#and i'll be returning to not alone after that

[narcjsistx]

bunnyiglesias!stranger that when he saw you talking to lavinho the first time, he would never have imagined that you were his daughter. he knew quite well how lavinho loved basking in women, so it was almost natural for him to think that you were just a passing flirt and not his teammate's mysterious daughter

spain wasn't very different from brazil, you certainly loved your homeland much more, but returning to the barcha campus didn't bother you. it had been a really long time since you last saw your father, and you just wanted to hug him after spending months apart: he in italy for a soccer meeting, you in brazil with your grandparents. it would have been nice to go back to normality, in your apartment in barcelona

arriving at the campus, you threw yourself into his arms: hugging him again was a pleasant feeling, but not lasting because of someone. before you can notice it a very tall boy approaches your father, and you notice the same emblem of the spanish team, sign of his belonging to the barcha

"lavi? where did you meet this señorita? in italy?" the boy asks, winking at your father. a slight annoyance appears on your face, but your father hugs you by the shoulders, bursting out laughing "this señorita is my daughter, iglesias!" he says in his usual loud tone, and instead of seeing embarrassment on the face of the boy who probably mistook you for a passing flirt, only an amused expression forms on his face "oooh! i didn't know you had one" he says amused, and you clear your throat putting a hand forward "nice to meet you. im y/n" you say with your gaze down, because even if you're annoyed by him you know that the manners of introducing yourself are everything, and he grabs your hand, shaking it a bit "bunny iglesias"

bunnyiglesias!acquaintance that from that day on he simply started to pay much more attention to your presence in the team campus. over time he remembered how many times he had already seen you in the past, thinking that you were the girlfriend of some other player

your father, since his return, had obviously returned to train daily at the barcha campus. in the past you had often accompanied him just to avoid spending time at home alone, but since he returned you had decided to start accompanying him more to simply spend more time with him, due to the months of distance. you didn't mind spending time there, the staff treated you with respect and you even joked with some of the team members. and yet, every time you turned around, that boy's face was never too far from you

"did you accompany your father today too?" he asks walking not far from you, just a few steps away. you huff, continuing to walk towards your destination, the canteen "apparently yes. don't you have to train?" you ask trying to sound polite, because telling him to leave you alone would perhaps be a little rude. you hear him chuckle "i don't need it! im already a genius at the sweet age of 19" he says, and this time you're the one surprised "19? we are the same age" you say turning around, making him stop a short distance away otherwise he would have risked falling on you. he tilts his head and smiles at you, towering a bit due to the height difference "at least between us someone is making their youth count" he says, and if before you thought you still had to be polite, now you know you can use your entire vocabulary of insults

"filho da puta..." you whisper nervously, striding back to the cafeteria, whispering more insults in portuguese. how can he say things like that to you if he doesn't even know you, but just stares at you from afar? who gave him all this confidence?

bunnyiglesias!kindafriend who for a LONG TIME thought he was your new friend when in reality you couldn't stand him at all. it suddenly became normal to bother you or just spend more time around you, even though you clearly showed that you wanted him dead

"come on, a simple 1vs1! i'll go easy!" he says bouncing the ball on his knee, changing his gaze between you and the object. you sigh exhausted, continuing to scribble in your notebook "i already told you no. if you want to humiliate someone go get one of those who just arrived" you say neutrally, even if with a hint of sarcasm. he laughs, throwing the ball in the air and making it end up in the net with a dry, calculated gesture

he comes closer, grabbing the water bottle at your side "you're just saying that because you're weak" he says taking a generous helping of water, and you glare at him "well sorry if my dad didn't teach me how to kick a ball when i was little" you say sarcastically, and he shrugs "i still have a hard time believing that you're the daughter of lavinho, that genius monster! and you... you're... simply you" he says, even though he's clearly making fun of you. you take your notebook, slapping it against his leg "cale a boca, você fala demais, seu bobo!" you say annoyed, and he takes his ball back while laughing "you talk like i can understand you" he says amusedly, unlike you that you just want to eliminate him from your life. you hate his cheekiness, his cocky grin, you hate even more the fact that your father adores him because of his skills

bunnyiglesias!friend who simply decided to spend all his free time with you, and you ended up liking him. your relationship is still based entirely on the fact that he annoys you, but now his existence annoys you less

"did you like how i shot the second time?" he asks taking the towel you have in your hand, drying his hair still damp from the shower. you roll your eyes, even as you nod "that was cool. maybe a little theatrical, very un-your style" you say, and your words get mixed up with the screams of the fans in the stadium, still all eager to talk to the barcha players

today there was a match, specifically in one of the biggest stadiums in the city: the camp nou. the match has been over for a while now, but of course you were here the whole time, sitting on the benches reserved for the players' relatives. the team members are now divided between those in the tunnel near the fans and those in the locker room, still cleaning up. you and bunny are in front of the tunnel, while you wait for your father, both of you are aware that journalists have already taken pictures of you. it's not something that bothers you particularly, you and him go out often and so some of your photos have already gone viral, but you are simply great friends. today will be no different, unfortunately, but okay

"what do you mean? that im a terrible player?" he asks jokingly, and you let out a laugh "more or less. maybe i should ask the team manager to move you to ReAl" you say crossing your arms, mentioning the barcha's arch enemy. bunny shakes his head, absolutely against it "i'd rather be slapped by lavi until the day i die" he says, and you burst out laughing. you take the towel in his hands, starting to walk towards the tunnel "first we should find him a reason to slap you" you say, disappearing from the eyes of the fans. bunny follows you, not before making a gesture to the fans "we can definitely find one"

"bunny inglesias disappears in the tunnel with his alleged girlfriend, the daughter of the champion lavinho?" shouts the commentator, but you are already in the tunnel to hear it

bunnyiglesias!bestfriend who simply didn't ask for this title, he just took it. bunny showed you how much he cared about you with small gestures, the ones that no friend had ever done for you. not seeing you together was almost strange, for lavinho and others players

"thank you!" you say taking your coffee, wrapped up in your winter coat. even with the temperature so low, outdoor training didn't stop for the players, especially the first team. your father had already done his shift, but since bunny still had to do his, you didn't mind staying in the cold and watching him

he pats your head taking off his coat, which you take with your free arm "don't worry. so after training dinner at the usual place?" he asks, and you nod with red cheeks, a bit caused by the cold and a bit by his concern "sure! but at least this time let me pay. i don't know why it's been months since you've let me pay a cent" you say disconsolately, but he shakes his head, amused "it's not in my vocabulary to let you pay. not because i want to be a gentleman, but because i would like to eat edible food and not something toxic" he says, then running towards the field. you reflect on his words for a few seconds "HEY! MY FATHER MAKES MORE MONEY THAN YOU, cabeça de vento!" you yell at him, but you are amused by his words. bunny runs towards the field, but turns to send you a flying kiss, to which you react by rolling your eyes even if smiling

clutching your coffee and his coat to your chest, you notice how his scent lingers on the fabric. you hold it a little tighter, trying to ignore the slightly raised heartbeat. you don't know what's happening to both of you lately, but all this attention and gestures have already crossed the line for a while now

bunnyiglesias!situationship who, since he understood that he can touch you without you wishing him the worst, has started to put his arm around your shoulders much more often. an arm became his hands on your waist, and his hands became kisses on cheeks

snuggled up to him under the covers, the january cold doesn't seem so annoying. your house has always been quiet, but since bunny comes more often, you feel much more relaxed. it has become the norm to be hugged under the covers, held tight as if you could escape, justifying the action as pure affection and nothing more. having him so close relaxes you, but at the same time the constant beating in your chest reminds you that you shouldn't be like this: technically, best friends don't do that. you have long thought that you have crossed that line, even if neither of you dares open the topic

"are you still cold?" he whispers, but you shake your head "no no. maybe im even feel to much warm, we've been hugging for too long" you say, but the only answer you feel and want to feel are his lips in your hair, while he gently kisses your head for some seconds "i don't care if you feel warm. im comfortable like this" he says, and you nod, although wondering how he can be comfortable with you pressed against him, like a sardine. his hand gently rubs your side, making you relax as you slowly close your eyes, nestled in the crook of his neck. you hate that you can't kiss him, so you crane your neck slightly, kissing his jaw. you hear him sigh, to chuckle more "the jaw now? next thing what is it, the nose?" he asks, and you shake your head, kissing his neck. he lets out another sigh, tightening his grip on your hips "the neck now, huh? i would have preferred another part" he says

it's moments like this that make you wonder why you haven't kissed yet. you want it, he wants it. why hasn't happened yet?

bunnyiglesias!boyfriend who hadn't planned on kissing you in front of your dad, but the opportunity was practically perfect. there was no point in ignoring each other's feelings anymore, not when gestures and looks spoke louder than words. it was the perfect moment

"follow me" he says taking your hand, and even though not convinced, you follow him "what do you want to do now?" you ask, but the only thing that appears before your eyes is your father. bunny stops for a moment perplexed, tilting his head "lavi? why are you here?" asks the boy, who unbeknownst to you had checked which of the fields were free at that time. lavinho shrugs, approaching with the ball in his hand "training. and you? what are you doing with my daughter here?" he asks smirking, because out of all of them he's the one who's most waiting for you two to admit that you love each other. bunny clears his throat, masking his anxiety with his usual little smile "oh... i had to do something... wait. you know what? i need you"

you remain confused, not knowing how to react "what do you have in mind?" you ask crossing your arms, extremely perplexed. lavinho imitates you, staying a few steps away while bunny takes a few steps back "senhor lavinho, acho que estou extremamente apaixonado pela sua filha" he says, his pronunciation is a bit bad, but his words immediately reach your heart loud and clear. you look at him covering your mouth, surprised "no way" you say excited, a bit from what he told you and especially for the fact that he said it in your native language. he takes your hand, kissing the back of it "posso ser teu namorado?" he says, his voice a little shaky

before he can even ask you or your father anything else, you close your arms around his neck so you can kiss him. bunny catches you, kissing you back while holding you up with his hands on your waist, eliminating the height difference issue. it's a sweet, messy kiss, but it feels like a release after that situationship limbo you've been living in for months. you smile satisfied as you kiss him, almost ignoring your father behind

"at least he had the decency to man up and ask you"

[dragonmasterhiccup]

Part of him did want to show Astrid his world. The other part of him was scared to. At least, scared to show her his pod. They didn't exactly like him all that much.

But, if they could find a way to get her there without them knowing she was human...it could work, at least long enough for her to get to see it. Then, he'd bring her home, back to the surface.

There was however the issue of the water pressure...

"I'll see what I can do. You've shown me so much here, I'd like to return the favor."

He leaned in again, closing his eyes, when a sudden shout caused him to pull away. His eyes widened at the old man's accusations, the merman at a loss for words as Astrid helped him get to his crutch.

Evil. Sea-devil. Creature.

It echoed in his mind, bringing back bad memories from his pod. His heart was racing, and he felt as though he couldn't get enough air.

Outside. He needed to get outside...

Using the crutch, he hurried out as fast as he could, with only Phlegma seeing him escape.

The door was left ajar as he continued on down the massive stairwell.

A spell. He'd never put a spell on Astrid, let alone drag her to the depths. That wasn't who he is! Even then, that wasn't how his magic worked. He knew he'd have to go back eventually, but that was to be temporary. Hiccup wanted to live among the humans, but if they would only see him as some trickster creature, could they ever truly accept him?

