#you will walk away without understanding how or why she chose to do so

[mxtxfanatic]

Another pro-reader tip for mxtx novels: they are all stories with clear-cut good guys and bad guys and a strong moral message, BUT you have to actually read what the story has to say about characters without taking anything at face value, relying on genre tropes, or using identities and statuses as shorthand to your understanding of the moral system and themes of the story. So no, most characters in her stories are not morally gray (though some are, most can be definitively categorized as either morally good or bad, and ALL of her main characters are definitively morally good), and no she does not write morally gray plots where “morality is just subjective!” If anything, the term I think people are looking for is “morally neutral” (meaning that the thing is not assigned a morality in and of itself) in many cases.

An mxtx character is never designated as good or bad based off their backgrounds or class: Wei Wuxian, Jin Guangyao, Shen Jiu, and Mu Qing all grow up outside of the elite class, but Mu Qing (eventually) and Wei Wuxian are unquestionably good guys while Jin Guangyao and Shen Jiu are unquestionable villains. Shen Yuan, Lan Wangji, and Xie Lian all grow up within the gentry class but are all good guys while Jiang Cheng, Jun Wu, and The Old Palace Master are bad. Likewise, life circumstances or tools don’t determine morality. In mdzs, the sword path (which is the orthodox one) is used to commit genocide by the general cultivation world just as easily as Lan Wangji wields it to protect the forsaken commoners. Wei Wuxian’s ghost path was created to protect himself before being used to protect others, but Xue Yang and the Jin Clan pervert it to cause mass destruction for their own wishes. In tgcf, Xie Lian uses his god powers to attempt to help the Yong’an people while the other gods simply collect worshippers to increase their power and oppress lesser gods. Every character I’ve listed minus the Old Palace Master has experienced intense trauma that has informed their lives and colors their morality, but it does not define why they have chosen to take on certain moral stances.

(This is not to say that mxtx doesn’t have certain tropes she dislikes, as she clearly hates the “dedicate their whole existence completely to another person” trope. Su She, a villain dedicated to Jin Guangyao, dies. Zhuzhi-lang, a sympathetic antagonist dedicated to Tianlang-jun, dies. Hua Cheng, A WHOLE LOVE INTEREST dedicated to the literal main character, dies a whopping three (3) times before he learns his lesson.)

Mxtx does not condemn those who stray from orthodoxy. In fact, every story she’s (currently) written is about the dangers of entrenched and unquestioned hierarchy and status quo giving way to corruption every time. She wants you to question the dominant narrative of the benevolent group who descend from on high to “save the ignorant masses.” She wants you to question the idea that the only people with the right of choice are those at the top of the hierarchy. She wants you to question the idea that even the smallest decision of “powerless” people does not matter in “the grand scheme of things.” She wants you to actually think about the story conventions that you accept as infallible and question whether or not it would make for good shorthand by which to understand well-written characters and story arcs (and also, hopefully, how society is structured at large). So if you find yourself reading an mxtx novel and siding with the mob characters or lamenting how x character was locked into making certain choices “against their will” or being unable to reconcile how a recognized trope led to an unexpected conclusion because “that’s not how it’s supposed to go,” then it may do you some good to stop and ask yourself “was this idea supported by the narrative that I read in the book, or is this an idea I’ve come to entirely from my own preconceived notions of how I wanted the story to turn out based on how other, similar stories have panned out?”

[innerfare]

You’re Jealous

 Summary: You get jealous of someone else in his life.

Characters: Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Ace, Sabo, Law, and Kid

Genre: Slight Angst // Fluff

CW: None // SFW

——— 

Luffy:

He never told you Boa Hancock was in love with him, and when you find out, you have to remove yourself from the situation before you have an emotional outburst and start something with the Pirate Empress. The problem is, you don’t even know which emotion will spill out of you. Finding out the world’s most beautiful woman, and a powerful Warlord, no less, is desperate to marry Luffy is a whirlwind, to say the least. Luffy can seem clueless at times, but his emotional intelligence is through the roof, and he picks up on what has you upset almost straight away. He knows to give you some space, and when he senses you’re ready, he approaches you with a handful of wildflowers he picked. He doesn’t really say much, just pulls you into a hug, presses a few kisses into your cheek and temple, and says in your ear, “you’re my girl.” 

Zoro:

He didn’t mention Perona was also at Mihawk’s castle for those two years until a few months after the crew gets together. He tells a story that features her, and you realize there was a woman keeping him company. Your heart drops into your stomach. Zoro insists he didn’t mention her because he didn’t think she was relevant; the only thing Perona did those two years was annoy him. He’s actually the one who won’t let it go, not you (even though you are pretty jealous). Whereas you’d prefer not to talk about it, Zoro is wracked with guilt because he’d never considered the whole thing in a relationship context. Him fretting constantly over it actually heals your jealousy because you realize you’ve never seen him panic over the prospect of hurting anyone else’s feelings. 

Sanji:

Even with a third eye, Pudding is stunning. And Sanji almost married her. It was before you two were together, but listening to the stories from Whole Cake, hearing how close he came to marrying another woman, knowing she really did fall in love with his kind heart and wonderful cooking, turns you into a little green monster. You know you shouldn’t feel jealous of a woman you’ve never met before, a woman Sanji chose not to marry, but you can’t help it. Sanji is completely shocked that you would feel jealous over his relationship (if it could even be called that) with Pudding, though after thinking about it some more, he does realize why you might be jealous that he had a fiancé. His solution is to bring you a bouquet of roses and walk you through the dark details of his life, telling you things he’s never outright told anyone, so you understand the special place you have in his life. 

Ace:

He collects people without trying, and often times, without realizing, either. Ace thinks he’s just making friends, but you see the way the women he laughs and shares drinks with are drawn to him like plants to the sun. He promises them freedom and adventure (and he has a very nice laugh), and you can see how it excites them. You don’t really mind it, knowing Ace well enough to see the way he holds those women at arm’s length, even if he seems close with them (such is the magic of Fire First Ace). But Yamato makes you jealous. It’s not hearing the way they laughed together but hearing the way they fought that gets to you. You know how Ace lives to fight and even just roughhouse, you know how he’s a rough and tumble guy, and you worry you’re not tough enough. Should you be punching his arm when he makes a joke? Should you be trying to trip him out on deck? What should you be doing? When you finally come clean with Ace about what’s been bothering you, he actually laughs. “If I wanted to be with someone who gives me hell, I’d be sleeping in Marco’s cabin every night. Besides,” he says, scooping you up in his arms, “I like being able to manhandle you.” 

Sabo:

Sabo is a flirt, and you knew that going into your relationship. It actually doesn’t bother you when he flashes that charming smile of his at someone else or swoops in to save a damsel in distress (a speciality of his) and even serves to entertain, especially on the rare occasions his flirtations are rebuked. What does bother you, though, is his tight relationship with Koala. You know it’s ridiculous to be envious, you know Koala would sooner saw off her arm than kiss the man she considers her irksome big brother, but they’ve known each other since they were little kids, and Koala has been through so much with Sabo that the pair have such a close bond. It’s not the angry kind of jealousy that bubbles up in you when Koala mentions something about Sabo’s past that she assumes you know but you don’t, just the sad kind that you try to keep to yourself. Surprisingly, Sabo notices, though you don’t realize until he hugs you from behind and mumbles in your ear that he’s glad you’re the only one who knows he has a skincare routine, his silly words diffusing your mood and acting as the exact affirmation you needed. If it’s not enough, though, he’ll happily prove his loyalty to you by challenging Koala to a karate match, though.  

Law:

Dr. Law and Dr. Robin sure do get along well- so well, in fact, you can’t help but wonder if they are better suited to each other than you and him. Even if they didn’t have such good chemistry, it would be impossible not to feel a touch of jealousy toward the archeologist. She’s intelligent, beautiful, fiercely loyal, a member of the Straw Hats, and has an impressive bounty that she earned even before she became a pirate. Needless to say, you find yourself brooding when the Robin brings him a beer and sits down beside him to discuss the immune systems of fishmen, a topic both are rather interested in. Of course, you’re interested in that, too, thus the reason Law realizes something is wrong when you don’t participate in the conversation. He ends up excusing the two of you and taking you to bed, worrying you had too much to drink, the thought you may be jealous never once occurring to him. You end up not saying anything (many thing in your relationship with Law being unspoken) and just sleeping it off, the fact that he excused the two of you proof enough of his loyalty. 

Kid:

He doesn’t ever talk about his first love, Victoria. In fact, you didn’t even know she existed until Killer got drunk one night and began speaking of his dearly departed. What he didn’t mention was that Kid, too, had been in love with her. It only comes up the next night when you mention it to Wire, who mentions it was the death of his first love, Victoria, that put Kid on the war path and united the first four members of the Kid Pirates. Realizing Wire messed up, Heat chimes in to say, “he’d do the same for you.” But you’re not convinced, mainly because Kid never told you any of this. It tears you apart, leaves you tossing and turning for nights on end, until you finally burst into Kid’s workshop one night ranting about how he doesn’t trust you and holds you at arm’s length. “Heat says you’d do the same for me, but-” Kid cuts you off and says, “I wouldn’t do the same, I’d do worse. Much, much worse.” And from the wicked gleam in his eye, you’re inclined to believe him. 

———

Hope you enjoyed it! If you want more, you can check out my masterlist here!

[joelslastofus]

[SUMMARY: Joel acts like he doesn’t like you until he comes across your rapist.]

TW: MENTION OF RAPE. Angst

“What did he do?” His voice was low, eerie like, suddenly he looked angry as you stood still before him.

Ever since Tess had died Joel became more unbearable to deal with. The two of you had only known each other a couple months before she passed away but never got close to one another, if anything Joel acted like he didn’t like having you around. He barely held any conversations with you unless it involved a plan he needed you to be on the same page with him about. Silently he’d share food with you but that was pretty much as far as he’d go.

“Get up, we’re gonna keep moving today” Joel woke you up out of your sleep gathering his belongings as you sighed.

“I thought you said we’d stay here for two nights-“

“Plans changed. We’re leaving soon” you groaned as you got on your feet and began to pack. This journey to Marlene seemed a lot longer than you thought it would be.

“Are you sure Marlene even has what you want?” You asked with a sigh. He didn’t respond instead handing you your weapon so you could follow him out.

Walking with Joel through the woods your foot accidentally slid down a rock making you gasp loudly. Joel quickly turned with his knife ready to attack only to find you straightening your shirt.

“I slipped” he didn’t respond only looking irritated and turned back to continue walking. You didn’t understand why Joel always seemed so bothered by you, had he not promised Tess that he’d look after you, he wouldn’t have stuck around with you. Tess never shared to him the true reason why she wanted him to care for you but when you first met her you had confided in her the brutal things that you overcame. One of them being that you were held captive for a couple months by a group not far out, one of the men in their group being your rapist, you were always afraid to come across this man again. Little did Tess know, this very same man was running things alongside Marlene.

“Joel, have I done something to upset you at any point?” You asked trying to keep up with him.

“No” he responded without looking your way.

“So what’s your issue?”

“I don’t have a damn issue, now let’s keep moving” you gave up at that point not saying a word. Joel truly didn’t have a specific issue with you, he just chose to not allow himself to get close to anyone ever again, he had lost too much.

Finally making it to Marlene’s you followed behind Joel walking in. You had no idea whom Marlene was or anything about the place but being with Joel you just did as he said. Standing beside him a few feet away you were introduced to Marlene. She seemed like a woman who was strictly about business, she spoke to him of the car she had promised.

Of course, tomorrow it would be ready.

You didn’t speak during their conversation, not thinking much of anything until the door opened and a man walked in. Instantly your heart sunk, your stomach turned as the man stood by Marlene confidently before noticing you.

“This is my right hand man, he does what I say, when I say and can always be counted on” Marlene introduced the man beside her, you found yourself unable to speak. You knew who this man was, how could you not?

Edward….you’d never forget his name, one year ago this man made your life a living hell. Your throat felt like it was closing up, your heart racing-

“Look who it is” Edward grinned towards you making Marlene raise a brow at you. Joel turned to you as you looked down taking a deep breath.

“Small world” Marlene muttered but Joel noticed something off with your reaction.

“Anyways, Joel” Marlene got his attention explaining what would happen.

“Tomorrow before the evening I should have a car for you, for now you two can stay in a room I have prepped” Joel didn’t like the idea of staying an extra day but silently nodded and took the offer. Thankfully Edward and Marlene left the room before someone else led you to the room you would both stay in. Your heart felt like it would come out your chest but you couldn’t find it in you to speak. Joel walked ahead of you opening the door to the room. You stood by the door closing it behind you watching as he placed his backpack on the bed without looking back. Your body felt as if it would collapse any moment, you couldn’t stay here, you couldn’t be around Edward yet you knew you couldn’t say a thing.

That night Joel noticed you seemed a bit fidgety but he didn’t say a word. He lay back on his bed and watched as you double checked the locks on the door twice before laying down.

“You know we’re safe here right?” You looked up not noticing Joel had been watching you.

“Y-yeah” you nodded before turning over and facing the wall. That night you didn’t sleep, if anything you hoped Joel would sleep so he wouldn’t hear you crying in the middle of the night. Of course that didn’t work, at one point Joel opened his eyes thinking he was hearing something but he couldn’t make out what it was until he looked over and noticed you seemed like you were trembling. Quickly he sat up unsure of what to do, slowly he got up from the bed and noticed you were whimpering in your sleep. He didn’t know what the hell to do, he’d never seen you like this before but he knew damn well what it felt like. Delicately he placed his hand on your shoulder and tried to wake you.

“Hey” you continued to whimper but wouldn’t open your eyes. Joel cleared his throat and leaned in closer to you prepared for you to be startled.

“Hey wake up” he shook you a little harder making your eyes quickly open. You gasped unaware who was near you, unaware that you had even been dreaming, raising your hand ready to hit whoever it was Joel caught your wrist in mid air.

“Easy, honey”

You looked up at him confused, you hadn’t even realized you fell asleep now here was Joel looking down at you with concern. Once he was sure that you knew it was him, he released your arm as you tried to catch your breath.

“I’m sorry” you whispered.

“It’s alright, just havin’ a bad dream is all” he looked at you for a moment curious to ask you what was it that made you so upset but didn’t say a word.

“I’m right here if you need me” he motioned towards the bed on the other side of the room. You quietly nodded and watched as he got back into bed. Turning away from him you could feel the embarrassment from what had just happened yet you were surpsied by how gentle he handled it. It was a new side you both had seen of each other.

The next day you did your best to stay clear from wherever Eduardo could be, and so you decided to stay in the room.

Just one more day of this, one day and you’d be gone. Joel explained to you that he would be going over something with Marlene leaving you by yourself. You assured him it was fine and sat on the bed reading a book you always carried around after making sure the door was locked. Sometime had passed when you heard the door unlock and you figured it was Joel. Laying comfortably facing the wall you flipped the page hearing the door close behind you.

“What happened with Marlene?” You asked when you felt the touch of a hand on your arm making you turn to see it was the very person you had been trying to avoid.

Edward

Quickly you jumped up, your back against the wall as he smirked at your reaction.

“It’s been a while” you couldn’t speak, you couldn’t believe he was right in front of you.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost” he chuckled placing his hand on your thigh. If you could move any further away you would’ve, he could see how anxious he made you.

“Relax, sweetheart I’m not gonna do anything” he licked his bottom lip pushing his hand further up your thigh.

“I just wanted to say hi to an old friend”

He leaned in and kissed your cheek as you tried to turn away.

“It’s a shame you’re leaving tomorrow, thought we could’ve had some fun” he laughed walking back out of the room and closed the door shut.

In shock you sat there with disgust, the simple touch or his hand on your thigh making you sick to your stomach.

