#hahaha...........i should write this

[lovelyrotter]

haldirk period sex. is this anything

[cheeseponderer]

To add on to my post about blushing virgin Bruce: just imagine the first time Clark calls him baby!?!?

It’s bound to happen because, come on. It’s Clark Kent, aka the walking country farm boy stereotype. Its practically ingrained into his system to say all those annoyingly sweet nicknames like sweetheart and darlin’ and fucking cupcake

Anyway, the first time it does actually happen, its when Bruce is having one of his little fits because he let the joker get away or something. Hes been ignoring everyone and refusing to come out of his cave for hours and Clark is getting worried; he’s been practically begging Bruce on hands and knees to just eat something when it slips out-

“Baby, will you please just come upstairs for dinner?”

Bruce then promptly freezes in his rapid typing, which causes Clark to freeze(woah! Domino effect) because he thinks something is wrong with Bruce.

“Baby? You okay?”

When Clark reaches out to rub his shoulder in an attempt at comfort, Bruce makes no sound and doesn’t even look at clark; he just stands up, grabs Clarks hand, and starts leading them to the elevator like this is a perfectly normal thing to do

Clark hesitantly lets himself be lead, feeling both triumphant and scared because theres no way Bruce Wayne just caved so easily after only like one hour of whatever you call what Clark was doing. (Begging? Torture? Manipulation? Depends on the perspective; bruce would probably say all three)

Clark is getting suspicious, so even though both the elevator ride up and dinner are dead silent and kinda awkward he doesn’t really mind, because it gives him time to workshop his theory

When he actually gets to test it out, its because Bruce is glued to his monitors(again), this time in his office instead of the batcave. Clark asks him 3 or 4 times to just come to bed because hes so obviously tired and when bruce doesn’t listen(as predicted,) Clark just leans against the doorframe, raises an eyebrow and says-

“C’mon baby, you know you want to”

He purposely uses that soft, kryptonian voice he has saved away for almost-end-of-the-world speeches. Bruce does that thing again where he freezes up and sort of stops breathing; and when he doesn’t move for a few moments Clark is about to furrow his brow and ask if hes alright, but then bruce is standing up and crossing the room at record time and. Guess what.

Hes blushing.

Bruce actually lets Clark lead them to his bedroom hand in hand. Are you kidding.

Clark hides the biggest smile ever in Bruces hair when he climbs into bed and starts clinging to Clark like a koala, because holy motherfuck he just cracked the code to the universe

This is half baked at best but you guys see what im going for right

[alderaanplacesss]

After the events of Veilguard, Rook and her companions become quite famous over Thedas. They’re spoken about in ways that will one day become lore, like the legend of the Inquisitor and the immortal wolf who loved her.

But they also have lives, and families, and normalcy to return to. And what isn’t as famous at first, is Rook’s sweeping romance that started at The Lighthouse.

It isn’t until she starts showing up at the back of Mourn Watcher lecture halls, or is spotted frequently in Nevarran gardens that people start to gossip.

Rook is hard to miss; the person who fearlessly commanded Elven Gods to stand down definitely has a presence. She doesn’t fit the mold of a student, and she certainly isn’t in need of instruction. No, her sudden and frequent appearances to The Necropolis are for something else entirely. Someone else.

Emmrich does anything but hide it. He’s madly in love with his scandalously younger girlfriend. The professor blushes when students ask him about their epic tale, happy to gush about his beloved Rook. He has a framed portrait of her on his office wall, where he can sometimes be found writing her love letters when she is away. Emmrich escorts her on his arm when they walk through the halls of the college, always making time for her.

One day, the couple is spotted in the cemetery during Emmrich’s lunch break, and Rook is wearing a gorgeous black diamond on her ring finger. The future Mrs. Volkarin, is how he proudly refers to her now. Sometimes it is My beloved fiancee. He can hardly wait for it to be My Darling Wife.

The day they marry, all the wisps in the Necropolis dance and chime so brightly that the dark city is filled with a constellation of spirits. It’s a sight to behold - a rare and beautiful thing that is talked about for years to come.

[put-me-on-a-hitlist]

“Ruin me”

Hell to the fucking no. You are a god to me and I will worship you and your body as such. Every inch, every scar, every curve of you is divine. I refuse because you are a temple and doing so would be committing a sin I could never repent from. I did not cross the multiverse to ruin you. I crossed the multiverse with the hope you would bless me with the honor of treat you like the god you are.

[happydiaz]

the question is, how do i write a wrestling au for buddie that's accessible to people who have never watched wrestling...

it's hard to explain that you can have people doing extremely bad and wrong things as a heel, but then they turn babyface and after a period of remorse (sometimes, not always) it's all water under the bridge

it's vitally important that one of eddie or buck is a heel who faceturns, but would the average reader accept that a relationship can form after they've beaten the shit out of each other in the ring?

hmmmmm

[seiwas]

HI MY BELOVED ANGEL!!! i am sending u mattsun + campfire as well as kisses n hugs <33

SAINTTT hello 🥺 thank you for sending a prompty!! 🥹 idt i've ever written mattsun fully before so this is something new!

help me get back into the writing groove! send me a character + any word and i'll write a short blurb about it!

contains: exes, stranded-y situation, feelings are complicated, some expletives

mattsun + campfire

"i told you we should've brought the spare—"

"yeah, let me go back in time for a sec and do just that."

"asshole."

lesson #1: nothing good ever happens when you're stuck in a car with your ex on the way to somewhere remote.

you blame iwaizumi for this one. who the fuck chooses to spend their birthday weekend in the fucking wilderness?

(okay, you don't actually think it's so bad. to be fair, he did plan this a year ago. and it did sound like a good idea. then. at the time. anywhere with the boys was always guaranteed fun―at least, until you and matsukawa broke up.)

