#what a way to end things. also they killed silver's garden :[

[wereh0gz]

Yeah issue 75 was peak but holy shit was that A Lot

[deathbxnny]

Our blood will drip from your hands. | Caitlyn x Fem!Reader (feat. Vi)

(Part 2)

This is my official contribution to the Arcane Fandom and also my way of asking for requests. I hope you guys enjoy this!!<33

Summary: You befriended Caitlyn shortly after being taken in by an influential family in Piltover as a young child. You always believed that she saw you for who you were and not just for what you were. However, when she dared to appear in your home as your nation's newly appointed dictator, you realised that she was never any different herself.

Content: Heavy season 2 spoilers!!!!, Zaunite Reader, conflicting emotions, undefined relationship, heavy angst, hurt/no comfort, mentions of grief on Caitlyn's side, childhood friends, racism/discrimination against Zaunites, slight Vi x Reader?, sfw

Reader is afab and uses she/her pronouns!

((Not fully proofread))

"Have you... Have you lost your mind, Caitlyn?" You never expected to end up like this with her. Conversations that were once filled with laughs, gentle words, and wide smiles now felt sinister and cold. You shivered slightly under her domineering gaze and yet stood your ground, a defiant flame from your past childhood burning in your heart. The silence that followed your question felt dangerous, that familiar fear sparking in you at the glinting of her pristine uniform under the moonlight in the garden she had trapped you in. It reminded you of the days in which you could feel only terror at the mere sight of it, rightfully so. But perhaps the years of being fed with a silver spoon had you slowly cooking like a frog in a pot, doomed to unknowingly perish from its own blissful ignorance.

And was it too late to jump out now?

When you saw the navy haired woman's jaw clench tightly in a show of brave self-restraint, you realised that, yes, it was way too late for you.

Things went downhill the moment Caitlyn introduced you to Vi, you concluded. There was an instant bond you had with the woman, a bond only two of the same kin and background could have, despite your different upbringing. You remembered the night the three of you sat in these grand gardens of yours, the privilege of the fresh air filling your lungs weighing heavy on your consciousness as she spoke of her past. You recognized the places she mentioned, felt the emotions that ran through her, and shared the silent, familiar fear of the uniformed devil's with ease. You spoke of things the Kirammann could never understand, and you believed that it was alright that she didn't.

Caitlyn didn't say a word while you two spoke, her face betraying no negative emotion as she just simply gripped onto your gloved hand tightly. Foreshadowing, you had missed perhaps in hindsight. You had foolishly hoped that she saw you both as people, regardless of where you hailed from. You realise now that your wishful thinking had made you painfully naive.

The veil had finally been lifted from your eyes now and revealed the truth you've been denying for so long. And why did it take you so much time to realise it anyway? Why did it have to be Caitlyn's disgusted look to shake you awake?

Why didn't you just listen to Vi when she appeared at your doorstep hours earlier, a shell of what she once, as she practically cried in your arms? You never thought you'd see the day in which a fellow Zaunite would willingly degrade themselves so terribly by wearing the uniform of their oppressors. But why did you always make an exception for Caitlyn then, if you hated seeing Vi as one?

She had left shortly after, leaving you crying in frustration and betrayal when she told you how they used the ventilation system against your own people. They had flooded the streets with that toxic smog, hurt people more than they already were, and potentially even killed some for what? And unfortunately... the woman before you was the mastermind of it all.

Grief was a terrible thing. It really was. And yet, there was no excuse for this.

Your mind spun, legs threatening to give out at any moment. You should have run after Vi. You shouldn't have stayed here for a moment longer. But you had deluded yourself into thinking that it was all just a misunderstanding. That you had heard it wrong. Even if you couldn't look away from the devil anymore that you once lovingly called your best friend... or perhaps even more?

Slightly stumbling backward with a faint sigh, Caitlyn was quick to grab onto your hip, yet you flinched out of her grasp quicker than you could process it. It was a relfex on both of your sides. "No, don't you dare touch me after what you've... what you will do." You couldn't stand being near her as the panic set in, and you were desperate to get away. You never thought that you'd come to this point. You never thought that you'd learn to hate her so suddenly. It made you sick.

