#i haven't made any progress from there so it's more like...bare bones

[ahgasegotarmy116]

It's Hard to Believe | Jungkook One Shot

Summary: Getting pregnant with your best friend's baby definetly wasn't a part of the plan... Pairing: f!Reader x Jungkook (fwb, f2l) Word Count: 2.7k Warnings: A tiny bit of explicit and suggestive language but nothing crazy a/n: This is something I started writing at like midnight and it's kinda shit but I thought I might as well post it since I haven't posted in a while (Like five days short of a month wtf?!?!? How has it been that long?!?!) (I just barely checked rn lmao my bad 🥲) p.s. I kinda wanna do a full on series on a concept like this but it'll be different and less fluffy but that won't be happening for a long ass time but yeah lol Requested by a lovely anon 💜

"How am I supposed to tell him?" I ask my friend Sam for the millionth time since I found out. "Y/n just tell him. You guys have been friends for how long?" she asks and it's like I'm having deja vu from both of our responses. "Like ten years" I mumble and pull my sweatshirt sleeves down over my hands in an effort to stop my nervous fiddling but it only makes it worse. 

"Right and you guys have been messing around with each other for over a year now, maybe even more...I don't wanna know" she says while holding her hand up in a way to assure me that she doesn't need the details. "Just tell him. If he's as great of a guy as you keep on telling me he is then I promise everything will be okay" she says and places a hand on my shoulder before she gets up off my couch. 

"Where are you going?" I ask while she shrugs on her jacket. "Didn't you say he's supposed to be here around five?" she asks and I nod my head, checking the clock and seeing that it's already 4:30. 

"Yeah...are you sure you don't wanna stay and say hi?" I ask and she glares at me. "Let me know what his response is to that bun in the oven and then we'll talk. I wanna figure out if he's an asshole or not before I decide to waste anytime on him" she says while lacing up her shoes. 

"Promise me you'll tell him tonight?" she asks and lifts up her hood, getting ready to shield herself from the pouring rain outside. I nod my head reluctantly, that being way more progress than I've made for the past few weeks since I found out. "I promise" I utter under my breath and she smiles, pulling me in for a bone crushing hug. 

"Text me if you need me" she says, worried for what might happen but hoping for the best. "I will...thanks" I whisper and she nods her head before walking out of my door and turning slightly and waving to offer me one last farewell.

I close the door after I see her get into her car and lean my back up against it, steadying myself for a second and taking deep breaths, trying to stop my racing heartbeat before pushing off of it and tidying up before Jungkook gets here to distract myself. 

Sam has been the only one I've been able to count on and honestly the only person I can trust since I haven't told anyone else. She was the one I called when I missed my period and she's the one who brought me a pregnancy test...and then when out and bought me ten more because I couldn't actually grasp the concept that I was pregnant...am pregnant.

Jungkook and I have always been careful and taken all the necessary steps to keep this from happening but I guess we got careless this time. 

Through out this whole arrangement we've made it very clear to each other that we're not sleeping with anyone else but neither of us are looking for any sort of commitment either so that's why this has gone on for so long. 

Like it or not though we're going to be committed to each other in one way or another no matter what because I'm keeping this baby. No matter what he says I'm keeping them. 

Jungkook is my best friend, the one person who has been there for me through everything. He's seen me at all of my highest highs and especially at my lowest lows and no matter what he's never made me feel shitty about it. I know he's not the kind of guy that'll turn on you because of something like this but I can't help but still feel terrified. 

This wasn't supposed to happen but even if this child wasn't made with love from his side...it was made with love from mine. 

I don't know how long it's been since I fell in love with him but I know I shouldn't have said yes to this whole fuck buddy ordeal. I just couldn't stand the thought of him being with someone else so when he offered up the idea I said yes.

I figured that if this was a way to prevent him from getting his heart broken by all those sorry excuses of girlfriends he's had in the past then I guess I'll be okay with breaking mine.

He's been acting different lately though. He's been a lot touchier, asking to come over more often, going out of his way to help me with things, offering to feed me all the time and all of it is making me feel like he already knows. 

Does he know? Have I started showing already? I haven't really noticed a difference in my body yet but he looks at me naked a lot more often than I pay attention to myself naked so I mean I guess he could've noticed right? 

Only one way to find out though...

A half an hour later I hear him take out his keys and unlock my door and soon I'm greeted with a smile that tugs at my heartstrings. 

"Hi baby" he says, using that pet name he's become very fond of since this whole ordeal started. The sound of it after finding out I'm pregnant with his baby has made me a little uncomfortable though since I haven't told him yet. 

Don't get me wrong I love it when he calls me that but I can't help but think that if this goes south that he won't ever call me that again. 

Maybe the hormones have started to scramble my brain already because those uncomfortable feelings are quickly thrown away when I take in the sight of him after he shrugs off his rain coat. A simple black baggy hoodie and jeans engulf his form and the comfy sight just makes me want to curl up in bed with him and forget about everything and everyone.

Just him and I, it's always been him and I. I just don't know if this little one is going to change things. 

I place a hand on my stomach for a second as a way to gain some strength from my itty bitty baby before finally working up the courage to greet him.

"Hi" I greet him softly, walking over to where he's stopped to take off his shoes and when he looks back up at me he smiles again and kisses me. I sigh into it, savoring it for just a little bit longer and when it finally breaks he looks down at me with concern now written all over his face. 

"Are you okay?" he asks, sensing that something's off right away from the just the small change in the way I kissed him. I hesitate for a second then simply hold out my hand for him to take and he does, following behind me as I lead him over to my couch. 

Getting this over with sooner rather than later is my best option right now so there's no reason to delay. 

He needs to know, he deserves to know.

We sit there in silence, longer than he would like us to since I can tell how tense his body has gotten in a matter of minutes. "Y/n you're scaring me" he whispers, not wanting to pressure me but relaying his feelings. 

I take a couple more deep breaths before finally starting. "I need you to listen to me and I need you to please not speak until I'm finished" I say while looking down at my lap, not being able to meet his eyes. 

He murmurs a soft 'okay' and waits for me to continue, taking one of my hands and placing it in his lap. He needs some form of physical contact to keep him grounded since he's not too sure what to expect and I let him, knowing I need some reassurance too. 

Even if I don't know what his reaction is gonna be, in this moment I need it more than ever.

"I guess there's really no right way to go about saying this because this wasn't supposed to happen so I'm just gonna come out and say it..." I start off and he squeezes my hand, encouraging me to keep going. 

"I missed my period...over a month ago...and I haven't had it since then" I say and finally look up at him where he has an unsure expression. It's not one that's mad or disappointed with what I've said thus far which is a good thing but more like he's trying hard to hold himself back so he can keep that promise. 

His hold on my hand hasn't loosened, in fact it's gotten even tighter and that gives me hope that we'll work this out so I take another deep breath before continuing. 

"I tried to kid myself into thinking that it was late but when another week passed by I got nervous. I asked Sam to get me a test and it came out positive. I didn't believe it and thought it was a false positive and so to ease my mind she went a bought ten more from a bunch of different brands and...all of them came out positive" I say and he still looks at me with that same expression, waiting for me to give him the okay to speak and so I do. 

"How long have you known?" are the first words out of his mouth and although they're not negative they aren't necessarily positive either. "About a month now" I say and he nods his head, taking another second or two to formulate what he's gonna say next. 

"I'll support you no matter what you decide" he says and I let out a breath I didn't even know I had been holding in. "I wanna keep it" I say and he nods his head and smiles softly at first and then as the seconds go by it gets wider and wider making my heart beat faster. 

"Am I allowed to get excited now?" he whispers and I can't help but chuckle as tears start to prickle my eyes and give him a nod. "You're excited?" I say, my whole being slowly overcome with emotion. 

"How could I not be?" he scoffs playfully but that answer has me confused. "But Jungkook we're not together. I mean we're not in a relationship, we're just friends" I explain and there's a playful glint in his eyes after I say that that's making me even more nervous.

"You wanna know what I thought you were gonna tell me?" he offers up, slightly changing topics but I look at him in a way to urge him to continue. "I thought you were gonna break up with me" he says and I smile, "Jungkook we're not together. How could I break up with you?" I chuckle in disbelief. 

"Correction, I thought you were gonna break up with me before I even got the chance to ask you to be my girlfriend" he says with a grin and my jaw drops, the dots all connecting as to why he's been acting so different lately. "You were gonna ask me to be your girlfriend?" I utter quietly as if we were in a crowed room and I had a secret for just the two of us.

"I had actually planned on asking you tonight" he explains, walking over to where he had placed his backpack on the floor, taking out a bouquet of slightly squished flowers. "Sorry they're all beat up. I forgot and rode my bike over here so I didn't really have any other option but to put them in there" he says almost as if he was nervous, rubbing the back of his neck and it's then that I notice how pink his ears have gotten. 

He is nervous

I take them from him and smile, waiting for him to say it but he simply stands there and admires me and I can't help but laugh. "What so funny? I told you what happened to them" he utters through pouty lips which only makes me laugh more. "No, no it's not the flowers it's just that...don't you have something to say?" I ask, calming down my chuckles and when he looks at me with the same confused expression I have to try my hardest to keep the laughter at bay. 

"Do you have something you would like to ask me Jungkook" I rephrase it and after a second his lips go from a pout to the shape of an 'O' as he's figured it out. "Oh um, yeah, right. Well I um" he starts off, rubbing the back of his neck again while stuttering and trying to find the words and after struggling for a second I decide to poke fun at him again. 

"Jungkook I am literally carrying your child and you're too afraid to ask me to be your girlfriend?" I laugh, giving him a slight reality check which he scoffs at before responding. 

"I was trying to remember what I had rehearsed to say to you but now that you're being a little brat I guess you'll never get to know all the nice things I was gonna say" he retorts, his voice suddenly taking on a darker tone that sends a shiver through my body and he smirks when he sees my reaction to it. 

He cups my face and rubs his thumb along my bottom lip, making them part and he leans in as if he was going to kiss me but stops just shy of my lips. "Will you be my girlfriend?" he whispers, nudging his nose against mine and making me smile. 

"I'll have to think about that" I play coy with him which he chuckles at. "You know if you weren't pregnant right now I would have thrown you over my lap for that smart mouth" he warns and I smile before leaning in and kissing him for just a second before pulling back. 

"Yes I'll be your girlfriend" I say and nudge my nose against his as well and before I can register it my back is on the couch and his lips are pressed against mine, the kiss not rushed but full of so many words that have yet to be said and he gives in, not being able to hold it in anymore.

"I love you" he says, pulling back and looking down at me to see my expression which is completely dumbfounded to say the least. "You what?" I ask and he chuckles, "Is it really that hard to believe?" he points out and I guess now that I think about it it really isn't.

"I guess we've both been in love with each other for a while now huh?" I smile and his eyes light up at my round about confession. "Say it" he says, and I can feel my cheeks heating up. I hadn't planned on actually saying those three words to him even though I've felt them for so long but I don't want to hold them back anymore. 

"I love you" I whisper and he smiles, "Say it again" he repeats, clearly not believing it just yet. "I love you Jungkook" I say and the little switch up with attaching his name to the end darkens his gaze. "I guess there's no chance in me getting you pregnant a second time right now huh?" he asks, sliding his hand up my thigh and I giggle. 

"No I think that's pretty much impossible but the odds are never zero" I say and he rolls his eyes. "I'm trying to tell you that I wanna hit it raw" he states the obvious while rolling his eyes. "I know I know...and the answer is yes Daddy" I tease, testing to see how that word affects him now that he knows.

He tongues his cheek at that making me bite my lip, knowing that's gonna be even more of a trigger word for him from now on. "Daddy huh? Well I guess that title is a little more fitting now isn't it?" 

Taglist: @jkslipppiercing @trina864 @kaitieskidmore97 @goddesofimortality @coolbluedude @coralmusicblaze @whoa-jo @00frenchfries00 @pastelpinkjoon @joonwater (Rest of the tags will be done in the reblogs 💜)

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[fastcardotmp3]

wip wonday

i haven't done one of these in months and i'm feeling the Itch to write today so!

In a reblog (or new post w/ rules attached), post up to five (5) filenames of your WIPs; not titles, file names.

Post a snippet from one of them. Snippet must be words you wrote in the last 7 days. We’re posting progress here. If you haven’t made any, go make some and come back to post!

After you’ve posted, people can send you an ask with one of your file names. You must then write 3 sentences in that file. If the filename is one you can't share from (for example, an event fic), write 3 sentences on it anyway, and then 3 more on another to share.

That’s it! You can invite others to join in, or just post. If you tag me in your post, I will send you an ask request!

tagging! (with zero pressure and one trillion love): @cheatghost @judasofsuburbia @fragilecapric0rnn @kkpwnall @figthefruitfaeth

@gideoncharov @snowangeldotmp3 @bus-ghoul

wips:

bear au

eddie imprisonment fic

9-1-1 coma fic

kas!chrissy

snippet: (from 911 fic because it's the only thing i've worked on in the past couple weeks)

“After Doug,” she takes a breath, gathers herself, and then meets his eye like it’s the most intentional thing in the world, “After I killed him, it was like I couldn’t connect to my own body. There was all this violence, you know? Both what he did to me and what I did to him and the physical side of that felt so disconnected from me as a person.

“It was like my body wasn’t entirely my own anymore,” she admits, but she doesn’t cry and she doesn’t break and she barely even wavers there in the fading of the day’s sun as it begins the journey to cast its rays on the Moon instead. “Like I’d lost my— autonomy over it, you know what I mean?”

It’s the first time she’s stopped with the clear intent to let Eddie chime in, but he isn’t sure what to say besides the simple and honest truth. 

“Yeah,” he breathes, because as different as their circumstances are, he does get it. 

His body was in a bed for two years, which meant people had their hands on him day in and day out without him even realizing. They were moving his muscles to keep from atrophy and washing him down and cutting his hair and checking his vitals and all the while he didn’t know. He never will, not really, who did what and when. 

Even though it was all for his benefit, there’s a part of Eddie which can’t stomach the lack of control over what happened to him all that time, who can’t cope with the fact that even when he did finally wake up his body no longer felt like his own.

All his hard work towards the kind of strength you need to be a protector and a fighter? It was gone. It was stripped of him. He was starting at a base level he’d never dived deep enough to find before and he didn’t— doesn’t— feel connected to his own skin. His muscle and tissue and bone. 

Yeah, he says, and Maddie���s smile is small and understanding and melancholy and earnest.

[twistedsimmer]

Week 1: Settling In, Part 3

The next few days were busy for the group, as they gathered resources to build their future settlement.

"Hey, I found a priceless vase!"

"Ha, is that all? I found a computer, two posters and a ceramic dish already."

"Damn, nice Marf! So what'd you find, Mona?"

"Three rocks and an old bone!" :D

Of course, it wasn't all work; plenty of time was found for recreation and appreciating the beautiful scenery.

"The fishing sure is good today, isn't it Jake?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, absolutely beautiful."

"Heh. Getting distracted by a potential catch, I see."

"Mmhmm."

They eventually scraped up enough materials to upgrade the camp. It wasn't much, but more comfortable seating did wonders for morale.

"Mona, where are your clothes? You can't be walking around here naked, it's not your house."

"Aww, but why not?"

"..um.."

"She's right, Jake."

"*ahem* So uh, how's that loveseat coming?"

The group got a surprise when a truck pulled into their campsite, emblazoned with a familiar logo.

"Am I seeing things, or is that..?"

"The Littlesprings Project! My dad sent us supplies!"

"Ooh, you think they sent us some more food?"

"Or coffee! Please Watcher, let there be coffee!"

"Vincent! You're a sight for sore eyes."

"Howdy, little man. Your father sends his regards, and wants to know why you haven't checked in yet. Your first report was due a few days ago."

"Heh, um, I kinda lost the satellite phone when our van crashed. "

"How'd you manage that?"

"Long story, but it ended with a cat being thrown at my face."

"What the..?"

"Jake! They're at it again!"

"Okay, that's it, Emi. I warned you already."

"Spare me the lecture, buddy. This is between me and him."

"No, not anymore. You're making this place unsafe-"

"-and uncomfortable."

"-and as the leader of this expedition, I can't allow that."

"And what are you gonna do about it, huh? Throw me in jail or something?"

"Well shit. I didn't think he'd actually do it."

A few hours later..

"Hey, are you okay in there?"

"I've been stuck in this smelly shack for hours with barely any food and nothing to read. So no."

"Look, I'm sorry. I didn't want you to suffer. I just don't want to be punched, is all."

"Stop being an idiot and you won't be."

"I'm not- ugh, it's no use arguing with you, is it?"

"Of course not. What do you want, anyway?"

"I want to get you out of there."

"And why would you do that? You know I could just beat you up again, maybe lock you in here."

"Emi, please. I don't want to fight you. Frankly, I don't even remember why we started in the first place."

"Hmm. Now that you mention it, I don't either."

"How about we call a truce? We don't have to like each other, but we still have to work together."

"I still think you're an idiot, but sure. Can you let me out now?"

Shortly after Emi was released from the hastily built detention shack, Jake called everyone for the first official meeting.

"Alright folks, I think it's about time we put an end to this drama. We have a job to do, and having people get injured isn't going to help. Suggestions?"

"I've got one. Your boy Vincent brought us some building supplies in that truck of his, correct?"

"He did, yeah."

"Then I'd say it's a good time for each of us to strike out on our own. We'll all be out of one another's hair, and make more progress in settling the land than if we're all stuck here."

"I agree. Amayata, any progress with the scouting?"

"Yup! I've found some good potential building sites, they're already marked on the maps."

"Excellent! Any objections to this plan?"

"No, it sounds like a great idea. Definitely better than having to lock anyone up."

"Hey! The corpulent copulator and I made peace already. There's no need to throw me in that cell anymore."

"Glad to hear it. We don't want to have to build a real jail anytime soon."

"It's settled. Everyone, pick your spots on the map, and get some rest. Tomorrow, we pack up and set out."

After posing for one last group photo, the settlers grabbed their things and headed out. Jake was left by himself at the stripped down campsite, pining for Amayata worrying about his friends.

"Sigh. I hope she's safe out there..and the rest of them, too."

The blaring of a truck horn snapped him out of his thoughts, along with an impatient Vincent.

"Hey kid, you ready to head out? We're burning daylight here."

"Yeah, I am. It's time to get to work."

-> Next Chapter..

[theaceofskulls]

Oh man, I finished Halo Infinite this weekend and I've been sorting through my feelings on it.

Before going any further, I have to quickly lay out some things:

I have never really spent more than a month straight playing through Halo Multiplayer after finishing a campaign, so I don't approach these games the same way that the rest of the community does.

Ergo, I liked Halo 4. Not just more than most of the community, I genuinely like it, and I have mixed feelings on Reach because while it's objectively amazing, it threw the biggest snarl to the lore that Bungie themselves built on their way out the door, and I view that as a greater misstep than anything Halo 4 did with its lore.

Lastly, I fell off of reading the books after Kilo 5, and I never got to play Halo 5 Guardians, just absorbed it second hand. I was actually holding out hope that it would eventually get a PC port but accepted that when support was being pruned to bare bones on Infinite that the port would never happen, and finally got around to this one because a friend gifted it to me (and I was upset about Obsidian CRPG DLC prices and needed something in my library to play).

If you're here for a TL;DR I think the story of this is weak but not catastrophically bad by any measure but the gameplay is some of my favorite in the series. My main greviances with the open world are that it produces weaker gameplay moments and dead travel time that like a lot of open world games struggles with figuring out how to balance a main quest progression with its side activities, and that the main plot is painfully afraid of its own fanbase.

That said, let's break it down.

This game is boldly an attempt to realign Halo back to its roots. Its open world is nakedly based off of a lot Halo 1's outdoor levels (the daytime ones at least) and it uses the Banished faction from Halo Wars to give a reason why you're only fighting what on the surface feels like the Covenant (and some Sentinels). It also immediately sets out to push past the plotline developments of 4 and 5 to reset the status quo so that the humans are the underdogs, Spartans are rare, and the galaxy is in peril of falling at any minute. Not to mention, the story on the ring is about discovering what this installation is truly hiding, Master Chief's relationship with his AI who is newer to this, and about inspiring the scattered marine forces.

I could honestly have forgiven it trying to realign back to its roots even with how drastic we went from Cortana's robot uprising or the return of the Forerunners, if it weren't for the fact that the story is also trying hard to set up for future games in a way that won't lock them into anything like Halo 4 or Halo 5 did. The entire story is about setting up the threat of an oncoming faction that the Banished have allied with but refusing to show them, their technology, or their ideology so that they're not locked into anything just in case people don't love it.

Hell, the game has you spend the entire story alongside a new AI called The Weapon who is finally given the opportunity to come into her own towards the last seconds and name herself, only to avoid mentioning it, and again, that could be something interesting as it parallels with Master Chief being a character without a "face", but in the context of so much of this game feeling like it's attempting to avoid the hate that 4 and 5 garnered, the omission feels like another attempt to carefully craft something that avoid anything that might potentially upset the long term "fans" who haven't had a kind thing to say about 343's Halo series.

The worst part about all of this is that it's not even really bland in the end. The Weapon and Master Chief have an insanely interesting story that legitimately shocked me with what they chose to do with it. Sure a twist was obvious but the emotional weight in the moment worked so well, as did the actual decision made an hour or two beforehand (something I legitimately didn't think the characters would do and the fallout was something to behold).

Not to mention a surprise standout to me was the main villain of the story, Escharum. When I saw the teaser for this game and learned that our central antagonist was a brute who wanted one big last fight with Master Chief, after we'd seen the escalation of the previous two games and this being the 7th or so mainline entry, I didn't think I'd enjoy him as much, but they managed to work with something, even if I think too much of it involved him trapping you in a room to shout at you over VOIP compared to the scenes of him actually having intelligent decisions to try and cut you off and force you into a conflict with him while letting the others focus on the prize.

