#with both having dearly cared about someone who went off the deep end and ultimately switching sides against them

[quibbs126]

So today I decided to try and draw Skyfire, in the same sort of vein as I did the War Dawn trio, to try and practice him

I mostly chose Skyfire since I made a couple posts about him/skystar, so I figured might as well draw him, especially since he shows up far less than his counterpart

To be perfectly honest, I think I still need a lot of work in drawing these guys, as I’ve said many times before. I think I can get the heads, but I start to get wonky with the chests, and I really didn’t know how to do his shoulders

Anyways, so this design is based on his g1 design, mostly this one image I got of him

But I also wanted to take some liberties with his design, at least in the head area. I’m realizing I didn’t actually change much of the rest of the body outside of omitting bits, as per usual

I don’t know, I think I like the head design, I just need a slight bit more consistency with it. Also in my head, he’s got a visor that drops down to completely cover his face, but the issue there comes in his colors. His glass is blue, so logically his visor mask would be blue too. But the top of his head is also blue, and it’s really the only other place the blue shows up in outside of the glass. So either I’d have to make his mask red and break consistency, or change the top of his helm to be another color (probably red) and get rid of one of the few pops of blue he has

I also just don’t know how to draw his chest things, the sides that pop out. So that’s why they look weird

And also, his shoulders are like the one part of him that’s circular outside of his helm, and it really annoys me because it sticks out so much to me, with basically the rest of him being rectangular

Also also, I don’t know how to do the arms either, in part because of the circular bits and also I don’t know how to make the triangular prisms

Where was I going with this? I don’t remember. All I know is that while I like his head, I’m well aware my drawings of him aren’t the best. I still need to learn how to draw Transformers properly. Which I’ve been saying for quite a while now, but I’m not sure how much progress I’ve made on that front

But anyways, last thing to talk about I suppose is the design itself. I quite like it, but because it doesn’t belong to any continuity, only being me tweaking his g1 design, I’m not sure what to use it for. I could use it for my own if I really wanted to, but of my random AU ideas, I don’t really know where to fit Skyfire in them. And would I make all subsequent designs for this hypothetical AU based on their g1 designs? I don’t really want to do that with Megatron, I don’t really like his helm design in g1 (it’s weird and ill defined to me)

But for now I guess, I have made this Skyfire design. Not the best work of mine, but I’m still trying to learn Transformers, so I’ll take it

[quindolyn]

Weeks Without || Poly!Marauders

Word Count: 7,427

A/N: Happy birthday @littlest-dark-age ! While this was not initially meant for you I loved it so much that I thought you might too and I poured a lot of effort into it, enough to show you how much I love you I hope. I think I like this piece! It felt good to write and I hope you all like it too.

Warnings: too long, that's probably the biggest one, angst, fluff, and smut. Slight dom/sub dynamics with dom Rem and Siri, sub Jamesie and maybe switch reader? Potentially just sub, I don't know I feel like any reader x James interaction I write, unless explicitly stated otherwise is at least a little bit dom reader because I project. Oral (female receiving), fingering, hand job, palming, little bit of humiliation. I tried not to include Daddy kink because I know not everyone's into it and I'm pretty sure if any of my stuff can have a daddy kink it does so I tried switching it up. Insecure reader

Masterlist

2k follower celebration

As you approached the end of your time at Hogwarts there was a certain fear that bubbled up inside of you. Like the rest of your peers you had worries about what waited for you outside of Hogwarts, where you were going to live, what you were going to do? How you were going to pay your bills and if the person, or in your case people, you were leaving with were going to stay by your side.

You were sure that everyone with a partner shared the same worries you did, that being if your relationship was going to survive outside of the sheltered walls inside which it formed. For you your worries were multiplied threefold. You didn’t just have one person you were worried would tire and leave you, you had three boys.

They were all undeniably beautiful, there were days you couldn’t fathom how people as beautiful as them had chosen someone like you.

Despite their constant praise, the way they gazed at you during class and in the halls, the hugs and kisses they gave you any chance they had you still weren’t convinced that you were enough for them.

You tried not to show it, tried not to show the boys you loved so dearly how your insecurities were eating away at you. You were eating less, sleeping less, and even though you spent all your time bent over a book in the library, eyes racing over the pages your studies were suffering too. The time you spent in the library wasn’t so much to actually study so much as it was to avoid your boys, even being around them had grown painful. Worried that every kiss they gave you might be getting you closer and closer to the last had you nauseous.

You knew it was ridiculous but you couldn’t help the feeling from gnawing away at you.

Your boys weren’t stupid, though James often acted as though he was, they noticed you pulling back from them. On the rare occasions they were able to get you with them for more than the duration of dinner it was like you were stopping yourself from enjoying being around them.

You’d catch yourself smiling too wide and drawback. To them it was like clouds blocking out the sun, though they’d swear they would’ve preferred the absence of the sun over yours.

There were only so many ways you could avoid them and when it came time for sleep there was no escaping the giant canopy bed in James’ headboy dorm that could easily fit all four of you. It was probably the easiest way for you to be around them, because after a long day of classes and extraneous studying you were out the minute your head hit the pillow. There was no time for them to prod you about your day, ask you where you’d been during your shared free period.

You speedily made your way through your evening routine before the rest of them got to the room and were climbing under the covers as they finally made their entrance.

Tonight you hadn’t been as lucky, as you barreled into the cozy dormitory, decorated in a frankly nauseating amount of scarlet and gold. You entered to find your three boyfriends were already waiting for you sprawled throughout the room.

James sat on the sofa to the left of the king bed, long legs sprawled out in front of him, they were so long that his feet stuck off the end. With his hands clasped behind his head acting as a pillow, he would’ve been the picture of leisure had it not been for the crease between his brows while he conversed with the two other boys in the room.

Sirius sat curled up in Remus’ lap, nestled together on the loveseat; there didn’t appear to be an inch of space between the two of them. Usually when they were found like this it was as though neither of them had a care in the world, too wrapped up in each other to notice anything else that went on around them. This time was different, Sirius held one of Remus’ hands in his, fiddling with it while he gazed off into the air, eyes focusing on nothing in particular.

It wasn’t tension clouding the room so much as it was worry. Worry about you, worry about your relationship, worry about what they might’ve said or done to hurt you.

As you stepped into the room all of their eyes shot to your figure, ultimately finding your face as they tried to tell what sorts of secrets you were hiding in that pretty head of yours.

“Hi poppet,” Remus spoke promptly, knowing that allowing the silence to stretch on would only serve to worsen the situation.

“You guys are here early.”

Out of the corner of your eye you saw the furrow between James’ brows deepen at your response, you weren’t usually one to sidestep a greeting like that. Though in all fairness you hadn’t been acting much like your usual self lately.

“We’ve missed you puppy, feels like we never see you anymore,” It was Sirius who spoke, hands still fidgeting with Remus’ long fingers, finding the Marauders ring that he wore on his ring finger and sliding it up and down the appendage.

You answered with a noncommittal hum as you toed off your shoes, abandoning them by the door to the dorm before moving to the bed where you shrugged off the bag that had been weighing down on your shoulder all day.

Remus quietly eased Sirius off of his lap, helping him into James' open arms awaiting his arrival. Once the raven haired male was settled into the larger boy’s grasp, strong, muscled arms holding him close to his equally toned chest Remus made his way toward you where you sat, silently working on the buttons of your blouse.

“You want help with those, bunny?” Came the steady baritone of Remus’ voice as he stood a few feet before you, head cocked to the side while his hands were buried deep inside of his pockets.

“I’m fine Rem, I’ve got it,” The use of the nickname normally would’ve worked to lighten the worries that were swirling around in the boy’s head. This was counteracted by the despondency of your voice pulling each syllable downwards into mumbled murmur.

“I hate to say it but Siri’s right (Y/N), we don’t see you anymore and we’ve tried to ignore this weird behavior, thinking that it would pass but it hasn’t,” The lycan spoke as he made his way to the bed, sitting down on the mattress next to you but sure to leave a decent amount of space between the two of you, not wanting to spook you more than you had seemed to be.

You ignored his words, instead focusing your attention on unzipping your skirt, loosening the waistband allowed you to take a deep breath you’d been yearning for all day.

“Bunny, we just want to know what’s wrong, talk to us please.”

Lifting your eyes, lids heavy from the stress of the day, at Remus’ desperate plea you found the looming figures of your other two boys hovering over his shoulder. Fingers intertwined as both stormy grey irises and hazel ones gazed at you.

“Nothing’s the matter Remus, I’m just a little stressed out is all. It's nothing any of you have done.”

Technically that was true, it was nothing your boys had done directly that had caused you to pull back from them but still, a lie by omission.

“Bullshit.”

Each of your heads whipped to find the voice who had spoken, your eyes landing on Sirius’ form you found his sullen figure glowering, tucked into James’ side.

“Sirius come on,” Remus murmured, urging the boy to keep his mouth shut.

“No its such fucking bullshit, she’s been acting like this for weeks and I’m sick and fucking tired of her acting like a toddler.” The boy swivelled, redirecting his attention back towards you, “Stop it (Y/N)! Stop lying to us, stop pulling away, just fucking talk to us for fuck’s sake because I can’t fucking do this anymore.”

With each word the boy’s voice raised an octave and you watched James’ hold on Sirius’ shoulder tighten as though he could contain the flow of words that tumbled from his mouth.

It was all too much, the insecure thoughts that bounced around your head, the aches that had settled in your limbs from pushing yourself too hard on too little sleep, the distinct throbbing that resided behind your temples nearly every day by this time.

Then add on Sirius’ harsh words it was all too much.

“I can’t do this,” You mumbled, haphazardly redoing the buttons of the blouse that had been hanging off your shoulders before pulling your bag, abandoned just minutes ago, back onto your shoulder.

“(Y/N) where are you going?” The frustration in Remus’ voice was evident, he’d been so understanding and gentle the past few weeks but even he had his limits and he was not about to watch you walk away from them.

“My dorm.”

“Since when do you sleep in your dorm?” It was the first time you’d heard James’ voice since you entered the lavish dorm room. The hurt laced in each word was unmistakable, guilt at being the one to hurt the boy you loved so much served to twist the knife that was already planted firmly between your ribs.

For the first time in weeks you finally voiced the overwhelming thought that had been plaguing you, the thought that had caused you to pull away from them in the first place, “You’re better off without me.”

It seemed as though everything in the castle had stopped to listen on your conversation, you were almost certain you could make out the little figure of a portrait peeking its head into the gargantuan frame that hung on the furthest wall of the dormitory should Dumbledore need to call James out in the middle of the night to perform some headboy duty.

The room was so quiet as the boys, your boys, soaked in your words that you swore you could hear Slughorn all the way down in the dungeons, munching on the lavish pineapple that had been dropped off at his office a few hours earlier and that he had saved until now to indulge himself in.

“What do you mean poppet?” The crease between Remus’ brows matched the confusion so evident in his voice.

“I mean…” You trailed off as you felt tears well in your eyes, weighing down on your bottom lashes as they threatened to spill over. You couldn’t find it within yourself to meet any of their gazes, instead keeping your head downturned, eyes trained on your sock clad feet and you shifted your weight from foot to foot.

Before you could force yourself to look up you felt a strong, steady hand slip under your mandible, from the rough calloused nature of said hand you knew without a doubt that it belonged to James.

He slowly turned your visage upwards to meet his, heart crumbling as he took in your waterlogged optics, red and puffy, sunken in my large dark shadows that appeared to be frighteningly close to bruises.

“Why are you thinking that you’re not good enough for us angel?” He spoke, his voice cracking as he took in your heart wrenching appearance.

“Jamie,” You sobbed before throwing yourself into his chest, the barriers you’d erected between you and the rest of them crumbling as you saw the helpless look in James’ beautiful hazel eyes.

The fears and doubts that had haunted you for weeks were still there but you couldn’t find it within yourself anymore to listen to them when they told you to keep your space, to hide from the people you loved the most.

You clung to James’ broad shoulders, standing on your tiptoes so that you could throw your arms around his neck. You felt the weight of your satchel once again slip from your shoulder accompanied by a soft thud against the hardwood floor as one of James’ arms wrapped around your waist, the other slipping under your bum, landing on your upper thighs to support your weight as he carried you over to the canopied bed.

James kept you safely in his lap, sitting down with Sirius and Remus on either side of the two of you.

Even if any of them wanted to pry you off of James there was no way you were leaving the warm solace of his hold, the solidity of his thighs underneath you, the strong planes of his back sprawled out underneath your palms.

There was a comfort in all of it that you hadn’t realized you missed so much, you felt a pang in your chest as you contemplated the boy’s reaction to your insecurities. Would they confirm them, and these past weeks, which could’ve been spent in the exact position you found yourself in now, soaking up the comfort they brought you, had been wasted?

Though you were perfectly content to sit there, snuggled into James’ chest the boys wanted answers, and though they tried their best this was the most like yourself you’d been in forever and they were desperate for answers to their questions before you slipped away from them again.

“I’m sorry I yelled Princess I’ve just been so worried about you,” Sirius murmured, his hand gently sliding up your thigh to rest under the hem of the plaid fabric.

All you could offer the boy was a nod as you turned your visage to meet his, wiping your nose with the back of your hand, “It’s okay Siri-”

“No it's not,” He refuted empathically, his hand moving from your thigh to cup your cheek, dragging his thumb across your cheek bone in soothing circles, “If anyone else spoke to you like that I’d hex them into oblivion. I’m sorry.”

He leaned down, tilting your face ever so slightly upwards to meet your lips. As usual his were unnaturally and enviously red, tasting of smoke and the strawberry candy he stole from the pockets of James’ robes.

His lips brushed gently against yours, it was the first kiss the two of you had shared in weeks that wasn’t a quick peck as you passed in the halls or as you rushed away from them after breakfast. Understandably, he was in no mood to rush it.

You melted into his touch as his grip on your cheek tightened, keeping you from pulling away as he deepened the kiss, kissing with a sort of passion foregin to the both of you. Different from what you were used to, lust filled kisses as he ground your hips into his. This was a sort of apology from the both of you, sorry to have shied away from this for so long and he sorry for blowing up at you.

He kept his lips melded to yours for as long as possible before finally pulling away to suck in a deep breath, replenishing his depleted lungs.

“Gotta tell us what’s going on in that pretty head of yours baby,” Came Remus’s voice from the other side of Jamesie’s broad shoulders, lulling your head off of the one it rested on to meet his sympathetic eyes.

You felt a familiar panic bubble up once again in your throat at the thought of voicing all your insecurities, scenario after scenario running through your head going through all the different ways the boys could react to your theories.

Suddenly you felt like an idiot and felt your cheeks burn as blood rushed to them, resisting the urge to bury your face back in James’ shoulder you swallowed, “W-What if,” You stopped for a moment, sniffing and going to wipe your nose on the back of your hand you were stopped when Remus’ large hand wrapped around your wrist.

Slender fingers slipped a silky hanky into your palm for you to wipe your nose on and you smiled as you glimpsed the initials “RJL” stitched sloppily into it. This was no doubt done by James when he was laid up with a Quidditch injury and had taken up stitching, amongst other things.

“Thanks Rem,” You murmured as you swiped the soft cloth underneath your nose before slipping it back into his hand, you felt your cheeks burn, embarrassed to be handing him back the used, and admittedly grosser material, but ever the gentleman he paid it no mind.

“Now what was it that you were saying (Y/N)?”

You braced yourself, clenching the covers into your fists as you forced the words that had been swirling around in your head out, coming to terms with that there was no more delaying the inevitable.

“Are we gonna stay together once we graduate?”

It was conflicting having finally spoken those words that had tormented you for countless days, hours upon hours of pain and anxiety causing you unspeakable turmoil. It felt as though it was all lifted from your shoulders, you’d spoken the words, put them out there and they were no longer your pain to bear alone.

At the same time, they didn’t just exist in your head anymore. They were real and the people who mattered most had just heard them, their impending response only served to make you grip the sheets even tighter.

“Where’s this coming from angel?” James asked, confusion tightening up his voice.

“I don’t know,” You whimpered, “I’ve just been thinking and you all are so fucking beautiful and perfect, how am I supposed to keep up with you when we leave here. I already don’t deserve any of you. It's already bad enough in here with all the girls and guys fawning over all of you but how am I supposed to fair when you have the entire world at your fingertips?”

As they soaked in the meaning behind your words James’ arms tightened around you to the point of bordering on discomfort but it was so reassuring to be held that close, to know that that was the reaction your words had on them that you couldn’t find it within yourself to complain, only to hold him even tighter.

“Darling,” Sirius’ sympathetic tone was enough to shatter your already fragile facade and before you knew it there were fat teardrops sliding along down your soft cheeks.

You could feel your tears dampening the material of James’ old t-shirt but couldn’t bring yourself to care.

“I-I don’t wanna lose you guys,” You sobbed, letting all the pent up emotion from the past weeks flow out, coming off of you in waves as the knot that had been residing in your chest slowly began to unravel. Each tender caress of your back and stroke of your hair assisted in its efforts until all that was left was your heart. Which, considering that it had been tangled up in barbed wire, thorns piercing your heart with every beat, was in surprisingly good condition, still intact and pumping along.

“You’re not gonna lose us (Y/N/N), ever,” James promised into your ear, his chapped lips brushing across the shell of your ear.

“You can’t promise that,” You protested, words muffled as you spoke into his shoulder, “There might be someone else who you guys love more than me, who’s prettier and smarter and can keep up with you all. M not good enough for any of you and what if one day you realize that?”

“Don’t talk like that princess,” Sirius’ grip was steely on your forearm as he used it to get your attention, “I’ve spent my entire life being told I wasn’t good enough and the truth is that we aren’t good enough for you. I know what it feels like to feel like the people in your life deserve better than you but there is no doing better than you, no one else on this earth holds a candle to you my beautiful girl.”

As you took in each of Sirius’ words letting them heal the puncture wounds on your heart from being wrapped in thorny vines Remus spoke, “We love you more than anything puppy, the day you walked into our lives was the best day of my life and I can’t think of a world where any of us live without you. Especially outside of Hogwarts, things are gonna be just as scary for us as they are for you poppet and I know I don’t wanna do it without you.”

It felt good to hear that the worries you’d been obsessing over were really all in your head, that they really did love you as much as you loved them, but there was still one boy you needed to hear the words from before you could completely relax.

“I’m going to marry one day (Y/N/N), I’m going to marry all of you and we’re going to be Misters and Missus Potter. Remmy’s right, I don’t wanna ever wake up and not have you right there next to me. Mum and Dad say I have to wait till we’re settled and we have jobs and a place to live before I can propose but it's gonna happen bunny, I just hope you don’t realize we’re a pile of daft idiots before then.”

As a lopsided goofy smile quirked his lips upward you felt a similar force mimicking the movement on your own, “Even if you all are daft idiots, m’never gonna find anyone like you guys. My pretty boys.”

“You hear that mates? We’re her pretty boys, if I didn’t know better I’d say (L/N) has a little crush on all of us.”

“Oh sod off Siri,” You let out a watery giggle, gently nudging the boy’s arm as you looked up at him through water logged lashes.

“Is that true puppy? You like us?” Even though he was usually the most mature of your boys Remus’ mischievous side never failed to shine when he called on it.

“No,” You refuted, “I’m actually rather fond of Severus now that you mention it.”

You’d pulled away from Jamesie’s chest to be able to look at each of them but with your words you were harshly tugged back into him.

“Not funny,” The sullen boy murmured into your ear, “Ours, not Snivellus’.”

“Shhh s’okay bubba I know you love me,” You soothed him, tangling your fingers in his hair like you knew he liked.

“I’m so sorry bunny we ever made you feel like Snape loved you more, I never want you to feel like we don’t love you.” He squeezed you, “How can we make it up to you?”

“I just got in my own head is all,” You explained, “I was telling the truth earlier when I said that it was nothing any of you had done, just shouldn’t spend all that time alone with my thoughts.”

Sirius’ elegant hand started rubbing up and down your back as you all sat there, soaking in each other’s presence after so many weeks of turmoil. Each time his hand slipped lower and lower down your back till he was groping your ass with the palm of his hand.

“Do you believe us poppet?” Remus asked, taking note of Sirius’ hand on your bum, “You believe that we’ll love you till the day we die?”

You nodded your head, face still buried into James’ neck, “I know you’re telling the truth Remmy, it's probably just going to take a little while for my brain to start really believing it, I spent so long worrying about it that mt stupid brain is’nt just gonna start listening to me.”

Remus nodded as he brushed a piece of hair from your face, it was the answer he’d been expecting.

“How about we show you how much we love you puppy?” Sirius asked from your other side, hand sliding from your ass to your thigh before slipping underneath the hem of your skirt.

“What do you mean Siri?” You cocked your head to the side in a rather obvious display of your confusion.

Wordlessly he stood up and slipped you from James’ lap moving to the foot of the bed where he laid you out on your back. Your blouse hung open off your shoulders revealing your lace clad breasts to the man as his eyes raked over your body, taking in every curve and line of your body.

Starting on the cushiony pillows of your lips, red and raw from gnawing away at them all the way down to the soft lines of your thighs he took his time appreciating every millimeter of you before dragging his eyes back up to the hem of your skirt.

One graceful hand slid to the waistband, already loosened he bent down to press a kiss where the material had rubbed your skin raw over the course of the day.

As your panty clad center was revealed to him Sirius swiftly dropped to his knees, his eyes quickly darting to Remus over your left shoulder for permission for what he was about to. It was granted to him with a soft nod.

“What are you doing Siri?” You pondered as he slid your legs apart from each other, sitting up on his knees as he began pressing sloppy kisses onto the insides of your thighs.

