#why do i take every opportunity i can to punish myself

[urbanfiltered]

:(

[tightjeansjavi]

The Rite of Movement | drabble

“Daddy’s not bluffing, baby love”

A/N: you know you’re super dedicated when you find yourself at home ✨practicing✨ just so that the smut makes sense and is easy to visualize 👹 and just when I thought that Joel and baby love couldn’t get any nastier…😮‍💨 oh, and just in case anyone gets confused with the addition of Ellie, this is after she’s adopted (spoilers, but not really bc she’s Joel’s kid in every universe let’s be real)

~word count: 2.0k~

Summary: Ellie is away at Dina’s for the weekend leaving you and Joel with the house completely to yourselves

Pairing | pornstar!joel x pornstar!female reader

Warnings: smut, established relationship. reader and Joel are pornstars, Joel is in his 40’s reader is in her 30’s, big ole fat daddy kink, fingering, unprotected piv, big dom energy from Joel, baby love is acting like brat, sexual punishment, spanking, degrading language but it’s hot, okay?, use of slut, brat, etc, semi-public sex, voyerism (Tommy), language, mentions of alcohol, Ellie exists in this universe!!, reader has no physical descriptions, readers nickname is baby love, +18 minors dni!

series masterlist

Ellie was away for the weekend with Dina and her family leaving you and Joel with the house completely to yourselves…which was a rare occurrence these days.

You and Joel have since then moved the home studio back to the Miller-Co office. You aren’t doing much filming these days, anyway. This was a mutual decision, and this also gave Tommy the opportunity to show Joel that he could handle the business on his own come the day that you and Joel would eventually retire. But with Ellie gone for the weekend, you and Joel had the time to relax and that’s how you found yourselves spending the morning by the pool.

Joel was comfortably laying poolside, cheaters perched on his nose that was buried in the book he was reading that Ellie had recommended to him. Artemis was laying by his feet, bathing in the sun while you were lounging in the pool. You had discarded your bikini top to the pool's edge to avoid any tan lines while you were lounging on your stomach along one of the extremely comfortable, and extra durable inflatables.

Artemis had grown curious of the water as she watched you float by, and before Joel could stop her, she hopped down from the chair and trotted over to the pool's edge. She was an agile little thing, having no problem jumping right onto your bare back and curling up against your warm, sunbathed skin.

Joel shook his head, muttering under his breath as he reached for his phone so he could take a picture while you reached one hand behind your back to give her a few gentle pets.

He posted the photo to his instagram with the caption: my two sun babies 🌞💓

Ellie had texted the family group chat immediately when she saw the photo:

I hope you’re disinfecting the pool before I get home 🙄

Joel: shouldn’t you be off your phone and paying attention to Dina, kiddo? 🤔

Ellie: u text like an old man lol

Baby Love: lol. He does

Tommy: where was my invite?

Joel: I do not text like an old man 😡

-to Tommy: inappropriate

Ellie: do too 🤭

Tommy: inappropriate that I wanna come over and swim?? Get ur head out of the gutter lol

Joel: do not

Baby Love: you’re not gonna win this one, baby.

Ellie: see, even mom agrees!

Joel: there’s too many gals in this household 🙄

Ellie: yea, man! Ur outnumbered lol

Joel: don’t I know it

Tommy: I’m coming over

Joel: no you’re not

Baby Love: can you bring a case of Modelo’s?

Ellie: I don’t think Tommy knows what those are lol

Joel: how would you know what those are? 👀

Ellie: did I say something?

Tommy: why can’t u just be normal and drink Coors Lite lol

Joel: don’t start gaslighting me young lady

Baby Love: because unlike u, I have taste

Ellie: ooooh burn

Tommy: ouch 😓 I thought we were friends!

Joel: 😒

Ellie: I’m more of a Modelo gal myself

Joel: ELLIE

Baby Love: that’s my girl!

-to Tommy: we are friends 🩷 you just have shit taste in beer

Joel: where are u getting beer from

Ellie: that’s none of your beeswax

Joel: Ellie Miller, I will ground your ass so fast the second you get home

Baby Love: it was me. I’m the culprit

Tommy: I don’t forgive u

Ellie: don’t punish mom! She said I can drink as long as I’m safe 😇

Tommy: lol I’m not coming over, I changed my mind!

Baby Love: but my Modelos :(

Joel to Baby Love in a private chat:

“Who the fuck do you think you’re callin’ a pussy?!” He growled from the chair, completely sitting up now with his legs swung over the side just as you quickly tucked your phone underneath your left boob and looked over your shoulder at him with a faux innocent expression on your face.

“I am, pussy.”

“Wanna say that a third time?” He challenged you, standing up with his hands planted on his hips as he approached the edge of the pool. Even Artemis sensed the tension rise so she quickly hopped off your back as soon as the raft was close to the pool's ledge.

“Artie.” You frowned, “come back. Daddy’s only messing! He’s not actually gonna do anything!” You grabbed your phone from under your boob and carefully placed it on the pools ledge so it wouldn’t get wet, and just as you were about to push the raft back to the middle of the pool to float away, Joel hand crouched down and grabbed ahold of the corner of the raft, yanking you towards him.

“I said, wanna say that a third time?” He snipped.

Oh he’s mad now, alright.

You let out a huff, rolling over onto your back so your bare tits were on full display with your arms languidly crossed behind your head as you peered up at him through your sunglasses, smirk plastered on your pretty lips, “daddy’s a pussy and he’s not gonna do anything about it.” You chimed.

“Fuckin’ little brat.” He muttered as he pushed your raft away from the ledge before he dove in underneath it.

You quickly flipped over onto your stomach, pathetically attempting to paddle away just as he resurfaced with his face inches away from your dangling ankles. You let out a playful squeal when he nibbles on your calf as his big hands and broad arms easily slide up your thighs, thumbs looping through the flimsy strings that are barely holding your bikini bottoms together. Even in the deep end of the pool, Joel is standing, more like…looming over the raft and casting a dark shadow over your bare back.

“Don’t think ya heard me the first time, baby love.” He rasps, yanking your bikini bottoms down swiftly over your ass and thighs, “said that you had ‘bout five seconds to take these flimsy ass bikini bottoms off before I did it for you.” He tuts, grasping the outside of your thighs as he pulls you further down the length of the raft as if you’re just a measly rag doll. “And then what do ya do?” He asks, not needing a response.

“You call me a fuckin’ pussy.” He bends over, harshly biting at your left cheek, leaving visible indentations in your skin from his canines, “slutty little brat my girl is, hmm?” He teases, biting down on the right cheek as you let out a squeal.

He pulls back, marveling at his work before he brings the palm of his hand down against the meatiest part of your left cheek hard enough to send your back arching in surprise. He watches your plush skin recoil before he does it again, and then the same to the right cheek.

“I’m—I’m sorry, daddy! You aren’t a pussy! Not even close to being one!”

“You ain't sorry, baby love. Cus’ this is what you wanted all along, right? Wanted your daddy to come in here and teach his bratty little slut a lesson? Well, your wish is comin’ true!” He chuckles, using his thumbs to spread your cheeks apart before he spits a glob of saliva between them, watching it drool and drip between your ass and thighs. “Show me your fuckin’ pussy, baby love. Be a good girl now for daddy.”

“Yes, daddy.” You mewled, “you got me. It was my plan all along.” you suppress a giggle, lifting yourself up on your elbows as you spread your thighs apart, arching your back further so he had a clear and direct view of your pussy. “You gonna give my pussy a kiss daddy? I’m really sorry.” He doesn’t need to see your face to know that you’re pouting.

He scoffs, dropping his hands down from your ass to spread you open further. He intently watches the way your little hole pulses under his harsh stare, begging for any form of stimulation. “You think I’m gonna give your pussy a kiss, baby love? Think you deserve that?” He snickers, leaning in to drag his nose right through your slick folds, inhaling deeply before he pulls back, “think you oughta just take whatever daddy fuckin’ gives ya, sweet girl.”

“Oh, fuck.” You whimpered, dropping your head between your shoulders, “Daddy, please. I’m so sorry for calling you a pussy! I’ll—I’ll never do it again, I swear!”

“Hush up, baby love. Quit your whinin’ and take what daddy fuckin’ gives you.” He growled. It was a miracle that even with his added weight to the float, the damn thing didn’t pop from the pressure as he wasted no time to slip two of his thick fingers inside of your pussy till they were knuckle deep with his palm pressing flat between the apex of your thighs. You felt the weight of his chest and shoulders pressing into your back while his fingers shallowly thrusted inside of you at a merciless pace, scissoring you open with each thrust, creating ripples in the water below the raft.

O—oh—oh fuck! Fuck! Fuccck!” You cried out, lurching forward as his fingers pistoned inside of you, “daddy, please! Please! I’m sorry!” Your eyes rolled back in your skull when he crooks his fingers, curling them against the spongy spot inside of you that has you seeing spots of stars cloud your vision.

He’s leaned over you completely now in a possessive manner. His lips at your ear, teeth nipping and biting anywhere they can, “if you’re a good fuckin’ slut for daddy, maybe he’ll reward you with his cock, because you and I both know that’s what my girl wants is her daddy’s thick cock splittin’ her in fuckin’ half. Ain’t that right, baby love?”

“YES!” You yelled, voice strained and on the verge of cracking as you started to roll your hips back against his hand, meeting the harsh thrusts of his fingers just as the back gate opened—

“Hey! I brought the Modelos—OH FUCK!” Tommy yelled in surprise, nearly dropping the case of beer in his arms at the sight of you coming undone around Joel’s fingers.

“GOD DAMMIT, TOMMY! I FUCKIN’ SAID YOU COULDN’T COME OVER!” Joel snapped, thrusting his fingers faster as he briefly glanced over his shoulder at his brother, “can’t ya damn well see I’m a little busy punishin’ my girl for bein’ a fuckin’ brat?!”

You weakly waved in Tommy’s direction, before completely giving into the pleasure with a blissed out look plastered on your face, “pass me one of those when we’re done! I’m parched!”

“Yeah, you’re fuckin’ parched alright.” Joel growled against your ear.

“Some things never change, ain’t that right Artie?” Tommy snickered as he attempted to crouch down and pet her, but she hissed and swatted at his hand.

“TOMMY!” Joel snapped, using his freehand to push his swim trunks over his hips so that he could replace his fingers with his cock. “Make yourself useful and gimme one of those beers, would ya!” He spit into his palm as his cock sprang free and slapped up against his stomach. He gave the base of his cock a few quick pumps before he slipped his fingers out of you, your pussy made a wet squelching noise as he slowly fed you his cock, inch by inch, stretching you open till he was bottomed out with his hips firmly pressed against your ass. The float had deflated considerably, but man, it was a trooper.

Tommy walked over, beer in hand, doing his best to not smirk at the scene unfolding before him as he held the beer out in Joel’s direction. “What did she do this time?” He mused.

Joel snatched the beer from his hand, twisting the cap off with his teeth before he took a swig, bringing his freehand down against your ass.

“I called him—fuck.” You moaned deeply, lip harshly taken between your teeth when he stretched you open. God, did you love your man’s cock.

“She called me a fuckin’ pussy.” Joel snapped his hips forward with his hand acting as an anchor around your hip. He took another swig from the bottle, blunt fingernails digging into your skin, “now fuck yourself on daddy’s cock like the good little slut that you are, baby love.”

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[cherryrikis]

사랑으로 (with love,)

PAIRING swim instructors riki x fem reader

WARNINGS mild profanity

GENRE enemies to ??, fluff, angst if you squint

SYNOPSIS you hated riki because when it came to teaching your classes, he always one upped you. but riki doesn’t hate you. so when you both are punished for breaking equipment, he uses every opportunity to try and talk to you.

a/n loosely based of personal experience cz im a lifeguard🛟 also not proofread

it was meant to be a part time summer job. you just wanted something to do with all your free time, now that school was out.

but, the kids grew to love you, and you grew to love what you do.

so, you began to work full time at the local community pool.

instead of 2 classes a day, you’d teach 4 classes a day. it wasn’t too bad, each class only being 30 minutes.

you were so glad to help out, often even training the new interns.

until one. nishimura riki.

he was barely an intern for a week before becoming a full time employee. at first, you paid him no mind. he was a good teacher. very professional and good with the kids, often demonstrating the skills they needed to know to pass his class.

but eventually, he became better. he grew to become an even better teacher than you. the kids who loved you since the beginning started requesting to be put in riki’s class.

you watched him from across the pool, playfully splashing his students (who really, used to be your students), as they squealed about how the water was too cold.

but he always noticed your gaze. he turned around, smiling at you softly.

and you hated it, you felt nothing but hatred for him to the core of your heart. most of the staff noticed it, and it made it a bit awkward to work with either of you.

it was around 8:00 when your last class had ended. all your co-workers were putting the lane lines back in, preparing the pool for the swim team’s practice the following day.