The sun was low, lower than he thought it would be. He had to get to water before moonrise, he knew that. But where? He still had to keep the end of his tail dry.

🐟

He didn't make it.

Hiccup had gotten the human clothes off, and just as he was about to climb into the wash basin, his tail returned, leaving him stuck in the grass.

Flopping over to his back, he let out a frustrated groan. "Why can't things ever be simple," he wondered aloud, hands in his hair and his eyes closed, "she's a human, and I'm a merman. I should have expected that it wouldn't be received all that well..."

Astrid, the best warrior on Berk. And Hiccup...the cowardly merman who ran at the first sign of trouble.

His hands lowered to cover his face. "She deserves better..."

"I'm not so sure about that," said a voice from above. Startled, Hiccup opened his eyes to find Phlegma standing above him. Her arms were crossed, a basket of banging on her arm. "Aye, you shouldn't have left. You missed quite the spectacle. But, Hiccup?"

She knelt down, looking him in the eye. "What my daughter deserves is someone who loves her, cherishes her. You may be part fish, but you fit that bill."

Hiccup shook his head, "She's a warrior. She shouldn't be with a coward."

Phlegma paused before motioning for him to give her his tail. He curled the end of it towards her, and she began to change the wrappings, "Hiccup. I get the feeling that something caused that reaction of yours. It wasn't just Mildew, but something else."

Hiccup didn't respond, averting his gaze.

"Hm. I thought so. Something also tells me that you can be quite brave when the situation calls for it. I don't know how you did it, but you befriended a dragon. That takes bravery, lad."

"You're both young. You both have a lot to learn. But don't be so hard on yourself, Hiccup. Even mermen deserve love, you know," she gave him a soft smile, tying the new wrappings after applying some salve.

"Astrid is inside, worried about you. I told her to let me speak with you first," she rested a hand on his shoulder, and he finally met her gaze. "You did nothing wrong, Hiccup. Mildew, he's just looking to cause trouble. He always has been that way. If you had stayed, you would have seen just about everyone come to your defense. Axel and Astrid were the most vocal."

Gathering the supplies, she got to her feet. "I'll send Astrid out to you. I'll see you in the morning, dear."

Without another word, she left, leaving Hiccup a bit speechless as he stretched his fins out.

A moment later, he heard hurried footsteps approaching. Looking over at his girlfriend, he said, "I, I'm so sorry I ran off like that, I can explain..."

After a long training session, all Astrid wanted to do was cool off on the beach. Maybe a tiny swim, even though the ocean was so cold at this time of year. She pushed through the brush and staggered down to the shore.

Only to find a boy lounging in the shallows.

“Oh!” She dropped her axe in the sand. From his bare torso, she assumed he was naked. “Sorry! I didn’t know someone else would be…here…” as the apologies flowed, she realized from the waist down, he had green scales and a pair of fins.

No wonder she hadn’t recognized him.

“No way…” she inched closer. “A real mermaid! In the flesh! Are the stories true?” She stamped down her overwhelming curiosity for a moment to give him a stern point. “Don’t try anything fishy, mermaid. I’m very capable of protecting myself, got it?”

((I saw the prompt and went feral, hope you don’t mind))

[X]

Hiccup started, the water around him splashing as he sat up straight in surprise, before he moved a little further back, his cheeks flushed.

"No, sorry, I, I shouldn't--" Ducking his head, the merman awkwardly held up a hand, "Usually no one comes here..."

But his movements only caused his tail to briefly break the surface, emerald scales glittering in the sun for a moment before dipping below the water again.

Firmly, he responded, "Merman. I am a merman. And no, don't worry, I, I wasn't going to try anything...I know you'd probably kill me if I did..."

Clearing his throat, he ran a hand through his hair, which had partially dried in his time sitting in the shallow water. "What, what stories are you referring to?"

He knew, or at least had a gut feeling about what she was asking, but he wanted to hear it from her. She appeared wary, but not fearful. Maybe these humans didn't have the same fears of his kind like the others?

[elene78-blog]

I don't think Jeremy is going to relapse into drugs in TBC. And to be honest, I don't think he'll have a car accident like many people say (I think there's already too much to tell without adding a car accident), buuuut… If he did, it could lead to something interesting.

Hear me out.

Jeremy wakes up in pieces in the hospital (it would be crazy to start with that parallel with Jean).

And well, Jeremy has broken several bones, has a severe concussion, and is in a neck brace from whiplash, but the first thing he asks when he can string two words together is if the person he crashed into is okay.

That person is okay. And Jeremy didn't crash because he fell asleep. The other guy was drunk/high, and Jeremy, exhausted as he was, didn't have quick enough reflexes to avoid him (another parallel to what Jeremy could have been like if he'd gone down that road, the person who crashed the car into him).

Jeremy faces a long recovery, at least two months, although he'll be able to return at the start of the season, and it doesn't look like he'll have any after-effects that would prevent him from playing. He'll just have to be careful with his rehabilitation.

The problem is the painkillers.

Jeremy is very nervous, because of course, they gave him them so he wouldn't suffer too much when he woke up and could rest, but Jeremy refuses to take any more. When Rhemann arrives, Jeremy is a nervous wreck.

"They gave me painkillers, Coach. I can't take any more."

"Jeremy, you're going to be in a lot of pain. This is understandable."

"No, no. Please don't force me."

Rhemann doesn't know what to do. Jeremy hears Jean's deep, shrill voice on the other side of the door, and he comes in, almost pushing past the nurse, with Laila equally in pain. Jeremy must be in terrible shape, because Laila and Jean immediately turn pale.

Jeremy continues to refuse to take any more painkillers. Laila tells him that's crazy, and the doctor tells him he'll be in a lot of pain without painkillers and won't be able to rest properly.

"Ibuprofen. I'll take Ibuprofen. Nothing stronger than that," Jeremy declares.

Laila and Cat, who arrives shortly after, tell him they'll monitor him to make sure he doesn't relapse, but Jeremy looks at Jean when he's tired of arguing. Laila and those closest to him may prioritize his well-being over his tacit consent, but there's one person who won't.

"You don't have to prove anything," Jean tells him.

"It's not for you. It's for me… And for my brother. I can't take that."

"It'll be very painful," Jean continues, because he knows it. Oh, he knows it very well.

Jeremy, his eyes bruised from the airbags' deployment and his nose swollen, says it.

"I'll tough it out."

Jean hates this situation, but he won't go against Jeremy's wishes, and he tells the others this. They don't agree, but they don't have to. It's Jeremy's decision.

Although everyone says he's crazy, Jeremy doesn't take anything other than ibuprofen, which, of course, isn't enough to relieve the pain (another parallel with Jean).

Jeremy spends horrible days, barely sleeping because of the pain. He cries sometimes, but he doesn't ask for painkillers even once. Jean stays with him the whole time and grumbles when Laila comes to replace him. Jeremy asks them to leave him alone, but of course they don't.

As the days go by, the pain becomes bearable.

His mother visits him once, and Analisse and William visit him after work to bring him clothes and his French books. His mother and sister seem shocked, as if they believe it's all fake until they see him. They recriminate him and don't stay there for long, uncomfortable because Jean is there, silent but vigilant like a guard dog. Jeremy's father doesn't call him, but it's gotten to the point where Jeremy doesn't even remember him.

Kevin calls. Jean and he argue on the phone.

Jeremy forces Jean to leave for a few hours to shower and rest a little. He begs him because Jean is the most loyal and kind man in the world, and Jeremy doesn't deserve someone like that by his side. He gives in under the pretext that Cat will be here in a few hours to keep him company. Jeremy insists he doesn't need her, but Jean doesn't want to "listen to nonsense."

Jeremy manages to get some sleep when the worst is over and he's left alone.

When he opens his eyes again, Bryson is looking at him with a bland smile.

Jeremy's pulse races.

"You never get enough of attention, huh," Bryson tells him. Bryson unleashes a hate speech toward Jeremy, something he's been bottling up for years. He talks about his grandmother. He talks about how his father left him, Jeremy, perfect Jeremy, in charge of everyone, and Jeremy concludes that Bryson is high on cocaine, or worse. Those dilated pupils prove him right.

Bryson calls him a faggot and other such things. Bryson mentions Jean. Jeremy is fed up with it and says, "Don't blame me for being a loser, Bryson. Do yourself a favor and get help instead of wasting your time hating me so much."

Bryson squeezes Jeremy's bruises until Jeremy tears up from the pain. Then Bryson calls the nurse and tells her Jeremy is in terrible shape and needs painkillers, the strongest they have. Jeremy tries to speak, but Bryson squeezes the healing broken joint, and Jeremy screams.

The nurse brings the painkillers.

And then Jeremy screams the first thing that comes to mind.

A single phrase in French and a name.

Jean appears in the doorway like a tornado, her eyes fixed on Bryson, with Cat and Cody in tow. Bryson immediately backs away from Jeremy.

"I'm going to separate your flesh from your bones," Jean says, and looms over Bryson.

A huge commotion erupts, and when Jean slams Bryson's head against the window, the nurse says she's going to call security. Jeremy has a revelation.

"Call the police!" he yells. "He's drugged. He might even have something on him. Call them."

Bryson panics. Jean smiles. It's not a friendly smile at all.

The police show up within minutes, and with Jeremy in bed completely clean, and Bryson drugged and carrying drugs, there's no denying the obvious.

After this, Jeremy is completely disowned by his family. Then there's silence. Bryson wasn't carrying cocaine, but pure heroin. He's been shooting up for months. It also turns out he's a fairly well-known drug dealer in Princeton. Bryson is immediately admitted to detox, and Warren must pay the police much more money than he had to to keep them quiet about the banquet.

Jeremy can't go home after this, but… at least this time he's been able to save a brother.

[paranoiastudio]

Dark prince

pairing: Modern!Aemond Targaryen х f!reader

warnings: 18+ smut, p in v, oral, pet name, sex video, daddy kink

word count: 3,0k

English is not my first language, sorry about mistakes

The Dark Prince. You knew about him, of course, among the other men on the porn site he seemed different. He never shows his face, almost all the videos on the channel are filmed in the "solo" genre, and even his few partners never appeared in his videos twice.

So what should you think when you received a message from him with an offer to shoot a video together?

You yourself had fun on camera alone: ​​you didn't have a boyfriend, and having sex with strangers in the studio was too much for you. Just a temporary job that helps you, a student, stay afloat.

Why did you agree? Why didn't you refuse or just ignore him? Probably, thoughts of his beautiful, pale and tattooed body influenced your opinion and you agreed to meet and work together.

Your "colleague" paid for your flight (of course, he is from the capital), a room in an expensive hotel and agreed to the day and time when you yourself would be ready.

- Hi. - You look up timidly and almost choke at his appearance. Everything you imagined, everything you fantasized about was not even close to true.

That long blond hair, those eyes. He was tall and thin, although you could see the relief of his muscles through his thin white shirt. It seemed he had recently taken a shower, droplets of water were visible on his bare, almost smooth chest.

- Hello. - His voice is confident, he is clearly not as nervous as you are. Against his background, you seem even shorter and the man glances at the soft pink dress you chose today.

- Hi… - Thoughts are swarming in your head, you feel yourself getting shamelessly wet, the thought that that very perfect dick is nearby intoxicated you like never before.

