#really kicked myself for that when i had to go through and translate all that morse code in order to determine

[coquelicoq]

some of the things my boss says are genuinely very interesting and educational and i've learned a lot from him over the years but the problem is i've been with him so long and from such a young age that now when he starts getting up a good head of steam my father monologue filter gets activated and i just tune him out automatically even if i would be really into the wisdom he's imparting if i were paying attention. the occupational hazards of working for the same guy since age 17 i guess.

[ramp-it-up]

Planting Seeds

Read Encore

Summary: You get your fill of Henry.

Pairing: Ceo!Henry Cavill x Reader au

Word count: 1.9 K

A/N: Henry Cavill is a beautiful man, idc, idc. He is the faceclaim to some of my fantasies. @nissaimmortal may have not so innocently fed me one line and here I am, feral. Hope you like it! Feed me through reblogs, comments, and likes. Also asks are fun!

Warnings: 18+ Only, Minors DNI. Read at your own risk. Smut! All mistakes my own. Employer/employee dynamic, age gap, reference to annual gyno exam, masturbation, contraceptive talk, a little bit of angst, rom-coms, mutual masturbation, dirty talk, heavy breeding kink, rough, raw p-in-v, begging kink, threat of orgasm denial, degradation and praise, did i say breeding kink? Talking you through it, creampie, cum kink, is she or isn't she?

I no longer have a taglist. Please follow @rampitupandread and turn on notifications to learn when I post! 😘

I Do NOT Consent to my work being reposted, translated or presented on any other blog or site other than by myself.

------

You were knee-deep in the finishing touches of an important project, but there was no avoiding it, you needed to go.

Henry’s brows knitted together as he looked up from his notes when you rose from the conference room table.

“Sorry, Boss. I have my annual appointment at lunch today. I’ve put this off for months, so I really have to go.” 

You patted his shoulder, squeezing it lightly. 

“I put in your lunch order. Make sure you eat, Henry.”

His lips curled into a small smile as he removed his reading glasses, eyes soft. 

“Of course. You must attend to your health. And yes, Dear.”

You grinned at his endearment.

“Good thing you haven’t beaten up my box lately. Wouldn’t want Dr. Hutchins to ask what we’ve been up to.”

You winked, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek before turning to leave. His raised eyebrow and smirk followed you out the door. Henry watched you go, eyes trailing your body as you hurried to the elevator. 

You had both been drowning in work lately, too exhausted for anything beyond curling up together at the end of the day. Yet, as he sat there, a flicker of anxiety stirred inside him. You were younger. Your relationship was still new. 

Would you want a family? And if so, would you want one with him, a man old enough to be their grandfather? He shook off the thought and refocused on the task at hand.

A couple of hours later, your text lit up his screen.

Had to have my IUD out.  Two more weeks until the other method kicks in.  So we’ll have to wait a little longer or use condoms. And be very careful.

Henry swallowed hard. He hadn’t even been thinking about sex, until you told him not to. Now it was all he could think about. He’d been fucking you raw for a while now and he didn’t think he could go back and the thought of going back to barriers made something inside him rebel.

Still, he was a gentleman. He could control himself. He responded to you, quickly.

Whatever is needed. We can watch a movie tonight. You pick.

Goody! 50 First Dates.

Splendid.

A mindless rom-com would be the perfect distraction. Or so he thought.

Later, as you curled up beside him on the couch, his self-control began to unravel. You nestled against his arm, warm and soft, pressing absentmindedly into him. Your scent filled his lungs, intoxicating and familiar.

Henry tried to focus on the screen, but his mind drifted to the last time he’d had you. How your perfect pussy gushed just right for him. You were so hot and tight. He tried to stop, but he kept thinking of the smell of you, and how perfectly you fit around him, how your body trembled in his hands.

Before he knew it, his hand was on your thigh, squeezing.

You turned, eyes meeting his, and smiled. A slow, knowing smile. Leaning in, you kissed his cheek, but he was already turning toward you, capturing your lips in a deep, hungry kiss.

Within moments, you were tangled together, heat surging between you as you pressed into each other. His hands roamed under your shirt, his cock aching to be inside you.

“Bloody hell. We are grown adults,” he muttered, breaking the kiss.

You were breathless, hair tousled, eyes dark with want. When your gaze dropped to the outline of his erection, he groaned.

A wicked glint flashed in your eyes as you ran a slow hand down your body, teasing.

Henry exhaled sharply, then stood, tugging his shirt over his head in one fluid motion. Your breath hitched as his thick, muscular torso came into view.

Then, without a word, he shoved down his jeans and underwear, his cock standing thick and heavy. Your mouth parted slightly, eyes locked on him.

He smirked and stepped back, sitting across the room with his thick thighs spread, fisting himself lazily.

“I want you to stay right there and touch yourself,” he said, voice low and commanding.

 “While I sit here and watch you.”

A pulse of heat shot through you.

Oh, fuck.

Your response was a quiet, breathless, “Yes.”

You stripped off your tank top and leggings, your fingers teasing over your flushed skin. One hand toyed with a hardened nipple while the other slipped between your thighs, circling and teasing your cunt.

“Let’s just say I was going to put my cock inside you right now,” Henry gave himself a slow stroke and a bubble of precum rolled down his fingers as he showed you what he was working with. 

You ached for the stretch only he could give you.

“What would you want you to do, love?”

That question short circuited your brain.

“I’d want you to fuck me from behind over the back of this couch.” 

Henry didn’t reply, but his mouth opened and he stroked faster. 

You leaned against the armrest of the couch and spread you knees wider, focusing on finger fucking yourself. You slid in a second digit to try and replicate the extra fullness of his cock,  but it was nowhere close. Henry chuckled.

“You know you need another.”

You stuffed a third finger inside yourself and he rewarded you.

“Good girl,” he murmured.

Your toes curled against the cushions and his eyes and his voice and the vision of him were edging you toward your orgasm. You closed your eyes and prepared to fall, when suddenly, strong hands gripped your waist, lifting you effortlessly, bending you over the back of the couch.

At this point, nothing else mattered.

You needed him inside you.

Henry pressed his cock against your slick entrance, his voice a deep, guttural growl.

“I’ve been saving my cum for days now,” he murmured, nudging against you. 

“Waiting for a chance to fill you so full it’ll drip down your thighs.”

The image alone sent you spiraling.

“God, Henry. Please,” you whimpered, pressing back against him.

He chuckled darkly.

“Hmmm, Little One. I don’t know if you want it bad enough yet.”

 He teased you as his cockhead popped inside you. 

“And what if you get pregnant?”

Your body jolted at the thought.

You shifted, trying to take more of him, but his grip was firm, controlling. Each tiny movement sent sparks of pleasure rippling through you. You were reduced to begging, which he loved.

“Please, Henry,” you gasped. “I’ll do anything… just fuck me.”

A deep, satisfied groan rumbled from his chest.

“You’re desperate for this, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” you choked out.

“Say it, Little One.”

Your hips rocked involuntarily, seeking relief, and he grinned.

“I’m a cock-hungry slut,” you whispered, the words sending a fresh wave of heat through you.

Henry’s laughter was low and full of dark promise.

“Not yet, my little fucktoy.”

You nearly sobbed in frustration.

“You really need my cum inside you right now, don’t you?” he taunted, voice velvet and steel.

Your body trembled. You were losing control.

“Fuck… yes… please.”

“You’re doing so well,” he crooned.

“Beg for it again.”

You couldn’t even remember what you said. Your mind was a haze of pleasure and need.

“I don’t—”

He cut you off with a sharp, punishing thrust.

You gasped.

“Changed my mind. I’m not waiting anymore.”

The world blurred as pleasure engulfed you. His hands on were your hips, his body owning yours completely. You barely registered his next words.

“Oh, and Little One?”

You whimpered in response.

“Don’t even think about coming until I say you can.”

The command sent a violent shudder through you.

Time seemed to slow as his pace grew relentless, his body slamming into yours with precision, purpose. You were nothing but sensation, drowning in him, gripping the cushions as your body tightened, coiled, ready to snap…

And then, he stilled.

“You want to know what’s going to happen?”

“What?” Your voice was barely a whisper.

Henry withdrew fully. Then slammed back into you.

“Oooooh, fuck!”

“I’m going to fuck a baby into you.”

His voice was pure sin.

“You’re going to be a beautiful, pregnant mess when I’m done with you.”

Your body clenched at his words, teetering on the edge.

“Yes,” you breathed.

He growled, yanking your hair back, his control slipping.

“My beautiful little slut,” he panted, thrusting deep. “Do you want my cum?”

The spikes of pleasure were too much, your body trembling on the precipice. 

You knew you were going to come at any moment, but still, you managed to get it out. 

“Yes, please… can I come?”

Henry’s grip tightened, his thrusts never faltering. 

“I have one question first.”

Your fingers dug into the cushions.

“Please just let me comeeee!”

Henry waited, delivering two more deep, devastating strokes for your sass. You were on the verge of losing your mind.

“Are you,” he growled, punctuating each word with a thrust, “my fucktoy… that I can use… however I want? To fuck and to fill with my cum…to breed how I see fit?”

Your breath hitched as you realized that Henry really could do whatever he wanted to you right now, and you’d beg for more. You opened your mouth to say yes, but hesitation cost you.

He yanked your hair back harder and smacked your ass hard. You yelped in pleasure/pain.

“Answer me.”

“Yes, Henry! I’m yours!” 

The words spilled from your lips, raw and desperate, and the second they left your mouth, your body shattered. Blinding pleasure overtook you, ripping through your limbs and curling your toes. Your moans melted into breathless whimpers as you bucked and shuddered through your release.

Henry didn’t stop. He drove into you, prolonging your ecstasy, dragging out every aftershock until your body was nothing but sensation. Then, with one final thrust, he stilled.

A deep, guttural roar tore from his throat as he came, his body jerking against yours. The thick, pulsing heat of his release flooded you, sending another tremor through your overstimulated body.

This was what you’d been waiting for. What you both craved. The thought of him emptying himself inside you, filling you, claiming you, almost pushed you over the edge again.

You moaned softly as he grinded against you, savoring every last drop. He stayed buried deep, thrusting lazily, fucking his cum further inside while your body milked him dry.

For a long moment, he stayed there, his weight pressing you into the cushions. You shivered beneath him, but there was something grounding about his warmth, the way he kept you close.

Finally, he pulled out, and just as he promised, your combined fluids began to trickle down your thighs. Henry watched, utterly transfixed, then bent down and effortlessly lifted you into his arms.

“Now,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to your temple, “let’s get you cleaned up. So we can do that again.”

You twined an arm around his neck as he carried you into the bathroom, setting you down and ensuring that you were steady before letting you go.

As he turned on the shower, his gaze flicked to the sink, where the box for your diaphragm sat.

A slow, wicked smirk tugged at his lips.

“Always prepared, aren’t you, Little One?”

You flashed him a playful smile. 

“Well… I was going to put that in later. But you caught me by surprise.”

His eyebrow arches as he eases you under the steaming water. He wasn’t sure if you were telling the truth or indulging in the kink.

“That’s good,” he purred, hands sliding over your slick skin. 

“Then we can breed you again, my love.”

You shuddered with anticipation as you stood on your tiptoes to press your naked, wet body against his.

----

Let me know how you feel!

[gatorbites-imagines]

ORDER UP

gimmie uhhhhhhhhhhhh a mark x alien male reader and mark has to teach the reader earth social norms

THANKS PAPA FOR FEEDING ME

Mark Grayson x Alien male reader 

Headcanons 

I almost made reader something like Jean Jacket from the movie Nope, or the aliens from Arrival, but I contained myself.  

Settled for something more vague and insect in nature, cuz I like mandibles. Hes not Haluma levels, but... like brother like brother ig. 

this was really fun to write... imagine Mark feeding reader those beetle jellies.

You discover earth on your own on your travels. You were a bit of an outcast amongst your people (or perhaps, you were banished off the planet). 

Its not your fault that they were so boring. It was part of your peoples culture to live boring, repetitive lives. Even if you could live hundreds or thousands of years, your people never left their planet or explored the stars. 

Well, you started studying, you started developing powers and one thing lead to another. Turns out the reason your people dont want knowledge is that you guys grow stronger the more you know, and too much knowledge can drive you mad. 

But you didnt want to go mad, you just wanted to explore, which was how you get to earth. 

Well, first you settle on Mars and meet the nice martians. They warn you about earth and their earthlings, one of the nicer ones is giving off pheromones and brain waves of attraction in your directions, and had you possessed the ability, you might have blushed. Instead, your mandibles quiver. 

Anyways. After Mars you fly to the earth's moon, and settle down for a little rest. The pretty martian had given you a nice meal, so you were gonna enjoy it. 

So what that you needed to melt it down with your stomach acid first before slurping it up like some kinda smoothie, it was delicious, and it allowed you to pick up every single molecule that made it up. 

Your happy munching gives the GDA time to notice you, cuz of course they are keeping track of the moon, and they don't know what to do with you. 

Your head kinda looks like a mixture of a wasp, and some kind of horned beetle. There was a very impressive horn sticking out of your head, if you do say so yourself... well... its not really that impressive amongst your people... like... at all... you had never succeeded in getting a mate, let's just say that... 

From what the GDA could see you wore clothes, but it also meshed with your natural exoskeleton. You had no visible wings, but instead a long and segmented tail, that looked almost like the tail of a scorpion, just longer and more flexible. 

There were two arms and two legs visible on you, making you appear humanoid, for the most part. You had pretty wide shoulders and slim hips, giving you a real “dorito” build, in the words of one Rex splode. 

Mark ends up being the one sent to check you out, to see if you are a threat or not and all that, because when you finish eating you kick off of the moon's surface, and it takes you less than 10 seconds to reach earth's atmosphere. 

Your mandibles start tittering when you float above the planet, eyes sparkling with wonder at this beautiful, interesting planet, with all these living beings and vast nature. 

Its only your extreme senses that lets you know something is approaching. Fighting isnt your biggest hobby, but you can if needed, but your sensors tell you Mark is cautious but nonviolent. 

Its a bit of a struggle in the beginning as you try to work your translator you fit the human language. You'll only need it for a few minutes, then you'll have understood it all, but still. 

Mark isnt really sure what he should do with you, since you are technically just a tourist. Not here to take over the planet, not here to cause issues, just here to hang out and see what its all about. 

You letting slip that you tore through a viltrumite on your travels, even flexing your claws, which grow to about 6 inches in length and sharp enough to punch a hole through viltrumites, they do get a bit more cautious. 

In the beginning Mark sticks close as Invincible to keep an eye on you, but also because hes a nerd and its just so interesting to meet someone from another planet. 

Most other encounters has had with non-earthlings have been violent, aside from Allen of course, but still.  

Invincible and his alien pal become a hashtag on social media as Mark shows you around the planet, videos of you excitedly asking questions and being fascinated by the dumbest things go viral. 

“And how does this so-called global warming effect you, my friend” goes on video. You are crouching down, asking a pigeon. The pigeon coos back, puffing up its feathers, your tail flicks from side to side, you nod with a grim expression. “is that so” you reply.  

Makes Mark realize you can learn any language, at any time. He swears he sees you talking to a plant at some point. When he carefully asks you just snicker, mandibles clicking. “Of course, I understand them Invincible, their waves are very strong” 

Mark has to help you a bit with the social norms of earth. You get especially confused when different countries and different people have their own rules and norms. All planets you've seen until now don't do this. 

“Does this not just make it more difficult, friend Invincible?” you ask, as your long thin tongue flick out from between your mandibles to lap up the delicious sorbet you had been introduced to. 

Mark just sighs and shrugs with an “yeah...” kind of expression, because how's he gonna explain earths level of problems to someone from outta space. 

Imagine you join Mark in a fight, and afterwards Mark has to change out of his costume and you walk in on him. You yelp and smack your hands over your eyes, turning around when he starts pulling off his suit. 

It's not like he's naked or anything, it's just been shredded so he needs to change it. “I did not know you were molting friend Invincible, my deepest apologies” you chitter, tail smacking something so it falls over as you try and stumble out. 

This leads to a conversation about how humans don't have shells, and that clothes aren't part of their bodies. It makes you sigh dreamily, wishing you could change your colors and textures at will. 

Does Mark develop feelings? Maybe, it would be cute if he did, and would give him a major crisis.  

If he does and you stay on earth, then you end up learning and growing so much that you can alter your shape, giving you a human form. Well, for the most part. You will always look kinda uncanny. Just enough to be off-putting to people. Mark loves you though. 

Rumor going around is that you are a fae or vampire. Nobody is even surprised at this point, the world is messed up, so what if Mark Grayson is dating something nonhuman.

[cosmowgyral]

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝~ 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲: 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐯𝐢𝐨

This is a fan translation so please don't expect it to be 100% accurate. Creative liberties have been taken. All content belongs to Cybird. Reblogs are appreciated but do not repost. Hope you enjoy!

One day, while I was walking with Emma, watching the ocean bathed in deep crimson—

She suddenly leaned in close, grinning like she was up to something.

Emma: Silvio, do you know what day it is today?

Silvio: Huh? Not a clue.

I replied curtly, but a certain memory crept into my mind…

--flashback--

Silvio: You're gonna devote your heart and soul to me, and give me everything you've got.