“y/n? can you collect all the kick boards and put them away?” the manager, anton, asked you. “riki, go help y/n with all the other equipment.”

“what?” your mouth fell open, “anton, i can do it myself,”

“y/n.” anton cut you off. “don’t fight it. just let him help you.” he sighed before walking back into his office to pack up for the night.

you stood still in the middle of the walkway, ignoring how your coworkers moved past you to go wash up in the showers.

finally moving out the way to collect the boards, you huffed as you saw riki follow you into the storage room.

it was eerie. the lightbulb constantly went out, so the staff just figured to keep a candle and a lighter on the shelf above the bins.

riki lit the flame before going to help you clean up.

as you finished stacking the equipment, you went to walk out of the room, but riki grabbed your hand, pulling you back in.

“why do you hate me?”

“i don’t hate you.” you mumbled, before attempting to leave once more, only to be brought back to him.

he raised an eyebrow, looking you up and down.

“fine, i just don’t like you.” you scoffed. “you constantly one up me, taking my position, and even luring my students over to your class. nowadays, i don’t even get paid as much as you do anymore!”

“it’s not my fault! you act like my sole purpose was to come here and take your place.” riki grimaced at you. “maybe i am just the better instructor between us. it’s not my fault you can’t accept that.”

one might say it was out of jealous rage, or just an intolerance of immaturity. but something inside you snapped.

you shoved riki’s shoulder, causing him to fall against the wall and hit the shelf which held the candle.

from that point on, everything was in slow motion. the sound of glass breaking was loud and very audible.

the hot wax spilled across the plastic bin, melting the lid and spilling all over the foam boards which sat inside.

“what the fuck y/n?” riki yelled out.

immediately, anton came rushing in. he looked inside the bin, noticing how there was now a huge hole burnt through the container and all the boards inside. the equipment was no longer usable.

“are you serious? who’s fault was it? who did it?” he asked sturnly.

“it was y/n.” “riki did it.”

“are you kidding?!” you both exclaimed in unison.

“you knocked over the candle.” “you pushed me!” riki scoffed in disbelief. “it was foam! how do you manage to damage foam of all things?”

“enough!” anton intervened. he looked between you and riki, before moving his gaze to your red swim shirts. lifeguard, it read.

“your shirts are a symbol of your dedication and responsibility as a lifeguard and swim instructor. you may be good in the water, but you are both unbelievable outside it. if you keep this up, you could get those shirts revoked.”

“anton.. i’m so sorry.” you apologized, realizing what you done and that it technically was your fault.

“as much as i appreciate your apology, an apology won’t fix this mess. you two are on cleaning duty. i’ll call the janitor to tell him he doesn’t need to come tonight. the keys are on my desk, lock up before you leave.”

you nod in response, but riki still had something to say. “what? this is completely unfair! if anything, she should do it herself!”

but by then, anton had already left. “asshole.” he muttered. “this is all your fault y/n! by this rate we won’t finish for another hour or two.”

“by this rate, we won’t finish at all if you keep standing there and doing nothing. go grab that trash bag and mop.” you sighed.

riki was hesitant to help, but did so anyway, knowing it wasn’t up to him.

after power washing the concrete floors, scrubbing the bathrooms, and replacing all the damaged equipment, all the work was done by 10:05pm.

“good job, i guess. just wait for me then we can go.” you muttered as you finished wiping down the mirror of the employee’s bathroom.

“why would i wait for you?” he scoffed.

“you’re the one who got us in this mess.”

“i- whatever. just, let me help you.” riki licked his dry lips, taking the sponge from you.

the pool doors and the office were all locked up. you both were ready to leave before he paused right in front of the entrance.

“you wanna get something to eat? i’ll drive you home after. you shouldn’t walk by yourself and especially not on an empty stomach.”

“yeah. that’d be nice.” you replied, smiling genuinely at him for the first time.

with the both of you freshly showered yet so tired, riki drove to the nearest mcdonalds, ordering for the two of you.

after the food was picked up at the window, he pulled up at empty parking lot, turning off the engine so you could eat together.

“why are you still so nice to me after i was so rude to you?” you asked with a quiet voice, suddenly feeling bad as you reflected on your past interactions

“you know, it was never on purpose..” he whispered.

“what?” you asked, confused. his answer seemed slightly unrelated to your question.

“earlier, when we were still at the rec center. i asked why you hated me, and you said i basically replaced you.” riki reminded. “it wasn’t on purpose. i just really liked you back when you were only training me. and i thought, i don’t know.. maybe you thought it’d be attractive if you saw i was good with kids or something. but i never meant to make you feel that way.”

“oh riki..” you pouted, putting your box of chicken nuggets down. “i’m so sorry. i had no idea. i mean, if it makes you feel any better, i thought you were pretty cute when i was training you.”

“yeah, i guess that actually does help.” he smiled.

“can i..” you mumbled, leaning forward towards riki as he remained still in the drivers seat.

slowly, he moved closer to you, before eventually connecting your lips in a gentle kiss.

you moved your mouth against his, softly deepening the kiss.

riki smiled against you, and it was very noticeable. you found it cute how his face ran hot when you finally pulled away to repeatedly peck his cheek.

he brought a hand up to your face, holding you delicately. you leaned into his touch, before grimacing as you felt a slimy substance touch you.

“ew, riki!” you exclaimed, realizing his thumb had just accidentally wiped mustard under your eye.

he laughed, the sound like music to your ears, before he helped you wipe it off.

“i’m looking forward to working with you now that we don’t hate each other. maybe whenever we make eye contact mid class, you’ll stop looking at me weirdly.” you joked.

“oh come on, you know i only ever looked at you with love”. riki pursed his lips into a smirk, before bringing your lips back against his.

[mysteryshoptls]

SSR Malleus Draconia - Platinum Jacket Vignette

"Happy 100th Anniversary"

[Land of Dawning – National Museum of Art]

Malleus: So, this is the Land of Dawning National Museum of Art… It's much more impressive than I had imagined. Very fascinating to see their exhibits touch on varied matters of import.

Malleus: Art galleries in Briar Valley generally feature art exhibits revolving around fae lore. This is a refreshing visit.

Malleus: This place does seem to have a few works of art that I can place, however. And I see that paintings that depict the Thorn Fairy seem to still gather a crowd here.

???: Look at all them surrounding just one person in full force… That's just cowardly.

Malleus: No need to chide them, Spade. It's cruel enough to expect those children of man to hold their own against a great and powerful being.

Deuce: D… DRACONIA-SENPAI!? HELLO, SIR!

Malleus: Hmph, don't bristle so. We can take this prime opportunity to study this painting together.

Malleus: When the Thorn Fairy visited human lands, she was immediately met with animosity…

Malleus: The number of art pieces that depict this very story is numerous, even in Briar Valley. We even had one displayed in the castle I was raised in.

Malleus: When I was a wee lad… My tutors would constantly tell me to grow up to "be a mage as great and powerful as her."

Deuce: Your… tutors!? There were people that could actually teach you something!?

Malleus: Of course.  I had some of the finest mages in Briar Valley at my disposal.

Malleus: I often found my history and etiquette lessons to be of great interest… But there was no one who could instruct me in the ways of magic.

Malleus: Of course, that would be because everything from their magical power levels to their actual capabilities were far below me in strength.

Deuce: Wow, that's amazing… Can't believe you were that strong from a young age.

Malleus: That is nothing too surprising. My grandmother possessed formidable magic, and so did my mother, I hear.

Malleus: However, it took me quite some time to fully understand the difference in strength between myself and those around me.

Malleus: "Why are you teaching me something so ridiculously simple?" I'd angrily wail every class. "Are you underestimating me?"

Malleus: Every time I sent a tutor packing, my guardian wouldn't hesitate to scold me mercilessly.

Deuce: You're saying there was someone who could even scold you!? Briar Valley is way too intense…

Malleus: Even I would listen to the advice of a trusted person. When I think back on it, I certainly had my more immature moments.

Malleus: Only incidents such as burning the gardens to a desolate crisp, or destroying castle towers by calling down lightning strikes, however.

Deuce: THOSE ARE HUGE INCIDENTS!!

Deuce: Ack! If I make Draconia-senpai angry now, the museum might be in trouble…!?

Malleus: No worries, I am no longer a child. I would not do such a thing as destroy a museum filled with priceless artifacts on a mere whim.

Malleus: It would be more logical for me to punish the offending target than affect my surroundings in my ire, would it not?

[Land of Dawning – National Museum of Art]

Deuce: That's a painting of the Lord of the Underworld being displayed there. And those two guys with him, they're…

Malleus: They must be his retainers. It is said that they would obediently carry out his commands and go to great lengths to do so for him.

Deuce: Yeah… I always imagined the Underworld to be dark and scary, but these two look pretty nice.

Malleus: It will come back to bite you if you make assumptions based on appearances, Spade. Apparently, these two were skilled shapeshifters.

Malleus: There are tales of how they would use this skill in order to back any villainous adversaries into a corner.

Malleus: If they did not possess that raw competence, I'm certain that they would not have been depicted in these works of art.

Deuce: I bet the Lord of the Underworld would be proud to hear that tales of his subordinates are still passed down for generations.

Malleus: To have the tales of his subordinates passed down for generations… Yes, I could sympathize with that.

Malleus: Within the royal family of Briar Valley, there is a tradition that at a certain age we may select our own attendants and guards.

Malleus: I would also be very proud indeed if someone I personally selected were to be acknowledged by the masses, as well as future generations to come.

Deuce: Right? But man, when you talk about attendants and guards… It just feels like we live in two completely different worlds.

Deuce: It's pretty amazing that you always have someone who's looking out for you and your daily needs, though.

Malleus: It also can be a headache. Back in the castle, I would be surrounded by other people day in and day out, simply there to fix my attire or my hair and the like.

Malleus: When my acceptance to Night Raven College was ascertained, my life was unburdened tremendously.

Malleus: My guardian stated to me, "You'll have to learn how to take care of yourself enough that you can survive on your own," and so…

Malleus: I would read books from the outside world that were provided to me, and found the wealth of knowledge fascinating.

Malleus: Those books granted me an abundance of knowledge, such as how to go shopping, or how to work laundry machines and other electrical appliances.

Deuce: He learned how to use electrical appliances from reading a book…!? He really was raised in a completely different environment.

Deuce: But honestly, I really can't believe that you go shopping on your own, or do your own laundry… Today is full of surprises.

Malleus: …Well, Sebek does insist on tending to my needs. And there is much I do leave to him.

Deuce: Ahaha… Yeah, Sebek has boasted about stuff in the past, saying something like, "I had the honor of hand-washing Malleus-sama's clothing!"

Malleus: …I can absolutely picture that, despite the fact that I had been perfectly fine doing my own laundry before he started to attend this academy.

Malleus: Although, for some time after I arrived here, there was no end to the number of difficulties I had due to my inexperience.

Malleus: For example, there was this one instance when I knew not the location of the laundry room… and chose to hand-wash my garments in the kitchen sink instead.

Deuce: EH!?

Malleus: …My fellow dormmates who encountered that spectacle in the kitchen had the same reaction as you just now.

Malleus: I inquired as to where the laundry room was, but all froze as if petrification had been cast upon them…

Malleus: When it seemed they finally had returned to their senses, they insisted on allowing them to do my laundry.

Malleus: In that moment, I had been swept up in their persistence, but… It does me no good to leave it for others to do.

Malleus: Sometimes I do clean my clothes with magic as I oft did back home, but I do try to use the laundry machine when I can as well.

Malleus: There aren't many who use the laundry room in the early morning or late night.

Malleus: After some trial and error, I was able to figure out how to properly use the washer, as well as the dryer.

Deuce: Even though you could totally clean everything with magic in the blink of an eye… It's so cool to see how you're always working to improve even when no one's watching!

Malleus: Of course, as it should be. Seeing that I am a student at this school, I must also learn what I can from my peers.

[Land of Dawning – National Museum of Art]

Malleus: Oho, I see this museum also carries a variable assortment of paintings depicting merfolk legends as well.

Deuce: She has a real big smile… But hey, look at that wave behind her! Was the ocean waters that choppy…?

Malleus: This depicts the moment the mermaid princess made the determination to go to the surface.