- Hi. - He grins and lets you into his room. You haven't seen such a room in his videos, it looked much more lived-in, as if he was here all the time. - How are you?

- Everything is fine. - The view outside the window was mesmerizing. - And you… Sorry, I don't know your name, I…

- Do you want to know my name? - You nod, afraid to anger him with this request, after all, you've only known each other for a short time. - My name is Aemond.

- Aemond. - You repeat, as if trying his name on your tongue. - Am I not allowed to use it?

- You shouldn't. - He chuckles quietly again. - I don't advertise it.

- Then why did you tell me? Do you know my name?

- Yes. I saw… The diploma on the wall. - Aymond takes a bottle of cola from the minibar and hands it to you. - Here. Don't be afraid, I don't bite… Unless you ask for it.

- The diploma?

- Yes, above your bed, next to the big flower. - Aymond thought about it. - Graduated with honors, huh?

A shiver runs down your spine. If he noticed, someone else might have too. How could you be so careless? The horror must have shown on your face, because Aemond starts talking again, and this time his tone is much softer.

- I don't think anyone else would have noticed. It's just that I… I used to watch that video of you in a bunny costume quite often, remember?

Of course you remember, you bought that costume before Halloween, made a video of it, and returned it to the store that same day. It was the first time you filmed yourself playing with your butt, and it's one of your most popular videos.

- I'll hide it. - You sit down next to Aemond and take the drink from his hands. The bottle was cold and sweaty, and Aemond's hand was so warm when your fingers touched the neck of the bottle.

- Too bad, I really like it. What do you think?

- I've watched your videos, and quite often, to be honest. You're beautiful.

- Not more beautiful than you, princess. - You've heard compliments before, but Aemond's words sent a shiver through you, a pleasant thrill from the realization that he actually thinks you're beautiful.

- And… What would you like to do? - You hadn't discussed it beforehand, and only now do you realize that it would be much easier to discuss it over text.

- I've been thinking about something for a long time… But you don't make videos with your boyfriend, and I don't know what you like.

- I don't have a boyfriend, but I get what you mean. - You take another sip from the bottle. - I guess I don't want my face to be seen… Anal, I don't think… Blowjob?

Aemond watches you flutter your long eyelashes innocently, fiddling with the hem of your short dress. You seem so innocent and somehow magically managed to convey it through the screen. That's why he chose you…

A large hand lands on your knee and squeezes the soft flesh, moving higher and higher. Aemond was so tall and big that you thought he could close you off from the world.

- I would be glad if you let me. - That look; you were ready to kneel right there and whisper "yes, daddy, please." - But first, your pleasure.

Aemond works quickly and precisely. He has already set up the light next to the bed, set up the camera. He also insisted that you stay in this dress.

Everything seems so normal when the camera starts recording. Everything feels right when Aemond squeezes your breast and kisses you so deeply and hungrily that you almost choke from the onslaught.

You fall on the bed on your back, Aemond turns you around so that the view of your wet pussy is the main one on the screen. His touches were confident and precise, it felt like he already knows you, knows how to touch you.

- Such a cute pink thing. - Aemond fidgets with the bow on the hem of the dress and lifts it to the waist, pushing aside the thin strip of underwear. - I'll take care of you, baby.

A hot mouth falls on your dripping pussy and you squirm, such caresses were unusual for you, because all the guys you met, more often than not, were too selfish for this.

- Oh god… - You press your hand to your mouth, but you moan louder when Aemond wraps his lips around your clit. - Please!

- I'm just getting started, baby. - Aemond holds your legs wide apart and begins another assault, intending to make you cum on his tongue. The thought that you must taste divine has been haunting him for months.

His nimble tongue penetrates you again and again, Aemond's thumb circling your clit, already swollen from kisses. You take two fingers at once without any problem, and you both moan as you feel how hard you clench.

A finger, then a second, penetrates, stretching your plush walls and causing only more whimpers. You were shamefully wet, soaking wet as soon as you saw him, but this… Is it possible to pass out from this? When your pussy is being licked by a man like Aemond, yeah, definitely.

- Let go, baby, let me taste you. - That growl-like cry pushes you over the edge and you break when Aemond's other hand squeezes your thigh, bruising it.

You've never been loud in bed, but no one has ever given you this much pleasure. Aemond doesn't let go of you for a second, devouring your orgasm with a hunger worthy of a starving man. His fingers slide in and out with a wet squelching sound that turns you on even more. You're like an animal in mating season, unable to think about anything but him and the way his cock is pressing into you through your jeans.

- Please, wait… - Your plump, wet, pulsating pussy was so sensitive, but the man kept licking you. - Daddy, please…

Aemond immediately looks up at you and you see the effect your words had. He seemed to get even more aroused, your whimpering and the fact that you continued to squeeze around Aemond's fingers did not help his calm either.

The man catches your palm and gently bites the thin skin of your hand, slippery fingers still moving inside and you no longer try to bring your legs together, knowing that it will not help against him.

- What do you want, baby?

- Fuck me, daddy. - You throw your leg over his strong shoulder and do not meet any resistance.

- Oh, baby… - Aemond buries his face in your chest. - Your dress is so beautiful.

You giggle, understanding why he asked to stay dressed. But what you do not know is Aemond's desire to undress you himself. It is like opening a gift that you have so long and desperately desired …

Aemond pulls the fabric of the dress, exposing your chest: hard pink nipples cannot help but attract his attention, the blond immediately circles one of them with his tongue, rolls it in his mouth and releases it with a loud "pop" made by his chiseled lips.

The man helps you sit up comfortably on the bed and you immediately open your mouth, wanting to feel his heavy taste on your tongue. With one hand you grab Aemond's strong thigh and with the other you pull the fabric of the dress even lower, something like a skirt hangs at the waist, you feel the juices of arousal flowing down the inside of your thighs.

Aemond pulls the zipper and you see him: as beautiful as you remember from all his videos, the head red and dripping, wanting to receive what you will gladly give him as many times as he says.

You swallow him as deep as you can and almost choke on the amount of saliva, this man turns you into an animal. You drool and move your head more actively, making the most indecent sounds. Aemond's long fingers bury themselves in your hair, gently massaging your scalp and pulling the soft strands so that they do not bother you and do not cover your face.

The sight of you sucking his cock, wrapping your beautiful lips around the shaft, the way you look into his eyes while licking the underside of his cock, excited him like nothing else.

- That look, baby. - His voice trembles slightly and breaks into a moan. - You look at me so innocently.

- Am I doing well, daddy? - A thread of saliva has formed between your mouth and Aemond's cock and you feel how the grip in your hair is getting stronger. - I'm trying, but you're big…

He really is bigger than all the cocks you've ever handled. Even on video, you've used small or medium-sized toys. But it was impossible to swallow Aemond whole, you squeeze his balls and suck on the head, continuing to circle it with your tongue.

- Such a good girl. - Aemond literally growls, catching the pace and moving more confidently. - You'll let daddy fuck that magic throat, right?

Your hand involuntarily reaches between your legs, the pulsation is so strong that it hurts. There's a pull in your groin and you touch yourself, smearing the lube and looking for at least some release.

Aemond penetrates deeper, sees how you inhale through your nose and continues to fuck you in the mouth, wiping away your tears with his thumb. You feel the stretch, it becomes difficult to breathe, but you exhale through your nose and choke on the cock, continuing to play with your pussy.

- I was distracted for a minute… - Aemond's voice is hoarse, his cock twitches in your mouth and he pulls away. - I didn't tell you to touch yourself, right?

- Daddy… - It's so hard to take your hand away, especially when he's looking at you, his gaze does not bode well. This man will ruin you.

He throws you down on the bed, face down, ass up in the air, Aemond pulls off your dress and you're left with only your shoes, with little white bows. A heavy slap lands on your ass and you gasp from the burning sensation on your skin.

- No one but me can touch this pussy. - Aemond's other hand grabs you from below. His palm is big enough to cover your entire cunt. - Do you understand?

- Yes, daddy… - You lift your ass higher, still hoping that he will stop teasing and just fuck you the way you want.

- Repeat. - A tone that will not tolerate an argument, impossible to disobey.

- No one but you can touch… this pussy… Please! - Tears flow from your eyes, because Aemond's nimble fingers have been touching you all this time where it was wet and hot. For him, because of him…

- And now we will reinforce this lesson. - You feel how he rubs against you, collecting your secretions and lubricating his cock. You smile slightly, noting that he cares about your comfort.

This thought leaves you as soon as Aemond fills you with one strong movement, right now he did not tease you and just took everything in one movement.

The sticky walls adjust to its shape, as if you memorize its outline. It is so heavy and hot, the angle allowed the Dark Prince to penetrate so deeply, at first you only roll your eyes, your ears seem to be blocked.

Somewhere in the distance you hear a groan, it is your own voice, so high… The man hits your round ass again to bring you to your senses and immediately begins to move.

You scream and wiggle your hips, feel like you are going to die now. But it's not death, it's an orgasm that hits you suddenly and hard, you feel yourself sucking Aemond into you, he moans long and hard, but doesn't stop fucking you, his balls slapping against you, he moved so fast, as if he was really hammering a lesson into you about whose you are now…

Still shaking, you suddenly feel light and find yourself on your back, Aemond, slightly flushed, with disheveled hair, looks at you, moving his cock with his big hand. You spread your legs and take him into your arms.

Aemond holds your legs, setting a precise rhythm and plunging into you with almost hypnotic awe. He catches your face by the chin, you hold his gaze, he doesn't break away from you for a second.

- Are you going to give daddy another one, baby? - He leans down and showers your breasts with light kisses. - Squeeze me one more time and I'll give you what you need?

- Cum on my tits? - Aemond kisses you and changes the angle slightly, your ass literally hanging off the bed, Aemond above you, fucking you like it's the last time. What a beautiful view on camera, you suppose. The thought of it drives you on and you leave kisses and bites on Aemond's thin neck. Your pussy clenches, he feels that you're almost there…

- Come on, princess. You take me so well… - His voice breaks, he's close.

Aemond rubs your clit with his thumb and kisses you again. Not a single moan escapes, he'll swallow them all, not letting you go until you're ready.

He's still hard inside you when he slides out and sits on your right side. You immediately open your mouth and smile invitingly, your hands automatically reach for your chest, you pinch your nipples and wriggle.

It only takes a minute for Aemond to cum, sperm lands on your chest and stomach, moans and tries not to close his eyes, continuing to slide his gaze over you.

You lick a few drops and smile at him. Aemond leans down and kisses your forehead.

- Can I get a close-up? - You just nod and stay on the bed.

The man takes the camera from the tripod and comes to you. Your face is out of frame, he focuses on your tits and the cum dripping down you. You play with your breasts a little when Aemond changes the angle and your pulsating pussy is right in the frame, the man catches your gaze and smiles, receiving another nod.

He runs his finger along the entrance, pinches the clit with two fingers, you giggle, but spread your legs wider. He penetrates again with his fingers, pulling out a couple more wet slaps; pulling out his fingers, he slaps your pubis and ends the recording.

You are still lying on the bed when he brings a warm towel and washes off the traces of your passion. Silently, you let him do it, using the opportunity to examine him up close once more. Aemond does everything good and carefully, he is too experienced.

The sudden urge to touch him overcame common sense and your palm ended up on Aemond's cheek. He looked up and you stared at each other for a few seconds, you were the first to reach out to him and innocently, quickly and lightly, touched his lips.

