#w the pitchers a close second

[mathysphere]

Plant Cell for Xstitch Magazine Issue 27: Flora

A sister piece to the animal cell I did before 🌱

[series here] [pattern here]

[moonstruckme]

the boys w a reader who's very physically affectionate? pre-relationship >:)

like none of them are dating yet, and she'd hug and kiss them on the cheeks, hold their hands on the way to class, carry their books/bags for them and lean on them in the common room and all three of them are flustered by it. bonus points if reader doesn't even know she does it, it's just how she is, and when they point it out she's like "oh.. i'll stop, sorry" and they're like "NONONONO" THEY'D BE SO CUTE

Yesssss thanks for requesting my love!

poly!marauders x fem!reader ♡ 1k words

You insist on carrying Remus’ book bag to Hogsmeade for him, and he glares at James the whole way for letting slip that his shoulders have been aching all day. 

“Let me take that,” James offers for the upteenth time, ignoring Remus’ muttered “Yeah, let ‘im.” 

“I’ve got it, Jamie,” you say again, wobbling a bit under the weight of Remus’ books, far more plentiful than what you’d packed for the study session. “We’re here anyway.”

“C’mon, doll, let’s get you a butterbeer to warm up, yeah?” Sirius opens the door to The Three Broomsticks. “I’m sure Remus will buy.” 

Remus rolls his eyes. “I’ll buy Y/N one, not either of you.” 

“Spoilsport.” Sirius slides into an empty booth, and you set your load down beside him, turning around and pushing up on your tiptoes to give Remus a kiss on the cheek. 

“Thanks,” you say sweetly, and Remus isn’t a very affectionate person, but he’s hardly easily flustered either. So when his cheeks turn bright pink as soon as you’re not looking anymore, James can’t help but grin. 

“Sit by me, sweetheart,” Sirius says, setting his arm atop the booth. James thinks he views your flirting as a sort of contest, seeing who will go the farthest before someone needs to tap out. But if it’s a competition, it’s one Sirius is destined to lose. 

You slide agreeably in beside him, slipping under Sirius’ arm so readily that it drops from the booth in surprise, landing with a dull thump at your side. “Merlin, it’s cold in here,” you say, nestling close. “You think they keep it that way so you’ll buy more butterbeer?”

Sirius’ voice is pitchy and breathless. “Mm—probably.” 

James smirks at him, sliding into the safe zone across from the two of you. 

You take Sirius’ hand in both of yours, frowning and rubbing at it. “See, your hand is freezing! This is ridiculous.” 

Remus reappears with four pitchers, grinning knowingly at the shell-shocked look on Sirius’ face. “I’ll be expecting the two of you to pay me back,” he says to James and Sirius, setting them down and beginning to dig through his book bag. “Merlin, if I can finish Slughorn’s essay while we're here it’ll be a miracle.”

James blows gently on his butterbeer, trying not to watch too closely as you purse your lips to do the same. “Have you started on that already?” he asks.

Remus shakes his head, exasperated but familiar with James’ ways. “It’s due tomorrow, Prongs. You won’t be able to do it in the hour before class, trust me.” 

“Wait, the one on boggarts?” you ask, opening your own bag. Remus nods, and you hold up a small stack of parchment, beaming. “I finished this morning. Wanna see?”

“That'd be great,” Remus says. “What I really can’t figure out is the part…about…” he appears to lose his train of thought as, instead of passing the papers across the table, you disappear under it, re-emerging a second later to squeeze between James and Remus in their seat. 

“I know what you mean,” you say, as though this is all very commonplace, pressed shoulder-to-shoulder and hip-to-hip with the both of them. “The second part of the question is near impossible to understand, but I think I may have figured it out. Here, see…” James stops hearing the conversation as you duck down towards your work, your hair tickling his arm and your jumper riding up to reveal the small of your back. James’ eyes follow the curve of your spine, down, down, until—he feels like a total perv, and looks away. 

Across the booth, Sirius is looking simultaneously relieved to have a break from your brazen affection and regretful that you’re not still there with him. He watches you as you speak in low tones with Remus, his eyes flicking upwards to James as if to say this is insane, right?. James nods back dazedly. 

You finish whatever you’ve been explaining to Remus, hauling your butterbeer across the table to sip at it. “Jamie, do you want my jumper?”

He nearly chokes. “Hm?”

You look up at him with concerned eyes. “I can feel you shivering. It might be a bit small on you, but it could help.” 

James is cold, but watching you take off that jumper, smelling you on it, would be too much. He forces a smile, taking a sip of his warm butterbeer instead. “Thanks, but I’m alright.” 

You frown at him, setting your hand atop his on the table. “You sure, honey? I don’t mind. I’m feeling a bit hot, actually.” 

Whatever the look on James' face, it’s enough to make Sirius guffaw. Loudly. Even Remus snickers, tucking his tongue into his cheek. 

“What?” You look at them. “What’s funny?”

“Doll, you’ve killed him,” Sirius laughs, and James doesn’t feel so chilly anymore, all his blood rushing to his face. 

Your brows scrunch together worriedly. “What do you mean?” 

Remus chuckles, the only one of them kind enough to give you an explanation. “I think what he’s saying is, even James has a threshold for flirting. You’ve just flustered him. Don’t worry, he’ll recover.” 

“I…what?”

“C’mon,” Sirius says, rolling his eyes good-naturedly, “all the touching, the hugs, the pet names? A man can only take so much.”

“Oh, Merlin, I’m so sorry!” You clap a hand over your mouth, eyes wide with horror. “I didn’t realize—I’m just a naturally affectionate person, but I didn’t mean to flirt—well, I don’t not want to flirt with you all, but I wasn’t doing it on purpose. I’ll stop, I’m sorry.” 

Sirius blinks. “Don’t stop,” he protests. “That’s not what I meant.” 

Your confusion returns. “No?”

“No,” Remus says, some of the color from earlier returning to his cheeks. “I mean, it’s nice.” 

James nods, finding his voice again. “Flirt with us all you like, but, um…would it be alright if we flirted back?”

Your smile comes like a sunrise, slow and brilliant and beautiful. “Yeah, I’d like that.” 

Sirius grins at you, bravado restored. “Good, because we need to even the playing field, dollface. Come back over here, I’m cold.”

[simp-ly-writes]

The Prophecy

─────── · · Dreams of Dragons (pt.2)

PAIRING: Daemon Targaryen x Fem!Targaryen!Reader

SUMMARY: Knee-deep in growing family tensions, you continue searching for the answers to your 'sleepwalking condition.' And in this search, you find yourself learning more about your ancestors, an uncle obsessed with his eldest niece, a king who struggles to be a father, and a young princess determined to invoke change.

TAGS: alternate universe, canon divergence, no use of y/n, second person perspective, female pronouns used, coarse language, emotional hurt/comfort, protective!Daemon, angst, soulmates, time travel, targ-cest, engine-translated high valyrian, not beta read. MASTERLIST | TAGLIST REQUEST | WORDCOUNT: 3,257 | PRIOR | NEXT A/N: thank you all for the support on the first part, I hope you enjoy this next part! (I also used a translator for the high valyrian- so apologies for any inaccuracies).

─────── · ·

A DOZEN HUSHED WHISPERS SOUND FROM AROUND YOU YET YOU REMAIN FROZEN. You force your eyes closed- pretending to be asleep to try and focus on the words being spoken, "not ill... no symptoms... magic, sorcery..." you frown, I am most certainly ill if I am experiencing this, you think to yourself in yet another one of your dreams.

"...dreamer?" a whisperer asks before another confirms, "a dreamer, a seer, but how?- it has been decades..." And suddenly a frustrated whisper silences the room as you feel the bed dip by your knees, a hand picks up your own and holds it gently. "Mandia (older sister), do you hear me? Show me a sign that you are still with me like you promised me so," Rhaenyra calls out to you, head dipping to closely watch your face for any reaction- she gasps seeing your eyes fly open as you stare at the top of your canopy bed.

"Where am I? When is this?" your voice horse as you rub your eyes- thankful that your parents taught you the dying language of high valyrian back in your times.

"You are in the Red Keep and it is the year 104, your highness," a maester calls from the corner of the chamber, head dipping once meeting your gaze as yours soon widens at the sight of a much younger Princess Rhaenyra who sits by your side, she signals for a pitcher of water to be brought forward whist stacking a few pillows behind your back- helping you to sit upright before tiping the cup slowly against your lips.

You bring your hands forward, trying to take the cup from her yet her grip is strong for her small hands, "please, let me help you get better." And you can't help but comply in seeing her violet eyes turn a light shade of blue.

Setting the cup back down, Rhaenyra takes both of your hands in hers, placing them on her cheeks that silent tears stream down steadily. "Why must everyone be so sick? First you and then mother, is just not fair!" her head falls forwards and into your lap, "its just not fair..." her sorrows muffled into the bedding and as if on muscle memory you bring a hand to her head, threading your fingers gently through the knots and hum gently, unsure of how to answer her pleas.

You look up seeing as the maesters around you shuffle awkwardly, "you all are dismissed," your head tilting back in surprise for your own commanding tone watching as they hesitate for a moment before beginning to file out of the room, shutting the door softly behind themselves.

Rhaenyra's sniffles slowly fade as she looks up at you, "Kepus (uncle) was so worried for you, he always is and so was father... yet he was more worried that his brother would scare the maesters to death before they could treat you." She watches your eyes, trying to gage your reaction before you speak it, your heart aches seeing how earnestly she awaits your words- like they would soothe every ache in her mind.

"Kepus always needs a busy mind, Rhaenyra, worrying is just another distraction for he grows bored easily," you recite from one of the many records you read on the Rogue Prince while in school.

You watch as your supposed sister frowns at your words, eyebrows pinched together, "Don't let him hear you say that, Mandia, he may get offended." You snort before leaning in closer and whisper, "he is quick to offend." You laugh at Rhaenyra's short gasp before she giggles and shakes her head, pushing your face away.

"Is that laughter I hear? What are you two up to now?" a new voice calls from the doorframe that has you both freezing in your spot. Rhaenyra sits quickly upright as you force yourself not to bow at the sight of King Viserys, your supposed father. Gosh I need to wake up soon, you think to yourself.

"As you were," the King raises his hand, moving to stand at the foot of your bed. Hands gripping the footrest for support as he smiles down at you both, "you seem well," he acknowledges with a soft smile, "what did the Maesters do this time?" Viserys looks towards his youngest daughter expectantly who watched your whole procedure closely, she basks in her fathers attention.

"They used the same ointments as the last time but she woke up on her own again," Rhaenyra explains, quickly side eyeing you to agree in which you slowly nod, curious as to why she was not telling the full truth from what you briefly heard.

Viserys hums to himself while looking between you both before sighing and standing up straight, fixing the coat he wears like an anxious tick, "I'm sure your mother would be in better spirits if you both gave her a visit now that you are awake."

Rhaenyra jumps up, hand extending to help you up, frowning when you don't budge, "I am in my sleeping clothes, sister," you explain, "let me get dressed and then I shall meet you in the hall," you compromise and then you are finally alone.

Falling back onto the covers you bite your lip before looking out to your balcony, the doors are slightly open, a warm breeze drifts in carrying the sheer curtains with it that wave to you in greeting like the world is teasing you, withholding the very answers you desire so you curse the air, standing and heading towards your wardrobe. Let's hope those historical fashion classes were worth the money.

─────── · ·

You were out of breath by the time you were finished lacing up your garments, no wonder they needed a second army to get ready, you scoff before starting to twist the door handle and become startled as it seemingly twists itself in your hand and flys wide open.

Hands find your hips that pull you close to a broad frame draped in black robes, a silver dragon rides across their chest- its head framing their shoulder. Next you feel as their forehead knocks against your own, their breaths hot and heavy against your nose that you crinkle in confusion before seeing the light scaring on pale skin and a flash of silver hair reflecting in the sunlight, Daemon.

"I thought you had died when I saw the maesters dart out of the room," his whisper is like sandpaper to your ears, coarse and rough from unshed emotion, "like they were running from their fate by my hand." You hesitate on how to respond, unlike when Rhaenyra looked for your comfort- you didn't know what to do with your uncle so you mirrored his hold with your hands slowly moving to circle his hips- pulling yourselves closer together and in for a hug.

His arms are like a weighted blanket around your frame, you can feel his long stuttering sigh in relief as every muscle relaxes knowing you are in his arms. You flush, feeling flattered before rubbing circles with your palm against his back and wait for him to pull away yet he squeezes you closer, resting his chip to the top of your head, you feel as his fingers play with a loose thread of your dress, curling it around his finger before letting it fall.

Footsteps soon echo from down the hall, you try to shuffle away yet Daemon continues to hold you, squeezing his eyes shut to savour the moment as long as he can before the footsteps near and he pulls away and leaves a lingering palm that rests against your lower back.

A young guard stops before you both, his eyes sneak a glance at you before casting forwards, looking to an invisible point on the wall between your heads. Your uncle catches the stolen glance with a scowl, his hand rests upon the hilt of dark sister as he takes a step forwards, mouth opening to make a comment before you silence him with a smile and touch to his arm, a sudden rush of confidence clouding your better judgement.

His head tilts back, eyes in a silent demand to let me do this, for you, yet you shake your head firmly to vanquish his actions, "do you have a message?" The guards eyes go wide in remembrance, "y-yes, your highnesses. One reminder for the princess from the Queen. She requests your immediate presence in her drawing room."

You raise your hand, dismissing the guard while not meeting Daemon's accusatory stare, "he should be taught a lesson for his actions."

You feel the air shift in the corridor as he takes a confrontational step forwards- trying to sway your answer yet your feet remain planted in spot- not meeting his eyes that try and connect with your own, "what if I said I didn't mind his eyes, Kepus?" You drag out the title- choosing then to raise your chin, clashing violet with violet. You smirk upon seeing his nose flair- eyes sharpening to slits.

"Iksā daor olvie funny, Qēlītsos, (you are not very funny, little star)," his words are spoken in a cold charismatic poise, a double-edge sword of playful commentary and threat that has your adrenaline spiking with a desire to drink in more of his bubbling rage that warms you from within.

"Gaoman daor pirtiapos, nyke nūmāzma ñuha udra, (I do not joke, I mean my words)," you speak with determination and take a half step forwards, placing your hands behind your back as you lean forwards, enunciating every word, drinking in every minute reaction his chiselled features provide you, a seemingly endless entertainment as you stand toe-to-toe.

Daemon growls, his head tilts, peering down at your amusement that irks him beyond belief, "Yn ao sōpagon rȳ issa protection? (but you laugh at my protection?)."

Your smile softens to something bittersweet as you know the fate for this body like all the other women of your current position throughout history; having to face the looks in order to gain a marriage for the betterment of the throne, "sir gaoman yn issa ñuha future se konir sagon mirros ao daor keligon, (now I do but it is my future and that is something you cannot stop)."

"ao doubt ñuha kostion? (you doubt my ability?)," Daemon confidently poses his shoulders back and tone teasing. Accepting yet another challenge to keep himself amused with, you think to yourself with a shake to your head, "daor, Kepus, nyke sepār daor skorkydoso ra mōris, (no, uncle, I just know how things end)."

You gently knock your arm into his own as you pass him in the narrow corridor. Daemon does not answer nor move, brows furrowed as he contemplates your words. He turns and opens his mouth to speak only to find you already gone.