Malleus: That large wave behind her represents her courageous decision… Or at least, it most likely represents that.

Deuce: Woah, that sounds like it could be…! Draconia-senpai, do you know a lot about paintings?

Malleus: I briefly touched upon it as part of my education.

Malleus: I would not say I do not hold an appreciation for art. Rather than paintings, however, I do prefer three-dimensional objects… sculptures, especially.

Deuce: When you say sculptures, you mean the ones made out of stone or bronze… right? I'm sorry, I really don't know anything about those stuff.

Malleus: You are more or less on the correct path.

Malleus: Take the statues of the Great Seven at our academy, for instance. Sometimes they are regarded as simply part of the backdrop on campus…

Malleus: But as years pass, both stone and bronze statues will gradually change in appearance.

Malleus: Caretakers will come and go, and the outdoor elements will constantly batter them… Their similarities to the original mold would change over time to no small extent.

Malleus: Some may perceive this as mere "deterioration," but…

Malleus: As for me, I believe that changes in those statues are in fact a profound thing.

Malleus: Whenever I encounter one that looks entirely different than what it originally should have looked, I cannot help but feel as though it has lived a good, long life.

Deuce: So basically, they're living pieces of art…?

Malleus: Heh. A wonderful interpretation, Spade.

Deuce: I don't really get how that was good, but that was him praising me just now, right? Uh, thank you!

Malleus: If you find yourself interested in sculptures, you should seek me out once more.

Malleus: I can explain to you at length not only about stone sculptures and bronze sculptures, but also gargoyles as well.

Deuce: Gargoyles…?

Malleus: Ah, so you aren't familiar with them. No matter. I'll start with explaining what they are…

Deuce: Uhhhh… Wait, uh, I was actually thinking about asking Rosehearts-ryōchō about the paintings with the Card Soldiers!

Deuce: Please, I hope you can wait for another opportunity to explain it all to me! I'll be leaving now, Draconia-senpai!

Malleus: He shouldn't run in the museum like so… I fear it is only a matter of time before the sound of Rosehearts' ireful shouts fill the halls.

Malleus: Really now, humans sure are always in a hurry. I think I'll take my time taking in the exhibits in the museum.

Malleus: Oh, what do we have here…? This is a painting of the princess who was blessed by the diurnal faes.

Malleus: What a lively birthday celebration. I wonder if I would have been invited to attend, had I lived in those times…

Malleus: …Hmph, they would do well to carefully think about who to invite to their celebrations. For if I were not invited to such a gala…

Malleus: I may have brought down upon them a cloud of destruction, darkening the sky and cursing them to the ends of the earth…

Requested by Anonymous.

[xqueen-of-disasterx]

Mommy issues

Boss!Scarlett × Fem!reader

WARNINGS: Smut, Boss/Employee relationship, Pet Names, Top!Scarlett, Bottom!reader

SUMMARY: Your boss Scarlett has some special plans for the celebration of your promotion

!Disclaimer English is not my first language so please excuse any grammar or spelling errors. This story is completely fictional!

Word count: 1.1 k

Authors note: Thanks for 100 follows love ya all

Masterlist

I've now worked for the outset for about three months and somehow, I still couldn't believe that I was working with the Scarlett Johansson. In the beginnings I would even stutter whenever she talked to me, which was pretty embarrassing form me, however after some time working with the movie star got more and more normal.

She made it hard for me to not blush whenever she was in a room with me. Whenever would stand behind me I could feel her hands on me, on my waist, on my shoulders or on my lower back. Or how she would gaze at me during meetings, but she would look away whenever I meet her gaze. I never said anything, to be honest I liked it.

Maybe it was all my imagination or how my friends would call it Mommy issues. But something told me that it was more than that, God it was so much more.

On that morning I had received an Email from Scarlett personally, which at first wasn't anything out of the ordinary but this one was addressed to my name asking me for a personal meeting.

To be honest I thought I had fucked something up and was about to get fired in the worse place. That was why when I arrived at her Office, I was even more nervous than I normally am. I signed not knowing how to react now. I couldn't remember any cases where I messed up? My appointment with her was at the of the day and what can I say they were torturous.

My hands were shaking as I carefully nocked at Scarlett’s door I beyond nervous I waited shortly before stepping in my boss’s office. I took a deep breath mentally preparing myself for her harsh words or punishment. However, to my surprise she just smiled at me signalling me to sit down across from her which I did.

"So, Y/N, your work lately has been nothing but perfect" suddenly all my stress had been relieved it felt like burden falling off my chest. "Was thinking about giving you the promotion for head of marketing."

I was speechless and she saw that too "I know that you are only 24 but I think it would be a great opportunity for you. I want young people like who know what they are doing in social media. So, what do you say, Y/N “.

"I'm glad you offered me this opportunity and I will gladly take it" I smile at her, and her plump lips turn into a smile too. She reached her hand out over the desk as I took and shook it and could feel how my cheeks heat up at the minor skin contact.

She abruptly stood up from her office chair going to one of her cabinets. „I think we should celebrate your promotion. So, what do you want red or white wine?" She smiled at me I was a bit taken a back. Did she do this with every of her employees? Or was I special to her?

"I'll have to drive home. I can't drink" she just smirked at me while placing two wine glasses down "Oh sweat heart, I'll drive you home if you want to. So, which one are you taking" I signed I knew that there wouldn't be away out.

"I'll take the white" She nods before opening the bottle "I knew it, you seemed like more of the sweet type" I could feel my cheeks heat up even more. Scarlett bit her lips before taking a slip from her whine.

We talked and made jokes what seemed like hours until she started making me compliments again telling me I how I would be her good girl. She knew how to get me.

"Do I make you nervous" If possible, I blushed even more I try to hide it by drinking more of the sweet alcohol "Come here sweetheart" the actress signalled me to come closer.

As I stood in front of her, but the older woman still wasn't satisfied. She put her glass down petting her lap. "Come on bunny don't be all shy now “.

I couldn't believe it I was sitting on the lap of my boss, and I was liking it. She grabbed on to my hips licking her lips "I know about your little crush on me. I can look through you like a window" Was it really that obvious? I tried to look away from her, but she grabbed my chin, pressing her lips onto mine.

I didn't pull away, no I whimpered into her lips as she broke away. I was breathing hard before diving into her again. I try to take control of the situation, but Scarlett wouldn't let me our tongues fighting for dominance.

In the end she won shoving her tongue down my throat, kneeling the flesh of my ass as I moaned out loud. "Fuck" I whimpered out feeling Scarlett’s lips on my neck, sucking, and nibbling on it.

Scarlett bit my neck making my hips buckle, she groaned on my neck before slamming me into her desk. I groaned at the harsh contact. "Do I have your consent bunny?" She asked me while unbuttoning my blouse "Yes" I cried out at the feeling of her kissing my skin again.

She finished pulling of my clothes before settling between my legs pushing them over her shoulder. She kittens licked my folds neglecting my clit. I let out increased moans making Scarlett groan too."Please Scarlett... no more... teasing" She smirked at me lashing onto my clit sucking it. I rolled my hips, but the actress held me down insisting two fingers into me. "Fuck you're so tight “.

She kept pumping her fingers curling them perfectly against my g spot. "Scarlett fuck I'm close" She smiled at me "Come for me bunny" She moved up my body holding me close as she fucked me through my high. Kissing me as I slowly came down from my high.

"That was amazing" I said as our lips parted "I liked it too" Scarlett kissed my cheek. I pulled my clothes on again. I didn't know what just happened also I didn't know what to do now.

As I tried to leave Scarlett stopped me "Where are you going?" "I'll have to catch subway you know. I don't really want to drive anymore “. She looked at me confused "No, no, I'm driving you I only had a glass of wine besides I feel pretty sober now “. That was the beginning of our live together and now I couldn't imagine on without her.

:)

[sadceline]

THE ENHYPEN HOST || 2

|| Reverse harem || ft. TXT, Mingyu (Seventeen) & BTS

PREVIOUS CHAPTER:

"She is your host, she will help you keep your house in order, she will take care of you in every aspect. - President Jiwon explains, looking at the boys in front of him. - You will take turns and since there is no extra room, Amanda will take turns sleeping in everyone's room. It is not necessary for you to have sexual relations but you are still entitled to this opportunity."

The way he speaks is honest but elegant, he explained almost everything with that nonchalance, as if it were business stuff - and indeed it is.

"What's going on?" Sunghoon asks incredulously, interrupting his superior, and noticing how the others in the band are looking at him as well, recomposes himself.

"I said she will help you with the house, but in a limited way. It is still your responsibility to take care of it 99%. - He resumes his speech, the man, with an annoyed expression. - You will have to cooperate and consider your guest a collaborator. Don't create problems and everything will be fine!" He finally exults, beaming.

"Mr. Park..." Tries to open his mouth Jake, shocked, unable to say anything else.

"Any non-consensual act will be severely punished, every week we will come for a psychological and physical checkup of the guest."

I keep my gaze down, am bitter, feel miserable, and sincerely fear whatever they are thinking of me. A rejection would be the least degrading thing, to be honest, but by now I have introduced myself, and as much as I am already regretting it, I can only face it.

"Amanda?" Tries to pronounce, almost tenderly, Heeseung, which manages to melt my embarrassment for a second so that I lift my gaze. I meet his eyes, my god, he's too close, too handsome.

"Nice to ... meet all of you!" I say, shakily, bending as far as I can to make a formal korean bow.

"Nice to meet you." Sighs Jay, I recognize his voice even without looking at him.

"So..." Sunoo sounds amused.

"Is she a prostitute? Did you at least give her medical exams?" Sunghoon blurts out surprised.

"You will stay at the seventh day. All agreed?" Jiwon, the CEO, instantly admonishes him, hitting the boy on the back of the head.

"Yes." They repeat in chorus, the others.

Yes, of course they did them to me, dear Sunghoon, but not because I am a prostitute! Embarrassment fades in earnest when I hear them say these things, maybe I prostrated myself too much - after all, I don't owe them a damn thing, they're the ones who should be thanking me, since they're going to use me. No?

"Amanda... - He repeats, with perfect pronunciation Jake. - Are you Spanish?"

"Italian..." I nod, not quite sure why.

"Ronaldo!" Jungwon exclaims laughing, advancing toward me.

"Ronaldo is portuguese.. Everyone knows that." Says Heeseung.

The situation is all too normal, how come? I almost feel at ease - I shouldn't, should I? I look around, avoiding their stares, not quite sure what to say or how to approach, but in a little while the CEO will be leaving.

"Did you bring everything?" Jay asks, very nonchalantly, as if we know each other, taking the trolley out of my hands gallantly.

I stand staring at him paralyzed, he is simply magnificent up close, I seem to be blushing all too noticeably. "No...leave it, I'll do it."

"You sleep in my room tonight." He surprises me, after firmly closing his hand around the doorknob.

"Intrepid! - Jiwon exclaims enthusiastically, patting Jay on the shoulder. - I'll leave it in good hands, if necessary you can decide to vote not to entrust the host to someone, like in reality TV, but don't take it too personally, okay? The important thing is not to make trouble."

He leaves leaving them with the words "treat her well, treat her respectfully." He repeated this several times, this made me feel a little safe, perhaps because inside I am a die-hard fan, and apart from Sunghoon, they all gave me a good impression.

There's something genuinely in their eyes that makes me feel at ease, plus, following Jay to his room, under the gaze of everyone still not realizing what's going on and mumbling, whispering to each other, makes me feel quite special.

"Do you realize what you've gotten yourself into?!" Jay asks, even before formally introducing himself. He has closed the door behind him and glares at me.

"It's not like I could do otherwise..." I explain, somewhat.

"Anything else would have been better, those are animals!"

"There's nothing improper about consensual sex." I sigh, trying to stick to my choice, even though I now feel judged and ashamed.

"It was obvious that you were okay with it, since you're here. - He says, his voice suddenly exuding a certain distrust, a revulsion. - I'm just looking out for you, and for the band."

"You don't even know me - I say, my eyes downcast, - you don't have to worry about me."

"I'm not worrying about you but about your safety. You have no idea what they will do to you."

"You talk as if they were monsters..."

"They are males, aren't they?"

Right, he's aware of that too.

"What about you?"

He seems surprised at my answer, maybe even impressed, as his expression suddenly softens.

"So am I, isn't it obvious?" He then says, brusque again.

Now that surprise is me. "It's not all rotten."

He stiffens, looks away. "Can't you sever the contract? Have you already signed?"

"Yeah, I've already resigned anyway. After this assignment I'll leave Korea and also leave this adventure behind, assuming I'm still alive."