- I felt good… - You don't know why you're even saying this.

- Me too. - He smiled and leaned into your touch. - Do you want to take a shower? And then we can… go to lunch if you want.

You agreed, you spent a couple more hours together, Aemond promised to send you the final version of the video before publishing it, so that you could check everything and approve it.

As promised, you hid the video that Aemond had mentioned, but sent it to him, writing in the message "since you like it so much, you can be the only one who has it xx"

That same day, Aemond sent you video and you were pleasantly surprised. Everything looks really good, and this is your first sex video with another person.

As soon as you finished watching, another message came from Aemond.

“How about we always make videos together? And I would also be happy to take you on a date”

[gremlin-girly]

Date Your Dad

Characters: Alexei Shostakov, f!reader, Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, John Walker, Ava , Bob Reynolds. (Alexei x Reader is hinted at!)

Not beta'd. I do not give permission for my work to be translated, reposted, copied or put through an AI machine. All of my work is 18+ Read at your own risk.

Tags/Warnings: 18+ for language and suggestive themes, fluff

Summary: When Yelena pranks you relentlessly, you threaten to date her dad. She doesn't expect you to follow through with it.

Word count: on mobile sorry

Dividers by @/saradika-graphics

A/N: Not my usual thing ik but this was an unhinged drabble idea that's been sat in the drafts lol. I did actually finish my 10 fics I just have to edit them now 😈 Enjoy!

"YELENA!" You screech as icy water trickles down your spine. Yelena had been on a pranking kick after re-watching Home Alone and you seemed to be the most common victim after John.

You can hear Yelena's laughter from three doors up and march yourself to then before pounding the door furiously. Your hair, your outfit, your pride were soaked from the bucket of cold water she had left above an ajar door.

"If you keep this up I'll date your dad Yelena." You warn her through her bedroom door.

"No. You wouldn't." She laughs.

"I would." You argue back. "Try me, Lena. Try me."

The next morning, not heeding your warning, Yelena swaps out your sugar for salt in your coffee and you plot the demise of her sanity.

As soon as Alexei enters the kitchen, you beam at him and offer him a spritely good morning, which he returns in kind.

"What do you have planned for today?" You ask him, playing obviously nonchalant.

"Not much. Only training and making dinner for everyone." He replies, cracking eggs into a mug

"Could I... join you?" You ask shyly, batting your eyelashes. "I need to work on getting stronger and I'd love to help you cook."

Alexei blinks at you, stunned for a moment before drinking his eggs in one gulp and nodding. You can feel Yelena's eyes searing into the back of your skull and once Alexei awkwardly leaves to change for training Yelena addresses you.

"I know what you're doing." She says. "You won't win in making me uncomfortable."

"I've watched him chug six raw eggs this morning - without throwing up." You whisper smugly as you pass her. "And I'm just soooo impressed. Besides, it's not fair that your dad cooks for everyone. I just want to help."

Yelena frowns into her cereal and shakes her head. You're trying to rile her up. She can't let you win.

And then, it got worse.

Any time you were in the kitchen it was;"Alexei, could you help me open this jar please?" Or "Alexei, could you be a peach and reach hand me the cumin hidden on the topshelf please?"

Anytime you were in the gym together, you wore less baggy clothes and made a point to stand closer to Alexei and feel up his muscles ("Woah, look at those tree trunks! You must be stronger than the Hulk!") to which Alexei would flex them for you and show off his tattoos.

Yelena began to notice the way her dad would stand closer to you, or show you cat videos, or pictures of her when she was little. The way he would light up like New Year's when you'd enter a room and smile dopily when you would look over at him.

By the end of the week, Yelena was at the end of her tether but seeing you come home with milkshakes, laughing at something Alexei had said, she almost begged you to stop. However, when she'd slyly spoken to her dad about where you had both been, he'd happily informed her that it was a date. And that was what made her snap.

As she sat with her head in her hands, explaining to the rest of the team what had been going on, Bob rubbed her shoulder reassuringly whilst John and Ava laughed.

"You pressed her." John shrugs. "She did warn you."

Ava shakes her head. "I'm surprised she's managed to keep it up for so long."

"Guys, this my dad." Yelena sighs. "He will probably be in love with her by Sunday and she will break his heart!"

"Oh." The three younger members say in unison. Bucky doesn't look up from his report.

"Then do we break them up?" John asks, vaguely against at the the thought of Alexei sobbing uncontrollably over him like when they watched The Iron Giant on Team Movie Night.

Bob hums thoughtfully. "Maybe you should just stop annoying her and apologise?"

Yelena shoots him a glare and he raises his hands apologetically. "Forget I suggested it."

"You know you have to do it." Ava huffs and Yelena sighs in defeat and begins getting to her feet.

"I know." She hangs her head. You had won. "I'll be right back."

As she heads to your room, Yelena can hear the faintest of whispers and giggles emanating from behind your door. Then she hears something no child ever wants to hear; a breathy sigh of her father's name.

Her cheeks go red with anger and embarassment. How dare you! That's her dad! He may not be the smartest hero all the time but playing with his feelings was not okay. Steeling herself and scrunching her eyes she barges in.

"Lena?" Alexei's voice is soft and surprised and then your voice follows.

"You okay?"

She peeks one eye open and you stand next to Alexei, holding a small fluffy ginger guinea pig that wheeks in annoyance that you've stopped lavishing it with attention.

"You have ruined your surprise." Alexei huffs dramatically but he grins over at his daughter who is utterly flabbergasted. "Meet Natalia."

"It's a boy, Alexei-"

"Nathaniel." Alexei says without skipping a beat. "I did some research on guinea pigs and apparently they get lonely so you have to keep them in pairs."

Alexei beams as he takes the hairy creature from your delicate grasp and offers him to Yelena. "Y/N was helping me pick him out."

"He's got a big personality." You chuckle. "And such nice hair. I think Bucky has some competition."

Yelena thinks of her guinea pig, also named Bob, as she holds the distinguished Nathaniel in her hands. She had been meaning to get Bob a companion but between missions, it must have slipped her mind. Her lip quivers a little but she beams almost as brightly as her dad as she thanks you both profusely, silently vowing to never prank you again.

"Whew. That was close." Alexei sighs when Yelena finally leaves ten minutes later after two rounds of bone crushing hugs, shooting you a big, goofy smile.

You smile back. "Maybe next time we can tell her about us."

END

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Everything Tags: @jeremyrennermakesmesmile @brianochka @looking1016 @almostglitterybear @blackhawkfanatic @waywardwifey @peaches1958

[meganooregano]

Non-Gallavich-centric Shameless fics

These are in no particular order. Please feel free to add to the list!

Good Brother - 247k, unfinished but so good. Easily my favourite Carl-centric fic. Carl realizes he may not be as incapable of taking care of his family as he thinks. Carl x OFC.

Making Bail (and Other Fun for the Whole Family) - 6k, Fiona returns home in the wake of Debbie's arrest, Mickey steps up as a member of the Gallagher family, and crime may or may not be committed in the process. Has Gallavich in it but i felt it wasn't about them, if that makes sense, so I'm including it here.

Outrageous Fortune - 2.3k, Debbie Gallagher and growing up. S3/S4 character study.

The five times Fiona saved Lip and Ian and the one time they saved her - 5.4k, what it says on the tin.

Familiar Patterns - 2.9k, Missing moment after the events of "You Sold Me A Laundromat Remember?" Inspired by a deleted scene. Fiona finds Debbie crying and does what she's always done.

The Great Gallagher Masher War of 2022 - 1.4k, Mickey steals Debbie’s potato masher and sets claim to it. Publically. Arguably has too much gallavich in it to belong here but it features others enough that I'm leaving it.

Taking Care of Things - 66k, de-aged Fiona. In which the kids are forced to step up, and the truth about Fiona's childhood comes out. Ft. Good brother Lip.

Redheaded Stepchildren - 280k in 2 parts. First part Debbie and Ian's relationship post S4, and then Lip and Ian. Not s5 compliant. Very well written.

Sweetbitter Love - 949, slice of life for cousins Franny, Freddie, and Charlie Gallagher.

Twelve Going On Midnight - 5.1k, Lip is 12 years old when he comes home to his older sister sobbing in the bathroom, pregnancy test on the sink. He's 12 when he finds out the baby is Frank's.

You're Not Alone, Kid - 5.7k, Lip's having trouble at college. Fiona's having trouble at home. They work it out together. Set in S4, sibling feels.

You Can Count On Me (Like 1, 2, 3, I'll Be There) - 3.1k, Fiona comes in to talk to Lip's principal about his plan for graduation.

Who We Become - 2.8k, Mickey and Fiona have a conversation about childhood, being raised by your sibling, and the people we become when we have no other choice. Fiona appreciation!

Mom, Am I Still Young? - 1.8k, Fiona has some complicated feelings about Monica's death. They all come out one night while talking to Ian.

There Is A Place (Where I Feel At Home) - 2.1k, Fiona and Liam, at their new apartment out of the South Side, talk about the Gallagher house and its past. AU s9

Stay For A Year Or Two - 2.3k, The night before Fiona leaves Chicago, she gets the opportunity to talk to Debbie.

Unpredictable - 3.9k, rewrite of Fiona's goodbye visit to Ian in prison.

Sixteen - 2.2k, Ned gets in the wrong bed while drunk at the Gallagher house. Fiona’s not happy. Aka how s3e5 should have gone.

Hungry Mouths - 8.4k, when Fiona is 17 she exhausts herself working to take care of everyone while sick. Her kids turn the tables and take care of her instead.

With the Wind - 2.2k, The kids learn that Fiona never learned how to ride a bicycle. They take it upon themselves to teach her.

Milkovich Siblings - 40k in 21 parts, (unconnected) moments between the Milkovich siblings. Aka (violently) protective big brother Iggy Milkovich.

Allies - 2.6k, Tami and Mickey are the only ones home and Tami takes the opportunity to gab with the only other non-Gallagher in the house. Probably has too much gallavich for here but I like Tami's POV.

we rarely practice discern - 1.9k, the Gallaghers go back to their roots: good old-fashioned fraud. Aka fake funeral 2: Electric Boogaloo

Just To Be Free Again - 25k, Debbie fucks off after Mickey and Ian’s wedding, leaving Franny and Sandy behind. Re-enter Fiona, fresh from Florida, tanned and well-off. Insta-hate between Sandy and Fiona. Hilarity and hate fucking ensues.

[letloverule1111]

FanFic Share "Challenge"--What are the last 5 fanfics you've read that you LOVE?

HI--this is my post from reddit...sharing it here because I really want to know what y'all are reading!

I'm always looking to discover wonderful fanfics and I soooooo many fics that I love have come from suggestions here! So I want to play a fun "challenge" (challenge isn't really the right word for this but we're going to use it anyway, k?)

HERE'S WHAT TO DO:

Go to your History

Starting from your most recent read scroll back and note fanfics you've LOVED...(meaning, if in your 5 most recent fics you've read you've only truly LOVED 3 of them then keep scrolling back until you have 5!)

When you have 5 of them, list them/link them here!

I'll start!!!