She reluctantly let her hand fall back to her side, and it unnerved you then that she had yet to say a thing. Did she perhaps feel guilty after all? Was she perhaps reflecting? A glance into her eyes reconfirmed that you were indeed wrong about her once again. You needed to stop dreaming. Your life up here has blinded you too much.

"... You weren't there today." You knew that she meant the councilor meeting with all the other noble houses. Your adoptive parents had gone as well, albeit without you. They were in clear disagreement with the entire situation themselves, and yet social pressure was a curse. Turning away from her, you found the energy to scoff. "And what of it? Do you expect me to stand there and cheer? Support a potential mass killing of innocent people?" "I am keeping us safe. I'm keeping you safe. There is nothing innocent about them." Her voice was raised and sharp, nothing like you had ever heard before. The adrenaline was making your body shake dangerously, and you started becoming aware of how angry you were. You hadn't felt like this in years. And here you thought you were used to their hate, too.

"So you are willing to murder hundreds over Jinx? Because that's what this is all about, isn't it? Revenge?" You got it right. It was all just for that. She was willing to disgrace her own ancestors' life work to fill the void left behind by her mother’s absence. "... I am doing all of this so no one has to get hurt again. We are left with no other choice. They are too dangerous-" "-Then why am I any different? What am I, if you view us as nothing but animals?" Silence. Just as expected, she never thought that far. Or maybe she simply considered you one of the better ones. The one whose blood was saved by the kindness of your parents in Piltover. You weren't tainted anymore. You were perfect because this place allowed you to be.

"... Why can you just not see all I'm doing for us? I... don't make me turn on you, too. You are better than this." You let out a laugh, one that could've sent down a shiver down anyone's spine. Even Caitlyn's, if she wasn't so tense and rigid now. Vi was right. She truly had changed for the worse. And god did it hurt.

"I loved you, Cait. I really did. And I understand the pain you've gone through after the loss of your mother. I stood at your side on the day of the funeral. I felt your agony." What should've been a confession filled with relief and happiness, now simply left a bitter taste in your mouth. "But I refuse to keep standing at your side if it means to see your hands stain with the blood of my people. You are a puppet, Caitlyn. The warlord has taken over your mind. The strings around your neck will tighten until it snuffs out the rest of your soul. And I will not be there to help you out of it this time." You don't care to hear her next words or even look her in the face as a last goodbye. Your Caitlyn died with her mother, buried beneath endless flower petals, safe and far away from the monster that appeared in her stead.

Your calm steps suddenly picked up the pace, and you found yourself running away, your frilly dress bunched up in your arms, chest heaving with the sobs you couldn't hide anymore. You ignored her call for your name, the demanding order pushing you much farther away until all you could hear were your panicked steps over the marble floor and the faint singing of the cicadas coming to a close.

Caitlyn stood there for the longest time, her stern gaze frozen in the direction you had disappeared in before she tipped her hat over her eyes and left.

You'll understand one day, she supposed.

[wardarose2004]

Mystery of Beatrix's Relationships

This woman is the biggest mystery to me. She's supposed to be doing her maternal duty well (MB manic epilogue Reiji) yet her sons seems to dislike her. Young Reiji was annoyed by Beatrix in MB when she tried to approach him. Young Shu was irritated by her(in his monologues in MB) yet obediently behaved. Shu answered her coldly and monosyllabicly calling her 'anta'🙃 believing this assent would suit her😔 Shu, don't be rude to your mom. Shu considered it nonsense when Carla said Karl destroyed his family.(DF Shu maniac Epilogue). In DF vampire ending of Shu, he said Karl meant a lot to him and was his family and in LE Shu maniac Epilogue Shu understood that Karl had to leave his family to maintain the balance of eden. Shu didn't say anything like that about Beatrix. But Beatrix was the one who was around him during his childhood (and gave him the most attention), not Karl🤔 Then what's Shu's problem with his mom? Even the triplets sympathesized with their mom not Shu.