"But don't you have parents? What will they think if something like this comes out?"

"Mr. Park says nothing has ever leaked out, and almost all the bands have guests. That should be fine."

"Were you doing this job before?"

I look at him and am offended, but maybe I shouldn't be. The reason I'm here certainly can raise similar doubts, only said this way it's certainly more tolerable.

"No, I am not a prostitute. I violated Hybe's copyright clause and have no family members who can help me raise that kind of money, and I checked, no bank is willing to give me such a loan. I had no choice, really."

Jay rubs his face wearily. "I'll make room in the closet for you, keep your things here."

Sighing relieved, the talk is shelved for the moment. "I thought certain decisions were made by the leader." I joke, approaching him who has begun to haphazardly gather his stuff to throw it somewhere else.

I stay staring at him, he is really beautiful - he notices, he doesn't seem bothered, he must be used to it. "The leader, when the lights are out, is me." He says this in a serious voice, he doesn't seem to be joking.

As he activates my feminine senses, he turns off the fan in me a bit, for some reason.

"Amanda, huh?" He pronounces too, fairly correctly, if not for the american cadence.

"You say that right." I reply in a gentle voice, and this time he's the one looking at me, though I'm not sure why.

"Are you a fan?"

"Actually yes...but I wouldn't want you to think that's why I agreed. It's more the fear of Hybe's lawyers than the beauty of Enyphen, and anyway, I don't like korean men. You guys are beautiful just to look at."

"Then you shouldn't be so quiet."

"However - I continue, amused, - they fuck well. Too bad you guys have closed minds."

"I am not completely korean." He reminds me.

I shift my pupils to him, then laugh nervously, I know perfectly well that he is not. "And do you have an open mind?"

He doesn't answer right away; he stays staring at me, which makes me nervous. "Who knows."

He's acting tough, and maybe he really is, maybe he was serious about the leader thing, but he seems to be a good person, and it's strange that he gives me such a strong impression after such a short time.

"What are you doing? Have you started yet?" He suddenly opens the door, Heeseung.

"Knock, asshole." The owner of the room tackles him.

I feel the older man's eyes on me, it's strange, they are piercing, yet he has an innocuous face. "Aren't we going to make introductions?"

"We're coming."

"Why does she put things down at your place?"

An awkward silence envelops us, for several seconds, then Heeseung chuckles, dampening the atmosphere.

"Okay, anyway, there's space at my place too, if I need to bring more stuff."

"How generous." Jay comments, waving me out, politely first.

I thank him with a nod, then walk past Heeseung who doesn't seem at all perturbed by my proximity; who knows, maybe he doesn't think I'm a pest.

After all, it would also be advantageous, if they are the ones who don't want to have relations with me I can't really do anything about it, I would have tried what I could anyway, and Jiwon should recognize that.

However, not because of any particular self-esteem as much as because I have a definite idea about men in general, I don't expect anything like that, realistically.

In the living room, still talking confusedly to each other, Enhypen are interrupted by my arrival. I feel like when I changed schools as a child and was introduced in front of the whole class on the first day.

"How old are you?" He immediately breaks the silence, Sunoo, watching me with his arms crossed.

"Twenty-three."

"Were you born in 2001?" Heeseung then asks.

"Yes."

Jake rests a hand on his hip. "How did you end up here?"

So I told them the matter, in detail, and at the end, the quietest of them all - Niki, who for some reason keeps to himself in silence - had brought beers, and we sat down, some on the couch (Jay, Jake and I), some on the floor (Niki, Heeseung, Sunoo and Sunghoon), some in the chair (Jungwon).

They asked me a lot of superficial questions, no one went into the substance of the talk, and we simply went over important memories of their journey as a band, infoing the confused fan me.

"What do your folks think?" Sunghoon asks, smiling at me, all of a sudden.

"They're dead." I answer, taking a long sip of beer.

I leave them all stunned, and rather pleased. My parents are not dead, as if they were, but I just wanted to shush Sunghoon who interacted with me only to put me on the spot.

"Excuse him, he's an asshole. He was born that way." He rubs his face, genuinely annoyed.

I pat him on the back, cheerfully.

Sunoo bursts out laughing, Jake and Jungwon follow with some embarrassment, perhaps uncomfortable with the joke. "Are you sure it's okay?" Jake asks again.

Sunghoon runs a hand through his hair, messing it up nervously. "Shit, it's not like you have to woo her. She signed a contract giving you the green light, you could fuck her here too, what's all this?"

How irritating this Sunghoon, and to say I liked him so much before. He seemed a bit mounted, it's true, but I didn't think he was such a bastard - although he may be the only one acting normal in this situation.

"Are you kidding about these things?" Jungwon asks, intimidated.

I look at him, he's quite cute, has cute dimples, too cute. I want to bite him. "There are few things I don't joke about."

"We needed a breath of fresh air in this house." Sunoo smiles smugly.

"Should we arrange shifts?" Heeseung asks very nonchalantly.

Everyone turns to him, he is the one who has uncovered the much-feared Pandora's box.

"We should, yes." Jungwon nods, briefly lifting his gaze to me, then lowering it again.

"What should we know? What don't you like?" The oldest of the band, Heeseung, asks again.

"Amanda, you won't be offended if I don't make my room available, will you? - He turns to me, Sunoo, still smiling, as if to tell me something. - I don't like to share my space, and my room is my kingdom, the only one I can have in this fucking house."

"I should... thank you, I guess." I sigh, embarrassed.

"Sunoo has someone, I have someone, too. It would be disrespectful..." Jungwon also sighs..

"So... That leaves me, Jake, and Jay?" Heeseung says.

"You don't consider me? You offend me." Replies Sunghoon, who didn't leave, just stood up.

"Come on, you don't even like her. You'd only bother her, you're also engaged." Puffs Jay, tired of his tantrums.

The peer, Sunghoon, twists his lips. "If she's here that means it's safe to fuck her, why shouldn't I? And anyway with my time I do what I want."

"Why do you talk like that?" Apparently sorry question, Jake.

Great, so he's going to keep breaking it, and I can't tell if I'm titillated by it, even, stomping on the wreckage of my feminist ideals being shattered by a moon too much like a pakistan artist never even seen, at least before the news.

"Actually...I'd be there, too." Says a deep voice, catching everyone's attention.

Jake thins his gaze. "You? What are you supposed to do with a girl?"

The youngest of them all, Niki, shifts his gaze annoyed. "Like Sunghoon, I am also entitled to my turn. It doesn't concern you what I'll do with it, that's for sure."

He keeps quiet, the young man, but when he opens his mouth he puts everyone on notice. Still, I get the impression that there's bad blood between these two, and I'd also be curious to know why.

We order takeout. I feel like a princess, I can order anything I want to drink and eat, also because from tomorrow I will have to stick to their food regimen, I certainly don't want to cook.

"You foreigners are curvy, huh?" Heeseung asks me as I finish my third can. These beers are strong.

"You can leave it if you don't like it!" I suggest warmly, a little drunk, though deep down I hope he doesn't; he is certainly among my favorites.

Yet I don't quite frame him, he looks innocent, he has the kind look on his face, but then he's the one who cares most about remembering what I came in here to do. Will he be a horny fool?

"It's not that I don't like it, it's just different."

"In Italy I'd be skinny, anyway." I say brightly.

Heeseung smiles, amused. "Oh yeah? And fat people are curvy?"

"You really want to do badishshaneing," I don't know why I just pronounced the word bodyshaming like that, but so be it.

"That's cute when you're drunk. - He says, moving closer to my face, and it's the first real almost romantic interaction so close to my face. - Remember though, you live with seven guys who haven't been able to express their sexuality normally for years, so, you do the math."

I nudge him amicably, with a confidence we certainly don't have, but I blame the alcohol. "If you do anything wrong I will tell Jiwon right away!"

"Are you friends that you call him by his first name?"

The conversation with him is so smooth that we keep joking, until the take-out food arrives. We sit at the table, I end up quite far from Heeseung, unfortunately, given the pleasant conversation, but in the meantime armed with pen and paper, during the meal, we start making notes on how to organize ourselves from now on.

Day 1

Jay, on his day I will be tidying up three of the seven bedrooms, making the beds and cleaning superficially, deep cleaning is still their problem.

Day 2

Jake, I will take care of the remaining four rooms.

Day 3

Heeseung, his is bathroom day, there are three in the house, but I will only take care of the main one, which is not inside the boys' rooms.

They all do that, once a week.

Day 4

Niki, general cleaning day. I will help around the house and cook, if necessary and if I feel like it.

Day 5

Sunghoon, although he was actually supposed to take some penalty that everyone forgot about, will be the day off from cleaning.

The days will repeat, and this way I will not disturb either Sunoo or Jungwon, who have politely pulled out. Sunoo said I can sleep over if I warn him, but even if I don't want to be with the others I can join him in the middle of the night.

"You know I'm not a problem for you, right?" Sunoo asks me, laughing with amusement.

I smile too, he is really handsome up close. "I suspected as much."

"I never tried to hide it..."

He is speaking veiledly, I am proud that I can communicate so naturally, in korean but especially with Kim Sunwoo. But why is he saying this to me? Does he trust me?

Even after eating, though very little compared to usual, the effect of the alcohol has not subsided, and the fact that they ordered soju does not improve the situation; in fact, it all starts to take a strange turn.

"Should we put on music? We are celebrating, after all." Proposes Sunoo, who continues to speak mischievously, or so it seems.

"We won't eat this stuff anymore." Heeseung comments bitterly.

"We should mark a list of things you don't like, so there won't be any problems while shopping." Jake explains, turning a thoughtful look to me.

I smile, am amused, this all seems absurd to me, plus they are far too kind. I have to say, though, that standing inches from Jake's perfect face is quite a generous reward. "I don't know korean food very well, but I eat everything in general..."

"It shows." Sunghoon comments.

Now I'm going to step on him, is that what he wants? I get up from the table noisily and point at him, menacingly, though everyone can see how I stagger.

"Are you done busting my balls?" I blurt, but judging by the way everyone stares at me, I must look really stupid.

"I haven't even started."

Jake sighs annoyed. "Sunghoon should have the tenth turn." He proposes, turning to Jay.

Maybe it is true that he is the leader in here. And it's strange to realize that.

"Yes, let's do that."

"So you prevent me from expressing myself, that's censorship."

"Nobody wants you to express yourself." Jungwon chuckles.

When the evening finally comes to an end, Jay, before escorting me back to my room, magnetically hangs the roster sheet on the huge fridge in their large kitchen. I wave to the rest of the members, now I guess I will have to fulfill my duties, but nevertheless, I think Jay will not ask me anything like that for the time being.

"How did you find yourself?" He asks me, closing the door.

Still being strongly tipsy, I smile naively. "They are polite animals, I think. Except for Sunghoon."

While I'm still talking, however, Jay lifts his wide sweatshirt, revealing his dry but well-trained chest, his broad shoulders, his beautiful arms perfectly outlined by muscles, and I can't help but continue watching such a spectacle.

"Shall I prepare things for you to take a bath?"

"A-Ah... - I realize that I stood as if dumbfounded before him - thank you! I can do it myself if you tell me what..."

"I'll take care of it." Sigh.

"You.... are definitely the more polite one."

"Don't get your hopes up, about me. I'm the same as everyone else."

"A good person would say exactly that."

I'm a flood of positive vibes, feeling really good, and I know it's partly due to the alcohol but I really felt good today. I should tell Ester all about it.

Jay approaches me as I sit on his bed, looking down at me with his eyes less kind, with the corners of his mouth lifting in a way that is anything but friendly. What, is he trying to scare me now? I don't think so.

"Are you in the habit of drawing your opinion from first impressions?" He asks me, his voice really warm, I feel like I can touch his vocal cords with my ears.

"No... it's just that..."

"You sound naive, though you desperately try to hide it."

"But..."

"And tell me, Amanda, what do you think will happen tonight?"

Silence, an honest silence accompanies his question.

"Why do you think I led the way into my room? - He still smiling, I stop, though. - You have more value when you haven't been touched yet, right?"

"D-Do I look like...a virgin?" I mumble, genuinely embarrassed and deeply offended, even stuttering.

"You've never been touched by them. You know... I believe that the method you told us about tonight can work well in bands where there is no deep-seated resentment among the members as a base."

"I-I don't understand what you're getting at." I did it again.

"I'll have you first, don't get me wrong, but - he tells me, so quiet, as he strokes my cheek and his hand is beautiful, elegant, warm. - I worked hard."