Just Like North by anincompletelist (soldouthaz) This is a Maze Runner au. I have personally never read or watched Maze Runner but trust me, the writing and story telling is SO GOOD that it won't matter. If you like dystopic future/badass Alex fics YOU WILL LOVE THIS!

love thorns all over this rose by theprinceandagcd  @theprinceandagcd HOLY SHIT. This fic killed me in all the best ways. The writing is amazing. It will tear your heart apart before it is put back together so if you like angst, READ THIS IMMEDIATELY. Alex thinks he's incapable of being a good boyfriend due to a past experience--together with his "not good enough" stuff this is a potent combo. So when he hooks up with Henry, he makes it clear it is just sex and friendship...of course, Alex is a tortured soul...you guys--this fic is so good and my summary is lame...just trust me--EXCELLENT.

all i wanted (was you) by ksmalltalk Author's summary: It's been nearly a decade since exes Henry and Alex have last seen or heard from each other. After one unexpected night of reuniting thanks to the meddling of their mutual friend, the pair find that neither time nor circumstance can stop their flame from rekindling. With the complications of Henry's marriage to another man and his scheduled return to London looming, the two must navigate life's difficulties as they grapple with what a possible future could mean for them. NOTE: the epilogue hasn't been posted yet but no reason to think it won't be. This is a reliable poster. AND even if the epilogue never gets posted, the story is complete and SO SO SO WORTH READING!

With so much of my heart (that none is left to protest) by kiwiana  @kiwiana-writes Dare I say, one of the absolute best fics in our fandom. This is actually a re-read I did. Author's summary: Alex is a former child star struggling to make the transition into being seen as a serious actor. He jumps at an opportunity to perform on stage in the UK, seeing it as a way to break free from the typecasting and show what he can really do. But he wasn’t prepared to star alongside someone he hates. // Henry is a recent theatre graduate who accepts an amazing role in a queer reimagining of Much Ado About Nothing. And then it turns out his co-star is none other than the man he’s been hopelessly pining after for years—even though Henry made a terrible first impression when they met. // It’s… well, it’s practically Shakespearean.

Breathing In, Breathing Out by smc_27 One of the best writers in our fandom, I believe. Author's summary: He can’t believe just when he started to get the sense he actually knew what he was doing, Henry would pull this. Like, as far as Alex knows he hasn’t done anything wrong. He’s on time for dates and he calls when he says he will. He remembers what Henry likes to eat and what his favourite drink is. He doesn’t watch movies alone that he thinks will be fun to watch together. He tries not to be distracting when they’re supposed to be studying.

He’s been thinking of Henry as his boyfriend in his head for like two weeks now.

Worrying Henry’s been lying about how much he likes this - how much he likes Alex - fucking hurts.

Okay! I can't wait to see what you've been reading (that you love)!!!! Yay! Thanks for playing!

BONUS--CURRENT READ IS

Bluebonnets and Polo Mallets by Chamel. @cha-melodius. Another one of the best writers in the fandom. Fic is a WIP but WILL get posted to completion. If you ever wanted to know what would happen when Polo player, Henry, and Rodeo star, Alex, meet up...this is your fic. SO GOOD!

[la-horrorosa]

AAI2 Manosouta x SH2 AU

I made a super self-indulgent Manosouta AU because they're extremely perfect for it and I'll never be over SH.

Basically this AAI2/SH2 AU plays out months after the endgame, Simeon is just getting used to life in prison but he definitely isn’t making personal progress processing his guilt over what he did to Bronco

-Because the prison they’re in is going through renovations, prisoners are arranged to a temporal transfer to a different prison, and said prison is a pretty suspicious place with claims of being haunted, although nobody really cares, and nothing noteworthy happens for the first few days.

-Simeon is nervous, because he realizes he’s being observed by a young prison guard that bears a striking resemblance to Bronco. And then, slowly, he starts to notice weird things about the prison.

-He leans to Kanis for support, but the old man warns him about not letting his senses be fooled by what’s around him. He can sense that something about the prison is very odd.

-The mysterious prison guard decides to make small-talk with Simeon, and he introduces himself as Horacio, and even his voice is oddly familiar. Simeon tries to avoid him, but by that time, strange walls and new stairs and rooms begin to appears through the prison, making him get lost easily and making him get punished for ‘trying to sneak away’ from authorized zones.

(Content Warning: blood, minor gore, body horror.)

-The following day Kanis tells him that Helmut is scared, which is why he refuses to leave his cell. For days, Simeon tries to stay inside the prison cell with Kanis as much as possible, and for a while, things appear to stay relatively normal.

-However, during the nights, Simeon can almost swear that he hears a wet breathing near their cell’s door.

-One day, however, the guards tell Simeon that he’s got a phone call from outside prison, which he hesitantly goes to respond. The caller is Edgeworth, who is trying to confirm if he’s been transferred… but the phone call gets abruptly cut off by weird gurgling noises.

-When an unsettled Simeon leaves the phone behind to return to his cell, he finds the hall completely transformed and desolated. He gets lost again, but just when he thinks he finds someone other than him, he realizes that it’s not even a person.

-Simeon finds himself running around a labyrinth where monsters that look like monkeys are hunting him for sport. Just when he’s about to get slashed down, however, he is saved at the last minute by Horacio, the prison guard.

-Horacio seems oddly calm, but he himself acknowledges that while prison has been weird for a while, this was the first time he’s seen monsters. Reluctantly, Simeon decides to tag along with Horacio for a way out. When talking to Horacio to fill in the silence, he begins to realize that personality-wise, he’s very different from Bronco.

-At first, Simeon is hesitant to depend on Horacio, finding his earnest nature a bit fake and jarring, but the longer they stay together, the more it unsettles him how much this Horacio wants to put himself in harm’s way just to keep Simeon safe.

-They manage to find a prison wing where the supernatural hasn’t touched the inmates, and when Simeon goes to find Kanis and Helmut, Horacio has already gone his own separate way. Seemingly, the other prison guards and inmates have been completely unaware of the shifting architecture of the prison and the presence of monsters.

-Simeon attempts to explain what he’s been through, but all Kanis has to say is the same as before with other words. Kanis very sternly tells him that something that lives in this prison has taken hold of him, and only Simeon himself can pry himself out of it now. He gives him one of his bells as a charm before going to bed.

-The following day, Simeon wakes in his cell all alone. Not a single soul seems to be in the building.

-In his search for a way out, Simeon begins to encounter more monsters, increasingly impossible structures and turns in the prison… and surprisingly, Horacio. “So... I told the warden about the monsters, but they didn’t believe me.” “OF COURSE THEY WOULDN’T, YOU IDIOT!”

-In their new partnership, Simeon can’t stop thinking about how Horacio is increasingly less gentle, and the gap between him and Bronco seems to be closing.

-He reaches a point in which being near Horacio just makes Simeon physically him ill, which makes Horacio upset. Some of Bronco’s mannerisms are beginning to mesh into Horacio, sometimes for the worse. The longer it goes on, the more it messes with Simeon’s sanity and all the ugly feelings he has about Bronco.

-Horacio is beginning to say out loud things that he shouldn’t be able to know about Simeon, and in a quiet moment of realization, Horacio looks bothered and unsettled, because he knows he shouldn’t know.

-In a heated moment between them, a horse-head monster attacks them, wounding Horacio lethally… and Simeon finds himself uselessly watching him cry and babble as he bleeds out.

-Simeon spends a long time watching the corpse of Horacio, sometimes wondering if he’s not seeing Bronco’s body instead. When he finally has the energy to leave him behind, his sanity reaches its lowest point.

-Simeon gets lost again, but through the bell that Kanis gave him, he brute-forces himself to fight back the monsters he encounters in the labyrinth.

-… Until he finally enters a new room, with a familiar person behind a cell, waiting for him.

And... that's all what I got so far. You could say it follows the same beats SH2 does to a T, I'm not going to pretend it doesn't. But I need to put these characters in situations, so it's okay!

I probably will drawa few more things related to this, in case anybody cares!

[peachhcs]

a perfect birthday

figure skater x macklin celebrini au (blaire + mack)

summary: macklin made sure to return the favor and gave blaire the best 19th birthday she could've asked for

words: 3k 

author's note: y'all i'm so bad i said i was going to post this yesterday and then i never did. here's mack taking blaire around for her birthday and surprising her with little gifts throughout the day :) can be read as a part 2 to the social media fic or just a stand alone (longest fic in this au??)

au masterlist | part one

the day started similarly to how mack's birthday began. blaire woke up to a hundred texts from mack and friends wishing her a happy birthday. she smiled brightly, quickly responding to everyone before rushing out of bed to get ready. it was her idea for her and mack to go golfing bright and early as hard as it was to believe. blaire never minded watching her boyfriend hit a little ball around a course for two hours because that just meant she got to spend more time with him. plus, what else was she going to do on her birthday? mack promised a full day of fun, so she excited to see what he came up with. 

after braiding her hair back, the dirty blonde packed her small bag with snacks, water, and a few different sharpies where she would sit and decorate mack's golf balls for him so he had something pretty to look at. the boy pulled up to her apartment promptly at 8 knowing getting there early meant they'd beat the rush later in the day. blaire ran down the steps, emerging from the front doors with a big smile on her face when she saw the boy already waiting against his car for her. 

"happy birthday, love," macklin exclaimed while lifting her into his arms for a hug. the girl was grinning from ear to ear, "thank you! i can't believe we only have one more year left of being a teenager now," blaire said, pinching his cheeks when he set her down. his face reddened a bit, but he didn't pull away from her. 

"how do you feel? older? wiser?" 

"i guess so. i hope you brought a lot of golf balls because i brought a lot of sharpies," blaire giggled as she climbed into the car and mack met her on the other side. 

"i have a bag full, i'll let you take them when we get there. first though, i stopped and got you your coffee and a birthday donut. boston cream," the boy revealed the hidden dunkin bag and blaire's eyes widened. 

"you remembered! thank you," she happily took them and made sure to press a soft kiss to his cheek. 

"of course i did. one of many birthday treats." 

blaire began munching on the donut while mack got them back onto the road. she had never been more content before, sitting in her pro hockey player boyfriend’s car with a donut and coffee that he knew so well he didn't even need to ask what her order was. how much better could it get? not to mention, the said hockey player was her best friend. 

the drive to the local course was short and sweet. macklin had a membership, so all he had to do was to flash his card at the window and they were in without any problems. the parking lot was fairly empty still, so that meant they'd get pretty far before more people began showing up for the day. 

"the goal is 11," mack hummed, glancing at the clock on the dash. 

"that would be a new record for you," the dirty blonde laughed. any other time she tagged along with mack and will or maybe a few other guys, it felt like they were there for a whole day. three hours would be impressive for him. 

"well, it's just me and you watching, so i think i can move it along," the boy grinned. blaire leaned forward to peck his lips before jumping out of the car, but mack stopped her. "wait, i have a gift for you." 

"for me? you spending the whole day with me is enough of a gift," she rolled her eyes, but was secretly eager when she watched him pull out a rather large box from under his seat. he was just full of surprises. 

mack only shrugged as he passed the blue box over. the figure skater eyed him, but quickly tore into the bow and wasted no time pulling the top off. he must've gotten better at wrapping in their time apart. inside, blaire laid her eyes on a beautiful pair of brown leg warmers and a vest to wear over her compression shirts because she always told mack how convenient and more breathable they were. 

"mack. you got all of this for me?" she was shocked and in awe. 

the brunette blushed, "you kept telling me how you were dying to get a new one because your vest was so old. i saw those while also shopping for the vest and thought you would like them." 