You couldn’t do this, you didn’t care about a damn car no matter how badly you both needed it. Quickly you got up running to the door locking it shut once again afraid he would return.

Where the hell was Joel…all you wanted to do was leave.

After what felt like forever you finally heard the door begin to unlock, your heart jumping at the sound.

“Joel?” You called out worriedly to see his face as soon as the door opened.

“Yeah, it’s me” he walked past you not noticing the panic attack you were feeling in that moment.

You watched as he fold a paper and placed it in his backpack, a knot in your throat you struggled to speak.

“Joel” you finally were able to utter a word in a soft whisper. Going through his backpack he didn’t respond not having heard your voice. You struggled to speak again, stomach turning just at the thought of your rapist knowing where you were…the fact that he came to you when you were alone..

“Joel” you spoke a little louder where he was able to hear you.

“Yea” he responded as he zipped up his bag.

“Joel…I can’t stay here another night” you blurt out.

“What?” He asked confused with your statement still not looking back.

“We’re fine here, it’s just till the afternoon’” he assured you making your panic rise.

“No, I…Joel I can’t stay here” he noticed how your voice trembled and slowly turned to you. His eyebrows furrowed once he noticed the worry in your eyes.

“What’s the matter?” He stood straight fully facing you.

“Can we just go?” You didn’t want to give the reason, you didn’t want to speak of it.

“We’re getting the car tomorrow, its just one more night-“

“Joel please” you whispered taking a deep breath making him take a step closer. He stood silent, he could tell something had terrified you.

“Somethin’ happen while I was gone?” He asked making you quickly shake your head.

“No, no just please-“ you began to hyperventilate.

“I can’t, I can’t-“ you struggled to breathe when someone knocking on the door made you run into Joels arms. Confused he looked down at you slowly placing his hands on your back sensing the true horror you felt.

“Hey, hey it’s alright, it’s alright” he whispered feeling you shake in his arms. It was like the night before, all over again only this time something in your waking life was scaring the shit out of you. The sound of another knock making you grab onto his shirt.

“Give me a minute!” He called out feeling you hide your face against his chest.

“Hey” he whispered low looking down at you but before he could say another word Edwards voice heightened your fear.

“It’s me, Edward” your eyes widened as you silently began to shake your head.

“What is it, darlin’?” Your panic not allowing you to realize the softness Joel had in his voice with concern over you. The door suddenly opening sending you rushing behind Joel.

Edward appeared at the door.

“I was just making sure you guys had what you needed” a smile Joel didn’t trust appeared on his lips as he leaned over to get a peak at you. You felt Joel’s hand reach behind you holding you against him.

Edward could see the defensive look in Joel’s eyes and wondered if you had told him anything.

“What’s wrong with her?” He asked testing what he would say.

“I got her” is all Joel responded with as Edward looked at him curiously. Not saying another word Edward took a step back giving Joel a nod before leaving the room. Joel waited until he disappeared from his site before giving your thigh a tap behind him.

“He’s gone” he assured you making you slowly peak over his shoulder to see the empty hallway that led to the room. Quickly you ran to the door shutting it closed and locking it with each lock it had.

“We need to get our stuff and get out of here now” you ran to grab your bag and his before he tried to stop you.

“Wait a minute, wait-“ he grabbed you by your arms stopping you before you grabbed anything else. Joel was struggling to understand what exactly had you so afraid of this man.

“Joel, we need to go-“

“Talk to me for a minute”

“No! There’s nothing to talk about, I am not staying here!” You screamed trying to break free from his hold.

“What the hell did he do to you?!”

“Nothing!” You tried to shake his hands off you once more but failed.

“We can’t leave without that car, we need that car if we wanna make it-“

“I don’t care! I’m not staying here with him!”

“He’s not gonna do anything to you, darlin’ I promise you that-“ you shook your head in frustration that he wasn’t understanding.

“He won’t lay a finger on you-“

“He already has!” You suddenly blurt out silencing Joel. An intense look in his eyes as he took a deep breath looking down at you.

“What did he do?” His voice was low, eerie like, suddenly he looked angry as you stood still before him.

“It was long ago” you whispered.

“Doesn’t matter” he quickly responded.

“I had told Tess, I never thought I would see him again….it was a year ago…I had nowhere to go and he said he would help me. He’s the man who raped me.” you looked down as a tear rolled down your cheek.

“Did he come in here while I was gone?” He leaned in closer. You looked up and hesitantly nodded when he abruptly walked out past you charging down the hall.

“Joel!” You called out for him trying to keep up but all Joel could see was red.

“What are you doing?!” You yelled as he kicked the door open where Marlene and Edward both were. Without warning he yanked up Edward by his collar throwing him against the wall as Marlene stood up.

“Joel what the hell are you doing?”

“Stay out of this” he looked at her with a look you had never seen and grabbed Edward once again as he struggled to get on his feet.

“Whatever she said she’s a lying bitch!” He tried to poorly defend himself causing Joel to punch him repeatedly. In shock you stood in the doorway watching it all play out, Joel had lost complete control until Edward was a bloody mess.

“Oh my god-“ you whispered.

Joel stood up and walked towards Marlene who backed up not knowing what he would do.

“Give me the fucking keys” he spoke out of breath. Not even trying to fight him she opened the drawer and tossed him the car keys before he looked back at Eduardo.

“Should be more careful of who you have workin’ for ya. Got a rapist on your hands” Joel walked out of the room without looking at you in the eye, taking your hand he led you out.

In disbelief you walked alongside him trying to keep up, at one point looking behind you.

He still wouldn’t say a word.

Joel opened the car door for you and quickly got in the drivers seat before driving off.

Speeding down the road he didn’t take his eyes off it before abruptly pulling over. You could see him though the corner of your eye turning his body fully toward you, you didn’t know what to expect.

“You don’t ever keep somethin’ like that from me again. We clear?” You nodded in silence looking down at your lap.

“We would’ve never stayed there for even one night had I know what he done to you. You ever feel unsafe again I need ya to tell me and you tell me right away”

“Yes Joel” you whispered.

Turning back towads the road he pulled off feeling he came off kind of harsh towards you which wasn’t what he wanted. Unexpectedly you felt him place his hand on your lap bringing you a sense of calmness. He slowly entangled his fingers with yours without looking your way, you had no idea what this meant but one thing was for sure..

Joel made you feel safe.

[fuckyeahisawthat]

Fully prepared for this to be a minority position but I am deeply emotionally invested in Paul and Chani not getting back together in Dune Messiah. Not just because I love angst and tragedy (I do) but because I don't think there's a way to do it without undermining the narrative and character arcs that Dune Part Two executed so well.

Paul and Chani's relationship in the Villeneuve films exists on a totally different foundation from what's in the books. It's a political love story and you simply cannot separate out the politics from the romance. Their connection starts with the politics and the love is built on top of that.

It's not just that they happen to fall in love while fighting together in an anti-colonial guerrilla war; that is why she falls in love with him. Because he is willing to take the same risks as her in fighting for her people's liberation. Not by trying to impose himself as a leader (at first) but side by side with her as comrades and equals. Let me fight beside you. That's all I'm asking. He is quite literally willing to put his body on the line for a struggle that's been with her all her life, that she cannot escape, but that he could walk away from if he chose. And in fact he proves himself to be an asset and not a liability in this struggle and they start winning. And yeah that shit's romantic as fuck!! Kudos to whoever on the writing team was like actually direct action solidarity is sexy af because they were right and they should say it! There clearly is some attraction or at least interest in Paul on Chani's part from fairly early on, but it's only after he's proven his political worth, in battle, that she allows herself to trust him on a personal level enough to begin a romantic relationship with him. (And it's only after Paul takes off the Atreides ring, the symbol of the fact that he came there to rule over her, that the narrative permits him to advance to this point.) They could have been comrades but not lovers, but never the other way around, because there's no other version of Paul that this Chani would have fallen in love with.

It's important that they meet in circumstances where Paul has no structural power over her. Chani never would have trusted the Paul who stood in the colonial palace and pledged to "honor" Stilgar by offering him hospitality on his own fucking planet. Because she would have known, just as Stilgar did, that such an offer of fellowship, no matter how genuine and well-intentioned, is not made on equal terms. It's only once Paul has been forcibly separated from his colonial privilege that they have even a chance to approach each other as human beings. (And, in a sort of dark irony, that violence becomes a bridge that connects them. That Paul is driven not by abstract power games among the Great Houses but by real grief and anger over the violent death of people he loves at the hands of the Harkonnens must surely be something Chani understands. And it builds a level of trust and empathy between them, that she doesn't have to explain the stakes of what they're fighting for. He knows it in his bones.)

It's not a coincidence that all their explicitly romantic moments are shot through with politics. Their first kiss is wrapped up in a conversation about what it means to be Fremen and I would very much like to be equal to you. (Yes, he's flirting his ass off with that line, but I do think he is sincere.) Their single post-coital scene has I'm no messiah, I'm a fedaykin of Sietch Tabr--not just a commitment to her people and her home but to her specific form of political struggle in which he is joining her. Throughout their whole relationship, the personal and the political are so interwoven as to be indistinguishable from one another.

This kind of commingling of emotional commitment to a person with political commitment to a culture/people/cause could have very easily slid into something tokenizing or fetishistic, but the writing manages to avoid that by sticking very strongly to a couple of guardrails. One, Chani is not some passive prize to be won, but an active agent of her own liberation, whether Paul is in the picture or not. She is the Fremen liberation struggle within the political allegory of the film; she is its voice and embodiment from the moment we meet her. On a character level, she is doing her thing and it's up to Paul to either follow or get out of the way. Even though we know he is afraid of her dying, he never once suggests she leave the front lines of armed struggle (can you imagine?) because that struggle is such a fundamental part of who she is and what he loves about her.

Two--and this one is important for what comes next--the narrative never trivializes the political side of their relationship in favor of the romantic. The second Paul reaches for any kind of power over the Fremen, over Chani, the trust between them is broken and the romance cannot continue. She might still love him as a person--you don't just turn that off--but she cannot be in love with him as the Lisan al-Gaib, fulfillment of a false prophecy she hates; as the Duke of Arrakis, her colonial overlord; or as the Emperor of the Known Universe, overlord of her overlord. As soon as he pulls that shit he is just another colonizer and she's done with him.

And like, kudos to the narrative for being absolutely uncompromising on that point! That's what makes both the political allegory and the personal tragedy hit so hard! Paul, bro, you fucked that one up good and now you are Experiencing a Consequence! I LOVE that in the end, love isn't enough. All the love in the world isn't enough to keep Chani from walking out at the end of the film, because the foundation that love is built on is broken and cannot be repaired.

(I do believe that by the time he is declaring himself Emperor, Paul thinks he has no choice, that this is the only way to save the people he loves from any number of worse fates. But that, too, is a betrayal, of a kind I don't think Paul fully understands. Because either you think the Fremen are capable of governing their own planet or you don't. Deciding unilaterally that having a "friendly" imperialist in power is the best you can hope for is a profound denial of the agency of the people Paul claims to be doing this in the name of. It's either paternalism or despair, and neither are acceptable modes of thinking for a serious revolutionary. Chani would tell you as much.)

The thing with making a bold writing choice like that is that...you cannot then walk it back in the next film with Chani choosing to forgive Paul or coming around to seeing the world his way and understanding that yes it's politically unsavory and he's manipulating the people he said he was in solidarity with but this was the only way! If you do that then the whole framework of what the first two films are trying to say about power and imperialism and resistance and solidarity collapses into incoherence. On a thematic level Dune Messiah is all about the consequences of Paul taking power the way he did and these are the consequences.

And on a character level...I just don't see any way to come back from such a deep betrayal. Even if some part of Chani still loves him. Even if she's pregnant with his child(ren). (We have like, zero information about how movie Chani feels about family and pregnancy and childrearing that would indicate that she would care one bit about her children's biological father being involved in their lives when he is otherwise busy being a space dictator.)

There are several categories of scenarios I can think of to get Paul and Chani interacting again (she goes back to him as a spy/assassin; she's brought back to the palace under some sort of duress, "for her safety" or even as a political prisoner) but none of them involve them being genuinely together as a couple. I could also see them not interacting at all for most of Dune Messiah. What I cannot see is any scenario in which she genuinely forgives him or ever fucking trusts him again. That shit is over and there's no getting it back.

[rraaaannnn]

summary~ Just two people who like to tease each other and deny their love for each other

“I don’t know why I always somehow get stuck with you.” Hanni says with obvious annoyance as she tries to walk without bumping into one of the random people dancing at the party. “Hey, don’t move suddenly,MY WRIST HURTS!” You say while parting your cuffed wrist

You and your group of friends were playing a game and it ended with you and Hani being punished by coming to the party in handcuffs.

Hanni walked as if she wasn't handcuffed with you, ignoring the sounds of your pain as you followed her. “Uh ouch, uh-oh, hey, excuse me for bumping into you.” She bumps into Hanni's back after stopping suddenly, giving you side eyes. She reaches the drinks table.

“Don't tell me you're going to get drunk while we're stuck like this,” you say between us, still standing behind her because the place is crowded, “I just want to get through the day quickly.” Hanni says annoyed, but changes her expression to give the waiter a smile.

Now Hanni is leaning on the table and facing you while holding the cup. The position does not help you move away from her, but you move closer. “Thank you - you didn’t get me a cup?” You say in slight frustration when you thought the cup in her hand was yours. Which makes Hanni lean in. She nodded and smiled a fake smile and brought the cup closer to her mouth, “You are old enough to do that…”

Hanni notices one of her friends she knows sitting, so you go to her to hug her and chat while you follow her as if you were a duck. Hanni continues chatting with her friend and notice that she is starting to lean on the table again, so she tries to move away a little to bring a nearby chair, which is a little difficult for you to pull with one hand. She tries to pull it out without disturbing Hanni

Finally, you can approach the bar stool. You raise your head while pointing with your eyes to Hanni. She looks behind her and sees the chair and understands you. Hanni sits down to continue the conversation with her friend. She has always served Hanni without asking you. You feel that you just want to serve her even if she does not ask you. If you do, you have been helping her ever since you knew her. You just always have a feeling that you want to serve her

You remain standing as you look at Hanni and her friend and then look away at the crowded people. “So… who is this girl and what are you handcuffed to?” Hanni’s friend asks while whispering to her and looking back at you. “Girl, it’s punishment for a challenge we were playing.With our group of friends. She lost and chose me to be stuck with her.” Hanni explains and drinks again. "she's perfect!" Her friend says loudly, making you look at them for a moment and then look somewhere else again

“PERFEKT! How so?”Hanni asks her friend as her eyes widen and then continues, “She actually chose me to be punished with her!” Hanni also says in disbelief to her friend, “Stop acting like that, I know you like it.” Her friend winks as she drinks, making Hanni roll her eyes and look at you while you are still standing. Watch the public celebrate

You turn around and come closer to make her hear you. “Our friends are waiting there. Let’s go.” You say while smiling politely at her friend. After Hanni said goodbye to her friend, she is now the one behind, following you. You stop when there is a big crowd in front of you. “We have to dive into this crowd.”you says. As you tilt your head back slightly to look at Hanni

You keep looking at her while holds your handcuffed hand in hers and see her reaction while a slight smile appears on your face, which Hanni always found annoying, “Ugh, just stop looking at me with your annoying smile, walk away.” Hanni keeps her hands dangling without holding you, but at least she allows you to hold them.

Your body comes into contact with the bodies of random strangers as you push yourself through the crowd to arrive, and while you stop from time to time as the crowding intensifies, your hand does not leave Hanni’s hand, and now you are standing a little in the crowd so that you can pass through. There are now empty spaces, but it takes a lot of time. So you feel Hanni's head leaning against your back

You always smiles at her cute interactions, even if she is sussy with you all the time

You finally arrive at your friends' drinks table and of course they won't be without teasing you and Hanni about your loss in the challenge with your hands in handcuffs. Hanni sits on the leather chair and you sit on the edge and then they start chatting.