NEXT CHAPTER:

[rainbowsandwhumperflies]

The Winged Servant - 15

content warnings: comfort if you squint, though whumpee wouldn't know, non-human whumpee, mentions of discrimination of non-human whumpee, royalty whump, conditioning mentions

masterlist | prev chapter

I ate the second crepe in silence. Dubhe scrolled on his phone.

As was his right. As was anyone’s right. I would not let myself forget that just because it had been hours since I’d been in the presence of royalty. Just because at this time of day, I was already supposed to have taken the queen’s breakfast to her and cleaned her room and cleaned the princes’ room and gotten started on the bathrooms. Just because I hadn’t done any of that.

It was fine. I was fine. Taking precedence over those responsibilities was the responsibility of doing what I was told. That was what my last royal command had been. Do what they tell you. And that’s what I was doing as I followed Dubhe back up staircases to a big room. His, maybe, if he’d made himself the king, because it was so big. Bigger than the queen’s, with a four poster bed and blue and white wallpaper.

“I don’t know if there’s any soap or anything in the bathroom,” Dubhe said. “I would’ve had a room actually prepared if I’d known you were coming, sorry. Should work for now though, if it’s okay with you.”

“Of course, sir. I don’t need any specific soap. I can use whatever cleaning supplies are available. Are there… more specific instructions as to what I’m cleaning?”

“What?” he asked, blinking at me. “I- no. No. I’m not asking you to clean. This is where you’re staying until we figure out how to go about more permanent arrangements.”

“Where… I’m staying, sir?” I repeated faintly. Had there been no open servants’ quarters? This was overkill, even from someone who’d had breakfast made for me. Especially from someone who’d had breakfast made for me. How many favors was he planning on doing for me? I was a servant, for fuck’s sake. I didn’t deserve all of this, and I couldn’t dream of paying it back. I couldn’t pay back any of the favors he was giving me. Didn’t he know that?

Dubhe's eyebrows pulled together. “Is it okay? I can find a different room if there’s something wrong.”

“No, sir. Nothing’s wrong. My apologies; I did not mean to question you or misinterpret your orders.”

He stared at my face, trying to figure something out, but gave up after a few moments. “Okay. Well. If the room is okay, I figured maybe you could try to get some rest? I know you probably didn’t have a lot of opportunities for that last night. If you’re tired, you can sleep. I’ll tell someone to bring you clean clothes, and soap and stuff if you want to shower.”

“You want me to… sleep, sir?”

“Do you not want to? You don’t have to.”

I wrung my hands together, nonplussed. “I just don’t… I don’t have my collar, sir.”

“Your… collar?”

“My shock collar. Sir. His Highness Prince Ryan took it off last night after my punishment, to make sure that my neck wasn’t hurt, and he didn’t ever put it back on. As is his right, of course.”

“Of course,” he repeated dryly. “What about your collar is relevant right now, bud?”

“I don’t sleep without it, sir.”

“Jesus. Okay. Why don’t you sleep without a shock collar?”

“That’s what wakes me up in the mornings, sir. It keeps me on task. There are very few things that I am permitted to do without it.”

“They- they shock you awake? Every morning?”

“Not every morning, sir. Shock collars are meant for dogs, actually, and they don’t always shock dogs. Oftentimes it just vibrates very quickly. It- it can simulate a small shock.”

He took a slow, deep breath. “So they simulated shocking you awake every morning?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Okay.” He sat down on the bed, patting it next to him. I sat down obediently, and he winced. “Sit… sit on the bed with me, bud. Not the floor.”

I stared up at him from my knees. “I can't be on that bed, sir. My wings will rip the pillows.”

“Will they really?”

I frowned. I didn't know they would rip the pillows. I knew they could. I knew that I wasn’t supposed to be on most furniture for that reason, especially when I was unconscious. I could control my wings just fine when I was awake, but not if I did what he asked of me and slept.

He tilted his head when I hesitated. “Do you mind if I touch them?”

“Of course, sir.”

He was gentle as he ran his fingers across the bone that protruded from the top of my wing, like he was petting a cat. I hadn’t ever seen that part of a wing on a real bat before, but I was pretty sure it wasn’t really supposed to be a weapon. “It’s honestly not that sharp,” Dubhe said. “I’m not particularly worried. Do you not, uh, sleep on a bed if you’re so worried about this?”

“I’m supposed to wear caps on them, sir. They’re made out of silicone, to make sure I don’t cause problems while I sleep.”

“Yeah, I don’t care if you cause problems. At the moment, my main concern is your lack of sleep, not the bed, which is easily mendable or replaceable. Come on, on the bed.”

Even as he ordered me around, orders that I certainly wouldn’t normally get, his voice was so soft. Even after I’d misinterpreted a million things. Even after I’d disobeyed his order the first time he’d said it.

He looked down at me, his expression patient despite my hesitation.

“C’mon, bud.” He leaned down to grab one of my hands, tugging it gently. “I don’t bite. Up on the bed.”

I followed the direction. Physical direction was impossible to resist. Even if the back of my mind was screaming at me that I was a traitor, he was pulling on my hand, and so I followed. All I was ever trained to do was listen to what I was told.

“I know that this is strange for you,” he said as I sat down next to him. The bed was the softest thing I thought I’d ever felt. “I- I have met Ryan a few times before, and he was cruel to me too. It took me weeks to feel like myself again, and I’m sure that it was nothing compared to what you’ve gone through. I know this is weird, and it’s probably going to be weird for a while. But things usually feel more manageable after getting sleep.”

Addressing the prince by his first name was treason. Picking apart the prince’s worst qualities wasn’t any better. But I was supposed to behave. “I… am not supposed to sleep without my collar, sir, let alone in the middle of the day when there is work to be done.”

“But I don’t want you to do work, bud. I want you to rest.”

I smiled weakly. “All due respect, sir, but you are not the person that I am even supposed to do work for.”

“God, don’t I know it,” he sighed, but he looked at me and smiled too. Teasing, maybe. “Humor me. Please. Lay down for a bit.”

He stood up and turned off the lights. My eyes followed him around the room. He came back to the bed after, nudged my shoulder, encouraged me to lay down. Gentle, still, even after I’d ignored another order.

“Just do your best to get some rest, okay?” he said softly, pulling my blankets up to my chin. “In about an hour I’m going to send a servant up here with some food, clean clothes, all that jazz. They won’t wake you up if you’re sleeping, just drop stuff off and leave. And I’ll come get you for dinner, okay? You’re going to be fine, Onyx. Just rest for now.”

It was odd to hear him talk about ordering servants around and assigning them tasks when he had done so little of that to me. Did he think me incompetent? Had I done something badly enough for him to think that? Had I answered something wrong when Blue had asked me questions? Or, more likely, had he already gotten fed up with me having ignored his orders for the past ten minutes? I knew how to be good, I did know, I just- wasn’t being good, for some reason.

But when Dubhe ran his hands through my hair, my eyes began to close anyway. Maybe I was incompetent. Maybe I was useless and had no purpose. But I was tired. I was not supposed to want things, but resting sounded so good.

Dubhe left when my eyes closed and breathing evened out. I was not yet asleep. And despite the fact that he was a traitor, the cool spot on my head where his hand had been left me feeling emptier than I’d ever remembered feeling before.

~

taglist: @kaleidoscope-of-thoughts @toyybox @rainydaywhump @risk606 @jay--o

@fuckcapitalismasshole @cepheusgalaxy

[roguephenon]

I’m sorry It took so long but it’s finally here! Spoilers for those who haven’t reached Cold Reception chapter 28 just yet:

Part 3 of my Kuki and DLCFDTL Analysis: Unstoppable Indomitable Human Spirit Vs Immovable Cynicism 

Now here comes the thought that helped kickstarted this whole thing together: the dynamic between Kuki and the delightful children. Fun fact: I actually rediscovered Cold Reception cuz of the Operation Tea fic you wrote where Kuki gets caught up in shenanigans caused sector z’s former villain. Once again taking a moment to praise your ability in turning a small spark of a certain potential into something compelling. Thus, the question of, why have Kuki and the delightful children as the narrative foils, especially when the easier decision would’ve been having Nigel face them? Becomes why not? 

As I’ve mentioned before in previous analyses, Kuki and the delightful children both represent those at the brink of growing up and knowing that everyone and everything you love could change. And facing the possibility of being left behind. In response to this, the delightful children take on a Faustian deal which cuts off the parts of them that were kids because it’s safer to assimilate—to submit. Nothing can hurt you anymore if you do it it first. Because that’s how the “real world” is supposed to work. 

But with Kuki? She’s the walking proof that it doesn’t have to be! I’m grateful that she isn’t “punished” by the narrative into being stoic and jaded just cuz that’s what the “real world” demands of her. I feel like Kuki, especially in this fic can be described by this quote from the movie Everything, Everywhere All At Once: 

“You tell me it's a cruel world and we're all running around in circles. I know that (…) When I choose to see the good side of things, I'm not being naive. It is strategic and necessary. It's how I've learned to survive through everything (…) I know you see yourself as a fighter. Well, I see myself as one too. This is how I fight.”

Like her being happy is less abt putting up a front (tho sometimes that can be the case when it gets too hard), it’s a deliberate choice. It’s her own act of rebellion against a world that’s so against children and childhood in general. It reminds me of the kawaii/lolita counter culture where girls dressed more cute-sy as their own rebellion against a conformist society that’s so quick to assign them roles. (I can send a link to this article if u want hehe) 

And fight like that she did! That mecha battle was also a battle of ideals. Hopecore vs General Hopelessness. It’s exactly why I had Undertale’s Hopes and Dreams playing on loop while typing all of this. I especially love the callback to her having hippie hop back in there. The same exact mecha that we always saw fumbling somehow. It truly felt like a full circle moment with how she stumbled for a bit but had her epic comeback. The inclusion of every single person that Kuki ever left an impression on? Especially after that devastating and kinda meta barrage of every criticism of Kuki’s character? Absolute cinema! It really cemented the fact that there couldn’t have been anyone else but her to face them. 

I’m glad that when it came down to it, when the opportunity presented itself, the delightful children didn’t make that hit when they could’ve. Underneath all that noise, Kuki’s determination reached them too and their own inner children. Not to quote undertale but “Despite everything, it’s still you.” 

It’s interesting that when they came to, and that by the time they accepted the offer, they’re no longer the delightful hollow shell nor were they fully sector z again. Instead they become a combination of the two which in my opinion was actually quite reasonable and realistic as they wouldn’t rlly be the same kids they once were after everything they’ve been through. This is the point where they start to grow up, in the real way. Also can I just say that the sheer trust and confidence that Kuki had in them making that decision symbolic in her keeping her nerve when Alessandra confronted her? Absolutely PEAKK. 

On that note, here come the questions! What was your thought process in setting this whole subplot up with Kuki and the delightful children in Cold Reception and in Operation Tea? How did the Kuki and Numbuh Beyond parallels come to be? What about this potential dynamic drew you in? Do you happen to have any headcanons of them? Personally I have this headcanon that they actually did like working on that school play with her cuz theatre kids would drop their beef just to get a good show going Lmao cuz u would still find some sort of camaraderie with someone you went through hellish rehearsal with. 

ahhhh no need to apologize! I’d wait forever and a half for asks and analysis like this! It’s all so good and I’m so very humbled my writing could garner such a response 🥹

Definitely link me that article! I’m aware of what you’re talking about but don’t think I’ve read it in depth and I’d love to read it!

I can tackle your questions while parsing through the analysis (which, again, is wonderful. Thank you so much :3 ) My thought process goes back to them both representing kids on the cusp of growing up and having to face all the scary change that comes with it, like you mentioned! Of course the part of that coming from the Delightful Children on my end is headcanon, as we truly don’t know the canon lives sector Z had before they became what they are now. But at same time, it felt like the right fit for them in my brain. Sector Z can be considered the antithesis of the Delightful Children, so this subplot felt like a good way of exploring the concept of how the oppressed comes to side or give in the the oppressor for whatever reason.

Father taking five innocent kids and stuffing them into a machine to make them perfectly obedient dependents of his is truly evil in of itself. But there’s always more layers that can be explored and social commentary that can be made and I wanted to do that.

And to counter that, it hit me at some point that it had to be Kuki who was the foil of that. She lives in a world and a messed up household that expects her to conform every day. Yet, she doesn’t. Kuki still remains happy, carefree Kuki throughout the entire run of the show.

We know that some of it is a front. That’s okay and that’s how a lot of people have cope. But that quote from Everything, Everywhere All at Once (love that movie btw) sums up exactly my feelings on Kuki.