Silvio: And I'll cherish you and take care of you for the rest of your life.

Emma: I love that about you, too.

Silvio: You're so damn sassy.

Silvio: But.... as a special favor, I'm gonna let you get away with that, Emma.

--flashback ends--

(....)

(If I tell her I remember, she’s definitely gonna make me say those same damn words again. No thanks.)

Emma: You really don’t remember? It’s a day that has something to do with us, Silvio.

Silvio: Not a damn clue.

Emma: It’s the day something happened… right here, in this exact spot.

Even though I pretended not to know, Emma clearly had no intention of giving up.

Emma: Then I’ll give you a hint!

Silvio: Hey—!

She yanked me by the arm down to the edge of the waves, and before I knew it, we were standing thigh-deep in the tide.

As the waves pulled at the sand beneath us, I wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her close so she wouldn’t lose her footing.

Emma: Did that help you remember?

Silvio: Nope, nothing. Bein’ in the ocean’s not exactly a rare event.

(Tch… back then she was so hesitant to get in the water, and now she’s the one draggin’ me in.)

I couldn’t help but let out a wry chuckle. Unlike me, Emma stared up with serious eyes, then quietly spoke.

Emma: Silvio, I love you.

(…So that’s where this was goin’.)

Silvio: Where’s this comin’ from all of a sudden?

My heart kicked up a beat—because she said it with the same feeling I’d been tryin’ to ignore in my own chest.

I barely kept myself from stumbling over my words… but then, Emma spoke again.

Emma: From that day on… my heart’s been yours, Silvio.

Emma: This feeling will never change, no matter what.

Emma: I’ll always, always love you.

Her cheeks and ears were so red, I could tell it wasn’t just from the sunset.

(How many damn words are ya tryin’ to squeeze outta me…)

(Sayin’ all that while blushin’—you’ve got some nerve.)

Even if it was part of her plan, the sheer honesty behind it almost broke down my guard.

Emma: So… have you remembered yet?

Silvio: Not one bit.

Emma: Then I’ve got no choice… mm—

Trying to recreate that day, she leaned in to kiss me—but I caught her chin in my hand and sealed her lips first.

When I finally pulled away, she just stared at me, mouth slightly open in shock. I couldn’t help but smirk.

Silvio: Hah. Still don’t remember, but… I gotta admit, today ain’t bad.

Emma: Th-that face…! You totally knew from the start, didn’t you?

Silvio: Tch. I saw through your little scheme from the get-go. Give it up already.

Emma: Mmm…!

To make sure she got the message, I kissed her deep—stealing not just her words, but her breath too.

Instead of saying what I felt, I tangled my tongue with hers, holding her close as her strength slowly melted away.

(I'd remember it even without a grand celebration or some sweet, sugary words.)

(That was the day I finally got what I’d been starvin’ for—somethin’ money could never buy.)

With the same waves crashing and seabirds calling, just like that day, I kissed her again—this time pouring in everything I had.

[judesmoonbeauty]

Miss Fairytale Keeper, Come Have Fun With Us: Jude Jazza EPILOGUE

Translations will not include screenshots or CGs as mentioned here. Fan translation only. Not 100% accurate. Please expect grammatical errors. Cybird owns everything. Feel free to re-blog, but please do not post my translations elsewhere. Thank you, for you support! ☾.

[At the portside.]

Kate: Now, please listen to what I have to say.

While I couldn’t take my eyes off his swinging jacket, he asked me without turning around.

Jude: So, whaddya want princess?

Kate: Huh?

Jude: I promised to listen to anythin’ ya said?

(I hadn’t even thought about it……)

The slight excitement I’d felt vanished, and his troubling words stole my thoughts,

(….I know!)

Kate: I, want to gamble with you, Jude!

Jude: ….Hah?

[Transitions to Crown’s Lounge Room]

Kate: Um, is this alright?

Jude: Ya said so yerself.

As I massaged his shoulders while he sat on the sofa on the lounge room, I was shocked at my own weakness.

Jude: Who’da thought you’d lose fives times in a row?

Jude: Thanks for the laugh, though I set it all up myself.

Kate: I can’t say anything more….

A few days after the mission, my wish to gamble came true, and we played a card game with Ellis…..

(I shouldn’t have said that if I lost I’d give the winner a massage.)

Instead of betting money or rights, the terms were that my time increased because I lost five times in a row, and here we are. [1]

However, the biggest problem is -

(Jude’s shoulders are so STIFF!)

There was no point in massaging stiff muscles, and since Ellis couldn’t bear to watch, he suggested using something warm to soften them up, so he left to get a hot water bottle, leaving us two alone.

(His shoulders must be stiff because he works so hard everyday.)

Kate: It would be good to stretch everyday.

Jude: I punch ‘n kick.

Kate: That’s not stretching….

It was so hard that I was at a complete loss, so I came up with something else.

Kate: I’ll give you a foot massage!

Jude: Hah?

I walked around and knelt in front of him as he looked at me suspiciously.

Kate: I recently learned a massage that relieves foot fatigue.

Kate: The maids also really like it.

Jude: Don’t need it.

Kate: If you’re going to do something then you have to do it with everything you’ve got!

He looked annoyed as I took off his shoes and rolled up the cuff of his pants.

Jude: ….Do whatever you want.

He gave up and leaned back against the sofa.

Kate: Well, let’s get to it!

I massaged his calves,

(His legs are so tone……)

It feels a bit awkward when I touch his legs so casually.

(I need to massage them properly to relieve the fatigue.)

I press my thumb firmly into the muscle,

Jude: !

His body reacts with a twitch.

(This must feel good….)

Even though I was kneeling, I felt better, like I had the upper hand somehow, so I increased the strength of my massage, when his ankle suddenly moved to my collarbone.

Kate: !

I looked up in surprise, but he looked totally nonchalant.

(Coincidence?)

When I started the massage again, his tiptoes began to trace along the back of my arm from below.

Kate: Hmm.

My body shook from the tickling, but then my side was poked causing me to jump, and when I looked up again, I was met with a crooked smile.

Kate: Now, that was on purpose….

Jude: Wanna keep massagin’?

Kate: Well,

Jude: I’ll watch, so do yer best.

Kate: Ahh.

As his toes brushed against my side, I let out a lusty moan.

He laughed at me as I looked away in embarrassment……

Jude: Kneeled ‘cause ya wanted this, innit?

Kate: Th-that’s NOT true!

Jude: Why’re ya raisin’ yer voice like that?

Kate: That’s because it tickles.

Heat rises on my face because of embarrassment.

When I looked up to glare at him as I clung to his leg, he was smiling sadistically.

Jude: Ha!

My entire body felt chills through it.

Jude: Ya don’t even realize the look yer makin’ right now.

Kate: What kind of look -

Jude: A look thatcha enjoy bein’ bullied by me.

My chin was grabbed so I couldn’t look away, and I saw myself reflected in amethyst eyes.

The look on my face was filled with anticipation.

Jude: -This pervert.

Instantly, my body trembled with delight.

(There was never any competition.)

Because of him, I’ve learned things about myself that I didn’t even know.

[1] I believe for each round Kate lost, Jude increased her time spent to massage him, however, this is not explicitly stated.

[Master List] Kate frfr said, let me at those feet bae.

Dividers: @.adornedwithlight

Tags List: @sh0jun @theimaginativelyreticent @sapphire-323 @letter-from-afar @nateko @cosmowgyrall. @lunaaka

[delewlew]

i'll kick your ass, verstappen: max verstappen x black fem! reader

request: HEYYYYYYY could you do a max x fem reader when he gets jealous really bad over one of your male friends please. Love your stories keep going 🤍🤍

warnings: jealousy, slight swearing, google translated dutch

author's note: i hope you like this, i lowkey fried my brain trying to make sure i was confident enough to post this...still trying to convince myself. also the title isn't as cute cuz my gradient thingie wasn't working so it'll be plain...sorry bout that. as always, reblogs and comments are always appreciated as well <3

you were in second grade when you met your best friend, nikolaas, after he moved to your school. you were assigned to be his class buddy to help him get comfortable at the new school. the two of you attended the same school all the up to university so you weren't ever really apart from one another. the two of you learned to swim and ride bikes together as little kids. he was there when you went on your first date with the cute guy in your calculus class at the ice rink near your home, and he was there to take you to the hospital when you broke your ankle right after. you were there to help him learn to slow dance before he went to his first formal dance with a girl that wasn't you. he was there to teach you how to walk in that pair of So Kate's you bought without realizing maybe there was a reason nobody but zendaya dared to wear those godforsaken heels. you were there to coach him through confessing his feelings to his first boyfriend. the two of you had experienced so much of your lives beside one another that your relationship wasn't shaken when it was time to move away from home. years passed and he was a professional model travelling the world while you were working as an architect, living in monaco.

since living in monaco you'd been promoted, moved to a nicer apartment, completed a huge project with your team, and met your boyfriend. you met max at an event you'd been invited to courtesy of your own personal connections. from the moment he laid eyes on you, he knew you there was something different about you from other women he's met in the past. that night, you both exchanged numbers and he'd convinced you to go on a date with him shortly after.

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for the first time since you'd moved to monaco, your best friend had finally been able to take time to come visit you. he'd flown in two days ago and was staying at your apartment for a bit longer before flying out to korea for some event he was invited to. you sat on your bed and he sat across from you painting a fresh coat of nail polish over his nails since the ocean water chipped it off earlier today. his hand shook slightly as he painted his fingers and your voice cut through the silence, "nikko i swear to god if you get black nail polish on my bed i'll kill you." he looked up through his long, thick, black eyelashes and muttered, "je bent letterlijk de meest dramatische persoon die ik ooit heb ontmoet." you rolled your eyes and huffed, "whatever you love me and you know it." he cracked a smile through the focused glare he held while looking at his fingers, "yeah yeah...speaking of love, how's your man?" [you're literally the most dramatic person i've ever met]

you smiled at the thought of max and answered, "he's really good. the season has treated him well for the most part and he's happy with how things are. we're going back home for his next race so i'm excited i'll be able to see both of our families, and i'm gonna try to stop by your place to see your mom if she's there." he shook his head while keeping his eyes on his nails, "m'ma is in suriname until september because she's visiting granm'ma and granp'pa." your frowned and asked, "were you supposed to go home with her?" nikko nodded and shrugged, "it's alright though, i think i'll be able to make it down there for christmas so it's fine. plus you can see her in september when she comes back." a smile tugged on his lips and he continued, "that is if you want to come see me walk at new york, paris, milan, or london fashion week this year." you nearly tackled him into a hug and screeched, "NO FUCKING WAY- NIKKO?! YOU BOOKED ALL FOUR?!" he laughed and wrapped his arm around you in a hug, "yup i'm booked and busy this year!"

you immediately promised, "i'm going to be at every single show." your best friend nodded, "already reserved your tickets for everything." there was a beat of silence before he asked, "wait isn't max still racing in september- i don't want to make you miss those especially because you missed miami for the met gala with me." this was true, you'd flown to new york city to be nikko's plus one for the met gala but max told you he didn't mind and was happy you were going. without a second thought, only thinking of how exciting this was for your best friend, you waved off his worry, "it'll be fine. besides max likes you."

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"i don't fucking like this guy." max huffed as he scrolled though his instagram because you posted something. he looked at his screen and clenched his jaw seeing the post you'd made with your best friend.

therealyn

liked by nikko, maxverstappen1, and 643,943 others

therealyn baby's first time in monaco <3

read all 5,423 comments

nikko i wish i could stay longer :(

⤷ therealyn don't forget me when ur famous

sza cuties

⤷ therealyn omg i love you

username1 why is he so close?

⤷ username2 they've been friends since they were 7 and nikko moved to the netherlands from suriname. y/n was his first friend and they've grown up together. don't try to start something out of nothing.

⤷ username3 GET EM SIS

⤷ username4 ngl i kinda see what username1 means...if you look back at some other posts they've made with each other they're way closer than i'd consider to be best friends. i mean i personally wouldn't be that close with my guy bsf knowing i have a man.

⤷ username4 that man is a walking pride flag be so fr rn

⤷ username1 im just saying he's a little close to her. plus she's already missed a race so she can go see him, and i guarantee you she'll do the same again when fashion week comes around.

༘˚⋆𐙚｡⋆𖦹.✧˚

reading the comments didn't ease max's mind whatsoever but he did catch a few that did make him realize that maybe you were just being a supportive best friend. he'd had friends go to things to support him in the past and he's done the same for them so why does he feel so...weird when you do the same? he'd managed brush off the feelings he had until he checked your story and clicked on the post you'd shared:

nikko

liked by therealyn, gucci, and 1,235,099 others

nikko but none of them will ever love you the way i do it's me and you

view all 10,302 comments

therealyn and as the years go by our friendship will never die

kendalljenner beauties

username6 ...why is he holding her like that.

⤷ username7 i think they're together? i always saw their posts together and assumed

⤷ username8 NO THEY'RE NOT TOGETHER THEY'RE BEST FRIENDS PLS DON'T START RUMORS SHE IS DATING MAX VERSTAPPEN

username9 this look a little....

username10 yall are so weird. literally every interaction nikko has with a girl looks like this, look it up and you'll see he's holding everyone's hand, wrapping their arms around them. it's just how he is pipe down.

username11 THE CAPTION? NIKOLAAS UR BOLD FOR THAT ONE

username12 ngl i kinda wanna see them as a couple

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max fought to control his facial expressions when you called him excited to tell him about going to support nikko at the big 4 fashion weeks. he watched as your eyes sparkled, "he's already reserved the seat in my name at all of his shows too! this is so great he's always wanted to walk in these shows and now he's got the chance. i want september to already be here." max frowned at the mention of the month, "schat- i'm still racing in september though?" you explained, "well yeah it's just singapore and azerbaijan that i'll have to miss but i'll be at the rest." max bit the inside of his cheek, "didn't you already see him walk in new york back in may? you missed miami for it remember?" you smiled, "babe that was the met gala, that was different. this is actual fashion shows not a red carpet."

when max was still silent you asked, "why don't you seem happy doe nikko?" he took a small exhale to not raise his voice or seem too annoyed, "it's good for the guy i mean this is a big deal as a model. i just...sometimes i think he's just a little too close?" you frowned and you asked, "what do you mean? you've never had a problem with him before?" max sighed and admitted, "i'm just saying there's no reason why other people should be questioning our relationship status when you're with other people. why is he holding you like i hold you?" you couldn't even find the right words for a moment, "i- i- he....max you've seen the way he acts around everyone. he's a touchy guy and he always has been. why are you now bothered that he holds me? it's nothing new."

max let out another annoyed huff and snapped, "just tell him to watch himself." you couldn't even say anything before he hung up the phone on you and left you stunned to a silence. just then your phone pinged and it was another instagram notification:

nikko just posted a story!

there wasn't even a point in trying to ask nikolaas to delete the story because he was on a flight to korea right now which means he just posted it before the plane took off. so all you had to do was hope maybe max wouldn't see it because although you had no issue with the photo, you knew right now your boyfriend would.

༘˚⋆𐙚｡⋆𖦹.✧˚

the instagram story made it's way to his eyes in less than 5 minutes after it was posted. so, max didn't hesitate to open his own photo gallery and select a few pictures before posting them himself, he pasted a caption from the ones you'd saved in his notes and posted it before turning off his phone.

maxverstappen1

liked by charles_leclerc, f1wags, and 649,779 others

maxverstappen1 mijn

view all 3,402 comments

therealyn answer your phone

username13 HE'S MAD HE SEEN THE POSTS

username14 max....

charles_leclerc mate, you posted on your main

⤷ maxverstappen1 i know.

⤷ charlesleclerc oh!

oscarpiastri i feel like i wasn't supposed to see some of these

⤷alex_albon i don't think any of us were...

⤷ therealyn you werent.

༘˚⋆𐙚｡⋆𖦹.✧˚

hot tears stung the corners of your eyes as you stared at your phone knowing full well why max posted the photos he did. you knew that he got jealous every now and again but he'd never done anything like this, especially when it came to nikolaas because he knew how close he was to you. max wasn't answering your phone calls or text messages so you had no way to actually call him.

meanwhile max was in his apartment on his sim when he heard a knock at his door. when he opened it he saw lando standing on his doorstep before he pushed his way into his apartment. max asked, "why are you in my apartment?" lando shook his head and countered, "why are you posting shit like this online?" a smug grin tugged at max's lips and he answered, "you know why."

lando sat on max's couch and responded, "i don't know why. what i do know is your girlfriend called me crying asking me why you weren't answering her calls." max huffed, "she's busy playing with that guy." lando ran a hand through his curls, "you're jealous of her best fucking friend? are you being serious right now?" max rolled his eyes and lando continued, "the guy wears nail polish and face glitter and you think something is going on between them?" when there was silence lando continued, "mate he literally flirted with charles and asked for his number when he came to zandvoort last year. then told alex that she had good taste because he wanted to quote 'drink him up and sop up the rest with a biscuit. and you think there's any way that something is happening with y/n? you can be jealous but if your girlfriend says there's no reason to worry then you should trust her. you need to fix this before something actually happens that can't be fixed." lando slapped max on the shoulder before walking out the door and heading back to his apartment.