“Oh Hanni, look it's Jake. He's the guy who's crushing on you.” One of your friends warned Hanni while pointing at Jake so Hanni could see him. “You should go and talk to him and give him your number…it'll be fun having Yn with you.” Her friends laugh as Hanni looks at the handsome boy, While giving, you are judging him strongly with your looks. “I like his style. He is more handsome in life than in pictures.” Hanni says with a smug smile, more caused by you and not the boy. “Are you looking at his pictures?” she asks while now looking while judging her more.

Hanni rolls her eyes in amusement and ignores you. “Of course I'll go to him if one of the idiots doesn't have my hands handcuffed with her.” Your friends laugh at Hanni's comment while you look at Jake condescendingly, even though the poor boy doesn't know how many insults you've said to him inside your mind. “He's wearing… Denim like me, although my style is undoubtedly better than his,” you say confidently

“SHUT UP You are literally an idiot, thinking about embarrassing myself in front of him because you are with me is enough for today!”

Hanni carefully applies lipstick to her puffy lip. It's the first time today that she feels free without you. Yn told her friends that she wants to use the toilet, so her friends agreed to remove the handcuffs until she gets out of the toilet, and then handcuff her when she's done.

Yn finally comes out now, looking at Hanni as she puts on lipstick. “How long are you just going to stare?” Hanni asks, raising an eyebrow while her lip rises slightly into a smirk. Yn approaches while holding her chin so that your thumb reaches the edge of her lip to fix the lipstick. After Yn finishes From fixing Hanni's lipstick, Hanni extends her hand and dangles it as if you were going to put a ring on her finger while she looks bored at you, "I think my rest time is over."

Hanni feels your hand holding her hand but she doesn't point to the handcuffs, and now she doesn't feel your hand so she looks at you now with a little confusion, "It's your chance…" You say quietly, "hmm what?" Hanni now asks with more confusion, "You can be free from me, go and do whatever you want before we return to our friends and lock the handcuffs”

“Ah-o-right” Hanni says clearly not wanting to leave you, you go out first

“And this is your drink…” The boy, Jake, held out the drink to give it to Hanni, who didn’t seem to pay any attention to it. Look at Yn, who was standing with a drink in her hand while looking at people dancing, “Hanni…Hanni!” Jake calls out to Hanni, making her finally pay attention to him after she was focused on you and there is a frown on her face. “Are you okay?” Jake asks Hanni after she takes the drink from his hand. “Yes…thank you.” Hanni gives Jake a quick smile after him. She takes a glimpse at you and then focuses With Jake though she didn't really care what he said

She moots her lips while thinking of you, because she wanted to stay with you even if she pretended to hate it. She is angry that you left her even though she didn't love you. Hanni doesn't need to talk about her feelings and be sweet to you because you always treated her like a princess. And now this princess is angry. And she's frowning because you left her

The universe doesn't revolve around Hanni, but Hanni thinks you revolve around her

And you think if anyone should take the blame for Hanni's behavior towards you, then you are to blame because you spoiled her.Hanni really starts to listen to Jake. She tries to ignore the thoughts running through her mind. It's your loss. This is what Hanni convinces herself.

Hanni laughs at a joke Jake told and as she laughs she catches a glimpse of Yn who is trying to help a drunk girl. This makes her expression drop. What the hell are you trying to do!

You are holding the girl's waist while the girl's arm is on your shoulder and you are trying to help her walk. All Hanni feels is heat gathering in her forehead. How could you do something so impudent?

Hanni is fighting her demons as she looks at the way you lower the girl's arm to hold her tightly around her waist and sit her on a pedestal so that she does not stumble because she is not conscious.You are now holding the girl's hand to place on the water bottle in order to hold it correctly. That’s should be her.The final blow to Hanni was when she saw you wiping your sleeve over the girl's mouth after some water slipped down her chin. Hanni's demons won.

While Yn was helping the poor girl, she noticed one of the drunk girl's friends thanking her as she approached to help her friend. Yn felt something closing in on her hand. Yn looked to the side to see a girl with her familiar blonde hair, HANNI?

You notice that Hanni has put the handcuffs back on your hand with her hand clasped together. As Hanni holds on to your arm, “Did our friends caught you?” you ask, confused, excited that you are stuck with her again. “No, they didn’t…but I caught you! What the hell are you doing with this girl?” Hanni says. She's upset, but she doesn't let go of your arm. “What…? She needed help.”

" such a gentlwoman” Hanni narrows her eyes at you

“Did he reject you? That's why you're venting your anger on me as usual.” You say muttering as you walk slowly to the bar, before Hanni grabs your arm that she's clinging to. “He doesn't dare reject me, and I'm not done talking either. You can't walk while I'm in the middle of talking.”

“What the hell do you want from me, HANNI!” you start, furrowing your brow in annoyance. “You…”

Your eyebrows furrow more at the girl clinging to your arm, while she now looks at your lips, her eyes shaking.

"Huh?" You swear if this was just one of Hanni's sarcasm, "But it seems that I didn't leave you for ten minutes without you starting to spoil another girl who wasn't me." Hanni's lips begin to frown slightly as she briefly looks into your eyes and then returns them to your lips.

“How about we leave the girl and start explaining what is happening now” you say controlling your brain’s ridiculous assumptions “I will be happy to explain it correctly” Hanni pulls you away from the bar and the party in a big way and as she walks with you in a movie she holds your hand instead of your arm you stop her after she You arrived at an empty space, “Stop here, and explain to-” You are interrupted by Hanni pushing your chest against the wall and connecting your lips together in a thirsty kiss.

It takes you seconds for your mind to realize what is happening to her sharing the same kiss with the same rhyme

After the taste of drinks and some lip balm, the taste of her lips that you had always longed to taste

Her soft, full lips circling yours

And now you can feel her hand cuffed with you and her fingers wrapping around your fingers and getting stronger the more deeply she kisses you, until she presses her hand against your hand against the wall. She leaves the kiss in need of some oxygen, but it seems that she cannot bear to stay away from your lips, so she decides to complete it.started it down to your jaw line

You moan lightly, feeling the heat spread throughout your entire body. You mumble, “Hanni…” and she mumbles in response against your lips.

While your second hand is busy with Hanni's hand against the wall, you find it soft to Hanni's waist and then to her back to press her curvy body to yours to bring her closer to you.

“Hanni, what about him?” You stopped the kiss, making Hanni say in frustration, “What about him? There’s nothing about him! I want you…just you and me kissing you explains how much I want you, Yn.” Hanni’s voice gradually lowered as she now looked at you softly.

Shifting your position, Hanni's back was against the wall, placing slow kisses on her cheeks while smiling, "Did you do all this because you were jealous?" A smug smile appears on your face, “Act as if you weren't also jealous of Jake before.” Hanni responds with a smug smile, “Hmm, that's right, let jealousy live if it gets us to the point of kissing each other.” Hanni giggles, then returns your lips to hers, and it's your turn to kiss her against the wall. After When you two finish kissing, you place your forehead on Hanni's forehead

"Let's go on a date, now!" You say eagerly, making Hanni giggle again as she wraps her arms around your shoulders. “Where to?”

“My house…I will make you pasta with steak.”

"Did you forget that our hands are in handcuffs?" "Aren't you going to help me?" “No, I want to be spoiled!”

You cut her off with a quick kiss, “I want to make you spoiled for the rest of your life, even if it means cutting my wrists.”

"Let's not-"

You and Hanni ended up cuddling after dinner, sleeping on the living room sofa

——

Something from draft a long time ago that I decided to post randomly

[starshipsofstarlord]

Possession

klaus mikaelson works other tvd works masterlist

Summary -> klaus hates watching you talk with another man, even if it is his brother. and it his duty as the man that owns you to remind you of whom you belong to (1.4k)

Warnings -> 18+ minors dni, smut, fingering, unprotected sex, possessiveness, some toxicity, jealousy, brief mentions of death and turning, crying

Venom was poised on Klaus’ tongue as he watched his beloved, glaring daggers at her form as she watched Y/N laugh at something dismal that one of his brothers had said. She was supposed to remember that she belonged to him, she was his mere little human that was his own personal slave for affection.

He sat there, nostrils flaring, as he sipped out of the rich flute, placing it upon the side table before he hauled himself to his feet, stalking toward his girl. She was his, and she wasn’t allowed to forget that, he didn’t care if she was just being friendly, any niceties were reserved for him alone. Elijah sensed the homicidal distress radiating from his sibling, and chose it best to remain by Y/N’s side as Niklaus reached them. “Brother.” He greeted him, bowing his head respectively at the younger one of their family.

Despite the politeness, Klaus wished to scorn the smile that Elijah had caused from Y/N’s face; he had grown more possessive since becoming a hybrid and unlocking his werewolf side. “Get away from my woman, now.” He spoke slowly, reaching towards Y/N and dragging her into his arms as she gently shook. “It’s okay love, I’m here now. Cling to me all you want.”

And she did, her hands balling up the fabric of his shirt as her face rested lowly on his chest, remaining silent as Klaus forbade his brother from sharing the presence of them both in his art room. Because she was his little masterpiece that he had trained to mould around himself, he raised her chin so she was forced to look up at him, their eyes strongly meeting. Y/N knew that she would be in trouble if she broke the visual contact, she had to obey him, he was the one that controlled this relationship, and most times than not her too.

“You belong to me, do you understand that Y/N?” His interrogative enquiry made her physically gulp, but respectfully she nodded at the Original, allowing him to cradle her jaw in his powerful hands until they drifted down her neck, posing a little pressure to the area. “That’s my good girl.” He praised her, which made her utter an almost inaudible whimper, that made him smirk to himself. Oh, how he should have made Elijah stay so that he could witness how she folded under his demeanour, and how she knew that she was all his.

“Klaus.”

“That’s right, I want that to be the only name that every slips out from your pretty mouth.” He responded, leading her backwards until her back hit a wet canvas, the stroke of his artistic touch adorning the back of her clothing. “Can you do that love, can you only say my name for all eternity.” He still had yet to turn her, he was waiting until they were both ready for that level of commitment, but for now he was content looming above her, blocking her shadow from the eyes of anyone else.

“Yes. Of course, it shan’t be a problem.” He allowed her hands to trail up upon his shoulders, he walked his stature farther into her, trapping her against the material of the splattered canvas. “That’s my girl.” He smiled adoringly at her, meeting her lips lightly with his own before his actions escalated, and he grew hungrier for her touch. His tongue swept within her gasping mouth, holding her still so that he could execute his calculated attack.

Without need of any compliance from his little object, he raised her dress over her head, finding her completely nude underneath, just the way that he liked her to be. And perhaps that was a reason of many as to why he was startled by the sight of her and Elijah harmlessly conversing. He knew that whenever he wanted, her body was conveniently always prepared for him to take her as he pleased, and that was exactly what he intended to do.

Klaus tossed off his long sleeved shirt, exploiting his exterior to his girl who could only trail her hand down his toned stomach, but he grasped her wrist, shoving it away as he continued to strip down to his birthday suit. And now they were both undressed and ready for what he wanted, Y/N moaned surprised yet not by how he effortlessly hoisted her into his arms, and swooned her body against the wall beside them, his fingertips slipping down and down until they were teasing at her wet entrance.

They easily glided into Y/N’s walls, probing her insides with his long digits, two precisely, as he rested his nose into the crook of her neck, smelling how her blood boiled with arousal and finding it relaxing at how her pulse harshly raised from the contact he granted her with. “Look at how ready your body always is for me, it’s like you were made for me. My pretty little thing.” His words did something to Y/N, made her insides twist as he supplied her with the most sufficient way that he could show her his love.

A whine tore out from Y/N’s throat as he respectfully removed his fingers, leaving her feel empty and dismal in his predator like grasp. However the emptiness was soon filled as he pushed his cock into her cunt, stretching her until she felt perfectly full. It must have been some sick joke, he thought to himself and hid his deviant chuckle in the rasp of a groan; it was really as though his mother had endured she was born into the world in the time he needed her most. He was all he wanted, and it was his duty to ensure that Y/N felt the same way about him.

If she didn’t then there would be nothing to stop all hell from breaking loose, sincerely by the hybrid of course. But he was convinced he had nothing to worry about considering the present as he fucked her without an inkling of guilt or compassion for the fact that one day he would make her like him. “Klaus, holy fuck.” Her head collided back into the wall, no doubt giving her an ache within her head, but he only found it that much more attractive as she became significantly more dazed from the hit on her noggin and the strength behind his starved thrusts.

“Hardly holy.” Klaus corrected her, he was the deepest sin that she had ever committed, and ever would. She was wrapped around him like a shawl, clinging onto dear life until she allowed him to take the humanity of it away. She passionately kissed his neck, biting it as though she was growing her vampiric appetite before she actually turned. “Though your cunt feels like heaven.” He muttered, smirking as he thought that nobody would every see her in this state. This was his Y/N, the goddess of his greediest desires, and he would never allow her to slip away.

“Can I cum, Klaus, please?” There were tears of diamond stimulation in Y/N’s gorgeous eyes, it was as though she was compelled by his swift and jarring movements, pleading for his permission to let her release the sparking build up that was daring to explode within her body. “Please, please, please. Want to cum all over your perfect cock.” Oh did she now? Well that was no surprise, it never was, and she always held it together until he allowed her to release, as she knew the consequences if she didn’t. It wasn’t her orgasm, it belonged to him, and she wasn’t allowed it unless he granted her the lustful wish that was laced elegantly in her mind.

“Cum for me Y/N, I want to feel you cum all over me love.” Not even an instant passed and he felt her walls contract gratefully around him, washing her everlasting attraction for the man that owned her onto his length. Once she had finished her orgasmic bliss, he only fucked her harder, causing tears to dribble from her eyes, not stopping until he filled her to the hilt and emptied his cum deep within her. And although they had both finished he refused to put Y/N down, he just wanted to hold her, in this haven alone, sweetly stroking her hair as he thought that he was the luckiest man undead. He had her, and she was all his.

[lh44girl]

“You Are My Everything”

The night was cold and quiet, the snowy Swiss landscape outside framed by the large windows of the cozy living room. You sat curled up on the couch, your knees drawn to your chest, staring blankly at the fire crackling in the hearth. A heaviness had settled over you—a weight you’d been carrying for days, unable to shake.

Lewis walked in, fresh from his shower, his sweatpants hanging low on his hips and a simple white T-shirt clinging to his chest. He stopped when he saw you, the worry in his eyes immediate and deep.

“Hey,” he said softly, coming to sit beside you. His hand found your leg, a gentle, grounding touch. “You’ve been quiet lately. What’s going on, love?”

You hesitated, chewing your lip as you tried to find the words. Finally, you let out a shaky breath. “I’ve been thinking… maybe I don’t deserve to be part of your life.”

Lewis blinked, his brow furrowing. “What? Where is this coming from?”

Tears welled in your eyes, but you pushed on. “I’m not… enough. I’m not great enough for someone like you. You’ve achieved so much, Lewis—things people can only dream of. You’ve made history. You’re admired by millions. And I… I’m just me. I don’t belong in your world.”

His face softened, but you could see the pain in his eyes as you continued. “Even your friends… I can feel it sometimes, the doubt in their eyes. Like they’re wondering why I’m here. Why you chose me. I can’t help but think they’re right.”

Lewis shifted closer, taking your hands in his. “Stop,” he said, his voice low but firm. “Don’t do this to yourself. Don’t let those doubts take root.”

“But it’s true,” you whispered, tears spilling over. “You deserve someone who matches your greatness, someone who was there for every victory, every milestone. I wasn’t there for any of it. And now, I feel like an imposter—like I don’t have the right to stand beside you.”