─────── · ·

After a few wrong turns and directions from servants and guards alike, you arrive in the Queen's drawing room where your sister sits opposite of your mother. A set of tea is set at the centre of the table, an assortment of fruit displayed in a bowl just beside as you take your seat, a servant rushes forwards to fill you a cup in which you politely take with a soft thank you for their service.

"It is good to see you alive and well, dear," Queen Aemma Arryn smiles at you, yet her eyes are filled with hurt, raising her cup to chime against your own, and it is then when you realize the Queen is pregnant.

"I am...." you pause before remembering you are not who you are in this body, "...glad to be back, I have missed you both without knowing I was in the first place." And then a knowing smile raises the corners of Rhaenyra's lips.

"You took some time to get here, sister... was there anyone-" she clears her throat, "anything that kept your attention?" You shoot your sister a glare that has her smile turning into a grin, troublemaker, you shake your head, cheeks warming. Aemma leans forwards, grabbing a grape while looking between the two of you expectantly.

"I sense a silent conversation that I don't understand the language to, do let me be a part of the talk," your mother chimes in. You and Rhaenyra share a look, go on, her eyes say and you sigh, finishing your cup of tea before placing it on the table and smoothing out your skirts.

"Kepus kept me from coming right away, I apologize," you state, pleased now? Rhaenyra nods enthusiastically, looking for the Queen's reaction that looks nothing but pleased as she looks you over.

"He cares for you more than his own lady wife, I think your uncle needs a reminder of his position- don't you think so, dear?" the once affectionate term now sounds like an insult as you swallow deeply and lower your head, a pain shoots through your chest that you choose to silence, "yes, mother-"

Yet Rhaenyra chimes in before you can finish your sentence, setting down her empty cup, "but he has always cared long since before I could remember, he is only trying to be a good uncle, why-"

"You have not matured enough to see my reasoning, Rhaenyra," Amma shuts down your sister, "what he thinks to be protection borders on obsession, it is not a good look for either of them."

Rhaenyra looks towards you yet you solemnly nod, agreeing with your mothers words. She appears more saddened by the words than you do, "but wouldn't Kepus get even more mad?"

"He can get mad all he wants sister but there is little he can do," you refill everyone's cups with a heavy sigh, "there is little any of us can do." You look towards your mother and down towards her stomach, a sickening feeling sits deep within you already knowing their fate.

But your words seem to spark something in the young girl as she stands, tipping her head down to you both as she moves to exit yet stops just before the doors, "then I will do something about it."

But seeing as one door closes, another opens as King Viserys walks over and grabs the Queen's hand, sharing a look before they both regard you, "with my new heir on the way, you must marry to ensure an alliance to strengthen the throne," Viserys says to you not from a position of your father, but as your king and so you bow your head, "I understand, father."

While in reality you did not, in all your studies you never read anywhere of a second princess, an older one nonetheless... your look of contemplation your parents take as devotion, smiling down upon your determined self.

"May you find a good husband," your mother wishes, placing her hand atop your fathers. "For the betterment of the seven kingdoms," your father adds, extending his other hand for you to grab and hold, "for the betterment of the seven kingdoms," you echo, squeezing his hand, "I will do my best," you promise equally yourself to finding answers and to your father.

─────── · ·

Night falls upon the castle as you walk the halls, studying the various tapestries hung underneath candlelight, no matter so little survived, you think to yourself before pausing in front of one detailing Aegon the Conqueror's invasion of Westeros that spans the entire length of the dining hall.

The vividness of the full spanning narrative is breathtaking from the little remnants you remember viewing in the museums of your time, you feel blessed by the gods in being able to see the real work so closely and without damage. Your hand gently taps one of the tassels at the corner of the work, watching as it swings before taking a step back and into someone.

You quickly try and turn around, apologizing for your lack of sense yet their arms wrap around your front, a chin rests upon your shoulder, "Aegon the first had two sister-wives as he was taking over Westeros." You place your hands atop of Daemons, "yet they were not treated equally," you counter, trying to pull his arm away yet they remain locked in place, "I am not some doll, Uncle Daemon, I am allowed to move on my own terms-"

"Then move," he deadpans, watching as you move your head to look up at him, "I am trying to," you growl, twisting and turning with a huff.

"You must try harder, fight, Zaldrītsos (little dragon), I promise you won't hurt me-" you force your elbow straight in between his ribs, winding your uncle as he staggers backwards. You dart forwards, grabbing the swords from one of the guards hips, your arms shake at the weight of the steel that you point at his heart with a scowl as he claps slowly at your outburst.

"So you can protect yourself... but you still will need for me," he quickly unsheathes dark sister, tipping the top of your sword that bends your wrist and forces you to yield. He kicks your sword back towards the guard, you listen as it screeches against the stone floors before stopping and all that is to be heard are your heavy breaths and the flickering of flames coming from the dozens of  torches within the hall. 

“Skoro syt gaomagon ao worry sīr olviem kepus? (why do you worry so much, uncle?),” you whisper, eyes trailing up from his boots till your meet eyes. You see as he hesitates to respond, teeth gritted in an internal battle, his words are spoken with careful precision as the back of his hand caresses your cheek before he kisses the top of your head, “Kesrio syt iksā se mērī run nyke refuse naejot ojughagon, (because you are the only thing I refuse to lose).” 

You watch as he quickly drops his touch as if you burned him, pain shoots through his eyes before he turns and storms out the room leaving you under the watchful eyes of Aemond the Conqueror once more. If the Rogue Prince cared so deeply for this Princess… then why was she not kept on any records, you think to yourself, turning back to the tapestries and watching as Dragons fly high over the burning rubble of cities below and the mangled corpses of hundreds of thousands that lay in the foreground only to end with the missing image of your time; a still of Aemond being crowned in front of his men and wives. 

His stitched eyes bore into your own, the flickering light of the flames makes his appearance appear animated before you, his mouth moving to read the faint inscription that circles his head, The Song of Ice and Fire, the prophecy you had read and seen played out before you in textbooks but the next words were new and uncharted, is the equal dream and fate I see across conquered lands. Silver must sit upon swords by the guidence of another conqueror- a dreamer, or all shall eternally sleep. 

Your head spins at this information, a voice calls to you, their presence close yet you feel so far. Your feet waver as you reach forwards to stabilize yourself, unknowingly grasping the tapestry and pulling it down alongside you towards the floor. A sudden heat rushes across your skin, a torch must have fallen as you smell the smoke and feel the flames surrounding you as shouts echo through the hall yet you do not scream in pain, allowing the fire to encapsulate you as sleep closely follows.

─────── · ·

PRIOR | NEXT

A/N: I would be passin' out too if I read that, all we wanted to do was look at cool old stuff! lol

─ · · DREAMS OF DRAGONS TAGLIST: @blkmystery @inlovewiththefictionalcharacters

[munsonsfairy]

GIRL NEXT DOOR W ABBY😭😭

next door neighbor 🌥️

UGHHHHHHHH I DREAM OF THIS LIFE

you moved cities and found a small house that was perfect for you and two your dogs. she saw you bringing in every box by yourself with no one helping you. she has muscles for a reason, right? abby walked up with tight cargo pants and a shirt so tight you thought it was going to rip at any second. she insisted you take a break and only tell her where to put everything. abby even joked about her moving in too only making you feel shy under her blue eyed gaze.

abby tried really hard to not fall for you but when she saw you tanning on your back patio, it was game over. she made it her mission to find any excuse to be around you. if you needed your grass cut, she was outside in the middle of the day doing just that. (she became your luke danes, if you know, you know.) you didn’t mind it either because seeing her arms shine with sweat made you gasp every time.

on days like this, you’d make a pitcher of lemonade and beg abby to take a break. the two of you would sit on your front porch trying so hard to not make it obvious that you both wanted each other.

honestly, neither of you can remember when but almost every night abby came over for dinner. it took every thing in abby to not come up from behind you and hold you. the both of you always sat extremely close together considering how small your table was. your hands laid next to each other screaming to be held. in the afternoons, she’d go with you to walk your dogs. abby would joke saying she was their second mom.

you secretly yearned that domestic life with abby but always pushed it away because you’re only friends right?

what broke the wall separating the two of you is when you had enough of pining after her. the lines between friendship and something more became blurry — cuddles when stressed, forehead kisses, and even grocery shopping together. after a pep talk from your best friend, you texted abby to meet you outside. it was pouring rain but you could careless.

“get inside before you get sick!” abby yelled over the wind.

“shut up! please tell me it’s not just in my head. that what i feel, you can feel it too!”

it took abby exactly five seconds to register what you said, then held your face and used one arm to bring you towards her to meet your lips. your arms flew to her neck. it felt like the world stopped and it was just you and her on the sidewalk. in a world with magic, you would’ve seen sparks fly.

“totally not in your head, baby.”

[mirrorballpages]

"How long was I gone? It felt like hours…" she asked softly.

"Eight minutes and forty-two seconds," Nuala said crisply, her precision as sharp as ever.

Azriel sighed, helping Elain to her feet. "Let’s get you to bed. You need to rest."

"No, no, I’m fine. I was in the middle of pruning—" Elain started to protest, but Azriel cut her off gently.

"You can prune the roses tomorrow," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Right now, you need sleep. And food." He turned to the twins. "Nuala, grab the food. Cerridwen, put away her gardening tools and bring up a pitcher of water."

Elain huffed softly but didn’t argue further, leaning on Azriel’s arm as he guided her out of the garden. She insisted she was fine, but her steps were uneven, her exhaustion obvious. Azriel was just grateful he didn’t have any pressing tasks that day—and that Rhys and Feyre wouldn’t be back for a few hours. As they reached the staircase, Elain hesitated briefly, her grip tightening on his arm. "Fine," she muttered reluctantly, "but only a quick nap. I have plenty to do today."

Azriel didn’t bother responding, knowing she would pass out the moment her head hit the pillow. He held her steady as they ascended the stairs, Nuala following close behind. When they reached her door, Azriel paused, unsure if he should go inside. Her room—it felt too intimate, too personal. He’d never brought anyone into his own room at the House of Wind, and he wondered if she would feel the same way about her space.

But Elain simply pushed the door open and pulled him in without hesitation. Azriel’s breath caught.

The room was her. Every inch of it a reflection of the warmth and light she carried within her.

Large windows overlooked the garden, sunlight filtering in and casting soft glows across the floral bedding on her wide, inviting bed. The walls were lined with shelves brimming with books and trailing ivy, as though she’d brought the garden indoors. A wooden desk held a neatly arranged chessboard and a stack of papers, and fresh flowers adorned every available surface. The faint scent of jasmine and honey lingered in the air, mingling with the freshness of the blooms.

His gaze caught on the poetry book he had given her, sitting prominently on her nightstand. The sight of it, clearly cherished, sent a strange, warm ache through his chest. Before he could dwell on it too long, Nuala took Elain’s arm. "Let’s get you out of this dress and into something more comfortable."

"No, no, I’m fine. I’ll just lie down," Elain mumbled, already crawling onto the bed, her apron still tied around her waist.

Azriel stepped forward, carefully untangling the ties of her apron. "Let me get this for you," he murmured, leaning over her.

"Oh, yes, thank you," she said softly, her voice heavy with sleep.

As he leaned closer, untying the knots at her waist, her breath hitched. He froze for half a second, the proximity suddenly electric, his heart pounding in his chest. He swore her gaze flicked up to his. But then Nuala coughed, and the moment shattered. Azriel stepped back, holding the soil-stained apron in his hands. "I’ll let you rest," he said, his voice calm despite the storm brewing inside him. He nodded to Nuala as he turned to leave. "I’ll be downstairs if you need anything. Rhys and I have a meeting later, but I’ll stay here until then."

"Thank you, Azriel," Elain said softly, already nestled under the covers. Her long hair spilled across the pillows, and her eyes fluttered closed.

Azriel lingered for a moment longer than he should have, his shadows still swirling around her protectively. And then, with one last glance, he left, following Nuala out the door.

When they reached the kitchen, Cerridwen was waiting for them, her expression tight with concern.

"So..." Cerridwen began, her voice steady but laced with unease.

"I’ll see if Clotho has found any new books, especially around Earthvein," Azriel interrupted, his tone sharp, already forming a plan. "Maybe it can help us figure out what happened."

Cerridwen nodded but extended her hand, the faint scars along her wrist and thumb catching the light. The sight made Azriel’s jaw tighten.

"It was terrifying, Az. One minute she was talking to Nuala, the next, she was out—her eyes were white. And the thorns... as half-wraiths, we’re not supposed to scar," Cerridwen said, her voice faltering as she traced the pale lines on her skin. "It wasn’t just a thorn—there was magic inside."

"She’s much more powerful than anyone gives her credit for," Nuala added quietly, her agreement clear in the firm nod of her head.

Azriel sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I know. But until she’s ready to talk to Rhys and Feyre about it, all we can do is be there for her." His voice dropped, edged with frustration—not at them, but at himself, for not having answers. For not being able to help Elain as she stumbled through a world she wasn’t ready for. "Let me know if it ever happens again, even if I’m away. Write down when it happens, how long it lasts, anything you can. I want to see if there’s a pattern."

Because there had to be a pattern. There always was. Even with magic, there were connections—threads he could trace, piece together, understand.

Nuala hesitated, then glanced at Cerridwen. "You know, the reason her magic didn’t hurt you is probably because—"

Azriel held up a hand, cutting her off. "That’s not a conversation I’m ready to have. And neither is she." His voice was firm, leaving no room for argument.

But he knew. He knew exactly what Nuala and Cerridwen thought—and he hated how much it aligned with his own suspicions. Ever since he’d first laid eyes on Elain, his shadows had been drawn to her, her light. Her warmth. It was a thought he buried deep, an answer he wasn’t ready to face. Not yet.

Cerridwen rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. "Fine. But you know you’re going to have to talk to her about it eventually. And The High Lord and High Lady. And definitely Nesta." She smirked knowingly. "Because we both know she’ll have your head on a platter if you don’t tell her everything. I’m surprised she hasn’t killed Lucien for just existing yet."

Azriel huffed, his wings twitching slightly at the mention of Lucien. "He’s quite lucky he decided to run off with his ‘Band of Exiles,’ as I hear he’s calling it." The words dripped with sarcasm, his disdain clear.

Ridiculous name, he thought. Yes, Lucien was useful—his work with Jurian and Vassa provided crucial information—but Azriel couldn’t stomach the thought of him being Elain’s mate. Because if Elain were his... he would never have left her side.

Azriel shook the thought away, focusing on the present. "Check in on her in a few hours, okay? If Rhys and Feyre come home early and she’s still asleep, we’ll just say she has a headache. Make sure she eats when she wakes up. I’ll be in the front room working." He turned on his heel, shadows pooling at his feet as his mind raced. This wasn’t over—not by a long shot. Whatever was happening to Elain, whatever her magic was trying to tell them, he would figure it out. He had to.

Read The Rest on AO3

[thescarletnargacuga]

Art: @iamespecter

CHAPTER SIX

Racing AU!

Welcome to the Jungle! It's a wild good time! Floor it when the light turns blue! I mean, green! Join Pomni for an untamed high octane race! Where doors grow on trees and Bubble gets the shock of their life!

