#wish me luck on writing the epilogue!

[absoloutenonsense]

When the Trouble Comes by nonsensedarling

Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson | 90k | Explicit

The Queens Trafficking case is the biggest one of Louis’ FBI career so far; eleven reported missing girls all disappeared under a similar set of circumstances. Louis has done everything he can to try and solve this case over the last nine months… while also absolutely ruining his marriage. Harry has been co-host of Banter at Breakfast for five years, and finally has the opportunity to create his own radio show with the network. Unfortunately, it comes at a time where Harry’s thoughts are consumed with his impending divorce from his (caring, loving, infuriatingly thoughtful) husband of eight years. Harry and Louis have both been willing to lose themselves in their work… but are they willing to lose each other?

Or a story of (almost) exes-to-lovers.

✨Art by @dearlou✨

Posts on Tuesday and Friday each week.

1 📁 | 2 📻 | 3 📁 | 4 📻| 5 📁| 6 📻| 7 📁 | 8 📻 | 9 📁| 10 📻| 11 📁 | 12 📻 | 13 📁 | 14 📻 | 15 📁| 16 📻 | 17 📁 | 18 📻 | 19 📁 | 20 📻| 📁 Epilogue 📻

[bi-the-wei]

A Stay of Execution

Prologue

Wei Wuxian had always thought that it should rain on the day he died. That the sky might see fit to open up and weep for him seemed the very least it could do. Instead the small breath of wind that trickled through the narrow slit in the stone that functioned as his only window brought with it the scent of warmth and sunlight. He imagined he could almost hear a bird chirping somewhere, trilling a merry tune. Honestly, it was almost insulting. Though, he supposed, if the sun had deigned to come and watch his final moments... Perhaps he truly was as rotten as they all said.

Either way, there was no longer a soul alive who would weep for him now.

In the end, he hadn't fought being captured. He'd gone rather quietly. In fact, he still hadn't said a single word. Not to anyone. He hadn't spoken as they stripped him down to brand his skin . He hadn't spoken when they'd sheered off his hair, sawing at fistfuls of dark locks with a dull blade that ripped more than it cut. Or when they bound his hands . When they spilled his meager rations on the floor. When they taunted him. Insulted him. Beat him. He didn't speak when they closed the door to the dank cupboard that would be his last home. When they told him that he would be executed for his crimes. Not a word. Not a sound.

Wei Wuxian stumbled a bit as he was dragged out of his cell. It had been months since he'd been able to fully extend his legs and torso at the same time, the chain that bound his arms to the floor too short for him to stand at his full height, and the room too narrow to extend them while sitting. The three guards assigned to take him to whatever fate awaited him laughed and tried to make him stumble again, spitting at his face when he didn't.

"This is more than you deserve," one of them grumbled bitterly. His voice was like a fuse and flint stone, clicking on hard consonants and hissing his S's. "A quick, clean death is more than you were willing to give." "I guess no one else is twisted enough to do what you did though," sneered the second guard. This one almost sounded like a whine, thin and nasally and pinched. "No one else could be as monstrous as you."

The third guard said nothing, but his boots still fell heavily on the stone floor. His grip on Wei Wuxian's arm was the most painful. ' That'll bruise by tomorrow' , Wei Wuxian thought dully. ' Well, it would have anyway .' As they began to climb up a narrow staircase, the cloth they had kept over his eyes slipped just enough that he could almost make out the color of his drab, rough robes, as well as the sinister design that adorned them. His foot caught on a rough stone, but he didn't stumble again.

~*~

In the end the guards had to half-drag Wei Wuxian for the final length of their journey. After months of abuse and disuse, his legs just couldn't carry him the entire way. They trembled to bear his weight, and it was a challenge just to keep them moving one in front of the other.

In the end this was fortunate, because if he had been in charge of supporting himself alone he may have collapsed the moment his face hit true sunlight.

The gentle warmth of the sun felt like a scalding brand on his cold skin. The light was blinding even through the cloth over his eyes. His first breath of fresh, clean air after months and months of smelling nothing but wet, rotten dirt and stone made him so dizzy he nearly retched. And the noise- oh the noise- so much noise.

He took in every overwhelming sensation with careful attention, cherishing the pain it brought him. It was as if knowing that his final breath was drawing near, he thought he could take in the rest of his natural life all at once if he tried hard enough. It was okay that it hurt. He welcomed the burn.

The wind scraped against his skin, his chopped hair, now grown back nearly past his shoulders, making his neck itch - a neck that he was lucky to still have.

All this in only a moment before he was pushed forward again - up uneven stairs and onto some sort of platform. The heavy chains that still bound his raw wrists were grabbed and yanked so violently he had no choice but to fall hard to his knees. When he tried to catch himself with his shackled limbs, the chain was wrenched again. He only just managed to keep his face from smashing against the ground and received a hard kick in reward, causing him to fall backwards instead. All his breath left him and he couldn't help but curl in on himself, coughing and rasping to get it back.

In the end it was the third guard who graciously helped him back up onto his knees. With a helpful hand grasping him by the hair, he was pulled unceremoniously upwards. With just as much care, his blindfold was ripped away. He cried out at last, flinching as the unfiltered light from the sun assaulted him again. He heard screams as he blinked out in the vague direction of a crowd. A crowd that shrank back away from him, terrified of him even now. Even in the state he was in.

"Have no fear!" called a familiar, booming voice next to him. "We took great care before bringing him here before you today. See the symbols on his robes! He has been bound and sealed. I have cut him off from his heretical magic. I have stopped his murderous ambitions and denied him the joys of his evil. His eyes can do you no more harm. He is contained and you are safe at last!" It was then that Wei Wuxian realized that some of the bright, flashing gold that blinded him was not just from the sun, but rather the illustrious gaudy robes of a tall man standing beside him. Of course, after what he had done to his son, it would only make sense for his long over-due sentence to be overseen by the great Jin Guangshan himself. Even Wei Wuxian had to admit that was only fair, even if it meant he had to listen to the man postulate his own magnificence and blather on and on and on.

In all honesty, he'd really rather they just get on with it. The showmanship seemed a bit redundant.

"This man. This devil. This Demon of Yiling. You all know of him. He haunts our children's stories; a tale of caution to those who seek power!" he expounded. Wei Wuxian stifled a scoff. "He who started as a servant, who used a terrible war to greedily climb rank and assert his will over the lives of innocents. A parasite who manipulated the very life force of the world to do his bidding so that he may claw his way into society. So that he may fool us into believing in his consequence. This evil creature who corrupted the dead with his black magics! Who stole the life energy of my only son! I bring him now before you so that you may know his crimes."

The silent guard gripped him again, yanking him up forcefully by the hair once more and bringing him closer to the crowd, where all could see him in his shame. His neck strained with the effort of supporting a body his legs still could not hold. "See him now, his hair shorn in his shame. His honor cast aside with it. See him now and judge him guilty!

I lay before you the record of his evil. Hear me now and know them."

Jin Guangshan preened under the attention he had commanded. He basked in the silent anticipation of his next words, pausing to let them sink in further before listing the numerous crimes in question.

Really the true list wasn't THAT long. Yes it was true that Wei Wuxian had found a new form of magic - one that manipulated life force instead of spirit. But he hadn't used any of the life force of another living human. He drew a firm line in the sand that he swore he would never cross. He could steal only the life forces of plants and trees. The last breath of a fallen soldier. Himself.

And he kept that code. He hadn't stolen life directly... not until... Until he'd been face to face with true evil - with Wen Ruohan himself.  It was heady watching the light leave his eyes. Here was a man who used his wealth of spiritual power, cultivated with such care, who had hoped to use that power to obtain true immortality - who had thought that it gave him the right to force his will upon the world.   To watch as all that power came to nothing, as all that power was not enough to stop Wei Wuxian from draining his life away. The surge of power that rushed through his meridians - the full life force of a living human... It would have overtaken a lesser man. Heady and instantly addictive. But he'd pushed through it. Pushed it back out and dispersed it into the air. What use did he have for such power? The war was done. He'd saved them all. He'd done it. They were free and now he could finally pursue his own desires. His own freedom. His own life. His own...

He had broken his code, yes, but surely this end justified those means? As long as he never did it again, it would mean that at his core he was still a good man. He wouldn't have said it felt good, but he could at least live with himself. He had fought harder than any other soldier. Protected more than any other soldier. He had won countless battles and finally, finally ended this pointless war.

Wei Wuxian and Wen Ruohan had fallen to the floor in tandem. It wasn't until he'd woken a week later and noticed how people flinched when they saw him, how they skirted away when they could avoid him entirely, that he realized he'd had an audience to his horrors. And even then, none of that could be called a criminal, despite the tale being twisted now. No, nothing he'd done in the war could be truly held against him... But what happened after...

"Unsatisfied with the killing, no longer able to slake his thirst for violence with a war, this monster sought out his next victims! The poor innocents, guilty only of a shared name, were hunted down like sport! He took their very souls simply to sate his own blood lust!   "And when my Zixuan, my precious son... When he tried to stop this senseless slaughter - to try to reason with this deranged creature - to show him mercy and compassion! When he tried to put an end to the blood and death, this demon stole his soul as well! And now my grandson grows without a father. My daughter in law without a husband. My wife without a son." Again he paused, letting sympathy and anger stew in the crowd's hearts. "See now as we give him more than he would have given them; a trial! He may have decided to bring about his own twisted justice, but see now that we shall not! A demon he may be, but let none say that we judge him unjustly!   "Speak, demon! And tell us of your guilt!"

Wei Wuxian's hair was tugged again, drawing the crowd's focus back to his gaunt form. His eyes, finally adjusting to the harsh daylight, searched through the mass of people. He wasn't sure what he was looking for. Sympathy? Familiarity? Sadness? Of course there would be none - he was guilty and had no intention of denying it.

"Did you or did you not create black magics, evil and heretical, and use this power to slaughter thousands?" "I did," Wei Wuxian said. His voice, rasping with dehydration and disuse, did not waver.

"Did you or did you not hunt down remnant factions of the Wens, men and women that should have been brought to trial, only to cut them down instead?

"I did."

"Did you or did you not, when my son tried to stop the violence, to plead with you to stop the fighting and lay down your wicked ways, steal away his precious life?!"

"I did."

"He admits it! You hear now from his very mouth - the plea of guilt! You hear now the sins against his soul! The evils of his actions!" There was no silence now. The roiling anger of the mob before him was like the agitated buzzing of a hundred angry wasps.

"For this crime, I would have his head!" Jin Guangshan bellowed. Wei Wuxian was once again forced to move. This time he was half dragged to a solid block of wood. Stained red and jagged from use, he was pulled forward until its sharp splinters dug into his neck. A mirror was angled carefully so that he could see the executioner take his position behind him. Ah, so that's why they let him keep his eyes.

"Tell me now, would any of you here speak against this judgment? Tell me now if anyone would speak against this justice? I stand before you in grief and anger and ask you now will anyone claim this man?"

Wei Wuxian had never known true silence before this moment. It was as if the world itself had decided to hold its breath. He watched as the executioner grasped his axe. He watched his muscles tense to pick it up. He watched as--

“I will speak for him."

The silence was cracked by a cold, even voice. Wei Wuxian tore his eyes away from the reflection of that sharp blade and searched desperately for who had spoken.

Lan Wangji.

His voice had been firm and matter of fact. His golden eyes hadn’t even flickered in Wei Wuxian's direction. The maddening silence took on an almost desperate tone now, all eyes passing between the two men.

He spoke again.

“I will offer my hand to save him from this sentence.”

Lan Wangji finally looked at him then, his expression as unreadable as it had always been. He seemed to be waiting for something

“Wh-What?” he wheezed. He didn't understand what was happening. This couldn't be real. Maybe this was just a delusion he'd conjured to comfort himself before the ax finally fell.  Maybe it had already fallen.

"Lan Wangji, you speak for this man?"

"I do."

"Despite his crimes, which he himself admitted before your very eyes, you would spare him?" "I would."

"You would tie yourself to this monster?"

"Yes."

The crowd was anything but silent now. Cries of shock and outrage poured from every direction. The righteous Lan Wangji was sparing the Demon of Yiling? The man who knew only justice and virtue, the hero of the war, would take that evil man into his home? Marry him?

Somehow, through the clamorous noise, Jin Guangshan made himself heard once more. He spoke through gritted teeth, as if each word came at a great cost.

"Wei Wuxian, Demon of Yiling. This man has offered himself to you. Would you accept his hand? Or do you accept my ax?"

The pressure holding him against the block was released, letting him sit up to consider which fate he preferred: to bind himself in a loveless marriage, or to regain what little honor he had left in death. How kind.

Lan Wangji stood straight and firm and unyielding before him. Wei Wuxian had loved him for so long - since they were children. He had always dreamed of being wed to this man... But not like this.

Lan Wangji thought he owed Wei Wuxian a life debt. That's why he was doing this. Out of duty. Moral obligation. Not love. Wei Wuxian would be truly cruel indeed to accept this. To force Lan Wangji into a marriage with a man he couldn't stand....

"I, Wei Wuxian, accept your hand, Lan Wangji. I will marry you."

[partystoragechest]

A story of romance, drama, and politics which Cullen has accidentally become invested in.

Supplemental material for Unwanted, from the perspective of Cullen. In this addendum, Cullen is busy sulking :(

(Masterpost. Addendums. Words: 1,220. Rating: all audiences. Warnings: sad. Addendums may contain spoilers for Unwanted and are best read after finishing the story entirely.)