Lewis’s grip on your hands tightened, and he tilted your chin up so your eyes met his. “Listen to me,” he said, his voice steady but filled with emotion. “You are not an imposter. You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Do you understand that?”

Your tears fell faster, and he reached up to brush them away with his thumb. “I’ve spent my life surrounded by people who care about what I can give them—fame, money, access. But you… you don’t care about any of that. You see me for who I am. You see the man I’ve become, not the mistakes I’ve made or the titles I’ve won. And you love me anyway. That’s rare, so rare. Do you know how special that makes you?”

You shook your head, your voice trembling. “It doesn’t feel like enough.”

Lewis leaned closer, his forehead resting against yours. “You are more than enough. You’re everything. My parents—they’ve never agreed on anything easily, but the one thing they told me was this: ‘Never let her go. She might be the best thing that ever happens to you.’”

Your breath caught in your throat as he continued. “They see it. They see what I see—that you make me better. That you’ve given me a kind of love and peace I didn’t think I’d ever find. I don’t care what anyone else thinks—friends, fans, whoever. This is about you and me. And I will spend every single day proving to you that you belong in my life, that I want you in my life, because I can’t imagine it without you.”

A sob escaped you, and Lewis pulled you into his arms, holding you tightly. “Don’t doubt us,” he murmured into your hair. “Please, don’t doubt what we have.”

You clung to him, your heart swelling with love and gratitude. He pulled back just enough to look into your eyes, his hands cradling your face. “I love you,” he said, his voice breaking slightly. “You’re my everything.”

Before you could respond, his lips captured yours in a deep, soul-stirring kiss. It wasn’t just a kiss—it was a promise, a vow. His hands slid down to your waist, pulling you closer as the kiss deepened, his love for you pouring into every touch.

When he finally pulled away, his forehead rested against yours, his eyes searching yours. “Do you feel it?” he asked softly. “How much I love you?”

“I do,” you whispered, tears still glistening in your eyes.

He smiled, warm and tender, as he lifted you into his arms and carried you toward the bedroom. “Then let me show you,” he said, his voice filled with love and devotion. “Let me remind you how much you mean to me, over and over again.”

And as the night unfolded, he did just that, making sure you never doubted your place in his heart again.

[nadas-dirthalen]

I Saw Solas's Origin in an Achievement Icon and It Opened My Eyes on 15 Years of Lore

— PART ONE —

[ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ] [ 5 ] [ 6 ] [ 7 ] [ 8 ] [ 9 ] [ 10 ]

Welcome, friends and travelers! I wanted to get some thoughts recorded before Veilguard's release so I could see if I am right about an absolute BOATLOAD of theories I have.

In short: I saw the achievement list when it was released. I have seen the backstory hints for Solas included in said list. AND MY MIND WAS BLOWN.

You have been warned: THIS COLLECTION OF THEORIES INCLUDES SPOILERS FOR EVERY DRAGON AGE GAME AND ALL PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL UP TO AND INCLUDING OCTOBER 18, 2024.

Come sit down with me. Make a nice cup of tea (and hide it from Solas). We've got a lot of unpacking to do.

(this photo isn't the spoiler, I just like it.)

On the docket for this post:

What are we actually seeing?

So what does that... mean?

Previous hints to this origin

What this implies for Solas's past and present

SO, without further ado...!

What Are We Actually Seeing?

So. First we need to briefly go over the details of what is IN this image, before anything else.

This memory is called Manifestation. That's as close to the word "Origin" as I've ever heard. Whatever we find here, it's going to tell us where Solas came from.

And what we do find had blown my mind wide open.

We see that the figure displayed is embedded in a stone ceiling. Its branches extend deep into the stone. It also has what looks (to us) like a tail extending below the ceiling, into the open space below. The tail also fans out into branches, like a long and bending twig. What does this remind me of?

Lyrium. Always depicted as coming out from The Stone, bending like twigs and branches into open air. We know now, Lyrium is the blood of the Titans.

The achievement icon's figure has six eyes at the top center, as well. And you know what those remind me of?

The Dread Wolf.

Put those together, and I have concluded: Solas was originally a part of a Titan. He was removed from this Titan and given physical shape.

So What Does This... Mean?

If we confirm that Solas is Titan-born, there are unending implications (and that's why this big collection of theories has six parts). For now, I'll go over the absolute most basic ones.

Solas has connections to a Titan, which has implications for his history, his magic, and every single one of his motivations and his relationships.

Solas was likely created/mined/taken/inspired by Mythal (more on that later). That means that she is the reason he has a body at all, and informs a lot of things about their relationship and, again, Solas's motivations.

Everything we know about the elves and the Evanuris has evolved. If everything they've done is related to the Titans, then every dwarf main is about to be screaming in glee during Veilguard.

Everything we know about the entire history of Thedas has new context. Again, hell yeah for everyone who wanted more dwarf/Titan lore!!

Understanding Solas's origin story is understanding Solas himself. Not only that, but the world he came from. Not only what he's doing now, but every historical reason behind why he chose to do what he has been doing all along.

In short, our entire understanding of Thedas has changed, because we know how one of its oldest beings came to be.

If all that seems like a lot right now, that's because it is. But think about it. Fen'Harel was the god who could walk among both godly clans. The one who could imprison both sets, away from each other.

Knowing what he comes from tells us a LOT about why "both clans" thought he belonged to them. It tells us a LOT about who—and what—he is taking into consideration with his plans to tear down the Veil.

Oh, yeah. We're going to be talking about everything in Thedas.

Previous Hints to This Origin: This Was Always BioWare's Intention

So many people have been calling Veilguard a "reset" on Thedas lore. And regardless of your opinion on the worldstate choices, I will say this: absolutely none of Solas's lore is a retcon. Having just played DA:O and DA2 over the summer, in addition to several playthroughs of Inquisition, in addition to reading Tevinter Nights, The Missing, and both volumes of World of Thedas, I can say with certainty: there have been little hints placed for this reveal over all 15 years.

Yes, I will be dissecting most of these as we go on.

NOTE: This is not a 100% exhaustive list, especially by the time we get to DA:I!

Origins:

the earliest Fen'Harel lore: Fen'Harel walked between both clans of gods, for each of them believed him to be one of their own.

Oghren remarks that the Temple of Sacred Ashes is built around a lot of lyrium, and suggests (perhaps falsely) that that is why the Sacred Ashes of Andraste have healing powers

DA2:

literally Mythal is there, guys. she's there right in the prologue. of course DA2 was also an Evanuris game!! they ALL are!

the focus on the lyrium idol: being the Titans' blood, and being used so extensively in Veilguard (as the dagger) after its mention in Tevinter Nights (where Solas was looking for it and called it "my idol"), my assumption is it has always been a part of him or related to his Titan

red lyrium in general: showing us its effects, setting up the reveal for what it is in Inquisition

Corypheus' appearance in DA2, and how BioWare brought Corypheus in just so the player could see, without a doubt, that Hawke killed Corypheus. This was always meant to be a "HUH?" moment in Inquisition, where the player would see that Corypheus did, in fact, fully come back to life—opening up the door for future questions on how immortality is possible in Thedas

every Merrill mention of Fen'Harel, and having the legend from previous Dalish codices and Fen'Harel statues be placed in dialogue from her personal quest, where far fewer players would miss it or accidentally overlook it

taken together: everything having to do with Corypheus and lyrium in DA2 was preparation for us to establish a connection between lyrium, the Evanuris, immortality, and the blight in DAI.

Inquisition:

Cole's dialogue. Here's just a few lines: (at the lyrium coffins in Trespasser) "They're all singing. Coffers, coffins, corpses that aren't dead. A song crying out in the dark." // (telling Dorian why he doesn't need to eat) "I thought I had to. But I don't. The Old Songs can pull me." // (about wanting to be bound as a spirit) "You should ask Solas to bind you, too. And then someone can bind him."

Also this Cole/Solas exchange:

The entire Well of Sorrows quest. Lyrium, once refined, is a liquid. The Well of Sorrows houses memory: the memories of all who pledged themselves to it.

Solas' dialogue with Sera includes him saying elvish phrases that translate, loosely, to Titan-esque things (more about that in a later post!)

The insight we get into Templar and Seeker magic. Notably, Cole remarks over and over how it's connecting to "that other thing" (Titan magic, presumably) that counters mages' Fade magic. (ex: "The lyrium helps, but their bodies always want to connect to… something older. Bigger than they are. That's why they block magic. They reach for that other thing, and magic has no room to come in.")

Every Vir Dirthara codex has something to do with either lyrium, slain Titans, or that "other" magic (coming from the Pillars of the Earth).

The lullaby found in the Deep Roads in Trespasser is actually an elven explanation of Solas's origin. (more on that in a later post!)

External Media:

Solas calls it HIS red lyrium idol in Tevinter Nights. When the Dread Wolf descends upon the Mortalitasi, he says "MY lyrium idol."

Solas speaks to the Eye of Kethisca, presumably made of lyrium, in Vows & Vengeance Episode 1. The Eye then stops singing.

There is more in this list than I have posted! Much of it requires other explanations and context, however, and would not fit neatly in this list.

What This Implies for Solas's Past and Present

Past:

I think Solas's origination as part of a Titan has HUGE implications for the entire elvhen empire.

I think all of the Evanuris did Lyrium Crimes™, and they can be identified when we look at their vallaslin (later post!)

I also believe that Dirthamen/Falon'Din were originally also split by Elgar'nan, and it is very possible that they are the same kind of "spirit" as Solas.

I think this has huge implications for his relationship with Mythal.

I think that if Solas shares his lyrium/Titan-based lineage with any elves (as possibly evidenced by the lyrium coffins in the Deep Roads), then his rebellion might take root in how many elvhen may not have asked to be born.

I don't think he had to absorb magic from Mythal to get his powers. If anything, he may have been getting those abilities back.

Present:

I think that the Titans may have been injured/sundered when Solas created the Veil, and that is why they forget how to wake up.

I think the Titans, therefore, are the Forgotten Ones.

I think Solas wants to tear down the Veil to wake the Titans.

BIIIIIGGGG Blight implications, seeing as red lyrium is the blood of blighted Titans.

I think, if Solas dies, he may be "returned to the Stone" in the same way we saw in the Descent DLC.

But ALSO? I think this has the potential to explain a LOT of the lore we've been questioning for the last 15 years. And that is why this post is scheduled to have 6 parts by the time I'm through.

Stay tuned. <3

Up Next: (Almost) Every Hint the Elvish Language Gave Us About Solas's Origin

[enbyfvcker]

[Through the phone]

Wade Wilson x Logan (worst!wolverine)

Word count: 1,4k

Summary/prompt: Logan isn't used to this technology thing, but he lets Wade gift him a phone to make him happy. Turns out he finds rather... enticing ways to use his new phone when Wade's away on a job and he's feeling extra needy.

Tags: Smut, established relationship, sub/dom undertones, soft!dom Wade, masturbation, praise kink, phone sex, Logan likes being talked through it.

Wade liked to drag Logan along with him for shopping like he usually does after receiving from his mercenary jobs. He liked spoiling his little kitty cat and buying him stuff.

Logan would say 'no' at first, but then Wade would insist and insist, and well, he was mostly bored anyway, so he eventually gives in. When it comes to Wade, Logan usually gives in.

They were both in their civvies: Logan wearing denim pants, a wife pleaser, and a flannel. All his clothes were bought by Wade after he moved in. He apparently seemed to know what Logan likes or not.

Wade was wearing a hoodie and with the hood over his head. Logan noticed that the merc still wasn't fully in his comfort zone when he went out in public without his suit because of his appearance. But he seemed to deal better with it - with all the stares - when Logan was there by his side.

Wade was strolling around with the cart filled with things (variating from cleaning products, towels, food, unicorm plushies...) while Logan follows behind him, his hands in his pockets.

Wade comes to a stop when they pass over the eletronics session, looking at all the mobiles on display.

"Hey, peanut?"

"Hm."

"You don't really have a phone, do you? Wanna pick one?" Wade asks with a grin.

"Why?"

"Well, isn't it inconvenient?"

"Not really... I can't think of a situation where I would need one. And I'm also not really good with... Technology and stuff."

"Oh, okay..." Wade pouts like a hurt child, and Logan rolls his eyes.

"What?"

"Well, what if you miss me one day when I'm out for a job and wanna talk to me? You could also always text Laura to check up on her sometimes." Wade suggests and gives a dramatic sigh. "But well, if you don't want it..."

Logan considers for a moment and grunts lowly as he walks to the phones on display and tries to pick one. Wade watches with sparkling eyes and a grin.

He didn't really know the difference between the damn things. There were so many models, so he just chose a random one and placed it in the cart.

"There."

"Yay! Can't wait to introduce you to the technology world. You might wanna stay away from Ao3, though... there's some pretty nasty stuff in there. I mean, I love 'em, don't get me wrong. But I don't think you'd be pleased with what our fans fantasize about us."

"The fuck are you talking about?" Logan asks with an raised eyebrow. He was used to Wade saying weird shit like that. Honestly, he should just stop trying to understand the guy.

"Nothing, princess! Let's check out, shall we?"

...

It took some teaching from Wade for Logan to understand how to use his new phone. He didn't really use it much, though. But Wade was right. It was nice being able to talk to Laura and hear about how she's doing more often. They would meet and hang out every couple week, but her life seemed pretty busy after she started college. So now they could always call each other to catch up.

Wade was also right about... Well, the other part.

Usually, Logan would come along with Wade to help with any missions, but sometimes Wade would just go alone.

It was dark outside already, and it has been some hours since Wade wasn't home. Times like that, when he’s bored and lonely, he craves a drink more than anything. It was really damn hard trying to stay sober.

He walks to Wade's room and lies on his stomach on the bed, grunting with a soft rumble on his chest.

He missed Wade.

God, he can't believe it.

The apartment was finally silent for once, and he missed Wade's stupid voice.

He feels ridiculous.

Logan sniffs on the pillows, smelling Wade's scent. He smelled like gun powder and strawberry lotion. He feels his cock harden at the scent and he groans with frustration, his cheeks a soft blush and his eyebrows furrowed. His fists clenches as he starts to rut slowly against he matress, feeling completely pathetic.

It wasn't enough.

He takes his phone from his pocket and turns on his back, dialing the third contact from alphabetic order from his list.

He only has 3:

Althea

Laura

Wade

It rings and rings, and Logan almost just cancels the call, but then he hears Wade's voice.

"Hi, peanut. Missing me already? I do, too, honey- Motherfucker! Have some manners, can't you see I'm on the phone!" Wade grunts in pain over the line after apparently taking a couple shots.

"Is this not a good time?" Logan asks with a low voice, his hand moving down his own abdomen.

"No, no, baby girl. I always have time for you." Logan feels his cock twitching at Wade's words, his breathing getting more elaborated. He could hear Wade grunting, probably in the middle of a fight. "Don't worry, as I soon as I wrap this up, I'm coming home to you, kitten."

Logan usually scowl and reprimanded Wade at the pet names he usually uses, but Wade could hear softs gasps over the line so quietly he almost misses it, and if he had any eyebrows, they'd be raised.

"Don't take long." Logan whispers, his voice hoarse as he palms himself over his boxers.

"What are you doing?" Wade asks with a clear grin on his voice, and Logan hears a few shotguns and screams.

"Talking to you." Logan replies bluntly. He couldn't help but let out a soft moan when he slipped his hand under his underwear to touch himself properly. He gives a couple slow strokes, biting his lip strongly enough to draw blood.

"Nothing more?"

"No..."

"Oh, my little honey badger, you're a terrible liar." Wade accuses, making Logan's cheeks flush harder. "Are you that needy, hm? Kitty can't wait for me to get home?"

Wade doesn't receive a response, only desperate whimpers that were clearly escaping through bitten lips. He runs his katana through a couple of criminals and chuckles to himself.