"can you pass me the flashlight?" he points at the backpack behind you. when you hand it over, your fingers brush over his as he takes it away from you.

and you hate it, because―

lesson #2: you should never be alone with your ex when you still have feelings for them.

you'd agreed to take two cars to the camping spot: iwaizumi's with oikawa and hanamaki and matsukawa's with you. there was no way you'd fit in one, and hanamaki ultimately decided to ride with iwaizumi because, "you and mattsun have shit to sort out," he'd said.

with night setting and the two-hour headstart they managed to get ahead of you, the best thing you and matsukawa can do is to set up camp temporarily and wait for them to come back for you come sunrise.

you sigh.

leaves crack underneath your feet as you maneuver around your camping space. the light from matsukawa's flashlight tells you where he is, just a bit deeper in the forestry as he looks for wood to help set up the fire.

you unload the car in the meantime, bringing out some snacks and sleeping bags while waiting.

matsukawa eventually comes back with arms full of wood, and you help in whatever way you can, clearing the space and fetching more twigs when needed.

the entire car ride here had been quiet, so it's not surprising that this entire process has been equally as silent. until―

"did you already pull out your tent?" he asks, half of his body disappearing into the trunk of the car.

"huh?" you go closer, "i only brought out the sleeping bags."

then he sighs, ducking out from the trunk with a hand on his hip, "we only have one tent."

"what?"

"makki must have gotten yours with his when he decided to move cars."

his hand runs through his hair, a habit you know well. it lights up all sorts of weird feelings in your tummy

you don't know how to feel―

"i can sleep in the car."

―but you know that you definitely don't want him to do that. all things considered, you were friends first. and you've both been trying to be friends again since the breakup. you wouldn't want to cause him discomfort like that.

so, with a deep breath, you say, "it's okay, we can just share."

"are you sure?" he stares at you.

you nod.

after setting up the tent, you eat a few energy bars and clean up from the day's events. the campfire provides ample enough heat, but with how fast the flames are burning, you're doubtful it'll last the two of you the entire night.

it’s much later on, past midnight, that your doubts are proven right when you and matsukawa are cramped together in a tent made for one. it started to get cold a few minutes ago, and you've found yourself inching closer and closer to the warmth you’ve gotten used to laying against for the past two years.

he's only pretending to be asleep, you know that much, too. the rise and fall of his chest is hardly there; you can see it, how he's holding his breath being this close to you.

"issei," you whisper.

he opens his eyes, eyelids lifting lazily as he meets your stare. the vibration of his hum reverberates to you.

"it's cold."

for a moment, your stomach drops at the thought that he could ignore you; how it would make perfect sense for him to. you broke up with him after all, and he doesn't owe you anything, much less favors as intimate as this one.

but he closes the already dwindling gap between you, wrapping an arm around your waist as he pulls you closer. it's near, far too near for exes to be―noses touching and all.

"warmer?" his voice comes out hoarser through the whisper.

you nod, your head shifting up and down—which, truly, is where you ultimately fuck up. you feel it, a little chapped but still pliant against your lips.

in your carelessness, you accidentally brush your lips against his, the sensation alone surprising you enough to inch your head back as you mutter your apologies.

"sorry? really?" he asks, eyes half-lidded still as he chuckles.

his question settles into the small space you're in.

your vision trails from his eyes, down to the slope of his nose, until it lands on his lips again. a little split like you've always known, but still your favorite. still the only lips you want against yours.

when you lean in again, you know you're fucked, because―

lesson #3: the number one rule is that exes shouldn't kiss each other anymore.

[sillygoofyqueer]

Deity Jester Wei Wuxian AU because I really like it I don't CARE if you guys have no taste (/silly). What a shit ending to that last one was though, I was obviously some form of deluded with that ending. Jesus CHRIST. When Wei Ying returns to Master, he is furious. He wants to kill him, to rip him apart slowly and remind him that although he may hold the key to controlling him, Wei Ying can still fight back. He already has, once. It was a minimal, small struggle, one that had seemed to tear him apart inside, but it was enough. A sign that he does not need to resign himself to being forced to complete Master's every whim and want. It's what fuels him to pulling the poor wood that hides a room off its metal bindings as he enters Master's space, feeling that familiar tug in his chest that usually signals a transformation, but he still can't free himself of this cage of flesh and blood so he can only growl in frustration. Master is lounging in that pathetic chair of his, obviously having been waiting for him to enter, lips pressed against that damn instrument and already playing the tune that leaves him feeling separate from his own body.

At first, he can ignore it, clinging to his body - it's so heavy to move it, so heavy in a way it hasn't been since the deaths of his mama and papa - and dragging himself forwards towards the man himself. But, there's something about this melody that feels different. It seems to echo, reverberating around the room and thudding into his mind every time it bounces off a surface; it hurts, every thud another rip in his control, until he can no longer keep himself in control. He doesn't even hear the orders that Master gives him, but can only watch and vaguely feel himself moving somewhere, doing something, but then it all goes dark. He can't think, can't move, can't open his eyes. He just. Exists. It feels almost similar to how he existed after being chased out of his home when his parents had died, hidden beneath a tree and clinging to his mama's cloak as it rotted in his hands. He wonders if this is what death is like.

Wei Ying's master, known to most as Wen Haoran, moves in to take the throne after he is sure that all other competition is gone. The monster took care of all of them, but the way it had refused to attack the children had him worried. However, they were dealt with, it was dealt with, and now he can easily take over command of the country. The commoners cannot do anything, and it is easy to pit the old court loyal to the previous crown against one another with carefully placed pieces of 'incriminating evidence' that ties all of them to him in some way or another. Rumours and whispers, letters and bribes, all linked back to him in some way or another, falsified to suit his purposes. The infighting weeds out the weak ones who come begging for his support a few weeks in, the strong ones who end up swarmed as more 'evidence' piles up against them, and the smart ones. The ones who merely pretend to bend to his will. They are dealt with swiftly, leaving his control of the throne secure.