༘˚⋆𐙚｡⋆𖦹.✧˚

it was nearly 3 am when max unlocked the front door to your apartment and slipped in quietly, kicking off his shoes and leaving them by your front door. he pulled back the door and grabbed one of his t shirts and took off his pants before climbing in your bed. he pulled you closer to him and wrapped his arm around your torso. when you moved his arm off of you he knew you were awake so he mumbled, "schat..." you answered plainly, "wat wil je, max?" your boyfriend pressed a kiss to your shoulder and responded, "i'm sorry. i was wrong and i was immature and posting those pictures knowing you had them in our private folder was wrong." there was a momentary silence before you asked, "waarom heb je het dan gedaan?" he let out a deep sigh as he admitted, "i was jealous and only thinking about myself in the moment instead of thinking about how my actions would affect you as well. i never want to hurt you or be the reason for your pain, but i was so i'm sorry." [what do you want, max? // then, why did you do it?]

you felt his hand run over your arm gently as you asked, "wat ga je doen om het te repareren?" max answered, "well i deleted the post first and came here to apologize second. also i'd love to see you go to london, paris, new york, and milan to support nikko in september. i'll be waiting at home for you the minute you get back." you turned to face him and opened your eyes, finding his gaze in the darkness. bringing your hand to his cheek you asked, "i never want you to think that anyone stands a chance at competing with you for my heart, maxie. you are my person and i only love you this way, i only want to be with you. there's only you in my heart and i need you to trust me when i say that, okay?" max leaned into your touch and nodded, before you pressed a gentle kiss to his lips, "i love you." he pulled you to his chest and tangled his legs with yours as he replied, "ik houd ook van jou." you nuzzled closer to him and brought a hand to his chest, tracing small patterns over his heart. both of you began to drift off to sleep, your voice cut through the silence, "but do that shit again and i'm kicking your ass, verstappen." max let out a small chuckle and admitted, "i don't doubt that, but you don't have to worry about it happening again." [what are you going to do to fix it?//i love you too.]

༘˚⋆𐙚｡⋆𖦹.✧˚

the end.

[nosferatvpussy]

distorted lullabies [chapter XXVII]

Word count: 4k

Warnings: gets a little brutal

Pairing: Dracula x reader

AO3 link | masterlist

A/N: Hello, lovelies! I watched the Robert Eggers Nosferatu, ran home and finished this chapter. I was stuck on it for I don't know how long. Hope you like it <3 Happy 2025 - it'll be 5 years since I started this, let's hope it doesn't take another 5 to finish the next 5 final chapters.

The cabbie swore under his breath when I slammed the door after me. I gave him my address, cracked the window open and breathed in the smell of rain on pavement and on the nearby Kensington Gardens in an attempt to cleanse my senses of Mallory’s bitter anger.

“Shit, shit, shit,” I muttered to myself. Swearing fixed nothing but it was often relieving. 

It was all escaping my control. All of it. 

Months ago, I had thought myself so smart when proposing that deal to Count Dracula. I really thought I could win that, or was that my prideful ego poking its head out again? A latent deathwish, that’s what I had, and there came death prancing to my door and tempting me with a delicious form of self destruction. That’s what I had done, utterly destroyed my former self, not without struggle and not without loving my own destroyer, and yet, through it all, I never considered the safeguards of my deal would fail. When I proposed to Dracula that he would only turn me into a vampire when I told him to, that I would die on my terms, I fully thought I was in control. Handled. As easy as winning an argument in court. 

Of course, had I known all the variables, I would’ve thought of more safeguards. Not that they would have mattered. This slow withering of my human self was surely a blessing compared to utter obliteration of my humanity. This way I could at least ease myself into what being a vampire entailed. 

On the other hand, simply being turned must be like ripping a band-aid off. One day I could walk in the sun, and the next I was changing day for night and drinking blood. Easier perhaps.

Dracula threw it in my face how I had been taking note of my ever increasing heightened senses and ignored it all. My singular thirst for his blood had already started to translate to thirst for human blood — Julia’s scarlet blood spurting from her delicate neck right into my killer’s, lover’s, maw, for instance, and now Mallory’s pulse ringing in my ear like a church bell calling for mass. 

All of that, even the unbearable pain of growing fangs I could bear, perhaps, and could learn to control it. 

Dracula always did say that I had better self control than he did. The fact that I had lacked control in hypnotising Mallory, practically taking a backseat while the blossoming vampire took over control not only of myself but of her, was the scariest part. A desperate attempt to keep Mallory close, and I had no choice in it. 

The car came to a stop across the street from my house and I parted ways from the cabbie. Pulling my trenchcoat up to shield myself from the pitter patter of rain, I looked down the street, two houses after mine, and sure enough, the police car who had followed the cab all the way from V&A was now parked. I raised a hand in greeting to the two officers, even though I didn’t know their faces, and they waved back.

I fished my keys and phone from the bottom of my purse, and rang Dracula as I unlocked my door. I kicked the door shut behind me and went upstairs to my bedroom as I waited for him to pick up. 

Voicemail answered.

It was still daylight, so Dracula was most likely asleep, and he slept like the dead. If Renfield hadn’t arrived yet – an usual occurrence after dusk to carry out his services – the call would probably go unnoticed.

I called him again and put the phone on speaker as I threw my purse on the bed. The sound of raindrops hitting the window glass was muffled by the thickness of my curtains when I pulled them shut. Enclosed in darkness, I slipped out of my clothes until I was left in my underwear. 

The phone’s beep was cut short as the call was answered. “Yes, my darling?” Said Count Dracula in his velvety voice. “How was it?”

The familiar weight of his voice made me sit down on the bed, half naked and vulnerable as if he had spoken to me within the room. 

I almost wished I had gone back to his place instead of mine to feel some comfort. It was a silly thing to wish for. After last night, when Dracula had celebrated what my pain meant, disregarded my fear, my despair, all because I was finally a perfect bride to be, it would be stupid to think he would react any differently to what I had done to Mallory. 

“It was fine,” I replied, lying down on my bed. I put the phone to my ear. “No surprises. Mallory is still mad at me. She doesn’t want to see me again.”

“Well, nothing that can be done for that anymore, I suppose. Where are you now?”

“I came home. I didn’t get much sleep last night. I’ll try to get some rest in the afternoon.”

I counted three heartbeats before he replied.

“Will you come by later?” 

I knew him well enough at this point to know that he had fought his initial instinct to question me. He knew I was scared, and I knew he was scared that I would run out of fear. The fact that he hadn’t questioned me boded well in a way. Progress.

“Not tonight,” I said in a small voice, staring at my ceiling and noticing a spiderweb on the corner. The silky brightness of the web glimmered as if the spider could tailor webs made from light. By the size of it, the spider had made a home in my room for some time now. Only now did I have the eyes to notice it, and yet, in the darkness of the room, I shouldn’t have been able to see it. “I don’t think I can handle being close to another person tonight.” Realising how that sounded, I continued. “All I can think about is blood. It’s a wonder I didn’t make a victim out of the cabbie on my way here. I would rather not risk it again.” Dracula laughed on the phone. I winced. “At least you’re having fun.”

“Y/N, of course I am,” he said, a smile on his voice. “Nothing will make me happier than seeing you take your first victim.”

“This isn’t fun for me!” I jerked myself upright on the bed. “Can you try being understanding for once? For fuck’s sake!”

“Understanding?” The word was bitten out. “I have been nothing if not understanding so far.”

“Yes, it was very understanding how you almost killed Diana. So very kind of you to grant me a few more days after you used Mallory against m–”

“I’m not having this conversation again.”

“Then listen to this. I understand that you finally have confirmation that I’ll survive the change and that you’re happy about that. Great! At least I won’t be a shell of myself like your first brides. I think it’s fucking amazing, too, but it is not easy for me.” I inhaled deeply as if saying so much had stolen my breath. “I don’t know how to deal with this.”

“You had months to come to terms with it, Y/N. You asked me hundreds of questions. I showed you all that I could.”

“It doesn’t make it any less scary!” My face fell to my hand as my hair fell around my face like a curtain. “I didn’t think I would have to try to control myself while still human.” Tears fell to my bed, synchronising with the rain outside. “Please, can you try finding some compassion in yourself? I have no one but you now.”

“I don’t understand, Y/N,” he said. He sounded calm, and sincere. “But I will make an effort to. If you allow me to, I would like to take some of your blood tonight and see for myself.”

Closing my eyes, I let my weight go and lied on my side with the phone pressed to my ear against the bed. The knot on my throat joined the ever growing pain on my head and jaw. Another migraine was coming.

“You have my permission.” I sighed. That was the best he could do at the moment, and I would take it. “And then we'll talk.”

“And then we’ll talk,” he repeated. “Darling, have a shower or a bath. Try to take yourself out of your body, if you can.”

“I’ll try to sleep, and dream, hopefully.”

“I’ll see you later.”

“Okay. Bye.” 

Two beeps indicated that the call disconnected. 

I rolled over on my back and stretched my arms at each side of me. What remained of my tears ran down my cheeks and dried on my hair. 

There was nothing to stop it now.

This was it. I was not dying on my terms, but Dracula’s. 

Food didn’t taste the same – from an old brew of reheated tea, to a simple strawberry scone becoming nauseatingly sweet and finally everything was starting to acquire a dry tastelessness. Migraines ensued after eating what my body could no longer accept. Perhaps the pain was the body trying to purge the unnecessary nutrition that food provided, while also begging for something else. It was happening now after trying, and failing, to eat my favourite sandwich from V&A Café. It had happened at the party as well, although the circumstances made it worse. And the very first time was the day after I had drunk deep mouthfuls of blood from Dracula’s wrist while overlooking the city from inside the London Eye.

I ran my tongue over my teeth to feel the small bumps on my gums, which throbbed in response to that prodding. Tiny fangs threatened to protrude from there as they had last night. After drinking Dracula’s blood they had virtually disappeared. Their insistence to make their presence known was a harsh, and painful, reminder of what I could have done to Mallory. 

And wanted to do. Still did.

I raised my arms in the air. The wounds were almost gone, leaving only pale outlines of where Dracula had bitten me two nights ago. 

His first bite had taken weeks to heal completely.

A chill coursed through me that made all the hairs on my body stand up straight. Only then did I realise how cold I was. I pulled my duvet around me, cocooning myself within it and closed my eyes, wishing I would be pulled away to somewhere else, or to another life where I had already dealt with everything and was living happily ever after. A nice fantasy.

In my dream, I was cocooned by wings which whisked me away, sending me floating into the comforting, soft clouds of dreamland. I breathed in and out to savour the sweetness in the air. In and out. In and out. Like teeth biting and releasing. In and out. Sharp teeth and red blood. Sweet, red and intoxicating. 

I don’t want these dreams.

Conscious in the back of my mind, I managed to push the thoughts out, and quickly my subconscious conjured Dracula’s presence to run his hands down my back, massaging, kneading and counting my bones as he had done once to put me in a trance. I counted each bone aloud. Would my bones change too? Become hard and unbreakable? Yes, darling, said death, you are wholly different down to the last bone. His hands, so rarely delicate, turned me gently and I stared up into the dark pits of his eyes. Smiling, he said he would like a taste of his beloved. 

His beloved – me. 

Say you love me. This is my dream, I can make you say it in my dream.

Anything for his beloved, he said, anything I wanted if only I allowed him a taste first. Obligingly, eager, I turned my head to the side to expose my neck in exchange for his love. 

And love poured on me. Cascading, washing over me, so warm, comforting, so red, all enveloping, filling my lungs, my throat, until I was made of love and could feel nothing else.

A pull near my navel jerked me awake. 

I stared at the ceiling as my brain finished waking up. Rolling on the bed I looked towards the window, and although the curtains were closed, the light escaping from the corner had to mean it was still daylight. 

The pit of my stomach jerked again and growled, begging for substance. My hands covered it automatically, as if trying to stifle the sound and soothe it.

Footsteps coming from the lower floor reached my ears. 

I lied there, in wait, processing that there was someone in my home and I had heard it walls and metres away.

For once in this life, I wondered who was more in danger – myself or the intruder? 

Something coiled behind my navel. I wondered if it was just hunger — and what sort of hunger was this? For food or something else? – or my new found instincts playing up as they often did when I was around Dracula.

Pushing myself out of bed, my toes pointing and landing, carefully as if I was a ballerina to not make any noise, I made my way to the corridor. As I hugged the bannister, the cold wood touched the naked skin on my stomach, and only then did I realise that all I wore was a bra and hot pants. Returning to my room, I grabbed my robe, a navy blue silk that somehow always disguised the fact that I had just woken up.

On the first landing of the stairs, trying to keep as silent as possible, I crouched to peek around the bannister to catch a glimpse of my living room, populated only by my library and a coat thrown over the couch.

A meow echoed up, coming from the kitchen, and a woman’s voice cooed back, “I know, baby, let’s see if aunt Y/N has anything for you.”

“Di?” I called. 

“Oh, Y/N!” She exclaimed from downstairs, unseen. “I didn’t expect you to be home. I’m sorry to barge in.”

“No worries. I’ll be down in a second.”

Diana, cradling one of her cats like a baby, smiled at me when I turned the corner on the kitchen. Another one of her babies, a tuxedo cat, twirled between her legs, meowing non stop. 

“I swear I’m not usually this nosy– hey, stop squirming, I know you’re hungry.” She adjusted the calico cat on her lap, Hedy Lamarr, and the other one at her feet was Liz Taylor. She had Laurence Olivier as a cat, as well as Clark Gable, the Hollywood cats, but they were nowhere to be seen now. “I ran out of cat food and tuna so I came to see if you had any left in your pantry,” Di explained, looking apologetic. “I’ve been between meetings all day and couldn’t find the time to run to the store.”

“I think I have some of their food, from when you were in Scotland,” I said, uncrossing my arms and stepping around the kitchen island towards the pantry. Hedy jumped from Diana’s arms to the island, tail swinging in expectation. 

“Are you feeling sick?” Diana asked from behind me. 

Rummaging through shelves in the pantry, I barely spared her a glance as I continued my search for cat food. “I’m fine,” I said, putting more strength in my voice to make me believe it too. “Why do you ask?”

“Well. It’s Monday 3pm and you’re home in your robe.” At her words, my hand hovered over the box of pasta I was about to move. “And you look dreadful, to be honest.”

“Do I?” I asked, absently.

My mind was torn on wondering how awful I looked and how it could be Monday when I had gone to sleep on a Saturday after brunch with Mallory. Had I lost a day? Slept all through it, or simply did not have any recollection of it? 

Neither of those options boded well.

“You look sickly pale, Y/N,” Diana said. “Have you been eating lately?”

“Food poisoning,” I muttered as I closed my hand around a can of cat food. “Here, I found it.” I spun around to give it to Diana and found her too close for comfort. At this distance, I could see the specks of gold and green in her eyes and the fine lines around her eyes that she spent so much money to get rid of. I could smell her breath from here. And yet, she was still at an arm’s distance away. “I need to go back to bed.”

Bed, in the safety of my room, where I could cage myself until night came and so did Dracula.

Pushing the food to Diana, I dodged past her, breath held deep inside my chest, and made way to the hall. Feeling as if my head had disconnected from my neck, I steadied myself against the doorframe as my knees started to go weak. My vision went white. 

“Oh love!” Diana exclaimed behind me. A clatter followed by a meow and quick steps echoed in the kitchen before arms encircled my waist, pulling me up. “Gosh, Y/N, you’re heavier than I thought. No matter. Come on, let’s rest in the sitting room.”

“I’m fine,” I grumbled, pushing my forehead against the wall as if that could help me stabilize.

“You don’t look fine. Straighten those legs, come on, can’t do this without you. Hells, I’m getting old, Y/N.” Commanding my brain to focus on one sense, I did as she told me. “Atta girl. Now to the sitting room.” She hugged me close, arms squeezing below my ribs and expelling all the breath I was trying to hold. I gasped for air. Diana’s breath filled my nostrils with the smell of tea, blueberries and yoghurt – her last meal. Concealed beneath that lay a subtle scent, discernible for its lively sweetness.

“Di– I need you to go.” I barely recognised my voice as my own. The thread of consciousness keeping me alert identified a searing pain in my jaw that spiked up to my head. 

“Nonsense. One foot in front of the other. Come on,” she huffed, nudging the back of my knees with her legs. She chuckled, the sound so foreign and happy that for a moment I held onto it and the pain of hunger dulled for a second. “Remember when you got home so drunk you couldn’t climb up the stairs? I found you asleep in front of the stairs, covered in all the coats you could find. You looked like a nestled kitten.”

“The day you ordered McDonalds for lunch instead of cooking us lunch on Saturday,” I murmured. 

“Sacrilege but yes. First and last time, but you needed a good hangover cure, to be fair, and nothing better than that.”

“You carried me to the sitting room.” 

“Pushed you, more like it.” At that, she pushed me a little harder to make my legs move, and my hands flew up to steady myself, finding nothing but air to grasp at. Diana’s shoulder pressed under mine and her hip nudged mine to distribute my weight towards her. My head swivelled, quickly finding a comfortable spot on Di’s arm when my neck proved a little too feeble to carry it. Eyes adjusting through white blotches in my vision, the bite on Diana’s neck peaked back at me between her silver hair. Two punctures glowing at me as a wolf’s glare in the dark. A fat tear formed on the corner of my eye. I closed my eyes in shame, knowing that tear came from desperate hunger and not fear. Deep, ravenous, gut wrenching hunger unlike any I had ever felt. “Y/N, don’t pass out please. Almost to the sofa now. If you fall, you’ll take me down with you.”