Sadly his costars on the villain side didn't really have the same presence and his boss fight is before the one that vaguely foreshadows the series' intended direction while not committing to anything, and his second in command seems like he's missing half of his story. Still, as someone that missed Halo Wars 2, this game sold me on the Banished and they did a lot of interesting things with the way enemies would bark at each other to sell that they're not just the same covenant even if they started out there.

I do need to praise the actual fights as that's always been Halo's strong suit and because it is so nice to have enemies that are fun to face, but also settle back into roles in shooter games with easily identifiable silhouettes and color schemes. I'm actually afraid of the next FPS I play forcing me back into the same humanoid enemies but with different guns who all act the same way after Infinite's Banished.

I also want to state that it did subtle changes to certain enemy roles. Elite grunts immediately change up the little guys and can ruin your day if you're not prepared for them having shields. Elites now moving faster than most Brutes, utilizing cover to make shield damage less certain against you, and having different driving AI than Grunts or Brutes that makes them cagier opponents really separates them out from the other enemies and makes them feel more in line with the Spartans. And of course the flying bug enemies that got added to the roster now feel like an interesting foe to fight since they aren't just a horde threat.

Not to mention this game actually managed to have suitable bossfights, even if they're still not the strongsuit of this game. Sadly, it lacks anything like Scarabs which are "sort of boss fights" where the arena is as much the puzzle, though it does have quite a few moments where I entered a combat arena with an extremely lopsided matchup and was told to quickly figure out a way to not die using the powers it gave me.

And speaking of those powers, they really do feel perfect. The grappling hook is my absolute favorite, allowing me to move around the world and the fights in new ways, useful as a weapon with its stun ability, and the ability to just grab guns or explosives to throw was something that never got old (also using it to hijack enemy vehicles). That said, I did die a few times to getting locked into a grapple I shouldn't have made during a fight, as it notably lacks invulnerability frames on a movement ability and you can quickly find yourself speading towards a lot of enemy fire.

Over the course of the game you manage to pick up an enemy tracker pulse orb, a deployable energy shield, and a jet booster, and I feel like the latter two only really feel as good as the grapple after you upgrade them (yep, the open world means you need to upgrade your powers, though it thankfully avoids any RPG-lite mechanics with numbers) while the former feels like it exists because of the frankly heavy nerfs to your motion tracker that makes it near useless.

Its main role I found was to figure out when enemies were behind cover as they really loved the strategy of pretending to be dead and shooting me in the back, with a secondary feature of telling me where a cloaked elite was. That latter feature was something that I'd only really find out I needed to do after I already died once, as even in firefights with Gold and White Elites who would throw up a peace sign and disappear after taking some damage, the game really loved to drop some Elite commandos down after a long period in which you'd forget about them which could easily two shot you, with only a few breaths between them suddenly appearing and the second swing. Thankfully the former role was actually more intuitive than that, so the power saw a lot of use once I actually played it.

Meanwhile the cover was something I routinely forgot about as even in arenas where I entered completely exposed, my go to was to immediately scamper like a cockroach using either the grapple or the boost to the nearest cover. And while the boost was never my immediate go-to at first, the invisibility upgrade you got did eventually force the grapple away from being my panic button.

The four powers together did actually manage to produce this fluid gameplay that really came together in the main story quests where you were being born down on by hordes of enemies and the shorter ammo stocks for individual guns meant constant experimentation and made for this dance where you'd be throwing explosives, blast through a shield with plasma, grapple a shotgun to your hand to finish off the enemy, swap to a precision gun to nail three grunts nearby, boost away from turret fire as you threw a grenade at its feet, grapple up to rain fire down before catching your breath for a second as you landed behind a locker and selected your next gun and reentered the fight. It's absolute magic when it happens, and the game balances its 5 ammo types that it divides its guns into so well and forces you to engage with it in interesting ways.

Sadly, the open world revolves a lot around getting the drop on enemies, often with the best guns that you can unlock by killing slightly powered up enemies in the open world, and it feels very cheesy. I feel like the main story quest often felt like performing these dances, followed by corridors of pure power fantasy, then these tense lopsided encounters that had me scurrying around for safety and some advantage, while the open world felt like moments in Dark Souls where I'd pull out a bow to clear out a bridge in the distance because doing it "correctly" was risky while this was boring but safe.

I also feel like it's worth mentioning one incredibly weird thing for me as a longterm Halo fan: Energy weapons now refill by grabbing another one, just like every other gun. It's... objectively better but the first time you realize this it feels violating. Their central mechanic that actually made gameplay worse is gone, but also it was their thing. The end result is that plasma weapons are actually really fun and effective (not you needler, you're still paying for the sins of Halo 2), but their identity feels weaker.

One last gameplay complaint, the game has an incredibly long load time to start out (I actually also had an issue where I had to remove my Xbox Live profile off my computer and resign in for it to let me in, and that was not fun as it wasn't as easy as signing in and out but rather deleting files manually), and that loads you into the multiplayer menu. You then have a second 10-30 second long load to the campaign menu and then a third loading screen to get into the game.

This is kind of horrible for a "I just want to knock out some side objectives in the hour I've got for the night" kind of game because of it, coupled with the fact that if you decide to try walking somewhere because it looks like a pain to drive, you're going to feel like there's a lot of dead time (or even cloned encounters when there's an enemy spawn just a little bit away from your fast travel point). It thankfully isn't so bloated that this ruins the experience for me, but it mean I only tried to play when I felt like I'd get enough playtime in during a single session.

Lastly, to finish up, I want to return to the story. This is a story told in reverse in every aspect. You arrive on the ring and have to figure out what happened to the UNSC, the banished, and the typical forerunner "why did we do this" from audio logs, and the story is about piecing together the final battle with Cortana and the supposedly dead former leader of the Banished rather than playing through the events that Halo 5 promised. It results in a lot less spectacle for the central plot even if the gameplay of you foiling the current Banished plans is amazing. It also means that all the deeply developed characters outside of Master Chief, The Pilot, The Weapon, and Escharum are off-screen and we never see them or the events they play through. It makes the game feel weirdly budgeted and lacks the presence of the previous games.

Hell, the Pilot, who is supposed to be the central human character of the plot is revealed to have all of his story already told and he only has a few moments to shine via his dramatic rescues. He ends up being the character I cared the least about, even with the flat villain characters surrounding Escharum because the game wanted to hinge a lot of emotional weight around him but didn't give him the stage to do so.

On the flipside, Weapon is singlehandedly carrying this game on her tiny back. The contrast between her and Cortana, and therefor also her and the tired and world weary Master Chief is like night and day, and her story is advanced in real time as she reacts to other characters' decisions and the information that's uncovered by this in media res plotline. Like Escharum, I entered with lower expectations and was blown away by what I walked away with.

It's a very odd game for me in the end as I care so much about Halo's story and while this one doesn't end up having a bad one and has honestly two of my favorite moments of the series and the new status quo is honestly a good foundation, the story is just... there. Even ODST gave me a little more solid stuff to work with during its end, and it's hard to see me wanting to dig this one out to replay it outside of wanting more of its gameplay or a series replay.

In its attempt to reorient itself and prune away anything that 343 haters wouldn't like, it ended up lacking a solid story of its own as much as a collection of good plot elements and a bunch of other ones that aren't offensive.

I can't say I hated it and I definitely had a lot of fun with it to the point that if you have been holding out on this one for some reason, I'd say that you do need to give it a chance, but I also can't champion it as a hidden gem that wasn't given the shot it should've been given.

I'm upset that it sounds like the series is on ice with this as the stopping point, as while the cliffhanger it ended on wasn't as painful as it could've been, it's also not enticing enough on purpose to justify championing for its sequel, even if said sequel is in a good place to be built upon.

In short, forfeit all mortal possessions to The Weapon a great gameplay loop when it's not in the open world that it touted as its central feature, a story that's mostly a vehicle for a few fantastic character moments that takes a long time to explain the somewhat annoying premise of why we're moving the status quo back, and I really wish that 343 had finally stuck themselves forward and said "we know that this won't be for everyone but this is our vision".1

[wizard-of-interesting-failure]

You try, but the implications are making your head spin. Somehow the worst of it is that she's speaking English; the anachronism offends your professional sensibilities on top of being impossible like everything else. You'd barely gotten used to the visions in the first place, and now this...

"First, since I know it will distract you otherwise: no, she doesn't understand what she's saying. This is a ritual recitation she has repeated hundreds of times until she can replicate it flawlessly under almost any conditions."

Great. One question answered, about a million more raised.

"You knew there was magic, Hector Smith, from the first time you touched a bone and a living memory sprang forth. Do you remember that bone, Hector?"

You do, but it was nothing special; a shieldmaiden slain in battle with-

"No, not that one. The one before it."

There wasn't one before it! There was the thing that started this whole mess, but that wasn't a bone...was it?

"It was. It was a shard of bone that once belonged to a god. Me, to be precise."

Once again: one question answered, about a million more raised.

"No, I'm not reading your mind. Your face is remarkably expressive and I am well-versed in the art of cold reading. It is a vital skill for oracles and fortune-tellers of all kinds."

"Besides, this isn't a linear conversation. I created the script my follower faithfully recites by watching you in the future and sculpting it to fit the gaps."

You are beginning to notice a pattern regarding the rate of questions being answered and new questions being raised. Mild irritation seeps in, but it does little to quell the overpowering curiosity.

"I will try to make this quick. Yes, there were gods. No, there are no longer. As you can probably guess from finding a piece of my skeleton, I am dead. So are the rest of us. We were murdered. I saw it happen in my future; your past. I want revenge. You will help me get it, and then you will be provided with the many, many answers you now seek. You will not find these answers anywhere else. I would ask if we have a deal, but you are on the correct path now. Good luck will not be necessary. Until my next missive."

The oracle pauses long enough for your thoughts to circle back to where they started: how does this...god, apparently, know English?

Wait. If you're being watched right now...

Your voice cracks a little; it's dry, you haven't spoken in a while, and you feel somewhat silly speaking to the empty earth around you. "How can you speak my language?"

"I can see the future, remember? I have studied visions of your people for centuries. You get one more free question; everything else will have to wait until you've made some progress."

You think for a moment, pulse pounding in your ears. The stakes seem impossibly high. You could ask about anything, couldn't you? She said she could see the future, or the thing speaking through her could, or...

...you take in the oracle properly for the first time. Her breath comes shallowly now, but she stays seated in the same position she started in. Her eyes (and yours) are fixed unwaveringly in front of her, but you can see her hands on the table.

She's dying. Must be, for you to be having this vision. She's young. She's too young.

She reminds you of your daughter.

"Why was it worth the life of this woman, to speak to me of revenge?". Great, now you're getting swept up in the grandiosity of the language she's using.

She hesitates. It's a performance, you are beginning to understand, a part written for her by something beyond the understanding of either of you. Still the pause smacks of something like contrition, though you aren't sure whether to believe it.

"Two reasons, Hector Smith. First: her death was inevitable either way. She has what I understand from your time to be failing kidneys; we have no treatment for this, and barely any understanding. My influence is...limited, for reasons and in ways you will learn further along your path. Certainly I cannot change the reality of her condition. She had days, a week or two at most."

You frown, realising you have no way to trust this thing. You look at her hands again. You expect shaking, or clenching in pain, but they are slack. Her whole body is slack. She barely breathes, and her speech has fallen to a hoarse whisper from the carefully crafted performance projection it began as. Your daughter is a frequent public speaker. You imagine her skill, hard-earned over years of practice, being taken from her like this. You imagine her life being taken shortly after. The oracle's vision begins to waver.

Your hands clench into fists, the way hers no longer can.

"You can believe me or not. You are on the correct path regardless. The second reason: the thing that killed us still lives. If it can slay the gods, what do you think it could do to you?"

Your eyes widen at the implication. The oracle's vision goes black; she can't feel her extremities any more, and she begins to collapse to the side as her muscles weaken. You don't...want to see this. You've seen death, so much death, but this feels too intimate. Too close to home.

A thought strikes you.

"Her name! What's the name of this person you've sacrificed to tell me this!"

She doesn't respond. She feels cold. Her head rests against a pillow as her body fails to support her weight. Her breathing slows even further, then stops. The vision, though sightless, persists for another minute in total sensory deprivation; there is usually sound, still, at the end, but the room was utterly silent.

You carefully store the bone; you will need to replay the vision many times to extract every possible piece of information from it.

The prospect fills you with a level of dread not even the few torture victims you inadvertently touched could manage.

You’ve always had the gift; touching the dead you live their last moments through their eyes. As a paleontologist, it helped you recreate scenes from by-gone eras in astonishing detail. However, this time, you wish you hadn’t touched the fossil.

[kusunokihime-a]

OKAY rant part two time for @littlelilypetal – this time about the more general plot of Arc Three because...reasons.

Also small disclaimer AGAIN for anyone else who pops in here, curious: this is from a fic written from a verse I wrote with two friends LONG before I joined Tumblr. It was written over literally hundreds of pages (I have the threads saved don’t try me boi, and the fic itself is 300,000 words and counting), and it’s very dear to me. It’s nothing that has to happen here, but it’s still a thing, and any whining about OC x Canon pairings will be met with fingers in my ears going lalala can’t hear you.

SO. Small disclaimer: this first part here is still a bit of a WIP, as my original draft had a plot hole in it. This is my attempt at fixing it xD

Arc three starts technically before the end of Shippuden, aka before Sasuke leaves. Ryū ends up going with him to raid Obito's old lab to make sure all the Uchiha bodies and parts are properly disposed of or buried. Among them is Itachi's body.

Now, Ryū at this point already has Itachi's permission to resurrect him (as noted in the other rant lol - he’s gotta come back and clean up his mess, and take care of his kids), she just doesn't have the means how, as she's lacking his body. And, of course, the body he had was ravaged by illness and worn out, let alone missing its eyes. So, while clearing the lab, she takes a DNA sample without Sasuke's knowledge, and then proceeds to help him clean up. She hasn't told Sasuke her plans yet, as she's still not 100% sure it will work.

As a test, she uses her soul retrieval technique on Neji, managing to retrieve his soul and replace it into his healed corpse. Knowing she can get it to work, she moves forward.

(Quick note about that technique: it's HELLA dangerous. Basically, a person uses a very thin connection to their body, and goes into the void to take ONE soul at a time. BUT, the longer a soul has been departed from the mortal plane, the further away it is – so she can't just take anyone who's died like a hundred years ago. Her limit is like...a few months, at best. But the void constantly eats at her chakra, and if she stays too long, she'll just...die. So it's a powerful technique, but EXTREMELY risky and limited. Hopefully it seems balanced that way ='D)

So, Sasuke then leaves a few months later, and she begins her work. At this point she’s still working in the hospital, focusing on surgeries to give her more time at home with the twins, who are about 8 months at this point. But, after her shifts, she sneaks to the basement of the hospital (aka the morgue), where there are cryogenic pods for storing bodies. They're almost always unused, and it's there she pours every spare ounce of chakra she has into regrowing an entirely new body for Itachi. It takes her months, and she nearly kills herself doing it, using up too much energy, but eventually she finishes it.

After her collapse, Tsunade confronts her, and she has no choice but to reveal her plans. Of course, Tsunade FLIPS her table, because one: that's hella dangerous, and two: how is this going to work? A few select people know the truth behind Itachi, but there's a few issues with him being revived. One is that he's still guilty in most eyes. And even if they break the truth behind the massacre, that's highly dangerous. The administration of Konoha – the Hokage and the elders – WIPED OUT an entire clan due to dissent. If the other clans learned of this, it would surely break the village apart.

Ryū announces she has a plan. Due to her connections with Sasuke as his guardian/sibling figure, she's also bumped into most of the Konoha Twelve during her years in Konoha. Most of which are heirs or at least high-ranking members of large clans. She plans to speak to them first, as they're likely the most receptive after everything they faced in the war, and knowing Sasuke's loss as his friends and comrades. By securing their agreement to help with the issue, she hopes to avoid a total meltdown.

She also has a few favors owed to her by the Hyūga, who are arguably the most powerful clan now that the Uchiha are “gone”. One for attempting to protect Hinata during Pain's invasion (I didn't elaborate on that in the other rant, but if I wrote the whole thing out we'd be here for DAYS lol), and then of course reviving Neji. She plans to rely heavily on them and her friendship with Hinata to help keep the other clans in line, by talking to her and Neji first. Hopefully, that way, the Hyūga - already knowing the plan - can lead by example by being calm, and hopefully help the other clans keep from flipping tables.

Unfortunately, Tsunade lets the plan slip to Sakura...who then tattles to Sasuke. She confronts Ryū about it, asking why she wouldn't tell him, and Ryū argues that she didn't want to get his hopes up if it failed. But, Sasuke shows up anyway, and agrees to stay and help with the plan to break the news about the coup and the massacre.

With Tsunade and Sakura's help, Ryū performs her technique, their Byakugō helping bolster her chakra alongside her sage state. Normally, Itachi would have been dead far too long. But thanks to Edo Tensei, the “distance” has sort have been...reset. It wipes her out, but she manages it, and returns the soul to his rebuilt body!

Of course, one thing they have to deal with is getting Itachi mobile. The body is basically the same as a newborn's – it has NO muscle strength, so he ends up needing months of physical therapy to get up and moving. And until he's fit (and able to defend himself, as there's fears he'll be attacked), they work with the young heirs of Sasuke's generation to move their plans forward. Ryū has a meeting with the Konoha Twelve and explains everything, and of course they all agree to help.

Once Itachi is ready, the elders are called into a meeting with Tsunade...only to find themselves surrounded by the leaders and heirs of all the major clans. They reveal that they know the truth, that Itachi has returned, and if they refuse to admit to it, they can Edo Tensei summon Hiruzen to confirm their story. Basically backed into a corner, the elders are forced to step down, where they can't bring about anything else like the massacre.

The last thing that remains is Itachi's official pardon. Tsunade decides to use Kakashi's coronation as a platform, as everyone will be gathered anyway. He explains the truth behind the massacre, and official pardons Itachi. But there are some in the crowds that look...less than happy about it.

So, from there, the general premise is how the Uchiha have to get back on their feet – forming an alliance with the Hyūga, and doing their best to settle into Konoha again.

But it doesn't end there :3c

One day, while Itachi is speaking to Kakashi about rejoining the shinobi force, Ryū senses an intruder in the compound, walking up the Naka river. She runs out to confront them...only to realize that it's SHISUI.

(which is actually the Shisui from my sideblog lolol)

BASICALLY...I think it's bull that Shisui leapt into a RIVER to dispose of his body...like...really? There's a HUGE chance it would have washed up on shore and been found by gods know who. SO, MY Shisui instead went into hiding – the only way he could know his body was safe was to keep it alive, but have everyone THINK it was dead. Even Itachi. Of course, he PLANNED to die later, but couldn't be 100% sure it would be safe. So instead (super short summary), he lived in a cave along the Naka for about ten years and learned echolocation via chakra from bats (think Toph from ATLA, only with chakra lol)

So...suddenly, Shisui is alive. Ryū is ecstatic, of course...but Itachi is PISSED. Because...had he known Shisui was still alive, he might have kept trying. He might not have had to kill the clan. A LOT could have been different. So...it takes time for him to come around, due to the guilt he feels about the massacre, and now knowing there was a chance it could have been avoided. But in reality...not really.

So now we suddenly have five blood Uchiha rather than three: Itachi, Shisui, Sasuke, and the twins. It's obviously nowhere near the clan it was before, but it's more than it was!

And this is where things start to go to shit, lol

So, remember those people, unhappy about Itachi's return? Well...there's a rather volatile group who feel the same way. See, some of the old Root members, led by Danzō, still harbor a LOT of resentment, and are still loyal to his memory. Among them is Okano Sumire, a woman obsessed with Danzō, who was a high ranking officer under his regime. She's been plotting revenge against Sasuke already for “killing” Danzō (though he technically committed suicide), and now she's got a whole lot more to be pissed about. With the massacre's truth revealed, Danzō's name is now just...dragged through the mud. And with the revelation of Itachi, she now also knows that the twins are blood Uchiha.

So, she regathers the scattered remnants of Root who are still loyal to Danzō, becomes their new leader, and basically begins plotting to wipe out the Uchiha for GOOD, as she feels they are all guilty for Danzō’s death and subsequent dishonor.

This causes the family problems all throughout Arc Three. It starts small – threats left on their doorstep, people jeering at them in public, etc. Though it's partially helped by the Hyūga, who – as the Uchiha's allies thanks to Ryū's work with them – do all they can to help bolster the tiny clan's reputation. But Sumire begins spreading dissent into the village with rumors and lies, and eventually things starting getting dangerous, including Ryū and the twins being attacked in broad daylight. She manages to hold them off with barriers, but she's obviously pretty freaked out after being attacked in the middle of the street with her KIDS with her.

So that's like...the main conflict, alongside the twins' conflict with each other. They end up on a team with Mirai, as I mentioned, with Shisui as their team leader. They later enter ANBU when able, and do their best to counteract Root. The rest of the story is basically them trying to wipe out Root before Root wipes THEM out. Of course they don’t face it alone, but it’s also pretty much THEIR problem.

And, uh...there's a rather volatile event just before the actual epilogue where it's Ryū who confronts Sumire...and someone gets killed.

But I won't spoil that :3c

ANYWAY. So yeah. That's the basic conflict (well, conflictS) of Arc Three. I had to kinda change things a wee bit after chapter 700 and Boruto became a thing, but...it's mostly unchanged. Just gotta account for other kiddos, like Sarada. Otherwise, I’m completely ignoring the PLOT of Boruto, and just sticking the pairings/kids in it to keep close-ish to canon.

But uh..yeah! Second rant, finished xD

[anantaru]

TURN AROUND FOR ME PRETTY

— ꒰ synopsis ꒱ — what happened as a way to show you his recording studio, soon followed into something else. (modern au! + rockstar dckz au!)