Reiji is a sadist, perfectionist, values honour and status, hates mediocrity, has pride as vampire and has a desire to conquer the demon world/stand on the very top of it. He Loves expensive crockeries. He has the desire to torture his mom, wanted to show her true value of things, was upset she died peacefully and he works on potion to resurrect her to give her painful death.(HDB Reiji Maniac prologue, HDB Reiji Ecstasy 2, MB REIJI: maniac Epilogue, ecstasy prologue, heaven 2 ). In DL official fanbook of 1st game, it's said Reiji inherited Beatrix's personality. In DL MB sequel he wished to be hugged by his mom once Poor baby 🥺

Beatrix had mysterious relationship with Karl too. She admired him, mainly his status and strength (MB dark prologue Reiji) Shu had Beatrix's wedding ring (SS the night before wedding) She's lots of expensive jewelaries (HDB Shu ending 1) She's the only wife who calls Karl by his full name.(HDB Reiji Dark Epilogue, MB Reiji Dark prologue) She also sounded frustrated at Karl saying 'Karlheinz, why did you...' Perhaps Karl was avoiding her purposely

Beatrix's Mysterious Death

In MB, Reiji hired the vampire hunter Seiji for this. However, he decided to order the murder for the evening when his father was supposedly supposed to visit her. When ordering the target, he showed Seiji a photo of only his mother. According to the hunter, two were shot, but only Beatrix's body lay in the garden. Reiji was just as unhappy that she died with a smile and, realizing that it was his instigation, praised her son's abilities. At the same time, the young man did not understand where his father could have gone (MB Reiji Maniac Epilogue, Ecstasy Prologue) . Now here Seiji shot 2 people , one is Beatrix and another person.

The question arises who was shot along with Beatrix? Wasn't her husband supposed to visit her that night?🤔 What she's doing alone with another person when it was known to almost everyone that she's supposed to spend with her husband 🤨

If Karl was shot , he definitely would've died or at least lost a limb. Karl is the strongest but he's not immune to vampire bullet. Karl dies from stab through heart (DF ecstasy epilogue Ayato) or from being beheaded. Karl couldn't heal Yuma in vampire form when he's shot from bullet by Merz and turned Yuma into human to heal him.(DF Yuma vampire ending) Azusa had to ampute his arm when he got shot from bullet (DF) A shot from Silver bullet leads to necrosis of cells and then to ultimate death, no in or between.

So the person got shot is definitely not Karlheinz but the person is a man. Reiji, making an order, showed, as in the first game, a photo of his mother only. How exactly Seiji reported the two victims is unknown, but it was logical for him to tell the customer everything as is: that he killed a woman and a man. Not a maid, not some other woman - otherwise he would have reported it that way. And since a man was shot, then, of course, Reiji thought about his father: if it was the parents' date night, who else could it be? His mother, in his opinion, was distinguished by her "chastity", he had no reason to suspect her of cheating. So the moment with one photo was also not just played out.

Could Karlheinz have cast an illusion on Seiji? Most likely not. If Karl was there ,he could've at least saved Beatrix or killed Seiji. Kou's fire magic did not work on Seiji and he is also able to smell vampires(DF Kou ecstasy prologue) which is imperceptible to ordinary people - you can't fool a hunter that easily. That's what a hunter is for. Seiji is said to be a clever hunter by Laito (HDB Laito Maniac 8). Seiji was fooled to go to business trip as a trap that's why he's separated from Yui and was unable to help her(DF Azusa Maniac 8, MB Kanato ecstasy 9-epilouge) I'll currently ignore the fact that he was creepy to Yui in LE subaru brute end.😖

There's very little possibility that the body was a servant's. Because if it was a servant's, there would be no need to hide it. How could a man sneakily meet Beatrix without Karl acknowledging or anyone noticing 🤔 If we look in YB, we knew that Beatrix managed to arrange a lavish age coming ceremony for Shu and Reiji behind Karl's back so her having a secret acquaintance is not much big deal.🙂 Her plan didn't succeed due to Cordelia informing about it to Karl ,