Instead of getting an answer Remus spoke, his words directed to the boy between your legs as though his words would have no consequence on you, “You can mark her Sirius, let everyone know that she’s our pretty girl.”

His words sent a zap of excitement up your back as you remembered how good it felt to be their pretty girl. Something you hadn’t felt like in weeks.

You bucked your hips as Sirius’ lips ghosted over your pussy still hidden to him behind the lacy material that matched your bra, “I’m showing you how much I love you puppy,'' He responded to your earlier posed question, “Now come on, lift your hips f’me,'' He murmured as he slipped the panties along with your school shirt from your hips revealing your pussy to his hungry gaze. Sirius carefully pulled the garments from your legs before dropping them to the floor next to where he knelt.

Inching closer and closer to your cunt as he worked his way up your thighs leaving a trail of kisses in his wake he made sure to sink his teeth into the flesh at certain points, just hard enough that if he sucked he was sure to leave behind mouse shaped bruises. The thought of being marked by him caused a ripple of arousal to go straight to your core.

Once he was satisfied with the marks he’d left on your thighs the raven haired boy moved quickly, nosing your folds apart to breathe in your scent, even with the minimal stimulation you’d had you were already soaking, though Sirius often seemed to do that to you.

“Fuck,” You swore as his nose bumped your clit and you reached out to grab onto the bedding but found James’ hand instead, wrapping your hand around his middle and index finger as you scrunched your eyes closed.

“Pretty baby,” James cooed as he leaned down to smear a kiss across your brow, furrowed from pleasure, “Siri making you feel good?”

You nodded fervently as the aforementioned boy licked a broad stripe from your quivering, sopping entrance to your clit, lifting up the hood to suck gently as James often sucked on your tits. You smiled thinking that you might fall asleep that way tonight because you knew nothing made the boy quite as happy as both falling asleep and waking up with your tit in his mouth.

“Use your words puppy,” Remus’ voice sounded from your otherside and you whipped your head to face him wondering when he’d moved over there, “Wanna hear that pretty voice of yours.”

“Yes Remmy, feels so so good,” Your words hitched as Sirius slipped a finger inside of you, continuing to suck on your clit as he did so.

As you spoke your eyes wandered downwards and you were met with a familiar bulge having formed in Remus’ trousers. The werewolf’s gaze followed yours and smiled as his eyes landed on his crotch.

Your head quickly pivoted to the otherside finding a matching bulge in James’ trousers. A pang of guilt hit your heart as you hadn’t even thought about either of their pleasure, being too overwhelmed by your own as Sirius had thrown your legs over his shoulders allowing him to pull himself closer to your dripping, aching cunt.

Somehow your hand had found its way to Remus’ cock as you mindlessly palmed at his bulge as though that and that alone would work to help it escape from its zippered cage and into your awaiting hand.

“Can I have your cock Rem, please?” You begged looking up at him with wide eyes, fingers fumbling as they finally stumbled across the zipper.

“Course you can bunny,such a good girl asking me for m’cock so nicely, let me get it out for you.”

Remus expertly lifted his hips as he unzipped his zipper, sliding his trousers and boxers down to his mid thigh allowing his cock to spring free.

As his cock was revealed to you Sirius added a second finger into your pussy, curling it at just the right spot to hit the sensitive spot inside of you each and every time he thrusted his fingers. As he pushed the second finger inside of you you felt the distinct chill of metal, you gasped at the unique, though certainly not unwelcome sensation.

Glancing downwards you saw that the hand belonging to the arm that was pinning your hips to the mattress did not bear the signature Marauders ring they all wore proudly on their ring finger. Having his marauders ring thrusted in and out of you made you clench around his long, slender fingers, the extra stretch provided by the jewelry was impossibly hot.

The combination of seeing Remus’ cock, standing proud and tall as his tip, bright red, leaked pre cum onto his shaft and the extra stretch of not only another finger inside of you, but a ring, had you squeezing your legs around Sirius’ head.

Flicking your gaze down towards him you were met with Sirius’ eyes already on you and he circled your clit with his tongue. Much to your chagrin he pulled his head away from your cunt, smoothing his palm up your stomach as he smiled at you with the most sincere look in his eyes, “You’re beautiful like this puppy, so perfect all laid out for us, making a mess all over my face.”

Looking at the bottom of his face you saw the mess he was talking about, his mouth and chin were glistening with your slick. Before you could reply Sirius was diving back into your pussy, scooping his arms under your thighs to lift your hips so that he had even more through access to your pretty cunt.

Any breath you would’ve used to respond was pulled from you as Sirius’ tongue began working magic on your cunt, tracing it painfully slowly before abruptly speeding up.

Remembering the gift that had been bestowed upon you you grappled for Remus’ cock, quickly wrapping your hand around it and beginning to pump up and down, loving nothing more than the way he throbbed beneath your touch.

“That’s a good girl, so good at playing with m’cock, there’s a good girl,”

“Like this?” Your wide eyes stared up at Remus as you twisted your wrist pulling a strangled gasp from him.

“Yes baby, just like that.”

You were mesmerized by his cock as you watched the head disappear before reappearing from your fist as you worked up and down his shaft, your hand working along the natural curve of his prick.

A whiny moan from your other side broke your concentration as you turned your head to investigate it, never halting your movements up and down Remus’ member.

Your eyes fell upon James’ whimpering form, shifting uncomfortably as his eyes flickered back and forth between your hand on Remus’ cock, Sirius’ head buried between your legs and your face, pleasure plastered over your every feature. God you looked beautiful when you were getting eaten out.

Finally you settled on the raging boner visible through James’ trousers, it looked almost painful the way it was straining against the restrictive fabric.

“Aww Jamesie m’sorry, been neglecting your cock,” You mewled, the hand not on Remus’ cock moving to palm James through his trousers.

“That’s okay bunny, m’good just watching you, fuck you’re gorgeous.”

You threw your head back as Sirius pinched at your clit, his tongue and fingers having swapped places as he circled your tight entrance which was clenching around nothing, but who could blame you?

You were in ecstasy.

There was a familiar fire burning in the pit of your belly, one that had begun simmering the second Sirius had looked you up and down once having laid you down on the bed.

A small whimper escaped you as you felt James’ strong calloused hand grope your clothed breast over the mesh and wire cage you kept them concealed in because fuck did that feel good.

You turned your visage to view Remus, he was painfully hard now and you made sure to keep groping James on the other side of you as you quickened your speed on Remus’ cock.

“Merlin puppy that feels so good, our good puppy. I love you so much my love, so much,” His praise came as he tangled his hands in your hair, using his hold on your to direct your face up to view his. He looked angelic, beads of sweat forming on his hairline with clouded over hazel eyes and the most beautiful lips you’d ever seen that released haggard groans and breaths.

A whine tumbled from your lips at the praise, Remus was always the gentler out of your doms, James barely counting as most of the time he was on his knees with you ready to obey his next command, but his praise seemed to be affecting you more than you were used to. Not that you were complaining though, on the contrary, you were living for it as it spurred you closer and closer to orgasm.

You squeezed Remus’ cock as Sirius nipped at your clit, the sensation walking the delicate line between pleasure and pain but jarring nonetheless. You’d be lying if you said that it didn’t send a rush of arousal to the fire now beginning to roar in your belly.

The feeling of James and Remus’ cocks in your hands was oddly erotic and as they worked to ground you as Sirius pulled you further and further into bliss the holdon them, feeling every vein and ridge and twitch turned you on more and more and had you bucking into Sirius’ mouth.

“I’m gonna cum!” You screamed as Sirius sped up his ministrations on your pussy, sucking your clit between his lips as he mercilessly pistoned his fingers in and out of you.

“M gonna cum too,” James admitted, sucking in a tight breath as he wriggled his hips, resisting the urge to buck up as you lackadaisically palmed at his still clothed crotch, never having the time to properly undress.

The thought of cumming with James pushed you right to the edge to the point where you could barely form words, but knowing you’d need permission before you were allowed to cum you sought out the one person who could grant you such. “Can I cum?” You pleaded, turning your head to face Remus, “Please Rem let me cum please!”

“You gonna cum too Jamesie?” The lycan’s eyes were trained on James’ face, eyes wide as he watched your hand slip up and down Remus’ curved length.

Upon receiving his answer, a yes delivered in rushed nods, Remus turned back to you, “Yes baby, go ahead and cum for us, make a mess all over Siri’s face. Gonna look so pretty when you cum undone, such a pretty girl.”

That final praise tipped you over the edge, sending you into a bliss filled oblivion as warmth seeped to every nook and cranny in your body. You felt your legs tense and spasm as you squeezed your thighs around Sirius’ head, bucking into his face to get as much stimulation as possible because there was no way for you to get enough.

You distantly registered a string of curses leaving your lips as euphoria washed through your body, taking with it any little doubts and worries that hadn’t parted with the boy’s earlier kind words.

As your orgasm passed and you blinked your eyes open you found a lightness in your chest you hadn’t felt in months. All the wounds from being wrapped up in thorns so long seemed to have healed on your heart, to see you tested it out, letting a singular thought about the boys drift through your consciousness. You were immediately reminded of Sirius’ head still in between your legs, lapping up the slick that had made a mess all over the insides of your thighs, James’ softening prick under one palm and Remus’ still rock hard one in the other.

All those worries you had let occupy your thoughts for months seemed stupid and trivial as you remembered just how much your boys loved you.

“Well would you look at that,” You were pulled from your thoughts by Remus’ voice, following his gaze to James who sat resting on his hands, panting, with an unmistakable stain fresh on the front of his trousers.

“Did Prongs cum in his pants?” Sirius simpered, also huffing, though for completely different reasons as he lifted his head from your cunt, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. The seemingly normal sight sent a shiver up your spine but you quickly shook the thought away.

You nodded your head as your eyes caught on the stain on the front of his trousers but no one seemed to notice.

James’ cheeks were burning bright red as Remus came up behind him, brushing the hair out of his face as he leaned down to press a kiss to the crown of James’ head.

Remus helped the submissive boy to his feet, all the while murmuring quiet praises you couldn’t hear from where you laid until one was spoken loudly enough for your ears, “Come on bubba lets get those boxers off,” The sandy haired boy prompted, “Show (Y/N/N) how pretty you think she is, she made you cum in your pants, I don’t think any of us have ever done that before have we?”

James shook his head as Remus quickly undid the zipper on the other boy’s trousers. The taller boy kneeled to help him step out of his trousers and boxers, leaving him naked from the waist down.

It was an undeniably hot sight, James’ half hard cock resting against his toned thigh, both covered in his cum from his untimely release.

Your eyes were pulled up to Remus as he let out an appreciative hum as he inspected the ruined boxers in his hand.

He slipped onto the bed next to you, “Come on puppy sit up f’me,” Opening his arm for you to settle into his side.

“And you Jamesie,” He prompted, patting his thigh for the boy to sit on. As James settled onto the hard plane of muscle Remus’ still throbbing erection poked into his back, the leaking head smearing precum along the boy’s toned back.

Sirius settled in behind all three of you, peering over your shoulder at the soiled boxers, one hand resting on your shoulder and the other on Remus’. You melted under his touch and snuggled ever closer into Remus’ side, turning your head to press a kiss to the back of Sirius’ hand.

“Y’made Jamesie cum without even taking him out of his pants puppy, can you believe that? That’s how fucking sexy we all think you are, made him cum without even directly touching his cock princess.”

“S’like you’ve got super powers,” James interjected, his eyes trained on you, “Your hand angel, its magic.”

You chuckled at his choice of words, whether or not you were intentional you doubted but it made them all the more cute.

“It’s so pretty,” You murmured, running your index finger through the sticky mess before bringing it up to your lips, sucking it completely clean as you couldn’t get enough of James’ perfect taste. “You taste really good Jamesie.”

The boy at the center of your current conversation turned, hiding his head in the crook of Remus’ neck mumbling a “thank you” into the delicate scarred skin.

“Don’t need to be shy,” Sirius crooned, out of character with the gentleness in his tone, as he combed his fingers through James’ dark tresses, “It’s fucking unbelievable how hot it is.”

You smiled at the delicate interaction between the two boys as James looked up at Sirius with wide eyes and puckered his lips, silently demanding a kiss. It was a demand Sirius was all too ready to obey as he dipped down, sealing James’ lips with his.

As he pulled away he caught you staring at him with want etched all over your face, “Don’t worry puppy,” He simpered, moving to cup your face in his hand, “You can get a kissie too.”

His tongue brushed against the seal of your slips as he deepened the kiss before abruptly pulling away, not wanting to get himself any more wound up than he already was.

“My beautiful girl,” He murmured, pressing a kiss to your forehead as he smiled down at you.

“You two need to get cleaned up,” Remus spoke as you and Sirius gazed at each other, “You, especially Jamesie, made quite the mess of yourself.”

James whined at the subtle comment but aside from that made no other objection.

You on the other hand had other, more pressing worries.

“But what about you, Remmy? You’re still hard and Siri hasn’t even been touched yet, need to get you two off,” Your words came out frantic at the prospect of leaving two of the men you loved so much unsatisfied but Remus was quick to quell your worries with a soothing kiss to your hairline.

“Don’t worry poppet, Siri and I will take care of each other while Jamesie runs a bath for the two of you, yeah? We’ll be right in to join you, have a feeling neither of us are going to last all that long.”

You were reluctant to agree after how amazing you’d been made to feel by your boys since you’d arrived at the dorm and the thought of leaving two of them to take care of each other was frustrating, your frustration did not outweigh the pleasure a warm bubble bath promised and in the end you crumbled.

“Fine.”

“Good girl,” Remus extolled as James slipped from his lap and stood before you, arms open and ready to engulf your significantly smaller figure.

You all but leapt into his embrace, loving the way his strong arms could so easily support you.

“Come on angel,” He cooed down at you, “S’bath time.”

Remus and Sirius waited until the two of you had entered the adjoining bathroom before leaping to their feet, their hands quickly finding the other’s chest desperate to pull another close.

James kicked the door closed behind him but not with enough force to fully close the door, the room beyond it was still visible through a small crack.

Through the crack in the door you were able to see Remus and Sirius and even over the roar of the running water James had started that was slowly filling the ginormous bathtub that sat at the center of the room you could make out the words that fell from their lips.

“You’re gorgeous mon chéri,” Sirius muttered against Remus’ shoulder as he tugged on Remus’ cock, the two boys had made quick time and Sirius’ aching member was already in Remus’ palm.

“Just as beautiful as both of our babies.”

“Impossible.”

“Shut up and cum for Godric’s sake,” The smaller man whined, “I want a bath.”

tagging: @randomoutsiders @weasleyposts @amourtentiaa @kittykylax @superbturtlemakerathlete @oliviashea05 @pinkandblueblurbs @dracofknmalfoy @itsmentalillness @zzzfour @greenlyblue @emmaev @temporaryissue @gubleryum @advictedtohim @marauderswhore07 @st0nesnglitter @wholebigboxofyikes @priii @miraclesoflove @thatvenusbabe @shadesofvelma @drachoesimp @ashlovesthemarauders @artemis1orion @skaratjung @ava-brooke-blog1 @fairyprettygirly @ohwowimlonley @padfootswife @4kweasley @roonilwazlibswhore @swearingsolemnly @teenwolfbitches28 @lilypad-55449 @jamespotterslover @lilytheally @mo-jean @lolooo22 @adrianscumslut @jeannelupinblack @wh0reforthemarauders @myalupinblack @ashesandstars @daisyyy2516 @siriusmydeer @remugoodgirl @itzstacie @planet-wolfstar @steveharringtonswhore @saintlike78 @i-love-scott-mccall @thatdummymarie @cedricisnotdead @pretty-pop-princess-hs

[jaycewrites-192000]

The Rest Of Our Lives

Levi Ackerman x Reader

It had all finally came to an end, the world could finally try its best to heal from years upon years of death.

Speaking of healing, he had gone through the worst of it over the years. And finally, he has the rest of his life to heal.

But he can't do it alone...

(Spoiler Warning!!! This story contains spoilers for the end of the Attack on Titan manga!!!)

It had been three years since that fateful battle. So many lives had been lost that day, good and bad, friend and enemy. Even the majority of the human population, eighty percent to be specific, had been wiped out just for the slim chance of peace, and even then, it wasn't completely guaranteed. But for now, all was calm. That day, was the battle between titan and human, heaven and earth. The day the dreaded rumbling had began, and soon ended. It resulted in many deaths and plenty of injuries, the worst landed upon Levi Ackerman. Humanity's strongest soldier was nearly killed, but he wasn't given that title for nothing. He was still living today, though missing a few fingers, a working eye, and finally his permanently damaged leg. It wasn't too much of a problem, as there were no longer any titans to fight. Though, it was somewhat, shameful in his eyes. That after everything, a busted leg is what holds him down. He wasn't even elderly, and yet he needed constant help. He grateful for the help however, though he wished he didn't have to burden people with his problem so much.

But, it wasn't a burden or a problem to her.

She was there by his side for as long as he can remember. She fought by his side during expeditions, comforted him during his low points, and even risked her life over and over to keep him safe and alive. He can't say he's never done the same for her. Maybe it was her constant attention and care, that made him fall in love with her. At the time, it was horrible. He fell in love with someone he could so easily loose, but now in a world free of titans, he could love her as much as he wanted. And the same goes for her. They both confessed their love for each other shortly before the rumbling began, then he proposed to her after everything settled.

And so, here they were, in their own little cabin next to a beautiful lake, surrounded by tall pine trees. They both were outside today, rested on the bench that sat right before the lake. Hand in hand, her head leaning on his shoulder. Their gentle breaths in sync with one another. The calmness of the quiet air, aided to their ease. For once in their lives, they felt no need for worry or panic, or when the next attack from the titans would be. And they would never need for such worries again.

Her eyes slowly opened, she smiled as the first thing she saw, was her soon to be husband. Even with the scars, he was still as handsome as ever. Though, his eyes were distant and somewhat empty. Why? "Levi?" She spoke softly. "Are you ok?" Levi finally blinked, sighing softly he looked down at you. "I'm fine. Why do you ask?" She sits up to meet his gaze. "You seem, a little distant. Are you tired?" Levi shakes his head before placing his hand on his scar. "Just thinking." He muttered. Was that what this was about? This would happen every now and then, Levi would just stare at himself in the mirror. Well, less himself and more at his blinded eye, the two long scars that covered it. It started from the top of his eye down to his lip. He considered himself lucky, that explosion Zeke Yeager caused could have just killed him all together. But it only costed him an eye and a few fingers.

Still she wondered, did he hate how he looked now? He never commented on it before, so she just assumed he didn't care. But the way his overall expression would falter anytime he saw it, or tried to lifted his hand, or even when he tried to stand. "Levi? You know I didn't think less of you because of those scars." She placed her hand on top of his damaged one. "Or your hand. Or your leg. I still love you. I always have and I always will. This doesn't change a thing." Y/n say softly, trying to reassure him. "I...I know that Y/n. But....it's not that...not this time." Levi looks up at the sky. It was a soft orange, signifying the end of the day. "Every time I wake up, I wonder when it will happen." Y/n blinks a few times, not really understanding. "When what will happen?" She asks. "When they will come back. The titans. Before, at any moment, we could die at the hands of those giant bastards." Y/n would be lying if she said she hadn't felt the same at sometimes.

"But Levi, that was before. They're gone now. There are no more titans, we're safe." She explains to him.

"For how long?"

The panic in his voice was clear. Y/n took both of his hands and held them in her own. Her eyes full of sincerity as she spoke. "Levi, I know how you're feeling. But, you were there that day. We both were, the titans are gone. They died along with Eren." It still pained you to say it. Though in the end Eren was acting rash and out of hand, you still remembered him as the same young boy with hope in his heart that one day, the world would be a one without titans. It was a shame that he let it go to his head, and because of that, he was responsible for nearly exterminating all of humanity. Therefore, he had to face the consequences of his actions and pay the ultimate price. Poor kid...

"There are no trace of titans left. We're safe. You're safe. And you will never have to worry about stuff like that ever again." You bring his hands up and kiss them gently. Making sure he felt your love, even through his missing fingers. "And I won't ever leave your side. I'll always be here for you Levi. To care for you, to love you, for the rest of our lives."

A sudden wetness on your hands made you flinch. You look up to expecting to see rain, but instead, you saw Levi, crying. He sniffles a few times before leaning closer to you, until his head rested on your shoulder. You smiles and rub his back in a soothing manor. Through his sobs, you could make out a feint "thank you" from Levi.

You meant every word. You will always be there for him. And he in return would always be there for you. You two will always have each other, for the rest of your lives.

Another year has come to pass, Levi and Y/n had finally married, and proud to call themselves Mr and Mrs Ackerman. And Mrs Ackerman was expecting and due to deliver soon. There were congratulations given all around. From Armin, Jean, Connie, Annie, Reiner, even Falco and Gabi. Even Mikasa. It was a bit surprised that she came to visit. Mikasa had became distant ever since Eren died, she was the one that killed him after all. She had been by Eren side for many many years, and in the end, she was the one that put him to rest. It took quite a toll on her. But she was recovering, slowly but surely.

Y/n wished so desperately that Hanji and Erwin could have been here today. Though, she bet that Hanji would have been pretty sad without having anymore titans to experiment on. But deep down she knew, that they were still here, even if she couldn't see them. Levi knew it as well. They would both regularly visit their graves to pay respects and generally just talk about what's going on in their lives. Hanji would have been so thrilled to know that Levi and Y/n settled down to start a family. From the very beginning, Hanji had always hoped you two would get together. She even went as far as teasing her and Levi, which would normally result in a kick to the back from Levi. Not too hard though, he didn't want to break her spine. And Erwin, he would just be happy to see Levi happy with someone. And of course Levi's former squad would be happy that he was at peace with himself. They all would be so proud of him.