History unfolds from that moment, time passing as Wen Haoran's rule marks the start of Wen control of the country, rules doling out to become more and more oppressive as time goes on. Nobody can explain how he gained the throne, can only speculate while he tucks away the ancient, mould-ridden text that holds a short, vague passage on the monster with the melody that summons it. While he doesn't want anyone else to learn about his methods for his takeover, he wishes to ensure that future generations of the Wen also have the knowledge in case they need to summon the monster. It's stupid enough, it won't even recognise them considering it didn't even know his name, so it can be utilised again as long as the melody is played by them. So, he creates an inner library, hidden within his chambers (the chambers of the ruler), that holds all of the secrets his family should need to know to keep control of this country, one that is finally taking shape to be a truly great place. It is a secret that is passed down from ruler to ruler at first, but one that fades with time, until eighty years have passed and Wen Haoran is long dead, with Wen Ruohan on the throne.

Wen Ruohan is unlike his ancestor in that he is outwardly cruel. He is power hungry, a maniac that cares not for appearances - the Wen have been on the throne for this long, their power is practically absolute, and everyone has grown complacent with the treatment doled out to everyone within the country. Whatever the Wen ask, you do, or you face certain death. Rumours flit around that they are using dark magic but honestly, none of the rulers are even aware of the secret room within their chambers and, even if they were, would not think to find any sort of magic present in their ancestor's work. Wen Ruohan is just evil alone, he does not need any cursed magic or object to taint his mind. A clear indicator of his cruelty is when he asks the prestigious families to send a son into the palace so they can learn their roles; they can do nothing but send them over despite their fear and mistrust of this tyrannical ruler with his equally fucked up sons.

It's not long before these boys from prominent families have different tasks doled out to them that seem to mock the individual family's greatest pride - Nie Mingjue is placed as a Duizhu (captain of a company), meaning he is working with woefully less soldiers than he usually would, an insult to his expertise of battle. Jiang Cheng is now a fisherman for the Wen, supplying them with the best fish - an insult to the family revered for their trade and control of the waterways. Jin Zixuan? A retainer for Wen Chao, who delights in ordering around a member of the family that poses the most threat with their almost natural talents of politicking and charming all those that cross them (well, until you talk to Jin Guangshan, of course). And Lan Wangji, the one to willingly go to the palace so that his brother could still be the heir of the Lan family, a scholar dedicated to documenting the illustrious history of the Wens and whatever strikes their fancy, spitting on the Lans' own well-documented, impressive history and their unparalleled scholarly arts.

Lan Wangji despises his place in the palace, forced to sit in the library every day and read through pages and pages of the Wens' lies, writing down everything that could be deemed even remotely important to the Wens so that he doesn't have to go back and read through them if he misses something. This task is not straightforward even with his length, because every time one of the royals ask him to research something else, he must stop his documentations of the Wen to learn everything about the subject asked until he has enough information written down to appease those that have asked for it. It's long and tedious enough already, and every time he has to pause, it adds more time to what he has to do. It gets worse when he realises that there is vagueness around the beginning of the rule of the Wen - something that Wen Ruohan will not tolerate if he is presented with it, forcing Lan Wangji to ask for more resources on that part of history.

Coincidentally, a servant stumbles across the secret library while cleaning the room, having done the impossible and accidentally knocked a statue resting against the untouched books in the study. They look inside, assuming this is just another part to the library of the study, and dust off all of the books - they notice two books in particular - small, handbound. 'The beginning of the Wens' and an unnamed, mould-covered book. They don't think much of it, just remembering that that blasted Lan was asking for more resources on the former subject and so grabbing that without much thought to go give it to the Lan, then grabbing the mould-covered book just because it will surely be a pain in the ass for the Lan to decipher. They leave the hidden library, being sure to reset everything after they're gone, and go to give the books to the Lan. They honestly assume that the other inner servants know about it, so they don't mention anything as they deliver the book to Lan Wangji, who practically glares down at it as he opens it for more bullshit to be delivered.

[arliarolli]

That moment you develop trauma but it lowkey fits your OC so good.

[gavv-hannah]

i am So Well about your kuon/hoeru stuff thank u for the food . do u have any........ headcanons or additions to their relationship , im curious to hear . we are such a small group of freaks (positive)

ahaha sorry when you said a small group I just imagined a group gathering at tea time talking about favorite brocon fics/HCs/happenings with one another. Does such commune of freaks exist in the toku fandom T_T)? If so let me iiiiiiiin *rattling cage bars*

Anyway,

Thank you thank youuu anon for enjoying my food!! This is my first sentai rodeo so im always worried about not drawing/depicting/characterizing/whatever-ing them so you and anyone else enjoying my gozyu stuff means a lot to meeeee T_T

Now i say that but um.. So all of these are exaggerated well enough to cater to my gozyu brocon needs LMAO so if its OOC..... i bow deeply to say sowwy

(thoughts, words, stuff below read more)

+ they're codependent. Back then, and even now (but Hoeru's growing out of it. Kuon isn't) idk what their home life is like to make them be like that tho so uhm *insert bullshit reason*

+ they have a skewed sense of what's normal/appropriate between brothers. Probably weren't reprimanded/corrected as kids so they just kept doing it. What's sweet as kids is kinda weird now as adults~ idk something like having no sense of personal space or boundaries.

I like this one cz i can just imagine hoeru sharing smth he did with kuon to the gozyu team and everyone's just in shock with their kind of brotherly love mmcmfmd

Very delusional scenario but if they still got along after reuniting as adults, they'd probably take baths together ❤️ Though hoeru's starting to mature so he'd probably say smth like how this is smth they shouldn't be doing but kuon coerces him to stay in the bath longer with him anyway~

Sorry really vague and no concrete examples (can't think of one for brothers-to-brothers, only for sisters-to-sisters mfmfmd) but you get my point right 🥹?

+ Kuon's feelings, worries, and thoughts abt his brother were warped to be super intense after the No One World abduction

examples:

- that thing where older siblings feel a little sad when they notice how much their younger sib is growing and starting to want to be independent -> warping to -> Kuon not wanting Hoeru to leave him AT ALL

- that familial love for your sibling -> sick kind of love and obsession for hoeru. ("Hoeru's my love, my hope, my puppet" uhm! Ok!! Whatever you say Mr. Freaky!)