— ꒰ word count ꒱ — 1.1k

— ꒰ warnings ꒱ — [ns]fw, fem! reader

diluc was slowly but surely getting tired. He’s been in the recording studio all day, haven't had much of a break either, not to mention that his hands began to strain heavily against his bones.

the music swirled atmospherically through the room, with soaring guitars and some solid basslines, combined with cleverly programmed drums and effortless sounding vocals. He loved his job but sometimes he just needed to get some time to rest, or at least unwind.

It's been hours since the recording session ended, the band members saying their goodbyes and parting ways to get much needed and -of course- much deserved rest. Though diluc decided to stay another fifteen minutes in the studio tonight, finding it necessary to listen to his progress from today.

luckily to him, he knew who he could call -for literally anything- when he needed something. It didn't take you long to come by, opening the door and slowly closing it behind your figure once you spotted him sit on one of the chairs, scrolling through his phone.

he noticed you by the soft creaking noises of the entrance door, a small grin prancing sexily over his features once he motioned you to walk over, eyeing you up and down.

you were feeling naked, -if you were being honest- his gaze would always leave a great impression on you, it didn't take him lots of effort to look intimidating to you.

diluc slowly traced his lips with his tongue once you stood in front of him, standing up to greet you in a rather tight hug, "Hello, love." he whispered while smirking, face buried deep into your neck with your addicting scent filling his nostrils.

"I missed you all day." he was way too good at this, he knew what to say and which buttons to push to get you riled up and ready for him, doesn't matter if he actually meant what he was saying right now, most likely not though. The haze of desire was already taking over your mind as you responded with an 'I missed you too' to make the man -who was looking down on you almost judgmentally- , pleased with your response.

"hmm." he just hummed over your reply, slowly closing the distance between your faces to kiss your burning lips with his own.

the kiss was more teeth than anything at first, you could certainly feel he was deprived from any human touch for a while. His fingernails grazing through your skull once he pulled you closer, desire growing with every flick of his tongue, almost devouring you whole.

diluc wasn't exactly sure what made him so needy for you today, maybe because he was sleepy and overall exhausted, but he wasn't able to ignore the tingling feeling of his straining cock against his pants anymore. A low groan slipped from deep inside his chest once he turned you over in a swift motion, resulting in you laying with your back faced to him right on top of the recording table.

You could feel his warm breath coat the shell of your ear, he was so close to you right now, "is this alright?" although diluc was egoistical at times, he would never touch you without you consenting to it properly, no matter how deprived or horny he was.

"yes." you whined out faintly, pushing your behind back so you could feel his hard cock poke against the soft flesh of your ass, signaling him on just how hot and bothered you were right now. A low chuckle from deep inside his throat was bouncing off the walls as he slowly hooked his fingers into your waistband to pull your pants down with a single movement, leaving you bare for his eyes to feast on.

before diluc continued what he had started, he at first, unbuckled his belt to finally release his aching cock from his pants. The tip fading an angry shade of red in combination with the pulsating veins that were decorating his girth downright erotically.

he raised his torso up again, unfastening the buttons of his shirt. You turned your head to the side to look back at him, your hungry eyes exposed to his toned mid section. As mentioned before, he knew what to do to get you riled up, smirking to himself and being aware on how much you loved seeing his body bare while he's mercilessly fucking into your cunt.

diluc lined himself up, flicking his hard cock over your glistering folds for good measure before plunging carefully inside of you -inch by inch- testing the waters on how prepared you were for him tonight.

you were so sensitive tonight, trembling as you felt his girth stretch you painfully slow, his veins grazing over your sweet spots and not to mention the way his cock was fitting perfectly inside of you, almost as if he was made solely for you. You lifted your ass up a bit more, forced by the strong hold of dilucs hands that were keeping you down on the table.

he pulled himself out but left his tip in, one of his hands grabbing behind your head to push your face down further, his dominance making you gush against his throbbing member as your slick already throbbed out of your hole, staining the inner sides of your thighs. He gritted his teeth before getting sucked back into your pussy, going for slow but deep thrusts and setting a steady base.

you were barely holding out against his hold, desperately grabbing onto whatever you could find to keep your balance as diluc continuously thrusted into you, his heavy balls smacking against the flesh of your ass. If it wasn't for you being entirely fucked out already, you'd be slightly embarrassed of the lewd noises that were echoing through the room.

"fuck." you hiccuped, completely relishing the feeling of his girth stretching you out so fucking nicely. Diluc thought he was dreaming right now, truth is: he's been hard all day and not to mention deprived.

thank, that his good little girl would always aid him whenever he needed it. You muffled another loud cry with your hands as his pace became faster, hiking up his fingers to rub against your sensitive clit and matching his thrusts expertly. It took only a couple more of his heavy thrusts before you climaxed all over his throbbing cock, your hole fluttering against his girth as he continued to fuck you through your orgasm, finally cumming hard himself and filling you up entirely, collapsing right on top of you.

the both of you savored your climax for a while, sweat covered bodies sticking to each other as you felt both your juices and his cum drool down your legs, staining and splotching the floor you were standing on. Diluc's heart was heavy against his chest, his warm breath coating your neck and biting down on it teasingly with a big ass smirk on his face.

ꗃꠂꠥ DCKZ rockstar! au series.

do not! share, copy or repost my work. ✎ ©ANANTARU 2022

[cherrybombfangirlwrites]

happy story teller saturday,!

What would you say defines your writing style? Think about sentence structure, syntax, tense, perspective, tone, and genre! 

Is there anyone whose style you admire? Or that is similar to your own?

Is your style developed or a work in progress? What has helped you develop your writing style so far?

If you’d like, add a line or paragraph that you think displays your style/writing nicely :D

[@rodentwrites]

Happy STS!

What would you say defines your writing style? Think about sentence structure, syntax, tense, perspective, tone, and genre! 

I think my writing style could be defined as: deceptively funny with silly chaotic shenanigans but really deep and kinda dark undertones can be found if you think about it for more than five seconds

Is there anyone whose style you admire? Or that is similar to your own?

I have to authors who I both admire and who's writing styles are similar to mine; Cressida Cowell (HTTYD books) and Chris Colfer (Land of Stories books). Their book series got me through late elementary and all of middle school istg, and I still love those books very much, I own all of them and they're sitting on my bookshelf right now.

Is your style developed or a work in progress? What has helped you develop your writing style so far?

Kind of both? Like it's mostly developed thanks to all the practice I've done with fanfiction, i just haven't had much original writing practice with it, and there's still a few little knots i need to work out (like describing things too much when i don't need to describe it and it slows the pace down in a fight scene-)

If you’d like, add a line or paragraph that you think displays your style/writing nicely :D

Well, we have all of the snippets I've shared for FSF so far (under the #amwriting #snippet or #wip: fractured stars falling blog tags), but I also have this little bit I want to share. It's basically describing the underworld and includes some of Sapphire's thoughts as she arrives after falling under the sleeping curse. Not to toot my own horn, but this is so damn good and I'm so fucking proud of this whole thing good job me. TW for some spooky and creepy stuff like demons cuz it's the underworld:

It was boiling hot, hotter than any mortal could survive. The ground under her was red dirt, rough, cracked, and dry as a bone. Grunting, the young woman sat up, head pounding and ears ringing. She finally opened her eyes fully, and the environment around her came into focus.

Overhead, dark red stalactites took the space where the sky should’ve been. Orange and yellow light, like fire, came from somewhere to her right. Dead trees and plants surrounded her, their dry, lifeless limbs reaching out to grab her. The air was hot and suffocating, and everything smelled like smoke and something rotten burning. She was standing on the edge of a slope- at the bottom of which was more dead things and cracked red ground. To her right, she could see the dark shadow of a castle- with high walls, sharp and thin towers, and a menacing glow.

The young woman slowly got up, and brushed herself off. She noticed that her dress, a pink one made of silk with gold embroidery, once elegantly simple- was now tattered and tarnished. Her long red hair was falling out of a braid, a thin leather strip just barely hanging on to keep her hair together. There were brown leather boots on her feet, old and worn but sturdy. Her hands were smudged with dirt, and on the tip of her index finger, she could see a tiny white dot, the size of a needle point.

It was all overwhelming and honestly terrifying.

The young woman took a cautious step towards the edge, trying to get a better look at the ground below.

One of the tree branches, it looked like a crooked and gnarled hand, darted out and grabbed her arm in an iron grip.

The young woman yelled, snapping the branch off its tree and backing away as the branch gripped her arm tighter. She grabbed it, pulling and tearing, causing the branch to snap off with a shower of splinters.

Then another branch grabbed her shoulder. Another her ankle. Another her other arm. A horrified cry escaped her as she backed away, trying to escape the trees and get the branches off.

With a little force, all of the branches snapped off and shattered into dozens of splinters. She had finally gotten the last one off when she collided with a huge something behind her. The collision sent her face first into the dirt.

Growling with frustration, the young woman rolled over onto her back and shouted, “Hey watch it you-” Her anger quickly disappeared as she stared into the face of a demon.

She’d heard of demons before, sure. They were kids stories that parents told their children to make them behave and go to sleep at night. Otherwise, people talked of them with fear because everyone knew that the Under was terrifying and horrid.

The demon was just as described in the stories however. Skin red as blood, dark curved horns protruding out of his head, black armor with spikes, a tall sword so sharp it could cut a solid rock, and dark eyes that showed no mercy.

“Get in line, mortal,” the demon hissed, grabbing her arm and yanking her to her feet. Behind him, a line of people was slowly moving, all of them looking similar to the young woman- torn clothes, covered in dirt, and with confused and or terrified looks on their faces. Evenly spaced out to the side of the demon, more of them stood guard, leading mortal souls into line.

The Under. That’s where she was.

Dead trees and the cave-like ceiling should’ve given that away, but she was so disoriented she hadn’t fully realized until now.

The young woman hesitantly got into line, playing with her loose braid to help her mind process. The line ahead of her looked like it went on for miles until it was too small to see anymore. All along the way demons stood guard to keep people in line and direct them to the start, evenly spaced out with their weapons half drawn.

The line was painstakingly slow, and a lot of dull, hot hours in the red and orange light. It didn’t take long for her feet to start hurting and everything else dully ached. 

She was thirsty too, so thirsty. According to the stories, the thirst couldn’t kill her- she was already dead- but she would feel the effects and it would likely slow her down.

That was the entire point of the underworld- you can’t die but you’ll wish that you could again just to stop the pain.

She wasn't sure how much time passed before she finally reached the end of the line, but it felt like days. The line split into five others before five desks. At each desk, a feminine demon sat with a long and wide scroll, a feather, and a pot of ink.

“State your full name please,” the demon said, her voice completely monotone and she sounded slightly annoyed.

The young woman blinked, trying to recall. What was her name? Her mind just drew a blank no matter what she did. “Um… I- I don’t-” She pressed her temple in an attempt to get rid of the pounding headache. It felt like a blacksmith was pounding her head with their hammer, and her head was going to split in two. “I- I don’t-.... I can’t-” Her mouth was dry and her throat was thick with the hot, muggy air. 

“I can’t remember…” She finally got out.

The demon called to her friend, “Babes, I got another one!” She turned back to the young woman, “The mortal world fog must not have lifted quite yet, it happens. If you can’t remember your full name, just give me part of it and I should be able to find it on my list here.”

The young woman closed her eyes, trying to remember even just a name. The only thing that came to mind was images- Hands, the brown skin calloused and rough, but the hands themselves gentle. Hair, dark as a raven’s feathers, but soft and wavy. And a rare and small, but gentle smile.

One name did come to mind- Raven.

But she knew that wasn’t her name, no, that name belonged to the gentle hands, wavy dark hair, and oh so rare smile.

Her name was…. She could remember him- Raven- calling her name, but it was foggy.

Finally, a name that she recognized as her own came to her.

��Sapphire. My name is Sapphire.”

The demon looked at her scroll, which was filled with names down one side and cause of death filled out for some of the names on the other. “Princess Sapphire Rose? The first of House Hendrix?”

Sapphire let out a small sigh of relief, the name she recognized as hers. “Yes. That’s me.”

The demon used her quill to check off the name, and asked, “And how did you die?”

Again, Sapphire’s mind drew a blank. It was so hot she couldn’t even focus on trying to remember. “I-... I can’t-....”

“If you can’t remember just give it a minute, it’ll come to you. Takes a while for that fog from the mortal world to wear off sometimes,” the demon told her, leaning back in her chair. “What’s the last thing you remember? That usually tips off how it happened.”

Sapphire closed her eyes, trying to recall the last thing that had happened. The only thing she could recall before ending up here was Raven holding her, calling her name, and desperately trying to shake her awake-

Awake. She’d been asleep, she was-

Sleeping curse.

She wasn’t dead.

Or wasn’t supposed to be anyway.

*

Thanks @rodentwrites !

[job-the-prosperous]

yeah after you go through the second floor of the Depths all the monsters hit harder :( you'll have to be twice as careful!

Been getting along well enough for now but I haven't seen a single boss from this floor yet. No idea what to expect of them. It would sure be nice if its all the same bosses... doubt it though. Maybe it won't be so bad? Either way the boss room is pretty close by, might as well try.

(story progression undercut)

The skull decorated door was only a few rooms away from where he was. His heart thumbed in his chest furiously. It had been awhile since he had been in a new environment. At first he thought that the changed would bring more vigor to his life. As it turns out the exact opposite was true. Job peered into the boss room. More of the same flesh walls he'd been walking around in for what felt like ages. Nervously, he stepped in and the door slammed shut behind him.

What he saw inside was nothing he had ever seen before. A large, gelatinous figure with legs and arms that must of been too deformed to move with. It simply sat at the back of the room and stared him down.

Couldn't be to difficult. Don't have to worry about dodging its own movements. The floating eyes may be of concern though.

The staring contest lasted for a few agonizing moments. Eventually the monster had started to shake. It's eye sockets growing larger while it uselessly flailed its "arms and legs" around.

In a mere second a huge brimstone beam blasted from the creature's face, nailing Job. He was flung to the wall only to be hit by yet another beam when trying to roll away from the first. He got out of the boss's line of sight as yet another beam was fired. There was barely any time to even predict when they would fire another. At first he tired to focus his attack on the eyes that where slowly bouncing around the room. They weren't phased by any of his tears. Must of been immune to his attacks.

His focus returned to the boss, firing as many tears as he could to charge up his own revelations beam. Now that Job was not in it's immediate line of sight it was no longer using brimstone. The ring of tears they shot out where much easier to avoid with the occasional help of his meat cube and blocking tears. The damage output Job was dealing was slow but notable. The eyes had been attempting to coral Job back in front of the boss, but Job's flight made them trivial matters.

Once his revelation beam was ready, he flew over to the monster's right side and released the stored light. As soon as Job went over, the monster fired its own brimstone which pushed Job back into the wall. Thankfully for Job, his attack had sliced through the blood shot and landed its mark. The boss was slowing down, it had of been close to dying. Job was prepared to fire the finishing tears but was caught off guard by the boss jumping high into the air. It landed directly onto of Job's right wing. Pinning it to the ground underneath its massive weight. Job struggled to free himself as the creep the monster spawned burned his crushed wing. He was to close to the monster for the brimstone to be aimed at him, which was the only upside to his predicament.

He felt an agonizing sting throughout his body as his last bone heart was shattered. In a final act of desperation he continuously fired tears at the monster, praying it would die soon. His arms grew tired only barely being held up with his running adrenaline. A pained feeling rose in his chest as reality set in. Job mentally braced himself to forget this all and wake up on the first floor, the monster toppled over and finally let go. He had completely looked over his small meat cube friend, who had been ramming into the boss to deal just enough damage to kill it.

Job laid on the ground for a bit, amazed he had gotten out of that alive. Earning a loving nuzzle from his companion. The familiar warmth of white light washed over him, an angel room laid before him. What a miracle this fight was. Touching his right wing sent shivers up his spine. It was still mangled and singed from the fight. He got himself off the ground with a bit of stumbling. The reward for his troubles was the midnight snack. He scarfed the moldy bread down. Not his best idea, nearly throwing up what he had eaten. But he kept it down, filling up the little health he had.

The angel room was warm and inviting. He paid no mind to the item pedestal in front of the angel statue. Job fell face first onto the floor. A good place for a quick nap. The familiar that was on the pedestal rushed over to Job's side. A smaller version of the angel statue that was in the room with them named Seraphim.

I just, need a little rest is all. Make sure my wing is okay for later

Job elected to take a quick break in the angel room before heading to the next floor.

[lovelywingsart]

Metallic (18+)

-- Karl Heisenberg X OC (AFAB, She/They) --

Oh lord here we go- Ok, first off, y'all get a small paragraph beforehand, please forgive me. :'D I've... never posted smut THIS PUBLICLY before. This is admittedly incredibly nerve-wracking and I'm hella nervous because I feel like I write... 'conservatively'? You'll see what I mean. So... Please go easy on me for this one...? I'm great for sweet stuff and angst, but smut is a whole other beast despite NSFW being one of my favorite art forms when drawing. I mean, I've already made a few *spicy* art pieces for them, but just... Writing is difficult. I mean, I really hope you guys like it anyway!! But fair warning. THIS is new for me. QuQ I do have a few more smut pieces in the works, but this was the first one written.

So uh... on to the story, I guess...!

**Small reminder that I have a small 'Masterlist' for these!**

-------

*Warning?: Hella smut, lots of biting, choking and kisses, some blood from said biting, just rough sex in general? Normal, to rough, to fluff. not entirely sure what else to add?? :'D It's all consensual, no worries.

Summary: With some high tensions, a smart mouth, and some unfortunate forgetfulness, Emelia gets herself into a bit of... 'trouble' with the notorious Metal Man. But maybe this time she bit off a bit more than she could chew... Not that she really ends up minding.

A pair of footsteps echoed through the underground tunnels of the factory, almost mimicking the constant sounds of pickaxes being dug into the stone. The walking man looked around every once in a while, seemingly proud of whatever progress had been made.

"All is going well. Good, good." He said proudly, puffing on the cigar he held between his fingers. The woman next to him rolled her eye. The small lights of the tunnels glinted in the glasses he wore as he turned his head to glance at her. "Is there a problem?" He chuckled.

"If by 'well' you mean 'excruciatingly slow by dimwitted slaves', then yes."

"Would you like to join them then, Emmy?"

"Bloody hell, no. I'm still sore from lugging those damned carts around..." Emelia mumbled, reaching to rub behind her neck. The man next to her chuckled again, handing over his cigar. He stepped forward slightly as she took it, holding out his free arm.

"And yet you're still walking!" He chimed, looking back at her as she puffed on the cigar, herself. "We'll change that soon enough."

"I'm not working myself to death, Heisenberg." She huffed, picking up speed and shoving the cigar back into his face. "While factory productions are important to me too, perhaps learn the definition of a 'break', and not as in 'break my back'."

Karl took the cigar with amusement as she walked forward ahead, clearly heading back to the main building.

"First you tell me to work harder, then you say not at all." He mused, following closely. "Has it ever occurred to you that maybe I can do what I want?"

"And yet, what you want is what affects YOUR factory in the long run... Timing, Karl."

"You act as if you know more about MY factory than I do."

"And what do you know?"

"Everything."

"Good, then you know I'm heading upstairs to rest for a moment."

"I assumed so."

~

The two wandered along the corridors to a hall with stairs leading to a metal door, sharing the cigar before she went forward and kicked the door open, snorting as she heard an irritated grunt behind her.

"If you break that, you're fixing it." He muttered, setting his hammer down to the side as he took the cigar from her. She snorted, tossing her own weapon to the side, watching it land on a pile of fabrics used for either covering machinery or covering herself when she slept, whichever happened to come first.

"You say that as if it would be difficult." She retorted, taking her hair out of the tie it was in and running her hand through it before stretching slightly as he walked past her to sit in a chair next to a desk in the room they were in. It was similar to a bedroom, but not quite. 'More like an office with a small bed' , she always said, occasionally taking residence on said 'bed' when she was tired. She felt Heisenbergs eyes on her as her muscles stretched and popped, and she let out a satisfied groan.

"It wouldn't be, but you'll have to make a new one from scratch." He said, arching a brow as he leaned back in the chair. She rolled her eye, moving to stretch her arms in front of her.

"Again, not hard." She shrugged, finally moving towards the desk he was next to. "Making a door takes less brains than you already have."

"Are you calling me an idiot?"

"I'm not calling you a genius."

She almost laughed as she saw him pause before taking a long drag on the cigar.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't just hear you say that." He sighed. She shrugged, leaning over the table and looking over the papers that had been laying on it.

"It's a joke, Heisenberg. I'll admit you're more intelligent than you let on." She said, moving the papers and other objects slightly while looking at them. She then paused as she held them, her eye going over the plans, x-rays, and sketches. "Did you leave out the other Soldat plans?"

"They're in with the cadou notes. I thought you would have seen them." He said simply, reaching for a manila folder on the corner of the table. He put the cigar in his mouth as he opened it and flipped through with a huff. "The new ones haven't been functioning properly, damn things... I'm thinking of rewiring the circuits to the brain.".

"Wouldn't that cause more damage than good?"

"Not if it's done properly." He chewed on the cigar for a moment before flipping over one of the papers. "The worst that could happen is the head exploding from the current. In that case-"

"Lycan food?" She suggested. He nodded in agreement.

"Lycan food. They're mostly useless to me otherwise..."

"As are most things..." she muttered, earning a glance. She looked back at him. "What? Am I wrong?"

"Not necessarily. Others do still have use."

"How?" She asked, turning to face him. "No head means no use."

He shrugged, tossing the folder back onto the table before leaning back in the chair.

"Replace certain muscle tissue and bones with pneumatic or hydraulic systems, whichever proves to be less of a pain in the ass that day, hot wire circuits to the remaining muscle structures, add an engine system into the chest with a strong battery..." he tilted his head slightly, almost as if he were picturing the plans in his head, thinking of more details as he went along. "They would quite literally be mindless, but a few shocks and currents would make them go just fine."