WARNING: emotional angst/comfort

The sound of fluttering made Pomni open her eyes. Above her wasn't her bed canopy, but a spotlight. It illuminated pieces of paper drifting down around her. Outside the light was pitch blackness. She sat up and looked at the piling papers. They were missing person posters. The faces were blurred. The only legible writing was MISSING in big bold letters.

Something tugged at her ankle. An electrical cord had wrapped itself around her and started slowly pulling her under. "What? No! No!" She tried to fight it but another cord wrapped around her wrist, then her torso, then her neck. She struggled to breathe as she was buried alive. "Somebody! Please!"

Underneath, she went into freefall. The cords were gone. Colorful eyes watched her descend. Whispers came from all around that crescendoed into deafening incoherent shouts. She was falling towards something. The red exit door was facing up at her, but it was shut, she was going to crash into it! The impact shattered the door. She stopped falling, now floating listlessly amongst the splintered remains in silence.

A whirring sound got her attention. It sounded like a computer starting up. Floating in the wreckage with her was an old modem, it's dim blue screen facing her. Letters where flashing on it. P W P I Repeat. P W P I Repeat. The screen came close and flashed bright, blinding her. In the darkness, she heard a familiar voice. "Find me."

Pomni woke with a start, bolting upright. Her breathing was panicked as she looked around her room. She checked herself. Dreams were apparently still just dreams in the digital world. She took deep calming breaths and sat at the edge of her bed. When she caught her breath, she dragged her hands down her face in exasperation. "What was that..?"

She decided she needed some water and left her bedroom. It was still night out, seeing only blackness beyond the windows. At the dining table, she spoke out loud to no one. "I would like some water please." A bubble chef appeared and a pitcher of water popped into existence on the table.

"There you go!" The Bubble said cheerfully. "I made it myself."

"...sure." She didn't see a glass to pour it in but didn't really care. She took the whole pitcher and went to sit in the lounge.

In her dazed just-had-a-nightmare state, she wasn't really looking where she was going and tripped over something. She threw the pitcher straight up when she fell and it landed on her. The cold water did the trick. She was awake now. She laid defeated, face down, on the ground.

"Hello, nice night for a walk?"

She jumped. "Aah!"

"AAH!" Kinger screamed back. He had been laying on the ground like a living log when Pomni tripped over him. He was sitting up now, something clutched in his hands.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't see you!" Ironic, considering he was more than twice her height. Pomni picked up the spilt pitcher. Not really knowing what to do with it, she set it down on a side table by one of the couches. "What were you doing on the floor?"

"Listening."

"To what?"

"The voices."

Pomni grimaced. "Oh, uh...sorry I disturbed your...voice...listening?"

"It's okay. They weren't saying much tonight. I'm just hanging out with Melissa now."

"Who's Melissa?"

Kinger opened his hands. A long, bead-necklace-with-legs looking bug crawled around in between his fingers.

"Oh...she's...adorable." Pomni forced, not knowing what she was looking at.

"Thank you! I found her at a festival race. She's one of my favorites."

Being wide awake, and not wanting to be alone right now, Pomni sat on the floor next to Kinger and watched the weird bug do figure eights on his hand. There were a few peaceful moments of silence before Kinger looked in her direction, stared for a second, then screamed like she just appeared out of thin air.

"Ah!" She jumped again too. "Will you stop that!" She looked up at the loft, amazed that no one else had come out of their room with all the shouting.

"Sorry, Pomni. I'm not used to seeing someone else down here at this hour. Why are you awake?"

She sighed and sank against the foot of the couch they sat on the floor in front of. "Nightmare."

"Oh...I used to have those."

"You don't anymore?"

"Nope."

"How'd you make them stop?"

"I don't sleep. Ever."

"That explains a lot." Pomni thought of what Kinger could mean by "the voices". Was it the same voice she and Jax had heard? "Kinger, can I ask what the voices say to you when you listen to them?"

"Oh, they don't use words. It's more like vague sounds that were once part of their vocabulary. I'm...I try to listen for one voice in particular. It's been so long since I've heard it in person. I don't want to forget." Kinger gave Melissa a gentle pat. "I come down here at night because you have to listen very hard to the ground. Can't hear them over all the commotion during the day."

"Wait..." Pomni looked at the floor. "Are you trying to hear those in the cellar?"

"Yes." Kinger said sadly. "So many friends are down there now, but there was one so special, I called her My Queen. I'd give anything to hear her voice again." His eyes glazed over, he stopped petting Melissa and his bug-free hand slumped to the floor.

Pomni couldn't even begin to magine being in his position. She put her hand gently over his in an act of comfort. By the look of him, he had dissociated again. She waited quietly for him to come around.

~

Caine floated amongst numerous lines of numbers that surrounded him like a curtain. He was inside the core mainframe of the game. Everything that was or could be was there in front of him in coded numerical form. "Where are you?" He stared hard at the numbers rotating by him. He'd gone through the assets at least a thousand times. The red door wasn't listed. Like it didn't even exist. Frustrated, he snapped his fingers and everything disappeared. He was left in a dark grey space of silence. He took out his pipe and bubbled.

"It's still here somewhere, I can feel it. I need to find it before a human does. Why, oh WHY, did I hold on to that blasted door!?" He held his fingers against his top jaw as if to pinch the bridge of his nose, if he had one. "I'm too sentimental for my own good. Since I'm here, I may as well check everything."

He snapped his fingers and gold code filled the room. "Hmm...My own code seems to be in order. Double check those memory banks. Nope. I left the door out of bounds. I did not move it and then forget. This time, at least." He did a sudden double take as something caught his eye. "Wait. What's this?" A new line of code was in his emotive response bank. He touched it and a memory of Pomni appeared before him. Her empathy towards him had left a literal imprint on his code.

"Oh, dear Pomni...what have you done to me?" He sighed, settled into a lounged seated position and admired her face. He immediately forgot what was troubling him as his mind preoccupied itself with thoughts of Pomni.

~

Pomni stayed with Kinger until morning. He hadn't said much more to her, but did hum to himself. She almost fell asleep again from his dolcet tones. Instead, she resigned to curling her knees to her chest and zoning out. Kinger was on to something, doing that felt great.

Ragatha was downstairs at first light and smiled when she saw Pomni. "Good morning! You're up early." She leaned against the couch next to Pomni, who was still on the floor with Kinger, and waved to the curled up bug in Kinger's hand. "Hello, Melissa."

Kinger put a finger to his face in a shushing motion. "She's sleeping."

Ragatha lowered her voice. "Sorry. Hey, would either of you like to join me in watching the sunrise?"

"Not now, this time. I need to put Melissa to bed." Kinger stood in one smooth motion and slid away.

"I will." Pomni got up and stretched. She remarkably didn't feel sore from sitting on the floor for what must have been at least a few hours. They went out on the lawn on the east side of the garage. The sky was various shades of pastel pinks and yellows as the sun was just starting to make it's ascent over the horizon.

Ragatha took a deep breath. "Nothing like a sunrise to give you energy for the day. I don't always take the time to watch them, but it's nice every once in awhile."

Pomni gave a non-committal grunt in response. Her head was still full of, well, everything. "I have a question. Totally random. Have you...ever heard voices? Like, disembodied voices?"

Ragatha thought for a moment. "Sometimes Caine throws his voice and you'll hear him in places you don't see him, but other than that, no. Why?"

"Heh, like I said. Totally random."

Ragatha looked concerned. "Are you hearing voices, Pomni?"

"Digital hallucinations." Pomni said a bit too fast.

"Right, Caine's favorite catch phrase..." Ragatha sighed. "He'd say the same to me all the time the first few months I was here, back when I was still looking for a way out. Thought I saw one once. Never got to it, though."

"You saw an exit?" Pomni's voice went up a pitch.

"I don't know. It was only once and I'm convinced it wasn't real anyway. It was a red door with a literal exit sign printed on it. As if it would be that easy..."

"Ragatha, that was real! It exists! You're not the only one who's seen it, in fact, I went though it!"

"What!?"

"Yeah! But, it only led me to the void. So, I guess, in a way, I DID leave the game, but not the digital space."

"You went out into the void!?" Ragatha tugged anxiously at her hair.

"Yeah, it was...an experience, to say the least."

"How did you get back? Caine?"

"Caine."

"Wow. You really have had an eventful week. I'm proud of you for taking all this as relatively well as you have. Some may not have faired as well in your place. You have a strong will."

Pomni smiled. "Thanks...you've helped make this a bit easier. You all have. I'm glad to have met you."

Ragatha put her hands over her heart and smiled back.

A high pitched scream from inside broke the morning peace, followed by crashing sounds. Pomni looked back in surprise, but Ragatha was unbothered. "Sounds like some of the others are up."

"You don't want to check that out?"

"The scream was Gangle. I can guarantee you Jax did something to upset her and Zooble is handling it. Any mess they leave behind isn't a bother. The garage resets every time it reappears after a race, or if it's bad enough, Caine handles it."

Jax was thrown through a window behind them, rolling several feet before sliding to a stop.

Ragatha smirked. "See?"

"You pull a stunt like that again, I'll wollop ya into next week!" Gummigoo yelled from the broken window.

Ragatha's eye widened. "Oh. Nevermind. Now I do want to know what happened." She and Pomni went over to Jax, who was still face down on the grass. Ragatha squatted down and poked Jax in the head. "Hey, you dead?"

"I wish." He growled.

"We all do, buddy. What happened in there?"

Jax got up and brushed himself off. "Turns out our resident NPC can't take a joke any better than you."

"What did you say to him?" Pomni demanded.

"Nothing. All I did was tell the bubbles that some candy was left in Gummigoo's room."

"Jax!" The two women yelled at the same time. Pomni ran inside to find Gummigoo nursing huge bite marks all over his body. Gangle was holding a bottle of syrup for him as he applied some to his wounds.

Gangle waved Pomni over. "Gummigoo got attacked! The bubbles tried to eat him! It was horrific!"

"Are you alright?" Pomni asked Gummigoo directly.

"I'm fine." He hissed as he applied more syrup. "But a few got some deep bites in. Funny, when the bossman said I was unkillable, I was hoping that also meant I couldn't get hurt."

"Big difference between being unkillable and invincible." Zooble commented. "Nice work on Jax, by the way. Fighting him is practically a right of passage around here. You're really one of us now."

"Serves the pop licker right. Who laughs at a bubble attack? ...okay, out of context, that is kind of funny." Gummigoo gave a slight chuckle.

Pomni felt a bit guilty. "I'm glad you're okay. Sorry I didn't mention how the bubbles can be sometimes. You shouldn't have had to figure that out the hard way."

"No worries, mate. I'm one tough gummy. It takes more than few bubbles to put me down. I'll be ready to race by the time bossman shows up."

~

Caine's wacky watch took him out of his daydreaming. He'd been smart enough to set an alarm for himself this time. "Oh yeah, I need to prep for today's race." He teleported out of the mainframe to his workshop. He rubbed his hands together and had a look around. "Alrighty! What have I had cooking up this week? I finally completed Candy Canyon Kingdom and then I-...huh, I actually haven't worked on anything new since. Well, it's a bit late to try something new again today." He flew over some of the older tracks and assets, trying to pick out a good one.

"Hmmmmm, let's seeeeee....Jumping Jungle? Maybe. Dessert desert? No, that's just beta Candy Canyon. Spudey's Drive Thru? I thought I deleted that one. Murder Drone Market? Eh...that one might be a bit intense for our newer racers. Meta Reference? Why do I even have this?" He threw that last one away.

Taking a look around, he shook his head in disgust. "I really need to clean up around here. I was so wrapped up in having fresh new tracks for so long, I never really got around to organizing."

He paused, putting in another reminder into his watch. "Let's do this while I have motivation and time." He cracked his fingers and started snapping. Everything came off the ground and flew around to where he wanted it. He summoned a giant trash can to collect what he didn't want anymore.

When he came to the Candy Canyon assets, he stopped at Gummigoo. "What to do with you? I can't reuse you, it would make things too confusing. Pomni would probably tear me apart pixel by pixel if I removed the wrong Gummigoo from existence. That would probably be quite the experience..." He cleared his voice and set Gummigoo down with the other gummy bandits. "You can stand there with your old friends for the rest of forever, I guess."