Chapters 30-31, Addendum

Darkness consumed Cullen’s office. The evening had drawn in, giving way to pitch and shadow, yet he had not cared to light a single candle. He slumped in his chair, hands pushing through his hair until it tangled into a mess of curls. Let the darkness have him.

A little knock sounded upon his door. He ignored it, as he had all the others. He didn’t want to see anyone, and he couldn’t fathom how anyone would wish to see him.

“Cullen?” they called. “Please may I come in?”

Josephine had never sounded so unsure. Sighing, Cullen pushed himself out of the chair, and trudged over to the door. He slid the bolt out of the lock, but left her to open it. By the time the sun’s dying rays had managed to slip through, his back was already turned, his palms resting upon his desk.

“Cullen, are you all right?” she asked.

One by one, candles came to life—ignited by her own. Cullen turned his head from their glow.

“I ruined everything,” he muttered.

“No—this is not your fault.”

“It is,” he growled. “She was right. I treated them abominably, without even considering the consequences.” He tensed his fist against the wood. “I needn’t have done this. But I did. Selfishly. This is what I deserve.”

“No, Cullen. You don’t understand.”

“Don’t try to spare me. It was I who—”

“Stop!” she snapped, causing him to at last look round. “Cullen, will you stop admonishing yourself long enough for you to listen to me!?”

He stared at her, confused, but only so much. Self-hatred drowned him sufficiently enough to prevent even a droplet of anything else.

“There is a darker truth to all of this,” Josephine confessed. “I am sorry, believe me, I am—but I lied to you. I told you that the Ladies were invited to be a deterrent to your enquirers, but that is not wholly accurate to my intentions.”

He narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean?”

“Oh, where to begin? You know, Cullen—you are always working in this office. Or training your soldiers. You never take breaks! We have all talked about it, tried to find ways to stop you.” It all tumbled out of her, like a dam had been broken. “Dorian and Leliana play chess with you, Bull and Cassandra spar, Varric invites you to cards—but you never come.” She sighed. “If you do not stop, you will destroy yourself doing this. And we cannot let you.”

Cullen strayed from the desk, pacing towards the bookshelf—if only to give himself a moment. A moment to digest, a moment to comprehend. Her plan, all along, was not to ward off his suitors… but to find a suitable one? Because he worked too much?

“This was your solution?”

“Not ours—but mine alone,” Josephine clarified. “I admit, it was clumsy. But, I had the faint hope that it might work. Had you not discovered their arrival beforehand, it would have all been quite natural. Accidental meetings, here and there. Nothing so forced. Simply... time to know each other.”

“Without my knowledge?”

“I thought you would object.” She chuckled to herself. “In that, at least, I was correct. But I assure you—it was not done out of a desire to make you… miserable. Indeed, I hoped for the opposite. I had hoped one of the Ladies might... catch your interest.”

Cullen placed a hand upon the shelf, and gazed at the spines of the books stood upon it. One recent addition caught his eye: a basic study of astronomy, borrowed from the library. He'd read it twice.

“Well done,” he muttered.

“Why?”

He retreated from the shelf. “It worked.”

Lady Trevelyan. A name that had rattled around his mind, for one reason or another, since he met her. The reason now was most painful of all.

“I know,” murmured Josephine. “I’m sorry. I only wanted to make you happy.”

Cullen slumped against a wall. “Happiness is wasted upon me.”

“Don’t you dare. I won’t abide by it.”

“No, Josephine. Nothing you have done justifies my actions. I hurt her, and the others. Entirely for my own benefit.” He snorted at himself. “And your greatest crime, in comparison, is believing that I could ever act in pursuit of anything other than self-sabotage.”

Something turned in Josephine. She rounded on him, furious.

“No, Cullen, don’t you dare! I will not allow you to wallow in self-pity—especially not for something I caused. Yes, you did wrong, and I did wrong. But it is not too late to make amends!” She strode closer, quietening as she did, but gesturing just as emphatically. “It will take time, and patience—things I know you struggle with. You must be willing to fail… but you must also be willing to try.”

In that moment, it was as if Cullen saw not Josephine stood before him, but Mia. Her words weakened his defences, pierced his heart, and struck him true. He wanted to try. But he didn’t know how. How did one make amends for… this?

Until he realised that he had already been told how. Lady Trevelyan had practically screamed it in his face.

“Perhaps”—he pushed himself to stand—“perhaps I could see the other Ladies?”

Josephine blinked, and she was right to. He was never this easy to get through to normally. “What?”

“I’d like to apologise to them,” he said. “Myself.”

The problem, at its core, was that Cullen did not desire some fawning noble. He wanted for a woman who would truly know him, all his facets and flaws. Who would judge him, accordingly. Who would challenge him, if necessary. Who would understand him, with complexity.

But for a man who cared so much about being known, he had certainly not extended the same courtesy to the Ladies. What little he knew of them was that the Baroness was the leader of Val Misrenne, Lady Samient was the daughter of some Duke, and Lady Erridge talked more of some other Lady than herself—which was impressive, considering how much she talked.

He saw Lady Trevelyan as different to them. She saw herself as no different at all. To insult them, was to insult her. To remedy that insult against her, he had to remedy the insult against them first.

Josephine grimaced. “That… may be difficult. They are aware of the truth. I cannot imagine they shall wish to see you.”

But that would not deter him now: “Could you at least ask?”

“Of course—I will try.”

Satisfied, he settled at his desk, and began to sort through the clutter. It was covered with documents and reports, incongruous and many. Abandoned, so readily, to see… her. Perhaps Josephine had a point.

“Cullen,” she said, “I am so sorry for putting you in this position.”

He shook his head. “I appreciate your friendship, Josephine.”

She smiled. “And I yours. I will see that you are not bothered, this evening.”

He thanked her, and she bid him farewell. He waited til she was truly gone, and then wandered to his window. The keep lay beyond, its walls concealing a sombre secret. That Lady Trevelyan was somewhere within, hurt and crying—because of him.

He would put it right. But not for himself.

[mimicteruyo]

After jumping the gun by over a year and making such a mess of the initial draft that I had to scrap the entire thing, I have finally written a functional chapter outline for working title Ain't Your Fairytale.

[lemon-mint-writes]

Remember when I said chp 7 shouldn't take too long....haha....

[lovecla]

TAKE YOUR PAIN AWAY | quinn hughes.

chapter thirteen:

<last chapter> <epilogue>

➴ chapter warnings: none!

➴ word count: 2.3k

💌 from me to you: and finally, the last chapter of TYPA. when i started writing this, i had no idea how important (this) quinn and madison would be to me, and i’m really grateful for them. i learned a lot about myself during my time working on this, and although it was painful, it was also healing. i truly hope that this story touched every single one of you like it did to me, and i also hope it helped u to heal from things that weren’t you fault, but you still believed them to be. no one is worth changing for, if that person isn’t ourselves. i love you all and thank you for giving this story so much love ♡

౨ৎ

2024, JULY.

“come, love, make me better than i was.

come teach me a kinder way to say my own name.”

— andrea gibson.

THE ROOM was packed with people making you hold Quinn’s hand tighter.

He chuckles beside you. “What’s the matter, baby?”

“Wasn’t expecting the room to be so full,” you mumble, watching as people approached you both, and Quinn introduced you as “his girlfriend”, the title making you smile wider.

“I guess you’re having the same sensation as me whenever I go to your fashion events.”

“Probably, I don’t know,” you shrug, walking beside him and trying to find the table assigned for the two of you plus his family. “The thing is, you guys here work hard. All I do is look pretty.”

“You give yourself too little credit for the good things and too much credit for the bad things,” he smiles sadly, kissing the tip of your nose lightly. “If all you did was look pretty, then you wouldn’t have so many people enchanted by you.”

“Hum, actually—”

“Hello, dears,” Ellen greets you when you approach the table, getting up so she could hug you both. “You look gorgeous, Maddie.”

You smile back at her, shyly. You knew this was a gala, but of course it was much simpler than the ones you’re used to, so you chose not to wear anything too fancy— just a simple navy blue, maxi dress with a thigh slit, nothing too expensive since the star of the night was Quinn.

You also chose the color blue because you wanted to match the Canucks logo, apart from the tiny 43 you had on your necklace.

“Thank you, Ellen,” it was still weird for you to call her that way, but after the way she frowned at you the last time you called her Mrs., you knew you had to stop.

“Are you excited, M?” Luke asks you after you sit in the chair beside him.

“Yeah,” you whisper. “And I'm nervous too. I wasn’t expecting this many people. You said it would only be some of the captains.”

“Well, yeah, but just because not every captain will get a speech, it doesn’t mean they can’t come too.” He laughs, mischievously. “You’ll be fine.”

Quinn placed his hand on your thigh, squeezing it lightly, just to let you know that he was there, and he wouldn’t let you go.

You smile at him, wondering how you got so lucky. You were surrounded by people that actually loved you, and even if it hurts you to think that your family, the people who shared the same blood as you, didn’t even care enough about you to know if you were happy or not, you were thankful that you could rely on the Hughes.

The dinner turned out to be pretty fun, especially with two comedians like Jack and Luke sitting on your table. Jim was also extraordinarily funny that night, while Quinn and Ellen shared annoyed stares. You couldn’t help but laugh at everything they said, because they somehow grew up to be really funny— sometimes.

Twenty-ish minutes before your time to speak, a staff member came to your table and silently asked you to follow them, after you placed a light kiss on Quinn’s lips and waved to the rest of his family, thanking his "good luck” wishes.

In the backstage, at least fifteen people stood there. Mostly women and old ladies, a few men and two kids. You watched as all of them read the texts they wrote over and over again, and you asked yourself if you should’ve brought the text you wrote with you, even if you knew every word like the back of your hand.

“Mrs. Carter, you’re up next,” someone says, and you nod at them, getting up from your seat and patting your dress.

Surprisingly, as you walked on the stage, while they presented a short video about Quinn’s career, you didn’t feel nervous. The hundreds of eyes on you did nothing to make you want to give up and curl up in a quiet little corner, which was unusual. You were used to big crowds, of course you were, yet you still got nervous here and there. But not feeling anything as you’re about to speak in front of so many people? Yeah, that was new.

The video ended after you stopped in front of the mic, smiling widely as you watched Quinn in the crowd, his blue eyes somehow shining brighter than everything else. You could tell he was anxious, eager to know what you would say, even more because the only person who had read what you’d written had been Victoria, and totally by accident, since you wrote parts of your speech during your breaks on the set.

“Hey, guys,” you say, waving at your crowd, making them laugh softly. “A lot of you probably don’t know who I am, so I’m gonna introduce myself before I start speaking,” you breathe in deeply, adjusting the microphone in front of you. “I’m Madison Carter and I’m a model. But I’m also the person that Quinn Hughes chose to talk about him.”

“I met Quinn when I was eleven and he was thirteen. I was just his annoying neighbor who would spend hours at his house, and make stupid questions about Hockey or anything that I didn’t know. You guys had Google, I had Quinn Hughes,” more laughing. “Once, I even told him he should ask for something cooler for his birthday, because he had told me he’d asked for a stick because he needed it to play and I just thought that was the dumbest thing ever,” people laughed again.

“He quickly became my favorite person in the world, and I’m not even exaggerating. He took care of me until I turned fifteen and he had to move to Michigan so he could go to college, and that basically was the end of our friendship, until I met him again in March, and suddenly, it was almost like the seven years we spent away from each other hadn’t happened at all.”

“Quinn has a way of taking care of everyone around him, and that’s one of the things that make him a great captain. I don’t know much about Hockey, sorry about that by the way, but the one thing I know is that it’s all about teamwork and about caring about your teammates and Quinn is your perfect example of that.

Today I stand here, not as his girlfriend, and not as his friend— but as someone who watches Quinn give the best of himself every single day, asking for nothing in return. As someone who can see right through him, and understand that one thing about Quinn, is that what you see, is what you get.

He’s my number one everyday. He stood up for me in moments that I couldn’t, he gave me his hand whenever I needed it, he often looks at me like he’d give me the world if I asked him to. And it’s a weird thing, this so-called feeling of love. Sometimes I wake up with my chest heavy, and all I need to do to make it go away is look at him.

Because this is who Quinn Hughes is. And I truly hope that everyone, outside or inside of this room, can see him the way I do.”

You could see some people wiping their cheeks, and that made you smile even wider, like you have been doing during your entire speech.

“Quinn, this is for you, and for you only: I love you. Thank you for being who you are, and please, never change. Thank you everyone.”

Some people stood to clap for you as you left the stage, almost running to Quinn’s arms with how much you missed them, even after just a few minutes apart.

“I love you,” he whispered in your ear, hugging you close as people still clapped for the two of you. “I love you so much, Madison. You’re everything to me.”

You smile at him, feeling your eyes getting wet with tears, as you kiss his lips. His hands immediately found your waist, holding you close to his body, both of you not even caring about being in front of so many people, including his family.

“I love you more,” you tell him, blue eyes matching yours. “Since day one.”

And it was true. Loving Quinn wasn’t something that happened out of nowhere, just because. No. You have loved Quinn ever since the first time you laid your eyes on him, not understanding why a boy who was almost as tall as you, even when he was older, made your heart beat faster.

But now you get it.

Now, you finally get it.

౨ৎ

2027, JUNE.

“QUINN, WHERE the hell are we?”

“Last time we were here you weren’t so dirty mouthed, baby.” You hear his soft laugh beside you, as you carefully walk with your hands holding his arms tightly.