Yes, yes, I would.

I bit my lip, and felt a distinct sharpness that should not be there.

“Di, I’m so sorry,” I uttered, hardly believing the words as tears spilled from shut eyes. Wrapping my hand around her arm, telling myself I needed to push her away – please, please, away , AWAY – and instead, it pulled her as in the inescapable grasp of vine that squeezes a tree and constricts its bark, never letting go unless plied off. Unwillingly, my body shifted closer, angling towards Diana. “So so sorry,” I whispered, voice nearing a hiss as my eyes opened again.

I nuzzled closer. 

I felt Diana tense up. My grip grew tighter on her instinctively. She could bolt now. Deep in me, just as I knew there was something wrong with me, Diana knew it too. Her fragrance kicked up as her heart spiked with adrenaline.

“You’re scaring me, Y/N.”

“I know. I’m scared too,” I confessed. “Be very still. Very still,” I asked. “I’ll let you go.”

“Let me go,” she echoed. “Y/N, I don’t know what you’re playing at–”

“Disbelief. I’ve been there,” I said, oddly finding empathy while hunger burned hot. “Just be still. It’ll make it easier.” My gaze shot up to Diana’s profile. Her lip quivered as she peered at me from the corner of her eye, as if looking at me straight on would be too much. Somewhere in the house, a drumming started. So loud it startled me and my body jolted.

Diana moved.

But I moved with her as she tried to push me off. 

Our arms and legs tangled as this body unexpectedly gained a strength unbeknownst to me. It pinned her arms to her side as it locked around her. She spasmed, trying to fight this body that no longer belonged to me. Hunger was its own entity, and it screamed for sustenance. In the throes of pushing against me, she kicked at my feet and lost balance. We both went down to the floor, all my weight on top of her as if I was the rock tied to her feet that dragged her to the bottom of a lake. 

Silver hair spilled on the rug. Revealed, my gaze zeroed in on the crook of her neck where a vein pulsed. I think I heard her scream but the drumming was so loud it was easy to ignore. My unseeing eyes barely registered my friend’s expression before leaning down and biting on the vein that Dracula had shown me.

Blood inundated my mouth, entrancing me completely. A hollow sound escaped from her as her blood slid down my throat like hot honey. Her hands pushed at me and I held them to the ground. Nothing could perturb this feeling. I was gulping light. My skin felt so hot it might have blistered. I lapped up the blood that spurted from those tiny cuts I had made. Too little. A fountain of blood is what I needed. So I bit, ripped with teeth and syrupy blood bubbled up to be savoured. It pulsed in streams with every desperate beat of her heart.

I swallowed, and swallowed, and swallowed, and swallowed.

I filled myself up until her hands, intertwined with mine, slowly gave up. Distantly, I heard her gurgling a breath. And with it, the river of blood streaming down my throat slowed to a trickle to match the dying pace of her heart. 

My tongue poked at the wounds I had done, pressing them as before in search for the even flow of blood of only moments ago, and this time, I felt the texture of torn skin, ripped to ribbons, the awful rubbery muscles of Diana’s neck touched my tongue back, and I recoiled. I sat back, eyes focusing on the scene beneath me, and I kicked away. The hole I made on her neck seemed to stare at me as if the wound I made had life to accuse me. It gaped, like a second, gory mouth, open in shock. 

The stairs poked my spine as I pushed myself back, stopping me in my tracks. What remained of blood pooled under Diana. Scarlet entwined with the silver of her hair, contrasting with the waxy tone she had acquired. She could just as easily be confused with a broken doll, limbs askance, parted lips, and the broken porcelain of her neck.

An awful gasping sound came from her, making me gasp in return and scurrying to her side. Her hands spasmed as I came closer. Somehow still alive and yet when I looked in her eyes, there was barely any light there.

“I am so sorry, Diana. I didn’t mean to. I-I don’t know what to do. Di? Do you hear me? Are you there?”

Her eyes rolled to meet me. Maybe she could survive this - I thought for a second - but her eyes lost the determination as she stared at me, a teardrop running down her cheek, and went empty. 

“No- no…” the single word from my lips dragged out in the chilling silence of the hallway.

Knelt before her, my tears poured onto the corpse of my friend. 

--------------------------------------

@5thelement @jar-of-moondust @festering-queen @deborahlazaroff​ @mr-kisskiss-bangbang @girlonfireice @saint-hardy @xoxodracula @princessayveke @dreamer2381 @25ocurer @vampirescurse @blue-serendipity @iwasjustablur @sunscreenfeverdream @daydreaming136 @bittenlove @newyorkrican922 @feralstare @soph3228 @jmor25 @clussysposts @werwulfy @rainbowgoblinfan @soulofsalt @mistandmoss @lddracula @skelior @cesspitoflove @mymindpalaceismywonderland @candleslut @sweet-delila @jackbootedfucks​ @tilldeathripsusapart​ @recklessgiraffelife @isayweallgetdrunk

[maxsimagination]

𝗷𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗼𝘂𝘀𝘆, 𝗷𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗼𝘂𝘀𝘆 - 𝗴.𝗿𝗲𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗻

summary: guro gets overprotective after a waitress hits on her girlfriend.

-> i apologise if any of the translations are wrong

𖦹 masterlist

𝗜𝗧 𝗪𝗔𝗦 𝗚𝗔𝗠𝗘 𝗗𝗔𝗬, chelsea against tottenham. we had spent couple of weeks in portugal, training and preparing for the pre season, before returning home to stamford bridge. emma had released the starting eleven players yesterday and me and guro were both listed, along with sam and millie.

i was nervous to say the least, it was pre game jitters that took over. but magda gave her captain's speech in an attempt to hype us all up. we all ran out onto the pitch afterwards, took a knee, then the whistle blew. we were off.

the first half was anticlimactic, really. both sides scored a goal, leaving the score 1-1. after half time we were back out there, and pulling more tricks than ever. sam made a miraculous goal from 15 metres away, celebrating with her signature backflip. then tottenham equaled the score with a header that flew past our zecira.

but it came down to the 85th minute when guro passed me the ball from across the field and i took a powerful kick for the ball to fly straight between their goalies' legs and into the net.

we finished the game after 5 minutes of injury time, and the score was 3-2 for chelsea. we all ran together and cheered, and i found guro, running up to her and jumping into a hug. she spun me around before placing me back down on the field.

after we'd all taken a victory lap around the pitch, we all traipsed back to the changing rooms and celebrated even more, jumping around and singing.

when we finally made it back to our hotel, guro followed me to my room, telling me to get changed into 'dinner clothes' because she was taking me out. i was baffled and she wouldn't tell me where we were going, only that it was a restaurant somewhere.

so i picked my clothes and got dressed, before she came to get me again. we drove around for a bit before she parked in front of a building, fairy lights hung around the entrance. it was a nice place, and the setting was perfect.

guro led me in, and spoke to the hostess who led us to a table and told us a waitress would be here soon. it didn't take that long before another woman came by, i assumed she was our waitress. we had looked through the menu, and told her what we wanted before she left again with a short nod and a smile thrown in my direction.

when i turned back to look at guro, she didn't look too happy. "hva er galt, kjærlighet?" (what is wrong, love?) i spoke in guro's mother tongue, i had learnt norwegian for her. she looked up at me, more relaxed than before.

"servitøren, hun så på deg." (the waitress, she was staring at you.) she looks at me slightly sheepishly, and i giggle at her words. "du har ingenting å bekymre deg for. i am with you, not her." (you have nothing to worry about.) i spoke the last bit in english, just as our drinks came over. "the food will be over shortly."

the waitress brushed her hand against mine as she placed the glasses down, and a less-than-subtle smirk was directed towards me too. i pulled my hand away immediately and grasped onto guro's in an attempt to both make her feel better and make myself feel better.

"i see what you mean." guro hums in response, holding onto my hand just as tight. eventually the food comes too, the waitress bearing it in her arms. she placed it down in front of us before asking, "is there anything else i can get you? maybe my number?" she looked directly at me, her hand hovering near my shoulder.

i pulled back i little and shook my head, then guro went into protective girlfriend mode, as i liked to call it. "she has a girlfriend." her thick norwegian accent made it sound more aggressive and the woman looked over at her. her face paled at the sight of my angry partner and she backed right off.

i smiled at the sight, protective guro was my favourite. "det var heit." (that was hot.) she grinned up at me when i spoke, blush tinting her cheeks.

[str8aura-no-not-that-one]

This is a true story that happened to me. I was there.

This is also The Coffee Story, so if you've heard me tell it before, it was probably more accurate than how I tell it here.

So alright. Back in the day when I was a young tranny with a heart full of dreams, I knew this coyote. We'll call her Carmen. Carmen used to always copy my answers back in school, and when she finally cracked her egg, I used to joke that she stole becoming a woman from me too. All in good fun of course- She introduced me to Jojo, Blue Oyster Cult, and King Crimson, so I kind of owe her my life.

She also introduced me to coffee.

This was one of the last days I knew her. We had gone on a hellish road trip with some other droogs we knew where we jetsetted around the desert visiting libraries and antiques store and a sex shop, where she bought me my favorite collar. I still have that collar. If you ever end up at my place, I'll show it to you once I stop asking how the hell you got inside.

Anyway, we get back to her place, the other girls have pissed off, so it's just us about to kick back and watch Apocalypse Now on her big ass television screen. And before we put the disc in, she comes in out of nowhere with two cups of coffee.

Now, let me tell you, at the time I was young and consuming narcotics was illegal, so I didn't have experience with booze or drugs or self mutilation. But I had experience with coffee. Here in the US of A, people talk about coffee like it's the last shred of sanity they have holding them back from breaking down in the middle of their workplace, shrieking slurs and tearing coworkers apart with their bare hands. 'Don't talk to me until I've had my coffee'. 'Coffee understands'. All hail the great fucking god coffee.

I hated coffee. Every which way you can imagine, I've had it. And it all tasted like dogshit. Every few years I'd tell myself 'well, it can't be that bad' and it always would be.

But when a transbian tells you to do something, you do whatever the hell it is, right? So I took the coffee. And mid-conversation, i took a sip.

And I saw angels.

I'm not a good enough writer to describe how this ambrosia tasted, so you're really going to have to use your imagination here. But maybe I can assist with some key phrases you can use to shape your idea of it. Falling asleep in the arms of someone you love. Making eye contact with someone who's having just as much fun as you are. Your first bite of a rich chocolate cake. Late night masturbation. Cocaine, maybe, I don't know.

That mangey transbian coyote had made a diamond out of coal. A three course meal out of civet shit, condensed into one warm sip.

The coffee. Tasted. Fucking. Good.

When I finally realigned myself with reality and set my paws back on the ground firmly, I barely managed to croak out asking what she had done with it.

Carmen shrugged.

"Put stuff in it."

Carmen rode off into the sunset and out of my life that very week, and I've never seen her since.

I don't care who killed JFK. I don't care what happened to DB Cooper. I don't care what Bill Murray said at the end of Lost in Translation. But I would give every limb I have and spend the rest of my life as a quadruplegic hooked up to an IV full of Carmen's coffee if it meant finding out the exact combination of ingredients required to recreate this elixir. It's entirely possible, as a bird I told this story to once suggested, that she might have came in it.

But every time I get coffee now, I tweak the order just a little bit. And I pray, that through some Library of Babel, monkeys on a typewriter punching out the bible chance, I may one day recreate the Cup of God.

One day, may I finally know what 'stuff' is.

[lucywritesagain]

Between the lines ┈・𐑺 ‧₊˚໒꒱ Part 1

꒰ა ˚₊ ✧・┈﹕Stephen Strange Masterlist ꒰ ᐢ｡- ༝ -｡ᐢ ꒱ Navigation ﹕┈・𐑺 ‧₊˚໒꒱

Please note that this story is a repost from my old blog @lucywrites02.

Summary: After becoming the sorcerer supreme Stephen gets the access to the ancient one's private library full of ancient tomes in languages the doctor hasn't even heard of. Luckily Wong's childhood friend is willing to help and becomes their personal translator.

Word count: 14.3k

“I’m so glad you could make it.” Wong greeted you with a wide smile- you didn’t even step into the building when the man picked you up, hugging you tightly. Oh how you missed his hugs! “You have no idea how happy I am that you came.” The librarian let you go and sighed heavily. He embraced you one more time before he took your bags and gestured you to walk in. 

You looked around, mesmerised. It was quite a while since you’ve last been to the New York sanctum and even though nothing really changed it still felt foreign. The stairs looked exactly how they used to, but the carpet looked a bit more red than you remember it. Did they clean this old thing or bought a new one?  And then there was that old foyer where you used to spend most of your nights, reading some random fantasy novels you found in the nearest library. It was funny how you always insisted on reading those books instead of ancient tomes about real magic. You smiled, remembering that time the former guardian of this building  scolded you for sitting too close to the fire and accidentally burning half a page of your book. Thankfully it was no book about sorcery- otherwise you would already be dead because Wong would definitely kick your ass for that. This guy was basically your family but he wouldn’t hesitate to  make you pay for damaging something valuable.

“I put your bags in your room.” Your friend’s voice pulled you out of your transe, but you couldn’t stop smiling. You really missed this place. Turning around, your eye caught a glimpse of the closing portal behind your favourite sorcerer. “Tea?” 

“Yes, please!” You said and followed Wong to the kitchen, walking with that happy jump to your steps, already excited to spend some time with your friend. When you were still a sorcerer, tea time with Wong always meant exchanging gossip- it was your favourite time of the day. And now you guys had a lot to talk about. “Oh man,” you exhaled and sat down on an old wooden chair right next to the kitchen island, “I missed your tea soooo much.” you giggled and breathed in the smell of your favourite flavour. “Did you buy this tea for me? You know I love it.”

“I actually did it myself.” The man said, proudly and poured your beverage to a ceramic cup from his favourite set. You smiled upon seeing the mugs you got him for his birthday a few years ago. Wong said it was his most valuable possession. “I picked up gardening last year and then decided to experiment with tea. I hope you like it.”

“Gardening? That’s interesting. You didn't mention it at all.” you took a sip and literally melted in your chair. Is this how heaven felt like? “Wow, this is amazing!” you took another sip and closed your eyes, cherishing the taste it left on your tongue. “And you did it yourself?” 

“I did.” The librarian puffed his chest like a proud peacock, making you smile again. “And there’s a lot I have to tell you so buckle up- I have a lot of tea to spill.” Wong said, looking at you and expecting a laugh at his oh so genius pun. You were trying to look unamused, not wanting to give him the satisfaction, but you didn’t care to be honest. Yes, that pun was terrible, but still funny! You wouldn’t apologise for laughing at your friend’s corny joke.

✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧

“This is the last time I went to that store alone.” Stephen spoke into the empty air- his voice echoed through the hall with no one around to listen to his whining. The sorcerer supreme sighed, closing the door to the sanctum with his foot and then headed to the kitchen to unpack all those bags. The list Wong gave Stephen was longer than usual and the amount of food the man purchased would last for him and Wong for a whole month. The librarian insisted that his colleague should go to this very specific store at the other side of the city- which Stephen found quite weird but when he questioned it, Wong went on a long rant, explaining to him that they had your favourite kind of noodles and that their spices were top tier. Stephen had never met you, but he could see how much Wong respected you. You were obviously someone very important, but were you worth taking the train and two buses filled with annoying people just to get all those groceries that could be bought from the farmer’s market three blocks away from the sanctum? Stephen didn’t think so.

As he neared the kitchen, the sorcerer could hear someone talking. One of the voices belonged to Wong- Stephen was sure of that- but the other one he had never heard before. Have you already arrived? The doctor stopped in his tracks and sighed when he realised that he wasn’t exactly looking like the most important sorcerer at the moment. What kind of a first impression was this going to be? Would you judge his casual outfit or pay it no mind? It was hard to tell since Wong refused to tell Stephen anything about you other than the fact that you could translate all of the books for him. He didn’t even get your backstory or anything about you as a person. Wong obviously liked you, otherwise he would never have invited you to the sanctum, but the doctor didn’t know what to expect from you. He knew nothing about you. Stephen hated not knowing. 

Lost in thought, he didn’t even notice when the hallway’s wooden floor beneath his feet changed to the turquoise kitchen teals. 

“Speak of the devil and he will bring you groceries.” The librarian spoke, greeting his fellow sorcerer as he walked into the room. 

The doctor’s eyes fell on the person sitting on the counter, face hidden behind the ceramic mug- Stephen was pretty sure that the dish was supposed to keep your smile hidden. So much for a decent first impression. Thanks to Wong.

You looked at the man who just walked in- bags full of food in his hands. Wong has told you plenty about the new sorcerer supreme, but you didn’t expect to see someone in their late 30s to be the most important sorcerer on earth. You knew he was in his late 30s because your friend has mentioned it once, but the grey in his hair made Doctor Strange look a bit older. 