"Sounds a bit like you..." Emelia snorted, turning back to the table to organize the papers as he glared at her. "Shall I pick a few poor sods from the village to test this?"

"Or I could just use you..." he muttered.

"You wouldn't dare."

"Keep making your ass-backwards comments and see what happens." He shot back, finally pushing himself up to stand. "Yes, I'd like you to do that. Fresh bodies work best for the experiments. I'll send out the Lycans as well, given they don't tear them apart."

"That wouldn't matter anyway, Karl. You'll just stitch them back up like you always do."

"I could, couldn't I?" He started, taking a step closer to stand next to her with a sinister smile. "Or I could make YOU do it. You seem to have fun with tearing things apart and putting them back together-"

"I'm NOT sewing your bloody creations together." She interrupted. "I'll kill them and I'll tear them to shreds, or I'll assist with the inner workings of the mechanics. I don't sew."

"You'll learn."

"Like hell I will."

"I'll make you."

"Bullocks."

"Keep talking, Emelia." He dared, his voice lowering in a threatening manor. "I'm not in the mood."

"You were before we got here." She challenged. She only held her breath as he suddenly snuffed out the cigar on the table itself while his eyes seemed to stare directly through her.

"That's what happens when you keep insulting me, Emmy. I start to get angry. You know that."

She felt a chill down her spine at his voice. It was different from any other time she had aggravated him... It was as if she were in actual danger. His face was only inches away from hers, and he smirked once he noticed her hesitation.

"Scared, Emelia?"

She kept her eye on him, watching his movements carefully. No, No she wasn't in danger... Maybe.

"No." She replied, lifting her chin slightly as he arched a brow.

"Oh?"

"What is it you say to me...? I'm 'in a mood'...? Because I believe you're currently in one, yourself." She asked, finally moving forward and brushing past him in a nonchalant manor despite being somewhat stiff in her movements. "Drink some coffee and throw a few things around with that power of yours, you'll be fine."

She felt his eyes on her as she neared a cushioned chair against the wall.

"I'll throw YOU around..." He growled, taking amusement in her body slowing down as he spoke. He walked towards her as she turned to face him. "See how that pretty mouth works after your head goes through a wall."

"You forget I've stopped your hammer with my arm." She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest before smirking. "You smashing my head through a wall would be as effective as Sturm trying to hold something with his nubs."

"You don't seem to understand what I can do to you, Emelia."

"And you don't seem to understand the amount of fucks I don't give, Karl."

His arm twitched slightly, and she glanced over as metal pieces on the floor began to shake just slightly. She just hoped he wouldn't direct his power towards her...

"If you would like to play, I'll GLADLY entertain you."

She suddenly got in his face, a mischievous, antagonistic spark in the gold of her eye.

"Entertain me HOW? Throw me to the Lycans? The Varcolacs? Hell, let Urias get ahold of me, see what happens."

He bared his teeth in a snarl, though the corners of his mouth stayed in a malicious grin.

"I'll turn YOU into a goddamn Soldat, you'll be so full of metal you won't be able to FUNCTION without me-"

"I'm more afraid of your SISTER than I am you!"

Her smirk widened as she saw a sudden spark of anger in his face, his smile faltering.

"Don't you dare attempt to bring that bitch into this, I'll put my hammer straight into your skull-"

"TRY ME, THEN-" She started, only to give a yelping gasp in surprise as Heisenberg slammed her against the wall by her throat.

"Shut your damn hole!!!-" He snarled. His grip was tight, but he seemed to stop once he glanced at her open mouth. All of a sudden the air around them changed, and she stared at him with confusion in her one golden eye. "Oh, Emmy, you didn't tell me!" He said with a sudden cheerful tone, moving his hand from her throat to her jaw. He switched so quickly...

"Wh-" she began, only to stop as her jaw was yanked open. She was confused until she saw the reflection of her tongue piercing in his glasses.

Shit.

"Well well, I guess you've got some metal in you after all. I won't have to try as hard..." He chuckled, tilting his head as she stared at her own reflection. "What else are you hiding from me, Emmy?"

Her eye was wide in simultaneous fear and curiosity. She knew she couldn't have hidden the piercings forever, but certainly longer than this. She usually at least took the one out of her mouth when around him given how often they talked for this reason... But even then, he had never noticed it before. Why now?! She kicked herself for forgetting. She wanted to shove him away... Shove him and run. Would he chase her? He was most definitely trying to scare her, she knew that much... But she also wanted to know how far he would actually go if she did nothing. Would he rip them out if he found the others? Use them as control like he mentioned? Or would he leave her alone? Something told her the latter was out of the question as he showed growing interest in her silence.

"N-.... Nothing..." she managed, nudging her jaw out of his grip. "I just-"

"You're a liar, Emelia." He said, his grin growing wider. She gave a huff and shook her head.

"I am not, you ridiculous-"

She was stopped with a startled gasp as a gloved thumb was shoved between her jaws, nearly propping her mouth open.

"Now now, this'll go far easier if you do it my way. Now open up."

He lifted his other hand to his face, taking a finger of the glove between his teeth and sliding it off. The glove fell to the ground between them, and she watched as he reached for her face with his bare hand. She flinched slightly as his fingers pressed against her lower jaw, though admittedly relaxed as his thumb drifted over her bottom lip. The skin was expectantly rough, she found, calloused and covered in smaller scars. She closed her eye as it drifted over her sharp lower teeth before thrusting over her tongue, pushing it back and causing a small gaging reflex. It tasted... metallic... Metallic with hints of other things. Not quite metal, not quite blood... Maybe residual oil? Maybe a hint of the cigars. She couldn't tell exactly what it was, but the mixture wasn't bad... She really didn't mind much. She could almost feel the interested look on his face as she relaxed, though she attempted to hide it. Oh god, was she enjoying this...? She only flinched as he pressed his thumb against the muscle, pushing it out of her mouth somewhat to see the piercing fully.

"Let's see how much you're hiding from me, shall we?" He grinned.

There was a moment of confused silence before she felt his thumb press against the metal rod, her eye snapping open with a gasping yelp as what felt like electric sparks and currents traveled through that piercing, as well as the others.

All the others.

The sparks lasted only a second, but a second was all that was needed as her back arched slightly away from the wall. Heisenberg took a step back in surprise as Emelia suddenly collapsed to her knees, shaking and panting ever so slightly out of shock and... something else. She doubled over with a wide eye, an arm covering her chest and the other pressed against her abdomen and ever tightening thighs. What the hell WAS that...?! What the fuck did he do?!

"W-.... Wh-...." she tried, trying to voice her thoughts. But alas, despite the tingling feeling up her spine disappearing, she couldn't. She couldn't even move as she heard movement directly in front of her, the shock of the feeling only allowing her to look up as he grabbed her chin and lifted her face to meet his. She watched as he kneeled, only to look up and see the most smug grin she had ever seen.

"Liar liar, Emmy... You know how I hate liars." He chimed, adding to the smug aura he held. It pissed her off, but she couldn't do much about it now... She then grew nervous as he tilted his head, taking in her reaction fully as she stared at him with an ever-deepening red blush on her cheeks. "If I was more foolish, I'd say you enjoyed that."

"I-I... D-did NOT...!!" She snapped, stopping with a small squeak as he shoved his thumb back into her mouth to silence her.

He was met with another squealing whine as he pressed against the piercing once more, gleefully sending more currents through the metal pieces in her body. Emelia reached up to shakily grab his arm as the piercing was left alone once more, though the residual shock still remained. She wanted to say something... Say ANYTHING... but the feeling in her face, chest and thighs was so odd and... and good... It kept her silent, and Heisenberg took interest.

"Lycan got your tongue?" He joked, chuckling as she let out a growl. He found it amusing, of course. She only frowned as he tilted his head with the ever present smirk, his sharp teeth glinting in the dim light of the room. "You know, Emmy..." he started, yanking her forward by the jaw slightly as she kept her hold on his arm. "I can't help but wonder how it tastes."

She felt another shiver down her spine at the sickeningly curious tone in his voice. Taste... Taste?? She stared at him as he removed his thumb from her mouth, though nearly started to form words immediately in stupid curiosity. The answer came to her quickly, however, in the form of a hand around her neck, a mouth to hers, and being shoved against the wall once more. She made an almost strangled noise as her back hit the concrete, her mind attempting to play catch-up as she felt something being shoved into her mouth. More sparks traveled along the piercings as his tongue slid over hers, and she let out a whining growl in response.

The taste of metal and the slightest bit of sweetness filled her mouth, along with the taste of the cigar they had shared only minutes prior. But... Why did it taste so good? Why wasn't she fighting him? She found herself frozen for a few moments as the realization set in that she... truly enjoyed this. He couldn't have known, could he? There was no WAY he could have known... Oh god, what was wrong with her? She generally wanted to strangle the man, but now...

She allowed the frustration from earlier to bubble in her chest, giving her control of her limbs for a few moments. Heisenberg began to back off, thoroughly satisfied in her reactions and his 'taste test' before she suddenly grabbed the front of his jacket and yanked him back against her, giving a quiet grunt as her back was forced against the wall again with his weight. He was brought to his knees at the force of the tug, and it was her turn to feel satisfaction as a startled grunt left this throat.

Emelia returned the forceful kiss with all her strength, her back arching somewhat with the now consistent current from the piercings. Her legs shook slightly as she felt a warm feeling in her thighs from the current, unintentionally letting out quiet whimpers and heavy breaths into the kiss. His hand stayed pressed to her throat before he moved it to the side of her neck and shoved her head upwards with his thumb. He tore himself away to attack her neck immediately, licking along the skin before closing his jaws around it. She gasped as he moved along her neck, leaving bloody bites and bruises while using his free hand to nearly rip at her shirt. The fabric was pulled it from its tucked position, his grip tearing a few holes in the worn fabric as he held it taught away from her skin. She couldn't help it as her heavy breaths turned into pants, and she gripped his arm tighter as she felt the fabric continue to tear from a mixture of his grip and her squirming from the feeling between her legs. She shuddered as he finally pulled away from her now very bruised neck, his lips hovering right against her ear.

"Let me taste all of them, then." He growled, returning his hand to around her neck and squeezing along the bottom of her jaw.

Her squirming paused in his grip. 'Please, oh PLEASE-' she thought, secretly wishing to rip the shirt off, herself. But he couldn't know that... If he did, she knew he'd taunt her mercilessly. Not that he wasn't doing the same now... Instead she shook her head just slightly, trying to even out her breathing.

"W-Wait-" she started quietly, only to gasp once more as he finally tore the front of the shirt clean off from the seams. He tossed the fabric to the side as her back arched to meet the new air her front was exposed to, the newly revealed silver nipple piercings glinting as her body moved.

"Too late." He chuckled deeply, grabbing her by the side and bringing her chest forward as if he were claiming a prize.

He leaned down slightly, his arm wrapping around her as his mouth returned to her skin. He kissed and nipped to her shoulders and collarbone until his lips met the tip of the large scar that rested between her breasts. She swore she could almost see something flicker in his shade-covered eyes as he seemed to study it before nipping at it carefully. The nips were... oddly careful. It was as if he knew what it was... She managed to compose herself enough to speak, one of her hands moving to nudge his shoulder. She couldn't help but give a nervous gulp as he looked up at her, his eyes burning as if her touch had fueled the fire.

"N-... N-Not... um..." she tried, her voice oddly timid. She knew what was happening, though the idea made her nervous... "N-Not... here..."

"Hm?" He tilted his head slightly, loosening his grip on her neck. He then followed her gaze to the small 'bed' in the corner of the room- though it was more like a single mattress over a solid 'frame' with random odd pillows along the wall and multiple covers lumped on top. It was how she liked it.

"Th-There... uh..." she looked away for a moment, heavily aware her burning cheeks. "P-... P-Please..."

She could nearly feel his smile against her skin as he chuckled, though he didn't reply. It was then that she was suddenly picked up with a surprised yelp and tossed over his shoulder, her knees pressing against his sides to balance herself. She managed to hold on long enough before he walked to the 'bed', landing roughly onto it as she was tossed. She nearly scrambled to sit up until she looked up at him, watching him quickly close the space between them, removing his thick jacket and single remaining glove.

"Stay still, Emmy. The show is just getting started." He taunted, unbuttoning the long sleeve shirt he wore before kneeling onto the cushion and looming over her. She couldn't help as her vision traveled down what she could see of his chest, seeing similar scars along his skin.

She opened her mouth to speak, giving a quiet yelp as she was shoved into the sheets by her neck, her legs now situated around his waist. Her back arched as he leaned over, biting at her shoulder and collarbone once more before around one breast and onto the other. She gave a whining gasp as he reached the peak, his tongue swirling around the sensitive skin and the small bar of metal pierced through it, his teeth grazing the it ever so slightly. He used his other hand to trail along the scar on her chest and down to her pierced belly, his rough fingers caressing the skin until they pushed underneath the tied overalls. Her legs twitched as his fingers reached the piercing between them, feeling as it was surrounded by a moist warmth. He smirked.

"I knew it." He said, rubbing against the piercing and bundle of nerves with another jolt of electricity before removing his hand. She couldn't help the whine that left her throat as her hips bucked lightly from the feeling, and he chuckled. "Easy..." he muttered, returning the palm of his hand to her stomach and shoving her down.

He dug his fingers into the skin around the belly piercing as she glanced down, and she made another strangled noise as he sent another wide current through her piercings. Her back arched as he pressed harder to keep her down, though she was startled as he suddenly crushed his mouth against hers once more. The small currents pulsed in a slow rhythm as she returned the kiss, her legs shaking and tightening against his hips. She let out a soft cry against his lips as the pulses increased, her grip on his arm tightening and even pulling him closer as the waves of a small orgasm rushed through her in spasms. The feeling was strengthened with the addition of... something pressed to her thighs underneath their clothing. But the waves... The small spasms that affected the muscles of her back and legs... While it hadn't been something she had felt even when human, and while she knew what it was, all she knew was that it felt good. REALLY good...

She could have sworn up and down she hated the man at any point before this, but as he broke the kiss and pulled away to look at her, she couldn't help but feel... want? Desire? Whatever it was, she knew she didn't want it to stop at the moment, and that's all that mattered to her. She still didn't want to give in so easily... But god damn was this feeling hard to fight off.

"D-... D-Damn you..." she nearly whispered, her voice wavering slightly. She was met with an amused chuckle as he removed his glasses and lightly sent them to the table they had been at before.

"Just what I like to hear..." He taunted, removing his hand from her throat. "Tell me, Emmy... Do you want more? Feel free to say nothing if you do."

She stared at him as he gave another sly grin, opening her mouth as if to protest... But she couldn't. Instead, she remained silent, though gave an irritated, embarrassed huff as she glanced off to the side. Her lip curled into a silent snarl as he gave another chuckle.

"I thought as much." He replied, leaning up. His fingers were dragged along her skin as he moved, trailing along other scars that littered her skin.

She glanced down to follow his hands, watching as they trailed over her hips and around to her front where the knot in the tied mechanic suit she wore. With one quick movement it was untied and loosened, and she jumped as everything was suddenly pulled away and off of her hips, sliding down her thighs. She froze at the new rush of cool air surrounding the warmth between her thighs, and suddenly the entirety of the clothing was removed as he seamlessly pulled it away from her legs. Now she was completely bare in front of him... Exposed.

The desire to cover herself was overwhelming as she met his eyes, seeing the smugness and sense of possession he gave as he took in every visible inch of her skin. Her arms and legs twitched in an attempt to cover any vulnerable areas, but she suddenly found her arms pinned next to her head and his hips against the backs of her thighs to keep them open.

"Don't you dare." He grumbled, a smirk still on his face as he glanced down slightly before looking back up at her face. "I haven't tasted everything yet."

"Wh-..." she tried, her legs twitching again.

She was met with another kiss as he leaned down, though it didn't last long. She let out quiet pants as his lips and teeth moved along her jaw to her neck, leaving more bites and bruises among the ones that already stained the skin. Her arms twitched as he reached her breasts again, hit tongue repeating the same actions as before on both piercings before finally returning to the large scar running down her sternum. He planted light kisses and nips along it, earning her confusion as he continuously moved lower. She watched as he nipped along the skin of her stomach, the corner of her mouth twitching as he seemingly, almost playfully, gently bit the piercing in her belly and glanced up at her. She rolled her eye for a moment before he sent another current through the metals, and she let out a soft whimper. It wasn't until he let go and moved to kiss and bite around her hips and thighs that she realized, her head shooting up with slight panic as she felt his lips against the inside of her thigh.

"H-Hey-"

"Quiet Emmy." He purred, the tone of his voice making her freeze. She watched as he kissed the inside of her thigh once more, her head landing back against the cushion with a shuddering gasp as he bit along the sensitive skin. Her hand flew over her mouth as he moved closer to her core, whimpering as she felt his tongue gliding along the skin.

"K-Karl, wait-" she whimpered through her fingers, only to take in a sharp, gasping breath as she finally felt his tongue against her, moving slowly as if savoring her reactions.

She tried closing her legs, though found it nearly impossible due to his hands forcing them to stay where they were. She could almost feel the bruises form where his fingers pressed against the skin, though that feeling was second in her mind compared to the pleasured sparks up her spine with each movement of his tongue. She couldn't help as her hand left the sheets, finding its way to his head as he played with the small piercing through the bundle of nerves, sending small electric pulses through her body once more. She felt the vibration as he chuckled against her, gripping his hair with small gasps and whimpers as his tongue delved into the warmth. Her back arched slightly with each movement, her thighs shaking from the new sensations. Why did it feel so good...?! She let out a long whine as the electric pulses continued, eventually biting down on her hand as to attempt to prevent any further noises. She could feel the tightness return as his teeth grazed against the piercing, and suddenly her hand was gripping his hair in a fist as she came again, a multitude of muffled whines and mutterings of his name escaping her mouth while her back arched. She barely heard the grunt he gave as he was pressed against her, not even realizing as he was able to pull himself away.

She flinched as Heisenberg reached up to grab her wrist, her body shaking slightly as he managed to nudge her hand away. He ran a hand through his hair to smooth it out, rising to loom over her once more as he licked his lips. Where the actual FUCK did he learn that?!

"That hurt, Emmy." He purred, keeping his grip on her wrist as she finally looked at him. Her face was red as she panted, her legs trembling as they rested against his hips once more. "Good girl."

He smirked as she stared up at him, his tongue swiping over his teeth before he leaned over and yanked her other wrist from her mouth, pinning both of them to the cushion beside her head. Her breath caught in her throat at the sudden movement, her eye widening as it met his. There was a moment of silence as they held a stare down, only ending as he shifted her wrists into one hand and used the other to undo the belt and button of his own pants in one swift motion. It took her a moment to register the movement, keeping eye contact once the full realization of just how far- and how fast- this was about to go hit her. She squirmed slightly in his grip as she glanced down, nearly breaking said grip, only to get caught in yet another rough kiss as she felt something warm press against her thighs. She could taste herself on his tongue, and somehow it made her arousal worse...

She let out a whining groan as she was rubbed against, her back arching once more at the new feeling, only to give a surprised and somewhat pained cry against his lips as she felt him enter her quickly and fully with a grunt. She gasped into the kiss as he returned his hand to her neck, her back arching into his chest and her thighs once again tightening around his waist. More of the pleasurable feeling shot up her spine as he moved a few times, pressing against her roughly as she gave small whimpers and whines. It felt... good... so good. Why did it feel good? Why did all of this just feel GOOD? What the hell was she missing from her old life that didn't include THIS?? She couldn't help the small moan she gave as the kiss was broken, and he shoved his hips against hers. He tightened his fingers around the sides of her neck with a sly smirk as he stayed where he was. Although the glint in his eyes may have looked malicious, his actions proved otherwise as he allowed her a few seconds to relax.

"Am I being too rough with you, Emmy?" He asked, his smirk widening into a grin as she mindlessly shook her head, though it was more like a few twitches.

"N-... No... N-Not rough enough..." she growled with a challenging tone, though her voice was still light. She was met with a dangerous chuckle.

"Good."

Emelia glared up at him with a somewhat clouded eye, her breaths coming in light pants that turned into gasps and moans as his movements continued, growing faster and harder with each passing second. She struggled to keep her voice down despite the feeling of each thrust sending sparks into her chest. The sounds of his low grunts and deep breathing weren't helping, she found, and it made it much more difficult to control her own pleasured noises. She was then aware of a low laugh from him.

"Ah... I didn't think... you could sound like THIS, Emmy...~" He purred, his grip on her neck tightening. She opened her mouth, nearly flinching as she let out more soft moans.

"S-... S-Shut...." she tried, though was unable to finish any thought with her gasps and whines.

Her arms struggled in his grip, shaking with each thrust, only to suddenly be freed as he let go in order to take ahold one of her hips. She mindlessly reached for him almost immediately, gripping the edge of his shirt with one hand and grabbing the necklaces around his neck with the other in order to yank him down. She was rewarded with another rough kiss, her head being jerked up as he kept a hand around her throat. She let go of the necklaces, instead reaching under his shirt, her fingers trailing over his own scars until her nails dug into his back. There was an internal satisfaction as she heard Heisenberg give a surprised grunt, only to give a yelping cry as he suddenly pulled away to replace his hand around her neck with his teeth.

Small sparks of pain made their way through her shoulder as his teeth broke the skin, though they seemed to amplify the feeling as the thrusts became rough and quick. She finally reached her other hand around and under the shirt he wore, her nails dragging down the skin of his back as her moans and whines grew louder.

"F-... FuCK...! K-Karl...!!" She said suddenly, her voice cracking somewhat as she was met with a possessive growl and the slight smell of fresh blood as he let go of her neck. She couldn't help but gasp as she felt his cheek against hers, his beard scratching against her skin as his lips nearly against her ear.

"You're MINE, Emelia..." He growled.