“If I only knew where here is…”

It was June, and it was also your three year anniversary with Quinn and third year living in Vancouver. You had both agreed not to do anything too crazy because in just a few days you’d have to travel for Paris Fashion week, and you needed to rest as much as you could. But Quinn probably forgot about what you had agreed on, because next thing you know, he’s leaving Bella with Mrs. Fernandez, her cat and her son, and dragging you to an airport, getting inside the private jet with you.

You were confused and excited. He hadn’t told you where you were going, neither had the pilots and flight attendants, so you were just following his orders.

But as soon as you landed, a few hours later, he covered your eyes with a blindfold, and helped you get out of the plane and get inside the car.

And now, you’ve arrived, or at least that’s what it seems. He thanked the driver as he opened the car door and took you with him, with you asking questions the entire time, not even caring if you sounded annoying or not.

“Well, it looks like today is your lucky day, sweets,” he chuckled before removing the blindfold from your eyes, making you blink fast as you adjusted your eyes to the daylight.

Your eyes doubled in size as soon as you recognised where you were.

“How… how… oh my God. Quinn, what?” You stutter, not even trusting your own mind.

Because it couldn’t be true that Quinn had brought you to his old house in Toronto.

“I just thought we should come back here to remind ourselves from the beginning,” he shrugs, like this isn’t anything at all, like this is an everyday thing. Like he didn’t rent a jet and flew to his old house just to celebrate your anniversary. “Where it all started.”

Both houses looked the same. Yours and his. Still standing side by side, as you remembered them to be.

You stared at your old house, remembering your days there, and wondering about everything and nothing at the same time. You recalled the day you first saw Quinn, how he talked with you, and how he came back the next day to play with you, which didn’t happen because you both spent hours talking.

“Do you like it?” You hear him asking, and you smile.

“Of course I do,” you sniffled, not even realizing you had started crying. “I’m still in shock because—”

You stop speaking mid-sentence, as you turn your head around to face Quinn, only to find him standing on one knee, with a tiny, velvet box in his hand. Inside it, the most beautiful ring you had ever seen, with the most beautiful and delicate diamond.

“Quinn,” you whisper, covering your mouth with your hand, the tears rolling down your face with ease.

“I know it might be soon, and I’ll understand if this isn’t what you want now,” he smiles, trying to reassure you. “But everyday you prove to me that you’re my forever, the person I want to spend the rest of my life with. I want to wake up with you by my side everyday, I want to argue with you about the wet towel on the bed, I want to fuck you every time you decide that inviting me and my team to a Lingerie Fashion Show is a good decision,”

“You liked it, though,” you let out a wet chuckle, watching as he rolls his eyes and nods.

“I guess I did, yes. I also liked punching Conor in the face after he asked me if you did private shows too,” he says, making you laugh between your tears. “I want everything with you, baby. Your bad days, your good days, your I-don’t-want-to-look-at-your-face days, your please-don’t-go-away days. I want to one day be able to call you my wife, and the mother of my kids. So I guess this is my way of asking; Madison Carter, will you make me the happiest man on earth and be my wife?”

“It’s bold of you to even ask,” you joke. “Of course I will.”

He grins at you, removing the ring from the box and putting it on your finger, the diamond feeling heavy against your skin.

He gets up, picks you up and twirls you around, making you laugh out loud with how happy you are. You kiss his lips fiercely, the taste of salt mixing with his minty taste, your favorite flavor in the entire world.

“You’ll get to be Mrs. Madison Hughes,” he whispers against your lips, and you can swear your heart has never felt fuller. “What do you think about that?”

You chuckle. “I think that’s all I ever wanted. I love you, Quinny.”

“I think we both know I love you more, Maddie.”

“I think that’s up for debate.”

the(ir) end.

taglist: @hischierswhore @ru-kru @alwaysclassyeagle @he6rtshaker @nope-i-am-done @nngkay @urthem00n 🤎

[petpenname]

❣️Red Wine Supernova❣️

pairing: dealer!ellie williams x introverted(f)reader c.w: weed smoking, insinuated self-pleasure Summary: modern college au, dealer!ellie x introverted!(f)reader, slow burn with some sad elements. Inspired by Red Wine Supernova by Chapel Roan Parts: 1. I Just Want To Get To Know You 2. Mini Skirt and My Go-Go Boots 3. I Don't Care That You're A Stoner + Epilogue: Falling Into Me a/n: new writer so be nice >:3 sry if the format is a lil fucked

Part One:

I Just Want To Get To Know You

Mornings are your happy place. Your room is your sanctuary, and you greet the day in your usual fashion. Floating around your space listening to music, doing your skincare and makeup, and finding the perfect outfit. This morning, however, was anything short of paradise. Today was the last day of finals week and all the studying and stress got the best of you last night as you completely burnt out of all your routines. You push the empty chip bags and energy drinks aside on your nightstand to make some room for your phone, which is dead. How could you forget to plug it in? 

Opting to check the time on your computer you realize you overslept. There's only twenty minutes to don an outfit before you head to your first exam of the day. You curse yourself first then promise to have a full self care evening after finals are finished. Tossing on some leggings and an oversized hoodie equipped with the Jackson College logo. You do a quick wash of our face, minimal skin care, grab your phone, bag and shoes and you are out the door. 

Thankfully, living a block from campus has its pros. You fast walk the block to campus and b-line for the cafe. Popping in and getting into the short line hoping to see someone who knows your order working. You let out a sigh of relief when you see Sasha working the cash register. 

The barista greeted you, “Morning Y/N! Happy end of finals week!” 

“Morning Sasha, I can’t wait for this week to be over. I'm in a rush this morning so I'll just do my coffee, no pastry please.”

“Sure thing babe” she starts writing in your order, “it'll be out in just a minute.”

You pay and wish each other luck finishing exams. Retiring to a stool on the side of the pickup area, you put your headphones in to try and reclaim some peace in your morning. After a full song plays you glance at the time and realize you have been here for a few minutes too long. Behind the barista station, you see a brown-haired girl facing the back counter. She's moving around like she doesn't know what she's doing and Sasha is watching from the side making small comments. You assume it's a new hire so you wait the extra minute for her to finish with your drink -praying that she doesn't fuck it up and ruin another part of your morning. You zone out to your music again and before you know it you hear your order being called out:  “Medium mocha with half chocolate for.. y/n?” 

You look up and almost choke on your breath as your eyes meet pools of emerald green. Light whips of auburn fly around a flushed face, dotted with freckles. You stumble off the stool and brush fingers with the girl as you grab your coffee, not wanting to take your eyes off her. 

“Sorry it took a minute Y/N, Ellie here is training today” Sasha pipes in from behind. The girl smiles sheepishly as your eyes snap away and focus on the coffee in hand. When did you grab this? 

“Oh, yeah, no problem, thank you!.” you say, trying to recollect yourself. “I’ll see you later Sasha!” 

Heading out the door, the cool air whips the interaction out of your mind, as your only focus now is making it through the rest of the finals day.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

5pm finally rolls around and you let out a sigh as the fresh air hits you while leaving the lecture building. You pull out your phone to check for messages and play some music on your walk back.

You have (7) unread messages:

*H03 Hoes* Olivia: Anyone up for dinner and a movie? I need to dissociate after  this week o.o Ivy: yes I'm there but only if we can get Red Mill Phoebe: I'll be at Daniels tonight :)  Olivia: we know pheebs lol have fun love birds Sage: if we are getting Red Mill im gettin high Ivy: Y/N!!!? Where are youuu?? Phoebe: :D

Staring at the screen you smile in relief, just what you need after a long day; your roommates out of the house, time for yourself. Your last two exams were harder than you expected and all you want to do is order takeout, put on a show, and take a bath. You gather your thoughts and text a response;

*H03 Hoes* Y/N: staying in girls, i need some TLCOlivia: i don't blame you, this week was fucked Ivy: Want us to bring you back a burger? Y/N: that's okay, i'm ordering Thai :) Sage: oh my god you really do need this night, i'm leaving you a joint Y/N: lol thanks sage Olivia: we'll be back by midnight! Have fun ;)

Your roommates were always understanding, you really couldn't have wished for a better housing placement. House 03 was one of ten houses that were off-campus communal housing. You moved into the house a month into your first semester at school. The rest of the girls had time to bond but welcomed you in like another sister. Your introverted tendencies sometimes made you feel like a shut-in as your roommates always had something to do or somewhere to be. Sage was probably the most understanding, she enjoyed staying in also & always shared her stash with you when she did. On the rare occasion you accepted, you and she got stoned and watched shitty TV and ate takeout. 

Finishing your response to the girls, you put on a playlist that you've been loving recently and put your phone away, looking up just in time to come face to face with another person. Bumping into each other you both stumble back in equal confusion.

“Ah fuck, shit, sorry!” says a honey sweet voice.

Y/N: “Oh fuck no im sorry! I was not paying attention” you take out your earbuds and catch your balance as you look up at who you collided with. Green eyes instantly meet yours. Swirls of auburn hair and freckles dance across her face as she smiles and laughs.

“Oh hey, didn't I make your coffee this morning?”

“My what?” you say in confusion.

“Your coffee! At the cafe, I was training this morning. You got like a mocha or something?” the girl rubs her temple trying to remember.

“oh! Oh yeah! That was you” you chuckle, stealing yourself away from her gaze. Holy shit, you completely forgot about this morning, how could you forget about such a pretty girl?

“That's me!" She says. "I'm Ellie, by the way.” She holds out a hand with a sideways smile.

“Im Y/N” shaking her hand, blushing a little.

Ellie: “So where are you in such a rush to, Y/N?” 

You laugh, “nowhere really, home. I'm so over this week.” 

“Same oh my god, I'm almost done with work I just have a drop off to do. Then I'm free!” 

Her goofy enthusiasm was infectious, you felt oddly comfortable with this girl.

“Oh, cool? I'm going that way” you point across and down the street towards the College neighborhood. 

“Me too! Walk together?” Ellie suggests

You nod and set off together. It was a short walk and for the first few steps, you were quiet. Everything happened so fast, the collision, the conversation, and now you're walking together?! That's no big deal, you're just walking together! You steal a glance at the girl beside you. Holy shit how long has she been staring at you? “I'm not even going to ask how your finals went if they were anything like mine!” Ellie laughs, scratching the back of her head  

You chuckle trying not to trip over your own feet, “yeah they were pretty difficult, i'm just glad they are over for now” 

There's not enough conversation to distract you from the growing ball of nerves in your stomach. You keep stealing small glances at the beautiful girl strolling alongside you with such ease and confidence. Before you know it you get to your house walkway, you turn to Ellie

“This is me, uh it was nice meeting you! And thanks for making my coffee” You are suddenly aware of how awkward you feel, trying not to make eye contact.

“Oh yeah no problem,” Ellie leans slightly to look behind you at the house, “you live here? Do you know Sage? I'm here to meet her.” Ellie says, pointing towards your house She's asking about your roommate? Something clicks when you realize you've seen this girl before, no you’ve heard her voice before. Whenever Sage stayed in she would call her dealer, who never came inside but Sage and her would talk on the porch for a bit during the deal.

“Are you Sage’s dealer?” you ask.

“Have you been smoking my shit?” Ellie laughs

“No I mean, sometimes I partake, but yeah Sage is my roommate, um come on up?” 

“Wicked” Ellie follows you up the path and steps and waits at the door as you call into the house.

“I'm home! Sage! You have a visitor!” 

“HI HOME! I'm Sage!” you hear from upstairs as the blonde girl comes bounding down the stairs. “Oh what's up Ellie, sorry you had to deal with her y/n” 

Ellie scoffs behind you, “yeah whatever, you can find a new dealer”

Sage laughs, “And buy from a dude? No way, I support woman-owned businesses. How much do I owe you?”

You bow out subtly during their conversation. Before the two girls make their exchange you are halfway up the stairs. Letting their conversation get muffled as you enter your bedroom. You don’t know why you seclude yourself so much. Social interactions can be so anxiety inducing for you and you were well past spent on interacting this week. 

Tossing your shoes and bag in the corner you collapse on the floor wrapping a blanket around you. Finally safe in your own space. It wasn't long before you heard footsteps coming up the stairs and Sage was knocking on your door.

“Hey babes, you doing okay?” 

You get up, blanket still wrapped around you and shuffle to the door, opening it slightly before leaning on the door frame, looking like a sad puppy.

“Oh y/n it was a long week huh? Well I'll be out of your hair soon. I just wanted to give you this.” she holds out a joint, which you now know came from Ellie.

“Thanks Sage, I might actually spark this tonight.” You smoked with Sage occasionally but never alone.

“It’ll help, light it in the bath! That's my favorite thing to do” Sage beams and hands over the joint, it was beautifully rolled, you almost didn't want to ruin it. She gives you a small squeeze on the arm and blows you a kiss before wishing you a good night and skipping towards her room to get ready for the evening. 

You shut the door and drop the blanket down, giving into a big stretch before locking into self care mode. This is where you really excel, you know the ins and outs of what creates an environment that lets you rest and recoup to the best of your abilities. And currently your room was in disarray from the late nights spent studying and dissociation. You put your headphones in and go to work. It takes half an album to clean up the mess from the previous week. You are feeling much better and continue on your self love ritual. Peaking your head out into the hallway you listen for any sound of your roommates. 