"So cute, princess. You just needed to hear my voice, didn't you? I bet you must be dripping all over my bed right now. Bad boy... Gotta train you to learn and wait for me."

"Wade..." Logan grunts, his hand moving faster at a steady rhythm, his eyes shut tightly as he imagines it is Wade's scarred hands on him. He rubs his thumb over his tip and whines.

"It's okay, baby. I'll let it slide this time. Be a good kitty and make yourself feel good, yes? You sound so pretty."

Logan moans louder at the praise, his cock twitching and leaking pre cum into his fingers. He starts rutting his hips up, fucking his fist at a desperate pace.

"Keep talking..." Logan half begs half commands, making Wade smirk under his mask as he dodges from a chair that hit the wall behind him.

"You know, for someone who's always telling me to shut up, you sure sound quite desperate for it right now. I know you love it, kitten, even if you won't admit it. I know you love hearing me say how good you are for me, how pretty you look when you're all messy and pliant under me, how much of a good fucking boy you are..."

Logan straight up whimpers.

"Are you gonna be a good boy for me and make a mess all over yourself, baby?"

"Wannabegood, wannabegood, wannabegood..." Logan babbles between needy moans, and Wade knew he was close.

"I know you do, princess." Wade shots the last one of the criminals and they drop dead to the floor along with the others. "Cum for me."

"Wade, fuck-!" He whines as he spills all over his fist and stomach, his back arching off the bed. He strokes himself through the aftershocks, his moans turning into heavy pants as he catches his breath. He feels a rush of embarrassment as his mind clears off, but then he hears Wade praising him.

"Good kitty. Alright, I'm done here." Wade says as he looks to all the bodies around him. "I'm coming home, darling! I have a boner the size of a lighthouse right now. It's really hard focusing on fighting like this."

Logan chuckles, his breathing still heavy. "Just come home already."

[bravo4iscool]

Hi! I was wondering if you could write a friends to lovers x reader for any of the 141 (you get to choose) where the reader is plus size and she avoids them touching her? Because she knows she's plus size and doesn't think this super attractive soldier would ever even like her, much less her body, and every time she is touched she kinda pulls away, but our soldiers are so down bad for her? 👀 And ultimately maybe she gets pulled onto a lap and immediately tries to get off? Smut or no smut, it's up to you!

Thank you lovely!! 💞💞

i like this. i like this very very much hehehehe. i chose simon (i always chose him, i really have to change that😭) (i hope you're okay with that tho. it's my personal headcanon that that man is a chubby chaser by heart lol).

as someone who's also plus-size i adore requests like this so much! i hope i could write it the way you imagined it :)

also, sorry this took me so long😭. i had a bit of a slump lol (also, please give me feedback on the smut part, i never really write smut🥲 and im a virgin lmao)

smut, plus-size!reader, unprotected sex, p in v, fem!reader, not proof-read!

(masterlist | join my tag list!)

REQUESTS/ASKS OPEN!!!

tag list - @yazt09 @blackhawkfanatic @bumblebeesfromvenus

"don't touch me simon," you mumble as you push his hands away. "you know i don't like that..." you shuffle away from him and clutch the little notepad you scribble down your customers orders.

he frowns—as always—and gives you a small smile. “‘m sorry lovie. i forgot.”

you nod and straighten your back. “your usual?” you ask, already knowing that he’ll answer with yes. and he does. then you look at the rest of the team, one eyebrow raised. it was rare that they took something else than their usual.

“positive,” price replies, as well as gaz.

“i’ll take whatever ye gimme,” johnny winks and you feel yourself blush. simon just rolls his eyes. he’s getting fed up with his best friend already.

you give johnny a honest smile and scribble something down. “10 minutes and i will be back with your drinks,” you tell them, turning to leave.

once you were out of reach johnny elbowed simon into the side, a devilish smirk on his face. “have ye told ye lassie that ye like her?” he wants to know, wiggling with his eyebrows.

“zip it johnny,” simon only grumbles, starting to bounce his knee. “i ain’t tellin’er nothin’.”

“but why? ye clearly like her.” johnny frowns. if he were in simon’s position he would’ve shot his shot weeks, if not months ago. you were—you were perfection. those curves, those hips and—god forbid—your stomach.

you were hypnotising and you didn’t even know it. johnny didn’t understand how simon could just sit and watch you. he would’ve done anything to get a taste of you, or even just a glance.

“she ain’t interested n’me johnny,” simon sighs after a moment of silence. “i won’t destroy what we have over my stupid feelings.” and with that the debate was over for simon.

before johnny could answer you return with the drinks, placing them down onto the table. “here ya go,” you smile.

“thanks lassie,” johnny grins, patting your hand. you immediately pull away.

you try to overplay it. “no problem. let me know if you need anything else.” you leave with hurried steps, praying you wouldn’t encounter touch again this evening.

-

‘fuck’ you thought when you realize: all seats were taken. this was not good, nope. you just wanted to turn around and leave without anyone taking a notice of you.

but then soap notices you, “ey lassie. com’ere!” he smiles and waves at you. with hesitant steps you walk in his and simon’s direction. giving a apologetic look to the other people. this was a movie night, not some coffee gossip round. it was rare that you were on base and on most occasions you tried to avoid it but johnny and gaz practically begged you to come so you had no other chance than to say yes.

a few moments later you stood in front of the group of men—your friends—unsure what to do. were you just gonna sit on the ground or… before you can even finish that thought a arm wraps around your waist and someone pulls you into their lap. you can‘t suppress a small yelp, your eyes blow wide.

“‘s j‘st me,“ simon whispers into your ear, sending a cold shiver down your spine. you wanted to leave. now.

“simon,“ you hiss. “let me go. i‘m way too heavy for you—“

but instead of following your request his arm around your waist only tightens. “i‘m a big guy. i can handle it,“ he only says in a low voice. with that the topic was done for him and you knew arguing wouldn‘t make sense. once simon was determined about something there was no way to chance his mind.

so, you sat in his lap the whole movie, squirming from time to time; afraid you were too heavy for him, afraid that you would hurt him in any way. meanwhile, his hands were caressing our waist, pulling you closer to him so you‘d stop wiggling around. if you wouldn‘t stop he‘d some have a problem…

beside simon johnny was throwing side glances at him, smirking when he noticed the struggles his best friend was having. he wished he was in that position… if only he‘d been a tad faster than simon you‘d sit in his lap right now and he knew he wouldn‘t be the same after than.

“y‘alright lassie?“ johnny asks as soon as the movie is over and the lights got turned on. your face was red and your pupils blown wide. you only manage a nod, trying your best to get off simon‘s lap as normal—and fast—as possible.

“i think—i think i‘ll go home now. i have work tomorrow morning,“ you smile, still embarrassed. “i hope i‘ll see you tomorrow or are you shipping out?“

“not for at least two weeks,“ simon answers and you nod and turn to leave but then he gets up too and you stop in your tracks. you raise your eyebrow at him and he shrugs. “‘m gonna get ya home,“ he simply says and you nod again.

“alright. see you soon guys,“ you wave your goodbyes to gaz and johnny.

once you and simon where out of reach johnny started to smirk. “ohhhh, he‘s tryna get laid,“ he laughs, glancing at gaz beside him.

“100%“ the other man agrees, hiding his laughter behind his hand. “the question is if she‘s understanding all the signs…“

-

you unlock your door, simon towering over you from behind, his presence like a burning sensation you couldn‘t seem to ignore. “and we‘re there,“ you chuckle, stepping aside. “you can, uh, leave now,“ you tell him but instead of turning around he takes a step inside your flat, closing the door behind him.

“what if i don‘t want to?“ he asks, slowly coming closer to you. “what…if i want to spend the night with you, mh?“ he‘s looking down at you, his hand itching towards to your face.

you swallow, trying to hold his gaze; it seemed impossible. “why would you want that?“ you want to know, unable to phantom any reason he—out of all men—would want to spend a night with you.

he smiles at your question and lowers his head. “because i like you,“ is his answer before he starts to trails kisses down your throat. your breath gets caught and your hands rush to grip his arms. what was happening right now? this must be a dream…

"if you want t'stop, tell me," he mumbles against your neck, slowly pushing you back until your back hits your drawer. you swallow but turn your head to give him more space. it just felt so good.

your breath hitches when he finds your weak spot. "i don't want to stop," you manage to say and you feel him smirk against your skin.

he scoops you up into his arms and you yelp. "that was what i wanted t'hear," he says and seconds later his lips collide with yours as he makes his way to your bedroom. you feel like a feather in his arms, so light and free.

"been wantin' t'do this f'r a long time," simon breathes against your lips when he gently drops you down onto your bed and he pulls back. "y'look so beautiful..." his eyes admire you and you start to blush. you weren't used to being appreciated like that. especially not by men like simon.

he sits up, kneeling in front of you. then he pulls off his shirt in a smooth motion, tossing it aside. your eyes widen and you swallow again. oh steaming jesus, he looked better than you thought–

and suddenly you get aware of your looks again. you try to hide behind your arms as fast as possible, not wanting simon to see but he beats you to it. with gentle hands he grabs your wrists and pulls them away. "why're you doing that, mh?" he wants to know and you avert your gaze.

"i...don't know..." you mumble. "i just–"

he cuts you off before you can finish, "y'think i don't find ya attractive, do ya?" your blush is answer enough and he bents down. "you're the most attractive woman i've ever laid m'eyes upon..." he tells you in a whisper, placing kisses upon your face.

"you don't–"

"oh, i mean it. with every fiber of my being," he, again, cuts you off, not wanting you to doubt his attraction to you. you were beautiful, etheral even, and he didn't know how other men didn't see it. "let me worship you," he pleads, kissing your lips.

he pulls slightly back again and looks in your eyes. he wanted your consent before continung. if you'd say no, he'd stop. if you'd say yes, he would ravish you.

you hesitate for a second before you drag him back down by his neck and press a kiss to his lips. "please," you choke out, looking at him with hooded eyes.

he smiles, his hands slipping beneath your shirt, pushing it upwards. "your wish is my command love." with gentle hands he starts to undress you, trailing kisses all over your body. he wanted to you to feel good about yourself, to feel attractive.

and with every passing moment he was itching down towards your core, smirking when he feels you twitching and shuddering.

“si—simon,” you moan when his lips ghost over your clothed cunt.

he does it again, looking up at you through hooded eyes. “shhhh,” he coos, his tumb caressing your thigh. “b’good f’r me, will ya?” he was straining himself to not rip your clothes off when he started undressing you piece by piece. he wanted to cherish you, burn the image of you sprawled across your bed—naked—into his mind. who knew when he’d be able to see you like that again?

it felt like a haze, the way he was undressing and worshipping your body, his eyes rarely leaving yours. he wanted to you feel seen, to feel lusted after because that was exactly what he was doing.

he came face to face with you again, his lips finding yours while his hand cupped your pussy. your breath hitched. “so ready for me,” he chuckles, his tumb carefully starting to stimulate your clit.

a whine escapes you when he pulls his hand back after a few moments and he can’t suppress a smirk. “oh, ya needy, aren’t ya?” you only manage a nod, your mouth falling open when you feel him slipping one finger inside. “gon’ work ya well open first, love,” he tells you before he starts to litter you with kisses again.

with a steady rhythm he pumps his finger in and out of you, trying to pay attention to your body’s reaction as best as possible. he wanted to make this about you and you only.

he was sucking bruises onto your skin while moans dripped past your lips. oh, he felt like he was in heaven. “keep makin’ them sounds f’r me love,” he mumbles as he starts to hump your bed. his dick was painfully hard by now and he needed to feel some relief.

you gasp and writhe and whine, grabbing his arm to feel something between your hands. “please simon,” you cry out with your back arching off the mattress. “i wanna—“ he shuts you up with a kiss.

“i know what ya want.” and exactly that is the moment your orgasm ripples through you. a dragged out moan leaves your mouth and your fingernails bore into the flesh of his arms. “j’st like that,” simon coos, carefully removing his hand from your cunt.

you gasp for air as you come down from your high, still not 100% sure if this was real; because it didn’t feel like it. you release simon’s arms from your grip, swallowing when you saw the marks you left.

in the meanwhile simon fully undressed himself, his painfully hard cock finally getting set free. he looked at you and a smirk tugged at his lips when he noticed you staring. he tugged at his cock before he crawled back onto the bed to hover about you.

you look up at him, unsure of what to do. it’s been probably years since you’ve last had sex. it wasn’t that much of a regular thing in your life.

“ya ready?” he asks you after he connects your lips in a gentle kiss. you nod and he carefully starts to open your legs further. “i’ll be gentle, yea?”

simon’s hands caress your thighs before he aligns his cock with your entrance and trains his eyes on you as he starts to push himself inside.

your mouth falls open and your hands find their way back to grip onto his arms. a tear slips past your eye and a loud moan drags past your lips. “simon—oh my god!”

he grunts, doing his best to hold himself back from restlessly pounding into you. he didn’t want to hurt you. “no god ‘ere love. only me.” he bends down to kiss you and one of his hands starts to stimulate your clit again.

when he fully bottomed out it took all of his self control to not come immediately. he’s dreamed of this for months, years even and not it was finally happening.

“takin’ me s’good,” simon whispers in your ear, slowly pulling his hips back, making you whine before he pushes them forward again, pulling another moan out of you. “this pussy was made for me, huh.” a cocky grin was on his face.

you nod and babble, too overwhelmed by that pleasure that was so unknown to you. “wanna be good for you,” you cry, clutching his arm with your hands. “please simon.”

he starts to trail kisses down your throat while he keeps his thrusts in a steady rhythm. he felt his orgasm building but he wouldn’t come before you didn’t. this wasn’t about him and his pleasure, this was about you.

you moan, “oh—oh—“ when you feel the knot in your stomach tightening. “i’m gonna come simon,” your voice trembles.

“i know,” he grits out as he fastens his thrusts and keeps stimulation your clit. the way you were clenching around him had him seeing stars. you were so close.

and then he pushes you over the cliff, your orgasm rippling through you with a force you didn’t know as possible. your vision fades to black and your mouth falls open as simon fucks you through your orgasm.

he’s trying his best to keep his composure when you clench around him, almost milking him but he pushes through, managing a couple sloppy thrusts before he comes with a deep moan, fully burying himself inside you.

his eyes are closed as he tries to take a deep breath, a faint ‘i love you’ leaving his lips.

(i’m sorry the end is like that. i’m terrible at endings🧍🏼. i didn’t know how to properly cut this😭)

[talaok]

I NEED some protective pedro. Oh God how about them being in a relationship, had a fight and not talking to each other at that moment, attend a friend's party and pedro taking care of her and making sure she is alright while being mad at her and maybe some cute sexy ending...

Pairing: Pedro pascal x reader

Warnings: the most allusion you can allusion to smut

It wasn't one of those huge important fights that break up couples, it was just a stupid little fight.

You wanted to spend Christmas with your family, and him with his, and neither of you was gonna budge.

Silly, right?

Now the only problem was that this "little" argument, had happened right as you were getting ready to go to a party, which you were now driving to in complete silence.

Not even the radio was on, only him, you, and countless passive-aggressive comments on the tip of your tongue.

The tension in the confined space was more than palpable, and when you finally got out of the car it felt as if you'd been underwater the whole time, and for the first time in twenty minutes, you could finally get a breath of fresh air.

Which, now that you realized, it really was fresh... maybe even a little too much for the dress you chose.

"You're cold" Pedro stated, a clear tint of annoyance in his tone.

The fact that all he needed to do was look at you for a second to understand what you were thinking would have been sweet at any other moment, now it was just irritating.

"take my jacket" he urged, handing it to you without so much as a second glance.

"I don't need it, I'm not cold"

And just as you, he would have found your stubbornness cute if it had been any other time.

"The party is in the garden y/n, you're gonna freeze all night just to prove a point?"