- Younger siblings being your responsibility. You're their teacher, their second parent, their most available guide (eldest child in an Asian household things ❤️) -> Hoeru grew up to have beliefs that dont align with Kuon's. Kuon thinks he is misguided and wrong. He's the only one that can set him right.

+ As kids, Kuon's praises and sweet touches would be like liquid gold to hoeru. Even if they have a weird relationship now, I'm pretty sure if Kuon praised him, Hoeru would feel like putty inside. It's hard to break off from old wants 🫶

+ not an HC but do you know the whole thing the mom and daughter in EEAAO had? The daughter in the "Alpha universe" was pushed to the limit to be excellent that she became a nihilist and wants to destroy the universe. She seeks out for her mom in this one universe who is awful at everything because she has the greatest potential (the whole "you suck so much that you have nowhere to go but up" thing) and is the only one capable of foiling her universe-ending plans.

The womanfailure mom = Hoeru

The powerful nihilist daughter = Kuon

Do you see the vision? Mfmfmfmfmdmd

~~~

This got long sorry!!! I hope you got what you asked from me Anon Q_Q it's probably unoriginal lbr pretty sure some other 5head fan already said these things about the tono brothers in like, a more comprehensible way ahahzhshzhs but still thank you for reading up to this point u_u lemme know what you think! If you got some HCs share em!

[senblades]

I don’t remember if it ever came up, but now that Akechi has his memories of the last timeline back, did he have Confidants then too?

hmm.... i think i kept meaning to bring it up, but since shuake are in divorce mode and Ren's the only one who would know to ask, it keeps slipping me by

and in all likelihood it will keep slipping me by, so I'll just provide an answer here:

ehhhh yes and no? I would say that he DID unlock the Justice confidant, smiled very brightly and thought "what the fuck what the fuck what the fuck" but i'm going to pull this out of my ass right now and say that it didn't happen at the TV studio like it did for Ren, but rather after their first game of billiards, since that would be the tipping point for Akechi having genuine interest in him beyond just "that's the guy that's so fucking dumb he announced his criminal activity in a hallway"

of course, this timeline the Justice arcanae activated at the same time, both because of the established precedent of Sumire and the things she'd spilled to Akechi, but also because of last timeline Justice Confidant Fuckery, as it was wont to do in early fftsr.

I keep going back and forth on whether he would have unlocked the Moon or the Devil in the first timeline. I definitely think that Akechi would have had far less interaction with the Velvet Room, to the point where they stopped bothering him at all, maybe even the entire year, since he was on-track to play his role perfectly. This time, though; even though Yaldy wasn't entirely in the know at first, he still noticed that somthing was up with time. Plus, his chosen champion kept making friends and that was a real pain in the ass.

Hm okay actually i'm going to make a call about the Devil/Moon situation. Since i've established confidants as "connections that will change fate (for better or worse)" I'll say that Akechi did get the Devil, but skipped Moon. The OG timeline was a very bleak place for Akechi HAHAHA.

He definitely was Not Thrilled by this outcome, and put all his energy into ignoring it was happening. He honestly probably thought he was hallucinating, since the Velvet Room never confronted him on it lmao.

annnnd that's it! I really did mean to bring it up at some point, but, alas. Maybe one day Ren will get curious. fhsdjkdf i remember that Sumire and Haru know about the arcana and that Akechi has them, but I can't remember for the life of me if Probably Sumire shared that information with Ren. I'll have to check

ty for the ask!

[softmangoes]

until sunrise | eden x defiant!pc

18+ only

summary: you ask eden if you can go to town to run some errands. reluctantly, he says yes. sequel to cabin fever.

includes: defiant! fem pc, yearning, domesticity, a very needy eden

author's note: i had so much fun writing the first fic that i got excited to work on this one. i love eden so much, so please let me know what you think! comments always keep me going 🫶🏾

-

"you want to leave?" eden tenses. instinctively, he holds you tighter, thinking of the time you actually managed to run away. it was a while ago, but he could still feel the cold spike of fear as he tracked you through the forest.

"what," you say. "you don't trust me?"

it's not that he doesn't. he wants to. he does. it's just that after being alone for so long, he's finally found you, and now you want to leave?

the forest provides. its boughs offer wood for shelter, fruit for food. its animals bare their necks to gift flesh and fur for meals and warmth. and then there is the quiet, which is something the town never had. the quiet that eases eden's nerves, lets him think.

in the wilderness, there is nothing else he could want. he thought that after being here for a while, you would feel the same. he's provided for you, hasn't he? he's been good to you. why would -

"eden." your fingers brush his hair away from his face. what would he do, knowing he'd be without your touch? "i can hear you thinking."

it's not like him to lose his composure. on a hunt, it could cost him a meal - a bullet whizzing far past its target. in this moment, he averts his gaze. swallows.

"is it because there's someone else?" he says, quiet.

you had a life before him. he's well aware of that. before, when he would watch you spend your afternoons at the lake, he would occassionally see you have picnics with a brunette boy with a voice so soft that you had to move closer just to listen to him.

fear wraps cold tendrils around his heart. was that who you wanted? someone who still had kindness in their eyes?

"i have you." your lips feather across his cheeks. "how can there be someone else when you're all i need?"

need. it's such a terrible, wonderful thing, isn't it? before you, he thought he never needed much. since the night you told him you would stay, the thought of being around you has become as essential as air. as cherished as the quiet.

he needs you. but as much as he wants to keep you within his reach, eden knows you well enough that a cage would be the last thing you would ever want.

"a day," he says. your lips hover over his, your breath sweet with the scent of berries you had picked together earlier that morning. "nothing more, and you come back."

the kiss you give him is full of relief, gratitude. he pulls you onto his lap and the couch creaks at the shift in weight. when he brings his mouth to your neck, he bites you hard enough to leave a bruise. the throbbing will give you something to remember him by while you're gone. you touch the bloom of broken capillaries with a smile.

the next morning, he holds you tightly at the end of the forest path.

"i have to be back before breakfast tomorrow," you say, muffled by his embrace. "it'll still take me hours to get to town."