When it came time for Y/n to deliver, it was one of the most stressful and wonderful days of Levi's life. Fortunately, Y/n was just fine afterwards and gave birth to a healthy and beautiful little girl. She resembled Levi the most, with her black hair and her grey-blue eyes. She had some of Y/n's features as well, like her skin tone and her facial features.

"What should we name her?" Y/n spoke softly as she held her baby close. "We haven't came up with a name for her yet?" Levi mutters. They were spending more time preparing themselves for a new addition to their small family, that they hardly had time to think of one. Levi gently stroked his daughter's cheek, she gave a tiny smile in return before her face returned to a more sleepy one. It made Levi's heart race. This was his daughter, he made that! Well, really Y/n did, but it meant just as much to him. Never in his wildest dreams would he ever think that he would have children. Then again, he never thought he would meet someone like Y/n either. Levi's stone expression dropped, a smile of his own made it onto his face.

"Levi, I've actually had one in mind for a while. But, I wasn't sure if...you would be ok with it." Y/n spoke hesitantly. Levi held her hand, such a small gesture, made sure she knew she didn't have to keep anything from him. "I know how close you were to Farlan and Isabell." Levi's breathing halted for a second. "More specifically, how much Isabell looked up to you. I know she saw you as a brother, but...what I'm trying to say is, what if we named her, Isabell?" Y/n looked down at her baby, who was sleeping peacefully in her arms. It was true, Farlan and Isabell were like family to Levi, it was devastating the way they died. He wasn't there to help them, if he was, maybe they would be here today. He missed them dearly...

When Levi didn't respond, Y/n became worried. "I-I mean, we don't have to. I was just-"

"It's perfect." Levi cut her off. "Our little Isabell." He says with another warm smile. Y/n returned the smile before kissing her daughter's head. "Welcome to the world, Isabell." She whispers.

With this, Levi knew he was living for so much more. He had a woman who loved him with all her heart, despite how he looks now. And now, he had a child. Though this world was without titans, it doesn't mean there won't be another danger that was out there, just waiting to snatch his happiness away from him. But Levi wouldn't let it. Levi swore this very day, to protect his wife and daughter with everything he had. Despite injury, despite age, he would never let anything or anyone harm his family. Because for now on, it will be only them, together.

For the rest of their lives.

THE END

(This was not stolen! This story was reposted from my Wattpad account!)

[melissa-kenobi]

Hii!! I hope your doing fine at uni!!

Wanted to know if you would make a little something for Rex and/or Kiri (gosh I miss him) having a big crush on you and then catching you gasping his name while you’re sleeping? Or maybe something where reader has a kid/sibling/cousin and he takes care of the kid and it warms your heart so much 😫💕 I now want them all to be space dads oh my

Aaaand, now that I’m watching the bad batch and getting to see more of the characters, I really think I ship you with Hunter! He would make little things for you that at first you wouldn’t even notice, like knowing that you’re tired silently screaming at wrecker not to make noise because you need rest, or stopping by a planet he knows you will love, opening doors for you, buying something you like and just leaving it somewhere in the shop for you to find. And one time, when he’s done one of those things you just catch his smile while he’s looking at you, and the way he just nods at you and leaves, with that smile that you don’t see often still on his lips, leaves you gasping for air. Then you start noticing them, and you search for him anytime you think he did something, and he’s always looking at you lovingly. But he won’t talk to you more than necessary, you weren’t sure of what was happening. But you start doing things for him too. Always from a distance, and always looking at each other. Until one day after a hard day he’s just working and going over plans, he’s stiff and tired and you go behind him and without thinking, start massaging his shoulders, neck and back. At first he goes to grab your hand, afraid of your touch, but you assure him that it’s okay and with a sound coming deep from his chest he closes his eyes and lets you touch him. Maybe you keep massaging his shoulders from time to time. And he craves it, needs your touch to relax. He always thanks you afterwards. And maybe, one of those times he can’t get enough and he grabs your waist, sliding your body between his legs while he’s sitting, your hands on his shoulders, your face hot while you try to keep your fingers working on his muscles. Maybe then he would put his mouth on your collarbone and leave a damp spot on your tunic. Needing more of you.

And what happened next is up to you 👀 It might have gotten out of hand, but I think he would be so sweet with you and would definetly like to hold your hand whenever you’re close to him and care soooo much about you and your well-being

Love you, and have a nice day 💕

Heyyy Emmeee 💕💕 yess I am doing okay at uni, only only like a week or two left, then we are done!!!

Omg Hunter 🥺🥺 emme that was like a fully fledged fic, I love it sm, hunter is bae, honestly I love that man, he definitely up there with Din as my faves. AND THAT ENDING asfgahsjshsj, 🥵🥵 - y-you've got my imagination spiralling, need.... to .... write.... a.... hunter... fic.... 🥵😭

& ohmygosh Kiri, I promise I haven't forgotten him or my boys!! So I did like a lil thing for both coz I couldn't choose between both my babies (I'm indecisive okay?).

Love you Emme xx

Sleep Talking - Word Count:

Kids - Word Count:

Sleep Talking

Commander Kiri (265th) x Reader

It was a simple mission, in and out, gather the Intel and leave. Hopper was supposed to take the aircraft and pick the two of up after it was finished. Honestly one of the easiest missions ever.

But no.

Nothing was ever that easy with the 265th.

So here the two of you were, stuck in kriffing cave, no clue where in the galaxy you were. But you knew one thing, you had Kiri with you and if he was with you, you knew you were going to be just fine.

Although Kiri was anxious being together with his General for a prolonged period of time. His feelings for her were too strong, although his brothers all knew, they had promised to keep quite. At least till he figures out what to do, and how to tell you.

"General, I'll take first watch, you can get some rest."

You let out a deep sigh. Your commander was an absolute pain in the arse, one that would rival even Skywalker. He was stubborn and loyal and pretty and maker he looked ever so soft with his helmet off. How you wanted to run your hands through his hair as you tugged on his braid, making his mouth open in pleasure as you su-

Kriff! What in karking hell were you thinking? You blinked rapidly as to help regain your thoughts, but the images of Kiri moaning only flooded your mind.

"Kriff..." You muttered, completely ignoring your commanders words.

"Y/N?"

Fuck he said your name. Kriff, no- stop imaging things, not the way he would sound moaning your name in contempt.

"Yeah?"

"Are you okay?" He placed a hand on your thigh, the warmth spreading through your body like a fire, causing you to jolt at his sudden touch, making Kiri huddle even closer to you. Kiri pulled a glove off, placing a hand on your forehead, feeling it burn him to the skin.

"Kriff, Y/N! You're burning!" Kiri quickly acted, grabbing a wet cloth and placed it on your forehead, your eyes wide at his naked hand. His beautiful tanned skin was on show and all you wanted to do was to hold his hand, amongst other things, but mainly to touch him.

"Okay, lie down. I'm gonna take care of you."

"Mmh... okay."

You lay down, head in Kiri's lap as you closed your eyes, your hands unconsciously grabbing his as you clutched it in your grip, ultimately hugging his entire arm as you fell asleep.

"Cyar'ika..." Kiri rumbled, his voice deep as he let you hug his hand, he pulled off the glove of the other one before using it to sweep some hair away from your face.

He adjusted himself on the floor, laying sideways as he let you cuddle yourself into his body, your hands still holding onto his as you slept. Maker knows how long the two of you would be here for. He wrapped his arm around you, holding you close as the two of you slept.

"Sweet dreams mesh'la..." Kiri whispered as he placed a kiss on your forehead.

***

"Kiri... I-i please..."

Kiri woke up instantly, his eyes immediately landing on you beside him, still in the same position as before, although you had his hand dragged down to another spot. His eyes widened in surprise as he realised you weren't in danger but- you were aroused.

You let out a small moan, your bottom sliding backwards against his codpiece, making Kiri gasp, his free hand holding your waist as you grinded against him.

"Fuck, Kiri- please..."

Kiri's eyes widened in shock as you moaned his name, your voice getting louder. He was certain you were asleep, but your body certainly wasn't. He growled in annoyance, kriff, he wanted you so badly, but he didn't know if you reciprocated his feelings.

He had to wake you.

"Mesh'la- Y/N... wake up..." He gently shook you, soothing your hair with his hand as he traced a finger down your cheek.

You woke up with a start, your hands clutching at Kiris arm before you realised and pulled away, turning in your spot, Kiri glanced at you. Immediately you knew Kiri was aware of what type of dream you were having.

"Kriff... Kiri, I am so so-"

"Don't aplogise, I-i er... mesh'la, Y/N I have feelings for you, I know-"

You cut him off with a tug towards your body, and a small kiss on his lips before grinning. "I've been waiting for you to confess."

"You have? How did yo-.... was it Jester?"

You let out a little giggle, before kissing him on the nose. "No you bantha head, I've known for a while, you just- you just act differently around me.... and yes Jester did tell me."

"Maker, I was so worried, I didn't know if you felt the same or-"

"Well, the dream I has certainly shows so..."

Kiri smirked, flipping you onto your back. "Oh yeah? Why don't you tell me all about it? I'd love to make it into a reality."

***

Kids

Captain Rex (501st) x Reader

Kark. You were so fucked.

Your sister was dropping off her kid at yours today and Rex was coming round. You hadn't seen your fiancè in so long and you hadn't seen your niece in a while either. Rex had been off world for a couple of rotations so you were missing him dearly.

*knock knock knock*

"Shit.." You muttered, rushing to open the door just as you saw your fiancè in the hallway, waiting for you.

"Rex!" You grinned, jumping into his arms as he dropped his bag and caught you. You placed kisses all over his face as he kicked his bag inside and shut the door.

"Mesh'la, I've missed you so much..." Rex groaned as you kissed his sweet spot, his hands grasping your bottom tightly as he walked in the direction of your bedroom.

*knock knock knock*

Your eyes widen in surprise, almost forgetting your slight dilemma.

"Are you expecting someone else cyar'ika?"

You grimaced, jumping down from Rex's arms and rushing to the door. Your sister stood there, with your niece in her arms as you watched her jump down and into your legs. Your sister hadn't formally met Rex yet, she knew you were engaged.

"Auntie Y/N!!!"

Your sister looked at you in joy as you picked up the child, Rex walking up behind you, a hand on your waist as he peered over your shoulder to look at the child and it's mother as she left.

"Thank you ever so much Y/N! I'll be back tomorrow!! I promise!" Your sister yelled as she dumped the bags in your house, before pulling you into a hug.

"You better behave Daisy."

"Yes mama, I pro- I prowis..." The little girl spoke, eyes wide as she spotted Rex. Her little blue eyes focused on the man stood before her as she waved at him, smiling at his curious expression.

"Thank you my darling sister, I owe you one."

"Yeah you do sis." You rolled your eyes.

She gave her daughter a kiss on the cheek, before whispering in your ear. "He's cute and hot! Plus it'll be good practi-"

"OKAY! Goodbye, I shall see you tomorrow." You quickly pushed her away, waving goodbye as you slammed the door shut.

"Auntie Y/N?"

"Yes honey?"

"Who's that? He's very bwig!" The 3 year old asked, fidgeting in your grasp before you put her down. She waddled over to Rex, tugging on his leg, lifting her hands up to be held.

"I think she wants you to pick her up Rex..." You giggled softly.

His eyes went wide as they looked from the little girl to you then back to Daisy. "I-i erm, I don't- I've never-"

Daisy tugged on his pants "You... you just have to do this...". The two year old mimicked picking up a child as Rex let out a small grin. You rolled your eyes at your nieces antics, she just wanted to be tall, but you couldn't help but tease Rex.

"Yeah Rex, you just gotta pick her up."

Rex stuck his tongue at you before bending down and picking up the child with ease. His large hands covering the entirety of her body as he held her in one arm. Daisy gasped in shock.

"I'm so tall!!" She giggled as she cuddled into Rex's embrace. "Can you- please can you put me on your shwolders?"

"Of course little one!" Rex happily complied, lifting Daisy effortlessly onto his shoulders as she wrapped her little arms around his head, holding on tight.

"Yay! Look Auntie! I taller than you and-" The little girl stopped when she realised she didn't know the man who was holding her, his name. She looked at you and gestured for you to come closer.

"Auntie, I don't know his name." She whispered, although her whispering was quite loud and she had accidentally tapped Rex on the head when speaking.

"Rex, you can call him Rex."

"Okay! I taller than Uncle Rex and Auntie Y/N!!" The little girl giggled as she directed Rex to the kitchen, Rex gave you a large grin, one that made your heart swell with joy as you watched him interact with your niece.

***

Depsite Rex not ever having any experience with children - he was a natural with Daisy. The two of them had been glued to each other, neither of them leaving each others side. You were pretty sure you weren't Daisy favourite person anymore.

The time had come to put her to bed, but upon looking for her you found her tucked into Rex's side, her little arms hugging Rex as she drooled on his chest. Your heart warmed, the sight was one you wished to keep forever. Grabbing your data pad, you quickly snapped a picture - keeping the memory tucked away.

You slid into the seat next to Rex, softly kissing his forehead as he pulled you into his free arm.

"Honey? I want one of our own." Rex mumbled as he kissed your forehead, tucking yourself into his arms.

"Oh yeah? Let's get this one back to her mom and then we can start on our own."

Even in his sleepy state Rex cuddled you tighter, kissing your lips and mumbling gently "I can't wait."

***

[moonbeam-writing]

Hi 👉👈 can I request timeskip!Natsu x Sakusa!reader?

Like Natsu and y/n met when they were playing against each other on a match and became friends to lovers after

So when they were already dating they decided to come out to their brothers but y/n is scared to dissapoint Sakusa because she thinks he isn't proud of her? Perhaps Sakusa hears that and when they come out him and Hinata conforts them?

Fluff please :(💕

— Pride

๑ Requested by a lovely Anon!

๑ Quick Note: First off, thank you so much for requesting, both the request and character choice are so adorable and I'm so thrilled to be able to write this for you! Second, regards to the subject matter, though it's nothing scary, just a bit of a reminder! I just want to remind you all that this is a safe space for everyone (LGBTQ+, people of color, whatever your religion is, the only thing I won't accept is if you're against anyone in those categories,). I myself am a biromantic asexual and know how freaking scary it can be to come out and worrying about having to explain yourself and possibly not being accepted by those closest to you. Just remember that you are incredible, strong and perfect just the way you are and if you ever need someone, I am always here to help. ♡

๑ Characters: Natsu Hinata

๑ Warnings: Miniscule levels of angst, coming out. (There is a happy ending, though!)

๑ Word Count: 2,019

—

The first time you met Hinata Natsu was during a practice match against the Niiyama Girls’ High team. The two of you had recognized each other almost instantly and knew the odds of having a tight game, but neither of you would have had it any other way. In those early moments of the first set, there was some kind of noticeable chemistry between the two of you, though it was much more than people who were going to be rivals in a game.

You and Natsu had become the fastest of friends despite any distance or scheduling differences. Right after the game, the two of you shook hands and exchanged numbers, excitedly awaiting the next opportunity to play against each other. Three practice games, two tournaments, and endless texts and phone calls later, she asked if you'd be her girlfriend at the end of a game. Of course, Natsu was met with a tight hug and a resounding yes.

You and Natsu had kept a decent pace, both of you learning more and more about each other, growing to love each other more and more on a daily basis. For months, it was just the two of you, no one else knowing about your relationship, not that anyone could with the distance between you both. 

The upcoming date the two of you had planned, however, was going to change that a little. MSBY was going to be playing in Tokyo the upcoming weekend when the two of you had originally planned a date, so you suggested that the two of you go to your brothers’ game as your date. Not only would it be fun, but you could introduce each other to your brothers, and possibly, if you were comfortable, come out to them in the near future. 

Natsu knew that her meeting Sakusa and you meeting Hinata meant hopefully coming out to them and she was beyond ready. You, on the other hand, were nervous. You loved Kiyoomi, and even though you knew you’d be okay, disappointing him in any way was your biggest fear. Though you loved your parents, no one was more important to you than Kiyoomi. However, even though you loved your brother dearly, Natsu was who you saw yourself spending eternity with, and you planned on keeping it that way.

That weekend during the game, you and Natsu had held pinkies through the entire game, even when making your way down the stands and through the heavy crowds until you both saw Shouyo and Kiyoomi. The reason behind it wasn’t shame or embarrassment, but so you could part ways for a moment and congratulate your favorite people.

While Natsu went to hug her brother, you excitedly walked up to him, respecting his boundaries rather reluctantly, however, they hadn’t been able to go change due to the massive crowds and the press, so you supposed it was probably for the best. You had been in a gym full of strangers who could have been sick and coughing, and he was still sweaty from the game. Holding off on this hug was definitely for the benefit of both of you.

“Omi!” You called out to your brother, hearing a somewhat distant whine from Atsumu about how you can call your brother that and he can’t. In your defense, his name was slightly difficult for you when you were learning to speak.

Though it was barely noticeable to anyone else, you saw Kiyoomi’s small smile at seeing you clear as day. Your brother may have been stoic, but you could read his facial expressions like a book. What was going on in his head, however, was a different story entirely. “Hello, (Y/N).”

Taking a deep breath, you smiled back. “Way to go on the win! I’m so proud of you, you guys did so well!”

Scattered ‘thank you’s sounded around the two of you as Kiyoomi thanked you himself, only for Natsu to show up with Hinata and spike your anxiety right back up. Nothing too high, but possibly something that Kiyoomi could pick up, and that’s primarily what you were worried about

“Omi!” Hinata excitedly greeted his teammate, looking between the two of you and his little sister.

Getting a slight nudge in the foot from Kiyoomi and an encouraging look from your girlfriend, you took a deep breath and introduced yourself with a friendly smile, and a small bow purely out of respect for the boy your one and only seemed to idolize. “Hi, I’m Natsu’s friend (Y/N).”

“Nice to meet you, (Y/N)! Natsu’s told me a lot about you! I feel like I’ve heard your name somewhere else too,” Hinata trailed off at the last bit in thought, though you didn’t register it. You were stuck on the fact that Natsu would talk to her brother about you. Granted, you would talk to Kiyoomi about Natsu as often as you could, hell, he’s heard about her since the day you met, but it was still shocking. Seeing the flush across her cheeks and the tips of her ears made it worth it, though.

“She’s also my sister, Hinata.” Kiyoomi sighed slightly, though he couldn’t find it in himself to be too surprised. Just like he was back in high school, Hinata Shouyo was still a total scatterbrain at times.

“Oh! Right!” You couldn’t help but laugh, feeling a bit more comfortable in his presence, but still very aware that you’d have to see him tomorrow to be Natsu’s tether and be introduced as her girlfriend, rather than her best friend.

Following your girlfriend’s lead, you introduce the two and they make their introductions. Lucky for you, Kiyoomi didn’t say anything too embarrassing like Hinata had done.

After a few minutes, you and Natsu had left the boys to go do what they needed to and decided to spend the afternoon together before you drug her back to your place. The two of you got coffee, went to various stores, snuck sweet kisses and pictures, and made a small game plan for tomorrow.

“Are you scared?” Natsu asked as the two of you were cuddled up in your room together. “A little. Hopefully, he noticed how close we are and will beat me to it, ha ha. What about you?”

“Yeah, but I know it’ll be okay. It’ll be like ripping off a band aid.” Natsu’s bright yet sleepy smile coaxed a smile out of you as well. It gave you all of the courage you needed as you pulled her into you, waiting for the next day to appear.

Breakfast the next morning passed smoothly, everyone on the MSBY team was given a day off to rest, so you promised that you’d see Kiyoomi whenever the two of you returned from hanging out and seeing Hinata. Kiyoomi was confused as to why you needed to go with her but brushed it off, if it were important, you’d tell him. You’d always been on the independent side, much like the man himself, so he supposed he wasn’t too shocked.

The two of you met Hinata at the coffee shop that you and Natsu normally go to for dates when she’s in town. You figured that maybe a familiar and comforting place might help calm her nerves and so far, it seemed to be working.

“So, uh, Sho, I kind of have something to tell you.” Natsu slowly trailed off, reciprocating the firm and comforting squeeze you gave her hand underneath the table as she brought your intertwined hands to rest on top of the table as Hinata looked curious at what his little sister had to say.

“Yeah?”

“Ha, so, (Y/N) isn’t actually my friend. I mean, she is! It’s just a bit more complicated.” You both had to hold in a slight laugh at the small head tilt. It was as though the dots weren’t connecting, and part of you wasn’t entirely sure that they were. “As in, (Y/N)’s my girlfriend and I love her.”

With almost animatedly wide eyes and the quickly following dopey grin, his happiness was obvious. “That’s awesome! I’m glad you’re both happy together! How long has it been again?” You and Natsu happily answered all of Shouyo’s questions and small date and game stories that the two of you have made over time

.Unfortunately, a question came that you weren’t quite expecting. “(Y/N), have you told Omi yet?” You could feel your smile drop a little. “Uh, no. We were going to after we told you. Speaking of, babe, we should probably leave in an hour or so.” Natsu nodded in acknowledgment.

“You’ll be fine, you know,” Hinata reassures you. “He cares about you a lot, it’s almost like there’s a weird change after he talks with you. I mean, I only know that from the occasional time you call pretty much right before practice, but sometimes Atsumu asks about you too.” He chuckles slightly before continuing. “I’m pretty sure you could kill someone and he’d still love you, kid. You’ll be fine.” You quietly thanked the human ball of sunshine and the three of you continued to talk until you had to part ways once again.