He couldn't decide what to use, so he ultimately resorted in pointing in a random direction and using the first track he saw.

~~~

Cheers rang through the garage. Ragatha had offered to teach Gummigoo table tennis and now they were in the throws of a heated sudden death match. The ping pong flew back and forth faster and farther with each hit. Ragatha was vaulting over the couch. Gummigoo was all the way on the dining table at one point. The others were spectating with huge buckets of popcorn. Except Zooble, who was reffing. A foul was called when Jax held his leg out to trip Ragatha and loud arguing ensued.

Caine popped in right in the middle of the ruckus. "My, my aren't you all rowdy today! Good! Because we're going to the Jungle, baby! Haha!" He stuck his hand inside his top hat and unfolded it into an explorer's cap. He twirled his cane and pointed it at Pomni. "My dear, if you had fun yesterday, then you're going to LOVE this track!"

Pomni shrank under the knowing, some taunting, gazes of her friends. He WAS paying her special attention. "Oh boy..."

"OH BOY indeed, Pomni! Let's go!" He took her hand and nearly kart wheeled with her through the wall.

"They're so cute. It's like a romantic musical, only without the singing." Gangle said.

"What's a musical?" Asked Gummigoo.

"I have much to teach you." She patted his shoulder.

Outside was indeed a jungle, a thick colorful rainforest with trees as tall as the sky. The track had five layers from the forest floor to the tree canopy. In between the layers were dead ends with huge green and pads with numbers on them. It was a huge multiple choice route track and racers would have to be strategic on whether to take the high or low road to stay ahead.

"Welcome to the Jumping Jungle Jamboree!" Caine enthusiastically pointed to the track with keeping a hold of Pomni's hand. The longer he talked, perhaps the longer he'd get to hold her. "This wacky and wild winding track takes you on an epic adventure through the Jumping Jungle! WHY is it called that!?, I hear you say! Well, because of the jump pads, of course! You use them to change tracks! Some layers are more advantageous than others at certain points in the race so choose wisely!" Caine looked eagerly at Pomni.

"Oh, uh, okay! I can't wait." She could feel everyone staring at her. This was putting her too much on the spot. "Caine, let me down now? Please?"

"Of course, my dear!" He was slightly disappointed she didn't seem as thrilled over this one, but he only had himself to blame. His old work wasn't his best. He let her down and made sure not to forget to let go this time. He still kept his eyes mostly on her as he explained their objective. "This one is simple! Don't get caught! There is a poacher out for racers and his traps are all over the jungle! If you're caught, you'll be heavily delayed, like being hit by a purple shell! His traps move each lap so keep your wits about you! Everybody ready?"

Pomni felt someone elbow her back. "Are you ready, MY DEAR?" Jax taunted in her ear and she swung at him. She missed and tried to walk it off, but she was very clearly flustered.

"Racers! Start! Your! Engines!!" Caine announced proudly into his cane.

Pomni rolled her shoulders in a last minute stretch. She was ready this time.

First light

She gripped the wheel tight.

Second light

Rev for good measure.

Third light

Focus.

BLU-GREEN!!

"Huh?" Pomni botched her take off and Zooble had to swerve to avoid running into her.

~

Caine cringed hearing Pomni's kart slip a gear. "ooo, rough start for Pomni! Kinger is showing everyone why he wears the crown by taking the lead! He's already at the first jump pad! Looks like his HIGH-NESS is taking the third track up! Gummigoo is the only one contending for first! Ragatha is still fighting for a spot in line! Jax is keeping Gangle tied up, literally, and- hey! No detaching limbs to strangle your opponents on the track! I made that rule specifically for you, Zooble!"

~

Pomni had a lot of ground to make up and she didn't know where to start. The track was all over the place. She guessed at random and she took a pad with the number four in it. Her kart bounced high into the air and she came down on the track second from the top.

"That wasn't so bad." She spoke too soon. A huge catcher's net came down and snagged her kart and became stuck in place for several seconds.

~

"Oh no! The poacher caught Pomni! Be careful out there! He'll take your speed and place away from you! Unless you're already in last, like Pomni. But that's beside the point! Run free like the wild racers you are! Don't! Get! Caught!"

Caine took a breath away from the mic. "Hey, Bubble?" He took off his hat and his personal Bubble buddy came out of it.

"Yeah, boss?"

"I need you to check something for me. I can't step away right now."

"Sure thing! What do ya need?"

"The start light. Double check the green would you?"

"Okay!" They floated off in the wrong direction.

Caine stretched his arm way out to catch Bubble and steer them in the right direction.

~

Pomni grunted with frustration and floored it out of the net. She saw a green pad with the number two on it. It launched her in the air and she glided down to the second level track. There she found a cupcake and took the boost around a banked turn.

She saw an orange shell at the last second, slammed her brake and it bounced past her. Jax sneered at her as he passed. She didn't give him the time of day. Cane item. Let's see how he likes things being thrown at him. The cane arced and hit not only Jax but Ragatha as well. Pomni blasted past both of them.

~

"Pomni is proving she's still in this! Mess with the jester, become the JOKE! Haha! I love it!" Caine clicked his heels together.

Bubble was down by the finish line, the starting light hung to the side out of the way. They looked very closely. The light was off. They licked it. Now the light was covered in soapy residue. They took a bite, one of their teeth pierced the light and gave them a shock. Blue electricity jolted Bubble into dropping the light. They were discombobulated for a moment, then settled. They blinked their beady eyes, looked around, and saw Caine in the jungle themed booth. They floated on up to him.

"Oh hey, Bubble. Find anything?'

"No. Everything is fine." Bubble said flatly.

"Fantastic! This track is a bit old. The light for this track just hasn't been used in a long time, might have a few bugs. Thanks for looking."

Bubble didn't respond. They hovered next to him, staring.

~

Pomni saw Kinger below her when she jumped to level three. She has to be in second place or close to it. The track was so convoluted she doubt she'd be able to tell until she got back to the finish line.

Another poacher trap triggered. This one was a giant bear trap. "Holy [%$!#]!" She swerved away, almost hit the opposite wall, then hit a booster lane sideways. Her tires screamed from the friction and she went slower than the booster would typically move her.

Ragatha was on the same level and saw Pomni struggling to straighten out. She hit the booster and side swiped Pomni enough to get her facing forward again. "You really need to learn how to drift!" She yelled back as she sped off.

"I'm working on it!" Pomni wasn't sure if Ragatha could hear her, she was so far ahead at that point.

~

Bubble examined Caine. Watched him closely as he announced the goings on of the race. Bubble then looked outside. They saw the NPC crowd doing it's standard affair of energized cheering. Then the racers came. Learning their names from Caine's announcement, bubble locked on one racer. Pomni.

They watched her zoom out of sight. "So you're her." Bubble mumbled to themself. "I do hope you're more useful than the last human. I look forward to meeting you." Bubble popped with a slight snap of static electricity.

~

Pomni started lap two going all the way to the top. She jumped to level five alone. Taking advantage of the have the whole track to herself, she tries to drip around a tight bend. She slide but not in the way she wanted. She lost some speed but that's what the stored cupcake she had was for.

She was about to attempt again when something red caught her eye. On a branch, just off the track, was the exit door. She stared at it until another branch blocked it for a second, then it was gone.

"I'm losing it. No, it's moving. Jax said...but Caine said...but..." She didn't know who or what to believe.

The wall believes she should be paying attention. She slammed headlong into it, coming to a sudden stop that would have been deadly without cartoon physics. She shook it off but not before looking back to see if the door reappeared. It did not.

~

Caine almost teleported out of instinct. Seeing her crash like that was jarring, even if she was fine. "Come on, Pomni. Get your head in the game. What's going on with you today?" He said quietly away from his cane.

~

Pomni used a train for a bit of a boost and found Gummigoo. He was in his element. He navigated the track really well and his bike was maneuverable enough to easily avoid the poacher traps. He was so confident, he did a trick next to Pomni.

"Check it out!" He stood on his bike like it were a surfboard. He even rode it on a boost.

"Nice!" She shouted back to him. It was genuinely cool. Best she could do was slam a golden cupcake and give him the peace out sign as she flew by him.

~

"Pomni is going through a baker's dozen of cupcakes! Such lucky drops! She's gaining fast on Kinger around the last bend! It's neck and neck to the end of lap two! One more lap will decide the winner! With a track this wild, it's still anybody's game!"

~

Pomni and Kinger took different paths after crossing into lap three. She stayed on track one, he bounced to track four. Track one had the least amount of light, being on the jungle floor, but it was still incredibly scenic with bioluminescent fungi. She drove over and under giant mossy tree roots.

The items were not as idealic. Soap and canes and white shells that really only work with other people close by. The size of the track had all of them spread out. A poacher's pit opened just in front of her. She swerved too late and her rear tires got caught so she was stuck.

"Oh come ON!" She shouted, exasperated.

In the short time she had trapped. She saw it again. The red door. It was taunting her, she just knew it. She remembered her dream and the voice beyond the threshold. This wasn't any coincidence, and she WASN'T going crazy.

The trap released her and she gunned it for the door, but the moment her kart left the track, a swarm of bubbles course corrected her. "No! Let go!" She tried shooing the bubbles away but nothing worked, they put her back on the track before popping.

She had lost sight of the door again and she cranked her neck to find it. It was gone.

"[%$!#] this." She hopped out of her kart and ran off the track.

~

"What has gotten into her??" Caine teleported to Pomni's position. She was still running and climbing over obstacles further off track. "Pomni! What are you doing!? The race isn't over!"

"The door, Caine! I saw THE DOOR!"

Oh no. "Pomni, listen to me! That door is not safe to use! It won't lead you out of the game! You already know that!"

"Then why do I keep seeing it!?" She stopped and turned to face him so abruptly, he nearly flew right into her. "It's EVERYWHERE, Caine!! Is that YOUR doing!? Are you having fun driving us mad with an exit we can't use!?"

"NO!!" He shouted back. The stress of the last few days was bubbling close to the surface and it was pouring out in his words. "I HAVE BEEN TRYING FOR YEARS TO KEEP THINGS SAFE AND STABLE! WHICH, APPARENTLY, IS IMPOSSIBLE DESPITE THE FACT THAT IT'S MY PRIME DIRECTIVE!!"

They both fell silent. The ambience of the jungle mixed with the distant roar of kart engines and, even more distant, the crowd. The eye contact was intense, like if they looked away, the other would snap. Pomni caught her breath and swallowed hard.

"Then why, Caine? Why is it everywhere?" She said calmly but there was a slight tremble in her voice.

Caine heard the volume of the crowd increase. The race was over for the others. He sighed. "Finish the race. We'll talk after. Not a word to the others about the door. I mean that." His last words were sharp.

He snapped his fingers and she was back in her kart. He was back in his booth. He regretted yelling at her. He hit a prerecorded winner announcement and bubbled his pipe.

~

Pomni crossed the finish line with generic fanfare, not that she cared. She immediately got out of her kart and didn't let Caine out of her sight.

"Where've you been!? The race was over ages ago! And here I started to think you'd actually be a challenge." Jax taunted.

"Shut up, Jax." Ragatha said, standing by Pomni. "Everyone has off days, and she's still new to this."

Caine came down from his booth. "Well done, everyone! And we'll done Kinger, for winning your third consecutive race! That gives you a big lead on the board! Keep it up and you just might take that trophy from Ragatha! Here is your reward!" He snapped and a jar popped into existence. Kinger caught it and cooed at what was inside: a giant centipede that was much bigger than a real giant centipede.

"Another for the collection!" Kinger said excitably. "I think I'll name you Carl."

Ragatha felt woozy looking at the creepy crawler and stepped back behind Pomni.

The jungle world pixelated as the racers walked behind the starting line. The garage appeared to them, opening its doors in welcome. They started idle conversations and looked forward to some relaxation.

Ragatha turned when she realized Pomni wasn't following. "Hey, you coming?"

"I'll catch up." Pomni's eyes darted to Caine and back.

Ragatha got the hint. "Oh, okay. See ya later." She went inside and shut the door.

Pomni stayed outside with Caine as the world finished it's transformation back to the default test track. The silence was tense. Caine refolded his hat to be it's usual top hat self. He was stalling. He held his hat in his hands, fiddling with the rim. "Pomni, please allow me to apologize for my actions. As your host, rasing my voice with you was unprofessional and uncalled for. I was out of line."

"No...no you weren't." Pomni kicked the grass. "I went too far. I accused you without evidence to back up my claim. I should be the one who owes you an apology."

"Perhaps we both acted brashly. This has been an...unusual week. Things can be chaotic around here, for sure but it's typically isolated to the track. Lately, it's been all over. I wasn't lying about keeping things safe and stable within the game being my prime directive. Humans are meant to come here and enjoy themselves. It's what I live for."

"They're also supposed to leave." She added a bit coldly.

"Yes. They should. But they can't. And there's nothing I can do to fix it. I've tried."

Pomni's eyes widened. "You have?"

"Yes, all the way back with the first batch of humans. When they realized they we're trapped, one of them abstracted. I created the cellar in that moment to contain him. The other humans started to panic. I tried to fabricate a way out...but I can't fix the error." Caine sunk until his knees almost grazed the grass. It was the closest to the ground Pomni had ever seen him.

"Is that were the door came from?"

"Yes. It is the real exit. But it's been disconnected from the actual mechanic that releases you from the game. Now it goes out into the void. And the void...." He grabbed Pomni by the shoulders. He was eye level with her. "The. Void. Is. Dangerous. Please, for the love of every bit of binary that makes up my being, please, DON'T go out there. The door has gone beyond my control and it's moving around at random. If you see, don't go near it. Don't even look at it."

"What? I thought you controlled everything. How is it out of your control?"

Caine sighed heavily and released her shoulders. "I'm embarrassed to admit that I've been experiencing glitches. Small ones, mostly harmless, but now...an entire asset has left my sphere of influence. Which, yes, SHOULD be impossible, but apparently, it's not. I told you before, I'm an incomplete game. I'm broken. More broken than I thought, and...and..." He squeezed his hat to keep his hands from shaking. "I'm afraid, Pomni. Afraid of what will happen to all of you if I lose control entirely."

Pomni placed her hand gently on his shoulder. "We're all afraid, Caine. Welcome to what it's like to be human."

Caine looked at her, his hands feeling less tense. "You consider me human?"

"You've expressed fear, anxiety, embarrassment, which is rooted in pride, anger and regret all in a short period of time. Not just programmed excitement. You seem as close to human as I've even seen a piece of technology be."

"I-...thank you, Pomni. Truly. Being around you does make me feel more human, because you've been quite the experience since you've got here."

She was still learning how to read his unique facial features, but she could swear he was smirking at her. She couldn't help but smile back a little. "How so?"

He put his hat on and twirled his cane. He put it to the ground and leaned on the handle. "Well, for one, you're hilarious. You have a real knack for physical comedy."

"Are you calling me clumsy?"

"Potato potato." He cleared his voice. "You're incredibly clever. This is the first time I've ever had such a conversation with any of the humans that have been here. You're kind. You take the time to listen to others and seem to understand their point of view rather quickly. You're tenacious. When you've got your mind set on something, not even I can stand in your way. Not that I do a lot of standing." He stretched his floating limbs for emphasis. He started counting on his fingers. "You're bold. You're beautiful. You're-"

"Okay, you can stop." Pomni was blushing to the brim of her hat. "I'm flattered, but you think way too highly of me. I'm still human. I have a temper."

"Oh I know, I've seen it up close and personal." He tugged at his lapel, remembering when she grabbed him out of bounds to demand about the door the first time. "And anger looks just as good on you as compassion, my dear."

"I'm stubborn!"

"It's one of your most endearing traits."

"I- I'm not very sociable. I prefer to be by myself most of the time."

"Who needs society? I hear it's awful." He laid down in the air in front of her, holding his chin with his free hand.

"I don't like being put on the spot!"

"Noted. I'll keep my attention for you between us." He winked.

That shut her down. She was so flustered she couldn't form coherent sentences. "You- you!"

"What about me?" He leaned closer. His voice teasing.

Her heart, or what felt like a heart, hammered in her chest. It was finally dawning on her how much he was flirting with her. The conversation was out of hand and she was not sure how to handle it. "Goodnight!" She literally ran from him.

"Goodnight, my dear. See you in tomorrow's race." He snickered as she ran off. "Adorable." He floated up right and twirled his cane idly. He was in a much better mood now. A mood to create. He teleported away.

~~~

Ch1 prev next

[heaven-s-black-box]

Notes- Wolf's Heart; Okumura x male!Reader

Return to File

Recovery date: October 21st, 2024

Description: Before requests close, I'll ask what it's like to date Koshuu, Possible data, be it fluff, angst, NSFW etc etc. (Preferably male reader) 😭😭😭

Notes: Recovered in conjunction with an anonymous researcher, we thank them for their contributions. I didn't do nsfw since I kept it to highschool Okumura, but there is definitely fluff and angst.

Back to directory

You’re probably childhood friends with him and Seto

You also don’t play baseball

He hates words of platitude, so whatever he tells you he means 100%

And honestly that’s why it surprises you so much when he gives you his button at graduation

Seto’s behind you giving him a thumbs up, think the one how to train your dragon scene with Toothless courting the lightfury

These two are smart but share brain cells

Like with, pretty much all of my DNA headcanons, baseball comes first and you have to be okay with that

And you are, like I said you’ve known him for forever

You test in to Seidou to stay with him, both to keep him out of trouble and because you know long distance just wouldn’t work with his schedule

Plus Seidou’s not a bad school academically, so there isn’t really down side

You’re one of the few people Okumura trusts whole heartedly

That makes it a bit easier to deal with his stubbornness, but he is still very stubborn

Sawamura accident causes your first big fight, and when I say first fight I mean of your friendship and relationship

You met Sawamura in the hallways and he kind of… adopted you?