Awkwardly hopping off the counter you put your empty mug aside and walked towards the sorcerer supreme. “Let me help you with those.” You said, pointing at the bags. They were probably really heavy. You didn’t wait for a response and took some stuff in your own hands. “Wong, do you need an invitation or something?” You called, putting the groceries on the kitchen island. 

Stephen huffed- almost giggled- when he saw how quickly Wong stood up and took the remaining bags from him. He might not have made a good entrance, but you have for sure impressed him. And you seemed like a really friendly person, too.

“Where are my manners!” You gasped, realising that this guy probably didn’t even know your name and you were so freely opening his cupboards and stuffing them with food. It must have looked weird to him. Leaving Wong to unpack the rest by himself, you walked over to Stephen the second time this day, extending your hand to properly greet him. “It’s an honour to meet you, Doctor Strange.” You heard a lot about this man- the best neurosurgeon in the US, maybe even the world, who graduated young with 5 phDs and then became the sorcerer supreme within a few months of studying magic. It was impressive. You admired him in a way. Wong spoke of him highly as well. Although he did mention the doctor’s arrogance and his ‘dumbassery’ as your friend called it.

Stephen watched your hand move up and then stop midair between your bodies. You wanted to shake hands….

He didn’t have his gloves! What if you stared at them? Even unintentionally. He couldn’t let you see his hands without the gloves on. Maybe he should stop worrying about them so much. Stephen has been trying to put an end to his overthinking but it was harder than he thought. You didn’t seem like a judgy person though. 

Before he could make a decision you already pulled your hand away. He didn’t even notice that his own moved behind his back- hiding from your eyes.

“Wong has told me plenty about you.” You smiled, knowing perfectly well that your friend didn’t want his colleague to know about that. “I’m glad I could finally meet you.”

“I’m grateful you decided to help us out.” Stephen spoke, not really knowing what he should say to you. He didn’t know you at all, meanwhile you seemed to know him pretty well. “Wong said you specialise in  translating ancient languages.”

“That’s right! I have translated most of the books from the library in Kamar-Taj and a great amount of books from the London Sanctum.” You announced proudly. 

“You always asked for those books when you were studying. You should thank our guest for providing your monolingual brain with all that knowledge.” Wong called as he put the last products in the fridge. The librarian was obviously not interested in your awkward ‘get to know  each other’ conversation and would rather go back to gossiping with you about some of the masters from Hong Kong. He didn’t even get to the part where Master Emily was having an affair with Master Min and that they got married in secret two weeks ago. 

“It was all you?” Stephen asked, surprised. During his stay in Kamar-Taj the doctor had read dozens of books- in the beginning of his journey with sorcery said books were mostly in English, but once he memorised them he started reading the versions of those books in the original languages. It helped him learn how to read sanskrit in two weeks. “I must say I’m impressed. They proved to be very helpful.”

“I’m happy to hear that.” You couldn’t stop smiling- it was rare to hear people praising you and you always got excited when that happened. “How many books do you have for me, Doctor?” 

“Oh, yes, please follow me.” Before he could leave, Stephen turned around to Wong, “is it my turn or your turn to make dinner tonight?” 

“It’s your turn.” The librarian spoke as he moved to exit the kitchen and walk to his own room.

It was Wong’s turn.

“20 books?” You said, looking at the old tomes in Stephen’s office. 

“I know it's a lot and I understand if you don’t want to do all of that-”

“You want them translated into English, right?” You asked and picked up the first book from the enormous pile, laying on the sorcerer’s desk.

“Yes, of course.” the sorcerer paced awkwardly around his room and watched as you went through the master’s guide to astral projection in mirror dimension. Was it embarrassing that the sorcerer supreme needed assistance to read books? The Ancient One didn’t need a translator and most of the Masters were fluent in more than one language. Stephen made a mental note to download duolingo. But did they teach Hebrew from two thousand years ago?

“Would you like me to translate it into any other languages?” 

“How many do you know?” The doctor asked, curious.

“7 if we only count the old ones.” You answered and picked up another book, carefully inspecting its spine. Maybe if you find the time you will restore some of them as well. 

“And if we count the new ones?” 

“24.”

“How long will it take you to translate them?” Stephen changed the subject, feeling quite intimidated by your skills. He wouldn’t tell this to anyone, but last night he really needed to translate some notes and used Google to do it. Needless to say the spell was a disaster and the doctor swore to never use google translate for spells ever again. Even if he’s desperate.

Your eyes scanned the heavy tomes in front of you once more while your brain tried to calculate the amount of work you were about to begin.

“Two months. Maybe three.” You answered, putting your hands into the pockets of your black zip up hoodie. “I can start tonight.”

“Three months per book or-”

“All of them. I need to print the pages and then bind them into a new book and that will also take some time- hence three months.” You explained, knowing perfectly well that you would probably do it in two months. That’s if you were able to hide from Wong that you worked using your astral form in your sleep. He would never let you hear the end of it if he found out. “Now let’s talk about payment.” You walked around the desk and sat down at a little armchair in the corner.

Stephen stood frozen in place, watching you making yourself comfortable. He felt embarrassed because he didn’t take into consideration that you would want money for your services. Now that he thought of it he felt stupid for not thinking about it. The sorcerer’s hand wandered up his neck, scratching the skin on his nape as if that would help him come up with a solution. 

“Oh dear, I was just kidding!”  You laughed, covering your mouth with your palm. “I don’t want your money, Doctor.”

Those words made Stephen breathe out in relief. “Are you sure? You said it will take you three months. It wouldn’t be fair of me to expect you to do this for free.” Yes, Stephen didn’t have money, but the thought of you getting nothing in return for your hard work rubbed him the wrong way.

“You really don’t need to worry about money, Doctor.” You stood up and walked up to the pile of books again, your fingers tracing the spines as you continued- “I want to do this for the sanctum. Besides you letting me stay here is already enough. Those books are for the sorcerer supreme only and I’m honoured that you’re entrusting me with them even though we don’t know each other.”

“I’m happy to hear that because we are broke.” Stephen said, causing you to laugh again. You were a very nice person and Stephen liked your personality a lot. Your aura was friendly and kind which was something this place really needed. “I guess that means you’re hired!” The sorcerer joked.

“Thank you, Doctor.” 

“Please call me Stephen.”

✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧

Rubbing your eyes, you leaned back in your chair. A little desk lamp and your laptop were the only sources of light in the library. You couldn’t tell how late it was but  you knew you should stop and call it a day. In the first two weeks of your stay in New York you have already done more than you expected. If you kept up that pace you would be done in less than two months, but working all day since sunrise and then writing in your astral form all night wasn’t healthy. Plus Wong started to be suspicious and took your sling ring so astral projecting was off the table for a while.

As much as you loved peace and quiet, the sounds of New York’s nightlife made you a bit nostalgic. Honking of a car, laughter of tourists- things like that would annoy most people, especially at this hour, but you missed it. You missed this city. Maybe once you were  done with your work in the sanctum you would stay for a bit longer. Just because. And to be completely honest you really missed hanging out with Wong. It felt like a family reunion and you loved it. You didn’t know how much you needed this until now. It felt so good to be with people who genuinely cared about you and wanted you around. You haven’t felt wanted ever since your failed relationship a year ago. It was a very disappointing experience that damaged your confidence, but thankfully Wong was there to help you  pick up the broken pieces like a good friend. Nights like this one always send your mind in all the wrong places.

“Can’t sleep?” Stephen’s voice called from the entrance, making you jump in your chair. Your hand rested on your chest, feeling the rapid beat of your heart caused by the person standing in the doorway. “Didn’t mean to scare you.” He smiled apologetically and put some papers on the desk next to yours. “Isn’t it a bit too late for that?” The doctor pointed at the white screen of your laptop with a cup of tea in his hand.

“I was actually going to take a break.” You announced with a yawn and stretched your arms over your head so hard your  whole body shook. “I don’t have much left though and I could always rest after it’s done.”

The sorcerer hummed, looking at your screen. “You want to tell me that you have almost translated the whole book?” His eyes moved between the laptop, your notes and the heavy tome laying on the desk.

“Yes?” 

“600 pages in less than two weeks?” Stephen took a sip of his already cold tea, cringing at the bitter taste.

“I'm actually finishing the second book.” You said, moving your arms around in hope it would ease the pain in your back. “Impressive, I know.” You joked, winking at the man sitting next to you.

“It actually is quite impressive.”

“My secret is Wong's black tea 5 times a day with three sugars and astral projection after midnight.” Stephen’s laugh echoed through the empty library, making you smile. The two of you didn’t spend much time together- he had his duties as sorcerer supreme and you were working on your translations. Neither of you wanted to disturb the other one. The only conversations you had so far were the ones around the dinner table with Wong. It was nice, but you wished you had more time to get to know Stephen. “Although he confiscated my sling ring so I can’t do that anymore.”

“It’s not healthy to use your astral form too often.” The man said, knowing he sounded like a hypocrite, but you didn’t have to know it. “Trust me, I’m a doctor.”

“Didn’t you use it every night back in Kamar- Taj to read?” You asked, amused by the look on Stephen's face.

“So he told you.”

“Wong tells me everything.” You grinned, narrowing your eyes playfully. 

"Everything?" The doctor asked in a tone that sounded more like a dare. You weren't expecting the new sorcerer supreme to be such a chill person and you were glad that he liked to mess around sometimes. It made your stay at the sanctum a lot more fun than you thought it would be.

"Everything, including that one time you accidentally turned a student into a cat because you didn't read the spell correctly." You whispered, slowly gathering all of your notes and closing your laptop. You knew you wouldn't get anything else done that night. "But just so you know- Wong speaks very highly of you. He enjoys sharing those funny stories with me though." 

"Good to know," Stephen grinned, feeling quite relieved that his colleague- friend- respects him beyond his occasional arrogance. "He has never told me anything about you before though." He said, sounding almost disappointed. Maybe Stephen and Wong weren't that close yet. They tend to talk about other students and masters, but never about their lives outside of the sorcery world. They should definitely change that.

"Is there anything you'd like to know, Doctor?" You stood up to throw away the pieces of paper that you didn't need anymore and stretched your legs a bit. It felt so good to move around like that after a whole day of sitting.

"It would be nice to get to know you better, but I think it's quite late and we both should be sleeping." The man said and yawned which made you yawn, too. Yeah, it was really late. 

"I think you're right. I can barely keep my eyes open, let alone hold a conversation." Looking down at the desk you decided to clean the rest tomorrow. It wasn't going to run away. 

"You could take a free day tomorrow and accompany me to London." Stephen suggested. You were a really nice person and the sorcerer liked your friendly spirit. You liked to joke around- even with Wong- and Stephen would lie if he said that he didn't wish for you to stay longer. He didn't feel so lonely with you around. Yes, you didn't talk much but he knew that you were always in the library with Wong and it made this place less…. lonely. 

"I would like that! I haven't been to London in ages." 

"Let me walk you to your door." The Doctor said, offering you his arm with a playful little bow.

The two of you stayed silent while you walked- neither of you had enough energy to talk anymore. The sound of your synchronised steps echoed through the empty halls. The distance from the library to your bedroom wasn't too long but it felt like eternity to get there. A free day was probably a good idea- you could feel the effects of your constant work and seriously needed a day to yourself.

The only words spoken between you were the whispered goodnights and the sanctum was dead silent again.

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"You want to tell me that one day you just went on a walk and accidentally walked into the sanctum in Hong Kong?" Stephen asked, taking a bite of his sandwich. 

The two of you decided to have brunch in a little cafe near the park- for you it was more like breakfast, but there was a 6 hour difference between NYC and London. The place was lovely and the chilly weather of early spring in England combined with the beautiful scenery of trees and the river made you smile. 

You took a sip of your tea and smiled at the memory.

"I was a kid and didn't know I wasn't allowed there."  You explained, trying to make sense of your actions from the past. "I was 8 and got bored so my grandmother told me to go play with other kids, but I got lost on my way to the playground and ended up in the sanctum." Stephen watched you carefully which meant he was really interested in the story. He rested his cheek on his hand and you continued, " I got really scared because I realised that I wasn't supposed to be there and when someone tried to talk to me I ran and hid in the library-" you had to laugh at that. Little you were terrified, but the older you found the story hilarious. "Wong found me an hour later crying under the desk and then walked me home." 

"That's an adventure." The doctor laughed- the wrinkles under his eyes made themselves more prominent. It suited him. Happiness suited him.

"My grandma then made cookies and told me to give them to the nice man who got me back home." You smiled and took another sip of your drink. "And then I just kept coming there whenever I had time and hung out with Wong in the library. He made me his apprentice- although he was still just a student himself. I insisted and he couldn't get rid of me." 

"Really?" The sorcerer would love to see the little you annoying Wong so much he had to make you his apprentice to shut you up.

"No, he actually asked if I wanted to study under him."

"Did you say yes?" A sudden blow of cold wind made the sorcerer shiver, but he didn't pay much attention to it. Talking with you felt so natural and it felt like you've been friends forever. It was nice to have this connection with someone. Stephen really needed to feel normal every once in a while and sitting with you outside of a cafe on a chilly afternoon in London made him feel normal.

"Take a guess, doctor."

"Right, that was a stupid question." Strange grinned, hiding his face in the hoodie he wore to shield himself from the wind. Stephen could tell you he wanted to go inside, but you seemed to enjoy the chilly weather. He wouldn't die if the wind picked up every now and then.

"There are no stupid questions." You said, playing with the remains of your tea that were too cold to enjoy anymore.

"I like your mindset, but as someone who worked in medicine for years I can tell you that some people ask very stupid questions." 

"I can only imagine." 

"So why is it that I have never met you before. I was in Kamar-Taj for a very long time and I visit other sanctums whenever I need to, which is pretty often." The doctor was curious how he managed to not see you even once during his stay in all those places.

"Oh, I left the sorcery world when I was older because I got  into a university in Scotland. I still kept in touch with Wong and some other masters though. I even visited New York last year but it was only for the weekend and you weren't there." 

"What did you study?" 

"You will never believe when I tell you." You wiggled your eyebrows with a smirk on your face.

"Surprise me." Steohen said, already suspecting what your answer was going to be. 

"I studied ancient languages and became a translator for an archeology centre in Greece when I graduated." You didn’t mention to him that you quit working in said centre after one of your colleagues broke your heart into a million pieces and walked all over it. He didn’t have to know about your failed romances. At least not yet. 

"No way." The doctor fake gasped causing you to laugh again.

"Shocking, I know." 

"I would have never expected it." He kept playing along, amused by your silly shenanigans. "Why languages? Was it like your passion or a hobby?" He asked, coming back to his more serious self. 

"I always learned fast- I took Latin in school and then thought it would be fun to learn similar languages so my mom signed me up for French classes, I learned Spanish at home because I was tired of French and then took Swedish to change things a bit. Then there was Japanese, Korean and Hindu. And then when I started spending more time in Kamar-Taj I thought it would be very fun to be fluent in languages no one speaks anymore. It all just came natural to me. I was good at it so I decided to do it for a living." You explained; your gaze getting lost in the picture of the clouds changing their shapes. Taking a deep breath you tried to think of a good topic of conversation, but Stephen beat you to it and spoke again.

"That's really interesting. Your brain is fascinating." 

"My brain you say?" You remembered that he used to be a doctor from what Wong told you, but you didn't know what kind.

"I mean- you possess so much knowledge I can only imagine how amazing your neural connections must be." Stephen continued, his hands flying around as the words left his mouth.

"That is the strangest compliment I have ever gotten- I love it." You put your hand on your chest, trying to show your gratitude. "Pun not intended."

Your afternoon was filled with fluid conversations that seemed to have no end. Stephen asked about your family, friends, hobbies. Being your polite self you asked them the same questions and found things that Wong didn't tell you.

 For example, the sorcerer supreme used to play piano and was pretty good at it. His love for music extended farther than just listening to sounds- he also liked to create them. The doctor hid it well, but you could see the sadness in his eyes when he told you about his musical skills. It was because of his hands- that was for sure. They wandered down under the table, hiding from your eyes as he spoke about his passions. You had scars of your own- you understood the struggle. 

But it was still painful to see- ever since you met him Stephen was nothing but confident in everything he did. Sometimes he walked the thin line between confidence and arrogance, but it was a part of his charm. He never was an asshole- not to you, not to Wong. Not even to that kid who tried to put graffiti on the sanctum's walls two days ago. At the end of the day Stephen- although still very much powerful- was just a man. A human being with insecurities. 

"Did you play the banjo as well?" You asked resting your chin on your fist- elbows on the table. 

"Just because I'm from Nebraska doesn't mean I know how to play the banjo." Stephen defended himself, throwing his hands in the air dramatically.

"Answer my question, Stephen." You demented, pointing a finger at him and trying to hold in your laughter. Stephen's lips formed a thin line. The red on his cheeks became more prominent- maybe it was the cold. 

"Yes." The sorcerer mumbled.

"What was that?" 

"I won't repeat myself." 

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You’ve been in the New York sanctum for over a month now and it was the first time ever that all of you were in the library at the same time. Right after your morning tea the three of you headed there to do your own things- you wanted to finish translating the book on interdimensional herbs, Wong was going to fix a spine of his book of shadows meanwhile Stephen was trying to upgrade some spell. It was quiet, but very cosy. Almost domestic if you dared say that. 