God but did he always sound so condescending?

"fine" you grumbled, begrudgingly putting it on as he started walking to the front door, not even bothering waiting for you.

__ __ __

You spent the rest of the night purposely ignoring each other except for exactly three times (yes you had counted them), the first one was when Margareth, whom you very much despised since the only way she seemed to be able to talk to people was by judging them straight to their faces, had cornered you and forced you to listen to how much better she was then you until Pedro had appeared out of nowhere, and pretended he needed to talk to you just to get you away from her.

You didn't even have time to decide whether you wanted to thank him or not that he'd already gone his way.

The second time was when he saw you trip over a patch of grass out of the corner of his eye and as much as he wanted to ignore it, he just couldn't, so he had to excuse himself from the conversation he was having and reach you to make sure you were alright.

"I'm fine Pedro" you'd rolled your eyes

"Have you drank any water?" 

"Oh my god, I'm not drunk I just tripped" 

And that's exactly why the third time you had talked to each other he had approached with a glass of water.

"I told you I'm not drunk"

"You should still drink this"

"Who are you, my mom?" you'd exhaled dramatically "Oh no that's right, My mom is in New York and I won't get to see her this Christmas because apparently we just have to spend it with your family"

You were lucky nobody was ever around anytime you talked because... sheesh, that would have been embarrassing.

"Just drink this please" he'd insisted with a sigh, and finally, partially because you wanted him to go away and partially because you were actually kind of thirsty, you had accepted with a heavy "fine"

And now you were back at home and back at not talking... except that this damn zipper was stuck and as much as you forced it it just wouldn't go down.

"You need help with that?"

He would have been lying if he said he hadn't been enjoying the show for a while now.

"it's stuck" 

Without another word, he was up from the bed and walked behind you as you stood in front of the mirror.

He put one hand on your waist while the other undid your dress with care.

And now yes you were in the middle of an argument, but you weren't responsible for the warmth that spread inside your body at his touch.

 A soft thud reverberated through the room as your dress fell to the floor and a low "fuck" fled his mouth as he took you in from the mirror.

A long beat passed, and then, as if he'd read your mind he asked "Truce?"

And all you could do was nod

"truce"

[leviathanspain]

he’s got that fire

doctor strange x reader

synopsis: you have an unusual relationship with your mentor/boss, and when he asks you to be his date to an important awards ceremony, you can’t help but relish in his fire

a/n: stephen strange is so lana del rey coded omff, so heavy sad girl vibes. i haven’t proofread and it’s longer than any of my usual works i think.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

he always told you how much of a gift it was for him to choose you. it was always like that, he chose you, like some god. that he had made your life better by choosing to be in it. he repeated that to you whenever you became ‘insubordinate’.

you never really argued though. you knew that it wasn’t ever the right thing to do, especially with someone so arrogant, you’d be wasting a breath and your career if you did so.

but you learned to live with his narcissism, he was the best surgeon in new york, and arguably in the states. his credentials are why you’ve never argued back.

this day was not any different.

“i said that we should do the shunt.” stephen stared at the films. he was cross, had been since the morning and was now profoundly irritated but hadn’t stated why.

“you’ll kill him. think about it, what if we do another approach in a few days? give him enough recovery time so that when you actually do the surgery, he won’t die on the table.” you explained your decision, but stephen had already stopped listening. he was shaking his head, clearly none of this was going as he wanted.

“stephen-“ you closed your eyes, already preparing to apologize for undermining him, when he shushed you. “i-“ you scoffed but didn’t say anything else.

“we’ll do it tomorrow. it’ll be the first surgery of the day, i want it to go well.” he recycled your idea, and turned around with a nod, “get me dr. palmer. i want her to be in there.” he demanded.

you looked up from your notepad and raised your eyebrows, “you don’t want me in there?” you were his student, his resident, you were assigned to scrub in on all his surgeries-

“no. i want dr. palmer. that is final.” he stalked over to the door, pulling it open and letting it shut behind him without another word.

you couldn’t lie and say you were disappointed. you had hoped that after last night, that you and stephen had finally come to an understanding. but this had just proved that he wasn’t capable of listening. and that he was still hopelessly in love with christine.

“dr. l/n.” a nurse had stopped you as you walked around, moping about stephen kicking you off the surgery. she handed you some papers, “dr. strange has requested you in his office. and he needs to sign these papers for the patient in 203.” she smiled thinly, clearly making you do part of her job.

you shoved the papers back, and stalked off.

you had swiped a salad on your way to his office. you had learned from the first few times that stephen requesting you in his office was like attending a lecture, all about him. and you wouldn’t starve if you were going to be stuck there.

you knocked on the door once before pushing it open. stephen was sitting at his desk, an untouched piece of salmon and greens was in front of him. he didn’t even look up when you walked in.

“what’s up?” you set your salad down, including some of your patient files. you took the chair opposite of his, and cracked open your salad.

“i hate it when you speak like that.” his eyes remained glued to his computer screen.

you looked up, rolling your eyes, “one of the nurses said you requested me? might i inquire why or are we just going to stare at each other and pretend like last night didn’t happen?” you were angry.

he could tell.

your voice shook with a twinge of rage that only he could be the reason behind. it was always the same twinge, it was the same twinge earlier when he had requested christine for the surgery.

his eyes broke away from the screen for the first time since you had walked in. he stared at you, as if trying to calculate this moment in his head. he paused, silence taking the both of you as he stared into your eyes.

“i- i didn’t want to have to do this-“ stephen sighed, “we’re at work. when we’re working, i’m your boss, you are my resident. we can talk about us, later.” he sounded so professional that if you didn’t know him so well, you’d probably throw yourself on the floor and beg for forgiveness.

“just tell me why you picked her over me. that’s all i want to know.” you challenged, your eyes boring into his.

stephen scoffed, “i chose dr. palmer because she is a more experienced surgeon than you. you would just-“

“fuck it up?” you finished his sentence and rolled your eyes, “if you don’t have faith in me than that is a reflection on your abilities as a teacher, as my mentor.”

“no it is not. because if you actually did what you were told, you would be on your way to making an incredible surgeon. but you aren’t. you’d be mediocre at best.” his words cut hard. he hadn’t blinked, and you didn’t dare to look away.

it was weakness to look away. you had to be able to continue to stare him down, if he was going to listen to you.

“i do exactly as i am told. last night was the perfect example of that, wasn’t it, doctor?” you raised your eyebrows and incredibly, stephen broke the eye contact.

“get out.” he returned his gaze to the computer screen and you were taken aback.

“what-“

“i said get out. get your shit, and get the fuck out of my office.” stephen didn’t hesitate to yell at you, which made you want to cringe.

you stood up, sighing as you collected your things, you had almost made it out when you stopped, hand lingering on the doorknob, “this is why christine left you. you’re a fucking asshole, and no one will ever love you.” he had turned, but you had already left before he could yell anymore.

you knew you shouldn’t have slept with your boss. clearly, as you sat at home instead of scrubbing in on a surgery, that it wasn’t working out well.

you had left the hospital after your little outburst with stephen. your pager kept going off, but you had ignored it since they were all from, unsurprisingly, stephen. you tossed and turned in your bed, not having the energy to do anything else.

he had ruined you. he had ruined you from the moment you had entered the program.

but yesterday, he had really ruined you. he ruined whatever perfect balance the two of you had. you knew him, and he knew you, but now you were too involved, too emotionally attached.

you couldn’t even curb your jealously. it wasn’t about your abilities or her abilities, it was the fact that he wanted his ex-girlfriend to scrub in with him, and not you.

stephen stared at the wall. he had been staring at it since you left. assumingely, you had gone home. all of his pages went unanswered, and he knew that he had really, really fucked up.

there was a knock at the door and stephen turned, “come in.” he had hoped it was you, but he never had to welcome you in. you’d always just waltz in, carrying food and random case notes.

“i’ve been looking for your resident all day. i heard she’s the expert on the case?” dr. palmer had graced his office for the first time in a long time. stephen didn’t have the best poker face when it came to surprises, and he couldn’t hide this one.

“uh-“ he laughed slightly, blinking as he focused on her, “yeah she wasn’t feeling well today. she might’ve gone home but the case is at the nurses station.” he didn’t smile, he never did at her anymore.

christine nodded, “hey, stephen.. why did you ask me to scrub in with you? if you already have a perfectly capable resident-“

stephen shook his head, “i- i just wanted you there. i don’t know why- but,” he shrugged, “i cant trust residents, can i?”

christine laughed awkwardly, her attempt at trying to get out of this was already shot to the ground, so she just exited.

you wanted to quit. you had spent all night practicing how you’d do it. you were going to go to his office, set the resignation letter down on his desk and walk out without saying anything.

but you couldn’t even gather the courage to print your letter out. you had left the paper jammed in your printer, half inked, as you left to go to work.

“good morning.” stephen greeted you at the nurses station. it was time for the early mornings rounds. you nodded, but didn’t say anything as you walked off.

stephen chose to ignore the fact that you ignored him, and walked after you, “i am going to need any and all case notes on that patient today.”

you scoffed, “why? you never read any of my notes.” which was true. he always thought your notes were just annoying little scribbles.

“they’re for dr. palmer. she requested that she get any notes relevant to the surgery today.” he responded.

“oh, okay. i’ll drop it off at your office along with all the respect i have for you.” and you turned a corner, leaving him in the dust for rounds.

you were sitting in the cafeteria, head in your hands over your tray of food, you hadn’t even noticed the people gathering around your table.

“dude- long time no see.” you looked up to see one of your old friends that you had met during your internship, thalia. before all of this, before him.

you smiled, a real one in a long time, “we’re residents. we’re lucky if we even have clean underwear.” you joked. she smiled, “i heard you’ve been working closely with dr. strange. how is it? he’s got the hands of a god, you know.”

you blinked, almost happy to be able to get through a conversation that wasn’t plagued by stephen strange.

you blinked, hesitating with your words until it all came spilling out. “we slept together. multiple times.”

thalia’s jaw fell, practically hit the floor as she stared at you in disbelief.

“and we’re fighting right now so i’d really love it if we could just move on-“

“dr. l/n.” you turned at the sound of that voice, abruptly ending your conversation with your friend, you couldn’t hide the shock on your face to see stephen standing in front of you.

he never came to the cafeteria. he was always too good for it, and it was evident that even just his presence was shocking enough. all other conversations seemed to quiet down to complete silence.

“stephen-“

“you’re scrubbing in. dr. palmer has another surgery that will run late so-“

you nodded, “understood.”

your unwillingness to say anything more was evident, and stephen would not open that can of shit right in the middle of the cafeteria for all the underachievers to hear.

he nodded, leaving as quickly as he came.

you stared at his hands moving gracefully in the patient. he was a god, it was clear in his work, that’s why he was the way he was.

“suction.” you immediately brought down the tube in your hands, sucking at whatever he pointed at.

his glove caught on the tube, the air trying to suck up his finger. he pulled back, just as you pulled the tube away.

“oh my go-“ you stared at the tube, and turned back to stephen. he raised his eyebrows just as you dipped your head back to laugh.

stephen looked around at the rest of the staff but didn’t say anything as you finished laughing by yourself.

you let out a sigh, your laugh turned into a quiet chuckle, even as you met his eyes, you still couldn’t stifle it.

“i’m sorry.” you apologized, “that was unprofessional and it won’t happen again.” you blinked, head bowed as you waited.

but stephen didn’t say anything, he looked up to stare at you once before going back to work.

stephen asked you to meet him in his office after the surgery. you had to practically throw yourself up each step to get to his office, exhaustion weighing heavy on your bones.

you didn’t even bother to knock this time, you just pushed the door open and dragged yourself in. stephen was sitting at his desk, but he had the case files in his hands.

he looked up once he saw you, and you took a seat across his desk. “you wanted to see me?”

stephen nodded, throwing down the case files, “this is good stuff.”

you blinked. hardly did stephen ever freely give compliments. you had thought you were the worst resident until he had called you “okay” once during an assistive surgery. another surgeon had said that meant you were good.

clearly stephen knew what you were thinking, and he grimaced, “christine suggested i read them.” you hummed in acknowledgment, “and she also told me to apologize.”

you looked at him expectantly, eyebrows raised.

“i am sorry for not calling you, or texting you after..” he mumbled off, “and im sorry for kicking you out of my office, it was rude and i am so-“ he faltered and you sighed, standing up.

he watched as you strode over to his side of the desk, hips swaying in your tight scrub pants. your hand gripped the leather of his desk chair, pulling it back as you positioned yourself on his lap.

stephen watched you carefully, watched as you dragged a finger across his cheek, smiling coyly, “i accept your apology, stephen.” you hummed again, “and i am sorry for what i said.”

stephen held your hips, his large hands tightening around them so you wouldn’t fall. “it’s okay. it’s okay.” he assured you, hands moving to caress your neck, he planted a kiss on your collarbone, just underneath your scrub top.

you shivered at the contact, but you were eager for more. stephen was hardly affectionate, especially at work. it made you wonder how it all even happened in the first place, as he was always so clipped with you.

stephen kissed your neck, sucking hard on the skin that you were sure they’d bruise.

“come away with me.” he whispered, “put on a slutty little dress and come away with me tonight.” he gripped hard on your hips, and you laughed, “what? where?” you were surprised he hadn’t mentioned anything about a trip to you.

“i was nominated for an award in california. the ceremony is tonight and i was hoping that you would accompany me.” he didn’t smile, but there was a hint of one.

“publicly?” you drew your brows together, hand on his shoulder as you looked into his eyes.

“well- people would only assume that we work together. but yes, publicly.” he nodded, and you felt your stomach drop to your ass.

“uh-“ you scoffed, “yeah. sure, i’ll go.” you couldn’t hide your hesitation. the last person that stephen ‘worked’ with was christine, and people would notice.

stephen nodded, “okay. i’ll see you tonight, kid.” his lips brushed past yours as he planted a kiss on your cheek. “tease.” you commented, gripping his shoulder as you hopped off his lap.

“i’m the tease?” he grabbed your wrist and you looked at the tent in his pants. a laugh escaped you, even as you strutted out of his office.

waiting was unbearable. you found yourself glancing over to the clock hoping hours would roll by until it finally did, and you were gathering your things to head home and prepare.

stephen said that he had arranged a private flight to california, and that he and a driver would be at your apartment by 8.

“are you out of here?” thalia, standing at the end of the hallway, broke you out of your thoughts, “i heard you’re going with strange to that ceremony?” you nodded, as you met her at the end, you couldn’t hide your smile.

she nudged you, smiling, “aw im so happy for you. especially after we all thought dr. palmer would go with him.”

your smile fell immediately and you stepped back, “what? why would you think that?”

thalia shrugged, “because he asked her. i heard them in the attendings lounge, when i had gone to find my-“ she continued to ramble on but you had stopped listening. you walked past her and slammed the double doors open. she called your name, but you were already in the wind.

all you could do was practically run out of the hospital, dashing past the front desk and out the doors. you panted, feeling the ache of a sob in your chest. you walked now, breaking down in tears on the way to your car.

how could he have asked her, before he asked you?

you realized you couldn’t go home now. stephen would be there soon to pick you up, to take you to an event that you weren’t supposed to be at.

stephen paced the apartment lobby. your doorman said that he hadn’t seen you since the previous morning. your car hadn’t been parked in its designated spot either, evident of your absence.