Silence, perfect, Olivia and Ivy must have come and left with Sage while you were cleaning. You pop your headphone back in and continue your groove downstairs to get something to drink and order your take out. While on the call your phone buzzes from a text, thinking nothing of it, it must be one of your roommates. You complete your order and finish up in the kitchen returning to your room for a much needed bath. All focus on yourself.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

It's nearly an hour later, you've drawn your bath and your take out has arrived. A shitty show you’re half paying attention to plays off your laptop, propped up on the laundry basket. You finish your last spring roll feeling a little bored and you grab your phone, figure you’d scroll some socials for a bit. Flicking on your screen you see you have a text from an unknown number. 

Unknown: “Do you always stay in on a friday night? ;)”

Your hear skips a beat. Your heart rate rises, confused and anxious who got your number? How do they know your home alone? Also this was an hour ago! You text back; Y/N: um, who is this?

You wait only a minute before you get a text back,

 “Ellie :)”

Relief sets in, not a creepy guy or stalker, thank god. Your phone buzzes again.

Ellie: “Gosh made you coffee and walked you home, am I that forgettable?”

You text back quickly, “no sorry, hey! I just didn’t know your number. How did you get mine?”

Ellie: “Sage gave it to me, I hope that's okay?” 

“Yeah, yeah that's cool!” you text back.

A little confused why Sage would give out your number without asking but your thoughts are interrupted by another text from Ellie:

“You didn't answer my question silly ;)”

You reread Ellie's first text. You do usually stay in, even on friday nights.

“Pretty much lol” you respond with another text, “I don’t really like parties”

“I feel that, good for business, bad for vibes lol” ellie responds

You stare at the screen, taken aback by how all of a sudden you are talking to this girl you hardly know for the second time today. Suddenly the bath is way too hot and wet, your laptop playing a little too loud. You close your phone, pause your show, and start to drain the tub. Rinsing off and finishing up your shower routine, you are standing at the vanity when your phone lights up catching your eye. It’s Ellie again,

“So would you like some company? I'm nearby actually” A glance at the time tells you it's 9pm, late for you, your only other plans for the night was to curl up in bed and continue your show until you fall asleep. You take a second to think about things as you put some clothes on, a soft pair of pajama bottoms, a tank top and a slouchy oversized sweater. Something in you was intrigued with this girl. It was strange for you to feel like you wanted to hang out with someone let alone someone you just met late at night. 

You pace for a minute thinking, am I really going to do this? Typing out the text and holding your breath before hitting send then chucking your phone on the bed and running to the mirror.

“Okay, why don't you come over?”

You inspect your appearance. Natural beauty, your skin care routine was spot on and truthfully you loved your look the most at night after you cared for yourself. You felt a rush of adrenaline and took a few breaths to calm yourself before sliding on a pair of slippers and grabbing your phone to go downstairs. Before leaving, the joint on your night stand catches your eye and it only seemed right to bring it along, Ellie did roll it.

On the way down the stairs, there's a knock at your door, that was fast. You peek out the window to be safe, Ellie standing with her back to the window facing away from the door. Hand scratching the back of her head, it looks like she's changed since you saw her last. You open the door and catch a whiff of pine and amber as she turns to face you, the same sideways smirk on her face from before. She's wearing all black, dirty Converse, ripped jeans, and a black jacket over a green hoodie.

“Hey, whoa cute fit” Ellie laughs as she looks you up and down, “cozy?”

You move a little at her comment, noticing how underdressed you are. “You caught me at the end of my shower” 

She chuckles again, “well I wasn't trying to take you out, was wondering if you wanted to smoke this with me?” Ellie pulls a joint from behind her ear, and holds it up between her pointer and middle finger.

Your nerves are going crazy but something in the way she looks at you makes you feel at ease in her presence. 

“Yeah sure, I have one of yours already actually” you say as you hold up the joint, it's a little crushed as you realize your hands were clenching. 

Ellie laughs, “you keep that one, we can smoke this one” she gives you that smile again. “Are we gonna stand on the porch all night?”

You snap into reality a bit and stumble over your words and yourself, letting her into the house. “no! Sorry, ya we can smoke in the back, we have some chairs out there.”

“Sweet, I'll follow you cutie” 

You turn away from the comment before Ellie could see your cheeks go up in flames. 

You lead her through the house to the back door and out into the small yard. There's a fire pit in the corner with a few lawn chairs around it. There's a light breeze in the air but it's rather temperate for a spring evening. You sit down in a chair and Ellie flops down next to you. Pulling out a lighter and joint. You watch as she puts the joint between her lips, lightly holding it with one hand and lighting with the other. Your eyes are locked on her while she inhales and the cherry goes red illuminating her soft features. Only when she exhales a cloud of smoke and looks at you do you look away quickly. Darting your gaze away to the joint held out in front of you. 

“Here ya go y/n” Ellie's voice is low and gravely, cutting through the silence of the night. 

You swallow and take the joint, breathing out preparing yourself for the hit. You can feel Ellie's eyes on you as you inhale, hold for a second too long, and exhale out in coughs, covering your face and shoving the joint in Ellies direction. “Shit, hahah, I don't smoke that often.” you get out

“Oh! That's okay, you don’t have to if you don’t want it!” Ellie takes another drag, hesitating to pass it back your way.

“No, no it's okay, the first hit is always the roughest,” you say through your coughing fit. “I usually smoke with Sage.” 

Taking another drag and speaking as smoke billows out past her lips, “Okaaay you can tap out at any time light weight” She chuckles at the end of her sentence but reaches the joint back out to you. You take it, needing another hit to settle the growing nerves in your stomach, she will not stop looking at you.

You and Ellie pass the joint back and forth a few rounds in easy silence. Only a few loud conversations and music from down the block fill the air. Ellie breaks the silence after a moment.

“So I know you said you don’t like parties but there's this one tomorrow night at my friend Jessie’s house, he lives in 09. My roommate Dina and I are going, you might like it?” 

Jessie… You've heard that name before, he was one of Daniel’s, Phoebe's boyfriend's roommates. A group of boys that live in House 09, down the street from you. You've actually been to their house for a party once before. It was fun for an hour until you Irish good-byed to go home and lay in bed. Texting your roommates of course, because girls always need to stay safe. Considering your roommates would be inviting you to this party as well you decide to accept Ellies invitation too.

“Oh yeah, my roommate Phoebe is dating Daniel who lives in 09, i'll probably be there for a little bit.”

Ellies face lights up, and she moves in a way that looks like she's trying to hide her excitement. “You will! Cool, I'll see you there then! Ah this thing is out.” She stubs out the cherry in the joint and tosses it into the fire pit. “Well I should let you get back to your evening princess, I have a few more drop offs to do tonight anyway.” She stands from her seat with a stretch  and holds her hand out for you to grab as you stand. Her jacket got pushed up a bit and you notice a dark image on her forearm, a tattoo? It's hard to tell in the dark. You grab her hand, making a mental note of how strong and soft they are before standing fully and stepping back.

“I'll walk you out then, uh thanks for smoking me out” Your mind is hazy and calm, you barely realize that your nerves are settled, you're comfortable. Ellie follows you back into the house and to the front door, you both pause at the open door, Ellie's eyes on yours, yours on your hands.

“So I'll see you tomorrow night?” Ellie breaks the silence, making you look up,suddenly the nerves are back.  

“Yeah, i'll see you around Ellie” you do your best to not shiver, and give her a smile.

The green eyed girl averts her gaze as she sheepishly scratches the back of her head. “Alrighty, have a good rest of your night!” She turns to leave but turns back, 

“oh yeah, it's a decade's party, so you gotta dress up”

She gives you stupid snap and finger guns and turns away, popping down the steps and into the night. You let the cool air wash over you as you watch her walk down the street. Noticing the flick of a lighter in the night as she goes out of sight. You close the door and nearly collapse against it as your stomach begins to flutter again. Holy shit holy shit holy shit.

You take your phone out as you run up to your room, texting your house group chat immediately.

*H03 Hoes* Y/N: “Sage, why'd you give my number to a stranger?? Also… is there a party tomorrow night at H09?”

It was a little while before you got a response from your roommates, their movie must have ended, it was now 11:30pm. You shoot up from your bed responding to your roommates;

*H03 Hoes* Sage: “Ellies, not a stranger! And she asked for it ;)” Olivia: “The Decades party yeah! We were going to ask you tomorrow if you wanted to go!” Y/N: “Well yeah not anymore, she kinda came by the house and smoked me out.” Ivy: “Yo what?!!! y/n hung out with a girl??” Y/N: Hey, I'm allowed to do stuff! Lol Sage: lolol we’ll be home in a little bit! We can get ready for the party tmrw together :D”

You lock your phone and look around the room, you realize you had been pacing for that whole conversation. Adrenaline going crazy, your mind flashing images of auburn hair and green eyes. You probably had 30 minutes left of alone time in the house so you decide to end your night right, how you usually do. Stealing yourself under your blankets, touching and pleasuring yourself until your breath relaxes you into sleep. However tonight, green eyes stare back at you in your mind.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

[eclectiaa]

Note: Another piece that was posted on my old account. I've made a mid-year resolution to be more active and try to write one post a week. Wish me luck~!

OTOME HOLLYWOOD — Fem!Reader x Venti, Xiao, Childe, Zhongli, Kaeya, Diluc, Kazuha, Scaramouche, and Ayato

You’re a new manager at a talent agency. Inspired down this path after your next-door neighbor became a famous actor. You haven’t been able to interact with this big brother figure much due to his company’s restrictions. That’s partly why you’re motivated to help as many actors stay true to themselves as you can.

Who are the talents?

Venti is a haraguro actor and one of the firm’s top talents. He seems happy-go-lucky and universally liked. In reality, he’s got a ton of emotional issues that he pushes down through alcohol. You see this state early on when tasked with delivering something to his apartment that he left behind at work.

He totally drops the facade in front of you after that. In fact, he treats you pretty harshly.

His character arc involves a scandal about his alcoholism. He fights the rumors at first but eventually hits rock bottom. It’s only with your support that he has the courage to come clean at a press conference. He even gives rehab a shot. Essentially, you’re his rock.

In the epilogue, he becomes more honest with people. Thankfully, most of his fans rally behind him. He seems more relaxed. His attitude towards you even ends up becoming more tongue-in-cheek, though he’ll deny to the end that he’s totally head over heels for you. He’ll scare off anyone else that gets close though, so you’re stuck with him.

Xiao is a rising star who was scouted at an indie music festival. He’d just been helping out a friend by singing backup vocals in an alternative band. His true passion is music and he performs as an anonymous—always masked—underground rapper. Unfortunately, his manager thinks it’s “bad for his image” so he really keeps it on the down-low.

You see a lot of your childhood friend in him and try to help his musical talent be recognized.

His character arc involves him joining the music scene in earnest. His shitty manager eventually gets fired and the company decides to expand its specialties from acting to acting and music. It turns out his fans really love his ‘cool’ side too.

In the epilogue, he ‘slips up’ and mentions that he has someone he “really cares about” during a live interview. He doesn’t say it in so many words, but everyone can tell from his expression and tone that he means a significant other. Of course, he’s too oblivious to his own feelings. You realize that he means you because he mentions an activity that only you two do together. Of course, you think he means it platonically.

Until Kaeya mentions that “it must be love”. You and Xiao promptly stop functioning.

Childe is an actor with a playboy image. In a sense, this makes him Kazuha’s rival, so you’re quite weary with him from the beginning. He isn’t much of a playboy at all, but a misunderstanding—catching him in a compromising position with an actress—has you believing the rumors are true. In reality, the shitty manager currently assigned to him pushes this persona because he believes it makes Childe more marketable.

His character arc follows his frustration at people not taking him seriously as an actor. They only see him as a pretty face and he’s regularly assigned those roles. While it keeps him quite popular, he doesn’t feel fulfilled. You help him stand up to his manager. Rather, you stand up for him—giving him the warm fuzzies—and when his manager begins deriding you, Childe savagely tells them off.

This leads to a face-off between him and the company president, veteran actor Zhongli. They wager that Childe will audition for a role of his choosing. If he gets selected and does well, then he can rewrite his image. If he fails then he’ll stop complaining and let management have their way. He takes on a grittier role with some fight scenes. He started boxing in his youth and keeps up with it regularly. The new gig allows him to showcase his natural abilities.

Of course, he knocks it out of the park, even securing a best actor nomination. Though he doesn’t win this time, he’s more than honored his side of the bargain and is allowed more autonomy in choosing his roles. You’re assigned his new manager after his previous one is fired for trying to sabotage Childe’s efforts. In the epilogue, he realizes the need for a nuclear approach in confessing to you. You brush off his flirtations, still believing he’s like this with everyone. Naturally, in Childe fashion, it's either go big or go home. He delivers a sincere and up-front confession on live television. Zhongli and Kaeya are left with no small share of headaches, but of course, they approve. You’re a good match.

Who is in management?

Zhongli is the director of the company you work at. He started the company to help young actors in this harsh industry and, because he has a lot of clout, his business took off quite quickly. He never intended to stop acting, but work just kept piling up and it’s been quite a while since his last job. Leaving everything in the hands of the next generation worries him, as he fears they might not be ready and feels that it’s his responsibility. But he’s gotten so used to it that he thinks things are fine the way they are.

You meet him on your first day at the office when you go to the kitchen and find him at the table, sipping tea. You hum in appreciation at the rich aroma before you realise who exactly is sitting there and, when he lifts his head and your eyes lock, you freeze. 

Of course you know who he is. You’ve watched every single one of his movies, and he’s the main reason you chose this company to work at. He’s very stoic and elegant, and his penetrating stare makes you quite nervous. He just seems so hard to approach, as though he’s worlds away from you. So you just mumble a polite greeting and scurry away to the cupboards.