it's fall, so the leaves crunch beneath his feet as he takes an uneasy step back. there's a chill in the air, so he adjusts the scarf he's given you around your neck.

"you can come earlier than that," he tells you. "it'd be better if you do."

i'd feel better if you do, he thinks.

you smile knowingly and take his hand. he swears he'll never get used to it, how tenderly you hold him even after everything he's done. even though he is who he is.

"i'll miss you, too," you say before you leave.

for a moment, after he watches you walk through the bushes, he thinks about following you. of course, he would only do it to make sure you get there safely. he'd promised to protect you, didn't he?

but you didn't need that. you were already strong when he found you and you had given him quite the fight when he brought you to the cabin. he was sure you were capable of protecting yourself. for both your sakes, you had to be.

he slings his rifle over his shoulder. how about a deer for dinner once you got back? you always liked his venison roasts. they take long to track, but even longer to cook. at least it would give him something to do while you're away.

hours later, eden lowers his rifle. the shot is clean - straight to the temple without any damage to the hide. he hefts the fallen doe over his shoulder. this early in the season, she hasn't shed too much of her fat gained from the spring and the summer. her meat will make a fine roast, one worthy of welcoming you back.

eden dresses her away from the cabin, gathering her hide and meat. in a few days, he'll come back for the bones after they've been picked clean.

the weather is cool enough that he can place the flesh in the root cellar until he's ready to use it. there are still a few hours left in the day, so he uses them to strip the hide.

as he draws the fleshing knife over the stretched skin, his mind wanders.

normally, he'd find peace in the monotony of this kind of work, allowing his mind clear while you read a book on the patio's rocking chair. but now, all he could think about was where you were. all he could think about was how silent the cabin was without you there to fill the air with your laughter. when he looks up, he watches the empty chair sway in the breeze.

once he's done fleshing the hide, eden eats a late lunch of stewed cabbage and sausage. it's the last thing you prepared and while it's delicious, it does not soothe the ache of your absence.

dinner isn't any better. he eats quickly, sopping up the broth on his plate with a hank of crusty bread.

once he curls up with a book by the fireplace, it's only then that his mind quiets. for as long as he could remember, he's always loved reading. stories were his first escape. they allowed him to imagine a future different from his past.

the first time you had asked him to read to you, he was confused.

"your voice," you told him. "it's pretty."

"pretty?" he scoffed. "that can't be the right word for it."

"like thunder rumbling in the distance." you kissed his neck, your hands slipping under his sweater. "a shift in the tide." his breath caught. "i could listen to you all night and it would never be enough."

right now, eden flips his way through a weathered paperback, the spine cracked white throughout.

soon, the both of you would fall back into your routine.

he feels more at ease - somewhat - but perhaps it's because of the anticipation that flutters in his chest. the day is almost done and tomorrow, as promised, he will wake to welcome you home. the thought warms him like the first sunrise of spring, melting away the long winter frost.

still, his chest tightens.

what if he never heard your knock? what if dawn came and you didn't? you wouldn't do that, would you? you would keep your word.

ah, but he's done so many bad things. he hurt you, even as you kicked and clawed at him. back then, he was selfish, wanting nothing else but your body to warm the cold nights.

things were different, now. the way you looked at him was softer. fond. at night, you would take his hand and hold it until you fell asleep. in turn, he'd wake you with a kiss to the forehead, waiting until you stirred in his arms. eden was yours and you were his. you wouldn't leave him. you wouldn't you wouldn't you wouldn't -

the book falls apart in his hands with a sharp rip.

"fuck," he says, placing the ruined pieces onto the couch.

he takes a deep breath, deciding that it would be wise to turn in early. that way, he'd get enough rest to properly take care of you after your long trek through the forest.

the bed is cold when he slips in. outside the cabin window, the crickets croon softly in the night for their lovers. eden places a palm against the bed's empty space, his fingers gathering the sheets. it takes a long time for him to close his eyes.

the next morning, there's a knock at the door.

eden is there just as you swing it open.

"the way back is so much harder," you huff, dropping a couple of duffel bags onto the floor along with your backpack. "i tripped on so many roots. maybe we could spend a day clearing the path more?"

sweat has plastered your hair to your forehead and your cheeks are red with exertion. there are fragments of leaf debris sticking to your skin. you have never looked more beautiful.

eden gathers you into his arms.

he takes you on the table, lays your body down like a feast. the oak whines against the cabin floor, but it holds. when he carved it a few years ago, he made sure it would be sturdy.

"hey, wait," you start, trying to fend him off. but you're too tired, too weak from the journey back. it's alright, though. he's here to give you a proper welcome.

somehow, you manage to kick off your boots. he drags down your hiking pants, grabs ahold of your thighs.

already, you're so wet for him. he can smell it. have you been wanting this as badly as he has, he wonders. the thought drives him wild.

eden brings his mouth to your bare hip as he peels off your underwear with one hand. he licks a trail further and further downward until he's between your legs.

you hiss at the sensation of his tongue on you, his hands clasped securely around your thighs.

"i've been waiting," he says gruffly. "for this."

and when his tongue, thick and hot, pushes itself inside of you, you can do nothing else but squirm.

one of his massive hands slips under your tank top, beneath your bra, to take your nipple between his fingers.

it's all so much. you wrap a hand around his wrist, steadying yourself as he fucks you with his mouth.

once he's satisfied, eden moves to suck on your clit, groaning in approval when your hips twitch against his face.

your core tightens, back arching as the orgasm takes you.

eden pulls away. a moment later, you hear the rustling of fabric. he's removed his lounge pants.

he licks his lips, which are glistening with your wetness.

"i was worried you wouldn't come back," he says, taking a hold of your hips to pull you closer to his aching cock. "but here you are, being so good for me." eden slips inside of you slowly, making you feel every moment he's missed you. "i think you deserve a reward."