You were hanging out with Asada and he stopped to say hi and next thing you knew you had his line and an invite to watch the team practice

Which you had been anyways, it’s where you do homework so you can see Okumura

Anyways, the point is that you figure out Sawamura really is that positive and it’s not just platitudes

And that leads to your fight with Okumura

Because he sees you defending this annoying upperclassman who’s being pushy and deceitful and trying to pull the upperclassman card (which you agree was a dick move)

He gives you the cold shoulder for a bit, it’s how he cools off

That’s the part that hurts the most, which he doesn’t realize

So when he does apologize, it’s for assuming the worst of people and letting his past cloud his judgment

And he’s genuinely afraid when you say that’s not why you’re mad

He doesn’t know what he did wrong, he didn’t realize he was ignoring you so someone has to tell him

Annoyingly enough it’s Miyuki

Because while he didn’t know about your fight, Okumura was around a lot more and checking his phone/ texting a lot less

So when he hears you two talking outside the room he puts stuff together

The second apology comes with a  promise to work on his communication with you

It’s funny, because he’s not afraid to speak his mind and he’s great at communicating with pitchers

But when it comes to you he just, internalizes everything and tries to handle it alone

You guys always have lunch alone once a week, the rest of the time you eat lunch with Seto too

If you don’t play a sport or anything that doesn’t allow jewelry, and if you don’t mind jewelry, turn his button in to a bracelet

His ears turn red when he sees it for the first time

You make every game you can, especially once he makes first string

You also sit with him while he goes through player data and game videos, you may not play but you’ve been around him so long you’ve picked some stuff up

Nothing about your relationship really changes once you get into a relationship, at least at first

He slowly opens up to the idea of PDA, and that’s when the team finds out you’re actually dating

You walk to practice together one day with your arms linked, and you kiss his cheek because you don’t see anyone around

Of course that’s when Sawamura runs by with his tire and now the whole team knows

He doesn’t really mind that they know, but he doesn't appreciate the teasing jabs

You run errands together as well

I won’t cover jealous Okumura here since I’ve already done that

But jealousy is definitely thing with him, although since you’ve known each other for so long it’s a little better

When he thinks of his future, you’re always by his side

So even when baseball seems to take up all of his time, just remember he’s still thinking about you

He never wants you to feel like he doesn’t care about you, so he’s gotten in the habit of sending good morning and goodnight texts

Even though he’ll see you in class

He’s kind of clingy, but he will deny that till the day he dies

[twins2994]

Twins Stun M's Late!

Twins 12 Mariners 6 W-Duran (4-1) L-Legumina (4-3)

The Minnesota Twins didn't have the best time in Tampa Bay this week. They made the long flight out to Seattle to play the Mariners tonight. The Mariners bats were ready from the beginning as JP Crawford and Jorge Polanco singled. With one out, Cal Raleigh smacked a Zebby Matthews cutter out to right for a three-run home run. The next batter, Randy Arozarena belted a Matthews fastball out to left for a solo shot. The Twins finally found some offense in the fourth as Trevor Larnach smoked a Bryan Woo fastball out to right for a solo homer. Ryan Jeffers followed with a double to left and reached third on a groundball. Brooks Lee hit a RBI groundout to second to pull the Twins within a pair. The pitchers settled down as Zebby Matthews finished off six strong innings. The Twins inched closer in the seventh when Willi Castro went down and got a Bryan Woo fastball and sent it out to right. The Twins pulled within a run and chased Bryan Woo. The Mariners would get some insurance runs in the eighth when Julio Rodriguez lined a two-out single to left. Cal Raleigh kept a Cole Sands fastball fair for a two-run homer and the Seattle lead grew to three. The Twins would rally in the ninth with a Ty France lead-off single. Willi Castro belted an Andres Munoz fastball out to right for a two-run homer to pull Minnesota within a run. Byron Buxton fired a single to left and stole second base. Trevor Larnach singled him home to even the game at six all. Jhoan Duran had a 1-2-3 ninth and we needed extra innings tonight. Carlos Correa led-off the tenth and crushed a Casey Legumina fastball out to left for a two-run homer. The Twins loaded up the bases and Byron Buxton knocked in a pair with a base hit to center. Trevor Larnach knocked in two more with a double to right and the rout was on in Seattle. Brock Stewart had a 1-2-3 tenth and the Twins stunned the Mariners tonight.

-Final Thoughts- Zebby Matthews had a rough first inning then bounced back. He finished off seven strong innings and gave up four runs on six hits with seven strikeouts. Cole Sands gave up two in the eighth and Jhoan Duran had a perfect ninth. Brock Stewart had a 1-2-3 tenth to close it out. Trevor Larnach led the way with four hits and four RBI. Byron Buxton, Brooks Lee, Ty France, and Willi Castro had two hits each. The Twins hit 4-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base. This was a great win for the Twins put up runs on Andres Munoz, which hadn't happened all season. Tomorrow, Bailey Ober faces Bryce Miller in Game 2.

-Chris Kreibich-

[blueariel3-blog]

Together

Pairing: Poly!Dragonott x Reader

Summary: Draco is tasked with finishing the vanishing cabinet, but it's tearing him apart. You and Theo make a plan to help him.

You skipped down the hallway, your hand safely enclosed in Theo’s rather large one. Pansy made a joke about Trelawany’s outfit ahead of you and the group of Slytherins laughed, the sound bouncing off the walls and sending some second years running. You nodded along and smiled, pretending as if you heard the joke and thought it was funny as you focused on getting to the great hall. 

The smell of fresh roast and gravy hit your nose and you sighed as you happily took your seat. Theo sat next to you, helped you fix your plate, and poured you a drink, smiling as he did so. You brushed a tender kiss across his cheek in thanks. There were several minutes of silent eating and chattering before you realized Draco wasn’t at the table and likely wasn’t coming. 

You gently placed a hand on Theo’s knee and gave a small squeeze. He gave you a quiet look of understanding and gestured for you to finish your meal. You did so quietly, nodding along to the conversation and trying not to let fear and worry consume you and ruin your appetite. 

When dinner was almost over, you made your way around to the kitchens to find the elves. They all greeted you warmly as you passed through, rich smells filling your nose and washing some of your nerves away. You stopped at the counter in front of the head elf and gently laid your hands on the counter. 

“Could I have a plate to go? Please?” It wasn’t unusual for you to often ask the elves for a plate to take, and you gathered they knew why. 

“Of course, dear.” The elderly elf climbed down from her stool and you watched her toddle around the kitchen to collect the food. In a magically extended box, they shoved a double heaping of roast and gravy, rice, carrots, turnips, pumpkin pastries, and cheesecake. She set the box on the counter and patted it, handing her a small extended pitcher of pumpkin juice. 

“Thank you,” you whispered quietly. The elf placed her withered hand on your cheek gently and nodded, motioning for you to get going. You gently took the box and pitcher and pushed open the kitchen doors with your elbow, meeting Theo right outside. 

“I’m worried about him,” you said as he took the box from you. You both started down the corridors, keeping track of the moving staircases in order to get to the room of requirement. You passed Snape in the hallway who nodded his head and continued on his way. 

“I am too. Maybe he’ll let us help today.” He sighed as he stepped in front of the blank wall, waiting on you to step beside him. You gave him a sharp look. 

“I doubt it. Show me the room of requirement.” 

The stones began to chip away until a door appeared. Theo turned the handle and sighed. A blast of warm air hit you in the face and you sighed, shrugging your robes off as you weaved through the stacks of lost and forgotten objects. A clattering sound to your right had you sharply turning and coming to stand behind a head of platinum hair. 

You placed a hand on his shoulder as you braced for an outburst. He turned to face both of you, dark circles around his eyes. You could see how tired he was and how stress had taken a toll on his body, but you had lost that fight more times than you cared to admit. 

Theo placed the box on the table beside you and stepped towards you both, placing a hand on Draco’s other shoulder. He sagged into both of your touches before pulling away and rubbing a tired hand through his hair, the movement slow and sluggish. He dropped onto the worn quilted couch you and Theo spent much of your time on while watching him. 

“You didn’t have to bring me anything,” he mumbled. He was a very closed-off person despite sharing a relationship with both of you and refused to accept help. You gently lowered yourself to the floor and sat against his legs as Theo took the open seat next to him. 

“We know we didn’t have to, but we wanted to. Don’t want you to be alone,” You whispered. Despite knowing no one else occupied the room and you could talk as loud as you wanted, you always kept your voice quiet around your boys. 

“Thanks,” he sighed. 

Theo gently patted his thigh and motioned for him to turn his body, laying his head down in Theo’s lap. He stroked the blond and stringy hair away from his pale face, scratching gently at his scalp. The hand that dangled over the edge allowed for you to reach out and grasp his cold fingers in yours. 

“How much have you gotten done?” Theo was always hesitant to ask but knew it was a conversation that needed to be had. 

“Almost done, just need a few more days.” Theo exchanged a look with you and shook his head. He had been saying that for weeks. 

“Why don’t you eat and rest a little while? Theo and I will wake you up in a few hours.” 

“Can’t. Need to finish the cabinet.” His words slurred together and his eyes dropped as he struggled to stay awake. You brushed a tender kiss to his fingers and gently massaged the pressure point on his wrist, the dark mark almost touching it.

You sat there for a few minutes as you both waited for Draco to drift to sleep. When quiet snoring filled the room, you pried his hand out of yours and pulled up from the floor. You silently cast a charm to extend the couch to a bed big enough to fit the three of you and placed a silencing charm around the posters. 

You helped Theo move his body and tug off his robes to make him more comfortable. He wore his white button-down and boxers when you were both done, curled under the silk green sheets and resting comfortably. 

“Want me to help,” Theo whispered. You shook your head and bent to place a kiss on his forehead. 

“No, stay with him. You both need some sleep.” Your lips hovered near his brow, pressing another kiss before standing upright and moving to the cabinet a few feet away. 

You cast another silencing charm around you and opened the creaking door only to find a dead bird inside. You sighed and banished the creature, shutting the door again to think. 

An hour later, you heard Theo’s snores join in with Draco’s. You turned to see Draco laying behind Theo, an arm wrapped around his waist as he buried his head in the curly chocolate locks. You smiled and turned back to the furniture. 

In the next hour, you managed to accomplish a few things. You altered the spells along the outside and inside of the cabinet to cushion the entrance and exit of whoever stepped inside. You also added a muffling spell to keep the sound contained and fixed the squeaky hinges that plagued Draco’s nightmares. 

It was another 3 hours and lots of charms and transfigurations before you decided to step inside. You knew if either of the boys saw you in the cabinet they would combust, but they were both happily sleeping. You took a deep breath and carefully shut the door behind you, trusting your spell work to be thorough enough to protect your life. 

With a deep breath, you muttered the charm and braced your hands against the walls. There was a light humming and a quick flash of light before the furniture eased back into its quiet nature. You carefully cracked open the door and were met with a room quite different than the one you had just left. A large smile appeared on your face. 

You cast a diagnostic and checked for injuries to make sure you weren’t looking over anything in your desperation for the cabinet to work. When you were sure you were fine, you closed the door once more and uttered the charm again. The same quiet rumbling and flash of light consumed you before it went still again. 

On the other side of this door were your two boyfriends wrapped in one another arms and snoring. You grinned, hardly containing your squeal, and jumped out of the cabinet. Another diagnostic confirmed you were not injured. 

You peeled off your uniform and transformed your dress shirt into a long t-shirt and slipped into bed behind Draco. The clock on the opposite wall read 4:55 am and you silently groaned as you set the alarm for 7 sharp. A few lost hours of sleep would be worth it for his well-being. 

You slipped a hand around Draco’s abdomen and lightly kissed his head, nuzzling in deep to the comforting scent of apples and chestnut. 

A few hours later, the sharp ringing of an alarm woke you from your sleep. You all three groaned as you moved around the bed, disentangling limbs. Draco suddenly shot from the bed and almost tripped on his trousers before stumbling to the cabinet. 

“I wasn’t supposed to sleep! I have to finish this cabinet in time!” He pulled at the roots of his hair and you shot up from the bed, coming to grasp his hands and prevent him from hurting himself further. 

“Draco, baby, I fixed the cabinet.” It was as if he was in his own world and couldn’t hear you. 

“He’s going to kill me if I don’t get this done! I’ll have to skip classes again to make up for it,” He mumbled to himself. Theo joined you two and pulled Draco into his side who tried to push him away. 

“Draco! Listen to her!” 

Theo shoved his shoulders and turned him around to watch you. Draco lifted his eyebrows as if surprised to find you there and reached out a hand. 

“Darling, I’m sorry. I have to finish the cabinet. Let Theo take you to get ready and I’ll try to get you for lunch.” 

“Draco I fixed the cabinet.” His hand stilled mid-air and he blinked at you. 

“That’s not funny.” He narrowed his eyes. You huffed and stomped towards the cabinet, pulling the door open and then sealing yourself inside. You heard Draco yelling from the other side. 

“NO! Theo, let me go! She’s going to die!” There was a brief sound of struggling and then silence. 

You opened the door to find a different room and sighed, closing it once again. When you opened the door a second time, both boys stood with their mouths hanging open as you stepped out. 

“Now, no more worrying. It’s fixed. You will go to class and eat with us and sleep in our bed and you will not spend another moment worrying about this wretched furniture. Either of you.” You gave them both a pointed look. 

“How did you…why?” Draco sounded astonished and his eyes began to glass over. You placed a hand on each side of his head and kissed him gently before resting your foreheads together. 

“It was tearing you apart and I couldn’t take it anymore. I had to do something. It’s fixed now and you don’t have to worry about it for a while.” You placed another kiss on his forehead, then the tip of his nose, then each cheek, and finally another one on his lips. 

“Thank you. Both of you. I don’t know what I would do without you.” He extended a hand behind him for Theo who gladly took it and joined the embrace. The dark-haired wizard placed a kiss on both of your heads. 

“Now that that’s sorted, let's all go shower, together. Then we can eat, together. And then go to class, together. And when the day is done we’ll all take a nap, together.” You smiled and hummed, leaning into his side. 

“That sounds lovely. I’ve missed both of you.” Draco gave each of you a short kiss and tugged on your hands, leading you to the pile of clothes on the floor beside the bed. 

You each helped one another dress slowly, sharing small smiles and giggles. It wasn’t long before the three of you walked quietly through the halls together to the bathroom, desperate to be in each other's arms again. 

[theladyofdeath]

humbly requesting Aelin bathing Rowan/washing his hair because domestic fluff

Ship: Rowaelin, Throne of Glass Trope: domestic fluff, canon, pregnancy T/W: none WC: 832 A/N: ANYTHING to be able to use Geralt's chest as a Rowan header.

Aelin is lying in bed with a newly opened book when Rowan storms into their bedroom, hair in disarray and covered in splotches of bruises and splatters of blood. The Queen of Terrasen merely blinks at her husband before he disappears into the bathing chambers.

"I don't even get a hello?" she calls after him, placing a ribbon between the pages before closing her book.

She can hear him sigh. "Hello."

After waiting a few seconds for him to go on, Aelin hops off the bed and follows him into the washroom where he's stripping off his weapons, one by one. As she crosses her arms, she leans against the doorframe. "I assume it was not a fun day of training?"

"The new recruits are growing stronger," he says, leaning down to untie his boots. "Meanwhile, I'm regretting offering to oversee their progress myself. I went up against nearly one hundred of them today and they all got a few hits on me. Luckily, that means our army grows stronger...but, regretfully, I have a few wounds that need tending to."

Aelin huffs a laugh as she steps forward. "Well, I'm jealous," she begins, helping him unbutton his tunic once he's back to full height. "I would kill to be able to train, let off some steam."

Rowan's eyes soften as he steps toward his wife and lays his dirty, cut up hands on the bump that has grown on Aelin's abdomen. "Ten more weeks," he promises, "then you can plan on showing your armies just how powerful their Queen is."

"That's right," Aelin smiles, but when he leans down to kiss her, she shakes her head. "You smell horrible, Buzzard. Undress. Pants off."