I will softly reject any notion that happiness in the face of adversity is naïveté or ignorance. I want to argue that it can be a deliberate choice: the power you can wield to fight back against a cruel world that wants you to submit. Kuki fumbles and is not perfect, but she’s still Kuki. Trying to strip her completely of her happiness or mid-psychoanalyze it as something universally unhealthy is a disservice to the ideal we could be striving for.

The parallels between Kuki and Beyond subtly started back in TEA, and came about in what I wanted to represent in Beyond: the ideal kid other see her as and the actual kid she is at the heart of it. Kuki is one of the more obvious parallels because of obvious in story reasons and more personal ones.

What drew me to the dynamic is Kuki’s drive to become friends with anyone, even their mortal enemies haha. While the show does light touch and allude to serious things, you have to remember there’s an episode where everyone puts aside their differences for cereal. Kuki and the Delightful Children seemed to be a natural extension of that.

Besides what’s in the fics, I can’t think of any specific headcanons atm but I do share a similar one to yours. Becuase yes, theatre kids most certainly ARE like that. Speaking as someone who studied and was in theatre lol.

Sorry if this response is a bit scatter brained but thank you so much for this lovely analysis and feel free to keep asking for specifics if I didn’t cover something you intended me to!

[antiquitiesandlabyrinths]

Kemeticism Under the Advice of Ptah-Hotep:

Maxim 5

In this maxim, Ptah-Hotep teaches about the proper behavior of a leader who respects the unending Rule; the philosophy of Ma'at.

Translation:

If you have the responsibility of leadership, are in charge of setting guidelines for a large number of subordinates, seek every opportunity to be effective so your behavior is irreproachable.

Great is the Rule – its effect on both great and small is complete and long-lasting. The Rule is illuminating and practical and has not changed since the time of Osiris.

Those who break the law must be punished – something the greedy fail to understand. Wrong-doers can achieve material gain, but evil never leads to good. It is wrong to say: 'I want only to take things to enrich myself,' rather than: 'I want my actions to benefit the position entrusted to me.'

Whenever anything reaches its due term, it is the Rule which endures. And a just man must acknowledge the domain of his spiritual father.

Breakdown:

Lesson

Jacq's Translation

Direct Translation

(Note: I will be using numbers here instead of asterisks since the number of asterisks will get confusing and distracting with the amount of author's notes I have on the terms used here.)

Be effective with your tasks and advice so that none can criticize your guidance.

“If you have the responsibility of leadership… seek every opportunity to be effective so your behavior is irreproachable.”

“If you are a leader in charge of giving guidelines to a large number (of people), seek, for yourself, every occasion to be efficient¹, so that your behavior² is irreproachable.”

Ma’at’s effect on all things big and small is whole and thorough, leading to enlightenment, knowledge of morality and its' practicality, and the universe.

“Great is the Rule… it’s effect on both great and small is complete and long-lasting. The Rule is illuminating and practical and has not changed since the time of Osiris.”

“Radiant, luminous, useful is the Rule, durable its precise efficiency³. It has not been disturbed⁴ since the time of Osiris.”

People who do not follow Ma’at must be punished. Those who are greedy will not understand why Ma’at must be upheld, or why those who do not follow it must be punished.

“Those who break the law must be punished – something the greedy fail to understand.”

“The one who transgresses the laws is punished, and that is what escapes the attention of the one with a greedy heart.”

Cruel and evil people can gain many material possessions but this evil path will never succeed; it can never fulfill its objectives.

“Wrong-doers can achieve material gain, but evil never leads to good.”

“Iniquity will get hold of quantity⁵, but evil⁶ will never succeed in bringing its moment of action safely into port.”

Taking things only for oneself is wrong and evil; it is better to think about the improvement of those around you within your life, as well as for your own needs, but not more.

“It is wrong to say: “I want only to take things to enrich myself.” rather than: “I want my actions to benefit the position entrusted to me.””

“The one who acts wrongfully says, “I acquire for myself”; he does not say: “I acquire for the benefit of my function.”

Although all things pass and die, Ma’at’s Rule remains. This makes all things temporary, except Ma'at, which is eternal.

“Whenever anything reaches its due term, it is the Rule which endures.”

“The end comes, the Rule remains.”

A good spiritual son must put to realization and acknowledgement the lessons and the work of their spiritual father.

“… and a just man must acknowledge the domain of his spiritual father.”

“That is what a just man says: “Such is the domain of my spiritual father.””

(1) - Efficient; menekh, implies a work that is well-adjusted and well finished; overall well-rounded.

(2) - Behavior can also be translated as ‘your way of governing, of guiding’.

(3) - Precise efficiency is translated from seped, which means to be pointed and efficient. The Rule of Ma’at always reaches its aim and never fails when it’s guidance is heeded. Characteristics include its duration, its eternity, stability, and in alter ability; as the worst interference or misappropriation from humans cannot defile or alter it.

(4) - Disturbance here is indicated by a verb, khenen, describing serious troubles and their consequences. The sign specifying the category of idea it belongs to is the Set-animal, representing the God responsible for cosmic disturbances. Ma’at’s Rule is not harmed by these disturbances. “Being at the origin of every creation, it is neither weakened nor lessened by this creation. ‘The time of Osiris’ is that of eternity. Born within the dimension of time, our world and the human race are condemned to disappear, but Ma’at and Osiris, not subject to time, will endure.” (The Wisdom of Ptah-Hotep, Christian Jacq, p. 160)

(5) - Iniquity is translated from nedjyt, meaning baseness or villainy, whilst quantity is translated from ahat, meaning heap, piles, accumulation, or quantity. “Injustice gains unfair advantage wherever quantity is important. While the Rule of Ma’at and quality reign, baseness does not predominate; when quantity, mediocrity and injustice reign, it becomes widespread.” (The Wisdom of Ptah-Hotep, Christian Jacq, p. 160)

(6) - Evil here comes from the word djayt, formed from the root dja, meaning to transgress or oppose. One who is quarrelsome is one who transgresses and opposes, causing isfet within an environment of Ma’at.

With the length and range of this particular maxim, there are a lot of lessons that can be found within its' paragraphs. The overarching idea is concerned with Ma'at. Whilst it refers mostly to one who holds the position of a leader, Ma'at is something that all should aim to follow. It is the eternal and everlasting essence and substance of the universe – it is all things with equilibrium, balance, and harmony. It cannot be twisted or swayed by the outcome of its' own creation, nor can it even be harmed by the Gods.

I have spoken before about what Ma'at is, and who Ma'at is, in a cosmic sense. But this does not specifically describe what adhering to Ma'at means. So, Ma'at is the precision and the eternity and the essence of the universe. It is the substance. But what does it mean to follow this substance? What does it mean to adhere to equilibrium?

Often when people first begin to read about Ma'at, they read first the 42 Laws, also called the 42 Negative Confessions. They think of these laws as strict, unbending, stern, and intransigent. But harmony has nothing to do with the ideas that these words describe. Ma'at is something that is highly personalized to everyone and everything. The 42 Negative Confessions, even though seemingly a strict set of rules, was different for every person, and every time a version of this text has been found it has been different from every other version. This is because people with different lives and statuses have different vices, or sins which they are pulled to. The life of a vizier is very different from the life of a farmer, and so their vices are different. Whilst a vizier may be pulled to embezzle money, a farmer would be tempted to steal a neighbor's cow. A priest may need to ensure that he is being respectful in all holy places, while a governor may want to keep from the sin of adultery. Similarly, our good deeds will be different as well, and this is why Ma'at is so changeable. As said by Ptah-Hotep, the daily deeds of a sage are to follow the callings of his creative energy, his ka, which knows better of Ma'at than the mind, who is so easily swayed by the emotions which stem from the gut.

Whether or not we follow Ma'at, She is always there. Knowledge of Her will lead to great joy and heals the heart, whilst ignorance of Her leads only to failure and to isfet. The true freedom of human choice consists of taking part in the Great Divine Plan or departing ourselves from it; from accepting fate and entering into a state of Blessedness, or refusing and wandering in sorrow as we wonder helplessly how to control our destiny. The Gods are the ones to lead our destiny, and though humans have the capability of ignoring this and creating chaos, it is only what They ordain which comes to pass. It is our duty to trust Them and realize They know better than our transient minds do. It is hubris to believe you know better than the Gods.

In Egyptian mythology, there is little to no mention of any sort of hell. This concept comes from later cultures and was then imparted upon Kemetic thought, however in its' original form, the only thing to come after death to those who did not follow Ma'at was nonexistence. For the people of the time, this was enough punishment, as there was nothing better than life and its' continuation in the Field of Reeds, where all is peaceful and the sun shines forever. But for us, in our modern age which is steeped heavily in the idea of a monotheistic, Semitic God and the concept of Hell, the idea of nonexistence being the punishment for perpetrators of isfet seems to be somewhat lenient. However these wrong-doers were also to be punished in life. Ptah-Hotep outlines that those who are greedy, and those who do not understand what Ma'at is, will not understand why Ma'at must be followed or why they must be punished for their transgressions. In future maxims, Ptah-Hotep once again brings up this subject in reference to training a spiritual son – in our terms, a sage's apprentice. A spiritual son may act out of line or without Ma'at in mind; this does not mean you send him away immediately. Instead, he must be punished in a way that makes him understand his transgression, and if he understands, all is well. However if one repeatedly creates problems and does not listen to his ka, Ptah-Hotep advises to "... send him away. He is not your spiritual son." (Maxim 12)

The difference between the one who acts viciously and the one who acts within Ma'at is the ability to listen. If one is able to listen, they are able to understand. If they are unable to listen then their tasks in life will not succeed. "He who does not listen is prey to distractions. He who knows gets up early in the morning to worship, to maintain his balance, while an ignorant man bustles about." (Maxim 40, Epilogue 3)

It seems, in positions of power during both the past and the present, that those who are the least well-suited to be handling power are given it. As quoted above from this maxim, "Wrong-doers can achieve material gain," however, "evil never leads to good." (Maxim 5) So let us first ask, what does material gain give us? Everything material is temporary. Ptah-Hotep does not shun the importance of material goods. Food keeps us alive and nourishes us, and we require air to breathe, and water to drink, and it is good to have all these things in good quality. What he advices against is excess. When quantity of things becomes more important than the quality of these things, greed and a lack of appreciation derive. This is from an inability to see things as they truly are, and comprehend the world with no preconceived notions or feelings.

When we are able to see clearly, we appreciate every small thing, and are conscious of everything we have, and everything we are fortunate enough to not have, such as diseases or bad relations. We can see bad things which are out of our control and not react negatively to it, instead observing our emotions without reacting, and acting positively when it is possible. This perceived lack of emotion, as well as the understanding of material wealth's temporary state, does not mean we cannot enjoy good things; it actually gives us more power and awareness to enjoy and adore the good things in our life without being plagued by isfetic forces beyond our help, and without our hearts being warped by the instincts and fears of the gut. Without this clear vision, we rely on external and material things to keep us happy which are, as Ptah-Hotep says, temporary. This means our happiness would be temporary, as it is based on temporary things. "The end comes, the Rule remains." (Maxim 5) When happiness is based on the eternal, which is comprehension and realization, devotion, and perfect listening, then our happiness is eternal. Understanding and realizing this subject can be difficult. Understanding is easy enough; that appreciation leads to happiness, while the accumulation of things does not give any. But enacting it within your mind is a step of enlightenment, or realization, which does not always come easily.

The second question to ask when analyzing the phrase, 'wrong-doers can achieve material gain, but evil never leads to good,' is why is it possible for wrong-doers to achieve material gain?

Those who do not listen, the followers of isfet, who pay more heed to their gut than their heart, have their place in this world. Their evil ways are centered on getting their material gain no matter the cost to their soul or to the people around them. Their means are cruel and their behavior is to be despised. Temporary, material pleasures have more worth to them than the infinity of their souls, or the connection between humans. They do not see value in these things; they do not listen, and only see the value in material gains, but cannot see far enough to realize that these benefits will never last, and can be taken away in a second. Wrong-doers achieve material gain because they are set on it in their mind. It is the only thing important to them. The Gods always punish them with their fate, but this punishment is not visual to us.

This lesson bleeds into the next phrase, which says it is better to earn and achieve things for the benefit of your function, but not to yearn ceaselessly for more quantity. When one understands the quality of the goods we consume they do not yearn for quantity. They appreciate what they have in the moment and let it pass on like a pleasant dream. Peace follows and Ma'at is adhered to.