You fumble around the kitchen while you prepare your coffee, feeling his strong presence behind you, and you’re so distracted that you burn your hand. Hissing quietly, you go to the freezer to get an ice pack but, before you get there, someone grabs your hand gently. Zhongli looks straight into your eyes and tells you “Don’t” before dragging you to the sink to run water over your wound. He explains all the reasons why it’s better to simply apply cool water, but you can’t focus on his words because you’re too busy looking at him. He’s more beautiful in person than you ever thought possible and he’s just so close, and gentle, and he doesn’t seem to care that the cuffs of his suit are getting wet too.

After that, he starts waiting for you in the kitchen with a pot of tea for both of you and, before you realize it, that morning routine becomes the highlight of your day.

His character arc involves you helping him re-realize his passion for acting. You push him to do something for himself for a change and step back from his role at the company to reignite his career. His route unlocks after you play through all the other company members (and Kazuha’s) routes. On the replay, you have the option of being chosen as his manager and start going on movie sets and events with him. That’s when you see him interacting with Ningguang, a gorgeous actress with whom he co-stars in a movie. Intimidated by Ningguang, who you think is a much better fit for him, you start feeling inadequate by his side. Of course, there’s nothing actually between them, but you don’t realize this until the very end.

In the epilogue, Zhongli wins an award for best actor and, during his speech, he thanks you especially, looking at you softly while you melt at the table. When everyone is leaving, the paparazzi swarm both of you, asking questions as to what your relationship is. Zhongli ignores all of them and leads you to his limo, taking your hand and locking eyes with you—just like that first day—as he opens the door and inclines his head, saying “After you, my lady.”

You flush and climb in quickly with Zhongli close behind, the paparazzi going crazy with their camera flashes as you both leave.

Kaeya used to be Zhongli’s manager but is now the lead manager for the company and your direct boss. He’s an extrovert, and easy to get along with, but he also doesn’t seem to show his true self to many people, which gives him a mysterious air. Diluc is his stepbrother; they have a love-hate relationship where both of them care deeply for the other but would never admit it out loud. Kaeya loves to get on Diluc’s nerves and tease him, trying to make him break out of character. He does the same thing to you, flirting and teasing you all the time, but you don’t take him seriously because he’s that way to everyone. 

He’s the first one to welcome you to the company on your first day, showing you around to help you get acquainted. As you walk, you can’t help but notice how most of the female staff looks at him. But honestly, who can blame them? Kaeya is charming and, though he’s a bit of a joker, he’s quite considerate. He goes out of his way to check on you in your first weeks, giving you advice and even helping you deal with a nasty paparazzi that wouldn’t leave you alone. The way his arm wraps around your shoulders as he steers you away gives you a sense of comfort and safety, and you find yourself wondering what it would be like to be held in his arms. You dismiss the idea as quickly as it comes though, how could he ever be interested in you? Besides, he’s your boss; falling for him would be the perfect recipe for disaster. 

His arc involves him having to improve in order to become the new de-facto director when Zhongli goes back into acting, as well as helping him mend his relationship with Diluc. Kaeya picks up the slack left in Zhongli’s absence, but this increases his workload and you become his second in command, which comes as a huge surprise. You question his decision, but he says he trusts you, making your heart flutter. 

Working side by side, you start noticing how sometimes he looks at you when he thinks you’re not watching, and his casual touches become more frequent: brushing your hair out of your face when you come running after being late, sitting close to you as you both inspect a new contract, staying long hours in the office with you. You don’t get your hopes up though, he’s probably just joking, but you fear that he might discover how fast your heart beats whenever he comes close.

Kaeya, for his part, thinks that you have feelings for Kazuha—because he sees the way your face lights up whenever you talk about him—and doesn’t act on his feelings.

During all this time, you also get the chance to see Kaeya and Diluc together, and you find it hard to believe that two brothers can get along so badly. You see how much it affects Kaeya—though he tries to hide it—and from then on, you try to help by leaving them alone whenever you can and pushing Kaeya to be true to himself.

In the epilogue, Diluc gets tired of you two being so dumb and calls Kaeya self-sacrificing to a fault “when it really matters”. When Kaeya eventually finds out that you don’t have romantic feelings for Kazuha, he laughs and calls himself an idiot before confessing on the spot, catching you completely off-guard.

Diluc is a board member as well as the owner of a renowned winery. He starts working at the company after Kaeya calls him saying that he needs his help—a lie that Kaeya says in hopes to recover their relationship—and convinces him that it will be great publicity for his brand.

He looks like he’s always in a bad mood but, in reality, he just has a hard time dealing with his feelings. He used to be a bright boy, something that changed drastically with his father’s untimely death and being left as the sole heir of the Ragnvindr family. Because of this, the press is obsessed with publishing stories about him, and they are very disappointed every time he manages to successfully evade them. They don’t give up though and, because of the latest merger he has going on, he’s having a hard time with the way he’s being hounded. 

You meet him by accident one day when you’re going to work and bump into him a few blocks from there. He steadies you with firm hands on your arms, and you’re taken aback because you recall seeing him at the company—and also by how pretty he is. That’s when you hear a commotion behind you and see a few paparazzi’s approaching you quickly. Thinking he’s a new talent, and seeing his distressed face, you take his hand without thinking and rush towards the building.

“Are you ok?” is the first thing that comes out of your mouth when you’re both safe inside. You’re panting because of the effort, but he doesn’t have a single hair out of place. He asks why you did that and you just shrug, saying that it looked like he needed help. This takes him by surprise, he’s not used to people doing things without expecting something out of him, but your concern seems sincere. Realising that the press will probably camp outside the company from now on, waiting for him, he comes up with a plan and asks if you would become his liaison with the company while he lays low. When you tell him he should talk about that with his manager, he frowns and tells you who he really is, prompting your face to turn beet red.

His character arc involves helping him open up and reconnect with his emotions. After accepting his offer to work for him, you start meeting at various establishments that he owns and, between papers and coffee and yummy food, you get to know him and figure out the tiny changes in his moods. One of these establishments is a beautiful cafe at an estate, with tables set in a beautiful garden. He knows you like it, and you find it funny that you start meeting there more and more often. You just hope he didn’t realize how much you like to look at his hair when the sun shines from behind him.

You can tell he feels more comfortable around you. The constant frown on his face eases up whenever he sees you and you can’t help but wonder why it is that a small smile always grazes his lips whenever you smile. He even goes so far as to tell you a bit about his past, albeit in a way that tried to show he was over it. You can tell that he isn’t, though. 

Later on, he finds out that Kaeya lied to him about needing his help and they have a falling out. You know why Kaeya did that, and you try to explain it to Diluc. Unfortunately, that only makes everything worse, since Diluc thinks you’re taking Kaeya’s side, and therefore like him. It brings back memories from girls that dated him but ended up falling for his stepbrother because he acts nicer and seems easier to approach. Though Kaeya never dated girls that did Diluc dirty like that, and Diluc himself doesn’t care much for those types of people, he just doesn’t want that to be true for you. It hurts far more.

So he starts to avoid you.

Eventually, he and Kaeya make up and he finds out that there’s nothing between you two, but now he has no idea how to face you after treating you so coldly.

In the epilogue, Kaeya tricks Diluc into meeting at that special coffee shop. That’s when he bumps into you as you were delivering some papers at the estate. You’re both very awkward about it, and you curse Kaeya for telling you he would not be there. Not wanting to see Diluc being upset at you again, you nod in acknowledgement, push the folders into his hands, and dash out of the establishment.

Following after you, Diluc catches up in the garden and grabs you by the wrist to stop you. He has no idea what he wants to say, he just knows he doesn't want you to leave. So he starts by apologizing and telling you everything he values about you. Mostly professional things at first, but then he mentions how much he likes it when your twirl your hair between your fingers, or when you bite your lip when you’re focusing hard on something. He didn’t plan to say any of this, but he can’t stop himself and ends up accidentally confessing.

Who are the rivals?

Kazuha is your childhood friend—and a big brother figure, though only you think that way—who has a pristine image as an actor and works with a rival company. He was scouted at a shopping mall because of his good looks and mysterious presence, and he decided to give it a try so as to impress you. He���s very calm and nice on the outside but can be very harsh if something bad happens around you. He’s also a really good dancer—a skill that helped him land some big roles—, something that you know very well because he used to dance with you all the time when you were younger. That was a while ago, though. 

His arc follows his journey as he decides to finally act on his feelings for you, and he realizes how much he actually enjoys acting. During your years of friendship, he never said anything since you kept insisting on calling him big brother; though he held on to the hope that you would realize how good you could be for each other. You used to do everything together, after all.

Since he started working with this company though, the amount of time you spend together has reduced to practically zero. Even though he lives next door, you barely ever see his face anymore. He explained that his company’s restrictions are very strict, and they want to avoid any type of scandal that could ruin his image. Though he doesn’t say it, he’s also trying to protect you from the possible backlash from angry fans. And, just maybe, he thought you would finally realize your feelings for him if he put some distance between you two. Or, if everything else failed, he could find the time to forget about his own feelings.

But, after seeing you surrounded by other guys and interacting with other actors, he gets incredibly jealous. He especially dislikes Childe and the way he looks at you. He decides that maybe it’s time to push you a bit, since he’s not ready to let go yet, and starts getting bolder.

He starts meeting with you in secret, hiding from his pestering manager. You’re really happy about this at first, you got your friend back! And as you start to reconnect, you feel whole again. But, after a while, it starts to hurt how much he needs to hide you, or his cold demeanor whenever you’re in public. You have a huge fight when you confront him about this, claiming that you miss the old times with your big brother. Kazuha snaps at your words and, when you’re about to leave the room, he hugs you from behind. He can’t take it anymore; as he leans his head on your shoulder, he confesses that you were never a little sister to him.

In the epilogue, Kazuha takes you to the office and confronts his management about the rules, saying that he’ll be dating you from now on, no matter what they say.

Scaramouche is another actor from the rival company. He’s very competitive and has a mean guy image (not completely faked), but he’s still super popular since fans see him as the cool bad boy. Grumpy, and a bit prone to violence, he has no problem flipping the paparazzi off, which has resulted in more than a few front-page issues. Though, to no one’s surprise, this only helped increase his popularity. 

You meet him on set when you accompany Xiao on a movie they are both acting in. He thinks you’re there to serve him and asks you to get him drinks and food, no matter how many times you tell him you’re not his manager. He doesn’t care because “you’re getting stuff for that guy anyway—nods at Xiao who glares at him—, so you might as well get it for me”. You end up getting him a hot chocolate but, before giving it to him, you hold it at a distance and tell him that, next time he wants something, he can either ask his own manager or have the decency to at least ask nicely.

He just blinks, taking the drink in his hands with a dumbfounded expression, before watching you go. You’re the first one to stand up to him like that. People are usually too scared of him or falling over their own feet to please him. He got so used to it that he’s a bit spoiled now, and he’s impressed that you don’t take any of his shit.

His arc follows his journey to overcome his bad temper and anger issues. Working so closely with you, you help him realize his bad ways and, after a while, he starts trying because he wants you to see his good side as well. You think he only wants to be friends since he doesn’t seem to have many. On his part, he will never outright admit he wants to be close to you, since he’s mad at himself for enjoying this friendship with someone from a rival company. Even worse, his grumpy mood relaxes when he’s around you, something he tries to hide at all costs. But you can see through his aggressive front after you get to know him a bit more, and you start finding his attempts to hide this quite endearing.

He starts bringing you glasses of water when he notices you’re tired—pretending someone gave it to him and he doesn’t want it—or makes sure no one disturbs you when you’re nodding off while sitting on a chair. Usually by threatening every person that comes even a smidge close to you. He even defends you when you make a silly mistake and someone calls you incompetent, which has you melting inside. 

In the epilogue, on the last day of the shooting, he realizes he might not see you again, and he never even gave you his number. Scared of that possibility, he finds you in an empty corridor, grabs your hand and drags you into his trailer. Mostly because he prefers to have some privacy, but also he doesn’t want that emo looking guy to interrupt. He confesses his feelings for you there and, of course, you say yes.

Ayato is the new director of the rival company. He’s the type that always has a calm, warm smile on his face, and is renowned for his elegance and good manners. Surprisingly, he also has a silly side to him, and he loves playing pranks on his actors and friends. He can be very aggressive if his loved ones are treated poorly, and is the kind to deliver threats with a smile and win arguments using his smart brain rather than violence.

You meet him by accident one day when you are returning home and see Kazuha at his front door with a tall man, an expensive car parked next to them. You rush over to talk with your childhood friend who you haven’t seen in a while, but you’re surprised when this man gets in the way and asks you to please keep your distance. You tell him that’s your friend and you just want to talk to him, asking who does he think he is. Kazuha then clears his throat and introduces him as Kamisato Ayato, director of the company he works at. He explains that Ayato played a prank on him that didn’t end well and, though he wasn’t badly hurt or anything, Ayato offered to take him home personally.

When you find out he’s the director, you scold him for being so hard on Kazuha and setting all these ridiculous restrictions. Ayato tells you with a smile that if you’re Kazuha’s friend, then you should know how important his reputation is, and do what’s best for him. That’s a very thinly veiled warning if you ever heard one. Before you can stop yourself, you ignore Kazuha’s silent plea to stop and plow on, “So the best for your actors is to cut off all their ties?”

Ayato is taken aback by your way of seeing things, but you don’t give him a chance to say anything else as you glare both at him and Kazuha and storm inside your house.