Emelia felt as more pulsing currents were sent through her piercings, and she couldn't help but cry out as the pulses caught her by surprise. Her muscles tensed, her nails tearing at Heisenbergs back as she felt the waves of a strong orgasm, making her body shake and her legs flex around his waist. Her thighs tightened at his hips, halting him enough to keep him where he was as she came, but not long enough to stop him entirely. He let out a low growl as he kept up his movements until he slammed against her hard enough to move her up a few inches. She gave a gasping moan as could feel his muscles shudder and a strange warmth in the pit of her stomach as he filled her, and her back arched against his chest as she nearly hugged him to her for dear life.

There was small silence as their movement ceased, each breathing heavily. Emelia held onto the man over her as if it meant life or death, momentarily forgetting her irritation around him in the first place as there was a sudden feel of lips along her neck in a multitude of small kisses. They were gentle against her bruised skin... The odd tickle of the facial hair made the corner of her mouth twitch as she panted, unintentionally laying her head to the side for him as she very slowly but surely relaxed. Her irritation only slightly returned as she heard a chuckle from her neck, and she glanced down.

"Th' bloody hell is so funny...?" She muttered, unable to keep the lightness from her voice. She watched as he looked up from her neck, a sly smile across his still bloody lips.

"You're adorable, Emmy." He said simply, making her groan and start to push him away.

"Piss off...!!" She growled, only to gasp as he suddenly leaned over her with a chuckle, nearly being pushed into the mattress again as he finally slipped off the button-up shirt.

"Precious little doll, you didn't seem to hear what I said."

'Doll' ...? Emelia stared at him, now also shirtless, taking in the rest of the scars she had never seen. She could feel her face heat up more as he leaned over her, holding himself up with his hands on either side of her shoulders.

"Wha-" she started, only to let out a gasping yelp as he gave a single hard thrust to silence her.

"I told you, Emelia. You're mine. In more ways than one, it seems." He nearly purred, leaning down to press his nose to hers.

Her single eye widened as he grinned, only to be met with a quick, relatively gentle kiss. It took a moment for her to calm down before she returned it, staying where she was and secretly holding herself to that proclamation. She didn't want to admit it... She never would. But somehow, despite how he could be, this made her feel... wanted. It was an odd feeling, and one she knew she would be hesitant on getting used to. But she still hated him... Right?

She gave a soft whine as he pulled away, physically removing himself from her with a shuddering breath. She let out a whimper as she relaxed back against the covers, feeling an odd coldness and even a slight sense of loneliness as his weight left the mattress. She opened her eye with confusion and watched as his pants were fixed before her vision trailed up his back to see the bloody scratches she had left.

"Whoops..." she muttered, earning a chuckle and a glance back.

"I'll let you relax for now, Emmy. I don't wanna break you just yet..." He joked, nodding to the shirt he had left. "Use that for now, we'll get you another shirt later."

She couldn't help but smirk, her face red.

"Done already...?" She asked, her smirk faltering heavily as he glanced back with an odd mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Never said I was, Doll. This is for your sake."

Emelia watched as he began to walk to the jacket he had left, but she felt... sad. Not because he had stopped. Not even because she almost wished they would keep going immediately... No, it was another reason she couldn't quite place with every step away he took. She carefully pushed herself to sit up, wincing at the tenderness that settled between her legs before reaching for her discarded jumpsuit. But she only grabbed the simple boxers she had, managing to slip them on with minimal issue. She saw him slow his movements as she managed to stand, her knees just the slightest bit weak. Holding on to a support beam on the wall, she shakily made her way over to him as he glanced at her with an odd curiosity. She didn't care if she was entirely naked save for underwear, simply covering her chest with her arm as she reached for him. She stumbled into his back, feeling his muscles tense as her arms slowly wrapped around his torso, her fingers lightly drifting along the hair and scars on his chest.

"Don't you dare leave me like this, Heisenberg..." she muttered, pressing the scarred half of her face against his back. She knew he could feel her trembling as her legs threatened to collapse on her.

There was a moment of silence before she heard and felt him chuckle.

"You really are an odd one, Emmy..." He chuckled, turning his head to glance at her over his shoulder before giving a dramatic sigh. "Have it your way, then."

Emelia jumped as he suddenly turned in her arms, her cheeks going red as his face was suddenly mere inches away from hers. What was she DOING? Why she acting this way? She didn't know... But she was pleasantly stunned as she felt his hand raise and nudge her chin gently. However, instead of it going around her neck again as she expected, he simply caressed her cheek, avoiding the scars around her missing eye; Even he knew she hated them being touched, and now didn't seem like the best time to annoy her. In fact, he almost enjoyed her more when she was calm like this... She couldn't help but feel relaxed as the rough pad of his thumb brushed over her skin. Relaxed enough to settle her cheek into his hand fully, ever so slightly trying to remind herself that this wasn't who he was all the time. This was temporary... But she could do temporary.

"... Don't tell anyone..." She muttered suddenly, keeping her hold on him as he leaned back against the shelving next to them to stay comfy. He chuckled once more.

"Who do I have to tell, Emmy?" He chimed. She stared at him for a moment before shrugging, laying her head against his chest.

It was a moment of domesticity that she vaguely remembered wanting as human... Something about someone being close physically always seemed tantalizing, yet there was no way to achieve it here... Or so she thought. If she could just have more time like this... Though she knew it wasn't meant to last, especially not with him... But for now, she appreciated it. It wasn't until her senses focused on the machinery noises outside of the room that she gave a sigh, reluctantly pulling away from him.

"I should get back to work, then..." she mumbled, taking a few steps away, her fingers dragging along his chest before she turned, not seeing Heisenbergs face as he watched her walk away and run a hand through her hair to push it out of her face.

She made her way over back to the bed-like cushion, absent-mindedly picking the button-up shirt he had been wearing and slipping it on, herself. She'd take it since he offered, and because she didn't necessarily feel like hunting down new clothing. It was only slightly loose over her frame, being only slightly smaller than him in stature, and she felt his eyes burrow into her back as she buttoned it up. Quiet footsteps approached her from behind, causing her to jump with a small gasp as arms surrounded her while the shirt was only halfway buttoned. Heisenberg pulled her back against his chest, one hand on her hip and the other around the front of her waist.

"What are you-" she started, only to stop as the arm around her waist raised to nudge the collar of the shirt off her shoulder, placing gentle bites and kisses along the skin as soon as it was shown. Small shivers went up her spine with the movements, and she let out a wavering breath in attempts to not laugh from the tickling of his beard. "K-Karl, stop-"

"I never told you to get back to work..." He said simply, his now semi-serious tone interrupting he train of thought and causing any hint of laughter to disappear. He trailed kisses and bites to her jaw and her ear once more. "Indulge me then, Emmy, and I'll let you go. Let me have my fill."

Her face fell slightly. His fill... Did he mean...?

"W-What, be your toy until you're done?" She huffed, turning her head slightly to face him. Though he was on her blind side, she could almost feel the grin.

"Well, when you put it that way..." he started, letting his hands wander. One trailed under the shirt slightly, his fingers drifting below her belly, while the other found and gave a gentle squeeze to a now exposed breast from the shirt being moved before resting over the large scar. "Yes. But don't worry. I take care of my toys... I said I wouldn't break you so soon. And besides..." he pressed another gentle kiss behind her ear, "You seem like you want more. Am I wrong?"

Emelia took a shaky breath as she felt the odd sensations once more, reaching to hold onto his forearms as his hands moved. Well, of COURSE he was right... She knew there wasn't much else she would have to do around the factory today anyway. She worked constantly, and the factory ran relatively smoothly without her. She even came here for a break, anyway... And, despite her feelings about him, what the man had just shown her was... Well, her legs still held a slight wobble. To say she wanted more was an understatement. And so, she have a small huff and looked forward, tilting her head to allow him at her neck.

"... Go ahead..." she muttered, her voice an embarrassed tone. She felt his grin against her neck taking a breath as he gave a small, rough bite.

"You won't regret it, Emmy."

She gave a small, joking snort.

"I'll believe you if you can prove it, Karl..."

"Oh, even after what I've just shown you?" He played, his lips pressing to her neck once more. She said nothing, only somewhat easing against his chest with a huff. She rolled her eye as he chuckled, though her breath caught in her chest as his hand left the scar, letting his fingers trail up and along her throat. "I didn't think I would have to prove anything."

"You never do..." she muttered suddenly, only to close her mouth as she felt him freeze behind her. Where the hell did that come from...??

"Oh?"

She was silent for a moment before clearing her throat.

"Th-That, ah..." she started, only stopping as he grabbed her throat and pulled her to him roughly.

"What?" He growled, ever so slightly moving them forward. She took shaky steps, following his direction.

"N-Not... what I... mean..." she finally managed, glancing down with a quick breath as she felt the edge of the work table against the front of her thighs.

"Hm. What did you mean then, Emmy?"

"I..." she tried, though was unable to find her voice. What was this rush of excitement...?? The tone of his voice sent chills down her spine as he nibbled at her shoulder while awaiting a response. She then decided to just speak. What could go wrong?

"I-I mean...." she managed, gaining a smirk and holding onto his arm. She could feel as he tilted his head in curiosity. "You haven't quite done so thus far, how am I to believe you could...?" she continued, feeling his grip tighten. Good. She pulled away from him slightly to aggravate him. "You always need to prove yourself Karl, you won't get far without it-"

She was stopped with a surprised grunt as she was suddenly shoved down against the table, giving a surprised grunt of pain as her chin hitting it with a light *thunk* . He kept his hand between her shoulders, using his weight to keep her down as she moved to rub her jaw. Her hand was then suddenly yanked away as he twisted her arm behind her back, earning an uncomfortable grunt.

"Bloody hell- H-hey-!"

"I don't give proof, huh?" He growled suddenly, leaning down over her to talk into her ear. "I assure you, Emelia, I have all the proof you need."

She opened her mouth to speak, only to shut it with a surprised noise as he suddenly bit down on her neck and yanked her towards him. The backs of her thighs hit his hips, and she let out a small, surprised whimper. He slipped his fingers under the waistline of her underwear with his free hand, taunting her by slowly dragging them down. There was a sudden spark at her piercings once more while her lower half squirmed, and she couldn't help but give a small, moaning whine as she felt the sparks increase. Waves of pleasure traveled up her spine, causing her back to arch into the table somewhat and nearly bite her bottom lip until it bled. Small goosebumps covered her skin as she felt her underwear finally fall to her ankles. It wasn't until she felt him adjust himself behind her that she attempted to look to the side, only to be met with a growl and his teeth digging into the skin more.

She could smell the blood as it began to seep from between her skin and his teeth... It made her head swim as she finally felt him rub against her roughly, the small sparks of pain from his teeth adding to the odd pleasure she was feeling. He removed his teeth from her neck for a moment to speak into her ear, sending more shivers down her spine.

"I've got your 'proof' right here." He purred, his smirk nearly audible. He shoved her down again once more. "HERE!!"

He gave a rough thrust forward as he spoke, filling her quickly once again and earning a yelping moan; but this time, he didn't stop. A mixture of pain and pleasure racked her body as he kept up the rough thrusts, simultaneously twisting her arm more behind her back to hold her there. She couldn't stop the now loud moans and whines she gave as she panted, nearly digging her nails into the metal table supporting her. She could feel the pulses of her muscles threatening to tighten and mutate as she was slammed into nearly mercilessly, her fingers creating small dents in the material as she forced her mutation back once she felt a familiar flutter in her chest. He seemed to notice, letting out a low chuckle through his own grunts and growls.

It wasn't long before she felt the sudden waves of an orgasm, making her give a loud cry as she shifted under him, pressing back against him for a moment. She reached forward quickly and gripped the edge of the table, easily denting and nearly crushing it in her grip with light cries as he continued his thrusts through the tightening spasms. Her body shook while he didn't slow down. Instead, he increased his movements, and she almost felt tears come to her eye with the overwhelming sensation.

Her other arm was suddenly freed as he moved to grip both of her hips, leaning down to bite at her shoulder once more with low grunts and growls. He kept going... Oh god, he kept going. She couldn't speak, the only noises leaving her throat being whines and cries. She couldn't help but lean into his jaw, almost begging him for more despite the overstimulation. Her neck was bitten multiple times as if she were being marked, each bite breaking the skin with ease. Beads of blood slowly dripped from the wounds and over her skin every time he let go, only to feel his teeth elsewhere. She felt tightness below her belly once more as she let out a wavering cry of his name, only to be met with slower thrusts and a growl at her ear.

"What do you want, Emelia?" He growled, his voice low and strained. She couldn't help but squirm and push back against him with whining whimpers as he slowed more, quickly becoming frustrated and seemingly desperate. No... No, why was he stopping... Why was he slowing down?!

"N-.. N-No...!! D-Don't- fuck- D-Don't slow-...!!" She managed, earning a dangerous chuckle.

"Tell me Emelia, or I swear to God I'll stop right NOW." He played. She could hear the smirk in his voice as he spoke. She knew this was amusing to him... It was payback for her insults. Her body shook out of desperation and anger as the thrusts slowed considerably, and she put her forehead against the table with a growling whine. He held her hips in place against the table to prevent her from moving against him. She couldn't take it anymore... She wouldn't even try to fight it. It was as if she were being denied a prize, and she hated it already.

"F-Fuck- I-" she started, barely able to get words out, "Y-YOU Heisenberg, you bloody idiot!!! I want YOU!!!" She finally yelled, her voice cracking somewhat. "J-Just... D-Don't... Don't FUCKING stop!!! Fuck- PLEASE!!"

She could almost feel the pride-filled smirk he gave in knowing he had won, but she didn’t care... Her little outburst gave her slight confidence as he chuckled, his last breath coming as a low growl.. She jumped as she suddenly felt an arm around her waist, roughly pulling her back towards him as his other hand reached to pin and hold hers as if keeping her in place. A wavering whine left her lips as he gave a possessive growl, looming over her with obvious intent.

"Good girl." He grumbled, only giving her a chance to inhale before returning to the powerful, near brutal thrusts from before, pulling her to him with each movement.

She didn't even attempt to hide her voice again, her cries and moans growing louder with each passing second. She almost didn't want the feeling to end, allowing herself to melt into him as her back arched into his chest.

"D-Don't... D-Don't stop... F-FUCK- Don't stop...!!!" She repeated, her voice wavering with uneven pants and gasps.

"You. Are. MINE." He suddenly growled in her ear, not letting her respond before biting into her shoulder once more.

More electric pulses were sent through her piercings, nearly making her scream while gripping the hand over hers. The orgasm she felt then was strong, traveling through her body in waves and overstimulation as the pulses continued. The feeling was amplified as he kept moving for a few seconds, finally pressing her roughly against the table with a loud, wavering growl and swear as he came as well. She let out another gasping moan as she felt him twitch inside of her, shuddering with the light warmth she felt at the pit of her stomach.

The room was filled with the sound of their panting and deep breaths as their rode their highs, and Emelia finally relaxed against the table with a shaky, satisfied sigh while still panting. She felt... good. Great, actually... Very sore now, as well as numb, but good nonetheless. It was as if any frustration she felt had melted away with the thin layer of sweat on her body. She gave a quiet whimper as she felt Heisenberg shift somewhat. He removed his jaws from her shoulder, nudging her head and pressing his cheek against hers as his grip on her loosened to allow her to relax more.

"Are you alright, Emmy?" He asked quietly, his voice low and catching her off guard enough to flinch. She only made a small, confused noise as she glanced over. He chuckled, catching a glimpse of the residual pleasured tears that stained her cheek. He reached over, dragging his thumb over her skin to wipe them away. "Is that a yes?"

She kept her eye on him for a moment before giving a small nod and setting her head back on the table. She attempted to shift, but found her body was... unable to move. The numbness had begun to turn into the feeling of being a puddle, she found. Her muscles shook as she tried to push herself up, and she almost collapsed under him. He nearly laughed while kept his grip on her waist, keeping her upright while he watched in interest.

"Would you like some help?"

"N... N-No, I..." she tried, her voice quiet. There was silence for a moment before she gave a shaky sigh, putting her head down once more in defeat. "... y-yes..."

"I thought so." He chuckled, finally pulling himself away with a quiet grunt. She could hear the amusement in his voice. "Alright. Keep steady, now."

Emelia glanced back as he partially adjusted himself, not bothering to fully fix his pants before he let go of her waist. A small panic entered her chest as her legs began to collapse under her, barely able to use the table to keep herself up before she felt him at her side. Her body shook as she tried to lean up once more, reaching to hold on to Heisenbergs arm as he draped it across her shoulders. He didn't even flinch as she leaned her full weight on him, and he chuckled.

"Come on, then." He said, suddenly leaning down once she was fully off the table. She let out a surprised yelp as he swept his other arm behind her knees, bringing her up into a cradling position against his chest as she held onto him tightly. She tightened her grip more as he started to walk, her face red. "Something wrong?" He asked, amusement thick in his voice. She watched his movements, only somewhat relaxing as they neared the bed.

"N-No..." she replied quietly, slowly easing herself in a sitting position the tattered covers as he set her down, wincing again at the soreness she felt. While the fabrics weren't always the best for relaxing, right now they were comforting, and a godsend for her shaking muscles. She then jumped as he sat down himself before he laid beside her with a huff. She stared at him for a moment as he held his arm out for her. What was he doing...?

"Well?" He asked expectantly, raising a brow as she looked confused.

"... what?"

He rolled his eyes.

"You're wearing my shirt Emmy, the least you could do is lay down."

"What-" she started, only to look down. "O-Oh... um..." She had admittedly forgotten what she had been wearing, and sheepishly pulled the shirt over her now throbbing shoulders and neck. She then adjusted herself on the mattress with a quiet grunt. "Ok..."

"NOW you're embarrassed??" He asked, nudging her arm slightly. "Should I describe, in detail, what I just did to you?"

She glared at him and gave a small huff as she managed to lay down.

"Shut up..." she mumbled, somewhat begrudgingly cuddling onto his chest as he smirked.

"It was an honest question."

Emelia only grumbled in response, though relaxed as she felt his arm go around her. She adjusted her head on his chest, pausing as she felt a heartbeat. It was slow and rhythmic, lulling her into a relaxed breathing pattern. He glanced at her as her arm wrapped over his chest as well, though he froze as she mindlessly began to trace over some of the smaller scars over his skin. She watched her own fingers move, an amused smile creeping on her face as she felt him tense and relax at her touch. She tilted her head slightly as she heard a light grumbling from his chest, her fingers pausing. He shifted under her, and she looked up to meet his eyes.

"What...?" She asked, resuming the movements. She watched as his eyes traveled between her and her fingers multiple times, his breathing easy with small grumbles in each inhale.

"Nothing." He replied simply, only to lift his chin slightly in confusion as she moved her hand to the scar across his neck. She felt his breath hitch as she traced it, and he looked at her again. "What are you doing, Emmy?"

"Nothing." She copied, almost laughing as he rolled his eyes.

"Don't get soft on me now Emelia, just earlier you were threatening me." He snorted.

"I still can if you would rather that."

"Hm. No, I'd rather fuck you again."

She went silent for a moment, her face heating up once more with embarrassment. "You said you wouldn't break me." She huffed.

Heisenberg gave a chuckle before turning to face her, gaining a smirk when she looked at him in surprise.

"I won't. I can't, actually." He said matter-of-factly, suddenly pushing her shoulder to have her lay on her back. She jumped, staring up at him in a stunned silence. "That doesn't mean I can't try. I haven't had that much fun in years, and I know you're durable. So am I."

"I-I can tell..." Emelia managed, clearing her throat slightly. Well, she knew he had a point... Despite being sore, she still felt oddly energized... Sure, the light exhaustion was there, but she knew she would have gone back to work immediately if she were physically able to. And she had to admit... She enjoyed this. It felt... normal. Almost.

She kept her eye on him for a moment before taking a breath. Was she really debating on this? The reality of the current situation hit her full force like Sturm on a rampage. She was silent for another moment before gulping slightly.

"What... What is... 'this' , exactly...?" she asked, her voice quiet. Karl drew back slightly, caught off guard by the question.

"Excuse me...??"

"I... You... You piss me off, Heisenberg..." she started, her arms resting at the sides of her head. Each movement of her shoulders resulted in a dull pain from his teeth, and his mouth twitched as he realized. She paused as she saw the smallest... tiniest twinge of regret in his eyes. But she shook her head, looking down at herself.

"I don't... I've been here for... only a short time compared to you, Karl... And now I... We do... THIS..." she continued, looking back up at him as he held his place over her. "What are we doing...?"

It was his turn to stay silent, obviously contemplating his answer. She had seen the same look on his face when discussing important factory matters... It almost made her feel better.

"What do you want from it?" He asked finally, tilting his head with a light shrug. She blinked.

"... What?"

He rolled his eyes, giving a small smirk.

"Ah, who's asking the hard questions now?" He played, chuckling as she glared at him. "I don't quite care what this leads to, I know what my goals are." He explained. "What are yours? What do YOU want out of it?"

"I..." she started, looking to the side. "... I don't know."

"Then don't worry about it!"

"But I-"

"Look, Emelia. If you can't figure it out, then focus on something else. Is it really worth wasting the energy if you don't know right away?" He asked.

She was silent. He... He was right.

"That... That's the most intelligent thing I've ever heard you say."

She nearly laughed at his insulted expression.

"Hey-"

"I'm joking, Metalhead..." She sighed with a small smile. There was silence for a moment before she finally gave a huff. "Just... For now just..."

"Come on, we don't have all day." Heisenberg joked, smirking as she glared at him.

"... Shut up you daft idiot." She growled finally, reaching to yank him down by his necklaces.

The movement startled him, but he seemed to know exactly what to do as his lips met hers with a light chuckle. The kiss was... gentle, oddly enough, but she relaxed once more under him. Light shivers traveled up her spine as she felt his fingers travel along her skin. The shirt was fully unbuttoned once again and nudged to her sides, and she took a deep breath as she felt the air on her chest. She only whined as her legs were moved, making him pause. There was a soreness between them from his roughness beforehand, sending small waves of a low, pulsing pain through her body. He gave a questioning hum against her lips, and she spoke against his.