Speaking of Stephen- ever since that day in London you became pretty good friends. He talked to you more, made sure you took breaks when working. Sometimes he would invite you to go grocery shopping with him and Wong. Yeah, it was really domestic. You never expected the sorcerer supreme to be so friendly towards you, but you were glad he proved you wrong. You were happy to have a friend like him. This place really felt like home when Wong and Stephen were there with you. You really felt wanted.

Wong was basically family to you and you always felt wanted around him, but it really surprised you how hard Stephen was trying to make you feel at home. Making your favourite food for dinner, taking you on walks. One time you and the doctor were talking about movies and he even suggested a movie night. You accidentally fell asleep on his shoulder that time and Wong took a photo of it. It looked pretty cute- you had to admit that. But the more you looked at that polaroid- or thought about everything you did with Stephen- you realised that there might be something more between the two of you than friendship. 

You saw each other every day- talked every day- for over a month now. Just a month but it felt like years. It scared you a bit. How quickly you were developing a crush on this man. And it wasn’t like you didn’t want to get involved with him romantically- Stephen was a great person. But your last relationship left a hole in your heart and even though a lot of time had passed since that failed romance you were still weary when it came to dating. Especially if the person of your interest was the most powerful sorcerer that you have met only a month ago! Plus you were literally working for this man. 

It was a shame that you had to leave so soon. After you got your sling ring back you continued to work 24/7, translating 15 books in two weeks which was your new record. Wong had volunteered to book-bind a few pages, making your job even easier. Meaning that you would be done even faster. To be honest you didn’t want to go back to your job in ‘real life’. Yes, you loved it, but you didn’t realise how much you missed the world of sorcery until now. 

You were torn between wanting to be a sorcerer again and having a normal life. Your fingers stopped typing as your eyes stared at the bright screen of your laptop- not really focusing on anything. The sound of your keyboard had been the only thing filling the silence. Now the air in the room was dead and empty. Looking around you watched as the two men worked on their own things and decided to take a short break- make some tea for the boys, stretch, think about your future. Stuff like that. And so you left quietly, knowing that neither of them probably even noticed that you were gone. 

Little did you know that one of your friends was watching you all the time. Wong sensed that something wasn't right. The moment you picked up another book to translate your mood shifted. It was odd and Wong didn’t like seeing you like this.

“SHIT!” you shrieked as you turned around and saw the librarian, standing in the kitchen doorway. “I could have dropped the kettle!”

“Didn’t mean to scare you.” The man apologised and sat down at the table, trying to figure out how to even start this conversation with you. Deciding it would be easier to just rip the bandaid off he spoke again. “You seem sad today. Is everything alright?” 

The question surprised you. “I didn’t think you’d notice.” You didn’t disagree. You didn’t see the point in hiding your feelings and you had always trusted Wong. You could tell him everything without the fear of being judged. 

“I wanted to get this job done as quickly as possible-” you said, fiddling with the kettle in your hands. “And now that I'm almost done I don’t think I want to leave.”

“Then stay.” He smiled at the thought of you living in the sanctum again. This last month reminded Wong of the good old days when you used to share a house and do all kinds of stuff together from practising spells to folding laundry. 

“Do you think Stephen would allow it?” you asked, shyly. The doctor was in charge of the sanctum after all so it all depended on him and his decision. 

“He adores you! Of course he would allow it.” The librarian rolled his eyes when he said the word ‘adore’ which made your face feel a little bit warmer for some reason. “Just ask him about it. He will be thrilled to hear that you’re staying.”

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Another week passed and you still haven’t asked Stephen. Wong’s words made you rethink some things and reflect on everything that happened in the last month. Closing the book you’ve been working on for the past two days you realised that there’s only one of them left. 

Your friend’s words played in your brain like a broken record. 

‘He adores you’

You didn’t want that. 

Okay, maybe you did, but you weren’t ready for that yet. You weren’t ready to get your heart broken again. Besides you weren’t planning on staying any longer than necessary so why even worry about it?

Laying on your bed, you stared at the white ceiling, trying to come up with a solution to your- not so little- problem when a knock on your door pulled you out of your head.

“Hi.” Stephen whispered- his head peeking from behind the door. “I saw the light in your room was still on and wanted to check on you.” The sorcerer invited himself in and leaned his shoulder on the wall. 

Your eyes fell on the jar of cookies he was holding in his hands. Stephen’s gaze followed yours and the doctor smirked.

“I was going to eat them alone, but since I’m already here would you like one?” He said, taking a step forward and sitting at the edge of your bed. You moved, too- your back straight against the headboard. It created more distance between you which wasn’t really intentional, but you were glad that there was a bit more space. Of course you would love nothing more than to get closer to Stephen, but it was all happening so quickly. And you hated yourself for feeling that way.

“So…” The jar lid popped open and your friend took two cookies out of it, handing you one with a silent question. You took it without thinking twice; your fingers brushed and a shiver went down your spine. “You couldn’t sleep again?”

You signed, taking a bite and not really caring about the crumbs on your sheets. 

“Not really.” You managed to say between the bites. Stephen observed you carefully- almost like he was studying your face and all your movements. You had plenty of conversations that started in this exact way. Usually you would talk the night away, but you weren’t in the mood to talk for so long.

“Is everything alright?” The sorcerer’s voice echoed through the room- it was deep and very soft. You loved listening to him talk, not only because you liked how his voice sounded, but also because he was always very nice to you when you two talked. 

“Why shouldn’t it be?” You raised your brow, hugging your knees close to your chest to get some comfort.

“Wong said you’ve been ignoring him. And you’ve been ignoring me, too.” The doctor mimicked your pose, now fully sitting on your bed. “I know we don’t know each other as long as you and Wong do, but I still care about you. You are my guest and I would be a horrible host if I didn’t care about your wellbeing.”

You knew he said it to make you feel better- to make sure that you knew that you could trust him. And you did. You trusted Stephen. But not with your feelings. You weren’t even sure what those feelings were. 

Were you just excited that you made a new friend and mistook that excitement for romantic attraction? He gave you his attention, but this was what people did when they wanted to be friends with someone. Strange smiled at you once and you were convinced you developed a crush on him. It was pathetic how much you craved love that you were seeing it everywhere even if it wasn’t true.That was probably the reason your last relationship was a disaster. You went into it too quickly and then were surprised that it didn’t work out. You needed more time to think about it- your feelings for Stephen. He was a good friend and you would hate to lose that.

“I really appreciate it, Stephen.” You said with a genuine smile on your face. There was still some uncertainty in your eyes. “I think I’m just a little tired. I tend to overwork myself sometimes.”

“That makes the two of us then.” He smirked and pulled out another cookie. Stephen handed you the jar and you moved closer to him, decreasing the gap between your bodies. “I saw that you have just one book left to translate.” 

“Yeah-” You sighed a bit too loud, ignoring the sorcerer’s gaze. “Wong said he would bind them all so I will probably be gone by the end of the next week.” You said, feeling a weird squeeze in your chest. You didn’t know why you felt like that. You leaving wouldn’t be the end of the world! You would still keep in touch with Wong- you have for all those years. So why was it affecting you so much this time?

Stephen stood up, clearing his throat quietly. The man stood up, leaving the cookie jar on your blanket and wiped his hands clean on his pyjama pants.

“You are welcome to stay longer if you want.” The doctor announced and slowly made his way to the door. “Wong and I- we love having you around. I wanted you to know that.”

Stephen left, letting you be alone with your thoughts.

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“Do you really want to go back to your old job though?” Wong asked, taking a sip of his morning tea. You liked to talk about many things with him, especially in the morning while you prepared breakfast. But the topic of your old job was making you nervous. It wasn’t really about the job itself- you liked what you were doing. The issue was people- or rather a person- who was still working there. It’s been almost a year since you left and your side gigs couldn’t pay all of your bills. You were happy when Wong called you and asked if you could come by to help translate some stuff, but you were here almost two months and felt like you should leave soon. You wouldn’t have to figure out your feelings for Stepehn if he wasn’t around. 

“I have to make money somehow.” You flipped a pancake and put on a fake smile. 

“You could find something here in New York. And you wouldn’t have to worry about rent since you’d be living here.” Your friend proposed.

It wasn’t a bad idea- now that you think of it it was an excellent idea. You really couldn’t argue with that.

“I will think about it.” 

“That’s all you’ve been doing lately.”

Why was it so hard for you to open up to Wong now? You never had a problem with that before. Taking a deep breath you decided to rip the bandaid off.

“I think I have feelings for Stephen.” You breathed out, looking at your dear friend and waiting for his response. All you got was a hysterical laugh.

“That’s a good one!” Wong said, slapping his knee repeatedly. “Oh dear, I love your jokes.” 

But you didn’t laugh. 

“No- you’re-” the librarian lowered his tone, almost whispering. “No.”

“Yes.”

“Are you sure?”

That was a good question. Were you sure?

“I don’t know.” A tear rolled down your face- you didn’t even know why you were so emotional about it. You didn’t even know for sure and you were making such a scene. Putting your face in your hands you shook your head and cried. “I don’t know, Wong!”

You were trembling and breathing heavily in your friend’s arms and didn’t even notice that you were walking somewhere- the librarian guiding you. You couldn’t see well because of the tears, but you recognised the outline of your room. Your knees hit something soft and if Wong didn’t turn you around you would flop on the bed face first. 

It took you half an hour to calm down.

You missed breakfast that day, too.

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Taking a deep breath you put your sweater on and exit the library. You tried to do something productive, but nothing was going your way today. First the fiasco in the kitchen, then you isolating for the rest of your day and now sneaking out to the library when everyone else was asleep. What was going on with you? 

Your stomach spoke, demanding food. You weren’t surprised- you haven’t eaten anything at all. And you really should do that. You can’t keep destroying yourself because of one tiny inconvenience.  

Your bare feet walked through the wooden floors leading to the small kitchen you love so much. 

“Midnight snack?” Someone spoke, making you jump and bump your leg into a chair. “I’m so sorry.” The familiar voice apologised, gently putting a hand on your shoulder to see if everything was alright. “I thought you saw me.”

“It’s fine.” You shrugged it off, massaging your knee to ease the pain a little. “I wasn’t paying attention.” You straightened your back and realised how close to you Stephen was.

Your heart skipped a beat.

“Would you like some tea? I was gonna make myself a cup.” The sorcerer proposed, taking a step back and giving you space. 

Playing with the sleeves of our sweater you jumped on the counter- your favourite place to sit- and nodded. “I would kill for a cup of tea right now.”

“No killing will be necessary. I will do it willingly.” Stephen smirked, taking two ceramic mugs out of the upper cupboard. You noticed that one of them was your favourite mug- you used it literally every day and Stephen was a very observant person so it shouldn’t be surprising that he knew what you used to drink and from where. “The usual?” He asked, throwing a kitchen towel over his shoulder like a bartender, making you giggle.

“Make it double.” You said, playing along. 

“So what brings you here at this hour?” The doctor asked, pouring the hot water into your mugs and then putting the tea inside. 

“I wanted to get some work done, but I couldn’t focus.” You explained. Your friend handed you your tea and you thanked him with a shy smile.

“Wong said you had a really bad anxiety attack this morning-” the man hopped on the counter right next to you, his baby blues looking at you with some kind of softness you haven’t  seen in him before. “-and I know you probably don’t want to talk about it which is fine-” he spoke, not really knowing where he was going with it. He wanted to make you feel better, but Stephen wasn’t the best at expressing his emotions. He was going to try though. For you. “-but i want you to know that you can trust me and I can find you some professional help if you need it. I know a few people who would be able to help.” 

“I don’t-” you tried to defend yourself, but your voice shook. “I’m not crazy. I don’t need it!”

“Where is this coming from?” The doctor asked, confused . “Therapy can be for everyone no matter what and there’s nothing wrong with getting help.” He turned to you to get a better look at your face. He looked surprised by your little outburst, but he knew there was more to the story.

“You think so?” Suddenly you felt small. You have been to therapy before, but your ex wasn’t really supportive of that. You were called a variety of names. You were shamed and gaslighted into believing that you seeking help was a sign of weakness. That’s why you stopped going. You stopped taking your meds. And when you hit the rock bottom your partner decided that you weren’t worth all the trouble and left. You were scared of asking for help again- it was a weird fear, but it just wouldn’t let go of you. 

“I know it.” Stephen’s gentle voice made you tear up a bit. “I’m no psychologist, but I have contacts. If you want I can accompany you to the first session. Or Wong.” He put your arm around you, drawing random shapes on your shoulder in a soothing motion. 

You gave in and embraced him, throwing your arms around his neck and sobbing quietly. 

“Thank you, Stephen.” You whispered and felt his hold on you tightening. 

“Did anyone ever tell you that it was wrong to go to therapy?” The doctor asked in a hushed voice. He didn’t break the hug.

“You could say that.” You sniffled, face still hiding in his chest. You were sure there was already a wet spot from all your tears on his shirt. “An ex of mine had very strong opinions about me taking meds and going to therapy.”

“What a dick.” Stephen huffed, anger radiated from him. If he ever met that person he would send them to some crazy dimensions to fuck with their mind. “They didn’t deserve you.”

“There’s a reason this person is an ex.” You smiled sadly and took a deep breath. “Wong had already kicked that asshole’s butt so don’t worry.” You giggled at the memory. Violence was never the answer, but in that case it was really appreciated. “But ever since then I was kinda scared of reaching out, you know?” 

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Your friend’s hand wandered from your shoulder up to your hair and gently massaged your scalp, making you melt in his arms. “I will make some calls first thing in the morning. You should see someone as soon as possible. Especially if you need medication.” He said. You could hear the determination in his voice. Stephen was nothing like your last partner. He really cared. He supported you and wanted the best for you. And even if there could never be anything more than friendship between you you would still be happy to have him in your life. “When was the last time you took your meds.” 

"I'm embarrassed to say." You straightened your back and let your hands fall from Stephen's neck. He was still holding you, knowing you still needed some comfort. 

"You don't have to tell me, but please mention it to your therapist, okay?" The sorcerer gave your shoulder a light pat and hopped off the counter. "Our tea is getting cold." You smiled and followed your friend to sit at the table. You saw him taking a sip from his tea and cringe. "The bags were in the water for too long. It's really bitter." 

You sighed, putting the mugs in the sink. It was probably a sign that you should go back to your room.

"There's a place 3 blocks away with great Thai food." Strange looked at you with a silent question. You couldn't say no to food, but you weren't sure if it was a good idea to go out so late. "They also have great tea and I know for a fact that they are still open." He sensed your hesitation, but refused to leave you alone in your room with your thoughts. You had to get away from here- even if it was just for a few minutes. "I'm paying."

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Walking side by side with Stephen, your arms in your pockets to shield them from the cold midnight air, you looked around to see plenty of people doing all kinds of stuff. New York truly never slept. It was a part of its charm.

The doctor offered you his arm when a group of tourists passed through the crowd, almost pulling you in with them. You liked big cities, but you absolutely hated the crowds. You hooked your hand in the place between Stephen's arm and his elbow, holding it tightly. It didn’t take long for you to get to the restaurant Stephen told you about. You visited many places like this with the boys when neither of you wanted to cook anything, but this building wasn’t familiar to you. 

Stephen opened the door for you like the gentleman he was and as you stepped inside you were hit with a variety of smells. Your stomach reminded you of its existence once more and you were sure everyone in the room could hear it. 

Your friend waved his hand at the older lady behind the counter with a smile on his face. He gestured at the small table in the corner- hidden from everyone’s eyes- and took your jacket. Taking two menus from the wooden napkin holder in the middle of your table, Stephen handed you one, his cold fingers leaving a feather-like sensation on your palm.

“Their green curry is delicious.” The sorcerer said, turning his menu around and pointing at the picture on top. 

“I will have to take your word for that, Doctor.” You smirked actually feeling some happiness in you after the entire day of sleeping in your depression cave you called the bedroom. 

“What tea would you like?” He asked, tapping a finger on his knee to the beat of the song playing from the radio. Your eyes scanned the pages of the little book in your hands. Stephen was watching you while you tried to make a choice. You looked adorable with your hair a bit messy from the wind, biting your lip deep in thought. The sorcerer smiled- you couldn’t see it, but the look he gave you was full of adoration. 

“I think I will get the Thai Ice Tea.” You announced, putting your menu aside. Turning your head to face Stephen you noticed that he was staring and immediately became self conscious. “Do I have something on my face?”

“What? No it’s just-” The doctor straightened his back, blushing. The awkward pause between you was interrupted by the waitress who appeared at your table.

“Stephen! It’s so good to see you here, honey.” The older woman you saw earlier behind the counter pinched the man’s cheek in an affectionate manner. The sorcerer groaned, but couldn’t hide the smile on his face. “What can I get you today, sweetie?”

“It’s good to see you too, Malee. You look beautiful as ever.” The doctor leaned back in his chair and put on his charming smile. “Did you get a haircut?” 

“Oh, I did!” the woman giggled, taking a pen out of her pocket. “But the flattery won’t give you a discount.”

“It was worth a try.” The sorcerer shrugged. You watched this exchange with a huge grin. You were enjoying their little interaction. It was kinda sweet. “We would like two plates of green curry and  two ice teas.”