His character arc involves helping him change the way his company works, allowing his actors to remain true to themselves. After that first meeting, he’s intrigued by you and your words and, a few days later, sends you a bouquet of flowers to the office with a note that says “I’m sorry I upset you the other day. I promise I want nothing but the best for the people under my care.”

You don’t believe him at first, but he keeps sending you flowers almost every day, with a different note each time, until he finally asks you out.

You refuse of course, but decide to pay him a visit at the office to ask him to stop sending you these ridiculous bouquets at your workplace. In there, you happen to see him with his little sister, overhearing her complaining about Ayato being such an overprotective brother. You decide to give him a chance to explain himself and that’s when you realise that he really is just trying to protect his company and loved ones from bad press, he’s just too overbearing to realise his methods are too much.

In the epilogue, Ayato goes to find you at your office, making a big show of bowing in reverence to you and kissing your knuckles. In front of all your co-workers. He vows then and there that he will not stop until he’s successfully stolen you to his side, seeing how much he needs your help. Kaeya, leaning on the door to his office, says that there’s no way anyone will allow that. Ayato just smiles, making your heart race at the promise hidden there.

[thewritingbeforesunrise]

BALLERINA - Chapter Fifteen (Epilogue)

A Jake Kiszka AU

Physiotherapist!Jake x Original Female Character

Previous Chapter.

Story Masterlist

A/N: Hi everyone! This is the final chapter of Iris and Jake’s story. Honestly, I never thought I'd be able to finish my very first chaptered fic, but here we are, finally. I'd like to thank everyone who enjoyed this little story. A big thank you goes to those who supported me and encouraged me throughout the writing of this fic. You know who you are😉

I really hope you like this!

Word count: 1.4K

Warnings for this chapter: angst, nerves, feelings.

_________________________________

Paris, a year later.

Those mirrors along the walls were reflecting her every move and she kept seeing mistakes that didn't even exist.

Iris had been dancing and practicing for almost ten hours now. Her muscles burned but she didn't really care. She wanted everything to be absolutely perfect.

It was getting dark outside, signaling to her that it was almost time to go home. The next day was going to be her day. The most important one in years.

She practiced a few more moves and then packed her bags and walked the short distance separating the ballet school from her flat.

Her little rented flat, right next to her sister's, was tiny, in true parisian fashion, but it was wonderful. From her small balcony she could even see the Sacré-Cœur; its pearlescent white stones were shining even brighter with the full moon.

She tried to calm her nerves by admiring the beautiful basilica from afar, but it was useless. She was so nervous she couldn't stop her hands from shaking and her heart from hammering in her throat.

The next day was going to be a big step for her. It was the day in which she was going to dance again in front of a crowd after a year and a half.

And she couldn't stop thinking about all the things that could go wrong.

After tossing and turning for a while, she managed to finally turn off her brain and rest.

~

The next day, she woke up early. After a quick breakfast, she checked if she had everything she needed in her bags and left for the Opéra Garnier.

It didn't matter how many times she saw that theatre. Every time her eyes landed on its golden statues and white columns it was like the first. Little tingles travelled down her spine every time.

She showed her badge to the security at the entrace and reached her dressing room backstage.

She placed her bags on the floor, changed into her ballet shoes and started rehearsing again, trying to stop overthinking and fighting the urge to run away from there and never come back. It took her a while to finally silence the insufferable voice in her head that kept telling her that she was going to miserably fail but, eventually, she managed to do so, drowning that insecurity under the music of her choreography.

Before she knew it, her time was up.

Looking at the clock on the wall, she realized that her turn was quickly approaching.

The buzzing of her phone startled her.

She wiped her sweaty trembling hands on her leggings and read the text she had just received.

It was from her sister. She was telling her that the theater was packed and wishing her good luck using the French word “merde” like a true Parisian.

She smiled but her heart was threatening to jump out of her chest at any moment.

She finished getting ready and, when there were only 20 minutes left before her turn, she exited her dressing room.

Her heartbeat was deafening in her ears as she walked towards the stage.

She felt like a robot.

She wasn't even paying enough attention to her surroundings the closer she got to the stage so, when a pair of cold hands wrapped around her waist and dragged her behind the heavy velvet curtains, she was positively scared.

She gasped and thrashed around to escape, but a whisper in her ear made her stop abruptly.

“Iris”

Jake.

He was there.

Tears started flowing freely down her cheeks and she immediately relaxed in his grasp.

She quickly turned around and kissed him passionately, feeling his comforting presence in every cell of her body.

He cradled her face in his hands and caressed her cheeks, tenderly wiping away her tears with his thumbs.

“You told me you couldn't make it" Iris whispered.

“I told you I wasn't sure of it. I managed to arrive last night” Jake whispered back, a little smirk of mischief on his beautiful face.

“And you didn't tell me?!” She exclaimed, incredulous.

“I didn't want to distract you with my presence. But, as soon as I got here, I kept thinking about the fact that you were so close to me and I really couldn't stop myself from needing to see you, to touch you, to kiss you.” he said truthfully, blushing slightly and lowering his gaze to the floor.

She grasped his face and kissed him like it was the first time and almost lost herself in the kiss.

“Thank you” she whispered on those plump lips that she had come to know so well.

The sharp call to the stage made them both flinch and jump.

They shared a last kiss and a look full of love, before parting with a whispered “I love you.”

The moment she reached the stage the nerves were still present but she felt a lot less upset than before.

She could still feel the warmth of his presence on her lips and fingertips and that helped her immensely.

The air was cool all around her but her heart, so full of love, burned like a pyre in the night, lighting up everything with its orange glow.

The applause of the crowd filled her with joy and energy and when, finally, the first few notes of the music echoed in the room, she felt her feet start to move on their own accord, following the lead of her ever-present passion for dancing.

Throughout the performance she only ever had eyes for him, letting his calming presence guide her mind into a state in which nothing could hurt her anymore.

She had forgiven him two weeks after she had left for Paris and had abandoned him on the curb in front of her house, on that stormy morning of June, with teary eyes and a broken heart.

She had finally come to terms with the fact that life without him was simply unbearable.

She had mulled over the whole predicament so much she had given herself so many headaches, but, eventually, she came to the conclusion that, in his shoes, she would have probably done the same to protect her sister.

She realized he hadn't even meant to fall for her. It had happened. And she was so glad she felt the same and was ready to share her life with him.

When she had called him the first time, he hadn't answered and it scared her to death.

He had called her back in the middle of the night saying that he was in surgery when she had first called and asking if she was alright. He sounded extremely worried.

They had switched to a video call almost immediately and they had cried, laughed and talked for four entire hours.

The next weekend they were finally together. They had dinner in a cute little restaurant near Montmartre and then they went straight to her flat because they couldn't keep their hands off each other any longer.

He had flown to Paris a few more times while she attended the internship there and, every time, they went to visit museums and galleries together. They were always connected in some way. Her hand on his bicep, his arm around her shoulders, their fingers brushing when they walked. It was as if one was afraid to lose the other at any given moment.

Deafening applause brought her out of her thoughts abruptly.

Everyone in the room was on their feet praising her for her beautiful piece.

But three smiles were the only ones that she had eyes for.

She couldn't stop her tears from spilling while looking at them.

Her sister was standing between a very proud Jake, who mouthed a little “I love you” and Josh, who winked at Iris when he saw she was watching him and sent her a little kiss.

Their eyes were shining and their smiles beaming with love for her.

And it was all that ever mattered.

_______________________________

Thank you for reading!❤️

Taglist: @gvfpal @sammyslappers @spark-my-nature @highladyofasgard @sparrowofthedawnsworld @jessicafg03 @doodle417 @hellowgoodbye @ejoygvf @jaketlover @jakekiszkasbabymama @objectsinspvce @indigostreakmorgan @witchofendora @myleftsock @gretavanshmeat @gretasfallingsky @giraffehippy @jennasometimesreads @katiegvf @sinarainbows @laney_gvf @themorningbirds @starcatcherchords @lipstickitty @meetingthestardust @joshskittytickler @livkiszka @twistedmelodies @ignite-my-fire @gvfmarge @writingcold @brujamagik @edgingthedarkness @gold-mines-melting @mindastreamofcolours @blacksoul-27 @jakekiszkapunchmeintheface @mapelsyrup07 @klarxtr @takenbythemadness @peaceloveunitygvf @lyndz2names @jazzyfigz @its-interesting-van-kleep @fleet-of-fiction @lvnterninthenight @jakekiszkasbuttsweat

[bella-rose29]

Arranged Marriages - Epilogue

As promised :)

Also two parts in one day? Look at me go

Word count: 1.5k

Warnings: swearing, a very tiny mention of death (Dominik), but other than that this is pure fluff and love (although I'm realising as I write it that the beginning does not give that impression lol)

Tag list: @kentucky-criedfricken, @hauntedenthusiasttragedy, @kateswone, @simbaaas-stuff, @polli05927, @historianthesecond, @ell0ra-br3kk3r

(Look at how pretty he is I love him)

"NIKOLAI LANTSOV, WHERE ARE YOU?"

He was hiding in a cupboard, trying not to give away his location.

Genya was mad at him, and he was fearing for his life right now. Although it was hardly his fault, since he and Y/N had both made the decision to wait to share the news, but the Tailor wasn't mad at his wife, which Nikolai thought was incredibly unfair. Bright light suddenly appeared, forcing him to shut his eyes, squinting against the sun now streaming in through the open door.

Shit.

"Found you, you little fucker," she grinned, although her smile was more reminiscent of a shark than anything else. David stood awkwardly behind her, and Nikolai guessed that he'd been dragged around by his wife in her quest for vengeance.

"How, in the name of all the Saints, could you not tell me that Y/N is pregnant?! Do you have any idea how long I'm going to need to plan the events?! To decide on every detail?! By the time I'm ready for a baby shower, your child will be thirty years old!" With each emphasised word, she whacked him in the chest, and when she was done Nikolai pressed a hand to the spot, rubbing over where he was sure a bruise would form.

"We decided we would wait until we were sure! Figured it would be worse if we got everybody's hopes up only for it to end up not happening! Please stop hitting me!" Genya sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Fine! Fine, but I'm expecting to be in charge of everything, alright? And I want my name in there somehow."

"What if it's a boy?"

"Then use David's name." At the mention of his name, he looked up, bewildered look on his face. Seeing Genya's expression, he nodded in agreement (although Nikolai suspected that the man had very little idea what he was agreeing to).

"Of course, my love."

The doors to the room banged open as Zoya swept in, fury on her face.

Here we go again, he thought tiredly.

"She's pregnant?! Why did neither of you tell me?! I'm her best friend and your most trusted General! So why am I finding out from some random healer that you're expecting a baby?!"

"Would everybody please stop hitting me!" Zoya had been doing the same as Genya, and had managed to pinpoint the exact same spot when she smacked him. He sighed. "Look. We're both very sorry that we didn't tell you sooner, but as I said to Genya, we didn't want to get anybody's hopes up. We wanted to be sure about it first, and then tell people. Besides, we also wanted a little time just to ourselves; you know what people are like here, once they find something like this out, the baby isn't really ours, it's Ravka's."

The women paused, sharing a glance.

"Ugh, fine," Zoya said. "Where is she then, I want to go congratulate her and wish her luck on having two children to deal with."

"But she's only going to have one?"

When Zoya gave him a pointed look, he realised what she meant.

"You mean me, don't you? I'm... I'm the other child. Great, thank you for that, Zoya. Don't you have an army to run instead of making fun of me?"

"Don't you have a country to lead, instead of hiding in a cupboard?"

"She's in the gardens, and I'm not hiding in a cupboard. I am inspecting the interior to see how it was made. I'm planning on trying to make one for myself."

She snorted, turning on her heel and exiting the room. "Whatever you say, Lantsov."

"Well I need to start preparations immediately, and if you don't have a busy schedule - which I know you don't, I checked it before I came to find you - you're going to join me," Genya said, and Nikolai groaned.

"Do I have to?"

"Yes." The was no room for argument in her tone, and quite frankly Nikolai was scared of her right now.

"Alright... lead the way."

She squealed, taking his arm and dragging him out of the cupboard and into the corridor, her grip so tight he thought he might end up one limb fewer. They stopped in Genya's living room, and she forced him down onto a seat while she moved around, collecting various items and bits of paperwork. David perched on a stool next to him, and they shared a knowing look.

"Congratulations, Nikolai," he said in a quiet voice, small smile on his face.

"Thank you, David." They sat in comfortable silence, watching as Genya rushed around, arms full to such an extent Nikolai wasn't sure how she wasn't dropping anything. Dumping it all on the table in front of them, she started organising, and Nikolai realised with a start that Genya had already made mood boards and drawn up ideas for a royal baby, complete with names of specialist Fabrikators (David's name was at the top of the list, circled with love hearts in red ink) for any essentials, fabric samples for clothes and bedsheets, and a colour scheme for every baby related event one could think of.

Nikolai settled in for a long discussion.

He was right that it would take them all day, and the next, and then the following week, since Genya insisted on going over every detail at least three times ("I just want to be certain, this is the first royal baby Ravka's had for years!"), and it was difficult finding a time when both the King and Queen were free. Zoya was getting very involved in the process too, which surprised Nikolai. He'd always assumed that the general would prefer to be as far away from children as possible, but when he saw how attentive she was being to Y/N, he realised that she was concerned for her friend. The two of them were like sisters, having been practically raised together, so it made sense that Zoya wanted to be there for Y/N.

The night before the first of many events that Genya had planned, he and his wife were curled up in bed, lights dimmed ready for them to go to sleep. He was stroking a hand through her hair, fingers untangling knots as he went.