Maybe someone who can easily go in and out in sakamaki castle without anybody noticing like Richter probably helped this secret acquaintance to meet Beatrix privately just like how Fersen helped Krone to meet Ebert secretly🤔

In Azusa DF dark 8 route , Merz tells us an interesting story. Merz had once witnessed a Vampire fall at the hands of a Vampire hunter’s bullet and was shot near the heart so all hope was lost for him as his body simply deteriorated before he eventually passed away.

There's a possibility that this vampire could be the one who's with Beatrix.

Either way Beatrix was quite satisfied with her death. Maybe due to able to see Reiji's ability to instigate/to leave the cruel world/to be able to die with her lover?

[juice-plums]

You’re No Good For Me

Derek Goffard x !Busty, hitwoman! reader

Warnings: What happens when he meets someone equally batshit as him?, Hate sex, Masochist!!, spitting, choking, hitting, i’m tired of reading about him and we don’t fight back?!, so I have to step in!!

He meanly stared at you, course he didn’t like you, you were below him, you were a hitwoman, a person who kills people for money, he didn’t give a shit about how fast you made your money, it was the fact that you had a mouth, a mouth that was smart, cruel and just downright disturbing, you didn’t care about the repercussions of your words, as you should and you made it known that you were not fucking around in this bitch.

‘Look at her, thinks she’s all that and a bag of chips, she ain’t shit with her bitchiness and shit’

Derek meanly thought, he also didn’t like how you were basically skilled at what you do, he thought it was completely tacky how your parents brought you up into this dark world and now everything handed to you on a silver platter, sorts like him,…but he claims that’s different, you subtle stare back at him, you scoffed, rolling your eyes, your parents and his father were friends,…sorta I mean your parents get jobs done for Mr. Goffard.

‘Look at him, thinks he’s all posh, I sure would like to smack his stupid, fucking face and laugh at him’

You meanly thought, You couldn’t stand him one bit, he was the definition of snobby and a fucking demon from literal fucking hell, no way or no how will you ever be friends with him, no matter how hard your parents pushed you, but you failed to notice you two were exactly the same, the one thing you two were after and it was power and you sure as hell love power

Later as you were refilling your shotgun shells, peacefully sitting on a rock, outside in the garden, wearing a short, tight turtleneck dress that accentuated your figure gave you a professional and sexy look, literally minding your damn business, Derek fumed, he was not going to be your peace, no way, nuh-huh, he rudely stomped up to you and scoffed, crossing his arms

“You think You’re hot shit, don’t you?”

He meanly asked, tapping his foot, You scoffed, turning to him, you nasty glare at him, getting up

“You wanna go there, no dick?, that’s that bullshit there”

You meanly respond, there was a dark red hue to his brown skin, he sneered in respond, meeting you face to face

“You’re a fucking idiot, thinking you got just strut in here, cause you can take people out so easily, well news flash bitch: you ain’t all that!”

He meanly retorted, making you scoff and put your hands on your hips, your ample bosom against his chest

“Well not all of us have daddy’s money, you spoiled little princess, God damn it, you’re a fucking train wreck with the way you handle things”

You meanly respond, your glares could kill someone with just one look, then he swats your face, you gasp and you slapped his face harder, he grunts and you two tussled to the ground, punching and hitting each other, he was strong and you are as well, you two rolling over each other to try and pin down who’d be superior, you bit his hand making him choke you with his other hand

You managed to pin him down and he instantly pulled your hair, making you moan in pain, you grabbed his blond dyed hair as well, pulling as hard as you could, then you both stopped,….you both realized this was turning you both on, the hitting it gave you a sick thrill and with someone you absolutely hate, you looked down at him and harshly kissed his lips, he groans, kissing back but still had his fist in your hair, you both trying to dominate the kiss, ending up being a bruising kiss