The lesson of Ma'at's eternity is one that I have repeated many times. Ma'at is enduring and beautiful, and She cannot be changed; however, Her presence can be diminished as more and more people forgo the Rule. That's why it is of paramount importance to listen to the sages who dedicate their lives to the understanding of Ma'at, whether from Egyptian culture or otherwise, as Ma'at is a universal subject found in many cultures. A 'spiritual father' is one who is a teacher. To us, we would call him a spiritual master, and his 'spiritual son' a disciple. The line of knowledge is not always genetic, and often we are able to choose our teachers and the style of knowledge we acquire. If the teachings are good, then the learning is good, and the learning is passed on, even over the millennia.

[sinfulslytherin]

Eat pt.2

Summary: Your Boyfriend doesn't let you eat properly in order to punish you. Draco tries to get your attention...

Trigger warning: mature content

_______________________________________

"You still didn't eat the Crumpet."

This boy...

I mentally face palm.

"Because I don't want to. Stop talking to me,Malfoy." I say in an annoyed voice.

"Caddel,seriously. We hate each other. Fine. But eat that fucking thing."

The moment Draco agrees that we hate each other it somehow makes my heart sting.

I ignore the uncomfortable feeling.

"Why are you so determined to make me eat? Fuck off."

Draco suddenly puts down his pen and turns his face to look at me.

Our eyes meet and his seem to be full of rage.

"What did you say?" Is all he says.

I don't know why but I somehow feel a wave of confidence wash over me. This is an opportunity to just let out all the anger that's bottled up inside of me.

"I said 'Fuck off'. Stop with that fucking behaviour. Stop acting as if you have the upper hand!" My voice raises as I speak.

Draco suddenly grabs my throat harshly and a light moan slips from my lips.

I mentally slap myself because of my bodys reaction.

"That wasn't the reaction I expected. Looks like I do have the upper hand." Draco says as he squeezes my throat a bit harder.

I groan as I feel him teasing me again. This man messes with my head.

I see his hand wandering over to the Crumpet as he grabs it.

"You can either eat this" he says as he holds up the Crumpet "or I'll shove something else into your mouth but I don't think Graham would like that very much."

My eyes widen at his bold words.

I grab the Crumpet from his hand, kinda dissapointed that I didn't choose the other option-

Stop Amara.

He's trouble.

Draco nods satisfied as his hand leaves my throat.

I take small bites of the Crumpet and pray that Graham won't notice that I broke his rules.

"I hate you." Leaves my lips in a silent voice.

"I hate you more, Caddel." Says Draco while working at his essay without sparing me a single glance. Something in his voice gives me comfort eventhough these words should bring me the opposite.

He seriously messes with my head. He's such an asshole but he somehow always ends up saving me.

"So you were going to try out for our Quidditch team?" Asks Draco with a slight sound of mockery in his voice.

"No." I answer dryly.

"But in the great hall you sai-" Draco starts but can't finish his sentence.

"It was a dumb idea I had. It was just for fun and I don't really want to make it on the team. Now let me finish this essay." I say in an annoyed voice.

It's a lie.

Of course it is.

I want to play Quidditch.

But now it is in the past.

It was a dumb idea.

From a dumb girl.

I know that I won't regret the lost past.

I will always regret the future that I lost to Graham. I already regret the things that would never be.

Draco wants to open his mouth as suddenly Umbridge storms into the classroom.

"All Students must come together in the great hall immediately."

She looks stressed and out of breath as I look at her. Did she ran here?

We don't question her and make our way to the great hall in a fast pace.

I throw away half of the Crumpet and the napkin on my way out.

As we reach our destination, we see that a big amount of students has already come together in the great hall.

The first thing I notice is that all the tables and chairs vanished from the giant room.

We stand at the very back as we suddenly hear Dumbledores voice.

"All Students of Hogwarts are not allowed to go back to their dorms. The younger students already have been evacuated. The rest of you will be spending this night in the great hall."

Everyone starts to get nervous. The air grows thicker with every passing second.

"The reason for that is that a dangerous wizard has been roaming the halls of hogwarts. Don't panic. You will be spending the night here in safety."

I turn to look at Malfoy only to find him smirking at me.

_________________________________________

A/N: Short chapter but the next one will be suuuuper spicyyyy~

I know that many of you all are here for the spice ;)

Read the full chapter here!

[nikosovercoat]

Jackal X Reader ???

A.N. I have to provide for myself. There are no Jackal fanfictions and I need to let myself be happy , and same with other that were in my predicament. If it's terribly written I'm sorry I needed to make this fast.

When he first met you , it was before the war of Fairy Tail and Tartaros. Finding you in a forest training to become a stronger fighter to protect yourself. Jackal being Jackal is intrigued and tries to explode you , but you collapse before he even gets to work his “magic” 

Jackal doesn’t even know why he took you to be healed , something just intrigued him. To him , you were like a toy that he wanted and now has. That was what he told himself at first , nothing else really could explain it. 

When he does return to the cube , he does get a few looks from his other gates. Mard Geer didn't really understand why Jackal would do that , humans are worthless and dirt beneath their feet. The initial thought is that this might lead him from not taking part of their plans. He gets punished for his actions but he doesn't care because it was worth it.

“Humans are worthless and should be eliminated.” That’s his opinion on every human , except for you. Something about your existence keeps him entertained. Watching you trying to escape , it’s so intriguing to him. 

It was a hard first month with Tartaros , you couldn't leave or do anything. You were at the mercy of everything in that god forsaken place. Staying alive without any torture and good care was already a blessing , you started to appreciate it.

At times , he’ll just go up and touch you to scare you. Sometimes touching your shoulder , arms , or even hands. He only sets off one time , but seeing your startled expression makes him so exhilarated. "Worried about getting hurt?"

Jackal never tries to actually hurt you , and if he does , it’s truly unintentional. Once his did explode you and he was too stunned to speak. When seeing you rest in your room he tried to apologize but didn't know how to put it into words.

Ended up yelling at you and running off and then came back. “Why would I ever hurt my little play thing? That would be such a waste , I want to experiment with my explosions on someone… 🙂” This comes off in a silly way , and you start laughing which offends him.

The explosion damage wasn't to bad after all and you had an idea to use him to help you train. It was true he could be a nuisance but it was a good way to get back in shape. It's a good opportunity to get better at what you wanted to do anyways

Mard Geer doesn't even care about your existence now , because you're a human , and its now clear any of them can kill you at anytime. Also uses this freedom of yours to learn more about human magic.

Since you finally gained some freedom after two months , you decide to fight Jackal when you see him.

When he sees you trying to pick a fight with him to gain strength , he goes all in. What's in their to lose? His human is trying to fight him , one of the nine demon gates , and for what? To become powerful? In his mind , it's adorable how you can really believe you'll be as strong as he is! Nothing can stop Tartaros and the gates don't even use magic , but curses.

After a few blows later , he realizes you have no intention of trying to surpass him. Which really makes him feel somewhat disappointed but still somewhat entertained. Wondering what were you trying to get at? Escaping wasn't an option , and trying to kill him would be idiotic. He'll be brought back to life in the lab regardless. He'll never leave you alone even if you somehow kill him , always coming back to see you once again.

This goes on for a few months and you feel more accomplished everyday. Even gaining some feelings for him in the process.

When he does start to feel something for you despite his ignorant beliefs , he does start flirting in some many types of ways to get a reaction.

Immediately tries to blow up everything else he deems as a nuisance to show off his strength. You obliviously had a reaction of "What the Hell??" This goes on for a few weeks and it does get him in a little trouble.

Seilah ended up confronting him about this because its disrupting her reading. "Jackal , why are you doing this? There's no good reason for you to be destroying our base. Is this for that human?""Yes it is for that human , they've intrigued me and I want to impress them. Is there a problem?"

Seilah chuckles and walks away without saying a word , and Jackal scoffs at the action.

He's always been flirty towards you , but it increased. More teasing came with that as well. Which led you to joke around and say " Do you like me or something." "Why wouldn't I?"

Leaves you stunned but it led to a new thing with Jackal , and it's something you'll forever be happy about.

He never leaves your side after that , always trying to protect you / show off. It's a loving relationship and he's still cocky. It's worth it because you'll always be safe with him around.

Jackal can't even get jealous because no one will ever be better than him. What's there to be scared of? Does his best to be somewhat human towards you because "humans are fragile and weak." The ignorant beliefs don't leave but you know know what he truely feels for you. That's all that matters.

A.N. Part 2: I went to the lands of devianart , wattpad , and I even back to QUOTEV. Do you know how sad it is to go back on that platform to find fanfiction after writing fanfiction and have your father read it??? I went back , found like one fanfic and it was where the reader was a catgirl. Though , I did read this one fanfiction , it was a Mard Geer X Reader X Jackal. It was good even though it was short. Thank the lord for them because I started TWEAKING.

Link to that amazing persons fanfiction , go check them out if you see this!!!

[dgdraws]

Maybe saying this on my 18 follower art sideblog is silly, but I want to offer some gentle pushback on the sentiment that's been going around re: notes on art and lack of engagement.

TL;DR make it your practice to be the person who rbs art with nice tags and you can build a community of likeminded folks

There are myriad reasons why online comment culture has shifted, I'm not gonna waste time pinning that stuff down, bc it's actually immaterial to my perspective, which is:

You can find or create a community of people who will lift up your art. But it requires that you participate in the culture you want to see more of.

I had been a lurker on this site for a decade. I held back participating in discussions, creating or sharing art, engaging directly with anyone outside of following blogs and rbing posts without commentary. And during that time, I made no connections, no friends, built no community.

I was afraid of scrutiny. I have felt the humiliating lurch of earnest engagement turning to dread and exposure and a deep regret of allowing myself to be vulnerable. I pulled up the ladder behind me so I would never have to hear the slightest dismissal or repulsion or ridicule from others. In so doing I also cut myself off from praise, understanding or connection. If no one gets a chance to let me down, then it's as though they're holding me up, right? Wrong!!!

I paid good money for a therapist to help me work out the lie there. The realization that I felt isolated and misunderstood because I never gave people the opportunity to show up for me was so hard to grasp. How could my safety net be the cause of my profound loneliness? But it is true. The people in my life couldn't disappoint me, but they also couldn't help me or support me or really love me the way I needed.

Opening myself up to disappointment has been a long, tough road (and goodness knows I'm not ready to let my parents let me down (again) yet). But my relationships are strengthening. My sense of identity is more stable. I am not inconsolably lonely deep in my heart anymore. Because it turns out people do show up when you give them the opportunity.

Not every time. Not every person. But enough of the time that it builds resilience. Every time I reach out and someone reaches back, I get a little braver. I trust a little more.

To bring this back around to online culture and community: I started receiving interest (and notes) after I started showing interest in others. Once again it turns out that people want to turn up for you, but you must give them the opportunity. This means making yourself vulnerable. It means taking the first step.

If you want a community, a group of people who interact w a certain set of values, you have to demonstrate it. Live those values. This is how we create culture. We choose what behavior we want to encourage and we set an example. This is as true in a workplace or a family as it is for tumblr or ao3. If your boss puts up a sign that says "we see mistakes as a chance to learn" but they punish people when they mess up, that's just words on the wall. If they accept errors graciously, if they work to suss out the root of the problem to resolve it, if they are open about their own mistakes, that is the culture.

So if we want to see more reblogs, but not just that, real engagement and chances for connection, then it starts with you.

Here's what I do that has helped me make friends and spark genuine interest in my work;

Reblog LOW NOTE art as much as, if not more than, posts with thousands of notes. Feel proud to give someone the first note on their work!

Incorporate leaving nice tags into my gratitude practice (it is a form of mindfulness! noticing what specifically draws me to art I rb both engages me more deeply with the work and makes my own art better)

Queue up several art posts from the same artist (people notice when you are consistently in their notes!)

Participate in art events like artfight, various -tobers, other challenges (as with making friends anywhere, repeated exposure leads to familiarity and chances for connection!)

Follow people back or even initiate following blogs who interact with your posts (do not approach this with a f4f mentality, only follow people you actually want to hear more from)

Set up post notifications for portfolio style art blogs (ie sideblogs exclusively for original content) so you keep up w your network/mutuals even if you're offline when they post

Low key notice what the people engaging with you like most about your work and consider expanding on those ideas. This is not about "tailor your work to an audience" it's about thinking, "so-and-so left feral tags on my post about this oc so I'll do my practice sketches of them" or "people seem interested in this storyline so let me feed off that enthusiasm and develop it more"

Don't get hung up on it when individuals don't reciprocate. Assume good faith. You never know what is draining someone's energy. Remember that you are offering a gift, your time and energy yes, but also the chance for someone to show up for you too. If it starts to feel like an obligation, reassess where you're putting that energy, but don't be afraid to be generous.