"I love you, Nik," she whispered from her position against his chest.

"I love you too, Y/N."

They were quiet for a while, revelling in the peace.

"Do you think that Genya's gone a bit mad with the whole royal baby thing?" He laughed softly, nodding his head.

"It's entirely possible. Although I have to say, I think two events a week until the baby arrives is far too few, it should be one every night."

"Shhh! She'll hear you!" He laughed again, more loudly this time, and she joined in, giggling.

"Kolya?"

"Hmm?" His eyes were closed, a smile still playing on his lips.

"What should we name it?"

"You decide, my love. You are the one growing our baby," he said. "Although if I think it's a truly awful name, I might have to step in."

She was silent, fingertips tracing patterns on his stomach.

"For a girl... actually, I've got a feeling it'll be a boy."

"What if it is a girl though?"

"Nope. Boy. Saints help me though, I hope he's not too much like you."

"Why do people keep saying that?! I'm perfectly mature and not at all childlike!"

"Says the man that got excited when he saw a ship the other day."

"That wasn't just a ship, alright? It was an original design brigantine from when Ravka first started making ships, and- oh. Oh hang on, I see what you're doing. You're trying to prove your point, aren't you?"

"Not just trying, Kolya, I succeeded," she replied with glee, tapping his nose with a wide smile on her face.

"I see how it is." He narrowed his eyes playfully, then reached out to tickle her sides, making her laugh until tears were falling down her cheeks.

"Stop it!" she wheezed out between laughs.

"Do you forfeit?"

"Never! I will never for-" she broke off with another peal of laughter, even though he was barely touching her sides anymore. He'd sat up to get a better advantage, but now he took her in, laughing and happy, and his heart swelled with love for her and the family they were going to build.

"Alright, fine," he threw his hands up. "I surrender, you were right."

"Ha ha!" she pointed a triumphant finger at him. "I knew you'd come to your senses at some point." He took her accusatory finger in his hand, kissing the palm. She blushed a faint pink, and he loved how easily he could make it happen, even after almost two years of marriage.

"I think I lose my senses when I'm around you, darling."

They kissed, soft and gentle, and stayed wrapped up in each other for a while.

"Dominik." She whispered later, when the lights had gone out.

"What?" At the sound of his friend's name, Nikolai froze, and unbidden memories of their times together came back, accompanied by the unfortunate reminder that his best friend was dead.

"If... for the baby. Dominik for a boy."

He blinked back the tears, wiping away the stray ones that escaped and letting out a shaky breath.

"Kolya? Is... is it okay?"

Another breath.

"It's perfect."

[writing-frenzy]

The Kinda/sorta SI!Aizen Sosuke Isekai AU

because my brain has been blessed with works from cywscross/cheshiresense, like the Ichigo and Aizen Time Travel AU, and the amazing I (Not) Aizen Sosuke by Williamcipher, I'm gonna half-hazardly note this idea out because I can not write bleach fic to save my life.

--------------------------------------

So, first things first; why is this only sorta SI!Aizen Sosuke?

Because, this is technically Aizen Sosuke, just a parallel from a modern universe and because the thought of a Milennial!Aizen makes me want to fucking cackle like a banshee. Like, Sosuke is still a tricky, nasty little genius, but he's actually had therapy and the internet to get any teenage angst and black history out. (Which he denies ever having, like a lair) And yes, He has suffered Retail, so he can and will be the fakest bitch you ever did see, the customer service smile never forgotten despite how he wishes he could. He's had to grow from a life of poverty, clawing and reaching for everything he's had, but he's also had the public library and some really damn good teachers to have his back, an actual safe place for him to fall back too.

(Amazing, what a difference it makes.)

So, as a kid, Sosuke practically read everything he could get his grubby hands on, partly to better himself, partly an escape, when he came upon his library's selection of comics and manga; he found a certain series; Fullmetal Alchemist.... Just, imagine this young, little genius reading such a book at such a young age; think of how he would react to such twists and chills this story brings, and how it unknowingly shaped him. (how it inspired him).

This started a very big, very large rabbit hole for the kid; he could not get enough after that; which, in the end, leads him to a manga called Bleach. He ends up enjoying it, not as much as Fullmetal, but the story does peak his interest, from Ichigo's charisma, to even side characters like Gin's treachery and Urahara's puppetry. it is a fasinating story in it's own right, even as the villain, Aizen both intrigues him and frustrates him.

Like, his motives and ambitions, along with his skills should not make such a fucking flat as depth character! Where is character depth, why does he fucking monologue so damn much? Why not explore the sense of loneness that Ichigo saw, especially once we reach the Qincy War and he still sided with SS? Sosuke would like a little more justice for a character with so much potential and shit, a villain through and through, and yet one of the greatest helps at the end.

(We do not mention the Bleach Epilogue, and it's not because Sosuke ships Ishida and Inou, nope, it just doesn't exist, out of spite out of mind. why does he ship it? because why not :D)

So, for this relatively self-adjusted Aizen Sosuke, he suddenly dies one day, only to find due to certain circumstances, (I'm gonna say a certain wishing rock, his soul being distantly connected, wrong place wrong time, shitty luck, and his death not actually be an accident >_> how energy can not be destroyed or created technically, so it attached to his soul) Sosuke finds himself kinda sorta before what might be the Soul King(?) and he's gonna have to be born as Bleach!Aizen Sosuke cause funky things happened across dimensions, and it's either this or have his soul shredded in unbearable agony.

Sosuke:... So what, I become a Shikigami and get guaranteed a one way ticket to hell the minute I die? Soul King: Not if you play your cards right; but yeah, the Visored still need to be a thing, so have fun figuring that out :D Sosuke: Fuck. You. *so starts his Tries to figure out a way to fucking change the whole Soul King system so the Captains and such don't have to became hellspawn the minute they die and how to create Visored consensually*

So yeah, Aizen Sosuke is a pretty different animal in this world; He still has the damn Customer Service smile, because it has become a very important tool in survival among those damn annoying nobles, is a bit snarky tho but very, very rarely because corpal punshiment with whips and such is actually still a thing here and people do get so very nasty because they can with Outer Rukongai Trash as he is called.

But it's so pathetically easy to find souls and such that willingly let them be experimented on if it means their families get fed or they don't die in the cold. the only illusions Sosuke uses is to disguise himself with or erase memoires of conversations if the soul choses not to be experimented on. Otherwise, Sosuke is brutally honest in what he's doing, what can happen to the soul, and what it can cost.

(It's kinda understandable, that other Aizen Sosuke's ambitions, with just how fucking many take him up on that offer so fucking willingly, some even happy with it.)

So things happen, Sosuke really doesn't want to create a certain death marble, but the way things are going it's looking like it, seeing as he is nowhere near close to his goals. (He thinks of such a thing, this Hogyoku, thinks of just how many suffered for it, how it twisted a version of himself, the temptation of twisted promises, and this man can't help but hesitate, uncertain of temporing with such things beyond him. He might be a version of Aizen Sosuke, he might be made up with twisted ambitions and his own greed, Rukongai chewing him up and spitting him out into something that will survive, letting him see just how deep his inner demons are... but as he is parallel, there are lines he will not cross.)

So, Sosuke on a whim and coffee withdraw, (with nightmares haunting his feet and dreams, screams and blood seemingly drenching them) sees if he can maybe at least get along with Urahara Kisuke. After all, he's pretty sure he won't get the worst case scenario, with the man plotting his downfall one step at a time at least.

(It is the start of the best and worst relationship anyone in Soul Society has ever seen; Like, 95% of SS thinks these two are just really intense, hateful rivals who get under each other's skin like no one else can, concerns about how the two spar really rough with each other, people guessing if anything they must have had hate sex at least once because of battle high. the startled concerns with how their debates are rough and harsh, their Rukongai language actually coming out as they argue and growl at the other even as they smartly trash the other sides pro's and cons, only to get served a minute later.

The remaining 5% is split between groups who think the relationship is like the worst married couple ever, you think they're on their way to a divorce any minute now, with maybe a concern of toxicity. But the other part, with maybe one or three people who have actually looked at this relationship, really look and realize; oh... so that's how love can look like too... huh.

Because for these two broken, bloody men showing the world they have something they care about, something they treasure and love is never a smart thing; it only gets it stolen from them or tossed aside. So all their gentle touches, soft words, the domestic bliss of Sosuke able to cook and serve a little tea on the side as Kisuke rambles with bright eyes about his favored project at the moment, of just holding the other close as they sleep after rough missions and nightmares; this is only to be had behind closed and reinforced doors so they don't risk this person who they world destroy worlds and more for) But that is later; much later; for now, the two are snarky besties who take pot shots at each other but will mentally screw with others who would say shit about the other.

And then... the thing that Sosuke has been trying to do, the Hollowifcation that he has been struggling to reach all this time, has been failing at... is done; not by him, not by any scientist or some such, but i'm gonna say it was a means to save him and a few others from a fate worst then death or something, Kisuke desperate to do so.

Yes, this does in fact mean We get a Visored!Aizen, cuz why not :3 not to mention, with maybe a few different Visored with maybe a couple still the same. (Kaien and Gin would be interesting in my opinion, with maybe Shinji not actually a Visored in this world, maybe Lisa either if we want to trade seconds of the squads :3)

So yeah, exile happens still, no one hunting them down because the only search parties that would be allowed for them would be assassinations and such, and no one wants them dead besides assholes.

Things happen, things go differently, and in the end Aizen Sosuke, as a soul outside the cycle of reincarnation, one touched by so many different energies, has been both corrupted and become more, with a power and sword that can warp reality, he can touch the throne and not become unmade, can use it for his goal, in return for his own sacrifice

Of course, this is Sosuke; his back up plans have back up plans; so, he goes Isekai protagonist, finding himself in post canon bleach without knowing it, pretty powerless if you didn't count his mind and that he still has his sword, just forced to forget their name and his power cut in half (he's built himself up from nothing twice already, what's once more with some perks and it's not like he won't be able to remember their name; on another note, all his respect for all the sheer bullshit Ichigo had to go through after the winter war).

Of course, Sosuke isn't going to go through this alone; nah, urahara and his fellow visored are like "you're not getting rid of us that easy So-kun :) " and of course others will join in, because they are rebel or die together.

So, all these alternate versions in post canon, what havoc will they cause? A lot; some interactions I want:

Sosuke is injured and past out when canon first finds them, because of the newest villain of the week got lucky and so we have a blood thirsty Kisuke ready to destroy everything, cold blooded and still unlike he usually shows the world. Hijinks happens when all three groups clash, bonds happen, pretty sure the Ichigo effect comes up once or twice as the two groups work together against the enemy flavor of the week, so it's pretty late when peeps realize; wtf, why is an aizen here?

On Sosuke's part; wakes up, bleary-eyed, blinks, takes in a scene before him that is probably a bit ridiculous, before he turns his back to it and goes right back to sleep: I reject a reality where there are two Urahara's :T

Sosuke: ... why am I surrounded by children? *generally confused by ducklings he has unintentionally gathered by being honest and snarky and a really damn good teacher* Kisuke: *laughing not realizing at first that those are now his ducklings too*

Like, a movie night I want to happen, Sosuke and Kisuke starting it because nightmares and trauma, only for Ichigo and other to join in somehow, it becoming a bonding event.

People finding out about how Sosuke ended up being forced to be reborn in a manga and have no choice but to make Visoreds or have his soul stuck in a cycle of constantly being shredded and tortured, but actually trying to make it as safe and willing as possible. Kisuke: WHY THE FUCK DIDNT YOU TELL ME, I COULD HAVE HELPED!!! Sosuke: WHAT DO YOU MEAM WHY DIDNT I ASK, OF COURSE I WON'T, WHO'D BELIEVE FLAMING BULLSHIT LIKE THAT!? I BARELY BELIEVE IT AND I'VE FUCKING BEEN THROUGH IT!

Sosuke: *Been through the worst day possible, almost died, his people he actually has positive emotions for almost died, made it through with a little more trauma." ... Fuck it. *Kisses his boyfriend, uncaring who sees.* Post Canon Characters and others: *Jaw dropped, choked sounds, sputters, and money and bets exchanging hands*

Sosuke to Canon!Aizen:... You can not tell me you have not wanted to pin Urahara to the wall and stab him a little as you kiss him; I know myself well enough.

And welp, here it is, ask me questions if you want or if anyone gets inspired, let me know!

[you-remind-me-of-the-babe]

Friends. Friends. I’ve done it. Achieved the thing I’ve been working at for a year and a half. I’ve finished writing the end to Depth of Reason.

It still needs to go through a beta read and final edits but it should be published soon. I’m adding 16k between the last chapter and a surprise epilogue. I still can’t believe I’ve reached the end. It’ll be 70k when all is said and done. So, to celebrate my last WIP posting for this fic, you’re getting two snippets (much more than six sentences 😆)

“You’re the one trying to one up me, Snow.”

I run my hands through his hair. “You have to call me Simon when you’re talking about loving me.”

He kisses my neck and leaves his face there when he says, “It isn’t easy being vulnerable.”

“I know,” I say softly. “But I’m still going to ask.”

He sighs before pulling back to look at me properly. “I love you, Simon.”

I kiss him sweetly.

“Love you, too, Pitch!” I say, before pinching his sides relentlessly.

He squeals and squirms up the bed. “Treachery! Betrayal!” I laugh so hard my sides ache.