He grabbed your bum all hard, making you moan in delight, you sucked and kissed his neck, he hissed in ecstasy, tilted his neck for you, you eagerly take off his tie and unbuttoned his shirt, really taking the lead, he softly growled as your hands roamed his chest, he then rolled over, pinning you to the ground, you squeal in delight, gripping his hair as he nips on your neck

“Oh fuuck”

You softly moaned, he lifted that dress up, feeling the warmth of your skin, you breathlessly chuckle, your hands roam up and down his back

“You’re gonna take this cock, like a good bitch”

He dominantly growled, against your lips, your gripped his hair again, making him groan

“Fuck yeah, fuck this pussy, see if you’re any good”

You flirty taunt, his eye widen and he unzipped his pants, basically ripping off your panties, then he reveal his 9 inch, thick, uncut cock that was throbbing with hate lust just for you, you gasp, surprise, having a smug grin on your face as you spread your legs

“Gonna split me open with that cock”

You seductively say, his hand lightly wrapped around your throat, kissing you softly, you sweetly kissed him back, and in a flash, unsheathed his cock into your awaiting, wet pussy, you sharply gasp, your legs open up for him, his hand still around your throat, he smugly and lustfully grinned, pounding into your pussy raw

“Oh fuuuck, oh shit, oh fuck”

You seductively gasp, softly catching your breath cause of his hand wrapped around your throat, you feel his big, juicy cock invading your pussy, shaping your gummy walls, his teal, blue eyes never leaving your eyes, his eyes were half lidded with lust, as he rammed into your pussy

“Fuck yeah, this sweet pussy just needed some good dick, to shut your bratty ass up”

he lustfully snarled, your body moving up and down from his hard thrusts, your moans and whimpers now loud and unfiltered, your nails grazed his back, he blissfully hissed, plunging his big cock balls deep in your pussy, you gasp, locking your legs around his waist

“Oh yeah, fuck my pussy, fuck my pussy good, oh fuuck yeah!”

Your wanton moans was pretty music to his ears, his grip on your throat tightened softly and then he spat in your mouth, you gasp

“Do it again”

You lustfully moan, he wickedly grinned, spitting in your mouth again, you two harshly kissing each other swapping spit as he harshly thrusted into your sweet pussy, his back all scraped and red from your nails, fucking you into the hard, earthy ground, your legs trembled as the sweet bubble formed in your stomach

“D-Derek, oh-I’m gonna-“

You moan, he continued to kiss you, plunging into your cervix, making you cum hard and squirt, he grunted as your walls clenched and fluttered, it was too good not to pull out and slammed in balls deep and cums into your orgasming pussy, your eyes rolled back in bliss as you bit his neck, he tightly hugged you to get all his potent seed into your awaiting womb, you two stared at each other as the orgasmic high slowly died down.

He was absolutely in love with your crazy ass, and you were head over heels for his spoiled behavior, all the eye fucking and silent flirts, the sexual tension between you two was noticeable

‘Look at her,….She so sexy and beautiful, I love that fucking mouth on her’

He silently thought, watching you, admiring you silently, his gaze full of lust and desire, you sneakily eyed him and flirty smiled

‘Look at him, my sexy ass man, that’s my spoiled brat right there, I love him’

You silently thought, you two were definitely having sex rough and hard, going to pound town whenever you two could, to make a long story fucking short you both were messy to each other but you two are so in love with each other.

[violetrainbow412-blog]

Day 29: time capsule

Masterlist flufftober 🎃

Reblog if you liked it!

You couldn't believe what was on the table in front of you. The silver metal box was filled with dirt, but you could still read a label, which had once been white, with a couple of names written on it and a year beneath them. Fifteen years ago, to be exact.

Although you still received some news about Spencer Reid (from his mother, in particular), the truth was that after he left Las Vegas, your friendship was not the same. Distance was a determining factor, and also, the means of communication were not the most accessible.