“fuck..” stephen muttered, his fingers breezing on the screen as he tried to call you. thing was, you always called him, never the other way around so he couldn’t remember the numbers to even dial.

he scrolled through his call list but it was a sea of unknown numbers, and stephen didn’t remember the last time you called.

stephen walked back up to the doorman, “can i go look in her apartment?” the doorman raised his eyebrows and stephen sighed, “i’m her bo-“ he paused, unsure of what to call himself, he grimaced, “i am her colleague. i just-“

the doorman nodded, there was a look on his face as he looked at stephen up and down, “yeah..i know who you are.” as he spoke stephen realized that it was disdain that this doorman held for him.

but as the doorman let stephen up, he didn’t even care how you talked about him, it was that you talked about him at all.

the apartment was messy. of course it was. you were a fifth year resident who clocked in more hours at the hospital than all the combined time spent at home. but it wasn’t dirty messy, it was a barely moved in, hadn’t had time to unpack messy. the stack of broken down boxes in the corner was evident. he pursed his lips at the sight, but continued in.

your bedroom was close, he could see the edge of a mattress through a cracked door. it was barren, besides the bed and dresser, it was filled with packing peanuts and a box of hospital scrubs. he hummed, stepping out and deciding to check out the next room.

he pushed the door open, revealing a very organized office space. there was a long desk along the wall, a chalk board took up the entirety of another wall, medical scrawl was all over it. pictures of anatomy were hung up, including unknown jars of specimen.

stephen was more than intrigued, he was impressed. the rest of your apartment was messy, barely lived in, but your work was your life, and your office was clear of that.

he trailed towards the desk, a dim light shone from your desktop, and he nudged the computer mouse to turn it on.

dear stephen,

i am writing to formally tender my resignation as a fifth year resident under your tutelage…

there was a mix of worry in his mind that he hadn’t felt in a long time. the rest of the letter was just professional bullshit on your decision to leave him. you weren’t leaving the hospital, you were leaving him.

but he had to get the truth.

it had been hours since the award ceremony. hours since it would’ve started at least, looking at the clock, you knew that it was time to return home.

stephen probably didn’t even make it to your house, since you hadn’t received a single call. the area you had gone to, outside of the city, still got decent cell service, so you knew he didn’t even try.

you no longer felt the rage of being overlooked in your career and in your relationship, all you felt was the regret of believing him. you tightly gripped your steering wheel, and silently drove back home.

stephen waited silently. he had looked through your pantry, trying to find something to snack on until your arrival; he knew he’d be there all night.

but didn’t take anything, deciding that he wasn’t even hungry, just restless and angry, and as soon as he heard keys jingle at the door, he stood up.

“stephen.” you were breathless, your hand was clutching hard on your doorknob as your bag hit the floor. it landed upright, but you pushed it to the side with your foot. stephen didn’t move, watching as you cautiously stepped forward.

“what- what are you doing here?” you swallowed thickly, hands feeling clammy against the rough fabric of your hospital scrubs. you looked at him up and down, eyes lingering on his sharp suit, hands positioned at his side. “i’ve been waiting for you.”

you nodded, “i’m sorry if you missed the award-“ you felt your voice shake, afraid of how this confrontation would proceed. you kept your eyes glued to the floor, afraid to look again into his striking face.

“you think this is about that?” he scoffed incredulously, his eyes narrowing at you. you could just feel the edge in his voice, it was the same edge that had haunted you nearly all of your residency.

he took your silence for shame, and continued, “i found your letter. when were you planning to hand it in? hmm? after you assisted on a major surgery or after i was presented with an award with you by my side-“ it was your turn to scoff. you looked up, walking towards him at a speed that had you now nose to nose.

“you think that i’m proud of being second choice?” your voice broke, and you sighed, knowing just exactly how this would end. stephen’s face fell, and he looked speechless at your emotion.

you inhaled a breath, trying to calm yourself down as you fought to say your piece. “i- i had to hear from thalia, of all people, that you had originally asked christine to be your date tonight.” you felt a tear fall down your cheek, “you come in here, into my apartment, look through my things and accuse me of what? riding your success?” you spat, your voice still wavered, but you carried on, “i’ve had to be second to the greatest love of your life. and i will not continue to be.” you sniffled, looking at stephen right in the eye, “i quit. i don’t ever want to see you or that fucking hospital again.”

stephen was absolutely wordless. he didn’t even know what to do with it, and as he watched you strut down the hallway to your bedroom, he found himself following you.

you sniffled, and noticed he was right on your trail, “get out, stephen. get-“

he stayed firmly planted, and instead raised his eyebrows, “christine is not the greatest love of my life- i thought she was.” you rolled your eyes, not wanting to hear his speech, “until i met you. and i’ve been selfish. i’ve been keeping you from your potential. so you should quit, be a better surgeon under someone who-“ he faltered, and his features softened, “who doesn’t love you.”

you felt your face get hot as you tried to speak. stephen strange just told you he loved you…

“it’s okay.” he stepped forward and you found yourself stepping into his embrace. he kissed your forehead, “it’s okay.” he repeated, assuring that it in fact, was okay.

as bittersweet the moment was, you had to release all of the truth, even if you knew it would only hurt him more.

“i love you, too.” you whispered, hands gathering up his suit fabric, gripping it tightly you didn’t want to let go. but he didn’t say anything, the two of you continued to hug until you practically fell asleep in his arms.

[theuntoldstorythatneedsawriter]

Close Despite the Distance pt.2 ✈️🌍

Mapi León x reader

warning : fluffy 💭💗

pt.1

summary :

After months of talking online, you and Mapi finally decide to meet in person. The anticipation is overwhelming, but will the connection you built over messages hold up in the real world?

The day has finally arrived.

You’ve imagined this moment for months, ever since the day you and Mapi decided to stop dreaming about "one day" and make plans for it. A small trip to Barcelona, just for a few days, but enough to bridge the gap that’s existed between you for so long.

As you sit in the back of a taxi, nerves twisting in your stomach, your phone buzzes with a message from her.

"Where are you?"

You smile and quickly type out a response. "Five minutes away."

The reality of what’s about to happen hits you all at once. You’ve never felt this nervous before, and that’s saying something considering how close you’ve grown to Mapi. She knows almost everything about you, yet somehow, meeting her face to face feels like a whole new beginning.

The taxi pulls up outside a small café, one she had picked near her apartment. It's quiet, away from the hustle of the city center, and you immediately understand why she chose it—discreet, low-key, private. Your heart pounds as you pay the driver and step out into the sunlight. You scan the sidewalk, searching for her.

And then you see her.

She’s leaning against the café’s doorframe, her sunglasses perched on her head, casual yet unmistakably her. The moment your eyes meet, it feels like time freezes. You’ve seen her in photos, on video calls, but nothing compares to seeing her standing there in person. She’s even more striking than you imagined.

Mapi grins, pushing off the doorframe and walking toward you. You don’t know whether to laugh, cry, or run into her arms. Your feet stay frozen in place until she reaches you.

"Hey, you made it," she says, her voice more vibrant and full in person, like every syllable is infused with warmth and familiarity.

"Yeah, I did," you manage to say, your voice shaky from a mix of nerves and excitement. "It’s… surreal."

Without thinking, she wraps you in a hug, pulling you close. The sensation of her arms around you is overwhelming, but in the best way possible. Her embrace feels so natural, like you’ve been doing this for years.

"I can’t believe this is real," you whisper into her shoulder, hugging her back tightly.

"Me neither," she murmurs, pulling away just enough to look at you. Her blue eyes are bright, full of the same excitement and nerves you feel. "But I’m glad it is."

You both stand there for a second, grinning like idiots, until Mapi laughs and gestures toward the café. "Come on, let’s grab a coffee. I feel like we’ve got a lot to catch up on… even though we already talk all the time."

As you sit down at a table, the conversation flows more naturally than you expected. There’s a brief awkwardness, the kind that comes with meeting someone new, but it fades quickly. Mapi’s smile, her laugh—it’s all so familiar, even though this is your first time sharing a space. The way she taps her fingers on the table, how she leans in when she’s focused on something you’re saying, it all feels like a continuation of the moments you’ve shared through screens.

"You’re not how I imagined," Mapi admits after a while, sipping her coffee and looking at you with a soft smile.

You blink, feeling a bit self-conscious. "Oh? In a good or bad way?"

She laughs, shaking her head. "In a good way. You’re… even better in person."

Her words make your heart skip a beat. You’ve always wondered if the online connection would translate into real life, and now you know—this is real. She’s real. And so are the feelings between you.

As the day goes on, the two of you explore the quieter streets of Barcelona. She shows you her favorite spots, talks about her life beyond the field, and even teases you a bit when you try to speak Spanish with her.

The evening finds you both sitting by the beach, watching the sun dip below the horizon. The conversation has slowed, replaced by the comfortable silence that only comes with real closeness. You’re not thinking about the future or the past—just this moment.

"So," Mapi says, breaking the quiet. "What do you think? Was it worth the wait?"

You glance at her, the soft smile on her face mirroring your own. You don’t need to think twice.

"Absolutely," you say. "More than worth it."

Mapi’s hand finds yours, fingers lacing together effortlessly. It’s a small gesture, but one that feels like everything. For the first time in months, there’s no screen, no distance—just the two of you, finally together.

💕@lovewomensfootball💕

pt.3

[kairilov3]

Hey! so im not sure if you do stuff like this but i haven’t seen anything done with livdom. so i was thinking maybe you could do a livdom x reader. where they are in a relationship but they bath have feelings for the reader but the reader has stayed “loyal” to rhea (or so they thought) and everyone is surprised as hell (including livdom) when reader comes out helps liv and crown jewel and says absolutely nothing and then on the raw after she comes out and says why she helped liv. ending with a cute moment between reader and livdom and maybe even raquel and lil baby saudi (cause he is adorable)

Never say Never!

choice

(Liv Morgan x Dominik Misterio x Reader!)

WN; Request, Fluffy

Crown Jewel was supposed to be another defining night in Liv Morgan’s career. Standing in the ring, battered but determined, Liv was moments away from losing her chance at victory when chaos erupted. Everyone watching gasped as you stormed down the ramp, sliding into the ring just in time to intercept a brutal attack aimed at Liv. Without a word, you struck, leveling her opponent and clearing the path for Liv to secure the win. Your loyalty to Rhea Ripley had been well-documented, so your sudden betrayal left the entire WWE Universe in shock—including Liv and Dominik.

As the bell rang and Liv’s music hit, the crowd roared, but all eyes were on you. Liv stared at you from across the ring, her wide eyes a mix of confusion and disbelief, while Dominik looked between the two of you, clearly trying to piece everything together. You offered no explanation, no smirk, no words—just a single glance at Liv before leaving the ring and disappearing into the crowd, leaving the WWE Universe buzzing with questions.

---

The following night on Raw, the arena was electric with speculation. Fans, commentators, and even The Judgment Day themselves wanted answers. Liv and Dominik stood in the ring, microphones in hand, as Liv spoke first, her voice full of curiosity and uncharacteristic nervousness.

“Okay, let’s cut to the chase,” Liv said, pacing slightly. “We all saw what happened at Crown Jewel. And I know everyone’s been wondering the same thing we are.” She glanced at Dominik, who nodded, his expression unusually serious. “Why? Why did you help me?”

As if on cue, your music hit, and the crowd erupted in cheers. Dressed in casual gear, you walked out to the ring with purpose, pausing briefly to soak in the atmosphere. Sliding under the ropes, you stood in front of Liv and Dominik, microphone in hand, the weight of the moment pressing down on you. The tension in the arena was palpable as you took a deep breath and finally spoke.

“I’ve always believed in loyalty,” you began, your voice steady despite the emotions bubbling beneath the surface. “And for the longest time, I thought my loyalty belonged to someone who saw me as nothing more than a tool—a pawn in their games. But over the last few months, I’ve seen what true loyalty looks like.”

You turned to Liv, meeting her gaze. “I’ve watched you, Liv. I’ve seen how much heart you put into every match, every fight. And Dom...” Your eyes shifted to Dominik, whose face softened at the mention of his name. “I’ve seen how far you’ll go to protect the people you care about.”

The crowd murmured as the pieces began to fall into place. You smiled faintly, lowering the microphone for a moment before continuing. “At Crown Jewel, I made a choice. I chose to stand with people who fight for each other, not just themselves. I chose you.”

Liv’s eyes widened, and Dominik’s jaw dropped as the crowd erupted into cheers. The tension between the three of you shifted, replaced by an unspoken understanding. Liv stepped forward, hesitating for just a moment before pulling you into a tight hug, her emotions spilling over. Dominik joined in, wrapping his arms around both of you, the three of you sharing a rare, vulnerable moment in the middle of the ring.

---

Later that night, the celebration continued backstage. Raquel Rodriguez, who had always been a close friend to Liv, joined in, teasing you about your dramatic entrance. “You sure know how to make an entrance,” she joked, handing you a bottle of water.

But the real star of the night was Lil Baby Saudi, Liv’s recently adopted kitten. The tiny ball of fluff had been a surprise discovery in Saudi Arabia, and Liv had instantly fallen in love. Now, the kitten was nestled in Liv’s arms, purring contentedly as Liv beamed at you and Dominik.

“She likes you,” Liv said, holding the kitten out toward you. Lil Baby Saudi meowed softly, batting at your fingers as you gently scratched her head.

“Guess that makes us a family now,” Dominik said with a grin, throwing an arm around both you and Liv. You rolled your eyes at his cheesiness but couldn’t help the smile that tugged at your lips.

As the night wore on, the four of you—plus one very spoiled kitten—settled into a new rhythm. Whatever challenges lay ahead, you knew you’d face them together. And for the first time in a long time, you felt like you truly belonged.

[oizysian]

XIII: UPSET

Word count: 2.5k

All Eyes on Me masterlist

•

Lizzie left me a voicemail, one of many, that said she would be in the city working on a magazine photo shoot and that I should stop by her place to talk. She never gave up on me ... so why was I so quick to give up on her?

I quickly re-read the address I had written down in my notes on my phone, just to make sure I was in the right place. It was a beautiful neighborhood and honestly, I felt horribly out of place.

I rang the doorbell after a few moments of standing in front of it, my nerves making me hope against hope that she wasn't home and that I could just leave and continue to pretend this issue didn't exist.

No such luck.

The door opened and there she stood in casual clothes, messy hair, no makeup. She was beautiful. I stared at her and she stared back, neither of us speaking or moving - probably not even breathing. She moved out of the way and I blinked at her before entering her apartment, nervously fidgeting with my fingers as I moved past her.

She closed the door and took a step in front of me, leading me into one of the other rooms. I followed close behind, sitting down when she gestured to the chair in front of the dining room table. I shifted in my seat awkwardly, the silence and unfamiliar environment putting me even further on edge.

"Do you realize how upset I am with you?"

I looked down at the table, the little lines and crevices in the wood suddenly very interesting.

"Yes." My voice barely raised above a whisper.

"Do you know why I'm upset with you?"

"Yes."

"Tell me."

I raised my eyes to look at her; her brow creased, her lips pursed. I was in trouble.

"I left without talking to you like an adult."

"And?"

I blinked at her, unsure of what else she wanted to hear.

"You took away my choices, Y/N. You chose for me and that wasn't fair."

"I was just doing what I thought was right."

"Well, you were wrong."

"I know. I know that now." My shoulders dropped and my gaze shifted away from her. "I'm sorry."

"Y/N ..." she started as she approached me, her warm hands coming up to cup my even warmer cheeks. "What made you think leaving would be a good idea?"

"I just didn't want the gossip surrounding our friendship to fuck up your marriage."

She was silent for a second and I took that moment to look up at her. Her eyes were filled with unshed tears and I felt horrible all over again.

"Robbie and I worked it out. I don't want to lose you as a friend. Ever."

I swallowed roughly, her thumbs stroking my cheeks slowly as she spoke.

"You don't understand." Her voice cracked. "I see something in you ..." she sniffled softly. "You're so special. Maybe I'm selfish, but I don't want to lose you again."

"You won't." I promised, taking hold of her wrists and pulling her towards me so I could hug her. "I'm sorry."

"I know." She whispered against my hair as she held me. "I'm sorry too."