And now, after hours of agonizing anticipation, the time for you to come out to your brother was here. Kiyoomi was home, your parents were out (not that that really mattered), and you had your ultimate emotional support at your side, hand tangled with yours, her thumb gently running over your knuckles and tracing shapes into the back of your hand.

Opening your front door, the two of you made your way inside and took off your shoes as you called out for your older brother as you and Natsu made yourselves comfortable on the couch, fingers once again laced together. You needed her now more than anything and you couldn’t explain just how happy it made you to have her here for this.

Kiyoomi made his way into the living room, raising an eyebrow at the shockingly serious, yet slightly nervous atmosphere. The amount of tension made him worry that something bad had happened to you, especially when he noticed just how tightly you were gripping Natsu’s hand.

“Are you two okay?”

The two of you wordlessly nodded at him, which only made his worry rise.

“Okay? In that case, why’d you call me out here?”

For what felt like the millionth time in the last 48 hours, you braced yourself and sucked in a deep breath. Just like Natsu said the night before; it’s just like ripping off a band-aid.

“I have something to tell you, and I’m scared, and it involves Natsu, and even though it’s ridiculous, I’m scared that once you hear what I have to say I’ll lose my brother, and I really don’t want that, because you’re my favorite person in the world.” The words spewed from your lips like word vomit and Kiyoomi was determined to not let you do that again.

With very little hesitation, Kiyoomi opened his arms and you almost immediately ran into them. You couldn’t help it. “What do you need to tell me?”

Tears pricked at your eyes, the fear of rejection nearly shutting your thoughts down. “Natsu’s my girlfriend. I love her a lot, and I’m not sorry if you hate me for it, but I also really hope that if that’s the case you understand that I can’t change that and I don’t want to change it.”

Deafening silence filled the living room, but Kiyoomi hugged you tighter, pulling away slightly to begrudgingly wipe tears away from your cheeks with his sleeve. “I could never hate you, (Y/N), and I’m sorry that I somehow made you think that that was the case. I love you so much, no matter what, and I’m so proud of you.” You were pulled against him once again as you tried to calm yourself down. “And Natsu.”

“Yeah?” Even though everything had gone well, she was still nervous.

“Thank you for looking after my sister for me when I can’t. Welcome to the family, kid.”

[demetriandelibinaryboyfriends]

I love your blog! Have u ever considered making a side blog with rp for the binary bfs? If not/you don’t want to, that’s fine! It’s not for everyone, although if you could link some that do that’d be awesome! Anyways, how do you think Hawk and Demitri met? What was their first date like? Do the karate dads know?- Cherry

Oh my goodness, my inbox has been blowing up lately! :D Imma have to answer like 2 questions a day to have any hopes of keeping up lol

Hey Cherry! OMG thank you so much, I’m so glad you like it :D

TBH idk if I have time to run a full-on RPG sideblog at the moment--truth be told, it’s enough work keeping this one as active as it is! Haha XD I’ll still give all the snippets of that sweet, sweet Demetri x Hawk content that I possibly can on this blog though :D

BUT I think @sipping--snowflakes​ recently started a Demetri RPG blog and is actually looking for someone to roleplay Elimetri with them :D If any of my watchers are interested, hit them up!!! There is much binary boyfriend roleplay fun to potentially be had!!!

ON TO THE QUESTIONS

My personal headcanon on how Demetri and Eli met is that on the first day of kindergarten, Demetri absolutely would NOT shut up about dinosaurs and Star Wars to their class (I mean, come ON, little Demetri HAD to have had a Dinosaur Phase...I know it deep in my heart to be true). He wandered around to basically every table during Center Time/Arts and Crafts Time/Whatever the fuck they call that “free wandering-about-the-classroom-doing-whatever-activities-you-want time” in elementary school and chatted the ear off of every boy and every group of boys in the class (remember, this is Tiny Demetri, who DEFINITELY would not have the courage to speak to ANY girl XD). And every single boy, every single group, without fail, responds with “Oh my GOD shut UP go AWAY you’re so ANNOYING you weirdo” and poor little excited Demetri is just crushed that no one wants to hear about tyrannosaurus rexes and lightsabers--or worse, tyrannosaurus rexes HOLDING lightsabers and dueling with them. And then, finally, he gets to little Eli, sitting all alone (because no one wants to befriend the kid with the messed up lip), and LO AND BEHOLD! Someone is finally listening to him!!! And seems to actually care about tyrannosaurus rexes with lightsabers!!! Little Demetri is beyond thrilled to have someone to talk to. Little Eli, meanwhile, is also thrilled, because did this kid just talk his ear off about Obi-Wan Kenobi for 20 minutes straight and not mention the lip scar once? Demetri, meanwhile, is so caught up in his rambling that he doesn’t notice the goddamn lip scar is even THERE until they’ve already spent half the day together XD “ANYWAYS I THINK ONCE THE JEDI ORDER COMES BACK AFTER RETURN OF THE JEDI THEY SHOULD RIDE STEGOSAURUSES AND--oh, what happened to your lip?”

As for their first date...had to think for a while about the perfect first date for them would be. I was originally gonna say they’d just go down to Santa Monica Pier or something and just goof off, but I think Demetri would want to make it more special than that. I ended up headcanoning that they’ve always wanted to go to Universal Studios together growing up (mainly because of Harry Potter World, of course!!!), but neither of their families have ever really been able to afford it. BUT when Demetri and Eli finally get together, Demetri is like “fuck it, we’re finally gonna do this” and he saves up basically all the money he’s made at summer jobs and buys tickets for both of them to surprise Eli. Eli is so happy he starts crying, and then he gets angry he’s crying in front of Dem and is like “GOD DAMMIT STOP LOOKING AT ME THIS IS SO EMBARASSING, I’M TOUGH” and Demetri thinks it’s the cutest, funniest thing ever XD Then Demetri drives them both down to Universal and they both just have the best goddamn day of their lives and buy WAY more merchandise from Harry Potter World than is in any way wise XD And becoming “Hawk” has, for better or for worse, laid bare Eli’s inner adrenaline junkie, and he drags poor Demetri on every. Single. Roller coaster. Don’t worry, Eli is more than happy to hold his hand during the scary drops XD But Eli will not rest until they’ve ridden EVERY fast ride in the park and Demetri whines about it but secretly he just likes seeing his boyfriend that shamelessly excited about something! Also Dem takes a million cheesy couple selfies and posts them all over social media bragging about his cute bf, much to Eli’s embarrassment.

“Karate Dads” fksljchcbduswvc I love that this is like...the universal term for Daniel and Johnny now. I honestly could not be happier about it XD Daniel I’m sure would pick up on it first (Johnny, though I love him dearly, is just so very DENSE sometimes), either just kinda by reading the room or hearing about it through Sam (who probably has mixed feelings on it herself). I imagine being as protective of Demetri as he is, Daniel would pull him aside at some point and be like “Demetri wasn’t this guy the reason you pushed yourself to learn self-defense in the first place??? And now you want to DATE him??? Are you sure???” and Demetri of course would be like “Yeah he was in a really dark place then, but I’ve known him basically my whole life and I know he’s got a good heart!” and Daniel would probably be wary about it, but ultimately decide Demetri’s a smart enough guy to handle himself and trust him to make his own judgements. And of course, he’d figure if Sam can vouch for an ex Cobra Kai like Miguel turning over a new leaf and trying to be better, there’s no reason Hawk can’t, too. And seeing how much Eli cares about Demetri and how protective he’s gotten of Dem helps too, and Daniel would probably warm up to Eli eventually. Although, like Sam, I imagine it would take a cool minute. Johnny would probably find out through chatting with Hawk, and Hawk just kinda...accidentally lets it slip he and Demetri are dating, and Johnny just quizzically raises an eyebrow like “Oh? You’re dating the mouthy kid?” And Hawk just goes bright-ass red and Johnny remembers how Demetri went off on him on the first day of Cobra Kai all those months ago for making fun of Hawk’s lip, and he breaks into this HUGE shit-eating smirk like “yeeeeeah that doesn’t surprise me at all. Eh, it’s probably for the best. If anyone can toughen that kid up, it’s you. Although I hear he DID hand your ass to you when he kicked you into that trophy case, so maybe he’s not as much of a pussy as I thought.” (sidenote: Yes, I do think Johnny ended up hearing about Demetri’s KO kick...and was grudgingly impressed XD) And Hawk just...gawks at Johnny being THIS nonchalant about all of this and he’s just like “Sensei? You...don’t think it’s weird I’m dating a guy?” and Johnny just looks him dead in the eye and says “I don’t give a fuck if whoever you’re making out with has a cock or a pussy, or whatever, as long as it’s not gonna distract you during training. Just play Hide the Salamis on your own time.” And Hawk, now a blushing mess, is just like “Y-YES SENSEI” and stumbles out of the room XD Ironically I think Johnny would probably vouch for the relationship to Daniel later on, and be like “I mean, the kid DID switch sides MID-FIGHT to save that scrawny little nerd. That takes some serious balls, LaRusso. He clearly cares about the wimp, you can stop hovering over them like Demetri’s gonna keel over and die any second.”

Thank you for the ask, as always! More to come!

[thelargefrye]

INTRODUCTION

SUMMARY : how your relationship came to be

PAIRING : poly!ateez x reader

WORD COUNT : 2.1k

WARNINGS. falling down the stairs + injuries + mentions of a hospital

being an idol was hard. all the years of endless hard work and then the amount of stress that is put on you. it’s even harder when your company decided to “spice things up” and try something different for their new group.

which is how you came to be in a male dominated group as the ninth and only female member. granted at the time the group was being formed, you were the only female trainee and it wasn’t like the company totally didn’t know what to do with you. that’s a lie, they had no idea what to do with you. so that’s more or less a quick and possible bad explanation on how you ended up in the ateez lineup.

training with the guys was fine. you got closer to some members more than others. it was a lot of figuring out how to make you feel welcomed after they had already had a year+ to get to know each other and figure the other out.

it was fine.

san was the first member to really welcome you into the group and made to sure to include you in on everything. at the time, you used to see him being nice as a friendly gesture, but now... you realize he only did it because he had a crush on you.

“you did?” you remember asking him one night as you laid in your bed together. the two of you were remembering your trainee days when san confessed about his crush.

“you were practicing your dance for the monthly evaluation and i was just so... fascinated by how you moved,” he explained causing a blush to form on both your cheeks. 

you wonder what would have happened to your relationship if you had noticed his feelings sooner. when you were trainees and even after debut, your feelings were ultimately occupied by the leader of your group. of course hongjoong was so blinded by his love for music and the eldest member, that he didn’t even think twice about you most times on his own accord. 

it was pathetic how you all acted around each other really. one member in love with two others and then one of those two might have returned the feelings while also liking a different member. it was just one big emotional mess.

sometimes you wonder what set off the chain of events that finally caused you all to become lovers. 

“i think after you confessed to hongjoong-hyung that’s when everything started,” san said that same night. 

that was honestly a whole train wreck and a story for maybe another time, but just know that hongjoong thought you were messing with him. so you ended up playing it off as a joke until you got to the dorm were you cried for an hour in the shower and then proceeded to lock yourself in your room for the rest of the night.

“i felt terrible that night. hearing you crying on the other side of you door and not being able to help you,” he spoke and by this time you were holding hands. you gave his hand a comforting squeeze. “i’m not going to lie, i was shocked when it was wooyoung would volunteered to go talk to you.”

you let out a laugh, “yeah i was too. woo was really helpful that night, i think it really helped our personal relationship.”

and it was true, when you joined the team, everyone seemed rather welcoming of you. all but wooyoung seemed to enjoy having you around. the male would often ignore you or would bump into you and then blame you for being clumsy. it hurt, you’re not gonna lie, but you pushed on and did your best to ignore his rudeness.

when you two ended up talking, you found out he was only jealous of how close you and san had gotten and that he felt like you were slowly also taking yeosang away from him. “wooyoung, i would never try to take san or yeosang away from you. i love all three of you dearly and would never want to come between you and the others. i’m sorry i made you feel that way, it was never my intention.”

“i realize now that maybe it me just being insecure of myself. i shouldn’t have been so mean to you.” you remember holding your hand out to him suddenly. he looked so confused and just stared at your hand before looking at your glassy, red eyes. he then took it after a few moments.

“i’m y/n, its nice to meet you,” you said softly as you shook wooyoung’s hand. “i hope we can be friends!” 

“i’m wooyoung. i hope so too.”

after that you two started to become close and it was like all the rude and mean things he did to you were put behind you both. you also began putting your feelings for hongjoong behind you and instead you began to grow feelings for san and wooyoung.

“when did these feelings happened?”

“i think... around our first comeback and when we were doing our first world tour. i began spending more time with you both and you both made me feel safe and loved. at the time i thought something was wrong with me for liking two people. i think mingi might have found me crying about it one day and talked to me about my feelings.”

mingi was probably the only person you could have deep life talks with, without the thought of him judging you for them. he never once looked at you like you were a possible weirdo or even a whore as might consider for what you told him.

“there’s nothing wrong with loving more than one person.” that night he ended up confessing about his own feelings towards not only yunho but you. “see you’re not a weirdo because i love two people too. you and yunho mean a lot to me, and i would do anything to keep you both happy.

you honestly don’t know how it happened, but all you remember is him leaning over to kiss you. the kiss didn’t last long because of wooyoung suddenly coming into your shared hotel room. at first you weren’t sure if wooyoung had seen you two kiss, but you could tell by the slight flash of hurt that he did. 

before you could say anything, wooyoung quickly left the room, door slamming behind him. you were thought about going after him before deciding against it. “i’m sorry.” you turn to mingi and smile at him letting him know he didn’t do anything.

this went on for a few months, you and the other member dealing with your feelings that seemed to be growing for each other. but then none of you knowing how the other felt. it was during the wave/illusion comeback when things started really happening. you began making friends with female idols and hanging out with them.

“hey, y/n do you think you can give my number to seonghwa?” you remember soojin asking you, and yes we are talking about i-dle’s soojin. you hesitated at first knowing that your leader was still in love with seonghwa, but you took the piece of paper with her number on it to not be rude.

“oppa, what do you think about soojin from i-dle?” it was the next day during practice when you asked. you weren’t looking at seonghwa directly, keeping your eyes trained on the reflections in front of you. you of course spotted hongjoong carefully listening in.

“she’s cute,” is all he said.

“she wanted me to give you her number,” you explain and seonghwa looks at you with a tilt of his head. “do you,” you quickly glance at hongjoong, “want it?”

“sure. it’d be nice to get to know her,” he says with a simple smile. you can’t help but catch the look of panic and hurt flash through hongjoong’s features before he turns away to do something else.

after that, seonghwa would text soojin almost every chance he got. after a few weeks, seonghwa told you guys he would going on a date with soojin. 

“i felt hongjoong’s heart break and i knew it was my fault,” you admit to san.

“you were just being a good friend to soojin.”

“but i knew it would have hurt hongjoong-oppa if soojin-unnie and seonghwa-oppa had hit it off like they did. deep down i think i did it because i wanted hongjoong to know how it felt to have his heart ripped apart and then i realized how selfish i was.”

“is that why you threw yourself down the stairs? to stop seonghwa from going on his date?” your silence confirmed what he said was true and san couldn’t help but laugh. “that was probably the most stupidest thing i had ever seen you do. you scared all of us half to death,” he confessed.

throwing yourself do the stairs at the dorm, probably was and still is the most stupidest and dangerous thing you had ever done. honestly, it was a last minute decision to try and maybe secretly make up for hurting hongjoong. you made it seem like an accident, that you were running down the stairs in your slippers. something seonghwa may have told you not to do in fear of you slipping and falling. it worked though, seonghwa cancelled his date in order to take you to the hospital.

“i’m sorry,” you told seonghwa on the way back from the hospital.

“for what baby? it was an accident, you got hurt and i have to take care of my members,” he says, an arm wrapping around your shoulders to bring you closer.

“but i ruined your date with unnie.”

“i wasn’t that interested in her anyway,” he confesses and you look at him with confusion. “there’s... someone or someones else that i’m more interested in.”

“who?” seonghwa didn’t bother answering with words. instead he used his free hand to cup the side of your face before kissing you. 

“w-wait,” you gasp pulling away, eyes wide in shock as you look at seonghwa. your left speechless, what the actual hell? seonghwa was the last person on earth you thought could possible like you. “i-i-i don’t... i don’t understand.”

“i think all nine of us are rather confused about our feelings for one another.” you can’t help but agree to his words and how true they were. looking into your eyes you quietly ask, “will you kiss me again?” you don’t know what came over you in the car ride home. the two of you kissed the whole rest of the ride, lips swollen and red by the time you reach the dorms. you felt slightly embarrassed that you and seonghwa made out in the backseat while your manager drove you home.

he bided the two of you goodbye before leaving, the three of you never spoke of it again, which was honestly fine by you. once back in the dorm, san was the first one two greet you and ask how you were.

“i think we all need to have a talk about what’s been happening with us these last few months,” seonghwa says, the remaining eight of you knew what he was talking about and soon enough you were all sitting in the living room confessing how you felt.

“so what now?” jongho asked from his spot on the floor.

“well,” yeosang began and everyone looked towards him, “i did some research a few weeks ago and found out there are relationships with more than two people. polyamory is what the internet called it, and i think we should all give it a shot. its obvious that we all really care for one another, and i think we can make it work.” he finishes and yunho is the first one to agree.

“i think we should give it a shot like yeosang said!” you swear just his smile alone could reassure you of anything.

“honestly, i couldn’t imagine my life now without being with you all. you bring me so much happiness and love,” you confess, turning to look at san.

“me too,” he says before leaning over to kiss you. both of you occupied with kissing don’t realize yunho had entered the room. a pout forms on his face before he walks over and jumps on the bed, landing on top of you both. you and san groan as yunho begins smothering you both with kisses. 

“hey are you three having fun without us?” wooyoung whines as him and jongho walk by and eventually joined on the way too small bed. eventually the remaining four members joined you guys, and now you and san are being dog piled on top of. 

but you wouldn’t have it any other way.

[jamiedc-they-them]

All for you (Platonic)

To Daenerys Targaryen, you were the last pure thing on earth that hadn’t been taken from her yet. Her younger (brother/sister). You were one of the things that kept her going throughout her struggles. You were the motivation behind every move she made.

It was all for you. To make a better world for you.

She pretty much raised you. Her older brother was cruel to the two of you. She did what she could to shelter you from harm. And, when she failed, she’d comfort you as best she could.

It was all for you. To make you feel more content. To help you get through the bleakest of days.

You both had a rage within you. A burning fire that could burn down the whole world. Your trauma from your brother only brought you closer. Only allowed her maternal instincts around you grow.

When she tipped the pot full of boiling gold on your older brother. Hearing his screams pierce the air. Before a CLANG! When he fell to the ground, finally gone from your lives forever. It felt good. It felt right.

It was for you. To tell you that you were ok now. That he’d never hurt you again. You were safe now.

Whenever she was targeted, so were you. She lived in fear for herself, of course. But you were her main concern. She couldn’t let anything happen to you. So, when she woke up one time to you screaming in horror and what sounded like pain. She entered the room and found you fighting off an assassin.

He endured a long and painful death. Her soldiers beating him and slicing him. You were allowed to add to the pain as well. While she didn’t notice it. Jorah had. Something awoke in you that day. Something broke within you. A dam, that had been holding back all of your pain. The many walls you had built to shelter yourself from your trauma. He saw the look in your eyes. The regular Targaryen fire was there. But there was something else.

Something darker.

Your older sister only watched you with a passive look. No one spoke, there was no sounds from anyone. The only sounds were of the sands blowing around you, and your breathing.

You plunged the knife into your would be killer. Right where he had aimed for you. Right in the chest. Some blood was coughed from his mouth. It stained your clothes. Daenerys frowned at it. But you didn’t seem to mind.

You stabbed him again, and again. Your rage finally hitting its boiling point. One, two, three. A pattern of stabs. Daenerys still kept her gaze passive. Jorah’s turned concerned.

Daenerys had later explained to the man as to why she hadn’t stopped you. Her explanation was simple. It as your moment to enact some kind of justice in a life that had been filled with nothing by injustice.

It was all for you. To make you feel in control.

As your time passed. Your clothes would become stained with blood more regularly. As much as she hated it, you could fight well. As much as she wanted to preserve your innocence, she knew some things had to be sacrificed for this. So, begrudgingly, she allowed you to fight. But you were watched closely by Jorah and the other fighters under her command.

Jorah didn’t need a command to look out for your wellbeing. He had come to care for you both in different ways. But, still, he cared, You’d found a friend in him.

Now you found someone to train you and help you fight better. To not be that weak little boy that hid behind his sister.

Your sister was proud, in a way. Proud that you were finding your own calling. It was like a mother watching their child grow up and finally be ready to leave them.

After all, the meetings she’d allowed you to always seemed to drain the life out of you. Of course, she didn’t want that.

After all, this was all for you. If fighting was your calling, who was she to stop you from following it?

You were nimble with the blade. Your size helping you fight. Giving you an advantage with the taller enemies. When you had both met Tyrion Lannister, you were both cautious of him. You ultimately let Danny decide his fate. But he still gave you a look. One you couldn’t decipher.

It wasn’t one she liked.

“Is there something wrong about my (brother/sister) being here?” The imp cleared his throat, a small bit embarrassed at being caught and called out on the action.

“No, your grace. It’s just that (he/she) hasn’t said a word since I’ve arrived is all.” She turned to you, her look softening a little as she met your eyes. Tyrion noticed it but chose not to comment on it.

She gave you a silent nod. Permission to speak your mind.