Years ago, you had asked for his phone number at the hospital where his mother was staying (something unethical, but it was a favor for a friend), but you had never dared to call him. It would have been strange, for sure, so you simply decided to leave things as they were.

But now the opportunity was right there, and to be honest, you were a little curious about what your friend had hidden in that time capsule. You barely even remembered it, a sign that five more years had passed since the date you were supposed to open it, and you had only found it thanks to the gardening work you had paid for your backyard.

You thought for a long time about what you should do. Should you call him? Just leave it as it was? Open it without him? The point of those kinds of boxes was to see them with the person you had filled them with; it wouldn’t make sense.

In the end, you decided and pressed the call button for that number you had gotten so many years ago, hoping it would still be the same today. If you knew Spencer well enough, you knew he preferred to keep things the same.

“Hello?”

“Uh, hi… Am I speaking with Spencer Reid?”

“This is he, who is this?”

You stayed silent for a second, smiling unconsciously at the fact that it was your friend on the other end of the line. You didn’t even know how to start.

“Are you still there?”

“Yes! I don’t know if you remember me…” you murmured, giving a hint of your identity. You almost imagined his face lighting up on the other side.

“Of course I remember you! It’s been a long time, sorry I don’t have your number saved.”

“No problem,” you lied. You preferred to let him think you had exchanged numbers. “Are you busy? I don’t want to take up too much of your time.”

“I can talk. Go ahead.”

You explained the situation you were in, how while digging in your yard, the shovel had hit a metallic object with your names written on it. Spencer expressed the same nostalgia you felt about it, and that’s when you asked about the most appropriate destination for the capsule.

“I know traveling from Washington for something like that is a waste of money and time; I’m not asking you to do that, but…”

“No! I’m going to visit my mother in two weeks, so it’s perfect. If you want, we can meet during those days.”

The date was set, and the box remained on one of the shelves, waiting. You had cleaned it as much as possible to reveal its original shine, with only the slightly brown label as a remnant of having been buried for three decades.

You tried not to think too much about the dates, sure that this way time would pass more easily. So it was, because when you least expected it, the day had arrived. You tried to have everything ready to host your guest and waited for the hour of his arrival, watching television to kill time. It was already close to dusk when someone knocked on your door, making you jump up like a spring due to the anxiety you felt about seeing him.

You were not disappointed in the least when the sight before you was of a boy, a man, dressed in a formal shirt, a tie around his neck, khaki pants, and a pair of black-rimmed glasses.

“Hi,” you exhaled, more surprised than you would have liked.

He was so different that if you had seen him under other circumstances, you wouldn’t have recognized him.

He greeted you the same way, and you gestured to hug him, waiting for him to reciprocate. Spencer did, and then you let him into your house, which was still the same as he remembered. You were friends in school, which meant that more than once your mother had realized that no one had come to pick him up and had offered to drive him to your house.

First, you asked him about Diana, wanting to know what her current state was, and he offered his condolences for what had happened with your parents. You talked for a while about how their lives had been during the time you were apart, drank, and ate what you had prepared until finally the much-anticipated moment arrived.

“I’m embarrassed I didn’t remember this when I’m supposed to have eidetic memory.”

“Even you can forget something sometimes,” you justified, shrugging and sitting down beside him on the couch.

You thanked the heavens that the box didn’t have a key; otherwise, you would never have discovered its contents, and you let him take the honor of opening it.

With the time capsule completely open, the air seemed to be filled with nostalgia. The first thing that appeared was a bunch of letters, some carefully folded and others hurriedly, as if they had been left at the last minute before burying the box.

You took one of the letters that had his name written in youthful, somewhat shaky handwriting. You laughed as you remembered the time when both of you had decided to write letters to the future, convinced that, in a few years, you would become completely different people.

“‘Dear future me’…” you read aloud, and Spencer covered his face, blushing.

“Please don’t read that,” he said, laughing, trying to reach for it, but you slipped away with the letter in hand.

“It’s adorable. Here you say that by this time you would already be a famous scientist.”

Spencer let out a shy laugh.