"Sore..." she admitted quietly, feeling his amused smile.

"Good." He replied simply, adjusting himself and his pants to rest between her thighs. Emelia let out a quiet whimper as she was rubbed against, her legs shaking against his hips and her arms reaching out to his onto and wrap around his shoulders.

The dull throbbing sensation continued as he pushed into her once more, earning a somewhat pained whine as her back arched. It hurt... But the feeling lessened to a light sting after a few seconds, and she took lighter breaths. She couldn't help but wonder as he stayed still, his words and question playing in her mind as he returned to his position of leaning on his forearms over her. What DID she want from this...? Did she truly wish for any sort of stability from this? Or just survival? Maybe this was the first and last time she'd experience this, or maybe it would be regular. Did she WANT it to be regular, though? She didn't know... All she knew was that his touch swung wildly between rough and gentle every time he touched her, even before this. He always switched between harsher interactions and kind ones, making her angry and thankful at the same time. And yet, when he touched her NOW... Even while over the table, it was almost careful, hesitant to push her too far even while leaving bruises in her skin. Somehow, while sharing this intimacy, he was a perfect mix of the two. And somehow, it calmed her and even gave a small hope in the back of her mind.

Her thoughts stopped, letting out a breathy moan into the kiss as he started moving, this time at a slow pace. This time she kept her arms around him, hugging him close enough for their bare chests to press against each other. Her breaths and moans came from a different sort of pleasure, almost willing to believe that sharing this with him would allow some sort of normalcy. Her nails dug into his shoulders as he set a careful, hard rhythm, one of his arms moving down to press his hand against her stomach.

A single second passed before Heisenberg sent a low pulse of electricity through her body and piercings, causing her back to arch as she pulled away from the kiss with a gasping whine. She felt as he lowered his head with a low groan, starting to kiss and nibble along her jaw. Her nails dug into his back as his movements increased somewhat, creating more scratches to match the ones he already had. Her voice came out in quiet whines and moans into his ear as she clung to him. Sure this was making the soreness worse, but she almost couldn't tell between the low pulses and thrusts coming from the man. Her body shook while simultaneously encouraging more. She WANTED more... She already admitted as much to herself. Another whine escaped her lips as he nibbled just below her ear.

"Fuck, Emmy...~" he nearly purred into her ear, lifting her hips slightly and switching to smaller quick thrusts.

"K-... K-Karl-! F-FUCK-" she managed, her voice breaking somewhat as she allowed her legs to loosen at his sides to bring him closer. She whimpered as he suddenly leaned up, her nails digging and sliding down to his biceps before gripping them as she felt a familiar tightness below her belly; he could feel it, too.

Emelia suddenly held her breath in a surprised, wavering gasp as he slid his hand up her body from the belly piercing, his fingers dragging along the large scar on her chest before lingering and pressing against the sides of her neck. Her whines and moans continued, even as his hand moved higher to her jaw. She then jumped as his thumb pushed past her parted lips, resting on her tongue. She attempted to look up at him, but found it difficult to even keep her eye open... Heisenberg gave a low chuckle at the sight, pushing on her jaw slightly. He didn't even have to say a word as her mouth nearly closed around his thumb. Her whines and whimpers grew louder and her grip on him tightened, and she could only gasp as he pulled his thumb from her mouth and replaced it with his own.

The kiss was returned instantaneously, followed by her wavering, now muffled cry as she finally came once more. He grunted into the kiss as she tightened around him, her legs wrapping around his waist once more while her back arched. She wrapped her arms fully around his shoulders with overstimulated whines as his pace quickened before he finally let out his own wavering moan against her lips. She joined him with her own moan as he shoved his hips against hers, feeling the warmth enter her as he rode out his own orgasm with shaking muscles. God, it felt... It felt good... The warmth and twitching from him kept her whines going as they panted, her body shaking under him.

Both were silent for several moments, the kiss lessening to gentle movements before breaking.

"D-... D-Damn..." Emelia nearly squeaked, her head rolling to the side as her jaw was nuzzled.

"Hm. Are you alright?" Heisenberg asked, earning a small nod.

"... gonna be sore..." she replied quietly, relaxing somewhat as he kept his face against hers. He chuckled.

"You wanted it."

"Shush..." she huffed. Her breathing eased, feeling his smile against her skin. This was... Nice, she had to admit... An uncomfortable whine left her lips as he began to push himself up and away, only pausing as her legs twitched around him to keep him there. "N-No... stay..." she whined, watching as he raised a brow. "... P-Please..."

"I've never heard you say 'please' this much." He joked, earning a light glare. But he simply returned to his place over her with an amused chuckle, nearly laying on her.

She was relaxed despite nearly his entire weight on her torso, though she had no issues. He was really warm... She could almost purr with the warmth both on top of and inside her, the feeling relaxing her to the point of her limbs going lax around him. She felt him chuckle against her skin, taking a breath as his lips found her bruised neck. But her mind wandered elsewhere, and she found herself pressing her cheek to his.

"Can we... Not talk about this...?" She asked quietly, earning a confused hum as he glanced at her.

"Oh? What do you mean?"

"J-Just... Um..." she tried, turning her head to look at him. "M-Maybe this could be... just... stress relief...?"

She jumped as Heisenberg shifted, his face now hovering over hers with their noses together.

"Just stress relief?" He asked, amusement dancing in his eyes as her face reddened. "Is that what you want?"

She simply nodded, her fingers traveling over small scars that covered his upper back and shoulders. 'For now...' she thought. Wait, 'for now'...?? Did she really mean that...? She was pulled out of her thoughts as he pressed a quick kiss to her forehead.

"Then so be it." Heisenberg said simply, meeting her gaze. She stared up at him before nodding and taking a breath. But he moved before she had a chance to even think, wrapping his arm around her waist. "Hold on."

"What-" she tried, only to cling to him with a surprised yelp as he pushed against the mattress to lean up with her against his chest. She let out a light whine as she was shifted on him, small sparks shooting up her spine as she was settled against his hips while he sat and leaned back against the wall. He couldn't help but smirk as she let out a whimper, her legs twitching. "Better?"

"I..." she tried, though couldn't manage words as she felt him shift against her to make himself comfortable. So she simply nodded before leaning against his chest.

It was his turn to freeze as she nuzzled to his neck, giving a pleased sigh as his arms hesitantly went around her waist. She relaxed against him, enjoying the warmth he gave and the feeling of his arms around her.

"... You're warm..." she said quietly, earning a surprised chuckle.

"I would almost hope so." He replied, reaching up and under the shirt she still wore to drag his fingers along small scars on her back. He smiled as she relaxed. "I'm going to assume you're not moving any time soon?"

He nearly laughed as she nodded against his shoulder.

"Fair assumption..." she mumbled, closing her eye.

While she wasn't necessarily tired, there was a sliver of exhaustion in her chest. She had to admit, there was still pain from the bite marks that now covered her neck and shoulders, and the soreness of her legs came as a dull throbbing. But she oddly didn't mind... She held her breath as she realized her enjoyment of this. The touches, the intimacy... Even the dull pains she felt. Maybe she didn't even mind HIM...

No, no... She DID mind him. Did she...? She still found him infuriating... But the way he held her now was... Well, it made her question quite a bit.

She finally sighed, relaxing fully against him. She focused on his touches against her back instead of the thoughts in her mind, willfully ignoring them for once. She'd enjoy what she had for now... Her attention went to the sounds of his heart and distant machinery, letting them lull her into a light sleep. She didn't NEED she sleep at the moment, but to her, it was almost perfect.

She only hoped it would stay that way.

[lenievi]

Hi! It's me again (I promise I am not an exhibitionist ^^" I just can't send you a private message for some reason).

I really haven't gotten any notification so thank you very much for the public answer (sometimes I think Tumblr has something against me personally).

Czech is a beautiful language! I don't know anything about it, but my eyes get heartshaped whenever I hear it or about it (and it was my second choice for the BA degree).

I think I have an idea why the first series are special to you. As I said, I haven't yet watched anything else to compare it with, but I have the feeling that it's in those episodes when the writers care the least about the team and the most about the plot. I mean that the episodes are Kirk centered (even Bones is only occasiononaly present and Uhura, Sulu and Scotty barely communicate with both Spock and Kirk) and I have yet to see a bad episode without a serious message. I know that this will change and I am actually a bit scared by it. Cause when I started watching I thought I was up for silly funny friendiship-tenderness-banter stories that could be pleasantly interpreted as ships. I wasn't really prepared for the complexity of characters' feelings or the tragedy of their choices. I am mesmerized by it. (But maybe I am all wrong and you have a different perception. Would you care to share? :)

Actually, now I really don't get it how like the 80% of fandom only cares for spirk having sex. I mean it is beautiful outside of TOS (and I am forever grateful for all those weeks on ao3) but that is the most boring hc you can have in TOS. You should really be in the 60's and consider gay sex taboo to make it exiting. To be honest, I haven't thought about TOS spones or mcspirk either, but I read a couple of your works last night (it was a really nice escapism night, thank you) and you've made both couples look very interesting (I am honestly looking forward to the new chapters of the spones slow burn work-in-progress). I am especially fond of your style! It's both very delicate and very TOS. It didn't feel wrong even in this missing scene from the Consciousness of the King and I have just watched the episode. I loved especially how Kirk wanted Kodos to be killed and maybe even wanted to see him watch his daughter suffer. I think I disagree with you on the subject of Kodos but it only makes it more interesting.

Huh, this got a bit out of control... I am very sorry!

Hi! I think it might be connected to the fact that you don't appear in notifications? Even when you reblog a post of mine, no one can see you liked/reblogged it in the post itself… I'm not sure if this is what shadowbanned means, but it's possible that it's something like that…

The reason why I like the first half is kinda similar to what you said. Part of the reason is that the episodes are Kirk-centric (but that doesn't really change later, the whole show is Kirk-centric, actually, he's the star after all), but the other reason is that more than the rest of the show, these episodes are actually those where you can see the life on the Enterprise, where you can see supporting characters interacting, where you get glimpses of what TOS could be if it was an ensemble show. There are also some personal reasons, mostly related to McCoy and how much I love his and Kirk's scenes in early s1, but after the writers realized that Spock and McCoy have a fun dynamic, they started to increase that, while lowering Kirk&McCoy scenes…

There are still plenty of good episodes later, with good messages (I think the pop-culture version of Trek is very subtle, almost nonexistent, actually, there are a few episodes like that, but it’s not the majority), but with the change of the showrunner (not sure if that's the correct term lol but yeah), the second season got a bit lighter and fun, and the 3rd season got slightly depressing with its themes and the empty and dying planets, and it focused primarily on the trio only. The show just evolved (even though most of the changes were caused by egos lol)

I mean, I don't watch TOS and think that spones or mckirk have sex, I don't see anything in the show as romantic (nothing reads that way), but it's fun to think what IF because that's what's shipping about to me, and the spones dynamic and the mckirk dynamic are compelling to me on different and various levels (not necessarily just romantic/sexual). So it's fun to try and figure out if I can get them somewhat together in a way I'd enjoy. I have nothing against s/k as a ship (I feel like I always need to make sure that people understand this), I just don't find anything interesting about them as a romantic ship - probably the same way as most people don't find anything interesting about tos!mckirk lol (the never actually experienced simple friendship without subordinate/superior shadows that's part of the show/films is way more compelling tbh, but it's not like you can find that in fanfics, not that I tried though lol but considering everything…) But I dislike the fanon portrayal, and I dislike how aggressive some fans are, so I just prefer not to speak about it with others (I occasionally do make a post about some aspects of their friendship I enjoy though), even if it's just friendship, because I have different opinions, and I blacklist all mentions of it. (it took me a moment to figure out why your ask didn't show for me on my computer, since Tumblr Savior hides all mentions of sp1rk (and variations) for me lol)

I'm glad you had fun with my fics and that the relationships worked for you! I see Kirk as an unreliable narrator in that Conscience of the King fic, so not everything he thinks about Kodos is necessarily true. And his fondness for Lenore made it even more difficult to know what to really do when confronted with someone who could be Kodos.

I hope that my love for spones will come back soon, so that I can work some more on that wip!

ETA: I want to also add that I don’t think there’s anything weird or boring about only watching a show because of a ship or a character and having that as the primary interest. It’s practically what I do too on a perhaps a different scale, but it’s not really different.

[isitstraightvodka]

Strip

in which gwil doesn't like you and it's your mission to find out why.

pairing: gwilym lee x fem!reader

word count: 4.5k+

warnings: enemies to lovers, smut (the rough kind), oral (both m and f receiving), angst, swearing, alcohol use

a/n: hello my loves! i present to u what i have been working on for a while, it's filthy so read ahead w caution 😂😳 i really hope u enjoy it and please let me know if u do. any feedback, asks / rbs, would be much appreciated xx also gif credit is @mazzelloplots​ 💕

࿐ ࿔*:･ﾟ.·:*¨༺

You had no idea what you'd done for Gwil to hate your guts but it must be dead serious because he just about didn't give you any attention whenever you were in the same room. It was infuriating, as each day passed, you racked your brain to remember if you'd done or said anything for him to act like this around you but as always, nothing came to mind. All you got was a cold stare, or no eye contact at all, and at the very least, a few sentences but that was it. It made it even worse that both of you were friends with Ben, after all that's how you were introduced to each other, you figured he'd be a good guy as was evident the first time you met, a regular mutual friend greeting; first handshake, small smiles and twinkling new eyes but ever since then, everything had changed.

Every time you went out and saw Gwil, he either said nothing to you but "Hi." or he'd rush off somewhere else the moment you approached him. The cold shoulder did not do anything for your confidence, you were a friendly person and loved meeting new people but this was something else entirely, the confusion soon turned to tension and anger, ripping at your hair during lonely nights in your apartment, thinking why doesn't he like me? Then you went to Ben who just shrugged and said he'd warm up to you eventually, which you found incredibly difficult to believe, you weren't having it, it had been almost half a year and no progress, you'd had enough, you had to confront him.

Your opportunity arose only a week later, during a party at Joe's house.  it made your muscles tense up knowing you were going to see Gwil, and it wasn't fair of him to give you this sort of treatment without a shred of explanation. Everything was in full-swing when you arrived by your lonesome, but you didn't waste no longer than ten minutes making your move, so there you were, drink in hand, when you cornered him talking to Lucy. Walking head held high, you approached them, and Lucy smiled when she noticed you, you shared a kiss on the cheek before exchanging respective compliments on each other's looks, then your attention went to him.

"Hey, can I talk to you?"

Both he and Lucy looked at you before the blonde nudged him with her arm, giving him a cool stare, as if to say, "Go sort this out", which was true since you and her had talked about the situation too, and her response was "It's between you and him, so get in there girl and stand up for yourself", and right now, tonight, you were going to heed her advice.

Gwil took a deep breath and walked next to you as you made your way to the nearest room, where it was quiet enough to talk, but the walk there seemed to stretch on for hours instead of a matter of seconds. You could feel the anxiety flooding through your body when his arm brushed your shoulder, you could tell he wasn't looking at you, his fingers gripping his wine glass a little too tight. Some sort of emotion hung between the two of you, you couldn't put your finger on it but it was something strong, something deep, Great another thing for you to be confused about. What you didn't know is that Gwil felt it too. 

After what felt like an age, you entered the guest bedroom, all neat and empty, leaving the impression nobody had stayed in there for a long time. Gwil had his free hand tucked into the pocket of his dark jeans, standing by the door once he closed it, silencing the bustle of the party, but still didn't give you his attention. You took a deep breath and tapped your nail on the rim of your drink, allowing your heartbeat to decrease, opening the conversation very kindly.

"I believe there is something we have to discuss."

All he did was part his lips and take a swig of red wine, leaning back against the wall, crossing one ankle over the other. Not one word left his mouth, he didn't move an inch and it took a lot in you not to start raising your voice. Why does he not want to talk to you? What is up his ass? Fucking say something, you bastard! The tension in the room was too stifling for you to cope with so you spoke again, but harsher.

"Fuck, you should man up and talk to me like a decent bloke, I thought you would be."

And that's when he finally looked at you. Without even realising it, the suddenness of eye contact made shivers run down your spine, deep blue eyes staring into yours, brows furrowed in faint disgust.

"Hate to burst your bubble then, love."

More shivers, rippling throughout your bones so fast you were almost afraid he'd be able to notice you slightly trembling. His voice wasn't supposed to do that....but it did, from the way he said it, from the way you finally saw his eyes in clear view, how fucking hot he looked just standing there, how had you not noticed that before? Because his blind hatred of you clouded that fact. You shook the thoughts out of your head and stood your ground.

"I seriously have no clue why you been acting like this around me. I have been nothing but kind to you, I haven't said one bad word to you, I truly wanted us to be friends but you find an excuse to escape me every chance you get!"

Your cheeks flushed red once the words left your lips, your free hand scrunching up into a fist, nails digging into your palm. Gwil all but sighed and...was that a smirk you saw? No, just a trick of the lights. The point of his shoe tapped the carpet as he looked down at his half-empty glass, collecting his thoughts.

"Not a bad word? I heard you talking to Joe the other week, you called me a dickhead."

"I have every reason to, you barely talk to me. This is the most you've talked to me in weeks."

"If you have reasons, then I have them too."

"Fucking tell me then instead of practically ignoring me! It's childish."

"So I'm the child but you're the one yelling." He cocked an eyebrow, was that another smirk? He's got me so confused? Is that what he wants?

"How do you expect me to react? I haven't appreciated the cold shoulder, Gwilym."

"I don't appreciate you running your mouth."

"Could just tell me whatever reasons you have instead of this."

You and him went back forth, trying to fight each other but it didn't seem to do anything good, it only heightened the tension between you two but a specific kind of tension. One you knew now and one he managed to figured out seeing you in front of him, raising your voice. In this moment, he saw how attractive you were, more so than he already thought, your face heating up and your hair glowing from the muted lights, the dress hugging your body almost provocatively, silver diamonds hanging from your ears and cherry-coloured lips parted slightly between words. You were so sexy and the alcohol buzzing through him wasn't helping, but this was the reason for it all. He fancied you.

"Look, it's complicated." He sighed, resting his head back against the wall. You had to bite back a laugh, is he serious?

"No, it's not. Open your mouth and just tell me."

But it turns out he didn't need to open his mouth, at least not the way you expected him to. It happened swiftly, too fast for you to comprehend, all you really saw was his glass fall to the floor, wine staining the carpet, then he crossed the room over you within three strides, took your face in his hands and crushed his lips against yours.

Your eyes flew open in surprise at the sudden pressure of his kiss...his kiss? You could barely understand what was happening, he held onto you like he needed air to breathe, you could taste the wine on his tongue, it was intoxicating, it felt...nice but was the wine nice or the aggression of his mouth? Questions swirled your mind, it didn't help your emotions during this moment, you didn't realise your mouth had opened on its own which allowed him to slip his tongue in a little and close the gap between you again, the second kiss even harder and more passionate, the softest groan of relief and delight from him ringing in your ears. You almost let yourself fall under his spell before you caught yourself and made a muffled squeak, your hand finding his jacket and pushing him away from you, gasping for a breath.

"What the fuck, Gwil?"

Thoughts circled your head, words bouncing off the walls, your hand brushing over your bottom lip, the gloss transferring to your skin as it had done on his lips, stained and shiny, you were surprised you were still holding your wine glass. He cocked an eyebrow at you as heat rose to his cheeks, he raised his hand almost as if he was apologising but you stopped him, holding up your own hand and shaking your head.

"What was that?"

"I...I kissed you."

"No shit Sherlock! Why? How is that supposed to explain anything?"

"I'm- I..." He couldn't seem to find the right words, he hesitated reaching his hand out further before deciding against it and pushing it back through his hair. You gulped, why is it so hot when he does that? You were so glad he couldn't read your mind right now, if he had heard what you just said, you sure would wish for the floor to open up and swallow you whole.

"You think a kiss is going to solve everything? I'm not some plastic doll for you to play around with however you please."

"I..I know, I just..."

"Just what? I thought you'd tell me with words, I though-"

"Oh for fuck's sake, I like you, okay?"

His pupils were blown wide as much as yours when he half-yelled the words and this time you were sure the glass was going to slip through your fingers but it still didn't, in fact you had a right mind to just down the whole thing after what he told you. You thought he didn't like you...he liked you? If you were confused before, then you were even more now, your hand fell to your side as you stared at him, eyes like glass, you couldn't even blink. Gwil's gaze had turned to the floor, pretending to be interested in the pale white carpet, his fingers moving to the back of his neck where sweat began to form. He waited for you to speak, the seconds ticked by painfully, it felt so long before you said anything.

"You...like me?" You gulped, trying to process his revelation. He chewed on his bottom lip and tucked both hands back into his pocket, nodding as his eyes flicked over to you.

"Yeah, I do, I like you. A lot."

His voice seemed fearful, anxious but with an underlying desperation, like that of a teenager admitting a big brush, it was rather cute in your eyes; first hot now cute? How can he be both? Stop it, stop questioning everything. You cursed yourself, fingers wrapped around your glass harder you thought it might crack. Instead of replying, you drained the wine, it was the only thing you could think of doing. Gwil watched as your throat moved, as you swallowed, he shuddered and prayed he wasn't showing through his pants, now wasn't the best time, especially with how you reacted. You sighed as the last drop fell into your mouth and rushed through your veins, you finally let the glass fall from your grasp and land with a small thud on the carpet. Your fingers came together in front of you, interlacing as you twiddled your thumbs, eyelids fluttering as you collected your thoughts, one deep breath and you looked at him.

"I don't understand. You like me, but you have been acting like you hate me, why do that?"