"i love them. thank you. you're so sweet," she jumped across the center to engulf him in her arms. macklin laughed, squeezing her tight before letting her go again. "i can't wait to wear this now. i love you," blaire kissed him again and he loved seeing that wide smile on her lips, especially when he was the cause. 

coming second to physical touch, mack was definitely a gift giver. he loved surprising blaire with little things whenever he saw her, so he was glad she liked the gifts he picked out. he couldn't wait to give her more a little later because now, it was time to golf and if mack wanted to be done by 11, he needed to start now. 

luckily, it wasn't too hot out, so the couple enjoyed the drive over the greens. blaire had her usual spot in the passenger side where she had a bagful of mack's golf balls to draw on. she was becoming quite creative with the designs after getting inspiration on tiktok and pinterest. the brunette loved getting to look over and see her sitting all pretty in the cart with her tongue stuck out while focusing. this was his idea of a perfect life. 

sometimes blaire would get out and hold the flag while mack putted into the hole. her little happy jumps anytime he did it one try always made him smile. he even started getting a kiss each time he putt the ball in one. 

they were on the 15th hole when blaire got a text from carter. she smiled seeing the happy birthday text with a bunch of different emojis, quickly responding back. 

carter 

happy birthday loser!!! 🤪🥳🤓😱🙉🎂🎈

blaire

thank you!!! miss u wish we were celebrating together

carter 

thinking of u bc i got a boston cream donut this morning

blaire

me too!!! mack got me one :) 

carter 

hope ur day is awesome thanks for being a great big sister

his last message warmed her heart. it was hard to be away from him since this was the first birthday in awhile that she wasn't at home, but they both knew she was having a lot more fun in san jose. 

blaire half expected a message from mason, but she also knew it was a long shot to think he would text her. she hadn't talked to him in almost two months. he was off somewhere in ireland and the last time she saw him once when the whole family dropped him off at the airport. it was sad, but a bit awkward since he hardly even gave a goodbye. 

"hey, you okay?" mack walked over to the cart after hitting his ball. he noticed the long expression her face. 

"hmm? i'm good," blaire snapped out her thoughts, but the rookie knew her better than that. he just gave her a look instead of saying anything, "carter texted me happy birthday and it made me smile, but then i was thinking about mason." 

"do you think he'll text you?" mack wondered as he climbed back into the cart.

"probably not, but it's fine, i don't really care." 

the boy put his hand on her thigh as a way to tell her he was there for her without saying it. sometimes the actions meant more than the words and blaire appreciated it. she squeezed his hand with her own and cuddled into him as they drove to where his ball landed. 

"can i see your designs so far?" mack wondered before he got out again. blaire eagerly dug into the bag where every single one of them was decorated in a different design and color. 

"this one's my favorite," she showed him the one where she drew the shark's mascot and then around the ball was teal and gray zig-zagged lines. 

"woah, this is awesome. i may have to display this one," the brunette grinned. 

"you can look through all of them. i think they came out really well," blaire giggled. the hockey player leaned forward to plant a big kiss to her lips. all she did was giggle and push him away so he could finish the hole. 

by the time they were done, it was closer to 11:30. "hey, i was close," the boy argued. 

"maybe it would've taken you less time if you didn't kiss me after every hole," blaire teased a bit and she liked how her boyfriend's face reddened a deep shade of crimson. 

"hey. they're birthday kisses. here's one more for 19," and he leaned forward again. the figure skater was not complaining though. she loved having mack's lips on hers. they were always so soft and tasted like whatever soda he was drinking. 

"when we get back we can change and then i am taking you out to lunch," mack revealed their next plans. 

"ooh, where?" 

"it's a surprise," he hummed as they pulled out of the parking lot which had become a lot more busier as the day persisted. 

because mack thought ahead, he packed different clothes so he didn't have to drive all the way back to his place when they got back to blaire's apartment. he followed her inside where she warned him that it was a bit of mess because she hadn't done dishes since yesterday afternoon and she stressed doing laundry last night. the boy didn't care though, eagerly running to the bathroom to pee while blaire went to find a new outfit for lunch. 

she decided on pink, babydoll tank top and a jean skirt, a sorority staple during recruitment season. mack reemerged from the bathroom in a nice blue button down a black shorts. he smiled when he saw blaire's outfit. 

"you look pretty," he hummed, clasping his hands around her waist. 

"you look pretty too. do i need anything else?" she wondered and he shook his head. 

"nope, just your pretty little self," he kissed her again before they headed back out. 

mack drove them into downtown all while blaire just kept trying to guess where the reservation was. the hockey player had a great poker face though and never cracked until he pulled into a parking space in front of mastro's steakhouse which was one of blaire's favorites. they went here when they first started dating again and the girl had never stopped talking about it since. 

"oh shit! i should have known. i'm so excited and so hungry," the girl exclaimed. mack took her hand and they walked in together, greeted with a smile by the hostess. 

"for celebrini?" mack said and she nodded. "follow me." 

the hostess took the couple around the corner to one of the tables by the window. blaire was too caught up in the ambiance and decorations of the place that she didn't see two people are sitting at the table with their faces covered by menu's. mack nudged her arm, smiling a bit mischievously when blaire looked at them and then at the table. she grew confused until the two slowly peeked their eyes over the menu and blaire quickly recognized them. 

"holy shit. no way!!" the dirty blonde jumped up in excitement. samy and will completely showed their faces, samy getting up to hug her. 

"happy birthday, blaire!!" 

"what are you doing here?" the figure skater was in so much shock. 

"a little birdie told us it was your birthday," samy laughed and let her hug will too. 

"i was just thinking about how excited i am to be at the lake house for the first time next month. what a nice surprise," blaire beamed and quickly found her seat. 

"so how's your birthday been so far?" samy wondered. 

"it's been good. mack and i went golfing this morning," she smiled at her boyfriend beside her. 

"aw did you have to drag her out?" will teased. 

"no, she actually wanted to go," mack said. 

"that's a first. samy hates going golfing with me," will looked at his girl and she rolled her eyes. 

"i do not. i wouldn't go every day, but i will go occasionally." 

"doesn't she whip your ass at it?" macklin raised his eyebrow and will flushed. 

"no. she doesn't. she does do very well though," the blonde defended himself while everyone laughed. 

the four took turns catching up with one another. samy filled blaire in on the past semester while blaire talked about her own too. the boys didn't have much to say besides hockey, but it wasn't much new news from them. they just happily listened to their girlfriends yap away about this, that, and the other. 

"so how's everyone else been? gabe? emma? julianne? ryan? hannah?" blaire still hadn't officially met all of them yet, only talking over random instagram comments, but she was excited to formally meet them in michigan. 

"they're good. uh, let's see...ryan's in mass with julie. hannah's in michigan and long island with james—oh, she's gonna be here for the draft on friday, so maybe we can all get together. gabe and emma are back together, so that's good," samy explained each of their friends' whereabouts this summer. 

"really? oh, i'm glad. i felt so bad," blaire frowned. 

"yeah, they're good now," samy smiled. 

"gabo was classy with it, don't worry. he took her on a sunset dinner cruise," will chuckled. 

"damn, he's already putting that league money to use," the boys shared a laugh at the joke. 

"wow, i can't believe it's already draft season again. do i know anyone who's in?" blaire wondered. 

"james hagens, hannah's boyfriend, is. uhh, matt schaefer but i don't really know him. michael misa.." samy hummed. 

"i've heard all of those names i think. that's exciting," blaire nodded. 

"dude, that schaefer kid is good. the islanders will be getting a good one. they think haggy's going philly," will informed his knowledge. 

"dude, i know. some tough competition. philly would be good for hags, i could see that," mack nodded in agreement. blaire wasn't that knowledgeable in hockey, so she looked at samy for help on the lingo the boys were using. the brunette chuckled and explained what blaire didn't understand. 

the rest of lunch went well. the four talked about everything they had missed while being apart and at the end, samy promised they'd get together again before she went back to michigan with will. blaire loved how inseparable the older couple was and how they always went where the other was when they didn't have other obligations going on. she hoped her and mack could become like them. 

"sooo?" the young rookie wondered when they got back into the car. 

"best surprise ever. that was so fun," the dirty blonde beamed. 

"they thought it would be fun to surprise you since they were already gonna be in town for the draft this weekend. samy was all for it when i brought the idea up," mack explained. 

"thank you, i love getting to hang out with them. they're so..mom and dad already you know? like i can't wait for their wedding," that made the two laugh.

"yeah, tell me about it." 

the couple was tired after such a big lunch, so they headed back to blaire's apartment for some much needed rest after getting up so early. mack apparently had another gift up his sleeve when he revealed another box once they were inside. 

"what is this? you didn't get me something else. you just paid for my lunch," the girl laughed as she became curious as to what else her boyfriend could've gotten her. she was just being spoiled today. 

"i think you'll like it," the boy hummed and watched with a smile as she unwrapped the mystery. 

one thing about blaire was that she was a huge reader. she loved to read in her free time and mack really loved that about her, especially when all she talked about was the latest book she'd been reading, so mack got her the throne of glass book series she'd been raving about and dying to read, she just hadn't made it to the book store yet. when the wrapping flew off blaire's eyes widened in disbelief when she saw the entire series sitting in her lap. 

"oh my god you didn't!" she looked over at her boyfriend in surprise. 

"you kept telling me how much you wanted to read the series, so i got it for you so you don't have to get it now," the boy smiled. 

"i love you, i love you, i love you. you know me so well," she jumped up to kiss him. 

the girl couldn't have asked for a better birthday because she got to spend it with the one person who knew her better than anyone. they changed into more comfortable clothes and blaire immediately settled onto the couch to start reading the first book. she never needed a huge party or big gifts, just something easy and simple like laying on the couch with mack at her side as he dozed off for a nap after spending the whole morning golfing 18 holes by himself. 

blaire was tight in his hold and she giggled when she heard soft snores falling from his lips so quickly. it never took long for him to crash. she gently kissed his forehead, whispering a soft thank you before spending the rest of her birthday in his arms reading. 

how could it get better? 

[sideaccforsidin]

Gonna write up a long think piece about this but, I don't really...believe Issac? Particularly on the stance of "Oh I didn't want Reitanna to kill herself!" I'm going on an alt for this because I'm honestly really scared of Issac trying to look into my main acc, but I have in the past been involved in the Reitanna seishin hate-train (going all the way back to 2020 or whenever the original stuff was going down with Mandi, Hotbox etc.) I was involved in the server, and originally on Reitanna's side before switching my stance over to the "Antis" team because of them seeming """cooler""" at the time and having more hard evidence on Reitanna being a bad person [For context, I was 15-16, highly gullible and didn't put forth my own thought into wanting to make an opinion about the situation] I've had my fair share of conversations with Issac via dms, server vcs, etc. This has been through multiple times he has rebranded his channel, left it, came back, talked about Reitanna, some incident happens, he leaves, rinse repeat. This happens often, and I'm sure eventually he will cleanse his channel once more, disappear for a bit only to return when Reitanna mentions his name in one of her mental breakdown vlogs. Basically what I'm getting at is I KNOW how Issac is really, and honestly I think he is equally vindictive and petty as Reitanna. They are both obsessed with one another-- and Issac will swear up and down they are not, but it's quite apparent they can't just *leave her alone*. And I know Issac will make up every excuse under the sun why they wont stop making videos about her, which is why I'll just give a rundown on why each of those reasons are utter bullshit. "She won't stop bringing me up and slandering me!" Reitanna has been doing this for literal years, she isn't going to stop if you make more videos about her, as seen. If anything it's just a stupid cycle. Furthermore, Reitanna is averaging around 300 views per video-- who CARES what she has to say about you? Reitanna isn't fucking Kim Kardashian, she's another internet micro-influencer that there are thousands of. She has NO influence on your public image Issac-- atleast to the point where it even feasibly matters. At this point reduced to a lolcow-- and on top of that doesn't even post stories anymore, her channel is literally just a vent diary about her life being awful after her suicide attempt. Her audience is probably 5 active people that actually care about her, and I doubt many of them are going to personally hunt down Issac in mass. If anything-- Issac and co are the ones who are more likely to go to HER channel and spam comments under her post than vice versa because he actually is bringing in views to his streams which guess what, REVOLVE AROUND *HER*. "I'm bringing awareness!"