“I just follow her. If she grants you stay, then you would’ve found an ally in both of us.” She smiled a little at your words. Tyrion scrunched his face together in confusion. You were loyal to your sister. That much was known. Just as how, at the end of day, Jaime was to him.

But, one question laid in his head, “Where you loyal to her as a sister, or as a queen?”

Seeing you fight, it seemed he had his answer. You fought without question. There were moments where he’d give up hope on ever seeing a shred of your innocence. Only to be there to witness rare moments where you both seemed to reclaim it. Be it with a glass of wine or just a laugh in conversation.

He couldn’t help but envy you two a little. You were close, that much was obvious. You both seemed to be able to communicate without need of vocalising it. She’d protected you. She still did in subtle ways. When you both looked over Mareen. She’d place a hand on your shoulder. Sometimes, if he happened to be walking by when you were in your room. She’d lean her head on your shoulder.

He never had that type of closeness with his siblings. All of them (bar Jaime) hated him with everything they had. But it brought some light to the world that you two were as close as you were.

You’d both crossed the ocean. Both set your feet back on your home ground. Daenerys turned to you after she stood up. Offering you hand, “Come along, little one. We have work to do.”

That included meeting Jon Snow. Bastard son of the north. Daenerys actually looked to you on this one. Everyone on her side knew that no matter what they said, if you disagreed, she’d go with your judgement.

She trusted you the most. And vice-versa.

So, when she’d left her throne room at the sound of laughter. Or a short burst of it, it warmed her a little to see you both getting along at least somewhat. You both seemed to be emotionally stunted at times. You were never one for long conversations. Although, Tyrion had managed to get a few out of you about some philosophical things. Managed to drag something of a personality out of you.

It seemed that you fancied yourself a bit of existentialist. Deep down, he noticed, you wanted to be free. He saw that all your actions were to achieve just that. A sense of freedom and justice.

Jon (for as much as everyone had told him otherwise) had smarts to him. He noticed you want for it as well. But saw that you covered it up with the lie that supporting your sisters claim would be the way to fix that issue inside of you.

If it were the other way round, he could understand it. Family meant everything to him. Just as much as it did to you. That as what you two bonded over. It was nice to find a new friend. One who had the same values as you.

Daenerys had sat by your bed whilst you healed from your time beyond the wall. Finding you unconscious as Jon carried you and helped you onto your exit ride via dragon pained her. Shook her deeply. The next moment, another one of her dragons had fallen.

She’d nearly lost two of the things she held dearly that day.

After all, if you died. If you had left, her. Then this would’ve been for nothing. It would’ve been a hollow victory.

It was all for you.

Winterfell was a nice change of pace. Even if you weren’t welcome entirely there. You were both judged. You didn’t blame them. But you still felt out of place.

Jon introduced you to his siblings. While, with your sister there was a tense moment. With you, it seemed to be more relaxed. The way Sansa’s smile was genuine. Arya had managed more than a sly one as well. Jon looked between both parties. An actual smile on his face, too.

Arya and you had started a friendship. Both bonding over being similar ages and going through your fair share of issues to get to where you were now. It helped her recover a small amount of the child that still lived inside her. Deep, deep down. Locked away. It allowed itself a moment to come back.

You told her about the east, she told you about the west. Both trading stories about your travels. Sansa, Jon, and Danny all saw you looking happy for once. And found themselves a moment to feel it as well.

Your stomach hit you with anxiety. With fear of the unknown. You felt a presence next to you. Looking, you saw that it was Arya. She was stood next to you, looking out at the dark, the void that held the army of the dead. The restless souls that were coming for yours.

“Do you ever think about it? What happens after death?” Her voice was calm. It helped you for a moment. Distracted you as you turned to her with your answer, “Never really thought about it. Always told myself that those I killed went to a place worse than this. But, never really thought about me.”

She nodded at your admission, “Well, if there’s one thing I know. It’s that there’s one thing we say to the god of death,” She waited until you turned to her again. A sly smile upon her face, “Not today.”

It nearly did, several times in that night. The long night.

The time that light really did collide with dark. Living with dead.

You were pinned down, trying to do what you could. Stabbing the walkers that you could. But you knew that this was most likely it. This was how your story was to end. To see if there was anything beyond.

Arya’s words rang true when she was by your side, killing the walkers that held you and helping you up. The two of you back to back. Fighting like a duo who had been their whole lives.

And, depending on how the rest of the night would go. it could very well of been your life’s end fighting by her side.

Daenerys had pulled you into a hug as soon as she saw you. Holding you tightly. Before having to tell you that you’d lost Jorah. She’d tried to comfort you. Only for you to move away and go off on your own.

She’d called after you, trying to reach you once again. Jon had pulled her back, “Just give (him/her) some time. (He’s/She’s) been through a lot.” She didn’t look happy by it but nodded.

Arya, however, had clocked your look. The way your look went from sad to cold as soon as you had turned away. She’d been used to that look. To lock it all away. To force it down. To, in a way, switch yourself off to world. To be dead to it.

She didn’t want that for you. Not when you’d just fought so hard to live.

She hadn’t managed to say goodbye to you, unfortunately. She was off to Kings Landing to get the final person on their list. That being  Queen Cersei herself.

It was Kings Landing where Daenerys saw how much your journey had damaged you. How much it had taken from you. Despite her best efforts, she’d let you kill. Let you lose yourself to it. She’d lied to herself about it. Telling herself that you were fine. That it was just a thing of the moment. And, the way you acted after the fights helped instil that lie. Helped her believe it.

She believed it, right up until you both sat on the walls, the bells ringing. For her, it was a moment of peace. A sense of victory. It was until she looked at you.

You, her little (brother/sister). You, who this had all been for. You, who had done nothing but keep your feelings at bay when it came to lose. You, who had locked away (his/her) darkness from others.

You, who had, unfortunately, lost that battle.

“(y/n)” Her voice was fearful. You hadn’t heard it. Your dragon kicked off the wall, diving towards the city. She hoped, prayed even. That you weren’t going to do what she thought you were going to.

“NO!” She screamed as you started burning the city to the ground. People be damned.

Queen Daenerys Targaryen. The mother of dragons. Breaker of chains. The same woman who was now forced to walk through the city that you had burned down. To fully see the destruction that you had reigned on the city to get what you thought was right.

You’d gotten your freedom. But only by surrendering to the dark. By crossing the line, she never wanted to cross.

She’d stopped when she saw a burned body of a child. One not much older than you were when you started this journey. The child’s mother trying to protect it, only to fail.

Just as she had. By doing all this for you, she had destroyed you. She had failed you.

She stood with Jon, both of them sharing a look as they proceeded up the stairs as you started your speech. She saw and heard you. She knew you were gone. Your innocence was gone. The sibling she protected and raised. The one she cared for deeply was gone. This was just a hollow shell of (him/her).

You ended your speech, breath turning shaky for a second as you met your sister’s eyes. Her’s held fear. Yours held resolution and completion them. She couldn’t help but also see the lust for more be mixed in there too.

“No --”

“Danny I --”

“I said, no!” Her voice cracked, but her fierce protection and denial of their want remained. Her lip trembled at their suggestion. She looked to Arya. And, despite her best efforts, her eyes held some sadness and hurt within them. Jon’s held far more. He always wore his emotions on his sleeve.

“....Please don’t do this.” She tried one last time. One last time to save you. One last time to protect you. One last time to be the sister figure who loved and cared for you that she had tried to be. Someone who tried to give you the whole world. A world that you seemed intent on just burning down with no issue.

She saw the error in her ways. The day she let you stop being her (brother/sister) and instead just another member of her army. One she trusted deeply, sure. But, one of her army none the less.

She’d gambled with your life so many times. Now, it was time for it to go the way she’d always feared it would.

A tear ran down her face as she knew her begging was in vain. In truth, she knew it needed to be done. She just hated herself more for having to admit it.

She nearly broke down again as she watched you staring at the throne in awe. The thing that all this pain had been building up to. The object of her desire had now became yours. Becoming a soldier had ruined you. She saw that now; her goal had corrupted you.

Power had corrupted you.

She managed to grow a smile. An unstable and shaky one. But, a smile still.

“Little one.” You turned at her voice. Her emotions calming for a moment as you beamed at her with pride. You weren’t mad. No, that was your father. You were just a child who lost himself to the dark as there seemed to be no light left. A light that slowly dimmed as you killed and did whatever you needed for your sister.

It was all for her.

“Danny, look! We made it. We made it. It’s so much different than how it was described to us!” Her smile wobbled at your words. How you had seemed to revert to the innocent version of yourself in this moment.

It almost made her want to back out of the current plan. She was too far in at this point. You were too far gone.

“Come here.” She said gently, holding out her arms. You were quick to run to them. She closed her eyes as she held you close and tight. Planting a long kiss onto your head. She made sure it passed on the truth. That she loved you dearly. You were her (brother/sister) but one that had stopped being that years ago at this point. It was a kiss of grief. One she gave to Jorah.

Now it was your turn.

You gasped, breath trembling. Your eyes wide as you pulled apart from your sister. She still held onto your arms, tears now freely flowing from her face.

“I’m sorry.” She managed to get out before she fully break down. Your legs buckled. She kept her grasp on you. Lowering you gently onto the ground as you slowly shut down. Slowly died. Slowly left her.

Your breathing was wheezing at this point. You met her eyes as your vision blurred. She kept muttering apologies as your vision darkened.

As you let the dark take you fully.

As your sister slayed the monster that had taken you from her. One that she had allowed to take you in her quest.

It was all for you. Now, it was all for nothing.

It wasn’t even a hollow win. It was just hollow.

She let herself let out a cry that echoed throughout the city.

It was hollow. As was your body.

[realityhelixcreates]

Lasabrjotr Chapter 70: Azure Heart

Chapters: 70/?

Fandom: Thor (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe

Rating:

Relationships: Loki x Reader

Characters: Loki (Marvel), Thor (Marvel)

Additional Tags: Post-Endgame: Best Possible Ending (Canon-Divergent), Loki Has The Worst Time,

Summary:  Loki remains who he has always been

Thor was carefully working his beard into a braid when he heard the commotion at his door. Your voice frantically entreating the guard to let you in; which he did. You were one of a handful of individuals he allowed in here at will, and you'd never abused the privilege.

You threw yourself at him, terrified, clutching his arm and babbling about a Frost Giant in your bath room. It seemed you thought that the jotun child had been released from the ice early, and was running around unsupervised.

“Wait a moment.” He said, trying to slow the stream of words. “You saw a little jotun girl in your bath chambers? The ones you share with my brother?”

“Yes! She shouldn't be out yet, not without her guardian! It's not safe!”

“I just want to make sure. Did you see a little girl, or did you see a small Frost Giant?”

“I...well it had to be the kid, right? Frost Giants don't stay small!”

“Alright.” Thor said. “I will go investigate. You go and do what you are supposed to do today, and don't worry about this any further.”

You departed, but reluctantly, and with many entreaties to be kind and gentle to what you were sure was a lost and scared little girl.

Norns, but his brother was being foolish. So secretive, so terrified of the consequences, but he probably wanted you to know, deep down. Thor suspected that whenever Loki slipped, it was because he wanted someone to see, to know something that he was too afraid to say. That somewhere in his subconscious mind, he was tired of keeping this secret.

Thor wanted to build a realm where Loki could be comfortable with the truth of himself. Or at least where he could feel something other than hatred and shame over it. Thor was acutely aware of all the personal failures piled up on his shoulders over the centuries, where his brother was concerned. Some days he waxed furious at his own father, and sometimes even his mother, for keeping this from them both. All the things Thor had said and done pertaining to Frost Giants...and Loki had agreed, and internalized it all, just as Thor had. And it had all come down on him with the crushing force of an unstoppable glacier when he'd found out. And to find out while Thor was banished, and Odin asleep, all his support structures gone, and then to have the entire kingdom thrust upon him at such a vulnerable time...It was no wonder he'd fallen into madness. Would Thor have done any different, had it been him?

No, Thor reflected. No, he probably would have been much worse. Recklessness was a personal flaw he had not quite yet cured himself of. Combine that with madness, and the ultimate power of Asgard behind it...No, things would have gone quite terribly, if it had been him instead.

But if he and Loki had known since they were young...So many things Thor would not have said, have done. So much unnecessary suffering, undone. He dearly loved his father, but all of this had been so wrong.

He found Loki sitting in the bath room, in front of a mirror, blue face in his hands.

“Come to smite me, brother?” He deadpanned.

“Oh, a little bird told me there might be a Frost Giant running loose, but I see only my brother here.”

“So now she does what I tell her. Typical.” Loki grumbled. “She can run quite fast when she's scared, can't she? Then again, who wouldn't? If they saw...this.” He gestured to his reflection in the mirror.

“Actually, she was scared for you.” Thor said. “She though you were the little girl, running around on her own. She was afraid for your safety.”

“The child? Why would she think-oh. Hmph. I don't know if that's better or worse. At least she didn't set the Valkyries on me.”

It must have stung. Yes, he had told you to run, but it must have hurt to see you run from him. To think you were frightened of him. Yet he might still make the best of this.

“You know what you need to do.” Thor said.

Loki sighed. “I know.” He said. He sounded so small.

“You will do fine. I know it.” Thor encouraged. “Just get it out there. I think she will understand.”

“Oh yes? Tell me, how did your last relationship go?”

“Poorly. I made many mistakes, particularly in communicating. I encourage you not to do the same.”

“Hmph.” Loki had faded back to milky pale, and looked just as miserable in that shape as well. “But there's no way around it anymore. She's going to know that there was no child in here. She won't be able to stop thinking about it. If she begins asking around, someone will bring up the play, or just outright tell her. It should be me. I have to do it before anyone else does!”

“That's the spirit!” Thor said. “Now go out there and seize that day!”

“Oh, go away!” Loki threw a towel at him.

                                                                           ******

Bjarkhild dropped your hand and shrugged.

“It looks as if everything has gone back to normal.” She said. “The mark looks the same as the day you were brought here, even though it looked like a fresh brand last night.”

“Maybe because I was with Loki?” You ventured. You both knew that his presence had certain healing effects on you. Bjarkhild heaved a small sigh of frustration.

“I wish I had access to Eir's notes. I don't doubt she had information on magics involvement in healing. But Valhalla has received her, and her knowledge along with her. There is so much to relearn.”

“She was good at this?”

“The very Goddess of Healing. One of Hela's first targets...but I shouldn't speak of it. You are in fine health now, and that's all anyone can really ask for. Now, off with you. I don't doubt you have something to attend to.”

“Lessons, yeah.” You hadn't mentioned to anyone that you'd seen a Frost Giant this morning. Thor had seemed a little weird about it; kinda cagey. You assumed he had some kind of plan, so you shouldn't go around spreading panic.

Instead, you went outside. To the ox pens. There were several of the big animals in there, wandering around aimlessly without a care in the world. Even the crisp chill in the air didn't seem to bother them.

You leaned against the fence, and watched the biggest one, a huge, reddish animal, as he browsed the sparse vegetation. Soon, in just a few weeks, in fact, you would have to watch Loki walk up to this beast with a great big sword, and...

Bright red and bewildered eyes. Desperate red eyes, and bright red blood, and a blue head that rolled...

You turned away from the fence with your hand clapped tight over your mouth. Could you really do this?

You knew where your food came from. The leather you wore. You knew people who kept chickens and sometimes they became soup. You knew these animals were destined to become food-for you or for the worms, or both-but you'd also never been there for the actual moment. You'd seen livestock alive, and then you'd seen them in nice, neat, clean bits that in no way resembled the living animal they'd once been. You were disconnected from the part in between.

Maybe that wasn't such a good thing. You knew that disconnect was what allowed some of the more egregious abusive practices to flourish. You knew it would be better to know, to witness. That it would imbue the seriousness of it all, the respect for the lives in front of you.

Maybe that was why things like this were done? The common folk, the farmers, and hunters, and herders, they would all have that kind of understanding and respect already. They were the ones who looked those animals in the eyes and knew them.

But the merchants and traders, the craftsmen and nobles, the royalty, they would be removed from it. Animal husbandry was unlikely to be part of their daily lives, after all. Was bringing them all together to witness where their feasts came from some kind of attempt to teach them? Was making their royalty act like their farmers a way to remind them what the building blocks of a kingdom really were? Was it a humbling act? A reaffirming one?

You didn't know. Whether it was better or not, you couldn't stop thinking of how much blood there was going to be. Beheading was the quickest, most painless way, you had read. The most humane.

You shuddered, then squeaked in awkward surprise when someone dropped their yellow cloak over your shoulders.

“You shouldn't come outside without one anymore.” Andsvarr said, leaning against the fence next to you. “Last year, it got very, very cold. Too cold for a human or an Asgardian, if you ask me. But the wool they make here is very good. I assume it has to be.”

“Oh, thank you.” You said. “We get blizzards and stuff back home, but nothing like what I assume they get here. Did it snow on Asgard?”

“Yes, but not often, or much. Not like here. How are you feeling? You look unhappy, if you will forgive me.”

“Not great, to be honest. Been dealing with some things.”

“You certainly seemed to be in a state last night! Were you hurt? Bjarkhild didn't tell me. We got your room gathered up, by the way. Your plants will be fine I think, and we even found your little worm friend. He has cocooned himself.”

“Oh good, I'm glad he's okay. I'm glad you're okay too. No, I'm not hurt.” You sighed. “I think my problem is deeper inside. It's him.” You gestured at the huge bull. “I don't want to kill him.”

“The sacrifice? I see. Well don't worry!” Andsvarr began earnestly. “You won't be the one to do it. That will be his High-”

“It doesn't matter! I'm the one who'll be distracting him! He won't even see Loki, he'll be looking at me. And I won't say anything, I won't warn him...”

“Um...The bull would not understand you, even if you did.”

The bull. Right, of course, you were talking about the bull.

“I guess I just feel bad for him. He didn't deserve this. Doesn't.” You were talking about the bull.

Andsvarr gave you an expression of bewildered support. “Would you like to come back inside? I can get you a warm drink? We have that chocolate powder that you put in milk.”

You shouldn't stay out here staring at oxen. It was getting you nowhere.

“Yeah. Some hot chocolate sounds good. I just...I don't want any more shocks for a bit. I just want a moment's calm.”

                                                                       *****

Loki barely ate. Everything tasted like sand and emptiness. Tonight was the night he lost you.

You were in your room right now, helping to clean up and reorganize. A team had already been in there, salvaging what they could, cleaning up the broken glass. They had patched up the wall, but it would need to be repainted, and a new window pane would need to be added to their next order of supplies.

He'd told Brunnhilde to keep a bed ready with the Valkyries. You couldn't sleep in your room until the window was repaired. The temperature would dip to well below freezing in there. And when you inevitably ran from him tonight, like you had this morning, you would need a place to rest.

All he could really hope for was that you would be able to overcome your disgust enough to continue acting as his Seidkona, even if he could no longer hold you, or touch you, or revel in your love.

“You know, she might not even care.” Thor had told him. “Humans can be unpredictable about this sort of thing.”

It hadn't helped. He couldn't dare to hope for that acceptance, not since the broken Bifrost. He had to be ready for the end.

He'd taken this meal alone. As coiled up as his innards were, he couldn't possibly have even faked a conversation. It was like going to his own execution, and he'd already done that!

He let his fork fall to his plate, unable to finish.

He should have told you from the start. Then you would have never loved him, and would feel no betrayal. And without seeing your soul as he had, he might not even have fallen for you. But when would he have told you? When was ever a good time for this confession?

He could hear you down the hall, lamenting a tear in your stuffed fantasy animal. The power of that blast had thankfully not carried far. It had tossed a few things around in his room, and the blast itself had woken him up, but it hadn't reached Thor's chambers. Mostly, it had destroyed your own little room.

He'd see to it that the doll was repaired. You loved the little creature, even though it wasn't real.

Just like you loved the false face he presented to you.

You were leaving now, to fetch dinner with Andsvarr and the maids. You did that occasionally, taking a meal, usually lunch, with the servants, or the cooks, or Frigga's former handmaidens. It seemed that, unlike all the peasant princesses of the tales, you didn't want to forget where you came from. He could respect that; he, and much of Asgard was in a similar situation. Besides, it was good for you to get to know the people, and for them to get to know you.

But what if one of them told you before he did? Frigga's handmaidens especially liked to talk among themselves, and between them, they knew practically everything about every Asgardian alive. But you understood a great deal more of the language now, and if one of them let it slip in idle conversation, you might be able to pick it up.

He wanted control of this situation. At least the tiny amount of control it took to be the one to say those words to you. He wanted at least that.

There was a tiny knock at his chamber doors, just barely perceptible. The only one left, Loki answered it. As if summoned by his thoughts, Lofn stood in the hallway.

Loki eyed her warily. Of all his mother's handmaidens, Lofn was the hardest for him to understand. She seemed to him to perceive two different worlds at once, the world of the soul revealed itself to her as to no other. She saw all the intricacies of emotion and the truth in people's spirits, though she seldom said much, and what she did say didn't always make immediate sense. Still, it was always best to heed her advice.

Also, she was sometimes just compelled to do things that seemed odd or random, and right now she was holding out a long coat in a style he preferred. It was blue, however, the sky blue his mother used to wear.

“I have made this for you.” She said, with that dreamy, yet cunning expression of hers. “It feels like there are things you need to remember. That you have always been you, no matter what coat you are wearing. And that every crawling, wriggling, screaming creature is born worthy of love and care. I held you, as a baby, though you don't remember. But I saw it.”

She shook the coat, urging him to take it. He did. It was light and warm as he slung it around his shoulders; a perfect fit. Somehow, she always knew.

She didn't wait for thanks, or any answer at all really, just nodded and walked away.