Gwil didn't answer right away, he fidgeted, hands still in his pockets, his vision now turning to eye the golden lamp on the bedside table. In this light, you could see the sparkle in his eyes, the deepest blue, like a calm ocean, like a pair of warm sapphires, you found yourself not looking away. 

"I didn't mean to be that way, I was just afraid." He said, still not looking at you.

"Why afraid?"

"Of rejection. Of you already being taken. I didn't want to admit anything if I had no chance with you." He confessed, raising one hand out of his pocket to massage his neck, your eyes locked to his fingers, wondering what they'd feel like around your ne- Cut it out! You banished your dirty thought and continued the talk.

"The worst I could say is no, and I'd mean it without any offense. And I'm not taken, I think you'd know if I was."

"That's the thing, I thought you were!"

"How did you come to that conclusion?" You peered at him. He sighed and scratched his beard, stubble littering his cheeks and chin, and right then, another X-rated thought entered your brain, You wonder what that would feel like between your legs...will it tickle? Itch? Arouse you? You think you wanted to know.

"Because you and Ben, and I...didn't want to get in the way"

You and Ben? You gave him a perplexed look as you tried to work out what your friend had got to do with any of this. Ben was really a great guy, you enjoyed his company, years of friendship had blossomed between him and you, and you loved being able to see him when he wasn't busy with his star-studded career, but there wasn't anything there to insinuate something more was happening between you two. 

Then it hit you.

"You thought that Ben...and me...that we...? Oh god no we're just friends!"

You bit back a giggle. Ben was easy on the eyes, anyone could see that, even Joe said it, multiple times, many conversation he'd told you, "That fucker's stupidly gorgeous isn't he?" but he was not your type. He was more like a brother to you than anything else. Sure there was the occasional kiss on the cheek, hugs a little longer than usual, his arm around your waist or ruffling your hair when you told a stupid joke, but friends did that, they could do that without having feelings for each other. Gwil almost lost his balance after what you said, Just friends...Just friends...

"Are you sure? I mean he's the pretty boy."

"Okay he's pretty but he is like family to me, I wouldn't hit that even if I was piss drunk." 

Your mouth curled at the corners, as did his and both of you shared  a small laugh. Your eyes fell upon the empty wine glass on the floor, teeth tugging at your lower lip; you could see Gwil's body shift a little closer, one foot in front of the other, until he was standing before you, chests almost touching. His fingers stroked your jaw, moving underneath your chin to bring your gaze up to his face. He looked...intense but still had a softness behind his eyes, something sweet and hesitant but at the same time, you could feel he wanted to continue the kiss he gave only minutes ago.

"So...no Ben?"

You rested your hand on his wrist, giving him a smile as your eyes went from his to his lips, mouth watering at the memory of them on yours.

"No Ben."

࿐ ࿔*:･ﾟ.·:*¨༺

"Gwil..."

His name was like chocolate on your tongue, as his tongue worked over and against your slick folds. One hand in his hair and the other curled behind your head, back arching with every hum he made against you, his mouth was insane, you hadn't felt such pleasure in god knows how long; he really knew what he was doing.  And he seemed to enjoy it as much as you did, smiling as he pressed kisses to your swollen clit, groaning with each flick and lick, with each tug you made on his hair, and that mixed with the feeling of his stubble rubbing your inner thighs and right above your mound as he angled his lips in the most delightful of ways. 

You were getting closer, you could almost taste it, feel it....but he stopped and raised his face from between your legs, his arms still wrapped around your flushed thighs. His mouth was wet, his hair in disarray and his eyes dilated; he looked fucking hot, but right now, you wanted to scream at him for stopping it right when you were about to finish. He could see you were almost angry at how suddenly he pulled away from your heat, he stroked the curve of your left breast as he began to lay down next to you, his free hand resting over his mouth.

"Come sit here."

It took you a few seconds to realise what he meant, your breath got caught in your throat, slowly blinking at him in surprise.

"Are you...are you sure?"

"Yes, you're so beautiful, I'd love nothing more than for you to ride my tongue."

You certainly did not expect something so foul to come out of his mouth but fuck you loved it. A smile grew on your face as you sat up, as he brought his hands to your hips just as you were about to face the headboard, he pushed you in the other direction a tad.

"Sit the other way, baby."

Your cheeks became hot and you were almost embarrassed at how flustered a simple petname made you. You gasped as you got into position, his nose right there against you and in your line of eyesight was his sweaty body, his happy trail disappearing into his jeans, and through those, a bulge was unmistakable.

You'd made him hard and you hadn't done anything but kiss him, you giggled at the reality of it, the embarrassment fading into smugness. Gwil moved his hands over your thighs, giving one of them a slap and you yelped in shock.

"What are you laughing about, huh?"

You bit your lip as you answered.

"You're hard."

"O'course I fucking am. Eating you out did that to me, hell you make me hard just by looking at me." He murmured on you, and before you could say anything, his tongue was back on you, licking back and forth, covering the length of your heat, he didn't leave one spot untouched by his tongue. Moans flew out of your mouth, sweat beading on your skin as he switched between his lips and his tongue, going so far as to telling you to bounce, and doing that was one hell of an experience. You leaned forward and raised your hips so you could move more, his tongue stuck out flat so you could feel it inside you, warming you up, stretching you out, he really cared about making you feel good and giving you the best feeling before you reached your high.

Your hands latched onto the belt around his jeans, curled over his body, grinding over his mouth, his facial hair once again giving you that cherry on top, his growls of hunger and delight pushing you over the edge. One palm slapped your ass cheeks, his name flowing from your lips again.

"Cum for me, cum on my face, sweet girl."

And you did just that, body shaking as you rode out your orgasm on his face, his lips never detaching from your clit, intending to make you have the most explosive high, and it sure felt like that. Your toes and fingers were on fire, your heart shot through the roof and you had trouble catching your breath as he lapped you up, "Mm you taste so good", another slap to your ass, chuckling against your heat, nose bumping on your clit, making you whimper a little given how sensitive you were. You slowly sat up and ran a hand through your damp hair, laughing through deep breathes.

"Fuck, you're amazing at that."

"Thought I wouldn't be?" You could feel his smirk beneath you.

"No no, just...wow."

Gwil smirked wider and gave your clit one last kiss, your eyes back on the even-harder bulge in his jeans. He'd just made you feel incredible. You wanted to do the same to him. So instead of moving from your position, you simply leaned down over his toned chest and started unbuckling his belt.

"Oh I see someone's hungry too." He laughed, hands resting on your red ass. Something came over you, the sexual side of you suddenly arose and within seconds, his belt was off and you were pulling his jeans down. He gave you some help by lifting his hips, you pushed them down to his knees and now you could see how hard he actually was, almost bursting to be released from the prison of his boxers. You didn't want to keep him waiting, you giggled and tucked your fingers into them, and pushed them down to join his jeans, more giggles spilling out when you got the first proper look at his cock.

The tip was pink, precum already forming, he was thick, very girthy, bigger than you thought but still you weren't that surprised. You slipped your fingers around him and gripped him and he hissed, his breath hot on your cunt. You smiled to yourself and pumped him a few times, relishing how warm and hard he was in your hand, the pads of your fingers rubbing over the veins, satisfied with your work, you puckered your lips and wrapped them around the head of his cock, and the noise he made was so fucking sexy, the sweetest groan and the hottest whine.

"Holy shit..."

You concentrated on where you sucked and moved your mouth, your hand tight around the base of his shaft. From previous experiences, you knew lubricant of any kind worked a treat, so you took a moment to pull your lips off and spit over the head, gently rubbing wetness all over his length; that got him considering the deep moans he was making right against your clit. Feeling his mouth so close to you while you sucked him off made you powerful, like you had him in your corner, it was your turn to give him pleasure and in his hand, he hadn't felt this good in a long time. 

When his eyes were open, they were on your cunt, fucking you with his vision, his hands moving from your ass to your hips to your upper thighs, gripping your skin as his own hips started to move with your mouth and before long, Gwil was fucking your mouth. You choked and whimpered around his cock, delicious sounds from his perspective, leaving marks on your ass from how hard he was holding you.

"Your mouth's so warm and tight fuck baby I-"

His words encouraged you to do more, fingers away from his cock and moving to his balls, you grabbed one and he let out a cry of delight, jerking his hips up faster until your eyes started to water; it burned but it was a good burn, making Gwil feel this way made you feel good, pleasing him made you feel good. As you squeezed his balls, his eyes rolled to the back of his head, neck craned all the way back over the pillow, his toes curling over the end of the bed. Your own thighs started to shake and your throat tightened around him, and he lost his hand.

"Just like that, yeah."

And with your mouth around him and your fingers gripping his balls, he finished, quicker than you thought; it wasn't even three minutes and you tasted hot thickness, his cum, him. You gagged a little as you removed your lips softly like sucking a lollipop, strings of your saliva dripping from his cock. You gasped and swallowed; you never spat out, it was a rule you gave yourself, what a waste it would be to spit, especially after sucking Gwil off, and speaking of him, his breath was heavy and fast, chest puffing in and out as he came down from his high, eyes glittering and a cheesy grin on his face.

"You're amazing at that."

All you could do was giggle and say, "I know."

࿐ ࿔*:･ﾟ.·:*¨༺

He was buried deep inside your walls, stretching out every inch and corner of you, the strokes of his cock were heavenly, easily hitting your g-spot over and over again. Your legs were wrapped high around his waist, ankles crossed over, nails digging into his back and dragging down his spine, one of his hands gripping the headboard and the other on your thigh, keeping you in place as he fucked you raw.

"Gwil, Gwil...please.." 

"Please what? What do you want?" He grunted between thrusts. Tears burned your lids as your hips smashed with his, lips inches away from his, his warm breath setting your face alight.

"Please...I want to cum, I want us to cum together..."

"Oh fuck.."

The way he moved got harder, faster, more aggressive to the point where your legs were turning into jelly and all you could feel was his stiff cock, you could not even get a proper sentence out anymore, if you did, it was laced with high whines. As his body meshed with your own, your eyes glanced at his arm, where his hand held onto the headboard with so much force you wondered why it hadn't broken. You felt yourself melt into the bed at the sight of his bicep, skin wrapped thin around the muscles, a sheen of sweat coating over his arm, more sweat on his forehead and at the back of his neck, face dipping close to your jaw, the air humid between the two of you.

"I'm gonna cum, shit- but I'm not wear-"

"I'm..on the p-p-pill, cum in me, Gwil." You gripped at him, pulling his chest closer, clenching your cunt around him, desperate for him to finish. The "fucking hell" told you he was only seconds away and sure enough, you felt it, you felt his orgasm, how his cock pulsated inside you, even better inside you than in your mouth and you followed barely a minute after when he was still riding out his high, your back off the bed and your legs trembling around him, harsh scratches left deep in his back because of you. 

Gwil collapsed on top of you, your fingers finding their way into his sweaty hair, as he slowly pulled out of you, the remnants of what you'd just did together dripping down your thigh, something he found extremely attractive. He attached his lips to yours in a passionate sweet kiss, as if you two hadn't just fucked each other's brains out, smiling as he broke the kiss and pressed another to your nose.

"Didn't think this would happen coming here tonight." He guffawed, rolling off you to get comfortable beside you. Like second nature, you curled up into him, your arm draped over his chest and his over your shoulders, sheets askew down to his waist as well as yours; to the both of you, cuddling after sex was as special as the act of sex itself.

"Neither did I...but I like that it happened." You smiled up at him. His fingers stroked your hair, his lips against the top of your head.

"Yeah? Me too."

You and Gwil stayed there, having cuddle time and striking up a conversation about what this meant for your relationship; you liked him and he liked you but for right now, it was agreed upon that the sex was great and that's what it would be, unless deeper feelings crept in. Time was lost, you felt safe with him, his hand in your hair as you traced patterns on his skin, but as much as you loved having this, you knew you couldn't stay here all night.

"We should get back. Everyone will be wondering where we are." You sat up and gathered the sheets up to your chest, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. Gwil joined you and rubbed the back of his neck.

"You're right about that, let's go, love." He said, and just as he was about to get out of the bed, there was a knock at the door followed by a very familiar American accent.

"I don't know what's happening in there but if you two are done defiling MY guest bedroom, you'd better come out and watch Ben do Jell-O shots off me." 

You burst out laughing and your head fell into Gwil's neck at Joe's statement, he chuckled along with you and sighed deeply, eyebrows raised; he didn't want to leave this room either, not with having you in the bed, gloriously naked and beautiful. But still, the two of you had to rejoin the party. He kissed your temple and rubbed your shoulder as giggles slipped through your lips, he couldn't help but smile even wider at the sound of your laughter.

"Well well we can't miss that, can we?"

taglist: @rhapsodyrecs​ / @bens-jawline​ / @itsametaphorgwil​ / @queen-paladin​ / @joeneslee​ / @almightygwil​ / @deacyblues​ / @zyanmaik​ / @hermajestyborhap​ / @yourlocalmusicalprostitute​ / @coincidence-ithinknots-blog​ / @grigorlee​ / @captvinswaan​ / @taliaphobia​ / @gwil-lee​ / @hannafuckingsucks​ / @benders-diamond-earring​ / @supersonicfreddie​

[ladylike-foxes]