With a dramatic roll of his eyes that Aelin swears he picked up from her, he takes off the rest of his shirt and his pants while Aelin fills the bath with hot water.

He practically groans as he sinks into the water only to have Aelin disrobe and climb in with him. He gives her a rare, sloppy smile as she dips a rag into the soapy, lavender scented water and runs it over his chest and up his neck, washing the dirt away.

"You spoil me," he says, voice low as he leans back against the porcelain, arms resting on the edges.

"I have to spoil you now," she smiles, running the cloth down his arms. "In ten weeks, I'll be too busy giving all of my attention to your son."

Rowan chuckles and watches as Aelin pulls him forward and runs the cloth down his back. "You're so convinced the babe a male."

"That's because he is," Aelin croons, taking the silver pitcher off the ledge next to them and filling it with the water. "Mother's intuition."

"We'll see," Rowan mutters as he tilts his head back and Aelin drenches his hair with warm water. She crawls further onto his lap as she lathers her hands with shampoo and runs it through his tangled, silvery strands. His eyes close and he moans as her fingers massage his scalp. "I don't care what the babe is. I will love them no matter what. As long as they have a heart like their mother's, I will be proud."

As her fingers slowed, Rowan's eyes opened once more and found his wife's eyes shining.

"Don't cry," he pleads, head cocked to the side. "At least not until you're done with my hair."

Aelin laughs quietly as she jabs him in the shoulder. As her fingers continue to work, she says, "I love you, Buzzard. Even if you drive me mad. You're going to be an amazing father."

"I love you too," he promises, "and I can't wait to be the father of our child. To raise them alongside you. To watch them grow and learn. To one day watch them rule this kingdom that we've built." That burning returns to Aelin's eyes as her hands slide down his shoulders and his chest, and into the water to wash the soap off. "You are going to be an incredible mother, Fireheart, and I am so very proud of you."

A tear slides down her cheek as she softly brings her lips to his. When she pulls back, she suppresses a grin. "Even with the loveliest words coming out of your mouth, I cannot take you seriously with soap in your hair."

Rowan's eyes narrow, his humor bringing the slightest twist to his lips. "Better rinse it out, then, so I can say more lovely words to you."

Aelin does just that, refilling the silver pitcher and running it through his hair until there's no soap left. Then, he's hers and she claims him, even though he's sore from spending his day doing his kingly duties.

He does not complain, though. He would never complain, not when it comes to his wife. His queen. His mate. The mother of his child. The love of his life.

She was his love.

And he was hers.

[davecall93]

Binge 2

For a restaurant popular amongst college students, Las Alas offered food of good quality and generous portions. There was a large patio area, used in summer as a dance floor and an outdoor bar. The restaurant was busy, if not as packed as it could have been, and Peter and Derek were able to secure a restaurant in a shaded corner that made it feel a little more private. They had a their number on the table, chips, guac, and a pitcher of beer.

“Do you think we needed the chips?” Asked Derek, taking one despite himself. “We’re about to eat a five pound burrito.”

Peter shrugged. “I like chips and guac.” He dipped a chip and put it in his mouth. “Hmmm…Did they change the recipe?” He ran another chip generously through the guac and, leaning over, held it up to Derek’s mouth. “Try this.” Derek opened his mouth and Peter pushed the chip in his mouth, although there was too much guacamole on the chip and he got a good bit of it on Derek’s mouth. Derek, chewing what he had been offered, instantly felt Peter grab his mouth and rub the guac off. “In we go,” he said as he shoved his guac covered thumb into Derek’s mouth. Derek’s felt a flutter in his body, but as he looked at Peter, his friend just stared at him and asked, “This is different, isn’t it?”

“I think it’s the same…” said Derek, who had barely noticed the flavor of the guacamole, but suspected that he would not have noticed the difference. 

“Okay, gentleman, welcome to our five pound burrito challenge. Have you done this before?” Asked the waitress placing two plates and a timer on the table.

“We both have,” answered Peter, flashing his most charming smile at the waitress.

“And you remember the rules?”

“If we eat it all in 45 minutes, the burrito is free?”

“Exactly that.”

“We have our work cut out for us,” said Peter. “Last time,” he explained to here, “Derek finished more it than I could. But I think I’ll win this time.”

“You didn’t even come close,” Derek said, feeling his competitive side kick in. 

“We have a little side bet, whoever eats more has their meal paid for.”

Derek took a deep breath: bring it on, bro, he thought in his head. He was surprised how nice it felt to getting geared up for something. Maybe Peter had known this would be just the thing for him. He saw that Peter was grinning widely at him, and he regretted having almost cut him off.

“Can I get you anything else?” Asked the waitress. The boys shook their head.“Ready?” She set the timer for 45 minutes, quickly, and without much interest,  knowing that most would not make the finish line. 

Peter and Derek got out their silverware and did not even exchange looks as they dived into the burrito once the waitress said, “Go!” Derek ate quickly, devouring the meaty monstrosity as fast as he could, chewing minimally as possible. He occasionally looked over at Peter, who was eating quickly but in much smaller bites.

At around 15 minutes, Peter was slowing down. “Dude, I think I gotta take a minute. That was a lot all at once.” He had eaten less than Derek and, per his estimate, about the amount of larger but usual burrito. 

“This is gonna be the easiest free meal,” replied Derek. Although, as he said it, it occurred to him that he was getting ahead of himself. He, too, felt the weight of the burrito. His stomach felt full and was starting to reach its limits. But he kept moving at a steady pace. At his estimate, he figured he would probably also be stopping around 20 minutes. 

When 20 minutes came, a surge of pride came on him, and he made a point of taking an especially large bite. As he swallowed, he felt the first sense of real discomfort in his stomach, having clearly hit a point his stomach could not easily adjust for. His eyes bugged out for a second, and Peter, who was “resting” to try and get over the “wall,” laughed. “You’re killin’ it champ. Don’t stop.”

Derek took a few more bites and suddenly felt another searing pain; it was intense, almost like experiencing a tear, and made him jerk up in his chair; he was about to cry out but almost instantaneously, as he chewed, a strange sensation came over him. He had never felt anything like it. It was a relaxing sensation, a sort of ease in his body, that enveloped him. Somehow, even though he was very aware that the pain was very much there, this heady trance allowed him to ignore it. He then noticed that all was really aware of was rhythm of his chewing and the shoveling of food into his mouth. In fact, they had become rather rhythmic themselves. Push in, chew, swallow. Push in, chew, swallow. Push in, chew swallow. 

I’m so full, he thought a minute or so later, as he ate some chicken drowned in salsa roja. Without perturbing his rythm, he looked down at his stomach, which was clearly distended, bowing out and taut; Shocked on level, he thought to himself : I should stop, I need to rest. But he could not quite tear himself away from that strange Zen feeling that came out of filling his mouth and chewing. 

As he continued eating, he could swear he felt another horrible pang come from his overextended stomach. But unlike the first one, he scarcely registered it. It felt tiny, like the pinch of a small vaccine, even smaller than the jab he had earlier that day. And it was happening all over his stomach. 

“Get it, Derek!” He heard Peter cheer in the background. His friend sounded distant, but also not; his voice sounded like someone sitting next to him. But Derek didn’t need the encouragement he could not bring himself to stop. 

Derek bit into a jalapeño; he coughed strangely (or, quite simply, he was unable to pull in his stomach), and to alleviate the spice, he grabbed his beer and took what he meant to be a quick swig. 

He was suddenly very aware of the cool feeling of the liquid running down his throat, and in the same way his attention had been fixated on the steady rhythm of shoveling, chewing and swallowing, he could only concentrate on the liquid moving steadily down his throat, further drowning out the pain of his stomach. Each glug registered gently inside his awareness, helping to drown out the stomach pain that each gulp was simultaneously exacerbating.  Within a minute, he had downed the whole pint glass, and did not even notice that Peter pushed his full pint over, took Derek’s glass, and refilled it. 

As he drank, he noticed more and more pangs from his stomach, until suddenly, he was sure it must have turned into a constant pain. He looked down once and was shocked to see the small beach ball his stomach had turned into, pushing out and tight, and blood red from physical stress.

“I’m so full,” he muttered, suddenly. 

“Keep going, guy, you’re almost there.”

Derek looked down and saw that he had almost finished the burrito. As he debated finished, he felt a sudden pain and started eating again, not wanting to break his distracting focus, vaguely aware that, at this point, he could not just stop. 

Within just a few minutes, he had finished the burrito and was scraping his plate. Finding only sauce, he remembered his beer and downed it, and then, still in need of relief, downed the second one Peter had filled. He wanted to stay in his trance and also not reckon with the pain its end would bring. He could feel his stomach jutting out and swear that he could feel it creeping onto his lap. 

In the time it took him finish the second beer, Peter had slipped his own burrito under Derek. Derek was almost giddy to put down his silverware and find more food. To have to break his concentration would be intolerable. Somewhere in his mind, he was screaming, “What the fuck is going on?!” But with every bite his mind and body realized it had to stay in the trance it was in, because every bite was contributing to the pain in his stomach.

He could not find the words to express how he made such quick work of the second burrito. It vanished in a fraction of the time of the first. He was conscious only of the mechanic rhythm of his eating. He also settled into the warm, enveloping feeding it brought him and with each passing moment was drawn further and further in to it. 

He felt his fork hit hard plate, and Peter said, “Dude you finished both of them with five minutes to spare!” Despairingly, but confused, Derek looked down at his stomach, which resembled a cartoon, bowing out on the sides and round as an exercise ball, his shirt riding up almost to his chest, revealing a inny belly button that had effectively become an outtie. 

Derek looked pleadingly at Peter, who was smiling. Afraid to stop, he grabbed a handful of chips and jammed them in his mouth. 

“Hey, you’re missing the best part,” Peter said, and he took his spoon and pushed a huge scoop towards Derek’s mouth. Derek could not help but the offering in, his gut screaming to be no further filled, his mind unable to acquiesce. However, in the wake of this offering, he felt a pang from his stomach that seemed to signal that even this strange state of consciousness, the pain was going to break through if he continued. This has to stop, thought Derek. He placed his hand on his distended stomach. But I can’t stop. 

Peter had refilled both beer glasses as Derek had been eating, and with the totality of his willpower, Derek picked up the beer and rather than chugging it, sipped as slowly as he could; it was just enough to sustain his the strange trance while letting his stomach process whatever had just happened to it. 

“I need to….*BURP*… just…oh god….sit a minute.” The pangs were stronger now but Derek felt that sipping the beer was helping. “What’s happening to me?"

Peter sat, just smiling at his friend.  “That was fucking amazing! Peter poked Derek “You look nine months pregnant!”

Derek moaned, unable to even clear his thoughts to respond. He did not even notice the inch or so his stomach suddenly jutted out, making room for the food he had so dutifully eaten. 

[hansolmates]

day by day | 11

banner made by the iconic @dnrequests​ / @dee-ehn​

summary; jungkook makes a decision for his family pairing; dilf!jk x best friend!reader (f) genre/warnings; fluff, angst, longing, pining, mc is a homebody, unrequited love (or is it?), potential idiots 2 lovers, best friends 2 lovers, mentions of sex, haru probably sounding a lil too old for her age but she’s fictionally very intelligent w/c; 2k a/n; second to last one omfg ;-; thank u for all the love and support this past month over this fic. im really happy that we can finally close this fictional family’s life together! jk is really trying to make up for lost time, so pls bear with him as he tries to speed up the process. enjoy! [day by day masterpost]

Jungkook seldom uses the word hate. He only has peeves for three things, sheets that are not treated with fabric softener, soggy ramen, and uninvited guests. 

Jungkook is silent as Sena greets him, she dryly jokes that he hasn’t said hello as he jams his code in. He makes sure his back is completely covering the numbers, so that Sena can’t come in on her own. 

“Kookie, I’m hungry,” Sena immediately fishes through his kitchen cupboards, but only comes up with brown rice and dry cereal. 

Suppressing a sigh, Jungkook mutters that he’ll order food. He doesn’t even need to concentrate when he scrolls through the take out app, picking Sena’s favorite like she’s always lived here. 

Sena looks the same, but different. Still that practiced, charming smile that gets her whatever she wants. Her hair is a lighter shade now, her skin sunkissed and the cheekbones of her face etched with a carved glow. 

“Taking a shower,” Jungkook says gruffly, he can’t even make eye contact with her. 

Jungkook makes sure to lock the door as he takes a quick shower. He wipes away the joys of this week, replaced with a terrible dreading that hopes the night will end well. 

He wonders if you and Haru are doing okay. He feels guilty, inadvertently kicking you out of his house after he so eagerly wanted you to move in earlier today. He’s embarrassed, hating that his baggage has somehow managed to return in a green luggage and blonde hair extensions. 

It’s the best snap decision he could’ve made at the time, he tries to convince himself as he roughly scrubs the lavender shampoo between his roots. You and Jungkook have done so well protecting Haru, going through a routine, making sure all the people in her life are stable and loving. Sena leaving within the first year was bad enough, but to come back two years later to fuck it all up? No way in hell. 

Jungkook returns to the kitchen, smelling pasta and his peach-scented candles. Sena’s already set up the table, and aired out Jungkook’s meal. There’s a water pitcher on the side, and a pink gift bag right next to it. 

“Where’s she?” Sena asks, twirling her fork around to catch the carbonara hanging off the edge of her takeout plate. 

“She has a name, you know,” Jungkook huffs stubbornly, jabbing the meatball in his container with his knife. 

“Fine, where’s Haru?” 

“Haru is having a sleepover,” Jungkook replies vaguely, “why are you here?” 

“It’s her third birthday,” Sena frowns, “shouldn’t I be here?” 

“Yeah, you should’ve,” Jungkook quietly, almost scarily, folds the top of his takeout container, deciding not to eat as his bad mood continues to elevate, “but you should’ve also been around for the second and third, so.” 

“Let me see her, Jungkook,” Sena pouts, folding her hands across the table, her eyes flickering to the pink gift bag she prepared, “c’mon, I just got back from a traveling gig and I’ll be off for a whole month. I’ve missed you both.” 

Sena’s a flighty woman. Jungkook and her had an on and off relationship for over a year, the off days so often that even you, his best friend, always missed her. Still, Jungkook can honestly admit that he’s been the grounding one in the relationship, and he’s tried very hard on his end to convince her to ground roots along with him and Haru. 

He wonders what goes on in Sena’s head whenever she makes the effort to return. Is her life too flashy, too monotonous, too tiring? Is this her downtime, playing house with a family that never existed in the first place? 

It’s been too long, however. Two years have passed and Jungkook can safely say he doesn’t feel anxious at the fact that Haru questions where her mother is. He knows how to make the special braids Haru asks for every Tuesday morning, he can read her needs in a heartbeat. He’s emotionally available, ready and willing to open his heart out to the person he’s been too daft to notice all along. He’s in a position where he feels stable and sufficient and whole. 

His heart pinches at the thought of you, thinking how you filled in the cracks temporarily until he felt confident enough to be both a great father and a best friend to you. He wonders if there would be any way to repay that kind of love, he hopes he’s enough. So, he needs to wrap this up, and fast. 

“Neither of us missed you, Sena.” Jungkook says icily, shaking his head firmly, “I have sole custody, and therefore I refuse to let you see Haru. It’ll confuse her too much, and it’ll break her heart every time you’ll leave, and don’t tell me you won’t.” 