How did she know these things? Did she look across the world and see his distress? How long had she been working on this coat?

He had always been him. Well, of course he had. He hadn't ever stopped being a Frost Giant, no matter what shape he took. That was part of the problem.

The mirror in his room had broken, but hadn't been replaced yet. He looked at himself with his new coat, his reflection shattered into many facets. All those faces, but only one of them was real.

The light blue didn't really suit him, but he liked the coat anyway. It reminded him of his mother, how she used to hold him, envelop him in the folds of her dress and make him feel safe. Of the books she read to him, and the stories she told. The magic she taught him and the little jokes.

If he squinted just right, he could almost pretend it was her in the myriad panes of mirror, drawing him into warm memory. Dinners together, as a family, when he was just a boy. How she knew all along, but had loved him anyway. She should have told him, they should have told him, but her love was never in doubt. She wanted to protect him, and had made the unequivocally wrong choice in her attempt to do so, but she did love him.

He even remembered the way Odin used to hold his hand with the same care and pride he had for Thor, all three of them walking from corridor to grand corridor, to meals, to classes, to bed. How he spoke to them of so many things, trying to raise them both. Like a real family.

Loki's eyes burned, his throat tight. He wanted it. After everything that had happened, he just wanted that more than anything. Why couldn't he have had that? What had changed?

Odin had been his father, had acted like it, at least when he was young! What had changed? Was it disappointment at the emergence of his Aesir nature-as god of mischief, deceit and lies? Was it that Laufey had failed to die or be deposed by his people after the war, thus making it more difficult to install Loki as a suitable replacement? Odin had raised him too, to be a king. Had he simply grown frustrated that he would be saddled with a tiny, deformed Frost Giant for longer than he had anticipated? Had he grown too competent? Or not enough?

He had always been him. Even before he knew. Running around the palace as a little boy, chasing after his big brother almost from the moment he could walk. Filching snacks from the kitchens, and crying over scraped knees. Trying to climb on things he shouldn't. Practicing his magic by changing Thor's clothes into dresses, attempting to elicit any kind of reaction from stoic Hogun, causing strange odors to arise from Fandral's ever-flapping mouth, teasing Volstagg about his increasing waist and family size. Even attempting to cut Sif's hair as a prank. Oh, he had known woman's wrath then!

All follies of youth. He missed them. Maybe they had never truly been his friends, but he missed them all the same.

He missed you too. He missed you, and he hadn't even lost you yet. He was mourning for you, for what was about to happen. When you saw who he really was.

Who he had always been. You didn't even know. In the run of things, you barely knew him at all.

You barely knew him. Who he had always been. You didn't know.

You didn't know about Frost Giants.

You didn't know about Frost Giants like Asgard thought it knew about Frost Giants Didn't know about him, about who he'd always been.

About a little boy who chased a little girl with a pair of scissors, until she punched him in the face and knocked him down, and he laughed to be beaten at his own game. A youth running from his enraged older brother, who tripped over his own skirts in the attempt to catch him. Who burned with a touch of envy when his chubby friend married young and had babies on the way almost instantly. Who always looked upwards and forwards.

He had always only been him. Frost Giant or Asgardian, always him. Loki. Always Loki.

You knew Loki.

You would come back tonight, and he would tell you this terrible thing. He was still terrified that you would leave, but you deserved to know. You knew the side of him that wanted to provide what you deserved. You knew that part of him, and more importantly, you trusted that part of him. He cherished that trust, and wanted to reward it with trust of his own. He would tell you, and accept whatever came of it.

He would be who he'd always been.

[wordywarriorwrites]

Chapter 1: New Blood, Old Flame

Masterlist: The Boss of Brooklyn A03 Link Author: @wordywarriorwrites​ Summary: When it comes to being The Boss, James Buchanan “JB” Barnes rules with an iron fist. For him, there’s no room for sentiment, and certainly no time for distraction, even if it is in the form of an old flame. Steve Rogers had bowed out of the life a long time ago, but a twist of fate brings him right back into the fold, and face-to-face with a man he once loved. When a game of cat and mouse turns into a matter of life and death, both will be forced to decide whether they’ll be loyal to the business, or faithful to each other.  A/N: Bucky Barnes Mob Boss AU. Stucky. For: Star’s Multi-Fandom Follower Celebration & Sherry’s Fall Into You Challenge. Warnings: Language, violence, drug use, alcohol, smoking, explicit sexual content, illegal activities. 

Many Months Earlier…

The greed, the thirst, and the struggle – it was the ultimate, unholy trinity, and the Families lived by it.

They all died by it, too.

Bucky offered condolences he didn’t feel because that was his duty. After all, they’d put a lot of money into the dearly departed. Him, the wife, the house, the Golden Retriever – they hadn’t just looked the part. Their pedigree, educations, and backgrounds had been impeccable, they’d photographed and interviewed so well, and the polling numbers had been more than favorable.

The young senator in the coffin could’ve eventually been President of the United States, but alas, he’d gotten greedy. He’d lost sight of the bigger picture, held out his grasping hand one too many times, and when the Families admonished him and rapped his knuckles, he’d broken the cardinal rule.

He’d threatened to talk and they’d responded accordingly.

After Bucky showed feigned deference to both the corpse and the grieving widow, he planted a small tracking and listening device on her car. The boys in blue and the coroner had ruled the death accidental, but the wife hadn’t been fooled, and though they’d given her more than enough money to keep her mouth shut, she’d been in love with her husband.

Bucky had been in the business long enough to know what loss could do to someone. Anger and righteous indignation always supplanted sadness and self-preservation, and he knew just by the way she behaved at the funeral that she would go to the cops. However, given the high-profile nature of the situation, his gut instinct alone wouldn’t be enough reason for the Families to risk bloodying their hands again so soon.

This would require proof and he had a feeling he was about to get it.    

When he got back to his penthouse, Bucky immediately fired up the laptop, and plugged in a pair of headphones. Eyes glued to the screen, he held his breath; lines of text and code appeared, but in the less than a minute, they cleared, and revealed a location. A few moments later, the radio was turned down, a door open and shut, and as he’d predicted, she talked.  

“That you, JB?”

Bucky yanked the buds from his ears and slammed the laptop shut. He’d forgotten all about his latest bed warmer, and the sight of the naked man both aroused and annoyed him. Though Bucky didn’t normally double-dip with a one-night stand, violence and anger always got his blood pumping, and who he’d witnessed skulking around at the funeral had made him even hornier.

Steve Rogers had been out of the game for five years, and the last time Bucky had seen him, he’d had a duffel bag of cash slung over his shoulder and two remarkably well-made fake identities in his hand. He’d begged Bucky to leave town with him; promised they could have a normal life; insisted things would be better.

Bucky had responded in what had now become his trademark fashion – he’d been cold, blunt, and cruel. He’d called Steve’s notions of escape a pipe dream and a fairy tale. In their world, a happy ending didn’t mean riding off into the sunset; for them, it meant hopefully surviving long enough to retire, and maybe getting to die with dignity. He’d rejected love because it meant nothing to him – Steve had meant nothing to him – and within seconds of those words being spoken, Steve had taken off.

If someone had asked him if he ever expected to see or hear from Steven Grant Rogers ever again, he would have emphatically said no. Nevertheless, Bucky had seen him, and it stirred up all those pesky emotions he thought he’d buried long ago.

Though Steve should’ve stood out, he hadn’t; he’d always had an uncanny ability to camouflage himself when he wanted to, which meant he’d blended in seamlessly with the other black suits and ties, and managed to go unnoticed right up until the very end.

Their eyes had met through the sea of the griever’s tears and trembling handkerchiefs. A split-second glance was all it had taken for Bucky to understand why Steve had made an appearance. Somehow, he knew the man they’d put to rest, but unlike Bucky, he’d actually been there to pay his respects.

He’d blinked and Steve had disappeared right back into the crowd. It had only been a moment, yet somehow, even after so many years, Bucky had felt it all the way down into his marrow, and he hated both himself and Steve for it.

All Bucky had to do was push back his chair and undo his pants. The man – whose name Bucky didn’t remember or even attempt to recall – immediately went to his knees, pulled his boxers down past his erection, and deep throated him in one go. The eyes that looked up at him were brown, but Bucky pictured them blue, and imagined the locks clenched in his fist were golden blond instead of black.

This was not the mouth he wanted to fuck, but it would do, and as soon Bucky reached the brink, he pulled the man away harshly by his hair. Quick retrieval of a condom and lube from the desk drawer and then, they were both down on their knees. The erection the man sported suggested he appreciated the rough handling, and Bucky barely had to prep him before he all but begged for it.

“Give me your cock, JB,” he pleaded.

“Just shut the fuck up,” Bucky snarled as he pushed his way inside.

It was merciless and the noises the man made were pornographic. If he hadn’t been fisting his own dick and pushing his ass up higher in a silent plea for more, Bucky would have thought he was overselling his pleasure, but it seemed the more brutal Bucky was, the more he enjoyed it.

Eyes screwed up tight and breathing hard, he listened as, “JB! JB, oh, fuck, JB!” was called out again and again. It wasn’t the name he wanted to hear, who he was fucking most certainly wasn’t the man he wanted to make scream and come for him, but when needs must...

The orgasm had been phenomenal, but only because he’d thought of Steve.

Disgusted with himself, Bucky told him to get dressed, and get out. He’d just finished cleaning up when the man appeared again, and though he didn’t say a word, he pointedly placed his card on the desk, and promptly left. As soon as he heard the front door shut, Bucky picked it up; apparently, his name had been David, and he practiced criminal law.

“Go fuckin’ figure,” he muttered as he dropped it into the trash

Laptop reopened and attention refocused, he listened to the playback, and knew what he had to do. An encrypted communication with all evidence included was sent, and within five minutes, the Families responded with approval to move forward. After Bucky assured them all he would take care of the matter personally, he erased the messages, and hit the showers.

Even though he practically vibrated with the need to address the matter immediately, he didn’t. The Families had chosen him to be their leader and that meant occasionally allowing others to play in the sandbox. Bucky would need to extend a hand on this one and he already knew who his choice would be.

With a towel wrapped around his waist, Bucky stepped out of the bathroom and into the adjoining walk-in closet. The lights immediately illuminated the space and after he settled on the Armani, he dried off, and prepared to dress. He’d just selected a tie when his phone pinged, and when he glanced at the screen, he grinned.

“Speak of the devil,” he murmured as Natasha’s name popped up.

Her self-motivation was just one of the many reasons why Bucky invited her to bring her shovel and pail, and he didn’t have to wait long before she replied with a time, location, and a demand for sustenance afterward. Since it cost him nothing to cater to Natasha’s bloodlust and whims, he agreed.

With dinner plans now in play, he switched up the wardrobe. Bucky went with black-on-black Dolce and Gabbana; powerful, but understated, and the tie-tac was a small sapphire. Though he preferred to conduct such business at a distance, Natasha liked to get up close and personal, which meant he needed to bring his best cutlery. Unsure of whether or not he’d want to go on the prowl afterward, he pocketed a few condoms as well, because it was always better to be safe than sorry.

A little over an hour later, he rolled to a stop under the awning at the Four Seasons just in time for Natasha to step out onto the sidewalk. A valet opened the door for her and once she was settled, they were on their way.

“I saw him,” she confessed quietly. “And if I saw him, that means you saw him, too.”

Bucky sighed and signaled to change lanes, “I haven’t decided what to do about it yet.”  

“If you plan to resolve the problem, don’t do it yourself,” Natasha insisted. “Let me take care of it.”

It hadn’t been anything she hadn’t offered to do for him dozens of times before, yet, this time, her words made him swallow hard. The last time he’d ordered someone to be put down, he hadn’t felt a damn thing, but as Bucky merged off the highway, he couldn’t help but think it would be wrong for Natasha to be the one to do it. If that’s what it came down to, it would need to be him, because Steve wasn’t a man who could be caught unaware and wouldn’t let anyone else get close enough…

“So, the wife, too, huh?” Natasha muttered.

“You always said she was cagey,” Bucky remarked with a slight shrug.

“But we had plans for them. I didn’t want to be right.”

He pulled into the driveway, parked, and killed the engine. His car and their faces were familiar, which meant they didn’t have to be discreet in their arrival, just in the execution and exit. He reached into the breast pocket of his jacket, retrieved the knife, and placed it into Natasha’s waiting palm.

“Oh, you brought my favorite one? You really shouldn’t have.”

Bucky winked at her, “I know.”

Natasha hummed, slid the blade from the sheath, and opened the door, “Michael’s for dinner.”

“I’ll get us a table.”

The reservation had only taken a few minutes, and apparently, so had Natasha, because she returned almost as quickly as she’d left, but did not look at all satisfied.

“She’s in the wind,” she spat. “Closet empty, cash gone. She left in a hurry and made sure to leave her cell and everything else we could’ve used to track her behind.”

Bucky slammed his fist on the steering wheel, “Fuck!”

“It gets worse.”

“How?” he snarled. “How could it possibly get worse?”  

Natasha handed him the wife’s cell, which had been left unlocked, with a video ready to be played. The first couple of seconds were silent, and then, Steve’s face came into view.

“Tomorrow. Prospect Park. Three PM. Come alone.”

The or else was implied. Chapter 2: Nothing Personal

Everything: @jennmurawski13 @nerdy-bookworm-1998

Steve Rogers: @patzammit @hearttoearth The Boss of Brooklyn: @star-spangled-man-with-a-plan @jamesbarnesappreciationsociety @captain-rogers-beard

[simplylove101]

Random Tangent About Ships & Cheating SLs

So, I was talking with my friend Lauren (@backtothestart02) yesterday about how when it comes to watching our shows and seeing certain ships of ours having cheating sls & how that affects how we feel towards them. This convo kinda came about cuz of the recent development we’ve heard about on Riverdale where Betty & Archie are gonna be cheating on their respective significant others with each other in the next episode... Which, okay, at this point I don’t even watch the show anymore since it sounds like it’s pretty much on crack these days (at least more than usual lol) so this isn’t your typical rant about “OMG HOW DARE YOU MESS WITH MY OTP LIKE THAT” in regards to that sl (re: yes, Bughead was my ship when I watched it but my investment in the show has been pretty much non-existent for way over a year now so that’s not my goal with this rant fyi lol) It’s just more the frustration of the excitement I’ve seen from people being all “YAY CHEATING” Cuz, yeah ok, it’s a silly TV show. Obviously. I get that lmao It’s just the reactions I’ve been seeing that are funny cuz there’s people who talk about toxic relationships and normally how cheating is a dealbreaker but in this one specific case we’re all suddenly cool with it... Okay lmao but yeah, if the ship has to happen because a character died or cheating is involved... doesn’t that already cheapen that new relationship too (and their character development along with it? lol)

Anyway, I actually just really wanted to use this as a chance to rant about my ships that made me deal with cheating sls and why those are basically the worse “obstacles” a show can throw at ships. At least that is, if you want people to root for them long term. lol Cheating obviously happens in real life, but then that’s usually the end of a relationship. Which is why I don’t think it’s surprising that when it comes to fiction, I find the element of cheating to be something that kinda taints my otps for me if it occurs in the story. 

I can think of a couple of cases where I was able to accept it cuz the show mostly did right by them after the situation by showing the growth and how that would never been an issue again. But the cases where the cheating happens and it just feels like this thing that makes it so you can’t enjoy any of the things that came before it with that couple? That sucks. It feels cheap and like, really bad writing.

I think my thoughts on this subject stems all the way back to my very first TV ship: Jackie & Hyde from That 70′s Show. Anyone who really watched that show remembers that 2 episode arc of where Hyde thought Jackie cheated on him with Kelso (she hadn’t ofc but he did see her comforting him in a way that would be suspicious considering Kelso had wanted her back) so he cheated on her with a random nurse as payback. I remember watching the next episode heartbroken at the scene where Hyde has to tell her what he did after he realizes that he pulled that move for no reason at all and Jackie ultimately breaks up with him on the spot. Which I applauded her for. Because the girl had gotten cheated on by Kelso so much that she vowed that she wouldn’t let that happen to her again. Her relationship with Steven was supposed to be different, and up until that point, had been. It was a step back for all the development they had spent with them all season, but with how raw Hyde was during that scene and the scene where he tells Jackie that he loves her (evidenced by the fact that he actually isn’t wearing his usual sunglasses in either of those scenes), it can be said that it was clearly just a momentary regression. Do I think they could have handled it better towards getting them back together? Yeah. But then it was a sitcom so you gotta keep that in mind too. lol Otherwise, they mostly did right by them once they were back together until things got shaky again. But then this rant isn’t about how they deserved the endgame they were supposed to get and were robbed of. LOL But yeah, this is one of the rare cases they weren’t completely tainted for me.

(For those of you that have never seen this ep....)

Another case of a ship where cheating happened, but in this case did have my ship pretty much tainted for me at the time was Joan & Adam on Joan of Arcadia. This is more a lowkey scenario cuz nobody who sees this will know them basically but I loved them dearly and I watched that show (pun not intended at all lol) religiously when it was on so when that sl came very much out of nowhere I was (I’d say) rightfully upset about it. There was no reason to have Adam cheat on Joan. It was just plain character assassination of a fan favorite, and for what? Drama??? I still have no idea. All I know it was a far cry from the boy who charmed his way into Joan’s heart in S1 who wasn’t even thinking about sex when they got together (Heck, *she* was the one who thought they were supposed to have sex in S1 at one point and again, that wasn’t even on his radar at the time lol). Enter later S2, he makes her feel pressured about them doing it a bit and then later he cheats on her with this random girl that we saw a couple times talking to him because of this... Um?? That’s just bad writing cuz it’s OOC. lol What’s worse is that Joan found out about this in the 19th episode of the season so when the show got cancelled, there had been barely any development after that. There was some since there was like 3 episodes or so after that, which meant there was just enough time to get them to a sorta neutral place with each other since they had the same friend group but otherwise, not much closure for shippers. Which was frustrating. You can’t just take that sharp of a turn in the story that late in a season with an unguaranteed next season with your main couple, especially if the cheating is coming out of left field. You just can’t, not if you want me to root for them at least. So.... yeah. That was bad. lol Definitely an example of why sometimes cheating does not need to be a storyline on a show.

(For context...)

I was trying to think if there were any ships before this one that i would want to mention, and there might have been, but I can’t think of them at the moment. Which means next on the list is Zoe & Wade on Hart of Dixie. They’re still a big otp for me, which does show I was able to move past their cheating sl but again, they did get tainted a bit too. In some ways, their sl gave me some deja vu with Jackie & Hyde. At least in the way that the guy chooses to sleep with someone in a very rash way, and you just know this is gonna lead to an automatic breakup the second the girl finds out. There was no denying Zoe was gonna break up with him. It was heartbreaking to watch her come to the realization that he had cheated on her. And it was frustrating because it felt like they only got to be a proper couple for like maybe 4 episodes and then they pulled that move. It was like, you’ve been setting me up to root for this couple and... now what? They had undeniable chemistry so I guess the writers always counted on that for when they would ultimately bring them back together and they were right. I was able to root for them again, and it helped there had been some time that had passed (a whole season of them not being together!) and I was missing them a lot. But that said, it still felt like a misstep. Because when you wanna write a breakup, we should just throw in a cheating sl then? There were plenty of other ways to break up Zade, but they went in that direction. It just felt very lame, lazy and pure character regression in a way that didn’t make sense with the story they were telling imo. They were able to show that Wade had matured later on so it worked out, but this is one that made me upset so thank goodness they made up for it. lol

(I dare you not to tear up lol)

Okay, the last ships I’m gonna mention briefly are both on The Bold Type. 

Everyone in that fandom has expressed their frustration with how they handled the Kadena sl where Kat cheated and then they tried to have a open relationship to let her explore a bit or whatever in S2. I actually get where it wasn’t that bad cuz Adena told her she could see the other girls. Enter the next season, Kadena have sex when Kat is still in a relationship technically (I don’t care if she got the approval to see if there were still feelings there or not from Tia, that didn’t mean sleep with the ex. That meant talk) This is one of those cases where for me, cheating is never the ideal way to bring a ship back into the story. I know it happens but this didn’t make Kat or Adena look that great as characters for me. I know shit happens, just saying from a preference. Not gonna get deep into the awkwardness of S4 between these two, beyond saying that after S1, it does seem like the writers don’t fully know how to write them now still. They were a fan favorite ship for the show, and I think despite the bad writing for them sometimes in these later seasons, still are, but they really gotta start being more consistent with them if they want them to be rootworthy again. And please write Adena in character my goodness. The way they wrote her in 4x07 was just not it.

 Which brings me to Janestripe,

They seriously dedicated a whole first half of a season dragging out the reveal that Ryan did more than kiss the lady he cheated on Jane with. I know beforehand the majority of the fandom hated Ryan already and thought Jane should have been with Ben instead, which honestly... ok, whatever. I still say Jane was having doubts about Ben so she was already starting to check out of that relationship a bit before Ryan declared his feelings for her at the end of S2. That said, once again, cheating isn’t ideal so I liked that Jane turned him down until she broke things off with Ben. I think people forget that the person in the middle of a triangle is making a choice and just cuz it’s not the choice you the viewer wanted doesn’t necessarily mean that it has to be the wrong one. Frankly, Ben was kinda dry for me. Idk. Anyway, I appreciated that they were trying to tell a story of growth for Ryan... Until they weren’t. lol They really could have kept it as a kiss but they started planting those little signs that it wasn’t between Ryan looking guilty during convos and then him telling the story again about what happened & it sounding like bullshit. We all knew but they made us wait 9 eps for Jane to figure out. Which was frustrating. I get what message they were trying to send in the end and I respected that but they couldn’t do it faster?? They were sending a lot of signs they were making them endgame by showing how serious they were getting but now? I don’t see them ever interacting again, unless they did find a reason to bring Ryan back but Idk. I just don’t get painting them in that kinda light if you were just planning to tear them down before the season was even over, you know? They could have just ended them in S3 and I would have got it. But they dragged it out into a whole another season and why??? lol

I’m trying to figure out what more I wanna say about this topic. lol Beyond just thinking that I can’t stand cheating sls. I can barely stand any kinda love triangle sls as it is. Why must these tropes exist?? All they do is cause drama in fandoms. Which is prob why I don’t do them in the first place. lol

Anyway, I’m done now. lol

[weaselbeaselpants]

Headcanons for the Butterfly family you’re free to steal cause I probably won’t do anything with them.