then he rips through your tank top and bra. you gasp at the sudden coolness against your skin, his ravenous hunger making you feel vulnerable.

eden fucks himself into you, planting rough kisses across your chest and collarbone.

"so tight," he praises. "and all mine."

when you come, clenching down on him so deliciously, he crushes his mouth to yours, swallowing your moans as you writhe beneath him.

he's close, the yearning he had pent up the day prior threatening to make him spill, but he does not relent. instead, he bites the inside of his cheek, the pain lancing through his wave of pleasure so he can last longer.

has it only been a day since you were last together? no, that can't be right. it feels like forever. he'll have to make up for all that lost time.

with the pad of his fingers, eden rubs small circles against your swollen clit, coaxing another orgasm from you as he pushes himself deeper to reach the spot he knows will make you keen.

it's when you tongue at the hollow of his neck, nails raking across his back, that he comes gasping your name.

you hold each other, the wooden planks creaking softly under your weight.

"christ," you pant, forehead pressed against his. "i was barely through the fucking door."

he laughs - it's a deep, guttural grumble that he only ever does around you. it reminds you of thunder, of storms.

he blushes, shy. "i, ah, got excited."

eden gathers you into his arms and you wash up quickly, the both of you eager to spend the rest of the day together.

"such a sweetheart," you say, kissing him on the cheek. "you missed me a lot, didn't you?"

once you're clean, fed, and settled, you begin to unpack the spoils you gathered from town. there are the hefty duffel bags full of eden's supplies: boxes of bullets, rope for snare traps, canned food, and kerosene for the lamps.

from your backpack, you procure extra sets of clothes you bought at the mall along with a short guides on canning produce and soapmaking you found at the outdoor shop. he glances at the pile of ruined clothing he had torn to get to you and scratches the back of his neck, embarrassed.

lastly, you take out a hefty rectangular bundle wrapped in brown paper. it's secured with a ribbon made of twine.

"what's this?" he asks.

you look at the fire, sheepish. you were never very good with words.

"i know the paperbacks are cheaper, but they're too small for your hands," she says.

he tears through the packaging. inside are hardcover copies of his favorite books, along with some new releases.

"you like their work the most," you tell him. "i've noticed that you reread their books a lot."

eden is speechless. you thought of him, then, even though you were gone? he takes a moment to imagine you perusing the bookstore, scanning the shelves for something to take home with you. 

"i don't know what to say," he says, setting the books on the table beside him. when was the last time he'd received a gift? for the life of him, he can't remember. if he had, then that memory has been long buried by the past.

"you could thank me," you say, taking his hand to your face. your eyes darken as you slip two of his fingers into your mouth. "or you could show me."

warmth ignites his core. he pulls you closer, hunger making him lick his teeth.

one day is long enough.

sunlight filters through the glass windows. he smiles, admiring the sight of you finally back in his arms.

you don't make it out of the cabin until the next morning.

[kelongt]

regect modernity and embrace tradition (shipping dnf)

[hidey-writes]

wip wednesday

Regret sits heavy in Gu Yiran’s stomach, unvoicable. He needs Zheng Bei to come with him. If the only way that will happen is for Zheng Bei to believe that Gu Yiran is the one who wants to go somewhere, then this will have to happen like that. He wants to apologize. He says instead, “Is it too cold? I think I know how to turn on the heat.” Zheng Bei, who’d been staring blankly out the passenger side window, turns to look over with barely a jolt of surprise. “It doesn’t work in this car, Gu-laoshi. Why’d you think I made you wear my coat when I was driving you here?” He pulls his hands out from where they’re tucked under his crossed arms. “We’re not all from Huazhou. This isn’t cold to me.”

wahoo babey we're back !!!!!!!!!!!!! i survived six weeks of writing gift fic without being allowed to post any of it until the end and now we're back !!!!!!!!!!!! anyway. today i'm spelunking through my seven million writing documents for the distance that i run to you and i've managed to unearth a nearly-complete down draft of chapter 5 so please enjoy this snippet from that!

[vaguely-concerned]

returnal and deathloop have such a beautifully 🤝 take on the timeloop theme of like... hell is empty and all the devils are here. working on their linked in profiles because as it turns out the human mind given eternity to work with will naturally birth fresh new levels of hell of its own making that a poor devil could never even dream of, and then, grotesquely, perversely, make a home out of that hell. except returnal is doing that extremely well but played very straight, and deathloop is doing it like (looney tunes connotations). and I love it so much for that.

[avirael]

Gridania AU Part 01

“Vanoh…”, the red-haired miqo’te woman pleaded. “You have to admit that this is our best choice.”

“I cannot go there and beg for help from the people responsible for our misery. And how would I ever look my brother in the eyes again knowing he entrusted the tribe to me only for me to let it fall apart…”, his copper ears dropped in defeat.

A’tahja understood all of his doubts. There had been a time when A’vanoh and his brother had led the tribe together. Back then their territory had been far bigger and their people a lot happier. But as both their territory and their numbers decreased to not enough to justify two of them anymore, tribal customs would have demanded for the brothers to fight over who would lead them in the future.

But the brothers loved each other dearly and so one day A’vanoh’s brother trying to spare them the pain had just left the tribe and started over as a mercenary in Gridania. He visited from time to time, bringing gifts and news, trying to help them as best as he could. They even had entrusted to him their oldest child to take her with him to Gridania for training. The truth of course had been that they knew she would have a better life there. The tribe’s food supplies were more and more insufficient and their home grew more and more dangerous with every passing day.

A’tahja saw how heartbroken A’vanoh was over the sorry state of his once so proud family. Almost everyone else had already abandoned him or was in the process of doing so. Most woman had decided he was too weak to lead the tribe and had left to try their luck elsewhere. The young men had done the same, they had not even tried to fight him about leadership. There simply was nothing left worth fighting about. The only one that had unconditionally remained loyal to him was A’tahja.

“Your brother would never blame you. No matter what the others say, this was none of your fault, love.”, carefully she put a hand on his arm and continued with a smile on her face. “If we go to Gridania we could see Tehmi again. Can you imagine the progress she will have made by now? A hunter just as fierce as her father.”