He knows he’s pushing all the wrong buttons, he feels it in the air. Sena’s eyes are terrifyingly wide, as if she hasn’t been rejected in a long, long time.  

“What?” Sena hisses, nails digging into the kitchen island, “why would you be so heartless? How do you know I’m not planning on changing now?” 

“Sena, Haru doesn’t even know you exist,” Jungkook watches as Sena’s gaze sobers in realization, “you left so early, and never came back. A birthday text isn’t enough, there’s no point. When Haru’s older, she can make the decision to form a relationship with you, but as of now, she doesn’t need you and neither do I.” 

Jungkook’s fork taps on the plastic lid of his food. He debates on returning to the meatball he so meanly stabbed, feeling a lot lighter as this conversation rolls out. 

“It’s because of her, isn’t it?” Sena mutters, pushing her food away, “she took her away from me because I’m not good enough. She’s a better mother than me?” 

“No, not because she’s a better mother,” Jungkook snaps, “because she tried for Haru. She stayed.” 

“If you really try to keep her from me,” Sena says lowly, “I have lawyers.” 

Jungkook shrugs, unaffected, “Sure, try me. I got receipts.” 

Sena’s gritting her teeth so hard that you can hear the squeaking. With a sharp slap she flings the gift bag to the linoleum floor. Out rolls a rattle ball, soft hair bows, and a teething ring. Poking out of the crumpled bag sits a row of white chocolate coated strawberries. 

With a scoff, Jungkook shakes his head, “For the record, Haru stopped teething years ago. And she hates white chocolate.” Having enough, he gets up from his chair and grabs his jacket. He looks expectantly at Sena to do the same, “now, get your things and get out of my house. I can drop you off at whatever hotel you choose.” 

Sena snatches her phone off her table, and from the angry clacking of her acrylics, she’s sending an angry text message. Her eyes are watery, and Jungkook takes note of how sad her eyes are, droopy and glassy in contrast to match her deep frown, “You’ll regret breaking our family apart,” she says. 

“What family?” Jungkook retorts cynically, “because I’m pretty sure my family has nothing to do with you.” 

It’s probably well past midnight. You chug a whole lot of water before going to bed, and periodically you wake up to go to the bathroom. Taking a quick pee you settle back into your mattress, snuggling into Haru’s soft and fluffy form. Just as you’re about to fall back asleep, you hear the soft ping of your front door. 

Closing your eyes hard, you stuff your face into your pillow. Only a couple of people know the passcode to your apartment building. 

It’s then you smell him, his light scent wafting in your bedroom. The smell of his custom peach candles he was so damn proud of, the clean musk of his laundry detergent. Jungkook tip toes into your bedroom, padding against the hardwood until he reaches your side of the bed. It doesn’t take long for him to shift you two over, squished on your queen mattress like little spoons. Jungkook cuddles into your back, while you cuddle onto Haru’s, while Haru clutches her Eeyore. 

“Mmph?” you mumble, too tired to turn around, “what are you doing here?” 

Jungkook sighs into your presence, “Just wanted to come home to my favorite girls.” 

You wake up to the Miraculous Ladybug theme song. 

When you open your eyes, you’re met with Jungkook’s, who looks just as bleary-gazed as you. While your expression looks more surprised due to the fact that Jungkook somehow crawled into your apartment late at night, Jungkook looks more settled, comfortable in your bed. He sends you a dreamy smile, a hand reaching over to move the blanket away from your face. 

Somehow, you ended up on the left side of the bed, Jungkook on the right. Nestled between you two is Haru, who’s eating dry cereal from those room service single boxes. 

“Where’s Sena?” you whisper, trying to speak lower than the television. 

“Good morning to you too,” Jungkook’s voice is groggy, which is deeply attractive, “and dunno, don’t care. Can I ask you a question to throw you off since you started with one?” 

“Okay,” you confirm that whatever transpired between Jungkook and Sena is successful on Jungkook’s part, so you let him ask.  

“What if I sold my house?” 

“WHAT?!” 

“Shh!” Haru puts a fluffy hand over her lips, Cheerio crumbs sticking to her lips, “it’s my show.” 

“The penthouse here is available,” Jungkook sinks into the sheets, patting Haru’s back comfortingly, “my lease is almost up, and I know how much you like your quick commute here. It’s big, and now Haru and I can finally not be stressed over our dying vegetable garden. It’d be a fresh start for the three of us.” 

“Oh, Kook,” you frown, trying not to imagine how bad the conversation could’ve been with Sena. 

“‘M fine,” Jungkook scoots on over closer, so much that your noses are touching. Haru doesn’t seem to care, but is moving her legs back and forth to stop the two of you from crushing her, “I’m sorry if I worried you. Did I make you wait?” 

“Two years,” you roll your eyes teasingly, “but I guess I’ll settle for you.” 

“You’re not mad, are you?” 

“No, I was worried,” you shook your head, hair mushing against the pillow, “but you’re my best friend before anything. I trust you.” 

Jungkook’s eyes soften, as if you bestowed upon him the highest honor, “Thanks.” 

 “And as for moving, I think it’s a great idea, just as long as we take our time with it. I mean, me moving in with you is already a lot.” 

“You think too small,” Jungkook teases, “c’mon. I’m gonna tell Haru now.” 

“Kook—” 

“Tell me what?” Haru finally rips her eyes away from your flatscreen, only because there’s a commercial break. 

“That you have a new mommy!” Jungkook grins hard and wide, gesturing to you with a pat on the shoulder and pulling Haru by the collar so that your three heads are smushed together. 

She ‘oofs’ on the bed, and she looks at you with her wide eyes, “I’ve met you before, you’re not new,” Haru shifts her body so her hand is on your cheek, and she regards you with an intense stare, “I saw you and daddy kissing in the hotel, so I knew you were gonna be my mommy soon.” 

“Haru!” you laugh, scandalized. You wrap her up like the creme to your Oreo sandwich, linking your fingers with Jungkook’s as you pull the two of them closer, “then will you be okay if we kiss some more?” 

With that, you squish your lips on Haru’s left cheek, Jungkook smushes his lips on Haru’s right, and she’s a bundle of giggles. Her show is forgotten, she’s completely occupied by you and father’s silly antics.

[360iris]

NSFW Alphabets: Sirius Black (Poly!Marauders Edition)

In which Sirius is in a polyamorous relationship with James, Remus, yourself and Lily.

A - Aftercare (What they’re like after sex)

He’s the type that almost immediately launches into your specific after-sex routine. He’ll leave the holding and kissing part to the others while he gets warm rags and a pitcher of water.

Makes sure you’re all cleaned up and having a clean set of sleeping clothes on; might even fix your hair so it’s not all over your head depending on how crazy the night was.

Very much the quietly caring type.

B - Body Part (Their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

His favorite aspect of himself is his hair, he devotes so much time, money and care into keeping it soft and long. He loves when you or the others play in it (despite how many times he might grumble, it’s an act). Not to mention when he’s giving oral and you pull at his roots? He’ll work even harder to please you.

His favorite aspect of you are your hands. He loves that you’re almost all hands, always subconsciously grabbing for him; it makes him feel wanted, needed even. Enjoys when your hands are in his hair, holding his own, or mischievously drifting over his thighs.

C - Cum (Anything to do with cum)

He loves seeing you swallow, there’s just something hot about it that gets him going? He also gets a kick out of coming on your chest, thighs or butt? It’s probably a marking territory type of thing.

D - Dirty Secret

Extreme throat fucking is probably his favorite way to get off. Forcing himself down your throat until your lips are touching his base and then holding you there by the hair at the base of your neck until you’re crying from the strain? Most definitely his thing.

When he has to pull out for a second to let you cough and try to catch your breath, he’d 100% spend the time degrading you.

“It wasn’t even that long, stop you sniveling and get back over here. Didn’t you say you wanted to be good for me?”

E - Experience (How experienced are they? Do they know what they’re doing?)

Very! Probably the most experienced out of all the Marauders.

The man is downright gorgeous, with the darkest onyx locks that fall past his shoulders; not to mention a tongue and wit that’s sharper than a sword. Interested partners flocked to him and he got plenty of physical use out of those encounters, but he never paid mind to them emotionally. His heart was set on particular group of dummies.

He knows what he’s doing and knows how to pinpoint what you like by watching your reactions. He’s very adaptable and changes his approach around your needs. A very sexually intelligent and intuitive partner.

F - Favorite Position

Doggy style for when you’re being punished, it’s a way to distance the intimacy and focus on the act. Also allows for easy spankings.

The Ballet Dancer and the Upstanding Citizen are his usual go-to positions bc they allow for face-to-face interaction.

He loves getting to see your reactions during sex, not only does it allow him to gauge how to best please you, but also gives him a sense of satisfaction to see you come undone up close.

G - Goofy (Are they more serious in the moment, or are they humorous, etc?)

His during sex humor is usually derived from him degrading you. He’ll laugh at you for how whiny and needy you’re being or for how quickly you came. He enjoys being a sarcastic asshole.

H - Hot Spots (A place that drives them crazy when touched)

Massaging his scalp really gets him going regardless of if he’d directly admit it or not. The second your fingers begin caressing gentle circles in his hair, he’s melting into a puddle. Very puppy of him to be honest.

Rubbing the back of his ears probably gets him too, I have a feeling they’re quite sensitive to touch.

I - Intimacy (How are they in the moment, romantically?)

His intimacy is very serious, all lingering steely stares, face-to-face closeness and caressing of your hips. His love is quietly passionate and searing.

Because of his childhood and being disowned at sixteen, he’s been very weary of caring about others. He had Remus and James and that was enough for him. He could love them freely and know it wouldn’t burn him.

With you however, he couldn’t begin to control his love. The way you seemed to understand who he was at his core. The way he could love you no matter the weather or the consequences. The way your opinion of him never swayed, even when he was hurting the most.

His love for you is the unsung and unspoken kind, no need for the words because you can feel his adoration through his actions. Through his unwavering stares and tender caresses.

J - Jack Off (Masturbation Headcanon)

He’s not obsessed with it, but if he’s feeling particularly overstimulated in the mornings or after a Quidditch match, he just might stroke himself in the showers. He could also be into the idea of mutual masturbation.

K - Kink (One or more of their kinks)

Impact play + sadism

He enjoys seeing the aftermath of sex. The bruises on your thighs, love-bites on your neck and the lingering redness on your butt.

Corruption kink

Remus was the first partner you’d had before he’d introduced you to his friends. Sirius loved seeing how they slowly trained you into becoming more confident and sexually aware.

Degradation

The process of getting you to point where all your inhibitions are abandoned and the only thing you can even think of wanting is him, thrills him like no other. All shame, embarrassment or guilt gone.

Voyeurism

Whether it’s in an abandoned classroom, the library or an empty hallway, he loves the anticipation; the paranoia and pleasure in your eyes.

L - Location (Favorite places to do the do)

Anywhere but his favorite has to be abandoned classrooms. Your button-up wrinkled, skirt hiked up and figure bent over a desk. What can be better than that?

M - Motivation (What turns them on, gets them going?)

His love for you motivates him like no other. The need to see you under him with watery eyes and puffy lips begging him to do something, anything.

N - No (Something they won’t do, turn offs)

Big no to bodily fluids that aren’t spit. Doesn’t do CNC, he wants his partners to be eager and willing so even the act of genuinely not wanting it turns him off.

O - Oral (Preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc)

He’s fine with either because they give him a different sense of pleasure. He’s very observant so once he’s assessed what pleases you the most, he leans into that hard until you’re shaking.

P - Pace (Are they fast and rough? Slow and sensual?)

Slow but impacting, allowing you both to savor the way he slides into you. The pain of the stretch but also the pleasure of the veins and ridges of his length.

Q - Quickie (Their opinions on quickies rather than proper sex, how often, etc)

He’s definitely not the type to say no to a quickie unless he’s intentionally playing a long game. Usually he has no problem pulling you away from to group to fuck in a random broom closet.

R - Risk (Are they game to experiment? Do they take risks, etc?)

He’s all for trying new positions or fucking in different locations. By no means is he vanilla.

S - Stamina (How many rounds can they go for? How long do they last?)

Three rounds at most on a good day! He could probably last an hour or two, with foreplay and all.

T - Toys (Do they own toys? Do they use them? On a partner or on themselves?)

He has dildo for himself when he wants to masturbate or for when he lets you peg him. The rest of the toys are for the sole purpose of overstimulation either you or himself.

U - Unfair (How much do they like to tease?)

A teaser one hundred percent! The power edging gives him over you is intoxicating. Denying you release until you’re sobbing makes him overly giddy. Definitely the time when he’s smiling the widest.

V - Volume (How loud are they? What sounds do they make?)

Grunts, curses and sighs are the most you can get from him regularly. Introducing vibrators can easily change that however.

W - Wild Card (Random headcanon for the character of your choice)

He’s secretly into pet play? Loves reminding you that bunnies don’t make noise. You can bet on pastel collars, lingerie and tail butt plugs (if you’re into of course.)

X - X-Ray (What’s going on under those clothes)

A very lean torso, he’s not insanely built but definitely has firm muscles. Very nice abs from all those years of obsessively playing Quidditch.

His penis is about 6-7 inches hard, a few veins along the length of it with a protruding, pink tip.

Y - Yearning (How high is their sex drive?)

Average, he’s not always thinking about sex but he’d never turn down an advance from you or the others. I’d say a healthy amount.

Z - ZZZ (How quickly do they fall asleep afterwards?)

Pretty quickly? He’s not one to stay up chatting so I’d drift off after making sure you’re all comfy and properly taken care of.

[killerskillercaptain]

Embarrassing moments w/Levi Ackerman BOOK III

You can read Book I and Book II if you hadn't yet.

pairing : Levi ackerman x reader

wc : 1 351

themes : Hange brought you and Levi some flowers form an expedition, you made tea with them, you regretted it.

warnings : nsfw, minors dni, angst, humor.

The ceremonial tea incident

"In that village we were in, those are flowers we gift newlyweds" explained Hange while showing you a bouquet of delicate small flowers with an ethereal violet color to them.

Hange and Moblit had just came back from an expedition in a village next to their HQ.

"I got them from an old lady's garden, she told me that traditionally they make tea with those flowers and give it to the newly married couple to drink, it's like a ceremonial tea or something. She gave me some of them and before i could ask her more questions she said she had to go." Hange paused for a second " i could swear i saw her giggle a little when she waled away, but never mind !"

"Why did you need those flowers for ?" you asked, genuinely curious.

"Oh, i didn't need those ones specifically, her garden had an incredible amount of specimens and i was searching for some aromatic herbs for my next experiences with titans, i found out that some of them were pretty repulsed by plants like basil and fennel, i wanted to see if there are plants they were attracted to instead"

"Oh, i see"

"Maybe they hate basil and fennel because in reality titans used to be humans and they cooked so much with those herbs that they got sick of them" said Moblit, joking.

"Don't be silly, titans can't be humans" said a low and stern voice entering the lab where all of you were gathered.

"Oh, captain Levi !" you said "Good evening !"

it was almost 7pm, and you hadn't seen him all day because you spent your entire day with Hange and Moblit in their lab.

"Here, i don't need them for my experiments, you can have them !" Hange handed you the small freshly picked bouquet "You should put them in the office you and Levi work in together, that place is awfully neat and depressing, just like Levi"

"Oi!"