About... what? To whom? Literally who cares about Reitanna? Once again she's averaging 300 views on her content and you are getting thousands of views on your streams making a lolcow out of her. It's redunant and isn't ACTUALLY doing anything? If you think Reitanna is truly a pedophile (which I don't think she is lol); why not call the cops on her? I hear about the stories of Reitanna's 14 year old BF coming forwards (which.... I think is entirely bullshit btw, anyone could easily fabricate that story because Reitanna literally put so much of her life online and the chances of some random dude Reitanna dating in the early 2000s in high school finding her hyper-niche youtube and Issac's even more hyper-niche youtube and writing to him about it is laughable.) Issac has been on and off speaking about this lady for *5 YEARS* at this point. I as stated before was 15-16 when this started, and I'm almost 20-- I do not care about this situation or Reitanna and the only reason I've looked into this was because I happened to still be subbed to Issac and saw them continuing to post about this lady. It's genuinely disturbing to me that they are pushing 30 and still going at it with an obviously mentally unstable woman and finding laughs in that. This is why I circle back to my main point about not believing Issac didn't know what Reitanna would do if he entered her stream, because entirely Issac did know Reitanna would give him *some* reaction, which is what he wants. I even remember in one of the old vcs back in Mandi's friend group Issac saying he believed Reitanna would eventually kill herself, and while that is already pretty disturbing, it shows that he knows her mental state. [I have no proof of this since its happened years ago and in voice chat and I'm sure Issac will probably try to refute that aswell so believe me or not lol.] He spends literal hours on stream talking about her, muffins, or some other shit revolving this lady and...for what? He knows she hates him, wont stop talking about him-- so whats the point in even talking about her? Well the point is possibly a few things. If you ask me its because it keeps his channel relevant because thats what most of his views are coming from. Additionally as I said, Issac is fully as vindictive, angry petty, and obsessed as Reitanna (just look at his tumblr, he obviously has some demons that need to be addressed in therapy and even has said he has anger management issues), and I think there is some weird joy he gets out of talking about and laughing at her. I'm sure he will reply to this and detest that point, but I find it EXTREMLY hard to believe its anything but that. And to clarify-- I don't even fucking like Reitanna, she's incredibly unstable and shouldn't even be on the internet but Issac is similarly incredibly unstable and shouldn't be on the internet either but is better at masking it because he's not breaking down on live streams.

Really this entire situation is honestly very disturbing from all sides, and I truly don't see it ending because Issac refuses to let go of Reitanna because at the end of the day he does enjoy talking about her and laughing at her mental illness because his fans enable it and do the same. Que either him replying to this, his partner replying to this, or being on stream and people trying to justify his obsession with this 30 year old woman who left the internet.

Clearing up some misinfo and misconceptions

After talking with Vlad and Isaac, I feel like I have a more nuanced understanding of everything now.

First off, I want to say this clearly: Isaac is not evil. He’s made some bad or impulsive choices out of anger—but so has Reitanna. Both of them are human. No matter which “side” anyone’s on, we should all be able to acknowledge that and offer the kind of empathy and patience we’d give anyone else. If I’d approached things that way from the beginning, a lot of the posts on this blog probably would’ve looked very different. That’s on me, and this is me saying that with my whole chest; I was wrong to behave like that no matter how I felt about the situation.

I also want to give Isaac and Vlad credit—they took my perspective and criticisms seriously. They actually listened, and we had a genuinely productive and thoughtful conversation because of it. Mad respect for that.

Second: After hearing their side of the situation, I no longer believe Isaac intentionally caused Reitanna’s suicide attempt on June 8th. By the time he joined the stream, her fans had helped calm her down a bit, so it wasn’t immediately clear she was unstable. What he said was definitely in poor taste, but I don’t believe it was done with the intent to push her into harm. Both he and Vlad have assured me that nothing like that will happen again. I understand how bad it looked from the outside—because it did—but after hearing the full story, I can see how it unfolded the way it did.

Third: Yes, someone came forward to Isaac claiming to be Reitanna’s ex. That actually DID happen, and Isaac did not make it up. But after reading the testimony Isaac shared with me, I personally don’t believe this person is who they claimed to be. Everything they said could have easily been pulled from public info by someone already familiar with Reitanna’s content. There was nothing in them that to me personally lent any credibility to this person being the ex.

That said, this is not Isaac’s fault. And I won’t tolerate people attacking him for believing someone who claimed to be a victim. if it weren't for things like the Kwite situation and the Alex Kister situation, I probably would've believed this person at face value too.

Fourth: Cake Layers 2025 is not a Muffins ripoff. Aside from both falling into the grimdark niche, they’re not actually similar at all. I won’t say much more—you’ll see what I mean when it drops. :3

And finally—and maybe most importantly—people need to actually talk to each other politely and in good faith. I think so much of this could’ve been avoided if we’d all been willing to communicate openly and respectfully from the beginning. I’m including myself in that. I didn’t do that at first, and I regret it.

If you're gonna comment here I expect you to be respectful to both parties. We can criticize without being assholes. We're all human and we all do things that are shitty or hurt others.

[holdingonforheaven]

they weren't kidding about the fanfic writer curse, huh? between work and grad school applications, i haven't written since june 11 😭 and it's codywan week next week. guess i'd better get cracking if i want to have something to post

[danwhobrowses]

I'm not sure how much good this vent will do, I'm not even sure I want to post this vent after my last one, but I'm writing it just so it's out of my head and into words because it seems once again fandom has chosen to send vitriol Ashton Greymoore's way.

What for? They talked to a 'specter' of the primordial titan within them, through their connection to the earth, the natural flow of creation and destruction. They ask what will happen to the world, it responds that it'll endure, they ask what of the people, it responds that the strong will survive and the weak will be remade into something stronger, to which Ashton replies they think they understand. To fandom this means that Ashton is becoming a fascist, that they have a 'Make Exandria Great Again' attitude for wanting the Primordials back, that they need to be beaten up or 'get what's coming to them' in order to change their mind, and I can only sit here and stew and wonder if this hate is really well-founded? Ashton is among my favourite characters in C3, I get frustrated by them at times too but if I think about it a big percentage of my frustrations is more towards people disliking them than me disliking things they do, or Matt setting up scenarios that doesn't do them any favours towards the fandom that hates them. Some of these are knee-jerk reactions of course, but for others it does feel like they have it out for Ashton, and I don't wanna engage with that, which makes it quite lonely when most of the fandom hones in on it.

For the most part I can understand how the whole 'the weak will be remade' bit can be taken badly; it's definitely iffy, but every other plan we have is also very iffy. The Release Predathos option literally involves unleashing an entity that wants to genocide the gods, the Maintain Status Quo option ('option' the status quo imo is impossible, in my mind the Gods can stay but the dynamic will still have to change) maintains a relationship where the gods pick and choose who they feel deserves help, using their power to covet more power, strongarm and demand loyalty, and overall choose fellow gods over mortals when the chips are down and not owning up to it. We should also remember that entities can speak in riddles, 'remade into something stronger' doesn't necessarily mean death; it could mean to adapt and grow, to become strong enough to bear and overcome it as many of the PCs of Critical Role have done with their hardships and trauma. It's worth reminding that the sad truth is that people will die whatever outcome happens - the aim is always to lessen the amount but if the Gods leave it's a power vacuum, if we linger too long it's a Calamity, and if the Gods stay it's a holy war on a more wild and less organized scale - and that Ashton isn't saying they approve of such death, merely that they think they understand. The commune doesn't tell Ashton which way to go; it only tells them that the world will endure, there will be change and it will change people, trees will still grow, the wind will still blow, the waves will still flow along the coasts of the sea, and people will survive. I know the interpretation can differ from people thanks to Matt's patented vague or riddle-mounted choices in phrase, but I also think if it was the Wildmother who told Orym or some other follower that 'nature is a cycle, everything must adapt to change or else it'll die - this world will change, but it will also survive' nobody would be calling Orym a fascist, people would accept it because the Wildmother's domain is nature, and nature is not always kind.

While we're mentioning Orym - and because this is gonna come off as critical I must preface that I like and enjoy All of the Hells, that's not changed - I also gotta call it out here because it does very much feel like the people who hate Ashton hate them for the reasons they love Orym. Both are stubborn, they're diligent in their personal code, they care deeply for their friends and would give their whole being just to keep them safe, they believe in the Hells' power and greatness more than each member does and more than they believe in their own, but Ashton gets the hate mainly because these fans agree more with Orym on the god stuff. What confuses me though is how these same haters can despise Ashton for being consistent but love Braius, the literal Devil Worshipper who secretly is on board with the Chase Away plan only so he can help the Devil rule the world, the compulsive liar. Where's Braius' scrutiny? A world under Asmodeus will be a far worse 'survival of the fittest' scenario, why does Braius get a pass in all this stuff huh? Because he's funny? Seems people ignore the whole morality talk when they're discussing Braius' dedication to Exandrian Satan.