For a moment A’vanoh’s mouth twitched to a sad smile. But then he shook his head.

“Still, it is Gridania. I will not bow to these men.”

She understood his pain but she also knew that his pride was the bigger hurdle to overcome here. How humiliating it must be for him to seek help from Gridania, whose soldiers had made no difference between any tribes and factions that had not been “blessed” by the elementals as they claimed and branded them all as equally bad. Gridania, who had just watched as the the different clans, Seekers and Keepers alike, had fallen pray to bandits and poachers, their hunting grounds stolen and their family members slaughtered. Until in the end all tribes alike had no other option left than to turn against each other to fight over the small bits of resources that remained once Gridania had declared the borders of their own territories and the outlaws had taken from the tribes what they could.

She admitted she did not like it either to seek help from Gridania. But this was not a matter of hurt pride, this was about their survival. About their children’s survival. To demonstrate her point she raised the small bundle in her arms so he would have to look at it.

“Will you tell that to your sons once they are starving out in the wilderness? There is nowhere else to go, Vanoh, please.”

The small kitten in the blanket barely stirred, entirely clueless about the gravity of the situation. He was a quiet baby, born almost two moons too soon. He was a tiny thing, almost never crying. The elderly women had said he was too weak and would die within days. But he had survived. Days had turned to weeks and weeks had turned to months. He was still alive and A’tahja was not going to endanger him now by taking unnecessary risks.

“Please, my love, think about your son. Think about our little Viloh!”

With ears flat at his head and visibly struggling with himself A’vanoh stared at the small Miqo’te baby for a moment. Then he slowly raised one hand, so big compared to the baby in front of him, to carefully caress the sleeping kitten's cheek. His eyes filled with tears which he stubbornly tried to blink away. Finally he gave a weak nod.

“You are right. Let us go to Gridania.”

***

~ 5 years later ~

It was his 2-month-old sister’s crying that forced little A’viloh off of his mother’s legs much to his distress. Pleadingly he looked after her, as she set aside the hairbrush, put him down to the floor and hurried over to the crib.

Make no mistake, he loved his baby sister, she was the tiniest Miqo’te with the biggest eyes and ears he had ever seen, which made her almost as adorable as his plush-tiger Stripey. What he certainly did not love about A’tahli though was her occasional loudness and the way she suddenly demanded so much of his mother’s time.

“When will she finally stop screaming all the time??”, A’vett asked as he got up from the table. He stuffed the last small piece of bread into his mouth and then raised his hands to press his ears to his skull in an attempt to dampen the noise.

His mother, by now rocking the tiny copper-haired girl on her arms, looked at her oldest son with a mixture of amusement and reproach.

“Oh, Vett! Believe me, you were much louder when you were her age. Not every baby sadly can be as carefree as your little brother…”

Though the carefree little brother in question certainly looked not so carefree right now. In fact he would have loved if his mother had continued to brush his hair a bit more, even when he had long finished his breakfast consisting of bread with homemade strawberry jam.

Little could he know that it was a surprisingly peaceful and happy life they had here in Gridania. About 5 years ago his parents had arrived here, of course he did not remember this and even his older brother A’vett had not been old enough then to grasp the full gravity of the situation they had been in back then. How easily one choice could have set them on an entirely different path.

But fate had been kind and in the end the worst part really had been the decision to ask for help in the city. Maybe all of his mother’s prayers had made a difference after all or maybe they had just been very lucky, but they had quickly found friendly people here who had helped them with their new start.

Uncle Aboh had long worked in and around Gridania as a mercenary and introduced them to people all over town. And their daughter Tehmi, almost grown up and already standing on her own two feet, had offered for them to live in her room with her for a while. But the nice elezen lady working at the Carline Canopy had offered them a room for themself to stay for the first few weeks instead and so they had had enough time and support to find their place in this new city.

A’vanoh though had been hesitant to put his weapon and his fighting skills in duty to Gridania, so instead his nephew A’aba had introduced him to a bunch of carpenters he had befriended. It was a craft A’vanoh’s father had already learned yet from his father and that over generations had been used to built and maintain homes for their family in the Shroud. A skill A’vanoh’s father had taught to both of his sons and also one that came in very handy now. Quickly he had found a spot among the craftsmen at the guild and over the course of a few years and with a lot of hard work he had become one of the most renowned among them.

A’tahja on the other hand, enough to do with taking care of a five-years-old and a small baby, had needed a while to find her place in this foreign city. Tehmi was still training with her uncle and cousin at that time and even though they never traveled far and often returned to Gridania, she wished to support her family, and especially so her mother, more effectively than with a tiny bit of coin here and there depending on how well jobs went.

So the oldest of A’tahja’s children one day had decided to not follow in her uncle’s adventurous footsteps anymore and instead remain in Gridania. Much to her father’s initial skepticism she had taken on a job among the city guard. It offered not only more and steadier gil but also allowed her to better help out her mother. And sooner or later even A’vanoh had to admit that the Gridanians weren’t all that horrible. “As long as you stay on their good side!”, he used to insist warningly for a while but as his friendships in the guild grew his complains slowly began to fade over time.

And with A’tehmi regularly helping out her mother it came to pass that Tehmi at some point introduced her mother to a dear friend from the botanists’ guild. And as the the woman passionately but also exhaustedly talked about her work and explained how desperately they were looking for more people to help them with their work, A’tahja grasped the opportunity. It was only a small job at first and also not easy but the work with the botanists was fun and she turned out to be very talented with taking care of plants. And as her kids got a bit older she more and more often was found at the Greatloam Growery taking care of lush vegetable patches and beautiful flowers alike, often in the company of two little boys.