I mean, I’ll prolly still draw some of these but I don’t have time to write fan fiction anymore so go nuts.

Jushtin gave his itty bitty sister Solaria hair and fashion tips. He was the one who first taught her to shave her head. Skywyne was not happy.

Solaria found dresses super confining and stupid pink is stupid GET AWAY FROM ME WITH THAT DRESS MOM!!!!!

When she was young, Solaria made friends with one of the dungeon keepers, who was a monster. He was blamed by a cook of the castle for a crime he didn’t commit and to save face, Skywyne had him publicly executed. Solaria ended up witnessing said execution and didn’t know why her friend was being killed. She internalized it and convinced herself that her friend betrayed her to save her from the horrible reality of what her mom did.

Solaria didn’t have time to care about finding a husband, what with the war she was raging against the monsters and all. Alphonse the Worthy and her had a one-night fling and she tried best to break it off so that he wouldn’t get any ideas about their future.

Solaria wasn’t super attached during her pregnancy - she was more worried about the fact that she had to be taken into hiding and that her troops were left without a leader. Then Eclipsa was born and she ended up thinking she was the most beautiful thing in the whole world and sought to make Mewni monster free and perfect - just for her.

When Eclipsa wasn’t with her mother or trying to see Globgor, her Uncle Jushtin was usually giving her lessons on how to be fab.

Eclipsa got really into monster dating when it seemed as though Globgor had completely changed sides and she thought he didn’t like her anymore. Once they hooked back up, all of Eclipsa’s potential monster suitors mysteriously wanted nothing to do with her...

Septarians found Eclipsa’s attraction to them patronizing. The one or two that dated her did so because they wanted to get close enough to kill her, but luckily Globgor stopped them in time.

Alphonse the Worthy was hurt by Solaria keepin him at bay after their fling on the sea. He was sort of kind of not maybe in love with his queen and devoted to her ala Jorah and Daenerys from GoT.

Alphonse also wanted to be in his daughter’s life and didn’t like Eclipsa calling him by his name. At some point he discovered his daughter’s secret affair and promised to keep her and Globgor a secret - he knew what it was like “to love someone the world tells you you could never be with.”

Jushtin was very old but still around once Festivia was put on the throne. He tried not to hold any resentment towards her, but deep down he knew something wasn’t right.

When she was 7, Festivia wandered away from the magical High Commission and started a flash mob in a lowly town square. There she met a shy little girl with light purple hair. Festivia tried to get the girl to stop mulking and let her bad self out, but said little girl was lead away by her stern robot caretaker and Festi never saw her again.

Festivia defended her ‘deceased mother’ Eclipsa in the face of scrutiny. All the “queen of darkness” and “running off with a monster” stuff was CLEARLY just propaganda. She never read her mom’s chapter but was sure from other notes about her that Eclipsa was a good person who loved her very much.

The Prince of Musty Mountains was a hunchbacked dweep everyone made fun of for looking like a rat. Festivia, however, thought he was sexiest man alive. She thought her eldest daughter, Dirhhennia, was equally the most beautiful baby in the whole world.

Dirhhennia had no regrets about by abdicted from the throne. She and Chad ended up living long, gloomy, mopy, happy lives together away from the public and prodding eyes of her sister.

Crescenta’s songday song was used as the ‘base’ for all the princess’ song day songs after this point.

Crescenta and her mother disagreed a lot behind closed doors. Festivia thought her daughter was an ego-maniac who needed more respect for her family, especially her sister. Crescenta further angered her mother by calling her grandma* Eclipsa evil.

Like most things in her life, Crescenta overcompensated her sexuality. She loved Emily Kelpbottom dearly but was not keen on admitting she was gay or even publicly showing affection. When she knew she had to bare an heir, she randomly picked a suitor out of nowhere to have Rhina. Emily was not happy and she and Crescenta had a bitter falling out, with even Dirrhennia calling Crescenta out on her lack of care for the woman her sister suposedly loved. Emily eventually found love again in one of her delegates. Crescenta never loved another person and was heartbroken for the rest of her life for what she had done.

Festivia the Fun became Festivia the Forlorn in the latter half of her life. Something had happened to her that made her break all ties with the Magical High Commission and brought her to the ultimate dumps. Under Glossaryk’s advice, she ended up agreeing to never tell Crescenta about what she had learned as she knew the truth would destroy her daughter.

The other members of the magical high commission recall Hekapoo never being the same after Festivia cut all ties with her and passed away.

Crescenta was rather against her daughter using a spell to make herself fall in love with John Roachley, whom she didn’t approve of. She told Rhina not to deny her asexuality for the sake of the throne and have a child by magic instead. 

Rhina loved to visit Septarsis for it’s pretty gladiolas, unaware of how much she wasn’t wanted there.

John Roachley was a controlling, domineering, violent, condescending beast who did love Rhina in his own deeply toxic way. Rhina was afraid of him and John had no problem with his wife staying afraid, cause that meant he was in control and could keep her ‘happy’.

Rhina tried her best to get her baby Celena to socialize, but the girl always hid behind her momma’s dress when they went out.

Celena the Shy had horns and a second pair of eyes she hid under her hair. She didn’t really consider these one of her secrets though.

Mewberty for Celena was horrifying as every boy she’d ever had a crush on was in serious danger of being smothered by her new-found ‘confidence’, aka hormones. Rhina had to lock her away during her growth spurts.

Celena may or may not have had various children with other men. Like Solaria and Alphonse, she wasn’t married to Estrella’s father - though their fling was a lot more happy than theirs.

Estrella adored her mother’s creativity but was less interested in the important aspects of ruling or magic making.

It was Estrella who began the tradition of making murals for the queens.

Comet was always running through Eclipsa’s secret tunnels and passage ways as a little girl. The MHC was worried she was becoming like her ancestor but Estrella refused to hear it.

Comet dated Lazlo Marmelade as a teen and for a time worshiped the ground he walked on. She later learned that he was having extramarital affairs behind her back which is why they divorced. Lazlo doesn’t know Comet is dead and secretly misses Moon.

In her youth, Comet loved nothing more than getting away and staying away as much as possible. For a time she secretly hoped her sister Etheria would inherit the throne instead of her. After becoming a mother however, Comet matured a great deal and returned to Mewni to take up the responsibility even her mother wasn’t capable of doing - mending the wounds of the monster/mewman wars.

Because of Lazlo’s lady charming, Moon has a couple dozen half brothers and sisters wandering around that she doesn’t know about.

Comet and Moon were inseparable - a true mother/daughter team who did next to everything together, especially when Moon was young. A big part of this was how Lazlo Marmelade never stepped in to his daughter’s life again so Comet felt she had to be both Moon’s mother and father.

Moon hated the idea of songday as a kid, much in the same way Star did. She incorrectly remembers her songday song as something wonderful because her mother was happy with it and it was one of the last events her mother and her did together.

[caraidean]

Ishtore & Liza

I said I was going to write this meta five months ago and now here it is. 

Before we talk about what canon actually gives me to work with here:

What we know about Ishtore: 

He's Ishtar's brother

He only has Minor blood

He's engaged to Liza

He gets really angry when she dies

Tine says he was always nice to her and Tailtiu (and Linda the same)

Seliph regretted having to fight him

What we know about Liza:

She's a talented tactician [4 Leadership Stars]

She's engaged to Ishtore

She's an Aida pallet swap

Seliph regretted having to fight her

This is what I have to work with here. Good lord. Alright, let's do this I guess. Under the cut because LONG

About Ishtore

Ishtore was born as Ishtar's twin brother to their father Bloom and mother Hilda, and was almost immediately dismissed as relatively unimportant by both parents when it became clear his sister had the Major blood of the two of them. As a result he managed to avoid Hilda's focus for most of his life, growing up more well-adjusted than his sister or cousin and generally regarded as the lucky one of the three. 

He took advantage of this status to try and help his cousin and aunt as often as he could, and while Tine was closer to Ishtar due to shared experiences and gender, he still enjoyed a close friendship with the girl. After Tailtiu finally succumbed to Hilda's mistreatment of her, he found himself drifting away from the rest of the family and actively searching for a way out. He found this by deciding to join the Gelben Ritter, the force underneath his sister's bodyguard. During a ball put on to celebrate his joining the force he encountered Liza, an up-and-coming tactician who'd managed to rise above her social status. The two gradually fell in love and engaged quietly, planning to wed in secret and then request a military transfer to some distant corner of the Empire to live out their days away from the stifling environment of Friege. 

Before Ishtore could ask Ishtar to convince the Emperor to move a portion of the Gelben Ritter away, the events of FE4 and 5 began. Following Reinhardt's death Ishtore and Liza find themselves leading the defense of Melgen in the Manster district, trying to stop Seliph's army before it could gain any more momentum.  

Shannan defeated Ishtore and killed him as the rest of the army claimed the fortress and prepared to move deeper into the Empire. 

About Liza

Liza was the bastard daughter of one of Cowen's other children, making her a distant niece to Aida and a cousin to Saias, although the two never met and she had no official connection to the family. What connection she did have she used to talk her way into a military position with Friege's militia, deciding to use the steady pay to establish an independent life and relieve her mother of her burden. She suddenly displayed an incredible talent for tactics that her mother remarked reminded her of Aida. After her mother died in a bandit raid, the militia were raised to work in combination with the Gelben Ritter to hunt down the group responsible in a display of force. 

She ended up demonstrating her tactical acumen to the Ritter, who transferred her over to their own forces and gave her a small command. From there she met Ishtore and fell in love, spending the next few years growing closer and closer to him and his extended family as Ishtar pulled as many strings as she could to keep her posted close to the capital. Eventually she was permanently transfered to his unit as his tactical officer, and displayed a great deal of promise. 

The stand and strategies in and around Melgen were her idea, suggesting that the best chance they could have to stop Seliph without the greater force of the rest of the Empire - which was still mobilizing slowly - beind them would be in and around the Yied desert. Unfortunately she failed to account for the presence of their Holy Weapons, and would fall to Shannan after panicking and trying to intervene directly to stop him reaching Ishtore's position. 

Their Personalities & Hobbies

Ishtore, compared to his twin, was a far more openly compassionate person and outwardly friendly to most people he met. He had more chances to socialize than she did and it paid off, becoming gregarious even as his magical talent and more polished charisma suffered in comparison to Ishtar. Never the most intelligent person, he tended to be a very spur-of-the-moment kind of man, moving to do whatever would protect those he cares about or make them happier with little in the way of thought beyond that. Ultimately this plays into his death, as his inability to control his emotions causes his grief at Liza's demise to have him challenge Shannan to single combat, an impossible feat for someone without Major blood. 

Liza grew up quite cynical, but as time went on and she grew closer to the two Friege twins she opened up some more and found herself trusting and desperate for praise and validation. She enjoyed teaching others about her own talents and likely would have become an instructor had she lived longer.

The two of them both shared common interests in style of literature, hobbies and manners of dress -- something that Liza also shared with Ishtar as well. While Liza never really picked up the twins' shared interest in painting, she was starting to enjoy taking sketches of landscapes that her lover would eventually turn into a painting at a later date, jokingly comparing it to reconnaissance work. They clashed over Ishtore’s apparent willingness to let his own talents slide, while Liza was fueled by a deep need to continue improving herself and showing she was worthy of the place she earned in society, with a few fights being spawned from occasions where Liza feels that Ishtore is taking his situation for granted. 

Their Relationship with Ishtar

Ishtar was incredibly close with her brother, and loved him dearly. He was one of the few human contacts she was allowed to keep by Julius as time went on and he became more controlling, and as such her correspondence with him became more and more important to her. She was a staunch supporter of his romance with Liza, who she also grew to care for a great deal -- Ishtar was never the greatest tactician, with most of her own military strategies being born of her charisma and natural magical ability. 

During the rare occassions that she managed to spend physical time with them, they would often invite Tine along with them to bond as a family unit. This normally involved Liza trying to teach Ishtar the finer points of strategy through various board games and failing, while Tine and Ishtore spectated and talked idly. Later, Tine and Ishtar would teach Liza some of the finer points of the noble life, normally in terms of hair and makeup. 

Ishtore was usually the reluctant practice target of this, as his hair tended to be closer to Liza's own anyway. 

Their deaths impacted her in a very harsh manner. Separated from one of the few remaining positive contacts she had - with Tine's defection to the Liberation Army almost simultaneous, and Reinhardt's death the year before - drove her to isolation, with only Julius and her three newfound Silessian bodyguards for company. In canon their death plays a large part in why she refuses to defect to the Liberation Army, even after realizing the extent of the Child Hunts and hearing Tine's own pleading for her to. 

In the Ishtar Survives AU, Ishtar holds a massive grudge against Shannan and his own family for taking Ishtore and Liza from her, including assaulting him shortly after her surrender when he confesses to being the one who killed them. As a result her relationship with Isaach in general is strained, and will remain this way until her death. Provided she marries Seliph, she names their second son Ishtore in his memory.

[kiruuuuu]

Thatcher/Lesion oneshot in which Lesion has a tattoo and Thatcher hates it. (Rating T, fierce denial and fluff I suppose, ~2.5k words) - dedicated to @glazkov-smile​ who put this ship into my brain where it now festers and grows shakes fist

.

The first time Thatcher catches a glimpse of it, all he feels – curiously enough – is betrayal.

No part of it makes sense, it’s neither his body nor his decision and yet it’s as if he’s been deceived in some way, left in the dark about a topic concerning him personally. It’s irrelevant how nonsensical his emotions are because they’re there regardless and no amount of logical arguing with himself is able to make them vanish. He can’t rationalise it even if he tries, and he tries desperately. He’s merely being a judgemental old fart, probably, something he’s been called before in differing contexts. But he doesn’t know how to deal with it.

It was no longer than a second: Bandit pulled on the back of Lesion’s collar to drop an ice cube into his shirt, and Thatcher just happened to look over at the commotion and saw colour lick at the back of Lesion’s neck, usually hidden by whatever garish shirt the man inexplicably chose to wear that day but now revealed in a flash of ink. And it’s enough to conjure up a profound disappointment in Thatcher.

They’ve known each other for years now, stayed in contact where Smoke exchanged irregular messages which taper off now and then, only to rekindle once in a blue moon. No, Thatcher and Lesion wrote and called almost every week, given their work permitted it, left messages on a variety of media depending on their current location and sent each other postcards even, both of them carefully and happily maintaining an unlikely friendship. They differ in many regards though not the most important ones, and thus remained pointed towards each other like magnets. Friendships like this one are rare, Thatcher has come to understand this all too keenly.

And he can’t stand tattoos.

To him, they’re much worse than gaudy jewellery, flamboyant clothes and unnaturally dyed hair together – not only are they alarmingly permanent but also usually horribly tacky. Who cares if someone managed to father a child? Congratulations, they fulfilled their purpose the way nature intended, no need to plaster their kid’s heartbeat or birth date or entire bloody face all over their arms and legs and basically rub it under everyone’s nose. He doesn’t care to know the names of people’s partners nor is he interested in cringy quotes or supposedly deep and symbolic bullshit which allegedly holds so much meaning for its bearer. They’re ugly. They mar skin instead of decorating it.

He much prefers freckles, scars, stretch marks, hair, natural discolouration, any sort of blemish which tells him this person is alive and breathing and not airbrushed or genetically engineered to look this way. He doesn’t care tattoos have been around forever, to him they’re a disgrace and can erase all his interest in someone. Can, and have.

Thinking back, he’s fairly sure he ranted about this to Lesion’s face before, was met with the usual calm patience tinged with amusement whenever he complains about something at length, earned no more than a half-reply implying his position was at best a bit too extreme and at worst complete and utter dogshite in Lesion’s opinion. He’s never dismissive about it, merely pokes fun but ultimately chooses to respect Thatcher’s views which is probably one of the reasons why they’re still friends.

So when he catches sight of precise strokes lining Lesion’s back, Thatcher is appalled. Indignant. Offended, even.

He needs to see it.

Just like he demands details about all the unnecessary so-called ‘apps’ most people around him use so he can judge them accordingly, curiosity grips him in its iron hold and compels him to view the entire disaster Lesion immortalised on his body for reasons unknown. Maybe it’s linked to a previous partner, a family member, a time in Lesion’s life about which Thatcher knows nothing yet, something deeply personal – in which case he’ll still disapprove of the ink but possibly gain more insight into his friend’s past. In that case, it’d be a worthwhile endeavour despite the knowledge of what exactly is tainting Lesion’s skin. He won’t be able to unsee it afterwards.

.

“Do you want to fight?”, he interrupts Lesion’s current conversation and gets a good-natured laugh from his friend and a concerned look from Ying in return.

“I thought we agreed not to argue politics in the workplace anymore”, Lesion replies cheerfully and moves his toothpick from one corner of his mouth to the other, Thatcher’s gaze following its journey momentarily.

“You said you were a little rusty in whatever fancy martial arts style you always torture the recruits with, so I thought you could use a refresher.”

“It’s much too warm to fight”, Ying points out and Thatcher barely bites back a response along the lines of that’s the point.

Lesion ignores her statement and leans back in his lawn chair, one of Rainbow’s most sought after commodity in summer – ants are prevalent and therefore sitting in the grass ill-advised. “Even if I did, I’d go to Yumiko and not you – no offence.”

“I bet you’ve been doing it for longer than she has.”

“Possibly, but she’s still lengths better.” The younger man raises an amused eyebrow. “Mike, are you bored?”

Oh. It’s the perfect excuse, his entire team is known for their eccentric solutions to boredom as well as striking fear into everyone’s heart as soon as it looks like they’ve got nothing to do. “Yes”, he lies smoothly, “so you can either join me willingly or spend the rest of the day anticipating a non-consensual fight. I’ll know when you least expect it, Tze Long.”

“Sounds like you don’t have a choice at all”, Ying sighs, shaking her head. “Men.”

“Don’t pretend you wouldn’t jump on the opportunity to roll through the mud with Elena, my dear”, Lesion comments casually after which neither of the two stick around for long enough to watch her turn crimson and splutter at the accusation. “So, tell me. Was this a misguided rescue mission or do you need my help with anything embarrassing?”

Thatcher blinks at the unexpected question until he realises his excuse sounds so terribly flimsy Lesion didn’t buy it for a second, correctly assuming an ulterior motive. Even if he’s nowhere near guessing it. “Oh, neither. I really just – it was a genuine suggestion and I…” He trails off when crinkles appear around dark eyes.

“Aren’t we a little too old to kill time by beating each other up? Let’s go drink some green tea to cool down instead, shall we?”

His objection dies on his tongue as his friend turns away, wearing a small smile. “I don’t even like green tea”, Thatcher protests quietly yet trails after Lesion nonetheless.

.

“Let’s go swimming.”

Lesion pauses visibly, marks his spot on the page he’s currently on and then glances up sceptically. “Now?”

Yes, Thatcher almost blurts out but catches himself just in time, checks his watch and pretends like he didn’t completely lose track of the hours ticking by purely because of Lesion’s presence. It’s a common occurrence, oddly enough. “Of course not”, he scoffs, “but what about tomorrow?”

“Where is this coming from? We’ve never gone for a swim together, you prefer going alone.” Fortunately, there’s no suspicion in his voice, only curiosity.

“I just thought you might want to join me. When’s the last time you went swimming?”

“Yesterday. Meghan invited me.”

Ah. Thatcher squints before he can help himself – they probably spent the time showing off their respective tattoos, and for some reason this thought makes it worse than as if Lesion had gone with anyone else. Even Blackbeard. “Well. If you don’t want to, that’s fine”, he concludes curtly and directs his attention back to the book in his own lap, fighting down another wave of dismay. So others are allowed to see it, apparently, where he’d not even been aware of it at all.

“What? Of course we can go, I was just surprised -”

“Nah. Nevermind.”

“Mike.” There’s gentle exasperation in Lesion’s voice now and he leans forward in the armchair which has become basically his over the course of several months – it bears his imprint and smells of him. Not that Thatcher would know. “I didn’t say no.”

“I’m busy tomorrow anyway”, he lies through his teeth and wonders whether he sounds cranky.

Lesion silently examines him for a few seconds longer, expression unreadable, and finally shrugs. “Alright. If you do want to go, just let me know.”

.

The doors of his wardrobe have mirrors. It’s the perfect plan. Thatcher buys the Dutch beer Lesion likes so much, and while Maestro is in the middle of listing all the exotic animals he’s eaten in his life with Smoke listening intently (and probably adding quite a few to his bucket list), while Mute snitches on Bandit’s newest plan to Sledge, while Sledge pointedly ignores Maestro’s hand slowly creeping up his thigh – while all of them are gathered in Thatcher’s living room, he makes sure to spill some of it down Lesion’s back.

“Whoops”, he says after his friend has jumped up with an undignified noise of surprise and hopes dearly that either none of the others watched him very deliberately tip his bottle or that they at least know to keep their mouths shut. “Come on, let’s get you something else to wear.”