He hooks a leg around me and flips us, pining me to the bed so fast I’m almost dizzy with the change of position. He’s sitting astride me now, and he’s got my arms locked firmly in his fingers, my fists pressed against the headboard. It’s kind of hot, the way he has me at his mercy. He smirks down at me.

“Say it,” he purrs.

I swallow and I don’t miss the fact that his eyes flick to my throat when I do.

“I love you, Baz,” I say in a husky voice that seems to have come from nowhere. “I love you so—”

He captures my mouth before I can finish.

And one more:

When we get to the courtroom, all eyes turn to us when we enter. I’m heartened to see Baz’s parents and aunt sitting in the seats behind the defence, along with a few other familiar faces. Gran is sitting next to Daphne, she smiles at us as we walk up the middle aisle. Nico is next to Fiona, his tongue running along his teeth. I wonder if it bothers him, being in this room that I imagine is full of bad memories for him.

Trixie is there, too. She places a fist over her heart and nods to Baz, a twinkle in her eye. Baz’s cousin, Dev is there too, next to their friend Niall. Even Mr Minos, Miss Possibelf and Coach Mac, which is impressive considering it's a Monday in November. Headmistress Bunce couldn’t make it, but she sent Penny a very lovely email to pass on to Baz, wishing him the best of luck. I hope he feels bolstered, having all of these people here supporting him. I hope he knows that he’s not alone in this.

Y’all. I made it. Thank you to @fatalfangirl who will be marathoning through a beta read and who has been there with me since day 1. What a champ. Thank you to @toonysart who chose to do art for this fic way back when it was a mere concept for COBB. Your art still brings me so much joy. Thank you to everyone who has followed this fic. You made writing and sharing a wonderful experience.

Tags and love ands happy Sunday 💛 @fatalfangirl @toonysart @whatevertheweather @cutestkilla @artsyunderstudy @thewholelemon @raenestee @moodandmist @facewithoutheart @martsonmars @onepintobean @bookish-bogwitch @rimeswithpurple @prettygoododds @orange-peony @forabeatofadrum @nausikaaa @aristocratic-otter @ivelovedhimthroughworse @ileadacharmedlife @whogaveyoupermission @iamamythologicalcreature @run-for-chamo-miles @nightimedreamersworld @youarenevertooold @valeffelees @hushed-chorus

[amrass]

Fanfiction updates and excerpts 04.01.24

Guess who's back after 40 days of fast! I've tried to come up with an April's Fools joke, but nope, seems my brain is reeling from going from very little internet and then a lot of internet at once. I am currently knee deep in Fear & Hunger and Silent Hill walkthroughs, and am in a nice mood despite a tension headache.

Thank you to those who have supported my work in these weeks, it means a lot, especially during dopamine withdrawal 💙

Here is the list with the works I am focusing on in the coming month(s). So much Micah lol ... And blanket warning for NSFW.

Main works:

Salt.

Colm/Micah, sugar daddy precanon AU, dark content. Currently at part 9, in Arc 2, soon to go over in arc 3. Ohh this SOB of a fic ... Not because it's hard to write, quite the contrary, it just grows and grows. I'm having fun with it though. Part 10 should be up this weekend :) It's going to be like 80% smut. Here is an except from it:

"Last round. Your fourth, yeah? Remember to keep it in."

"I can't," Micah said like an amateur ventriloquist, cum tricking out of his mouth.

"You wished me good luck," Colm said, faking disappointment. He dug his nails in where shaved skin ended and unshaven skin began.

Micah visibly steeled himself; he seemed to expect another harsh handjob. He ceased breathing when Colm bent down between his legs, face hovering above his poor, half-erect cock. 

"Tell me no," he said slowly, his grin opening, mouth filling with spit.

Micah could only stare.

xxx

The Damned and the Redeemed

A motorcycle gang AU set around 1990-2010, like in GTA 4: The Lost and the Damned, with the RDR2 main cast as bikers and their horses as smaller pets. While out riding, Arthur gets tasked with recovering Micah, who has been missing from the clubhouse for a few days. /// I am currently sulking because it's kind of hard to recreate Fast & Furious in text form, but about half of this is written.

"Easy, boy. Easy. It's just me," he said as he put his helmet down on, and carefully opened the door. "You remember me, don't you?"

About a third of the orange lamps inside the RV worked, but he saw the shadow of the Pitbull, the muscles breathing under thin black and white fur, like a miniature motorcycle no less vicious in its ability to break bones. The dog stood still, quieter than the police radio, sounding like ghosts due to the RV being far underground. If Arthur hadn't had experience with Baylock, spending time in the clubhouse kennel, he might've mauled him through the MC protection. 

"I'm just here to check up on Micah. Easy, easy," Arthur kept on repeating, keeping his voice friendly, moving into a crouch. He removed his glove and presented his hand.

Baylock did not move to sniff it.

xxx

Cata Doxa

Set in the same AU as TDatR, as a kind of epilogue. My attempt at a realistic, redeemed!Micah/Arthur. The motorcycle gang has disbanded, and Arthur and Micah live together in an old safehouse with a dog named the Duchess and a cat named Patrick (Bateman). Part 1-2 is filthy domestic Morbell smut, but ends on a bittersweet note. Part 3, which is unwritten, is hurt/comfort, and includes the cookies actually getting baked in a nonsexual sense, more Duchess & Patrick, and a talk on how it is like to grow older when one did not expect to survive. OLD MAN YAOI ALL THE WAY --

"You stirring?"

Arthur tried. There was something laughably pathetic about those small jerks of the wooden spoon against the wet dough and bowl. He laughed at himself, his shaking hands. "Shit," he said.

Micah pulled away, and the air was cold on Arthur's ass. Biting his lip to stifle a needy sound, he looked over his shoulder. Micah was still on his knees, looking up with a lewd grimace. "Shit? I sure hope not."

Arthur frowned, then did an intense eye roll. "Are you four years old?"

"Point blank range," Micah said, giggling, "But I guess," he drew out the words, savoring them, "I like to live dangerously …"

When Arthur rolled his eyes again, they stayed up, vanishing beneath his lids. The mouth had returned with a vengeance, thumb fucking into him while Micah licked around it. It slid deeper, and Arthur nearly dropped the bowl.

xxx

Slug

Same universe as TDatR, but is standalone, and far darker. NONCON & VIOLENCE. Four parts, O'Driscoll Gang/Micah, Colm's brother/Micah, Colm/Micah. Includes foursome, duct tape, spider gags, drugs, vibrators, gang rape, forced feminization, circle jerk, bukkake, boot worship, overstimulation, watersports, mindfuck ...

Micah is caught when robbing a O'Driscoll Gang hideout, disguised as a derelict gas station. What follows is six hours of horror, varying in intensity and depravity. He tries to manipulate the power structures within the gang in order to survive - when he's not screaming, that is.

Micah reached for his guns, only to be pulled backwards until he was flat. Leather fingertips dug into the hair roots and the swollen flesh beneath as more men swarmed him. They held his arms and legs down using thick gloves and thicker boots, applying pressure until he stilled. He swore his bones creaked under their combined weight. He looked up like he was stargazing among neat hills, and not in a ditch surrounded by helmets and with the stars hidden by city smog. 

"Let me," said a second voice from above him, and another face came into view, so pretty it was near angelic, covered in a halo of reddish blonde corkscrew curls. Upside down, he looked to be smiling, friendly if not for the baseball bat hovering between them, covered in rusty nails. "Let me kill the little thief."

"Not yet. Bosses are near. Wanted to have a look."

xxx

And that's what I'm focusing on! But other fics might appear sporadically, like my Morbell fic Anhedonia did.

Hope everyone is having an alright Easter, if they celebrate, or otherwise just having a good time :)

Of all the seasons I dislike spring the most, so sending some extra love to those going through a tough time, April and May can be cruel.

[chloeangelic]

last chapter of reflection of the moon coming tomorrow!!!! i am trying to write childbirth and i have zero idea what im doing so wish me luck !!!

epilogue coming on tuesday as well

[sincerely-sofie]

I’m not really that good with words, but I wanted to say that I’m so happy I got to read TPiaG and I thank you for writing it. It really touched my heart. I remember that I went through a similar time that Twig was going through herself (not exactly the same, of course, but the self-loathing and never talking to anyone were very familiar). The epilogue where Twig was starting getting better really brought me to tears a bit. Thank you so much for writing this and I wish you luck on your future works if you choose to make more.

Thank you for your kind words!!! I'm so happy that I could write something touching. The reception this fic has received is so unbelievable to me. I have no words to describe how honored I am!!

[rachiecrown]

The return of Rachie's insanity

Literally when I'm done reading this zine this blog is gonna go inactive for another long while isn't it.

Oh my god I'm gonna cry. I love everyone's writing so much

IMP AND SKIZZ CONTENT YEAHHH

I love how Skizz is literally a giant

Ohhh wait his villain name is Smoke Signal that makes senseeee

SECRET KEEPER!?!?

THE WATCHER IN BLUE WOAH that's so cool

The Altar of the Catalyst sounds so cool

THE FIGHT oh my gosh SKIZZZZ

HE KNOWWWWSSSSS

"it's not nutmeg" EXPLODES INTO A GAZILLION PIECES

Next story!! Pearlie and Gem!! Through the Looking Glass that sounds so cool...

The writing is already beautiful, I love the comparisons, I love the analogies

Catalysttttt augh the descriptions are so cooollll

The shinyduo content is so tasty I love the vibe of this bit

"Die for your ideals" what does that mean. Is that foreshadowing.

IT'S FORESHADOWING ISN'T IT

oh my god

End chapter drawing is tastyyy

NEXT COMIC'S ARTSTYLE IS SO CUTE

I love the way Gem is drawn btw

"One last time" THIS IS FORESHADOWINGGG

Heck yeah Hot Guy

CUTIEBIRD neurons activated AGAIN

"Help me and I won't call you that ever again. Promise" Liar I bet you'll say it at least one more time in the remaining 85 pages

Oh my god there's only 85 pages left

Ohhh I was wondering who Forgery was That makes sense

Forgery's expressions are so funny I love the lil sketchy doodles too

It's like Decked Out that's so cool

WAIT DID THEY GET TRAPPED INSIDE OMG

ooohhhh whhhauuoo

I don't think I'm ready

Anyways more totally real discourse site lets go

BIG RON'S!!!

The lore is loreing woah what are the pulses is it the sculk with the mutations and stuff

An evacuation.. :0

Augh I can't wait to see what happens

THINGS ARE HAPPENINGGG

PEARL AT THE END

I'm crazyyy

NEXT COMICCCC DESCENT INTO DARKNESSSSS

Ohh They're being affected tooooo

Forgery complaining lol

TWO TEK DELAY REFERENCE

Ohh and the scar on HG's neck It looks like a firework it's so pretty

THEY'RE SEPARATED

IS THAT LAVA

PLEASE THE WAY THEY HOLD EACH OTHER CEASE THIS

It's me the number one scarian shipper

THE GUILT GRIAN'S GUILT

Is that a command block

Ohhh my gosh I'm on the next story already WHAT DO YOU MEAN ONE HOUR

AUUUGH

Anyways Cover art for The Wardens Of Tomorrow looks awesome!!

They're so shaped + I love the lighting

OKAY OKAY SCULK SOLDIERS. GOT IT.

Is Impulse going bye bye :(

STOP TRYING TO SACRIFICE YOURSELVES AUGHHH

istg if they die at the end

IMPULSE STOP. IMPY NO. NO

ETHOOOOOO I love him omg

Is that Cub saying Let's go if it is I

explodes into a gajillion pieces

YEAH CUBB

ROCKET TROLLEY THATS SO FUNNY I LOVE THAT

TUNNEL BORE!?!?!

GOAT AND BUTTERCUP ROBOTS

JOE AND BDUBS!!!

SCOTT!!

Man everyone's showing up huh

Is that a haiku

There's less than thirty minutes I'm shaking

REN AND MARTYN AND BIGB

TIMMY!!?!?!??!?!?! HOW IS HE HERE WHAT I THGUOHGT

HUHHHHH

OKAY OKAY

He's

OKAY

OKAY

^ Last six lines written in rapid succession

I'm normal again guys

LITERALLY EVERYONE IS HERE

Mumbo Jumbo I love you

SHINY DUOOO AUGH THIS HURTS ME PEARL'S CHARACTER HURTS ME

She's so determined I love Pearl

Impulse's POV is so sad what

"Oh. That's right." "I don't like to see my friends sad." STOPPP CRIES LOUDLY

IMP AND SKIZZZZ WAAAAAAAA

I'M CRYING THIS IS SO WELL WRITTEN THE EMOTION I AM FEELING AUUUUGH

This is so amazing

THE AFTERMATH STUFF

WAIT WHATS HAPPENING

THE SCULK IS SCULKING NO STOP

Why is the counter still going. No. Sto

WHUH MUMBO BETTER BE OKAY

ITS A WARDENNNNNN IT'S A WARDEN PANIC PANIC PANIC PANIC

DAMN RIGHT HE ISSSSSSS

OH MY GOODDDDDD

I'M GOING CRAZYYYY

WHAT NO THE INJURY

I'M CRYING

I'M GOING INSANE

YOU GUYS CANT DO THIS TO MEEEEE

THE END!?!?!?

THERE'S STILL MORE PAGES

Oh my god oh my god oh my god OH MY GODDDDD

THE END CHAPTER ART IS SO PRETTY, IT'S SO STARRY AND BEAUTIFUL AUGH

THE LIGHTING THE SHAPES

SCREAMS

I'M ACTUALLY GOING INSANE

Oh my god there's an epilogue

Reading now.. Wish me luck,