I find it irksome too that even the group seem to criticize Ashton reaching out to Primordials too - as if that wasn't what we wanted them and Fearne to do anyway. They don't dislike the gods simply because they're a 'great entity', it's because they're a great entity that holds power and doesn't use it equally or fairly; they pick and choose who to help, a lot of the time in Ashton's experience for their own self-service, but they won't prioritize mortals over another god no matter who cruel or heinous the god is being, and the following of these gods are so intertwined with politics that most religious motivation also ends up being political. Ashton has no connection to the gods, they reached out and got nothing, an Angel looked at them and made them feel like nothing, but they do have a connection to the Primordials; from the Earth Golem to the Titan Empress they're literally a vessel of, they experienced something significant in their connection to the Earth, so I don't like how that they're almost mocked for having it. In addition, Ashton's behaviour during this commune differs because of that connection, but also because the titans are a natural flow; they don't demand or test or politic or prejudice, and despite being a Great Entity in its own right it never made sure Ashton felt small for their own satisfaction, they asked a question and got an answer, it's the same reason Ashton has disdain for most political leaders but likes and respects Keyleth, Allura, Kima, Pike, and (eventually) Percy despite also being people in power. To call on Orym and the Wildmother as an example again; Orym's an Air Ashari, the Ashari are guardians of the Elemental Planes - made from the Primordials - not tied to a god, but nobody criticizes his connection to the Wildmother despite both not being a follower and his culture being more tethered to Primordials and their descendants. I'm not saying it's all correct for Ashton to want things to go back to how Primordials ruled, but we must remind ourselves also that we only know a story written by victors when it comes to the Schism - a story which could very easily have been altered and edited to make it feel more justified for the Primes and mortals to actively genocide all the Primordials, the native species and creators of this world, and desecrate their remains to make weapons, soul anchors, and cities - the specter didn't say 'fuck em, all mortals should die' after all, if they believe mortals would survive then they must be at the least tolerant of mortal existence. Why is it okay for god followers to say they wanna keep the world with the gods they have a connection to (and I'm not saying they aren't) but Ashton is out of line for wanting to have a world which has something active that they also have a connection to? It seems rather unfair to allow one side to have and the other to have not, picking and choosing because our audience's bias has spent more time with the gods, Ashton wanting something they can connect to doesn't feel all wrong either, the Eidolons still exist with faint worship hiding away so they're not smited by the gods, why can't faith exist so they're not in hiding? I sincerely doubt the Punk Rock that is Ashton is asking for the Primordials to fill the Gods' roles the same way the Gods have been running things either, they want to break the throne remember? There needs to be a balance in ideals and practice of course, and in an ideal world there could even be a more fluid and all-inclusive Exandria where gods and Eidolons live harmoniously with mortals without hierarchy and class systems, I think Ashton could happily live with something like that, they did say the world needs 'a little chaos' to call back to Matt hinting that the current world doesn't have enough.

Which leads us to those wishing violence upon Ashton - and I really don't like that. People who say 'hitting them over the head is the only language they understand' seem to misinterpret Ashton as if everyone around them have been on their hands and knees begging Ashton to reconsider and them ignoring valid points and pulling a Leroy Jenkins. In reality, nobody is actually talking to Ashton about it, a lot of the frustration with Bells Hells right now is that they aren't talking to each other, even about the end goal! Ashton has valid reasons for their thinking, so being violent isn't gonna change their mind; undermining, dehumanizing and trying to effectively bully anyone let alone someone with chronic pain and low self worth will never truly convince them to your way of thinking. All people understand the language of violence, but that language is not used justly, those who truly wish violence upon Ashton don't want it in hopes it'll force Ashton to change their mind, they want it for their own satisfaction of seeing them in pain; so they can further push them away from the rest of the group and go 'that guy's not one of us', make it so the people Ashton calls family after a lifetime of loneliness, confusion and abandonment - the people they promised they won't abandon, and have kept true on that promise even at their lowest - make them feel small and worthless, and force them into box where they can't be themselves, and I hate that people would want to treat them that way. Ashton IS capable of listening; they've stepped back and trusted the other Hells to do their own thing even when it's ridiculous like staging a play where they pretend to be Ludinus to trick Unseelie emissaries into thinking that he attacked them, they listened to the gods even when they didn't have to like they promised they would and despite it being very personal they held themselves back for the benefit of the group, and if the group talked to them calmly where they were all allowed to healthily discuss the pros and cons, the ideals and compromises, and the risk and reward of all plans that have been proposed then they would listen, and they would try - you don't need to slice bread with a broadsword.

Will Ashton 'get what's coming to them'? Maybe, but what is that exactly? We only assume to know the full vision of what Ashton wants to act on. All of Bells Hells are gonna face the consequences of the choice they make on Ruidus - when they finally make one that is - in and out of the world they live in, so won't that apply to everyone? So what for Ashton? do people want Fractures 2.0? Does everything Ashton wants in life have to blow up violently in their face? Family, Closure, their best friend's safety, why does 'what's coming to them' have to be something aggressive and harmful? People change through positive reinforcement and good experiences too! Caduceus Clay would remind you that it's love that makes people. Don't mistake this rant as me wanting Ashton to be exactly as they are now, I too want to see growth from Ashton and we ARE seeing it happen; I see it in small instances where they think twice about rash actions and try not to fly off the handle, when they sit just to listen or understand or to defuse tension, and that when they're going somewhere or doing something they let the group know in advance, those who think Ashton hasn't changed since ep. 1 aren't paying close attention, but that doesn't mean that they don't still have more ground to cover. I believe that Ashton grows the most through kindness; when they're treated like a person and not a blunt instrument or a nuisance, and I hope what's 'coming' for Ashton isn't rejection, bitterness, and isolation, but acceptance, empathy, and for someone - if you know me you'd know who I'd want it to be - to convince them that they are worthy of living, that they're special not because of their powers or blood or because they have died and been put back together again (honestly, it does irk me a little that both Keyleth and Imogen chose that for titles and to brag to the Matron, I know it isn't intended this way but sometimes it feels like saying 'your best defining quality is that you've died a lot') but because while they have every reason to hate everything they still chose to be kind to those who deserve kindness, they have a good heart and they mean well. Are they perfect? No! They're in their 20s very few people irl have their lives together at even twice that age, but I want them to have good things in their life; things that help them feel happy and safe and like they can still feel comfortable in their own skin without having to appear more 'palatable' for people who've already decided that they don't like them. I want them to know that they've always deserved to live and they still deserve it now, I want that not just for Ashton but for all the Hells, and hopefully they'll all live to have it.

And most of all I want the people who hate them to be wrong about Ashton Greymoore, and I want Taliesin to prove them wrong.

[mumblingsage]

FWIW, this is a significant part of my writing process too, though the "tulpas" (or maybe I should just call them "my imaginary friends") aren't always limited to being from works in progress. And in my case, they can stick around for a long time after I finish or abandon their stories. I kind of enjoy having them around; they help me work on the writing, but also sometimes I just chat with them about my day (meaning my inner monologue comes in the form of an inner dialogue). At no point do I lose track of the intellectual fact that they aren't real, and I'm not particularly concerned about my grip on reality*--even as they certainly feel real, enough that it's occasionally disorienting to recall that they aren't and I'm actually in this room alone.

One reason I might not experience a sharp transition when I finish writing a story is because this has been a very longstanding habit-of-thought for me, going back to middle school. I believe I started it because a writing book I read included the suggestion to talk to my characters more (Worlds of Wonder by David Gerrold. I'm not sure how vivid the character-interviewing experience is for Gerrold, but maybe I should reread his book for hints).

Notably, I only experience this with original characters, which is one reason I find fanfiction trickier to write than original fiction. However, I can write original stories about characters even if those characters never talk to me. The rare times I write novel-length work, an imaginary friend often emerges, if only because of how much time we spend together; but the imaginary friend can pop up very early in the drafting process, and isn't always the character who gets the most coverage in the novel (and it isn't always a POV character either). On the vanishingly rare occasions I attempt sequels, the characters do return for a visit.

I suspect this is moderately common among writers if just a random sample of "Who is on Tumblr this Tuesday afternoon" produces at minimum of a pair of us.

*For family history reasons I don't care to get into, I'll just say I am more concerned about delusional or psychotic symptoms than the average person. So I will personally never do certain recreational mind-altering drugs. But the character-tulpa-friends don't worry me.

When you finish writing a big story and you became very close the characters, was there a time after where you were like "i kind of want to revisit these characters again, but i should probably just let the story be, they deserve to rest" Im not talking about wanting to write a sequel, is more about still coming up with fun ideas for them, maybe a little scene or something, but choosing not to do anything with it because it'd feel disrespectful to the ending you gave them?

This doesn't happen to me, no.

The reason is that, once I finish the story, my sense of "being close to the characters" suddenly vanishes. And, although there are rare moments where it (briefly) returns, it mostly stays gone.

I can't remember if I've ever talked about this in detail before, but – when I'm in the process of writing a story, especially near the end, the characters feel "real" to me in a very strong and kind of uncanny way.

I don't actually believe that they exist as independent entities from me (much less sentient ones), but it does almost feel like that's true, when I'm in the thick of the writing process.

I have no trouble intellectually distinguishing fiction from reality, even in the state I'm describing. But my emotional and intuitive relationship with my characters, when I'm in that state, is pretty similar to the one I have with real people I know in real life. And there are a bunch of... uh, mental phenomena?... associated with this that I'm slightly afraid to describe because I worry they'll sound like hallucinations or delusions if I don't add a lot of caveats.

For example, when I'm alone in a room writing (especially if I'm writing in the middle of the night), I sometimes feel like it's not just me in the room, that the character I'm writing about is "there with me," in much the same way I'd be aware of someone real person's presence if I knew they were in the room but didn't happen to be looking in their direction. Or: sometimes I feel like the characters' voices are "flowing through me," that I'm merely taking dictation from them – and will sometimes even think to myself: "man, I'm so grateful that the character is helping me write this part, because if I tried to do it all by myself there's no way I would get it right." And it takes a moment before I realize, wait, no, I am writing it by myself – at least in a literal and physical sense.

Basically if you read this post, and then sort of read between the lines of it under the assumption that I'm downplaying how weird the experience actually is because I'm worried an accurate account would make me sound kind of unhinged... then you will have roughly the right impression of what the writing experience is like for me.

Whatever is going on here, it feels like it's probably on some kind of spectrum that also contains stuff like tulpas, multiple systems, and maybe also the way that children can sometimes get really deeply wrapped up in their imaginary play. I don't know how common this stuff is among writers (maybe it is common but rarely talked about?). It's not something I've experienced anywhere else in life; I don't experience it with other people's fictional characters or stories, or with fantasies I have that aren't associated with a work in progress, and I don't remember ever experiencing it before I started writing fiction as an adult.

Anyway, as I said at the top, the moment I finish writing a story, this phenomenon simply turns off, suddenly and completely. The transition is very noticeable when it happens, and makes me feel something akin to grief or loneliness over the brief span between the moment it starts and the moment it is fully completed – like I've just lost a bunch of close friends at once.

With Almost Nowhere, I remember a very specific feeling – on the evening of the day when I finished writing – that the characters were "departing 'into' the finished book," reverting to a lesser existence as "mere words" rather than "real people," as though they had been plastic toys animated by Terra Ignota's Bridger, and were now turning back into toys again. It made me sad, for a little while, but once they'd fully "lost their reality" I no longer cared, because it was that same sense of reality that made me care, and now it was gone.

So, to finish answering your question: I don't feel an urge to return to my old characters, because it feels intuitively obvious that doing this is impossible. That anything else I wrote about them would be inauthentic, somehow, in a way that the original work wasn't. They were "there," before, but they're "gone," now. This difference is very stark, and very hard to ignore.

(As I noted above, they do sometimes "come back" to me – very rarely, and very briefly, but that is enough for a proof of concept. Perhaps, if I were to try, I could find some way to "bring them back" for longer intervals. But I doubt I will ever try that. I feel a bit afraid of the concept for several reasons – for one thing, the "inauthenticity" I just mentioned squicks me out and I'd prefer not to come too close to it, and I also have a baseline wariness of doing stuff that seems too much like messing around with my own mental health. There's also a "catch-22" involved here, where I don't feel motivated about the characters the way I used to, and that means I'm not even motivated to do things that would generate that motivation. The "target" of the effort won't appeal strongly to me until I've already gone to the trouble of obtaining it, which means the effort doesn't feel justified in the first place.)

[specialshinytrinkets]

Last exam done today, now it's time to wait for the results

*drawing of a werewolf ripping apart his shirt while transforming*

[keeps-ache]

hm hm hm !!

[moomoorare]

Ynhhhnkjnn hello hi