“I guess I dreamed big… although, in a way, I’ve fulfilled some of those dreams.”

After setting the letters aside, you found a small notebook full of notes and scribbles. You opened it and, to your surprise, discovered a plethora of small illustrations of everyday things you shared in those days. Drawings of the school cafeteria, the park you went to after classes, and even a cartoonish drawing of Spencer trying to solve a Rubik’s cube.

“Who drew this?” you asked, looking at an animated version of yourself with a concentrated face while studying.

“That… was me,” Spencer admitted, scratching the back of his neck, embarrassed. “I remember I was trying to draw you without you noticing in science class. It’s not my best work, clearly.”

You burst out laughing.

“It’s great! I didn’t know you had artistic talent.”

“It was easier to remember things by drawing them. Besides, you always seemed so focused, and that inspired me. Drawing you helped pass the time.”

Just below, you found a folded and somewhat worn photo. The image showed both of you at a birthday party when you were kids. You, with a funny smile and a party hat, and he, with his typical serious expression, as if he was wondering how he had ended up in the middle of a celebration.

“How did you always end up at my parties, even though you said you didn’t like them?”

Spencer shrugged, blushing a bit.

“Your mom insisted on inviting me, and well… I didn’t mind spending time with you.”

You fell silent for a second, surprised by the honesty of his words. Then you decided to leave the topic and continued checking the box.

At the bottom of the capsule, two books remained intact, covered in a fine layer of dust. One of them was Great Stories of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, which Spencer had chosen years ago, and the other was And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, your favorite back then. You picked up Spencer's book, flipping through it carefully so as not to damage the pages.

“Why did you choose Sherlock Holmes?” you asked, not taking your eyes off the book.

Spencer smiled, somewhat nostalgically.

“For me, it represented what I wanted to be as an adult. Someone who could solve any mystery. Although I think in the end, real life is much more complicated than I thought back then.”

You nodded, and while stroking the cover of his book, you shared your reason. “I chose Agatha Christie because… I wanted my life to be exciting, like the mysteries in her stories. Something that, over time, I realized was not so realistic.”

You shared a knowing smile, as if those books told not only stories of detectives and murders but also of your own youthful aspirations.

Then you found a small plush figurine, a worn teddy bear that both of you had called Bobby. You used to take turns caring for him when one of you was sick or sad.

“This poor Bobby survived all these years,” you said, holding it between your fingers.

Spencer took the bear gently, remembering a time when he had spent difficult days at home due to his mother's health problems.

“I gave it to you when my mom was in the hospital… I didn’t know how to tell you what was happening, so I left it in your locker so you would know I needed support without saying it out loud.”

You felt a lump in your throat, remembering how you had kept Bobby beside your pillow every night until Spencer told you that his mom was better.

“I never told you, but I always understood what Bobby meant. It was as if we were talking without words.”

You continued exploring, and suddenly, you found a small box with golden edges and a rusty latch. You opened it carefully and discovered a couple of old braided string friendship bracelets, each with a small crystal charm. They were the friendship bracelets you had made together one summer, a symbol of the promise that you would always be friends, no matter the distance. You took one of the bracelets and slipped it onto your wrist.

“I remember spending hours picking the colors. Green was your favorite, right?”

“It was,” he replied, taking the other bracelet. “And you chose blue because, according to you, it matched the sky, and you always dreamed of traveling and seeing the world.”

You looked at the bracelet on your wrist, feeling a strange mix of nostalgia and joy.

“It’s funny… I feel like, by putting this on, I’m ten years old again.”

Then, beneath the bracelets, you found a small disposable camera wrapped in a plastic cover. Spencer held it in his hands, reminiscing about the times when you both tried to capture your “adventures” with the few photos you could take. You took the camera and, without thinking, aimed it at him and pressed the button, emitting a soft click, only to have a strip of photo paper eject from the slot a moment later.

“I knew you would do that,” he said, laughing. “Do you remember when we tried to take a picture of the shooting star and ended up capturing a picture of our feet by mistake?”