"For what?" I questioned, my voice muffled by her shirt.

"For making you think you had to walk away. If I had been a better friend to you, I would've taken your feelings into consideration."

"I didn't even let you speak to me. You can't blame yourself."

"We both fucked up." She chuckled dryly and I couldn't help but do the same.

"So, friends?" I asked, voice shaking.

I didn't want to be friends.

"Friends."

She released me and took a step back, sitting down in the chair across from me, a small smile on her face.

"So, what have you been doing for the past month? Besides ignoring my calls and texts."

I flinched at her words, grimacing at my past actions. Brie was right, I was being childish.

"Smoking. I did a lot of smoking."

"By yourself?"

I nodded.

"You've been by yourself for a whole month?"

Again, I nodded.

"Did you even go out? Get groceries? Take care of yourself?"

I hesitated, then shook my head. I couldn't remember the last time I ate a proper meal. I had showered this morning, but before that, who knew. Today was the first day I had seen the light of day in over a month.

"Y/N ..." her voice was soft, worried, and I couldn't bring myself to look at her. "Why?"

"I don't know." At least I was still taking my medication - that was something.

"When's the last time you ate?"

I shrugged, too ashamed to speak anymore about it. She let out a heavy sigh and I finally gathered my courage up to look at her. She looked sad, hurt, and I wasn't sure why. I hadn't done this to hurt her. I didn't mean to do this at all. It just happened.

"Let me grab my shoes. We're going shopping."

"Lizzie, no, I'm fine."

"No, you're not."

I let out a deep breath and gave in, knowing she was right. I wasn't okay. Nothing was okay. But, with her back in my life, maybe things would get better.

She got up from the chair and went into the other room without a word, returning only a few moments later with her sneakers on and her car keys in her hand.

"We're gonna stock your fridge with good food, okay?"

She came over to me and cupped my face again, forcing me to look up at her.

"You're gonna be okay now."

I swallowed roughly, pushing down the tears that threatened to spill onto my reddened cheeks. I nodded in her hands and she smiled, leaning down and pressing a kiss to my forehead.

"C'mon," her voice was soft and gentle, as if she was talking to someone fragile and frail. "Let's get going before the store closes."

I exhaled and nodded again, words not quite forming in my brain to make full sentences at the moment. She smiled down at me and wrapped her arm around my shoulders, standing me up and leading me to the door.

We walked to her car, which was parked right out front of her apartment, and she opened the door for me, waiting for me to get in before closing it and going around to the driver's seat to get in herself. I buckled up and drummed my fingers on my thighs, nervously moving so I could distract my mind from my awkward feelings.

After she buckled herself in she turned to me, taking my hand in her own and holding it.

"Relax. It's just me."

"I know." I whispered, doing my best to calm down.

"Deep breaths. Always gotta practice your breathing exercises."

"I don't normally do breathing exercises." I chuckled dryly and she frowned.

"Well, you should. They really help."

She let go of my hand and started the car, and I couldn't help but twitch my fingers, mine aching for hers again. She noticed, because right away she was back to holding my hand, and suddenly I felt like I was home. But, in reality, I was in someone else's home.

We drove in silence, heading out of the city and back towards my apartment, presumably to go to a store closer to my place than hers. When she finally found the grocery store she was looking for, we parked and got out, grabbing a shopping cart and trudging inside.

"What do you like to eat?" She asked as we approached the vegetables.

"Not any of those." I said with a laugh and she furrowed her brow.

"You don't eat vegetables?"

"Not if I can help it."

"What do you eat then?"

"Normally, just like, cold cuts and ice cream."

"Are you serious?" She laughed and I nodded. "You cannot live off of cold cuts and ice cream."

"Been doing fine so far."

"Mhm." She said as she examined a tomato, putting it and a few others into a plastic bag.

"I can't promise I'll eat them."

"You don't have to promise. You just have to try."

I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded. Maybe she understood me better than I thought she did. I followed her around the store like a little child as she picked up various fruits and veggies, occasionally asking if I liked what she was picking out. We got all different meats, fruits and vegetables, and some various other things too. I mostly let her pick out everything because to me it truly didn't matter. I wasn't even sure if I'd eat any of it. I was probably just going to be wasting my money.

At the register, she started loading everything onto the conveyor belt and I started digging into my pockets for my wallet.

"Put that back." She said, her voice somewhat threatening. "I'm paying tonight."

"Lizzie, I can't let you do that."

"Yes, you can - and you will."

I sighed in defeat once she gave me a death glare I would see in my nightmares, letting her pay once again. I would have to repay her somehow for being so generous towards me.

"And don't even think about paying me back. I won't accept any money from you for any of this."

"Lizzie -"

"I don't wanna hear it." She said as she handed the cashier her card.

Defeated, I started bagging the groceries, figuring that was the least I could do. Once she was done paying, she walked up next to me and helped me pack the bags, her mood completely uplifted from how it was earlier. When we finished bagging, she took control of the cart again and led us out and back to her car.

"We'll be lucky if all this stuff fits in here." I said as I stuffed a few bags in the backseat and she put some in the trunk.

"We'll make it fit."

And she was right. We did make it all fit. We got back in the car and headed for my place, and honestly, I was beyond exhausted after everything that had happened.

She parked out in front of my place and we unloaded all of the groceries in multiple trips, my fridge and pantries now fully stocked with healthy foods and snacks. She stood in the middle of my kitchen, proud of herself as she looked at the full fridge which was previously empty.

"I'm gonna make sure it stays looking like this."

I opened my mouth to speak and she shot me a look, which made it snap shut.

"I told you, I don't wanna hear it."

"But -"

She tilted her head at me and I instantly shut up again. I was not going to fuck with her while she looked so scary.

"Now, for dinner."

"Lizzie, it's too late for dinner."

"It's never too late for dinner. You have to eat."

I watched as she walked around my kitchen like she always belonged there, collecting seasonings and various food items we had just bought and bringing them to the counter to prepare our meal.

"You really don't have to." I said quietly and she looked at me, her gaze soft and gentle.

"I know. But, I want to. Plus, I'm hungry."

I let out a chuckle and sat down at the table, watching as she moved around like a dancer; her actions fluid and perfect. 

I couldn't help but stare at her as she cooked, her hips moving to a song I couldn't hear, her head bobbing happily as she cut up vegetables. The more I tried to deny my feelings for her, the deeper they got. At first, it was admittedly, a crush. But now, it was much, much more than that. She was perfect in every way.

My phone dinged and I looked down at it, quickly reading the text message I got from Brie.

Brie ... I really fucked up with her. But, was it so wrong to want to start a relationship with her? We both liked each other and Lizzie was married. Neither of those things would change any time soon so, why not?

"Brie ..." I started, still staring at my phone. "We've been talking."

"About?" She asked, sounding genuinely curious.

"Getting together."

Everything stopped and I began to panic. She wasn't chopping the vegetables for the salad anymore. Her hips didn't move to the song in her head and the whole room was as still as the dead.

"That's good." She said after a moment, the sudden chopping loud in the silence of the room.

"You think so?" My voice was small, unsure, and honestly, I just wanted her to tell me that she was in love with me and to forget about Brie.

"Yeah, you guys are really close."

Chop. Chop. Chop.

"You'd make a cute couple."

I was silent as she continued to cook, waiting patiently for her to finish so we could eat.

So, we would make a cute couple according to her. I wondered if everyone else thought the same thing. And then my mind wandered back to that girl from the bookstore who thought Lizzie and I made a cute couple. Was this a mistake? But, wouldn't it be a mistake to put my whole life on hold for a woman who didn't even show any true interest in me?

When she finished, she brought over two plates of grilled salmon with asparagus and a small bowl of salad.

"I'm not sure how I feel about asparagus." I said as I picked up a piece with my fork and examined it. "Smells good."

"Taste it." She said as she ate her salad.

I chomped down on it and grimaced.

"It tastes like dirt."

"Even with all the seasonings I put on it?"

I nodded, swallowing the mouthful and finishing off the piece that was still on my fork.

"I'll still eat it. For you."

She let out a small chuckle and continued to eat and I did the same, silently finishing off the asparagus before moving onto the salmon.

"Do you wanna stay over tonight?" I asked, crunching on some salad. "It's really late. I don't think you should drive at this hour."

"Yeah, you're right." She said as she looked at her phone, noting the time. "I'd appreciate it if it's okay with you."

"Of course it's okay with me. You can take the bed. It's much more comfortable than the couch."

"I can't kick you out of your bed. Why don't we share again like we did when you visited LA?"

I looked up at her, nodding when I saw that she seemed rather pleased with her idea.

"Sure. I don't mind."

Another night of innocent sleeping with the woman of my dreams. After tomorrow, I really had to talk to Brie. I had an important decision to make.

•

@oh-thats-cute @marvelwomen-simp @dorabledewdroop @scarlie-johalsen-blog @annie-ahmelia

[dreamwavesexploringreality]

TOGETHER

Requested: Chishiya post-Borderlands, taking care of a depressed wife

Chishiya x reader Post-Borderlands.

TW: Mention of depression, mental health symptoms, apathy, emotional detachment, intrusive thoughts, anxiety, reference to past trauma, social isolation, lack of appetite.

A few weeks had passed since her return to the real world.

“The real world,” Y/N thought repeatedly while lying in bed. “Is this really real?” Since her return to routine, Y/N felt as if she was walking unsteadily on a fragile sheet of ice that might crack at any moment. To anyone, it might seem that all that time in Borderlands had been nothing more than a very vivid dream. It was something she couldn’t explain to anyone and, even if she wanted to, the words didn’t seem real in her own language; it felt as if she were speaking another language every time she tried to give verbal form to everything that had happened. That’s why she chose to remain silent; it was easier and much more comfortable than starting a pointless babble that would lead nowhere.

On the other hand, Y/N had always been fascinated by the way her husband handled things. She had seen him calm and stoic in life-or-death situations, and now, back in the real world, nothing had changed. Chishiya was still the same as always, as if nothing had happened in the past days, weeks, months… As if they hadn’t been on the brink of death repeatedly, hadn’t witnessed bloody massacres and losses. “How does he do it?” she wondered.

So the hours passed, and the days drew to dusk, and she remained there, motionless in her bed, staring at a fixed point on the wall until her husband came home from work.

“Have you been lying there all day?” A voice jolted her from her daydream, making her startle. She didn’t like being caught off guard. “Side effects of Borderlands,” she thought.

Y/N nodded as she watched her husband undo his tie.

“Have you eaten?” Chishiya asked again.

Y/N shook her head. She hadn’t eaten, but Chishiya already knew that. Every morning, he would get up early, leaving his wife asleep, and prepare breakfast for both of them. He would leave with his coffee in hand and place another steaming cup on the table, and, as usual, Chishiya would return from work to find the cup exactly where he had left it, with all its contents untouched.

Chishiya never mentioned it to Y/N, hoping that if she got out of bed and found the cup as a surprise, it might motivate her to start a new day. But the days passed, and none seemed new to her. Chishiya would arrive, see the full cup, discard its contents, and slowly head to his room to find her once more lost in staring at a fixed point on the wall, absorbed in her thoughts, dead to the world.

“I’m going to take a shower,” Chishiya said as he rummaged through his work bag. He pulled out a few neatly folded papers and placed them on the bed before heading to the bathroom without looking back at the girl lying there. He wouldn’t say it out loud, but it hurt him. It hurt him deeply to see her like this, to see the once joyful, active, and lively girl slowly fading away, and he feared never being able to bring her back, losing her, and not having done enough to prevent it.

When Y/N heard the bathroom door close, she turned her gaze to the carefully folded papers on the bed. She knew her husband well enough to understand he hadn’t left them by accident. She reached out and picked them up, feeling their smooth and delicate texture. She unfolded them with reluctance, something trivial to any other person but monumental to her. As she laid the pages flat on her lap, she read the first line carefully: “Clinical Assessment of Depression Symptoms.” Y/N held the paper with both hands while her eyes raced to understand the document. It was written in medical jargon, something she would have asked Chishiya about under different circumstances, and he, with feigned annoyance, would have explained. But this time, her husband had left the papers there for her; she had to decipher the message, and it wasn’t too difficult.

Inside the bathroom, the water stopped running, and Y/N knew Chishiya would emerge any moment. For some inexplicable reason, she felt embarrassed that her husband might catch her with the papers in hand, so she folded them again and placed them back on the bed.

As expected, Chishiya took no more than 3 minutes to come out, and when he did, he cast a fleeting glance at the papers, which, judging by their placement, had been read.

“We don’t have food at home. I’m going to the supermarket in 10 minutes if you want to come,” the man said without looking at her, while rummaging through the closet for something to wear.

Y/N had been with Chishiya long enough to know that every word he spoke was meticulously considered and calculated, so it wasn’t hard for her to recall the text she had just read: “It is proven that walking at least 20 minutes a day improves mental health.” A sigh escaped her lips. The last thing she wanted at that moment was to get out of bed and get ready to go out, and when she was about to refuse, as she had every other time, an alarm seemed to go off in her mind, an alarm she had silenced for a long time that was now screaming for fresh air.

With no strength to respond and feeling unconvinced, Y/N nodded.

Chishiya had to wait on the sofa for more than 10 minutes before leaving the house, but he did so with a faint smile. He could be a cold and calculating man, but it was undeniable that he cared for her, even if he didn’t know how to show it, or did so in his own way.

When Y/N was ready, the man looked her up and down, hoping to see the familiar spark in her eyes. It wasn’t there. He still saw her lost gaze and pale complexion, and his heart ached seeing her look toward the door with distrust. Chishiya opened it with a loud creak that made the girl flinch. A flood of stimuli began to invade the house: the streetlights, the squeal of car wheels, a distant horn, and the chatter of people on the street. Y/N had grown accustomed to the absolute stillness of her dormant mind, and at that moment, the noise was overwhelming, so overpowering that the part of her brain demanding fresh air seemed to shut down, and she saw no reason to leave the comfort of her space. Her indecision must have been glaringly obvious, as all alarms went off in Chishiya’s mind, who remained calm by the door. Without a word, the man extended his arm toward the trembling, pale, and apathetic figure that was his wife. Y/N fixed her gaze on his open hand, and for a moment, the idea of touching Chishiya seemed appealing, letting a wave of nostalgia wash over her. That brief moment was enough for her to reach out and entwine her fingers with his, like a small child afraid to cross the street, and a shiver ran down her spine at the long-forgotten familiar touch.

Neither spoke as they crossed the threshold and Chishiya closed the door behind them. A bitter sensation lodged itself in the girl’s throat as she felt the door seal behind her, and the street she had known for years suddenly seemed more intimidating than ever, with the tall buildings towering over her, threatening to collapse at any moment, cars speeding away, and passersby moving briskly in all directions. For a moment, she remembered it all. All of it. And she felt her heart pound fiercely in her chest, and her eyes moisten with tears that threatened to spill at any moment. Her breathing caught in her throat, and the world seemed to close in around her.

Suddenly, a brief but strong squeeze of her hand pulled her out of her trance. Still breathing heavily, heart racing, and eyes full of tears, she looked at her husband. Chishiya was looking at her with calm resolve, as calm as he could be while his brain screamed at him to hug her and take her back to the comfort of her bed, but he was a doctor and understood clinically and analytically the chemical reactions occurring in his wife’s brain, plunging her into the deepest darkness. Summoning his courage, the man donned a serene, impassive, and even mask to hide his fears and worries, and with one last squeeze of her hand, a thousand unspoken words echoing behind, they both set out on their journey. Together.

© 2024 [@dreamwavesexploringreality]

---

Hey everyone! 🌟 I hope you enjoyed reading this story! 😊 I really put my heart into capturing Chishiya’s character and how he might support his wife through her depression after Borderlands.

It’s kind of heartwarming to imagine him being a steady rock when things get tough, don’t you think? 💖✨