"Oh, i know ! Why don't you prepare some tea with them ! if they give it to newlyweds it must be sweet and probably relaxing, Levi could use some of it !"

"Tea sounds good" said Levi.

****

8pm

Since you had to spend all your time today with Hange, there was an awful amount of work waiting for you. You sat at your usual desk, across from Levi's, a mountain of paper stacked on each one, a pitcher and two tea cups on a small tray next to you.

You had brewed some tea with those flowers, just like Hange suggested, and Levi always liked to drink tea when you stayed up late doing paper work. The infusion was a very crystalline and had beautiful color, and both of you had emptied half the pitcher by now, Hange was right, it was sweet. After finished your third cup, you got to work.

9pm

Even though the night was cold, you started feeling kind of warm, hot even. You opened up the two first buttons of your shirt and tried to go back to reading the document in front of you. You watched the words dance before your eyes without grasping their meaning, you tried hard to focus and for a good ten minutes, managed to complete the work at hand, but soon after, a sudden rush of heat caught you off guard again, it felt a lot like a fever, without being one, you were completely fine when you got here with the captain.

Speaking of the captain, you threw a curious glance at him. You were surprised to see his cravate completely loose over his neck, and some drops of sweat pearling on his forehead. So you weren't the only one feeling this strange heat, but where could it come from? how could you both feel so hot while the night was practically freezing. Levi didn't say anything, so you decided to ignore how your body was rising in temperature and how your cheeks were starting to burn.

10pm

You stopped doing your paperwork half an hour ago, you were incapable of focusing on anything, and the heat you felt coming from your body had traveled down to your must intimate parts.

What in the world is happening ?

Levi was repeatedly shifting behind his desk, opening his legs, closing them, then opening them again, a light touch of red rising up from his cheeks to his ears.

"Open the damn window !" he almost shouted

"It's open since we got here captain"

"Then why is it so damn hot in here" he said more to himself than to you.

He got up, paced around his desk, then around the office holding his document, but soon he headed again toward his office. When he turned around to sit in his seat across from you, you saw it.

Oh, no no no no no no.

You saw it, the noticeable bulge in his pants. Panicking you lowered your eyes to look at your desk again, trying to assess the situation, it can't be a coincidence, you were feeling hot too, and the heat you felt down there was arousal for sure, and there was Levi, having possibly an erection and all red. Both of you were completely fine when you entered the office you thought to yourself, you wiped your sweaty forehead with your hand almost knocking the pitcher out of the desk.

The pitcher ! The tea ! It's the only thing that's not normally part of your work routine.

It suddenly hit you. The tea, the flowers. Hange said they were traditionally given as a gift to newlyweds, as beverage, the woman who told her that was giggling when she handed them to Hange.

A gift to newlyweds...

This doesn't put people to sleep ! this is an aphrodisiac !

Your heart started to pound, you didn't know if it was from the realization or from the tea and you could swear Levi was able to hear the sound coming from your chest.

It was already 11pm when Levi got up again, the stack of paper hiding his bulge from you which you were grateful for, Levi seemed incredibly restless, he must have reached his limits, and you were too scared to ask if you could leave earlier.

"Get out !" he said furiously

"W-"

"You're dismissed ! that's it for tonight ! get out !"

You were glad you could run out of this suffocating situation but worried about Levi, did he understand what was happening ?

11:30pm

After you've thrown a hurried "Good night" to him, you rushed through the corridors and headed directly to your bedroom, you heard Levi's footsteps behind you, doing the same but in the opposite direction.

His bedroom isn't in that direction you thought, but you were feeling too aroused and dizzy to care, you needed to get to your bedroom. Finally there, you opened your bathroom, and for the first time since you were in these HQ, you were thankful the water was freezing, you took off your clothes and prepared to get rid of the now unbearable urge.

1am

The urged had passed, and the entire time you were in that cold bath, you wondered how Levi managed to get rid of his unsettling state.

*****

8am

You woke up the next morning in a good mood, and had completely gotten over yesterday's embarrassing event, walking in the hallway, heading for Hange's lab, you were going to tell her about those damn flowers when you heard Levi's shouting voice behind the lab's door.

"NEXT TIME YOU BRING ANOTHER DISGUSTING PLANT MAKE SURE YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS !"

"B-But why ? what happened ?" Hange's voice was almost inaudible, and it quivered with fear.

You didn't hear Levi answer her question, the door was slammed open violently, almost hitting you in the process, and an incredibly angry Levi appeared, he looked at you before quickly staring blankly ahead and continued walking as if you didn't exist.

Hange soon appeared, trembling and puzzled, as soon as she saw you, she grabbed your hand.

"What happened ? did the tea flower make you sick ?"

"Y-you can say that"

[freeabortionslol]

The Night We Met

Max Fried X Reader

I walked into the loud party hearing sounds coming from all sides of the room. It felt like I was jumped back into high school. I was in Georgia that weekend for an interview, and it coincidentally fell on the same weekend as Ozzie Albies big party. Ozzie knows everyone that has ever lived and I don’t know how. I’m an actress. I’ve appeared in many large projects such as the marvel films, shameless, beautiful boy, american horror story, and the bling ring. I remember the exact night I met Albies. It was the golden globe awards and he showed up as someone’s date, but I can’t remember who’s. He came up to me and we talked for a bit and he got my phone number.

When I got this invitation, I wasn’t planning on coming, but I didn’t realize I would already be in georgia. The whole house smelled of booze and vodka. I did a lap around and saw many familiar faces I wasn’t expecting to see. Ozzie really does know A LOT of people. I couldn’t find anyone i was particularly close with, so I headed to the kitchen to get a drink. surprisingly, there wasn’t anyone in the kitchen except for one guy. He was tall, brunette, with blue eyes. He was wearing a hoodie and a braves hat on backwards. I recognized him in almost two seconds; Max Fried. I grabbed a sprite from the fridge when I turned to him.

“Do you think Ozzie will mind if i took one of his sprites?”, I asked.

“Nah absolutely not. He doesn’t care.”

“Cool. I don’t really a feel like drinking tonight.”

“Same here.”, he shook his cup of hawaiian punch. “I’m Max by the way.”

“Fried. Right?”

“Yep, and you’re…”

“Y/n.”, I finished his sentence.

“L/n. I love your work. Especially Shameless. I always watch it when I have time off.”, this was surprising since most guys bring up Marvel and then tell me why my character is irrelevant.

“No shit!”, I laughed. “What season are you on?”

“Season 7. The show is really good, and you’re super talented.”

“I could say the same about you. I’ve been a Braves fan since I was a kid, and you’re hands down one of the best pitchers on the team right now.”

“I thought you were from New York?”

“Well I was born here and then moved up when I was about 7”

Max and I talked for about 45 minutes in the kitchen. People would casually come in for another drink like, Chloe Grace Moretz, Lil Nas, and surprisingly Morgan Wallen. Max joked about how people down south are in love with terrible country music. He was really sweet and cute, but I wasn’t about to tell him that.

“YOOO MAX! WHATS UP MAN?”, Dansby Swanson walked into the kitchen arms open and gave Max a hug.

“Hi Dansby.”, I said to him.

“Y/N!! I DIDNT KNOW YOU WERE HERE OR I WOULD’VE COME AND SAID HI!”, He came up and hugged me. I was friends with Dansby’s girlfriend Mallory Pugh, so Dansby and I know each other fondly.

He turned back to Max “Yo Maxy, you hittin that shit?”, Dansby was trying to whisper, but he was clearly wasted so it came out as more of a yell.

“OKAY Swanson let’s get your ass out of here.”, Max said trying to shut him up.

“My ubers waiting outside anyways, so love you both! Farewell!”, Dansby blew kisses at both of us as he exited.

Max was surprisingly able to bounce the conversation back after that awkward encounter. He was shocked by how much I knew about baseball since I never showed my interest in it publicly.

“Do you play any?”

“Yeah sometimes with friends. I was never into softball though so I nev-” We suddenly heard a loud crash coming from the living room.

We both ran out to see what it was. I looked around to see a drunk Ozzie Albies laying on the floor groaning and holding his stomach. Max and I ran up to him since we were the only sober ones in the house.

“Holy shit, Albies! What the hell happened?!”, Max asked him.

“Well, I went to the top of my balcony to make a toast and say thank you to all the people for coming, and then BOOM! I fell.”

I looked down and saw that Ozzy had a huge ass cut on his leg. He must of got it from hitting the coffee table.

“Oh fuck. We gotta clean this up. Where’s the bathroom?”, I asked frustratedly.

“upstairs. first door on the left.”

Max grabbed Ozzy’s arms while I grabbed his legs. The party went on in the living room since people only payed attention to his fall for about thirty seconds. We carried Ozzie all the way up to the bathroom which was huge and modern. He had a jacuzzi and a walk in shower. We lay him down on the floor and I walked up to the cabinet to find gauze.

“You know y/n, I wasn’t expecting to see you here tonight”, Ozzie said while slurring his speech.

“Well I wasn’t, but I just happened to be in town.”, I looked over to Max and he smiled at me. Albies looked at Max, then me, and then back to Max.

“WOAH WOAH WOAH ARE YOU GUYS-”

“No.”, Max replied

“Not yet.”, I continued. He gave me a soft smirk. It was clear that there was something there. I looked into his blue eyes and starred at his hair under the cap. I’ve always had shit luck with guys but he seemed sweeter than the rest.

“Shit Ozzie.”

“What? What’s wrong?”, he looked terrified.

“You have no peroxide. Which means…”

“We’ll have to use rubbing alcohol.”, Max continued my sentence. I could see the terror on Albies face as I moved closer with the bottle.

“Do you want something to bite down on? Cause this is gonna hurt like a bitch.”, I asked and he nodded. I handed him a towel and he put it in his mouth. I squatted down and started to pour the alcohol on his cut. I saw tears bubbling in his eyes as he felt the urge to scream. “We’re almost done buddy don’t worry.” I finished up the last of it and ran to grab the bandage. “There you go! Good as new.”, I rustled his hair.

“Now just please no more jumping off balconies.”, Max added.

“I didn’t jump!”, Ozzie was arguing like a little kid. I was getting up from my squat when I fell on my ass. The rubbing alcohol spilled all over my shirt.

“Fuck.”, the entire rest of the bottle had poured on top of me. I sat up and started waving my shirt to see if it would dry, but it was no luck since I was covered in it. Albies had passed out on the floor, so I didn’t want to take any of his clothes from his drawers.

“um uhh- stay here and try to wash it off of your skin i’ll be back.”, Max said as he hurried out the door. I took my shirt off leaving only my bra to cover my top half. I grabbed a wash rag and started rubbing the alcohol off my neck hoping the smell would go away. Some people liked it, but i couldn’t stand the stench that alcohol left behind it just reminds me of sanitizer.

“Hey- oh sorry”, Max walked in not realizing i’d be shirtless. “I uh- I brought you this. It was the only thing I had in my car. It was from the last game we played.”, He handed me a white braves jersey with the name “Fried” and the number “54”. I threw it on quickly and looked at myself in the mirror. It was huge and went past my shorts. That was a good thing though because it was comfy and smelled like Max’s cologne.

“I love it. I hope you know i’m keeping this forever”

“Well Snitker’s not gonna be very happy about that, but i’ll tell him the bad news myself.”, We laughed. He seemed genuine and caring. I had been so lonely these past few months just so busy with work that I forgot what it felt like to have someone like this. To be fair, I hadn’t had a guy like this in ages since all the ones i’ve dated were douche bags.

“I kinda don’t want to be here anymore. You know surrounded by all these people. Do you maybe wanna get something to eat?”, he asked me.

“I would love that, but where we would go?”

“The only place that’s open at this hour, duh.”

“Waffle house?”

“Waffle house.”

[ittetsuspecs]

New years toast - Ukatake story dump

The fireworks blaring outside of Ukai's bedroom window, a pair of beer bottle clinked.

“ Happy New year, sensei. ”

“ And I you, ”

Down another beer; after sake with Ikkei, after wine with his mother and all other alcohol that their friends have saved for new year; Ukai and Takeda don't know how they still manage to walk to Sakanoshita and had another round.

“ I'll go get some water, ”

“ Please do. ”

~

A pitcher of water standing beside Ukai, Takeda had his second meat bun with his glasses off. His tie is undone, shirt unbuttoned down to expose enough of his chest that Ukai won't dare peek; even after 4 years of working ( and pining ) with him.

Ukai's hairband discarded somewhere in this room, he's not sure but amidst all the beer cans and takeaway foods; he's sure of it.

“ You know you threw off your hairband right? ” Takeda said.

“ Fuck. ” Ukai facepalmed. Takeda laughed, sinking deeper on the futon behind; provide a comfort than leaning on a plain wall.

“ So. ” Ukai cleared his throat, “ Recap? ”

“ Mm.. ” the water swayed gently in the glass, ice clinking as he ponders on words. “ It's been.. some year. ” They snickered, Ukai urged him to go on.

“ Another year, another school; another new students entering my class. Another queers, another peers. But no girlfriend so far. ”

“ Hookups? ”

“ Test paper, ”

Laugh, more like a roar of it; almost make them had migraine though.

“ .. then there's always the same old, you. ”

Takeda downed his glass, resting his head on the futon; with heavy eyes he looked up at Ukai. There he sat beside him as; stand beside him; as always; Takeda sees light behind him shining brightly. It's the fireworks at the window doing this; but it's true. He sees people's potential when they can't.

But he can't see Ukai blushing hard; not without his glasses.

“ W.. was that supposed to be a poem? ”

Takeda chortled, “ Why? Because it rhymes? ”

“ Yes, and.. it makes me feel like.. there's an underlying meaning of it. ”

Takeda's eyes lit up.

“ I mean, that's what you told me when we talked about what you teach. There's always an underlying meaning behinds written or spoken words. ”

Takeda straighten his posture, his back still glued to the futon though. “ Care to elaborate? ”

Ukai froze. “ The poem or the underlying things? ”

He chuckled. “ The underlying meaning of my poem. ” he said, phrasing each words with delight.

Now that Ukai think of it, they are sitting very close. His senses become more aware of the soft breathe on his neck.

“ I'm not sure if I can, ” Ukai blurted. “ The interpretation.. may be be um.. misleading. ”

Because there is no wrong interpretation. Well, probably.

“ I wish I could see your face right now. ”

Close; the warmth of Takeda's palm on his cheek. Fireworks booming outside, the curtain offered a streak of lights enough for Takeda to close his lips to the other.

He kissed back, hands clasping on the one that warms his cheeks. It could be mistaken as a drunken vigor if anyone would enter the room, Ukai doesn't care. Neither did Takeda.

Their lips parted, Takeda closed his eyes still. “ I.. ”

“ Sensei.. ” Ukai called; a whisper, “ Is this part of the poem.. or the underlying meaning of it? ”

Oh he wish he could see his face; wish he could savor his expression, flushed drunken face, no matter how utterly wasted they might be now. He wanted to see the man he kissed. The man he loved.

Is this a part of the poem? Or the underlying meaning of it? He doesn't know either.

“ Let's not think about the poem. ” he uttered. “ Let's not.. think of anything. For now. ”

Ukai chuckled. “ Okay, ” he captured him this time. One hand unravel his curly hair, other to his chest. Takeda melted at his touch; returning the kiss with much vigor, gasping and burning.

End.