This has worked wonderfully for me. I went from a person scrolling longingly past posts about beloved mutual culture, not quite believing it could really be like that, to a person who happily gets 3 notes on my former flop posts and posts reblog bait for my besties and reblogs the bait they post for me :)

Apparently I had a lot to say! I kinda hope this doesn't break containment but if it does, please be niceys. I understand if this mindset is not available to you bc of social trauma, depression/anxiety, disability, mental illness or whatever else but please avoid venting that on this post. I love you and I hope you can get here someday, because you're worth it. In the meantime, try to be gentle with yourself and others. xoxo

[icarustypicalfall]

morning astethtic?

i don't see people talking often about this astethtic.. im about to change that. <3

i understand some people don't like getting up early. But, darling, the early mornings are litterly superior than any other moments of the day.

I'll tell you why..

most pictures of Pinterest unless indicated so :)

I personally believe that the blue hour is the best time of a day..

(it have been affecting most of my personality and writings lately 🩶)

the blue hour is basically a brief window just before sunrise or after sunset, where the remaining sunlight takes on a mostly blue shade.

picture this, not only getting to witness a Beautiful sunset (mind you every sunrise is different) but also enjoying the calm and quiet weather, the dark blue slowly fading as the daylights creep through the sky. The clouds turning into an orange pinkish mess. The hot drinks while feeling a cold breeze creep against your skin, as you sit on the board of your window and watch the nature follow it's waking up ritual from centuries.

<3

the fog on your window, the cold floor under your feet as you try to not wake anyone, after all, you mastered this art of enjoying the silence on your own.

aren't you greedy for keeping this beauty to yourself, or are you one of the few blessed ones who figured out that we miss life's best moments when we blink an eye?

The soft music playing in your headphones as you sip your drink, thinking about life, love or even simple matters like what to have for lunch? as simple as it is, it'll roll in your mind, over and over in the same cadence.

As you watch the clouds head to the nowhere, the silliest thoughts will haunt you, do they ever meet again, will clouds ever reach you, living in the other side of the planet, or will i watch this bunny shaped cloud by myself and think of you?

I genuinely belive this hour was a gift, having the world for yourself, thinking about anything and everything while watching the other fellow humans be late for this moment, as if late for a shift you'll never get grounded for missing. But, over the years, you'll realize how many shifts you missed, how many opportunities you could have snitched, how many times you could've changed, yet you never did.

As you sit in silence, you can't help but feel this superiority, of knowing, of witnessing something many lived and died ignoring it.

As simple as it is, it's perfect for doing anything on your mind, from writing that one book to doing all of your assignments.

And when i tell you, you'll have plenty of time in your hands, you might even finish crime and punishment in one sitting.

(someone confirm this please)

think about it, was this just an early morning astethtic, or was this a message?

i am sure by now, darling, you realized it's not about missing a sunset, but about missing your lifetime. we all have some ups and downs, we can go to sleep exhausted and miss the sunset, which can be referrer to as a missed opportunity, but, fear not, you still have time, you can change. when you go to sleep tonight, i want you to think about what you read, and when you wake up for the Blue hour, i want you to know I'll be awake too, and I'll keep you company.

Before i go, I'll leave you with two gifts, because gou made it this far and didn't rebelog or like without reading (tysm if you did, but why not reading it hum?)

"Carpe Diem, seize the day boys, make your lives extraordinary."

dead poets society

my fav pic i took once :3

[coffeesweetmilk]

It's hard to unlearn hate—a personal rant about math, physics, and every aspect of exact sciences that's been nothing short of a nightmare to me my whole life.

I have very early memories of struggling with math. In one of these I got sick, couldn't make it to school for almost a week or even longer, and when I finally came back the math teacher had just finished teaching everyone about integers, and I was left scrambling to understand what exactly those are.

This seems super silly, and probably is, but I do remember feeling too embarrassed to ask for actual help. I remember being so confused because now I have negative numbers, but besides the fact that they're on the other side of zero with a minus sign, I don't get much about them. 

In my other memory, my father wouldn't let me play with my cousins until I had all my tables memorized. This resulted in me spending the whole day locked in a room with a big window, from where I could see the blue of the sky and feel the welcoming heat of the sun. The threat of my father's punishment for not studying also loomed over me, and still I couldn't, for the life of me, memorize that 6 x 7 = 42. 

This was not the only time people tried to interfere with the relationship with math. I've had tutors who said to my father I would never learn because I didn't take things seriously. One teacher once gave me a zero on a test because I only had the answers and had erased all the calculations. (I was, and still am, awfully embarrassed of people seeing my calculations.) An older cousin tried too. I don't remember much of our lessons to know if she was patient or not, but I hold that from the lack of bad memories alone, I can summarize your encounters weren't a total pain. Still, I didn't learn.

My great-aunt tried too. I remember our afternoons together. She would ask me table after table, and some I could remember fast enough; others I simply couldn't. Another older cousin (I'm the youngest of my family) was close by seeing the exchange, and my great aunt said,. "You need to be like her. Look how fast she goes," and proceeded to ask the same questions to my cousin, who knew them much better, who answered much faster. 

I don't write this blaming the people who've tried to help me, be it with sweet words and patience or rudeness and threats. I write this because, now that I'm 22, I have the opportunity of my dreams, and all that stands between me and the life I really want for myself are the numbers, theories, and calculations that compose math and physics. I've seen people a thousand times smarter than me who have chosen an easier way, and maybe that's what's good for them and what they actually wanted and needed. But still I cannot help but wonder, why am I trying this and not them?

I don't belong here; I shouldn't go after something that requires such a deep knowledge of exact sciences after I've failed to learn anything substantial about them all my life. I don't belong. And yet, this is what I want.

[666writingcafe]

We Meet At Last

MC

I have no idea where exactly I got teleported to, only that I appear to be standing in a field at the edge of a forest. My captor steps away from me, sliding the dagger that was in my hand mere seconds ago into a barely-visible sheath.

"What in the world were you thinking?" I recognize that voice. "Honestly, MC, why do you feel the need to sacrifice yourself at every opportunity?"

"It's not like I had any other choice!" I yell. "I wasn't about to kill any of those men! Their lives are much more important than mine."

"That isn't true!" Thirteen runs a hand through her hair and sighs. "I saw the way they looked at you, MC. They were completely under your control."

"But I didn't even do anything to them!"

"Not overtly, no. But there is something about you that has captivated them in a way that no other human--or being, for that matter--has ever managed to achieve. It may be your power, sure, but it could be simply that you're you." Thirteen pauses as she reaches into her pocket and pulls out a simple black band ring. "There's only one other person that's had that effect on others, and they wore this very ring. If I am right, you are their successor."

"You're not talking about Lilith, are you?" Thirteen shakes their head.

"No, not her." She reaches down and grabs my hand. "Someone you know rather intimately."

Before I can reply, she slips the ring on my finger, and I immediately find myself surrounded by white light.

"Hello there, MC," a disembodied voice greets. "At long last, I finally get to see you, although I wish it could be under better circumstances."

"Who are you?" I ask.

"My name is Michael." Oh shit. It's the Michael. The one that the brothers are terrified of.

The one that Simeon showed my list of dates to.

"You're not here to punish me, are you?" Michael chuckles.

"That depends."

"On what?"

"On your answer to this question: what motivates you?" His inquiry catches me off guard at first. Why would he ask something straight out of a high school career assessment?

But it's not that simple, is it?

He wants to know my intentions. He wonders if he can trust me.

And suddenly everything in my mind is replaced by one simple word.

"Love."

"Love," Michael repeats. "All this time, you've made decisions based on love?"

"Yes. As long as the people I care about are safe and sound, I don't care what happens to me. I have to--"

"--protect them." His voice sounds softer, almost like he's smiling. "Very well. The ring is yours. I pray for your happiness and well-being, MC."

The white light disappears, leaving me stunned. What just happened?

"Take the ring off." Right. I'm with Thirteen.

"What?"

"Just do it." I try to remove the ring from my finger, but it appears stuck. No matter how much force I use, it's not budging. It's not like my finger's swollen. No, it's something else.

Did the ring fuse itself into my skin?

"Good." Thirteen smiles. "I was right."

"I swear, if you don't explain what's going on--" I get interrupted by Thirteen placing a finger on my lips.

"Relax, MC. I was just getting ready to." My silence satisfies her, and she removes her finger. "What you are wearing is referred to as the Ring of Light. Its sister is the Ring of Wisdom. Michael once wore the Ring of Wisdom, but he passed it down to Solomon a long time ago."

"Who wore the Ring of Light?" Her smile grows wider.

"Why, Lucifer, of course." I have so many questions. Unfortunately, Thirteen starts walking away from me before I have the chance to ask any of them.

"Where are you going?" I shout. She stops and turns around to face me.

"Well, we can't exactly teleport back, or you'd end up passing out. The human body needs time to recover." She beckons me to follow her, and we walk to the other side of the field, where an empty road awaits us.

"Please tell me we're not making this journey on foot," I tell Thirteen, who laughs.

"Of course not, MC. Don't be silly." She unclips a keychain from a belt loop and hits a button attached to it. Instantly, a motorcycle materializes in front of us, seemingly out of thin air. A helmet rests on the seat. Thirteen grabs this helmet and sticks it on before mounting the motorcycle.

"There's a spare in the trunk," she informs me. Too stunned to argue, I soon find myself seated behind Thirteen, my hands rested on both sides of her waist.

"Hold on tight, MC. I like to go fast."

[theworldbrewery]

I just finished a 5 year long campaign on Saturday. I would describe myself as a hardass on the rules, up to the point that something worked within larger thematic parameters in the setting.

In practice, this meant that the game began with me being very strict on rules. Some things, like carrying capacity, were not worth tracking (especially once they got a bag of holding), but other rules, both official and house-rules, I kept to very closely. As the PCs became more powerful, I started offering them brief opportunities when something important wasn't going to go their way. Memorably, when a PC was about to die by mind flayer and lose her brain and drop concentration on the spell that was holding the boss monster at bay, I asked how badly she wanted to survive, and allowed her to make a sacrifice: the goddesses of luck had a problem with her using her Wild Magic subclass abilities to manipulate her fortune, so she gave up her subclass in exchange for surviving the attack (and got a new subclass later obviously).

This type of scenario worked because I established the possibility of 'trading' a consequence for a desirable outcome -- borrowing from other systems a little bit, where you can succeed at a cost. It fit into the mechanics and flavor of the Wild Magic sorcerer's abilities, but it broadened over time to include anyone willing to make a deal and give something up to get what they wanted.

That practice brought us to an underdark adventure where they found the place where sacrifices 'go,' metaphorically speaking, and set the stage for the finale in which the PCs broke with fate altogether and ascended to godhood to fight Bane to the death. I worked with them to build divine statblocks and what mattered most was the exchange. The sense of loss, thematically, that comes from achieving great feats of power that should be impossible. It builds on the most basic ideas of making sacrifices to a god to receive their support, and of destroying components to cast powerful spells, and turns them into a larger framework of magic and power.

But I still expected them to use spell components, and take fall damage, and remember you can't stack advantage or temporary hit points.

Once they ascended to godhood I relaxed the rules somewhat, to let them savor the power they'd gotten. But as mortal beings those rules represent their vulnerabilities, their relative weakness, the risks and rewards of adventuring. I always considered it necessary for my own peace of mind to be clear on the rules and on the interactions of mechanics, from the limits of dark vision and which hexes could be affected by a spell, but it also empowered me to be more flexible with the rules when specific, thematic moments came into play.

Rule of Cool can get weak when you rely too heavily on it. It takes away the stakes, which kills the fun. But this version of "Rule of Cool" expected the players to open themselves up to risk and change -- trying and failing to wake up a cursed archfey led the group's cleric to give up all his memories before the age of 10, trying to force an enemy to fail her Banishment saving throw made the bard swear to protect the cleric with their life (and be compelled to do so). The losses they suffered weren't punishments, but opportunities: what new subclass does the sorcerer take, and why? Do you throw yourself in front of a blow that would kill the cleric?

The role-play moments that resulted, the twists in the tale, were worth it, every single time.

I didn't accept pure mechanical sacrifices: the gods don't care about your melee weapon attack modifier. They had to give up something that mattered to the character. To understand what sacrifice really is.

And they sacrificed themselves, in the end.