Malee quickly  wrote down your order and put the pen back into the pocket of her jeans. “I will bring you your drinks right away.” She said, tugging her long grey hair behind her ear.

“I will go get them, just tell me when they’re done!” Stephen called as the women walked through the door leading to the kitchen. “She has really weak hands, she shouldn’t carry anything heavy.” Your friend explained, turning back to you. 

“She’s a lovely lady.” You mentioned, trying to change the subject. You wanted to keep a steady conversation, fearing that if you fell silent your thoughts would spiral in the wrong direction again.  “Very lively.”

“She is just the sweetest.” The doctor’s smile made the wrinkles under his eyes stand out. He looked good like that. “Wong and I come here very often when we pull all-nighters.”

“I can see why.” You looked around, your eyes scanning the art on the walls and the curtains that matched the floor. “It’s very cosy here.”

You didn’t realise it, but you were swaying to the music playing through the speakers. You were enjoying the moment of peace and Stephen’s presence helped with that a lot. You also didn’t notice when the sorcerer stood up to get your tea. He put the glasses on the table and gave you a smile. A teenage boy walked behind him with a tray of your food. And oh, you were so excited to finally eat something after a long day. You were all set when Melee came up to you with a little candle and matches. She put it in the middle of the table, surprising both you and Stephen. 

“Enjoy your date.” She winked at you and left, leaving both of you out of words.

“I just want to clarify that I didn’t intend for it to be a date.” Stephen said, awkwardly scratching his neck. 

“Oh, yeah. I-” You didn’t want to let it show, but you were a little hurt by his response.

“It’s just- you had a really rough night and I-I wanted to provide some comfort.” The sorcerer explained, stumbling over his own words.

“I understand, Stephen. It’s really okay.” You took a sip of your tea- the flavours melting on your tongue made your stomach calm down a bit. You were fighting back your tears- you didn’t want to ruin the night even more.

“And besides, a restaurant seems a little cliche for a date.”  The doctor cleared his throat and took a fork in his  right hand. “If I was to ask you out on a date it would be something special.” He mumbled, but you heard him perfectly clear. “If you agreed, of course.”

“Really?” You asked- your voice still felt weak, but there was a bit of hope behind your eyes. “You would ask me on a date if you knew I would say yes?”

“I would ask you regardless of your answer and handle rejection like a big boy.” He said in a joking tone, but you knew he meant that. “But the timing doesn’t seem right right now, does it?” He smiled sadly at you and got busy with his food.

“What do you mean by that?” You asked, trying to decipher the meaning of Stephen’s words.

“I mean-” Your friend took a deep breath, looking you deep in the eyes. “You are still working for me. You are also living in a place where I’m technically the boss. I’m about to help you find a therapist.” Stephen explained. “I don’t want you to feel obligated to agree to go on a date with me just because you feel like you should.”

You were taken aback by this answer- not in a bad way. It showed that Stephen really cared about you. You never felt like you owed him anything, but he took your valuable state of mind  into consideration which made you feel really appreciated. He wanted to make sure that you would feel comfortable in this relationship- that you wouldn’t feel trapped and obligated to being with him. 

“I really appreciate that, Stephen.” You smiled, taking a spoonful of rice. “I wouldn’t say no if you asked me- not because I live under your roof. You are a great man and anyone would be lucky to have you.” A familiar warmth creeped up your face. It made you feel like a middle school child having their very first crush. 

Stephen’s eyes shyly wandered around the room. Your words made his heart beat faster. He had to run the conversation in his head twice to make sure you really just said what he thought you said. The sorcerer wasn’t the best at showing his feelings- especially romantic ones- but with you it seemed to be much easier. 

“I guess we’ll just have to wait and see where it gets us.” Strange replied, looking at you one more time. You locked eyes and smiled.

And for the first time in ages you didn’t worry about the future.

“How was your session today?” Wong greeted you with a hug and a cup of fresh tea as you entered the kitchen. The smell of cheese hit your nostrils, making you salivate. Home sweet home. 

“It was pretty good.” You said, taking a sip of your hot beverage.”I will probably get new meds soon.”

“That’s fantastic!” The librarian cheered. 

✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧

Ever since Stephen helped you start therapy again you became more alive. You didn’t realise how much stuff affected your mental health until now. You’ve been going to that Doctor for 3 months now and you couldn’t believe how much changed in such a short amount of time. You were going easy on yourself- you were slowly unlearning your old self destructive behaviours like working 24/7 without a break or bottling up your emotions. Wong was very supportive and helped in any way he could. In some way your therapy helped him relax a bit. He promised to take you on a hike every weekend- something you loved doing when you were younger- and he didn’t say it often, but he loved that, too. It was your quality time with Wong. Even if he had a ton of work to do he always made sure to finish before the weekend, not wanting to miss that time with you.

And then there was Stephen. You’ve been in New York for almost 6 months now and Stephen was nothing but kind to you. Your relationship progressed very quickly and the two of you became best friends in no time. Of course there was still the question of your feelings, but you both agreed to give it time. But with every passing day you fell more and more for him. Little did you know that the sorcerer supreme felt the same way. He was still shy around you at times, but you always made sure you were both comfortable no matter what you were doing. You spent plenty of time together from practising spells to watching movies. You cherished all these moments. 

You finished translating the last book a few weeks ago- Stephen and Wong insisted that you take a break and focus on your health. Work could always wait. The librarian convinced you to let him bind those books by himself so that you could have more free time. Those guys were the best thing that had ever happened to you.

“Is that lasagna I smell?” The doctor walked into the kitchen through a portal and took a seat right next to you.

“It is!” Wong said, proudly as he took the dish out of the oven and put it on the table. “Did you bring the wine?” He asked, looking around in hope to find a bottle. 

“I didn’t know you wanted me to.” Stephen said, setting the table for the three of you. “I can go get it. There’s a few more bottles in the basement.” 

“No, it’s fine. I will get them.” The librarian said and walked out of the room. He used it as an excuse to leave you and Stephe alone but you didn’t have to know that.

“I heard your session went well today.” The sorcerer spoke, sitting down on his chair.

“It really did.” You smiled, following his lead. 

“What are your plans for today?” Your friend asked, wanting to make some small talk before executing his little plan and asking you out. This time officially.

“Oh, I think I have a date.” You said with a sprinkle of uncertainty in your voice.

Stephen was stunned by your answer- a little bit hurt, too. It wasn’t like you had swore to go on a date with him, but the things were going so well between you the doctor assumed you felt the same. Apparently that wasn’t the case and Stephen respected your decision.

“Oh, a date?”

“Yeah, I don’t know if he agrees though. He’s kinda busy with sorcery stuff and all that.” You bit your lip, trying to stop yourself from smiling.

Stephen exhaled in relief, with a smirk on his face.

“I’m sure he will find some time for you.” He announced, playing along. “He already cleared out his schedule for you.”

You giggled like a little kid, taking Stephen’s hand in yours and placing a gentle kiss on his knuckles. “It’s a date then, doctor.”

“I believe it is.”

[writerslittlelibrary]

How about a Wanda x blachill daughter!reader.

We are about on a mission and when we come back we see that the team is acting as if they don’t know us, even Wanda, Nat and Maria. We try to talk to them but they act rude and try to kick us out. We investigate and ee that there was an attack on the compound (maybe a gas or something that made them forget about us) so we have to fight for them to remember us.

Also I hope you are having a great day!

-🦈

Please remember me

masterlist requests masterlist

pairing: Blackhill x daughter reader, Wanda x reader

warnings: pain (happy ending)

genre: angst, fluff

words: 1576

a/n: thank you my lovely 🦈anon. I have to admit I really like the Wanda x Blackhill!daughter so you can definitely expect more fics with that dynamic🤭

You do not have my permission to repost, copy or translate my work 

-------------------------------------------------------------

You’d been on this mission for days, and while you were proud Fury finally entrusted you with a solo mission (and your moms finally let you go) you were desperate to get back to the compound and curl up on the couch with your girlfriend and a steaming mug of hot chocolate. 

The mission had been successful overall, almost suspiciously easy, you thought. There weren’t a lot of reasons the mission would be a setup though. Even though it was easy, you weren’t ambushed or anything. 

After the mission finally ended, and the Hydra base was successfully taken down, you returned to the compound. You couldn’t wait to hug your moms, and kiss Wanda. 

When you walked into the compound, you got some weird looks from the security guards, but they didn’t bother you as you knew the elevator code so you didn’t mind them. When you reached your floor, you walked into the living area, expecting at least Wanda to be there. 

“Who let the kid in?” you suddenly heard Tony ask from beside you. 

You turned around and looked at him funny. “I let myself in?” you told him questioningly. “This isn’t a daycare,” Tony told you, walking past you without taking his eyes off you. 

“I know,” you told him, walking to the kitchen to grab some water. “Have you been here before?” you suddenly heard Wanda ask. You turned around a little startled. “What do you mean?” you asked her confused. “All the cupboards look the same, yet you know where the glasses are.” 

“Is this some kind of joke?” you asked Tony unamused, and he just looked at you weirdly. 

“You should leave,” he told you. “I live here!” you replied annoyed, but Tony didn’t budge. 

“We got a new member?” you heard a familiar voice ask. You turned around and saw Natasha. “Mama? What the hell is going on?” you asked her confused. She looked at you confused, and took a step back with her arms up. 

“I don’t know who the hell you are, but I’m not your mother,” she told you. “What are you talking about? If this is a joke I really don’t find it funny,” you told her, but she just shook her head. 

“Where’s mom?” you asked her, but she just shook her head again. 

“You really have to leave now, or I’ll call security,” Tony stated, fishing his phone from his pocket to emphasize his point. 

You look at your mom with tears in your eyes, turning to Wanda next. She just looked at you, just as confused as your mom was. Hesitantly you turned around, leaving the common area and walking to the elevator. 

That same night, you returned to the compound, slipping through the windows of your room and going through it. How could they not know you when your entire room was still intact?

You went through your stuff, finding your laptop and starting it up. 

You activated your personal AI, asking it what happened to the compound while you were gone. There appeared to have been a gas leak. The gas was toxic, and especially designed to erase you from the memories of the Avengers. It was synthesized by Hydra, which explained why the mission was so easy. The mission was indeed a setup to ensure you’d be out of the compound so Hydra could erase you from your family’s mind. 

You spend the rest of the night researching for a possible cure. When you found it, you realized you would have to return to the Hydra base again.

You were quick to suit up, never having changed out of your mission tactical suit in the first place, and headed to the Hydra base. 

Once you got there it was cold. The Hydra base looked abandoned, just like how you left it. You went inside quietly anyway, not wanting to take any unnecessary risks. You quickly found the computer room, using it to search for any documents on the gas and the antidote. 

When you found it, you went to the laboratory, going through all the cabinets. Once you found the odd looking, green gas, you stuffed all of it in your bag, taking it with you.

When you exited the lab, however, there were a bunch of Hydra agents, waiting to attack you. 

They jumped you and took you completely by surprise. You managed to fight them off, mostly without injury. You had a few scratches and bruises littering your face and arms, but you couldn’t care less. All you cared about was getting back to the Avengers tower as quickly as possible. You were desperate for a hug from your mothers.

Once you snuck back into the tower, Jarvis immediately alerted the Avengers of your presence. How Jarvis could possibly be affected by the gas was beyond you. 

The Avengers jumped into action, ready to fight you if you made any unsuspected moves. 

“She’s Hydra,” you suddenly heard Steve say. You looked at your bag carrying the antidote gas and cursed yourself for using it when it had such an obvious Hydra logo on it.

You closed your eyes and sighed, before turning to look at the Avengers standing in front of you. You raised your hands, wanting to prove you weren’t a threat. “I’m not Hydra, I swear,” you told them. “That’s exactly what a Hydra agent would say,” Natasha replied, raising her gun at you.

You took a step back in surprise, not knowing what they were capable of when they didn’t remember you. “I can prove it!” you said quickly, keeping your hands up.

“Start talking,” Natasha replied, loading her gun. 

“There’s a photo album on your phone filled with pictures of me,” you told her, and the grip on her gun faltered slightly. “Why would there be?” she asked you. “Because you are my mother, Hydra just made you forget,” you told her, silently praying she believed you. 

She slowly lowered her gun, making eye contact with Wanda to silently tell her to watch you. Natasha pulled her phone from her pocket, unlocking it and quickly opening her gallery app. 

She took a bit taken back, her eyes alternating between looking at her phone screen and looking at you. “It’s impossible. I can’t have children,” she told you slowly, and you lowered your hands. “You adopted me when I was 5. My parents had abandoned me on the side of the road like garbage. I went from foster home to foster home until you took me in…” you explained to her, taking a step closer. 

“I can make you remember. Please let me help you remember,” you begged her, reaching for your bag. Tony raised his hand in your direction, a silent threat to not try anything stupid.

Natasha slowly nodded, and you showed her the green gas. 

“You were poisoned with some weird gas while I was out on a mission. I went back to the Hydra base to find the antidote, hence the bag,” you explained to her, watching as she carefully took the vial. “How do I know you’re not trying to kill me?” she asked you.

“Spray it on me first.”

Natasha was hesitant as she raised her hand holding the vial, and she carefully pressed the button. You were sprayed with the green gas, and it stung in your eyes. You blinked a few times, but that was it.

“See? I’m fine. Now please let me help you remember,” you begged her, and she nodded.

You took another vial from the bag, spraying it in her face once she gave you the ‘okay’. She blinked a few times, rubbing her eyes and shaking her head in confusion.

Once she opened her eyes again, they immediately landed on you. “Y/n,” she gasped as she pulled you into a hug quickly. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” she cried, holding you tightly. 

“It’s okay,” you gasped out, your own eyes welling up with tears as well. She pulled back from the hug and cupped your face, looking into your eyes and using her tumb to wipe away the tears that rolled down your cheek. You smiled at her, and she let out a sigh as she pulled you into a hug again. 

It didn’t take long before your whole family remembered who you were, and you got hugs and apologies from everywhere. 

Once you freed Wanda, you finally got your kiss, after a handful of apologies from her. When you freed Maria she had a similar reaction as Natasha. You hadn’t ran into her while she didn’t remember you, but she knew she forgot who you were for a few days, and that hurt her more than words could ever describe. 

After dinner, your favorite take-out, courtesy of Tony Stark, and a whole lot more hugs you finally made it to your room, cuddling with Wanda while she caressed your back.

“I’m really sorry I didn’t remember you,” she told you softly, and you shook your head. “It wasn’t your fault. It was Hydra,” you told her, lifting your head off her chest so you could look at her. Her eyes were stinging with tears, and you knew she still felt guilty. You leaned down and kissed her, and she was eager to return the kiss. “I love you,” you told her. She smiled and kissed you one more time, before pulling you back into her chest. 

“I love you more.”

[fantasyinvader]

I was thinking about the shadow realm again, specifically the lords fighting their doppelgangers. Each one seems to reflect the dark truth of their character. I'm putting the original Japanese text through deepl, and this is what I get.

Edelgard: Two of me would be convenient. Don't you think so too? Edelgard: Yes, I agree with that. But …… I don't trust myself.

Dimitri: Why are you …… fighting with the emperor and others? Have you forgotten the grief of all? Avenge them quickly. …… Dimitri: ……Oh, I'm glad it was you who showed up. You are the one I want to …… kill the most.

Claude: This is an opportunity for me to fulfill my, your ambition. Why are you sitting there so still? Claude: If you were me, you'd know it. I don't like to leave things to chance!

These happen regardless of route. So while Edelgard can have an arc about her learning to trust Shez, in reality she still doesn't trust anyone. Hell, she's also saying that she herself can't be trusted, alluding to her manipulative nature explored in Safflower. Dimitri's strict morality tells him he should be fighting Edelgard right her, avenging the lost and punishing the guilty. But this mentality only serves to fuel his own self-loathing. And in Claude's case, it's alluding to his attempts to manipulate others in service to his goal rather than him pretending to be a "kind soul" like the translation says. Taken together, these highlight how Shez failed in comparison to Byleth.

In Scarlet Blaze, there's the entire arc about how Edelgard learns to trust Shez as mentioned. But we also see her taking action not out of morality, but simply because it would gain her support from X. It's in this route that we get confirmation that Edelgard does oppress the common folk and coddle the nobility despite her anti-nobility speeches. We even get that she won't simply give commoners positions because if they fail they'll make her look bad. The route is alluding to Edelgard's fake nature, how in the Japanese of Houses she admits everything she said and did with Byleth was an attempt to sway Byleth to her side. She is still the immoral character she was in the base game even when she kicks Thales to the curb because this war that she starts is still the result of her being manipulated by him. And unlike Byleth, once Shez joins the Black Eagles he doesn't have the option of doing the right thing and fighting Edelgard.

In Dimitri's case, Azure Gleam points out that Dimitri's issue isn't what happens to him during the timeskip of Houses. His issue is how he has a strict sense of morality, and how he hates himself for not being able to live up to it as he also believes it's his duty to avenge those killed and punish the guilty. Shez can't teach Dimitri to love himself, to realize his duty as a king is to the living and not the dead, and as such will go on with Dimitri to punish the empire for the war despite it being clear they were manipulated.

