chance he got, kissing you sweetly, telling them in not so many words that he was happily taken. And apparently, there was a new rule now, there was strictly no separating from your group if you were on one of those tours. Word was, an email the resident vet had received from a certain Italian vet asking for advice on force birthing a cow had the owner in a tizzy, convinced that ‘ciao’ had a hidden meaning somewhere.

No matter, when all was said and done, when the tourists had gone home, the two of you came home to each other, and the next morning, kissed each other goodbye, matching thermoses in your hands, filled with drinks made by each other, for the other.

---

“Come on, I want to show you something.”

You took his hand, and he led you at a leisurely pace towards the Benny place. It’s still your favourite place to go on the ranch. As you got nearer, he stopped you, and covered your eyes with his hand. He carefully guided you to where he wanted you to stand for the big reveal.

“Ready?”

“Yeah.”

He took his hand off, and you blinked several times, before seeing a brand-new giant hammock tied between the two oak trees.

You squealed, hugged him so tight, whispered thank you over and over, kissing him all over his face, getting lipstick everywhere.

You ran to the hammock, calling for him to join you. You made him stand on the other side and told him how important it was to get this right. You cannot afford to topple over today. He nodded, putting on his focused face.

You asked him to follow your movements, exactly. With some difficulty on your part, the two of you managed to climb on, before the hammock tilted dangerously towards his side, him being a lot heavier than you. He quickly adjusted, going towards the middle, and caught you before you could fly off it. You fell half on his body, laughing hysterically, remembering all the times you fell off it at Benny’s. He wrapped his arm around your body, his other hand behind his head. You wrapped your leg over his, your head on his chest.

“Do you remember the first time I brought you here?”

Hmm… you replied. Remembering the first Christmas you spent with him.

“That was the night you healed me.”

You looked up at him, confusion on your face.

“I talked to Sarah for the first time that night. And everything just… fell off my shoulders. Woke up feeling lighter, happier, like I could move on. Like I would be okay. And it was all because of what you said to me, that night, here.”

You couldn’t speak, remembering what he was like back then. Hidden in his shell.

“I was so angry at everything, everyone. And now, look at me.”

He kissed you on your temple, long and deliberate.

“It just takes time to heal, that’s all. I’m glad I’m here to enjoy this wonderful man you have become.”

He turned towards you, placing his fingers under your chin, making sure your eyes were on his.

“It wasn’t time that did it, darling.”

And he kissed you, like it was the first time, like it was the last time. This man you fell in love with, the love of your life.

“Oh, my God, I knew it! I found them, guys! Really? Again?”

The family came rushing towards the Benny place, Ellie leading, having found you after the two of you disappeared, yet again. Tommy arrived in Joel’s ratty old truck, freshly washed for the occasion.

Joel groaned at the interruption but conceded that you should probably get going. He gently helped you off the hammock. The two of you quickly said your goodbyes, hugging and kissing everyone, Joel escorting you to the passenger door and made to open it for you. You held up a hand at him and did the jiggle-push-pull combo with ease, and the door opened with a creak. Joel laughed out loud, and lifted you up, placing you in the cab, making sure your skirt and train were all in before closing the door for you.

He got in, kissed you, hard and true, and began driving.

The red, rusty, ratty, old beater of a truck with ‘Just Married’ sprayed across the bumper and cowbells tied across the back rattled onwards, flower petals and rice, along with joyous laughter and cheers from loved ones following in its wake.

---

Epilogue

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