“Why did we even stay in if I end up smelling like pub anyway”, Lesion complains weakly on the way to the bedroom, lamenting the wasted drink and accepting the fresh t-shirt Thatcher presses into his hands. “Thanks. You can go ahead.”

Thatcher pauses, hovering uncertainly. This – isn’t how it’s supposed to go. The last time, Lesion undressed in front of him without any qualms and he hoped it would be the same now, positioned his friend between himself and the mirrors so he’d get a good look no matter what. “I, uh -”

“Do you want to watch me change?”, Lesion asks, audibly entertained.

“No, I just – you probably need a towel, right? To get rid of the beer.”

“Sure”, the younger man agrees easily and Thatcher nods more to himself than for his benefit, leaves the room and dashes as soon as he’s out of eyesight. He’s never fetched a wet towel faster in his life, hoping to at least see part of it if Lesion’s in the middle of undressing, yet when he returns, Lesion is still wearing his soaked shirt. As well as a meaningful smirk. “Thank you, Mike. I’ve got it from here.”

No, he’s not going to let this opportunity pass. “Are you sure you don’t need help with your back?”

“Do you want to see it that badly?”

Oh.

“I have no idea what you mean.”

“Your personal vendetta against my shirts. It took me a few days to realise why so many of them ended up ruined, stained, ripped or threatened. You’ve not seen it before, have you?”

He hasn’t been that obvious. Has he? Thatcher considers denying everything but his curiosity prevails, triumphs over the prospect of never living this down. Defeated, he shakes his head, prepares for the inevitable ribbing yet is merely awarded with Lesion’s fingers reaching up to unbutton his soiled shirt, a gesture so hypnotising all speech evades him.

“I didn’t know you were that interested”, Lesion comments nonchalantly as if the temperature in the room hadn’t just jumped up a few degrees – or maybe Thatcher is experiencing a heatwave, yet whatever it is, his face is burning.

“I’m not”, he replies petulantly and is in the middle of justifying all his actions to himself in his head when the piece of fabric drops, carelessly gets discarded, and then Lesion turns.

It’s -

Well, it’s large, first of all, covering the entirety of his back and seemingly continuing even below the waistband of his trousers, just shy of curling all the way around his ribs. The ink is vibrant and mesmerising, no part of Lesion’s natural skin colour visible between all the vivid colours crassly at odds with everything Thatcher considers desirable. To him, it looks more like a yakuza tattoo than anything else, the motif of a roaring tiger familiar yet kept in a more tasteful style, no cartoonish bulging eyes or exaggerated features. Part of it is shiny with moisture, making it look even more recent and amplifying the otherworldly feel of it.

And it’s still a tattoo, even if the fact that it’s Lesion’s back changes something about it; even if the outline of his shoulder blades, the dip of his lower back, the gently curved spine do something to Thatcher, its nature remains intact. He doesn’t know why anyone would choose to deface their natural beauty like this, would spend a horrendous amount of money on something this hideous, would endure a million needle pricks only to look like this.

He also has no idea why he can’t stop staring.

A detail catches his attention and, without thinking, he lifts his hand and brushes over the tiger’s face with a thumb, the skin warm and slightly sticky. “He’s got a scar below his eye”, Thatcher murmurs and fights hard to keep this odd, uncalled-for reverent tone out of his voice.

“Do you want to watch him dance?”, Lesion asks him quietly and his brain is too occupied to process his words, discern the meaning behind them because – surely, he’s not -

The air is thick around them and it’s not only a byproduct of the season; it’s not stuffy yet heavy nonetheless, struggles against Thatcher’s deep inhale. His other fingers join his thumb in resting on intricate swirls, scared to move in case they smudge the ornate ink. “What do you mean?”, he hears himself mumble, possibly hoping for a repetition only, not even a clarification.

“Oh. Nevermind.” Lesion’s reply is soft and it sounds like he’s grinning. “I’m glad you seem to like it though.”

“I don’t”, Thatcher protests immediately and withdraws his hand, suddenly light-headed with the rush of oxygen, air flooding his lungs, returned to normal from one second to the next.

His friend throws him a look over his shoulder and he really looks like the Cheshire cat for some reason, as if he’s having the time of his life and Thatcher feels like he missed something somewhere along the way. “Alright”, Lesion agrees readily.

They get him cleaned up and into Thatcher’s shirt without any more interruptions, but when he turns to leave, the Brit holds him back yet falters at the expectant, amused and open smile with which the gesture is met.

“How about”, he begins, suddenly sheepish, “we go swimming this weekend?”

And to his relief, Lesion nods immediately, grinning and extremely pleased with the suggestion. “Of course. I’d love to.”

[whimsicallyenchantedrose]

Initial Thoughts--6x16 Mother’s Little Helper

Well that episode was quite the wild ride, wasn’t it?  We got a little bit of everything--pirates, Neverland, a nasty new villain, pirates (specifically a certain one-handed one who is amazing), twists and turns, an evil giant spider (could have done without that!), pirates, a tragic backstory, Emma and Killian both fighting like crazy to get back to each other, pirates, a double-cross from someone who’s being controlled, pirates, a new twist to the author story that ups the stakes, pirates, Lost Boys out for blood, and...did I mention pirates?  Because I liked the Hook/Blackbeard scenes.  A lot.

Overall impression:  Excellent episode in the midst of what’s turning into an excellent arc!  They have me on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what happens next...and I don’t even have a clue what that might be!  Speculating’s fun, but when a narrative leaves you without even a guess where they’re going next?  That’s OUAT at it’s best!

Okay, so 3 main plot lines this week: 1. Henry and his little author incident. 2. Gideon’s backstory with the Black Fairy and his further attempts to kill Emma. and 3. Hook trying to find a way back to Emma.  Under the cut, let’s dive a little more deeply into each one of those storylines.

Henry, the author and the last chapter

Very curious what happened to Henry when he went into that little trance.  I wonder what exactly he wrote--and in what language.

Maybe some people were looking forward to seeing Isaac again, but...eh...4b was one of my least favorite seasons, and he just got on my nerves with his whininess....and he just kept it up in this episode.

I was glad Regina called Isaac’s bluff.  She knew she had him over a barrel.  He may have info she needed, but he wanted to get out of Storybrooke more than she wanted his info, so the ball was totally in her court.

Interesting about the story being in it’s final chapter, though.  I wonder what that means, exactly?  How will the savior’s story end?  What happens after the final chapter is written? Could we be lucky and get a season 7 about our faves living their Happy Endings?

Isaac explained what’s going on with the book, but he didn’t really address the whole Henry situation.  How does Regina keep Henry from having further such incidents?  What happens if he keeps having them?  Is there any significance to that other language he wrote?  

So many questions!

I will say, kudos to Regina for working so hard to try to fix the EQ’s messes!

Gideon/Emma/the Black Fairy/Rumbelle

Rumple had some messed up parents!

The Black Fairy is shaping up to be quite the formidable villain.  There’s something chilling and evil about her that goes beyond what we’ve seen from other villains.  And Rumple definitely came by his penchant for manipulation honestly!

Not surprised she cast the Dark Curse, but her attitude toward the children she kidnapped is curious.  It’s almost like she honestly does see herself as their mother, as someone they should love, despite her cruelty.  In that sense, she’s your stereotypical fairy tale wicked step-mother.

Chilling how she was able to brainwash Gideon and turn him from a scared little boy who was terrified of her to her second in command.  Seems a bit of Stockholm Syndrome took place there.

I liked that it was his friend that he wasn’t able to save that snapped him back into a desire to fight the Black Fairy.  Not cool on her part, though, to orchestrate the whole situation to trick Gideon into betraying her.

How did I not see the heart control coming?  It’s classic Once Upon a Time.  How did the writers manage to blindside me with it?  Kudos to them!

In the present, I dearly loved seeing Emma fighting back and ready to beat the crap out of Gideon to get Killian back.  I get why Emma reacted the way she did in the last episode, but I love having the fighter back!

It showed what a genuinely good person Emma is that she took Rumbelle’s suggestions, and went to Gideon--after all he’s done to her--genuinely trying to help him and give him back hope.  I liked that she was willing to help him.

Bringing a gigantic Shelob-wannabe spider to the sorcerer’s mansion in order to kill Emma?  Ugh!  That whole scene, from the moment Gideon trapped Emma in the web to the moment the spider mummified her felt like it was right out of Lord of the Rings.  Gideon was Gollum, Emma was Frodo, and the spider was obviously Shelob.  I guess that makes Rumple Sam....?  Okay, that’s weird.

I was glad Rumple saved Emma’s life, and I am glad that he’s stopped being the absolute worst in order to try to save his son from becoming evil.

Yet still...there were definitely things about Rumbelle in this episode that struck me a bit wrong.  Even when they’re at their best, their morality is just a little bit...off.

I get both Belle and Rumple wanting to help their son.  I get them hoping for his ultimate goodness, hoping they can get through to him and bring him back from the dark side.  I get them not wanting someone to harm their son.  But I think they make a huge mistake when they only look at who they think he might be deep down and they ignore, downplay, or dismiss the terrible things he’s done.

No, no one’s born evil.  Yes, Gideon had a terrible childhood, but you know what?  That doesn’t give him licence to try to kill an innocent woman who was genuinely trying to help him.  Newsflash: nearly everyone in Storybrooke had a tragic backstory.  Maybe they weren’t raised by someone as dark as the Black Fairy, but they had terrible traumas as well.  The heroes overcame them and went on to be heroic.  It is possible.  What makes one a hero is not how good their life was in the past, but how they choose to live their life going forward.  *Note, in all of this discussion about my issues with Rumbelle, keep in mind they don’t know that Gideon’s heart is being controlled by the Black Fairy, so it’s kind of irrelevant to my discussion of their behavior.*

By dismissing what he’s done as “he’s really a good person deep down, give him a chance,” they’re really not doing Gideon any favors.  They are kind of enabling him in living in a way that will ultimately be his destruction. (Granted, Belle is less guilty of this than Mr. “they just see things in black and white” Gold.  She acknowledges that Emma was right in what she said; it’s just that her mother’s heart can’t stand to see her son suffer, which is understandable.)

It also frustrated me greatly the way they treated Emma and insisted she treat Gideon with kid gloves.  She owes that kid nothing.  He’s tried to kill her twice now, shows no indication he’ll stop until someone stops him, and he banished her True Love to a distant land just when she needs him most.  Emma has a right to defend herself in whatever way is necessary.  If Gideon ends up hurt as a consequence of that, it’s on him.  Emma didn’t start this fight.  She never sought Gideon out.  She’s done everything she can for him.  Whatever bad things befall him are on him....

...or they would be if he were truly in control of himself.  As it is, he’s not in control of his heart, so he can’t stop himself from trying to kill her.  It turns out, Gideon needs saving more than any of them know.

And now the Black Fairy is in Storybrooke.  Out of the frying pan and into the fire!

Killian and Blackbeard

Ngl.  I would watch an entire episode of nothing but Killian and Blackbeard one-upping and sassing each other.  That was A+ quality stuff there!

Killian, thoroughly pirate and thoroughly hero was hot.  I mean, he’s always hot, but there’s a certain...pirate swagger that’s been missing for a while, and words cannot express how happy I was to see it back.

That one handed shuffling thing Killian did...be still my heart.  (How many takes did it get Colin to do that without dropping cards everywhere, bless him.)

Excellent strategic thinking on Killian’s part!  His strategy was brilliant.  Win or lose, he knew he’d get Blackbeard to do what he wanted.  If he won, he just got the bean.  If he lost, Blackbeard would still take him home, even if just to get his newly acquired loot.

I love how unconcerned Killian was about Blackbeards taunts about him giving up everything for a woman.  Emma’s more important to him than anything or anyone, and he couldn’t care less if Blackbeard wants to rib him about it until the cows come home.

But of course, Killian couldn’t get home because of Gideon’s savior’s tears spell.  I love that they ended up on Neverland instead!  I’ve been hoping to get back to Neverland for a long time!

Those Lost Boys were intense!

Not at all cool of Blackbeard to knock Killian out and steal the boat.  Also...not the brightest of all ideas. 1. If he leaves Killian high and dry, how’s he ever going to get the Jolly that he won?  2. Where does he think he’s going to go?  They’re in the realm of Neverland.  Literally the only place he can go is the island.

I was a little disappointed we didn’t get a CS reunion in this episode, but in hindsight, it was probably best.  There was way too much going on in this episode.  The reunion couldn’t possibly get the focus it deserves amidst all the chaos.

Looking forward, next week looks like another wild ride!  Can’t wait until next Sunday!

[yahoo-puck-daddy-blog]

Eulogy: Remembering the 2016-17 St. Louis Blues

(Ed. Note: As the Stanley Cup Playoffs continue, we’re bound to lose some friends along the journey. We’ve asked for these losers, gone but not forgotten, to be eulogized by the people who knew the teams best: The bloggers and fans who hated them the most. Here is Kung Fu Canuck, last year’s Dallas Stars eulogist, fondly recalling the 2016-17 St. Louis Blues.)

(Again, this was not written by us. Also: This is a roast and you will be offended by it, so don’t take it so seriously.)

By Kung Fu Canuck

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to bid farewell to the 2016-17 St. Louis Blues.

The team went tragically before well after their time, falling in six games to the Nashville Predators, who now finally assume the mantle of the NHL’s Most Relevant Flyover Country Team, at least until the Kansas City Scouts are restored to their rightful place.

And yes, I can hear all you Blues fans moaning right now about how you got stuck with the off-brand no-name eulogizer instead of someone cool like the Committed Indian or even someone from Hockey Wilderness.

Well, all I can say is rest assured I asked for the Blues directly.

  Or, you know, indirectly.

Anyway, don’t take it too harshly that all the good bloggers forgot about you guys, it’s just that the Blues really didn’t matter at all this year. Hardly a change from tradition, if I’m being fair, but this year was a special kind of slog. At least in the past, the Blues’ boring, unwatchable style of play led to a team that we all had to worry might accidentally contend for a Stanley Cup – luckily Doug Armstrong put us all at ease by declaring this a wasted transition year and boy did he stick to that promise.

The result was a Blues team that was an afterthought to the Syracuse Crunch – in terms of relevancy, on a scale of 1 to 10, this team would get lost. It was one amazing Russian winger surrounded by a bunch of guys, like a knock-off Washington Capitals except without the likability or winning pedigree.

Maybe that’s fitting way to cap the 50th year of a franchise that was never supposed to be in the NHL in the first place in honour of a city that was only granted a team so that Arthur Wirtz could criminally own two franchises. The Blues have spent their first 50 years in the league graciously living up to these auspicious beginnings, both by achieving absolutely nothing of note outside of tripping Bobby Orr once, and by continuing to be owned by the Blackhawks.

And while Blues fans thankfully don’t have the audacity to copy their awful Cardinal’s brethren and call themselves “The Best Fans in Hockey”, there are only two bright spots in their entire fan base: Tony X, who taught us that hockey is indeed lit, and Jon Hamm, who only became successful because he managed to fulfill the ultimate St. Louis dream of fleeing the city for Los Angeles.

Although I’m probably not giving enough credit to the city of St. Louis —a beautiful and vibrant town that offers people all the thoroughly entrenched racism of the Deep South combined with the soul-crushing boredom of the Midwest. And as long as we’re embracing the history of the Blues here, I can’t think of anything that epitomizes the city of St. Louis better than the fact that the US government once used the city to test biological weapons, because it was the most similar town in the country to a Russian target city.

Mark that down as the only time anyone has ever chosen St. Louis for anything, and also as proof that the US government found a more beneficial use for the city than the NHL ever has.

It would also explain the city’s high tolerance for sources of toxic waste

So how did the St. Louis Blues franchise plan for its big 50th season celebration?

By honoring the team’s proud legacy of achieving peak mediocrity through a careful balance of shipping out their good players and overspending on their shitty ones. Gone were David Backes, Brian Elliot, and the guy TJ Oshie was traded for, and filling their spots were a bunch of human collar-tugs like Carter Hutton, David Perron, and Nail Yakupov, who was only brought in so the Blues could say they’ve had the two worst first overall picks in the cap era play for the team. At least the team managed to lock in it’s truly important ancillary players to terrible contracts. Beginning the season by spending a combined $5.4 million on Jori Lehtera and Magnus Paajarvi was a great start, and extending your oldest player for four years despite his not being that good anymore was a nice touch.

But the team didn’t truly hit its dumbass contract stride until the five-year Patrik Berglund extension. In fairness, when are you ever going to pay less than $19.25 million for a 30-point center who looks like a poster boy for adult illiteracy?

Actually, that was really mean. Patrik, if you’re reading this…color me shocked I guess?

Face it Blues fans, you knew this season was going to be rough when you looked at the roster and saw your center depth consisted of hopes and dreams.

You didn’t need Doug Armstrong to tell you the team wasn’t going to win a Cup this year when the entirety of the team’s success was riding on a goaltender whose legacy of failure could only be described as “Blues-esque.”

It should have been no surprise that by February the team was an absolute dumpster fire, and while flaming garbage usually means a nice hot meal for Kyle Brodziak, in this case it meant getting rid of your head coach, the Undertaker’s manager.

Pictured: The firing of Ken Hitchcock, who has since risen again

But, somehow, the Blues succeeded in spite of themselves under the Usurper Mike Yeo and managed to scrape into not even the last playoff spot. Jake Allen turned in a great performance down the stretch, under the tutelage of Blues legend Martin Brodeur, who taught him the secret of how to let a good defensive system make him look at lot better than he actually is.

Naturally, Armstrong rewarded his team’s fine play with a show of confidence at the trade deadline by trading away their best defenseman for a first-round pick and a made-up guy named Zach Ranford. Despite all of this, the team plodded along towards the playoffs, and it was an exciting time to be a Blues as long as you blissfully ignored the shallow grave Armstrong was digging for the team the entire time.

Armstrong: “Uh, don’t worry it’s nothing. [Aside] Hmmm, wouldn’t it be easier if I just dig one mass grave for the next ten years or so?

This team was pulling in two directions at once so much it looked like Joel Edmundson trying to defend a two-on-one.

Most teams try to solidify an identity going into the playoffs, but the only identity the Blues had at the end of the regular season was a bunch of very confused guys in blue.

Doug Armstrong: “I’m afraid I just blue myself/traded away Shattenkirk.”

And so despite coming off a 100-point season and a Western Conference Final trip the previous year, the Blues found themselves tickled just to be in the playoffs, and wouldn’t you know they even won a round! Blues fans are probably very impressed that their team was able to somehow beat a Bruce Boudreau team in the playoffs, but come on people, beating Minnesota isn’t a noteworthy achievement — it’s barely even an achievement. If making people from Minnesota sad was anything spectacular, the greatest show on television wouldn’t be one dedicated to showing how shitty life in Minnesota is.

“Why is everyone underrating us? Surely, it’s just because they haven’t seen us play!” was the cries from Blues faithful after Game 1.

Sorry Blues fans, but it was exactly because we all watched the Wild launch a shot barrage that rivaled the Battle of Verdun that we concluded this Blues team probably wasn’t going to go much farther than stealing the opening round. The Blues had to rely on Jake Allen going 2012 Jonathan Quick to beat the Wild, which no doubt means that Blues fans will also spend the next five years whining that their goaltender is anything other than completely average.

By the way, while on the subject of guys who have ridden their 2012 performances like Paul Ryan, it was quite something to see Allen turn back into a pumpkin when he got outdueled by Pekka Rinne in the second round.

Despite the fact that Bridgestone Arena has to play deafening music just to drown out the sound of Rinne’s hips grinding like a cement mixer when he attempts to move side-to-side, the Blues couldn’t figure out how to score on the guy.

Hardly surprising, when you see the other easy problems the team couldn’t solve.

Jesus, okay here’s a hint: it’s one number higher than the most playoff series the Blues have ever won in a single year.

And so we say goodbye to another year of Blues mediocrity, another season of wasting the prime years of their best player. I’ll be the first to admit that I was shocked when Tarasenko decided to sign long term with the Blues — I was thinking he’d bolt at the first opportunity, indulging in the great St. Louis tradition of leaving the city for a better North American one or playing for one of the petro/mafia teams in the KHL. But instead he chose to stick it out for the long haul.

Still, you have to wonder if the team pissing away his best season, while planning for him to play the foreseeable future on Paul Stastny’s wing, is making him regret his choice to stay in St. Louis.

Even if it does remind him of home.

But Blues fans, you can take solace that this wasn’t just some meaningless season – it was a transition year! It was a year in which the team would slough off the legacy of the previous Backes-Oshie-Hitchcock futility. It was a year-long shower meant to get rid of the stench of failure of a core whose potential topped out at a forgettable Conference final loss.

Now the reins have been handed to a new group of players, and the team is transitioning from the old, slow, mediocre squad. Just don’t think too hard about what this team is transitioning into — a team with great wingers, a one great defenseman, one older, overrated defenseman, zero good options at center, a question mark in goal, and a bunch of overpaid bottom-six forwards. Don’t think too hard about the fact that this team is still missing key pieces to contend while Tarasenko is still a dominant force.

Don’t think about how badly Armstrong is going to overpay for 56 games of Tyler Johnson next year. And certainly don’t think too hard about the fact that this year marks a transition from one era of mediocrity into a new era of the exact same soul-crushing non-contention.

In other words, happy 50th birthday St. Louis Blues! I hope the next 50 years are just as successful!

  St. Louis Blues 2017-2067 Seasons 

NHL EULOGIES 2017

Boston Bruins

Calgary Flames

Chicago Blackhawks

Columbus Blue Jackets

Minnesota Wild

Montreal Canadiens

San Jose Sharks

Toronto Maple Leafs

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