Thank you so much @midnightprelude !! ❤️❤️ I made it as spoopy as I could, but honestly, I don't think I did very well. Hopefully it's at least entertaining to read! @dadrunkwriting

~~~

The Arlathan forest was undeniably lovely: lush and verdant; vibrant colors painting every flower, fruit, and animal; a pleasant, tropical warmth with a surprisingly cool humidity, the temperature tolerable despite the sweat of exertion. For all of its beauty, though, it seemed that the forest required a punishment for enjoying it. In truth, the term "lush" was a vast understatement. The foliage was so thick, one plant growing almost entirely atop the next, it was often impossible to see more than two feet in any direction. Although, compared to the struggle of movement, even this scant visibility seemed reasonable.

They were assaulted from all sides by tangled roots, thick fallen branches, vines both creeping and hanging, thorns, barbs, poisonous plants and venomous insects. Each step required a slow, deliberate effort and usually receiving a large frond smack to the face. Progress would no doubt be minutely easier if she were to use one of her long knives to hack a path through the undergrowth—but somehow, to do so seemed sacrilegious. So, she made no suggestion, and Solas never mentioned it, so it appeared they were of one mind in this.

Still, something was gnawing at the back of her mind. She had begun to realize the feeling of...being watched? No, that wasn't quite right. Not watched, but their presence having attracted someone's (or something's) attention. Awareness. And something else: while their pace hadn't seemed any more forgiving, and it was difficult to determine for certain, it was beginning to feel as though they were walking in a circle. That look of uncertainty, worn so carefully veiled, on Solas's face for the last day and a half was becoming increasingly difficult for him to hide. It was enough to convince her.

"We're lost," Stopping in her tracks as Solas, turning to see, stopped as well.

"I fear you may be right," Sighing, shoulders slumping with discouraged exhaustion.

"I know we haven't made any turns, but I swear—" Slapping a bug that was biting her neck, "We've been walking in the same circle for the past two days."

"Yes, I was thinking the very same," Brow knitted in worry, beads of sweat at his temples, "Well, if that is indeed the case, then we should be very close to the clearing. Nightfall will be upon us soon, and it is the best place to make camp."

After a brief groan of frustration she nodded her agreement, continuing to follow close behind him. The "clearing" he was referring to was merely a small strip of forest floor, barely as long as he was tall, where the foliage hadn't entirely overgrown. On the bright side, the small bowl they had dug for their campfire would still be there, under the pile of fan fronds and leaf litter they'd used to cover it. It had been no small feat starting a fire with humidity-soaked tinder, even with their combined magics, so it should be easier with the little pit covered with leaves all day. She tried to focus on this sliver of silver lining while they trudged in silence for the next hour. 

They had been silent a lot lately. When they did speak, it tended to be something they couldn't communicate otherwise, or to offer the last strip of ram jerky, or some other little thing. Maybe they had said everything that there was to say to one another. Argued every argument, screamed every scream. Maybe this companionship was so effortless, even in silence, because it had been exhausted, tired out. Upsetting, a burning in her throat like tears and bile. She quickly brushed this thought away quickly. Neither of them were in much mood for conversation anyway, after the trudging through the unforgiving forest and the bone-deep weariness it cost them...and now the added frustration of their day, wasted.

Solas dropped to the ground, sitting with arms outstretched over his knees, his head hung between. She found the pit quickly and started the fire with minimal trouble, muttering a blessing under her breath as she moved to fall beside him. When he lowered his knee, and she shifted to rest her head atop it, she realized that she'd surprised them both. It had been a thoughtless action, and she stiffened, suddenly aware of herself. But she could the warmth of his hand as it hesitated above her, and when he gently smoothed back the wisps at her temples, continuing his gentle caressing of her hair, she relaxed. 

She was abruptly aware of the darkness that had fallen outside her eyelids. Had the fire gone out? Had she fallen asleep? Feeling, as if it were her own, the tension that seemed to flood every muscle in Solas's body; her eyes flew open. The fire was not out...but an amorphous blackness had come between it and them, floating just above the ground. They had both lept to their feet, though she didn't recall moving, and Solas had angled himself defensively between her body and the thing. The forest was completely still: no chirping birds, no buzzing insects, no snapping or shifting branches, not even a leaf dared to fall. And the air! All moisture and warmth seemed to have evaporated entirely, leaving only the cold that came from the blackness. Her breath billowed in soft clouds across her vision as she stared, waiting for it to consume them. It didn't move. 

Movement from Solas captured her attention, and she spared a glance to see his grimace, his silent scream. Falling to his knees, fingers like claws against his skin as he clutched his head without a sound. The Voices of the Well stirred in her mind, slowly growing louder, almost furious. Unable to move, she checked to see the form had not come closer before looking back to Solas. He seemed to be arguing, his lips moving too quickly to read, teeth bared in pain and anger, rocking himself back and forth on his knees and nails digging into flesh. The Voices were deafening now, too loud to think, too indistinct to decipher—  Then she heard the whispers. The thing was muttering, and though it spoke as one, the number of voices layered within was horrifically unfathomable. If it spoke a language, it was one that would never pass over a material tongue, nor any corporeal mind ever comprehend. Arguing with the Well's Voices this preternatural manner, yet she could hear the amusement in its tone. When she had turned her attention from Solas and back to the darkness, paralysis overtook her with such indefinable terror, like her spine had turned to ice. The Voices and whispers continued unintelligible: panic began to swell as she fought to make sense of the endless overlapping roar in her mind. All at once, it seemed to quiet slightly, and she managed to glean the meaning of what was said next.

She is beyond even Us. Untouchable to You.

There was no physical touch, and no distance had increased or closed between them, but it was as though she could feel it reach out and skim over her. For a moment, all was quiet, as the thing seemed to muse over something. When it whispered, again she understood the meaning. 

Ah, but not the other one, the Elvhen—

"No." 

Low and dangerous, breaking from the paralysis with the rigid confidence and authority of someone infinitely more powerful than herself, she spoke aloud. Without eyes or face, without a head, without moving, she felt it turn to regard her in surprise, a sense that it was entertained. A flash of rage, realizing The Voices had no intention of speaking up in Solas's defense. 

"You will leave him entirely alone. There will be no more games, no more leading us in endless circles, no more hindering our progress," Commanding, unsure it was truly her speaking,  "You will be gone and leave us be." 

Mocking her with the smooth, near perfect mimick of Solas, if not for the horrible layering of its voice: Ma nuvenin, Da'len.

She heard Solas’s panicked gasping for air on the ground at her side, but she kept her eyes on the blackness. It lingered only a moment, as if to make a point, before dissipating before her eyes, until there was no evidence it was ever there. The Voices had disappeared too, no doubt slipping back into the far depths of her mind, hiding from her angry questions. She knelt beside Solas, wide-eyed and cradling the side of his head in his palm.  Body trembling violently, eyes searching the small clearing with unsatisfied urgency. She cupped his jaw in her hand, making soft soothing sounds to calm him. When he finally turned his eyes to her, she started, leaning back on her hands, prepared to back away. 

"What was that thing?" On the verge of snarling.

"I-I don't know?" Confusion and fear catching her voice.

"Why did it listen to you?" His irrational fury had scared her; his condescension hardened her.

"All I know, is that there are things in this forest even more unknowable and ancient than you, Solas."

[tarotmum13]

Tarot Lessons for Beginners - Part 4

My dear student - I feel like I should apologise for the title! You are a "Beginner" no longer!

By now, you have a grasp on the system that Tarot is built on, you have at least a basic idea of how each card may be interpreted, you can work with your deck in the manner you choose - without clinging to myths and superstitions. You have done some background reading, you (hopefully) have found a deck that suits your style, and you are beginning to use your cards in a spread rather than regard them individually.

I am so proud of you!

Now it is time to learn how we can get more information from the cards that are dealt.

We will do this by looking at a practise-spread, applying what we have learned so far and then looking beyond...

I have chosen a simple 3 card spread, looking at my Past, Present and Future - and you will be surprised how much information can be gleaned from it.

To start our Reading, we look at the story being told in each card and apply it to my particular situation. This will give us insight in to where I am coming from, how my life is progressing right now, and what I can expect from the future. We try to connect each card to the one before, so they form a coherent story rather than little separate puddles of information.

In the Past position we have The Fool. We see a young witch, excited about leaping off a cliff. She is fully trusting that her broomstick will carry her soaring in to the sky, off on an adventure to see the world. She pays no attention to the clouds on the horizon, they are far behind her and she doesn't think they will catch up. Her trusted cat can see the possible dangers here, yet does not leave her side. I like that in this particular card, we get a view of what lies beneath the cliff-edge. We see water (indicating emotion), and a boat. So even if this great leap of faith does not go as planned, there is a safety net there. The young witch will likely bruise her pride, and experience some emotional turmoil, but will land in the sea and be rescued by the sailors... to apply this story to my life, we can say that I used to be a happy-go-lucky individual, not afraid to take some risks and trusting in my abilities and skills to help me take off in life. I had friends, family, people I could trust by my side and I even relied on the kindness of strangers to help me out should I stumble and fall. And fall I did, on several occasions!

In the Present position, we find the 6 of Swords - the mood has changed... gone are the clear bright skies, there is some darkness now but I can still navigate by the light of the moon and stars. It is autumn and the wind is blowing... the fields below are still looking fertile and green, but the trees are shedding their withered leaves as I too must shed that which no longer serves me. I no longer try to go it alone, but have learned it is okay to rely on others and accept their help and guidance. I am leaving, looking back at what is no longer for me, but being pushed along by the brisk autumn breeze. I have bagage now, so carrying a heavier load I do not fly so high... My carefree and trusting younger self lead me in to a relationship that was unsafe. I had to flee, literally, relying on my family back home to support me as I find my feet again.

In the Future position, we see the 9 of Pentacles. We can see the witch, a little older and wiser. She looks relaxed and so does her trusted cat. She can afford to enjoy some rest and take time to expand her mind rather than worry about where the next meal will come from. The tree next to her is bearing it's fruit - she has tended it well and now she can rely on it to feed her, and bring in some money when she sells what she does not need for herself. She is enjoying the wine that was made from her past harvests, but it has grown better, richer, more balanced with age. She has put down her broomstick, it will be there should she choose to move on, but she seems settled, enjoying her life. What this means for me is that my hard work will pay off, I can build a nice, comfortable home and will have enough to get by - more self-sufficient now, I no longer have to rely on others to bail me out.

These are the bare bones of our reading - but what more information can we provide?
As we discussed before, we can turn over our deck and look at the card that lies at the bottom for some more information.

In this case, my Shadow Card was the 5 of Cups: This card shows the witch looking forlorne, filled with sadness and regret at the spilled wine in front of her - paying no attention to the lavishly set table behind her. The sea in front of her signifies how emotional she is feeling. There are trees behind her showing she is well rooted, she has stability and grounding, but right now she doesn't feel any of that... to me, this card warns me that I need to turn around. Stop mourning my past and that which I have lost, get up, dust myself off and look at all the riches my life has to offer that I can be grateful for. It is true that I suffer some melancholly, missing Scotland and the people, places, material things I had to walk away from to put myself out if harms way...


What else can we see?

We see that this reading consists of one Major Arcana card and 2 Minors. This indicates that in our youth, we were ruled by the Fates - we followed the Rites of Passage, being pushed out of the nest and learning to fly for ourselves - we accepted the opportunities Life offered to us and questioned little, going with the flow. Then, as we got older, we were more concerned with the day-to-day ups and downs of our life, we made more conscious choices and took control of our own destiny. A majority of Minor Arcana cards tells us that we hold the key to our future and there are not subject to those big, life changing events that are beyond our control.

Next, we take note of the Elements and Suits represented. The Fool card shows a body of Water, as well as clouds massing in the sky - so we can consider both Water and Air represented here. The 6 of Swords again brings Air, the Suit of Swords representing Thought, Clarity and a Sharp Mind. The 9 of Pentacles brings in the element of Earth, where we can put down Roots, grow fertile Crops, and find Gold to satisfy our Mayerial longing. The Shadow Card teaches us that it is Water, Emotions, that may keep us from enjoying all that we have. Wands are not represented, that is something to be mindful of too! Maybe we are lacking some Fire, some Inspiration?

Now - Lets look at how the characters in the cards are interacting with eachother.

The young Fool has her eyes closed, she is boldly turned towards her future, but is not really thinking ahead. She lives in the Now, the joy and exhilaration of the moment. If we look at the next card, we can see the figure glancing back, is she looking at her younger self with some sadness? Or is she reproachful? Does she mourn for how carefree she used to be? Or does she blame her young, naïve self for leading her here, to this point in her life where she has to leave everything behind except what she can carry in her bag... and even then, she chose to bring sharp swords, the pain of what happened to her. Or is she in fact looking straight at us? Now, here? Are the swords there to defend herself should she need to? Maybe she would do well to look ahead... There her future self is facing her way, but not in distress or anger. She can see where she is coming from, and she knows that her experiences made her who she is now - Maybe she still keeps her travelling-hat and broomstick close, because she has learned to be prepared in case life forces her to move on, but she can be content with her lot. What advice would she have given her younger selves if she could speak to them now? Something to think about...


As you can see, looking at the card interactions gives us more information than if we had just considered each card individually.

But we can see even more! We looked at the story within the cards, and at the people in them. But we haven't yet looked at the numbers!

In basic numerology, each number has it's own meaning attached. Numerology is a broad and complicated subject, and would be a study in itself should you wish to learn more. But knowing a few basics can already provide us with more insight.

So, going by the (brief) insights above, we can choose to consider each card individually:

In the Past, The Fool carries the number 0 - all opportunities are open to us, we have endless possibilities.
In the Present, the number 6 tells us that we are making changes based on our aknowledgement of the facts - we are emerging triumphant because we are not suffering our situation but rather taking the necessary steps to improve our wellbeing. We might feel some pain as we think of our memories, but we know we are heading for better things.
In the Future, the 9 speaks to us of satisfaction, knowing we have come a long way and are almost at the end of our cycle - where we have come to terms with the path our life has taken and can see, looking back, that our struggle was necessary to lead us here, to this point. Now, enjoy! Who knows what the next cycle brings?

We can also choose to give an overall number or value to the spread - we do this by adding up the individual numbers (note that I do not add the Shadow Card, as it was not technically part of the spread but rather an adendum, providing extra insight and information):

0 + 6 + 9 = 15

As the outcome is greater than a number between 0 and 10, we add the numbers again:

1 + 5 = 6

6 is the overall number for this particular reading, telling us that no matter what has happened or what is still to come, we can be proud of our accomplishments and we have triumphed over adversity!


As you can see, a simple 3 card spread has given us a lot to work with! I will recap for you the different ways we have used the cards to get insight in to the situation:

- Read the story depicted in the cards
- Apply it to the individual situation, making connections so the story flows
- Look at the Shadow Card at the bottom of the deck
- Note the amount of Major and Minor Arcana cards
- Look at which suits/elements are represented (and which are lacking)
- Inspect the way the cards interact with eachother
- check basic numerological values


If you do all of this when executing a reading, you will have a wealth of information at your disposal!


I sincerely hope that you have found at least some of my guidance useful, and that you take pride in how far you have come. You are now no longer a Novice, but a real Tarot Reader, ready to practise your craft!


My advice is: Keep practising and studying - there is always more to be learned! Don't be so vain as to think you know it all, but stop second-guessing yourself and thinking you don't know enough...

Find your balance, and most of all: have fun!


I will still put out the Adendum with card keywords, but this is it folks! The Beginners Lessons are over - keep your eye out for a more advanced class...


I thank you for your attention and send you out in to the big wide world of Tarot, my Love and Affection will always be with you.

Xxx


P.S: I add a link to the previous lesson, should you have missed it - each lesson contains this link to the one before, so you can go back to the beginning if you want to review your progress.

https://tarotmum13.wordpress.com/2019/01/13/tarot-lessons-for-beginners-part-3/

[ellanainthetardis]

I love your wiring so much!! If you haven't already done it could we have a fluffy train station reunion :)

I’m placing this in movie!verse. [x]

The Tricky Notion Of Distance

Twelve’s platform was a platform in name only. Likeeverything, it had been destroyed during the bombings and while the tracks hadbeen changed and checked, the station itself was little more than a shack atthe moment.

Still, Haymitch wasn’t the only one waiting inthe cool morning air of early spring. A few people had formed a group a littleaway from him and were talking loudly about the rebuilding progress whilesharing a cigarette. A couple of men were walking around if only to keep theirblood pumping, sometimes exchanging guilty but sympathetic glances at theirobvious impatience and nervousness.

He figured the group was there for supplies andthe pacing men were there for people.

Refugees were slowly trickling back in theDistrict, joining the rebuilding efforts, but more often than not, women andchildren only followed a few weeks after the men, to make sure they would havea safe and comfortable place to stay. A few people had settled in the Village,others more stubborn and desperate to cling to the past had colonized what wasleft of the Seam. There was nothing to do for the town right then, no buildinghad been left standing and the priority was still to clear the roads and makesure every of their dead were laid to rest in the mass grave in the meadow. Itwas gruesome work and Haymitch avoided going out of the Village if he couldhelp it. He couldn’t bear the sight of all the charred bones crushed in thestreets or lined up in the deep trenches. It wasn’t as bad as it had been whenhe had first come back, but it was still bad enough that going out of the Villagerequired a bravery he didn’t feel he could muster without liquor.

And finding liquor was impossible.

He had tried.

He had clung to sobriety by the fingertipsafter the City Circle bombings… All those dead children… Prim… Finnick… Withouthis escort, he would have drown at the bottom of a bottle again. But Effie wasnothing short of determined and she had made sure he wouldn’t be able to findany booze in the Mansion – how she had done that, he wasn’t sure, withPlutarch’s complicity perhaps.

The night before he had left for Twelve withKatniss, he had promised her he would try to stay clean and he had intended tokeep that promise. But being there alone… He tried to take care of the kid. Aswell as he could. But Katniss had withdrawn deep within her mind and there wasno talking her out of it. She barely moved to go to the bathroom, she ate onlyif he forced her, she didn’t drink enough and she didn’t wash. Every night onthe phone he laid it out for Effie and every night on the phone Effie clucked hertongue and insisted it would get better.

But it wasn’t.

And facing the destroyed District and all its skeletons– something he still thought he was partly responsible for – was too much. So,yeah, he had looked for booze. And the only thing he had found was a singlebottle of moonshine that wouldn’t have lasted him a day and that would havemade the aftermath of drinking it far worse than just yearning for it. He hadpoured it down the drain to remove temptation with shaking hands and withoutany particular pride.

Truth be told, he had been more than relievedwhen Plutarch had called last night to tell him Peeta had been released and wason his way. Haymitch hadn’t even asked if he was coming alone or not. The absenceof phone call later on was big enough of a clue.

He had told Effie Trinket not to be a strangerand he had no doubt at all she would take him up on that.

He had kissed her outside, after all. In plainsight. After years of hiding and reducing what they shared to a mere sordidaffair. He had kissed her in front of everyone – well, Katniss and the guardswho had been patrolling but the intention had been there all the same – and shecouldn’t have mistaken his meaning because…

He simply didn’t do that.

Openly admitting being involved with someone…Something that would have been impossible before, too dangerous, too… It was still terrifying. But now… Now there waspeace and… The target had been removed from his back and, by extension, theback of anyone he chose to…

There was a loud noise in the distance, thetrain letting the District know it was approaching, and then the engineappeared, so small in the horizon…

Impatience and nervousness coiled in his bellyas he stepped back like everyone else to keep at a safe distance from thetracks. The hissing of the brakes hadn’t even faded that already everyone wasmoving, the group of people toward the stock cars at the far end of the trainand the others towards the carriages.

Haymitch wasn’t sure where…

“Well! What an awful trip!” a voice with a strong Capitol accent huffed justbefore he glimpsed a pink boot stepping on the small metallic step. He was infront of her in seconds, hand outstretched to help her down before she fell andbroke something – a trip to the makeshift clinic wasn’t what he had in mind fora reunion. The displeased scowl on her face disappeared when she spotted himand her features morphed into something more joyful. “Haymitch!”

She grabbed his hand and hopped down and thenmoved toward him only to abort the gesture at the last second, apparently notsure if she was allowed to hug him or not. It wouldn’t have been clever beforebut now… Now, he couldn’t give a damn.

He took the decision for her, cupping her cheekand kissing her hard, wrapping his other arm around her waist. She gasped alittle in surprise but quickly recovered and responded in kind. She wasgrinning against his lips when she broke the kiss and she hastily stepped back,clearing her throat and patting her blond hair self-consciously. Her blue eyeswere madly twinkling though.

“That’s new.” Peeta laughed, luggage piled athis feet. A brown bag that must have belonged to the boy, two pink suitcasesand a glittery vanity case.

“Not really but… Yeah.” Haymitch mumbled awkwardly, feeling his cheeks reddening alittle. He had been a bit too caught up in the moment maybe. People werestaring and that was making him uncomfortable. “I’m glad to see you, kid.” heoffered, hugging the boy.

“I’m glad to see you too.” Peeta replied,clapping him once on the back and stepping back only to chuckle. “I’m also really happy you can help me with thebags. There are two more in the car.”

Effie pursed her lips, more amused thandisapproving. “It’s the pink ones, if you would be so kind.”

“Already putting me to work.” he grumbled butobediently went to fetch her bags, a bit concerned when he realized theyweren’t bags but two more suitcases. And heavy, with that. Theymust have been full to the brim. He carried them back down with a frown. “You’refucking moving in or what? You’venever traveled light but that’s taking the cake even for you.”

Effie and Peeta exchanged a quick glance andshe cleared her throat. “I will stay with Peeta for a little while.”

“With Peeta?”he repeated, confused.

People were moving away from the tracks oncemore as the train got ready to leave and he ushered them on the dusty path thatwould take them back to the Village, carrying most of the luggage. Peeta hadthe rest and Effie was holding on to her glittery vanity case.

“The city is not exactly a nice place to beright now.” she explained. “It is in ruins, far too expensive, and finding workhas been a bit of a challenge for me.”

His frown deepened. “You didn’t say.”

“I have been working as Plutarch’s assistantbut being the assistant of the Secretary of Communication has never been in mycareer plan.” she dismissed. “I wasn’t enjoying it and people do not alwaysrespond very well to my presence.” That, he could understand. It didn’t matterthat she had been with the rebels during the whole war, people had still demandedher head once the fighting was over. She had been a war refugee and Coin hadnever granted her the same immunity as Plutarch… There had been some tension.And people were stupid. “Anyway.” shesighed. “The children need me and I thought… Why not try for something newhere? Peeta has plans to reopen the bakery, don’t you, dear? He might need somehelp and…”

“So, you’re staying for good.” he cut her off,a bit short of breath because of the bags, noting the boy was wisely keeping outof the conversation. “That’s what you’re saying, yeah?”

“You didsay not to be a stranger.” She laughed her fake laugh. She was nervous, hefigured, because they hadn’t discussed it beforehand. “If all goes according toplan, then, yes, I think it could be permanent.”

There was a moment of horrified silence as theypassed near the ruins of the town and they glimpsed the things that gaveHaymitch nightmares. He wasn’t sure if they had cleared out what was left ofthe bakery yet and he made a mental note to check with Tom at the earliestopportunity. He didn’t want the kid to accidentally stumble on the corpses ofhis family.

“And you’re staying with the boy?” he insisted,once they were away from the worst of it and back on the dusty track that ledup to the Village.

“Where else do you want me to stay?” shehuffed. “I do not see any hotel in the area.” He shot her a look, lifting hiseyebrows, and she averted her gaze. “I am not sure that would be very wise.”

“I’m okay with it.” he offered with a shrug andfound, to his surprise, he meant it. “Can’t be worse than sharing thatcompartment in Thirteen. The house’s big enough.”

They hadn’t officiallyshared a compartment, of course, but by the end of the war, all hisstuff  had been at hers and Plutarch hadalways been surprised when he had found him in the room they were supposed to be sharing. He had spent every free night hehad in her bed.

“Are you certain?” she asked warily as theyreached the metal gates.

“What’s the worst that can happen?” He scoffed.“If it doesn’t work, you can move out and go to the boy’s.”

“So, where do I carry the really heavy luggage?” Peeta joked.

“My house.” he said firmly.

It was a quick job from there. Peeta didn’tlinger long, claiming he wanted to settle back in his house – and probablyimpatient to rush to see Katniss at the earliest opportunity. The moment theboy was gone, Haymitch pinned Effie to the closest wall, mouth hard anddemanding against hers.

She chuckled. “Do you want me to move in withyou just so you can do this every time you feel like it?”

“One of the perks.” he snorted, letting hislips trail down her jaw and to her neck. He nuzzled the spot where her throatmet her shoulder, basking in the smell of her. She was a little sweaty from thelong train trip and it made his mouth water. “Missed you.” The admission wasmade easier by the fact he wasn’t looking at her. “Too fucking much.”

She tightened her arms around him, resting herforehead on his shoulder with a small sigh of contentment. “I missed you too. Idid not want a long-distance relationship. Not anymore.”

“Good.” he approved. “’Cause I think there’sgonna be very little distance. Make that none at all…”

She laughed when he lifted her up and forcedher legs around his waist, obliterating the very notion of space between them.

They had been apart too long.

[ilikepjo24]

Excuse me, what exactly do you mean by "haven't seen a single clue of 'abuse' "? Are you blind, sir? There are so many examples of why the mental facility Azula is in needs to be shut down. Allow me:

1) The food.

As Matthew Ross, a Medical Director, said in his article food is extremely important in general but especially in physiatric treatment regimen since it has its root in phycopathologies. Considering that food is that important it should be better than something Azula remembers as terrible enough to complain and talk about sarcastically.

2) The amount of movement patients are allowed.

In the end of the comic "The Promise" we can't clearly see that Azula and other patients are restrained in ways that are simply unacceptable. Their arms are kept in place by straightjackets something that shouldn't be happening. An extraordinary amount of countries have banned straightjackets because it was proven that they're not helping nor the doctors/nurses, neither the patients. Actually, they can be harmful and even cruel to patients. They were misused in the past (in situations just like the one Azula is out in) so they got banned. Don't even get me started on the chains that keep the patients ankles tied together. We're talking about literally metal, tied tightly around bare skin! Can you imagine how painful this must be? This could cause irreparable damage to the bones, the skin, the muscles and the cartilages.

Also, notice how Azula and the other patient make no attempt to free themselves from this clearly uncomfortable situation they're in? And the hopelessness and defeat in the other patients posture? Just by looking at them you can tell that they don't even try to break free anymore, something that shows that they're used to this because it's their permanent living conditions. They are like this all if the time, as my friend Aki pointed out earlier.

3) No one who stayed there seemed pleased by their experience.

After escaping Zuko, Azula returned to the institution to break other patients out possibly because she couldn't bring herself to leave them there since as I've said before, each and every one of them was mistreated. The escapees were so grateful to Azula that they agreed to help her break the law. When Azula called the institution "horrible" none of those people felt the need to correct her since she wasn't even wrong!

4) Azula made no progress at all.

It would be paranoid to expect that Azula would be completely healed after just one year of "treatment" but she seems as if she hadn't talked with a therapist in her life which shouldn't be the situation for someone who's supposed to be getting non stop mental help for a whole year. Shouldn't the healers there at least try to help her develope some copying mechanisms so that when she hallucinates, her reactions will be just slightly more mild that so much screaming, crying and violence?

Also, Azula never talked about some kind of healing session or anything like that. This plus the lack of any kind of progress leads me to believe that nobody in this damn nuthouse cared about the patients enough to do their job.

5) Yang literally admitted it.

This is a screenshot I took from an interview with Yang himself. Now, someone who has read the comics knows that Azula didn't get any better so it's not that hard to understand that Yang was trying to imply that a prolonged stay in a FN mental institution only makes things worst for the patients.

I need more pictures to prove my points but Tumblr doesn't let me use more so I'll be back with a part 2 to address the rest of the stuff you've said.

The Search: A story about abuse, abuse apologism, and ableism.

So as you guys all know, I spent my night reading The Search for the second time, and much like the first time I read it last year, I wasn't impressed. At all. It gives us a detailed backstory about Ursa, and what her life was like before and after she married Ozai. To make a long story short, she was forced into an abusive marriage. And the comic goes out of its way to show us just how abusive it was, and that this was a bad thing.

These panels show us an abusive marriage, and how that was bad. The panel that shows they're wedding night shows a prelude of what will be an abusive marriage. Ozai also happens to be abusive to his children.

This is verbal abuse, not just to Zuko but to Azula as well(even though the writers clearly don't see her as an abuse victim) and it's framed as a bad thing. And it is. No child should have to go through this. As far as all of this goes, Yang did a good job with depicting Ozai as an abusive person, and how it had a negative effect on his family.

Now let's move on to the abuse apologism and ableism that this comic had when it comes to Azula.

Every time Azula has an outburst, she's immediately attacked because she's seen as dangerous, even though the characters should have used their damn brains and asked her who was she seeing and what was she talking about, rather than constantly attacking her. It's heavily implied that she was abused at the asylum, and yet this is framed and written as a good thing by Yang, simply because she was mean to people, fought on the wrong side of the war, and dared to be better than her brother. She's forced into a straight jacket that she wears 24/7, which realistically she shouldn't have even been able to MOVE after being in that thing for so long, and she gets chi blocked for no reason at all. OZAI has better imprisonment conditions than she did, when he was the one who nearly committed genocide in the earth kingdom. When he was the one who had no intention of stopping the war. When he was the one gave Zuko his scar, who had his father killed. That same person is treated better than Azula. And for what? Because he's not "crazy" like she is? The way how this whole thing is framed when it came to Azula makes it seem like Yang was pretty much saying that she deserved the abuse that she suffered in the asylum, that she deserved to be constantly attacked by everyone, as a consequence for her actions during the war. Even though she didn't do anything worse than what Zuko, Iroh, Zhao, and Ozai did. And yet she's the only one getting treated like this.

How many times do we have to see this shit in media? See the woman who was abused by a male who was dominant in her life be treated horribly because of the way she turned out as a result of said abuse? To have the people who supposedly love her, BLAME her for the abuse that she suffered. How many woman in reality go through this bs? And yet Yang and the other writers thought that this shit was ok to put in a book for a young audience? That's the wrong kind of message to be sending. Yang makes this message ten times worse by doubling down on it by making Azula "insane and nutty", which he uses to justify the treatment that she gets. And it's disgusting. The stigma surrounding mental health is already bad enough in this society, we shouldn't have to see it in a book that's meant for kids.

So in conclusion, fuck this book. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.