In Claude's case, Wildfire only furthers the motive decay Claude had already suffered since coming to Fodlan. He's willing to do anything for his ambitions, including manipulating others by saying they're really doing this or that, but he fails to realize how twisted those ambitions have become. How twisted he's become, and unlike in Wind and Moon he's not willing to put his trust in a Liu Bei-like figure. Rather, he walks the path of conquest himself because he trust no one else to really help him with his goals. He becomes another Edelgard, and Shez only makes this worse.

If anything, it feels like Hopes was intended to clear up misconceptions people had about the three lords, though in Claude's case there was a lot elements that weren't fully implemented and required the player being familiar with Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Wu's bad points.

[polysprachig]

Hello friend! I just came across your post about filling in old spaces in your polyglot journal via the bullet journal tag… could you say more about how you use your polyglot journal in general and what its intended purpose(s) is/are?

Thank you for the question, @northfaceho! ***(Read orange text for a short summarised version)

The purpose of my polyglot journal is to capture my process of learning languages, both for myself and to share with other people. It was prompted by a secret learning project I did in 2019 to make my other native language skills go from passive to active (and the subsequent desire to subtly strengthen my skills across my main 5 languages). This happened to coincide with my dissatisfaction with the general ‘Polyglot learns X# of Languages - Here’s How + Tips and Tricks’ kind of content you could—and can—find online. And the rich stock at the base of all my griping generally boiled down to one thing:

Fucking notecards.

No shade to anyone in specific—it was more a general trend I felt I noticed at the time—but the idea that someone who has acquired or is learning a football club worth of languages and who, moreover, is able to demonstrate their use of said languages across the 4 skills to various degrees of range and accuracy at their current stage of learning does so by *secret tip: using notecards* struck me as extremely… imprecise and decidedly non-tip-worthy. It’s not that I think these people were lying about using notecards to learn—not at all! The description was just focused on what I learn with not how I learn imho, and it begged the question: Well, what do you do with the notecards?

Because at the time, I only really used notecards in Old English, but not as flashcards for memorisation or playing vocabulary matching games, which I assume was used as shorthand in the content I kept seeing. No, once a year, I would take out some fresh notecards and write Beowulf verbatim from memory for the section I have memorised, then compare it to the orthography in the Howell D. Chickering dual-language translation. (I do something similar with Chaucer, but notecards are too small so I use a yellow legal pad instead. Still, the concept is the same.) And later, when I started learning Italian, I would prepare a notecard to keep on my desk during lessons which listed out the most common errors I knew I was going to make in that day’s class, based on my teacher’s recent feedback (usually incorrect pronunciation/word stress, Greek or French influence which isn’t correct, accidental uses of Latin, etc.).

And so I repurposed what I had hoped would be a travel journal into a polyglot journal and kicked it off with this statement of my intentions forgive the register:

This year, 2024, one of my main goals was to read the rest through, comment on my methods, mistakes, mindset, etc. etc., and fill in the gaps with scraps of loose studies and feedback from my teachers. Oh yeah, and start typing it all up to save my future self some time.

I’ll be posting a lot more from my polyglot journal in 2025, now that I’ve figured out how much time I can commit to it based on my schedule and the writing routine I’ve been testing out these last months. I want to make sharing it an adventure reflective of its many side quests and the actual time and input required to learn.

In essence, the journal reflects the planning, check-ins, learning notes, and process of my quarantine levelling up project and literary/poetic translation portfolio part 1, which are free to read here if anyone is interested:

The Merlin Project (Irish-English)—running with the question all my students asked in the pandemic, i.e. Can I learn a language from just watching TV? by writing borderline Merlin fanfiction

The tragic portion of my translation portfolio (English-German-French-Italian)—literary translations into English from Poliziano, Goethe, Voltaire and Kaiserin Elisabeth (Sisi); translations into German of Lord Byron, Mary Shelley and Percy Bysshe Shelley

The journal is not without silly and serious one-off language escapades as well, which I occasionally ventured out into when taking a break from the more major projects.

Thanks for reading if you’ve made it to the end!

[aoharushiyo]

the recipes for... | track 4 ― orangette

Translation: en Proofreading: aca, dimi, kimi, myun, jay, jelly

Content Warning: severe ptsd symptoms

In just a single night, I lost everything. All that remained in my world were things I 'hated'.

In just a single night, I lost everything. All that remained in my world were things I 'hated'.

"Maybe we should put Ushio-kun in the orphanage. He's been nothing but trouble." "He was much better behaved when we met him before. The fire must have done something to his personality." For a while, I was taken in by relatives, but because I was a problem child, they ended up sending me to the orphanage ― so naturally, I hated my relatives.

"Ushio-kun has… a difficult personality, and he conducts himself poorly… But I suppose it might be natural after that happened to him." "I really do think he's a good kid at heart… But going so far as to be violent to the other kids is…" "Even if we tell him off, he's never stopped…" Because I kept pushing away the other kids at the orphanage, they ended up kicking me out ― so I hated the orphanage, too.

Nobody knew what to do with me at this point, so my relatives prepared an apartment for me to live in with a Robo-Mama.

"…" "What's this run-down, outdated Robo-Mama? Is it second-hand?" "…" "It doesn't even have the function to talk… I want the newest model."

I hated the lawyers who wouldn't let me freely use the money I inherited from my parents 'for the sake of my future'. I hated the weird Robo-Mama who couldn't even speak and ran around doing chores in the dark. I hated having to go through painful rehabilitation that forced me to over-exert my body.

I hated entering elementary school late. I hated the black schoolbag I had to use after the green one my father bought for me from the department store was lost in the fire.

"Waaaaaah, Ushio-kun pushed me!" "Aah, Shinmura-kun fell over! You can't do that, Ushio-kun!" "I'm gonna tell the teacher on you!" I hated the classmates who pointed the blame at me even though I barely even knew them.

"Ushio-kun, how many times have I told you not to push other people!? Shinmura-kun was just messing around and touched you from behind." "…" "Look, Shinmura-kun grazed his hands. If you did something wrong, you should apologise. Why did you push him?" "I― I… said, to stop…" I hated Shinmura-kun, who kept messing around even though I told him to stop. I hated the teacher, who sided with the injured even though I didn't do anything wrong.

"…I hate germs."[1]

In the end, I didn't want to tell anyone the truth.

---

Since I kept pushing them away and hurting them, my classmates stopped coming near me. Even the teachers would seem on edge when I was around, so I was completely, totally alone. That's why I hated anything and everything.

The only place I felt comfortable was the rooftop of the school building. Nobody would go there, so I had it all to myself. Even so, there were times when the rooftop was too hot or too cold, so I didn't like it that much.

"Haah…"

As I absentmindedly sighed, I heard a heavy, metallic sound, and the door to the rooftop slid open.

"So you were here, Uu-chan." It was Muu-chan. His pretty, princess-like face was clouded over with worry. "I heard about what happened in the classroom. The teacher got angry at you?" "…"

Muu-chan stood next to me, looking out beyond the fence. As I watched the same setting sun, we fell into a shared silence.

"Uu-chan?" "Mm?" "You said you hated germs. That's a lie." "…"

"You don't like being touched, right?" "Tch…"

As he spoke, he took a half-step sideways towards me…

"Is it because, after the fire―"

…But no matter what, he would always make sure not to touch me.

"―you had to have all of your skin replaced?"

Only Muu-chan had noticed. Being touched made my skin tingle. It felt gross and I hated it, so I ended up avoiding others and pushing them away. The doctors at the hospital said it was a mental after-effect. …Basically, it was just something my mind had made up. In short, I'd given up. I'd given up on my relatives, on school, on getting better.

Even though I loved everything… …It turned out like this. So I hated, hated, hated that even my own body had changed so much.

"…"

After a moment of silence, Muu-chan took out two paper sumo wrestlers from his pocket.

"We might not be able to wrestle any more, but we can do this instead." "…" "Let's wrestle again some day. When that day comes―"

Muu-chan held out the stronger-looking paper sumo wrestler to me.

"―I'd like to give you a hug."

"Mm…"

"Do you want to sleep over tonight?"

I shook my head. That robot would just be pointlessly waiting for me with the lights turned on, after all.

The sleeves of my tracksuit bloomed with the pitiful stains of my tears as I pretended to wipe my nose. The sunset that seemed as if it would set the whole world ablaze stretched on forever into the horizon.

I don't think I'll ever be able to forget this day.

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[1] Specifically here, Ushio says けっぺき症 keppeki-byou, which is a more formal term for being a germaphobe or a clean freak, but saying "I'm a germaphobe" kinda feels awkward in English, so I decided to reword it slightly.

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[countrymusiclover]

7 - Playing with Fire

Princess Red Thief

Part 8

Tag list - just ask to be added @mystrey101 @melvia-ito @kmc1989 @tallrock35

I thrashed and kicked in every way that I could with the two nurses who were trying to tie me down to the bed and give me some medicine in the very few short hours that I had been forced to be locked up here. "Get off me - ah get off!"

"We are trying to help you, Ms. Royal." One said back.

I managed to get my elbow  out and hit one of them in the face where he stumbled back into the wall. "I don't need to be down here!"

"Contact the mayor and see what she wants done to her." One female nurse called out into the hallway.

I knew that the mayor didn't like Emma being here and the fact that she was encouraging his beliefs in the childhood tales. I never imagined she would think I was helping her and be placed in a place like this. "Ms. Royal, stop fighting please."

"Never. You asshole nurses!" I growled baring my teeth at the blonde nurse.

Another nurse came from the hallway carrying a needle filled with something inside the vial. "This should help her calm down until we get further instruction."

"You'll have to catch me first." I kicked the other nurse onto the floor heading towards the open hospital room door until the nurse with the syringe grabbed my arms holding me tightly. "Ahh! No...no...Gold."

The nurse I had kicked got up from the ground and caught my body when my eyes began feeling heavy. I heard someone familiar talking to the front desk worker. "Where is Ms. Royal?"

"Eve Royal was scheduled to be put under psychiatric care." The worker responded.

Gold's voice I would recognize anywhere was the last thing I heard before I blacked out and I swear I could hear panic in his tone. "Who the hell authorized that! Eve!"

The sound of the spinning wheel was the only noise being heard throughout the old castle. Reading the magical book of drawings and foreign words that I had laid out before me on the long table. "We've already finished our lessons for today. I would have thought you'd made your way home by now."

"I want to get a handle on this spell. If I don't then things could go wrong if my mother finds out the truth." I slumped my shoulders, not lifting my gaze from the book.

Rumplestilskin rose from his spinning wheel hands behind his back walking over to me. "You're really concerned about what she thinks aren't you."

"She's my mother. With my father being trapped she's all I have left at the moment." Flipping to the next page I read the word that dept with creating fire in my hands or creating it out of thin air.

The dark one paused behind me eyeing the page that I was reading at the moment. "If you're so close as you say you are, why are you so nervous of her reaction?"

"I'm not that nervous." I replied until I sucked in a breath feeling his front pressing up against my back. "Rumple...what are you doing?"

His breath whispered in my ear. "If you're not nervous then why haven't you told her yet?"

"I...I have my reasons." I held my breath.

He kept on with teasing me. "What are the reasons?"

"You don't need to know considering they are my reasons and none of your business-" I cut myself short spinning around on my feet forgetting how close he was to me. Now face to face his nose was pressing against mine.

Rumpe smirked, stepping back away from me. "The same thing I say when I make deals with anyone who asks why I want a certain thing from them."

"I'm going back to my book now." Moving my attention back to the book pages, my hair falling in front of my face. Scanning the pages I did my best to translate the word off the page. "In...incendi."

Rumple watched me closely with my nails tapping away on the wood. "I'm intrigued you would want to learn the fire spell, dearie."

"Please stop distracting me." Shutting my eyes tightly I huffed under my breath. My hands turned into fists and I felt that I could feel flames coursing through my veins. "In...Incendia."

Instantly after the word left my mouth the book in front of me lit up in flames and I stumbled backwards tripping over the ends of my red cloak "Everly...woah...woah I've got ya." I heard Rumple's voice call out for me, managing to catch my body when I fell in the direction of his arms.

"Uh...thank you, Rumple." I whispered, clinging onto the leather clothes he wore. He had his arms wrapped around my waist now.

The dark one stared at me silently for a few minutes before he muttered a reply back. "You're welcome, Everly." I wasn't sure what came over me at the time but I felt my body lean forward into his. His brown eyes met mine and to my surprise we both leaned in to kiss the other. Once we closed the gap we ended up kissing for a brief moment until he pushed me backwards. "You need to be more careful. You're lucky you didn't burn my whole castle down."

"I'm sorry, Rumple." I apologize watching him walk away past the now destroyed book on the table. Covering my lips with the tips of my fingers I was left feeling so conflicted.

Gold's pov

"What have you done with Everly!" Kicking open her mayor office door I didn't care what people heard in our conversation. She had done something to her and I needed to know why immediately. The office door hit the wall and then slammed shut behind me.

Regina put her paperwork down on her desk. "I think you mean Eve. There's no Everly in this town."

"Stop toying with me. I went looking for her when she didn't show up at work before I got a call from the hospital saying they were admitting her. Given that I am her emergency contact." I glared at the woman in front of me.

She clicked her tongue. "She began speaking foreign languages and encouraged the idea to my son that his book is all true. I simply thought she needed some mental help."

"She has done nothing to you. Leave her out of this feud between you and Ms. Swan." I gripped the handle of my cane.

Regina didn't seem fazed by what she was doing. Since the night I had woken up I knew my former student was all alone not knowing who she was and that both her parents were alive. "I'm not worried about you trying to break the curse. But I don't know her well enough to assume she isn't a threat."

"I'm getting her out and if you come after her again I promise you there will be suffering!" I threatened the queen not caring what power she thought she had over me.

The queen chuckled dryly. "I'm not afraid of you. Besides I know just who to hurt in order to hurt you."

"You won't succeed, your majesty!" Spinning around on my feet I stormed out of her office. She just looked back at her papers planning her next move, not afraid of the Dark One in a realm that she was currently running.

Comments really appreciated ❤️

[britt-kageryuu]

It's kinda Stupidly Late into the night, and Leo decided since sleep is not his friend tonight, he'll stream to any fans that might also be also awake at this time. Apparently there were quite a few people watching, though many might be in Europe or Asia for all he knows. River and Shelldon were charging so no one was really moderating the stream or chat.

His model is in royal blue sweatpants with subtle Hamato Clan symbols as a pattern, a loose white tank top with a cartoony trans pride turtle graphic, his long tailed mask, and bunny slippers that had their ears tied with blue ribbons, and little felt swords on the sides.

He's laying on a huge multicolored beanbag chair that was made to hold Raph, and the background was set to a light blue tye dyed starry void. With sparkles!!

"I sometimes wonder how worth it, it would be to just be a normal turtle just swimming in a pond somewhere, probably annoying the other turtle species, maybe bask on the back of one of Dees' distant cousins, until they try to eat me." Leo rambles while staring at the ceiling. "If I would even care about anything else? Not care about my family... now I'm just making myself depressed. Gotta remember that as a normal turtle I wouldn't be able to be with my Bunny Boy." He let's out a sigh, and kicks his feet a bit, then lifts his legs, and stares at his slippers while wiggling his feet.

Chat is filled with random spam of emojis, hearts, random messages that just get lost right as they pop up. Though an ad for Grandma CJs Bakery pops up with a note about international delivery.

Leo turns his head to the side, and drops his legs back down. A few seconds later Donnies model in just his purple hoodie, purple socks, and black shorts, walks into the scene before just flopping onto the beanbag on his plastron next to Leo, letting out a noise that was a cross between a groan and a hiss. His rear end is unintentionally facing the camera, and his tail seen drooping across his legs.

"What brings you to the studio at this dreadful hour mi hermano?" Leo asks while trying to sit up, though it's a bit hard with the beanbag, and his brother on the other side of said beanbag.

Donnie lifts his head to look at Leo with a slight glare that loses some of the effect without his mask with his eyebrows. "If you must know. I had a dream I was getting married to someone, but every time I looked at the other person, they kept turning into someone different." He looks more disturbing as he talks, "Then they turned into Dad in a skimpy wedding dress!!! I ran away, crashed into Ke- someone also in a wedding dress, then woke up after falling out of bed." He then tries to bury his head in the beanbag while letting out another odd sound.

Leo just stares at Donnie while his face cycles through a few emotions just processing what he just heard. He then leans off to the side reaching for something while trying to not get up. He pulls himself back with a couple things not mapped to a model in his hands.

"Would you like to look at random memes while drinking your favorite drink, or do you want to continue trying to smother yourself out of despair?" He offers, while lifting what is apparently a tablet, and drink containers.

Donnie quickly grabs the drink and has a hard time turning over, but makes it, and leans onto Leo who looks up something on the tablet.

They spend then next number of hours reacting to various memes that the viewers don't get to see, though they could kinda hear some of the audio when they switch over to video meme compilations. They laugh, cringe, and have weird looks while watching. Occasionally one of them gets up to get more drinks, or head to the bathroom.

Though at an early hour probably close to 6-7 Mikey comes in with a slightly disappointed look and askes what they want for breakfast. The stream ends shortly after.

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Masterpost

I was going to have Leo call Donnie 'My Purple Twin' in Spanish, but Google translate would give me different ways to write/say it depending on how I asked it.