About four years later A’tahja and A’vanoh even had enough money saved among the two of them to move out of the tiny apartment they had rented some weeks after their arrival and instead bought a small, old, two-storied house not too far from the botanists’ guild. A’vanoh took care of all the necessary repairs and A’tahja, in cooperation with the botanists, used a portion of the ground floor to set up a small flower shop. Now, about a year after the opening, it was a very well visited shop much to her pride.

Still, now that A’tahli was born, it was a lot of work again. She had expected nothing less though and between taking breaks from work and having friends from the guild help her with her business it all worked out nicely most of the time. Occasionally she also let her older kids do deliveries for her when possible or keep an eye on A’viloh, not that the calm boy was going to get in trouble otherwise. And so it was also planned today.

“Vett, my monkey.“, she had started calling him that as the little rascal had fallen from a tree last summer and broken his arm. “Could you please take the box with the flower bulbs to the guild and then go to the market and the Canopy to deliver the bouquets I prepared last evening?”

“Can I go visit father after I am done?”, he asked in reply as if his mother’s agreement decided whether or not he was willing to help.

She smiled and ruffled his wild orange-red hair with her free hand, earning a scowl.

“You can try but your father will be busy with work until the evening I fear…”

“Can I play with my friends at the Acorn Orchard then?”

She nodded.

“Just be home for dinner.”

He was already running off towards the shop when she remembered something.

“Vett, wait a moment! Can you please take your brother with you?”

A’vett groaned. His baby brother was no fun. And what would the other boys say?

“Do I have to…?”

With a kind but stern expression A’tahja looked at her son.

“Yes you have to. Tehmi wanted to help me today but she had to step in for a shift at the Wolf Gate. And with Tahli’s mood today I can’t take care of them both AND the shop…”

The ten year old sighed. He did maybe not like having to bring his younger brother along but he also was old enough to see the reason in his mother’s words and he did not want to disappoint her.

“Alright…”

***

Gridania was a big and confusing place but A’viloh also found it very pretty. Especially the botanists’ guild was one of his favourite spots. It was a calm and beautiful place full of plants and butterflies and friendly people who sometimes gave him small gifts like pretty flowers or tasty fruits.

“Ah, who do we have here? My favourite little Miqo’te boys? Hello you two!”, Fufucha greeted them as they arrive. With all the time A’tahja had brought her kids along to the guild she almost had become like an aunt to them.

She was always very friendly and happy to see them and also not so horribly tall like some of the elezen, so A’viloh was not at all scared to talk to her. “Hello, Miss Fufucha.”, he beamed and offered to her the small box with flower bulbs he had been carrying.

“Ah, thank you so much, my dear boy.”, she said turned around to set aside the box and to pick up something from a basket. “How about I give you this in return?”

She held out a pretty white and yellow flower to him. A’viloh was sure his mother had told him its name once before but he had forgotten. Anyway, it was very pretty and smelled nicely and made him very very happy.

“I think it would look very nice like that…”, the Lalafell said and careful fixed the blossom between a few strands of his hair just below his left ear.

“Thank you, Miss Fufucha!”, he said with sparking eyes.

Then the Lalafell turned to A’vett and eyed the bigger box filled with bouquets he was carrying.

“Are these the flowers for the Canopy and for the decorations at the market?”

Diligently A’vett nodded.

“Your mother once again has outdone herself. Picking just the right flowers. A really beautiful choice!”, Fufucha praised.

A’vett nodded again but did not seem nearly as passionate about it as his little brother or Fufucha. He could not wait to finish his tasks, so he could finally go see his father and play with his friends. “We should really get going and get them delivered. Come on, Viloh.”

And like that he was running off again, leaving A’viloh to wave at Miss Fufucha who waved at him in return. He needed to hurry to stay at his brother’s heels. The next stop was the markets. It was not horribly far until there but far enough for A’viloh’s short legs to grow tired from trying to keep up with his older brother’s speed. To make things worse the place was quite crowded around this bell and all the tall people and mingling voices intimated the small Miqo’te boy.

There were a few stops to make here and A’viloh bravely waited for his brother to finish his deliveries and tried to stay close to him in the crowds. Only for a short moment he had been distracted when A’vett had talked to a lady about the flower delivery. The booth right next to them had looked so fascination, the displays filled with dozens of sparking stones and jewelleries. Maybe he had walked a step too far or looked a moment to long but once he wanted to ask his brother about the sparkling, colourful stones A’vett had vanished.

“Vett?”, the small Miqo’te boy whispered suddenly all alone in the crowd. “Where are you, Vett?”

No one answered and no matter where he looked his brother was nowhere to be seen. In panic A’viloh ran a bit this way and that but A’vett remained invisible no matter how much he looked and called for him. With growing fear he realised that he neither knew the way to the Carline Canopy nor how to get back home.

With tears welling up in his eyes he just stood there turning this way and that, hopelessly lost. No one seemed to notice him, not that he was exactly trying to make himself seen. But then a particularly tall man overlooked him entirely, his vision limited by a load of crates he was carrying. He almost stumbled about the boy helplessly waddling this way and that. “Hey! Look out!”, he loudly scolded down at him. “Away with you, boy, this is no place to play!”

Before shocked little A’viloh had found the bravery to reply anything the man had long hurried away. But this incident had been enough to completely ruin the small Miqo’te’s day already. Scared he stumbled through the crown and sat down in an empty corner between two market booths. Desperately he hoped A’vett would come back and find him here. Or better his mother would come and pick him up. Yes, he wanted to see his mother. Right now. Cuddle close to her and not let go.

But as the minutes passed it did not seem like anyone at all was going to find him here. The panic welled up in him again. He would never find his way back home wouldn’t he? Never get to see family again? His beautiful, lovely, kind mommy?

He wrapped his arms around his legs, pulled his knees to his chest and burried his face in between. Then he bitterly started to sob.

[shattered-eluvian]

man... I love dragon age.