“That photo was a disaster! But I think I still have it somewhere,” you replied. “We always tried to take photos as if we were explorers on some important expedition.”

As you continued unpacking, you found another small book, somewhat worn with hard covers, titled “Survival Guide for School” written in marker on the cover. When you opened it, you saw a series of notes and tips you both had written, from how to “survive a history presentation” to “how to avoid the math teacher in the hallway.”

Spencer read one of the tips out loud: “Tip number five: if you sit next to the window, you have a better view to imagine you’re anywhere else.” You both looked at each other and laughed, recalling the times you sat together at the back of the classroom.

Finally, you reached the last items in the box: two lists of goals for the future. You took yours, noticing how you had listed objectives like: learning another language, traveling the world, and writing a book someday. Spencer, on his part, had listed goals that included: becoming a genius in at least three fields, finding a real mystery to solve, and marrying the most incredible girl in the world.

You frowned, looking at Spencer with curiosity.

“And who is that incredible girl you mentioned?” you asked with a playful smile.

Spencer blushed slightly, trying to maintain his composure.

“Oh, you know, someone who is a real challenge,” he replied, shrugging as if to downplay it.

“A challenge?” she retorted, leaning towards him. “Sounds exciting. Do you have her number?”

He burst out laughing, enjoying the joke. “No, I don’t have her number. But I’m sure she’s someone who laughs at my bad jokes.”

“Then that means she’s not so hard to find,” you said, smiling back. “Maybe you should talk to her more often.”

“Yeah, maybe I should. Perhaps I’ll even invite her for coffee or something,” he replied, pretending to be thoughtful.

“That sounds like a plan,” you joked. “But how can you dare to do that without knowing if she likes coffee?”

Spencer raised his hands in surrender.

“Okay! Maybe I should just stick to my goals and let the universe handle the surprises.”

“That’s the attitude,” you said, smiling conspiratorially. “But if you need advice on how to win over that incredible girl, just ask me.”

You both laughed, feeling the atmosphere fill with fun and complicity over the secret that, though unspoken, had come to light.

Spencer fell silent as he looked at the notes and memories you had unearthed. For a moment, both of you got lost in time, feeling those fifteen years of distance fade away, leaving you once again as the inseparable friends you had been in the past.

When everything was laid out on the table, you looked at each other with a smile and dared to lean towards him, causing the man to hug you gently. You both knew that, although life had taken different paths for each of you, those small objects connected you to a shared past that would always be present, a reminder of the friendship and dreams you had shared.

With a deep sigh, you began to put each object back into the box, one by one, and closed the lid carefully, as if preserving a priceless treasure. You both knew you had unearthed much more than a simple time capsule; you had unearthed a piece of yourselves, and at that moment, your paths, though temporary, had found each other again.

[maryonmega]

Twin Stars - Chapter 12

Hold on, let go (how much?)

You don't e even feel like a teenager. You feel like a child. And even that can be a understatement, because Bonnie doesn't act like that. This is stupid. You know it is. You're way too old for that shit. 

 

It's rather frustrating to be self aware but have no idea of what to do about the problem in question. 

 

Just don't look again. Why do you keep doing this to yourself? It won't change anything. 

 

...

 

You...

 

You can't even use the card that he's not your Isabeau, can you?

 

...

 

Of course you can't.

 

Mirabelle broke the spell. 

 

Haha, how fitting. 

 

You take a deep breath and try to just pay attention to anything else around you. Anything to distract you from the stupid blinding torch that shouldn't even exist for you to hold. 

 

"... you have to let them breath, or they're not gettin' tall. That's why the best ones are wild."

 

Oh! Yes! Nille and Madame are having their little thing about the plants. 

 

You look at them instead. That odd defiance is still on Nille's glance. Madame looks more done than anything else. The kid is close to them, and you don't think they're liking it. Being between the botinal tennis. You can't help but smile. 

 

"Why are you even so bothered? It's not like you can grow things now." 

 

The two ladies can't argue with the logic, it seens. They back off from the debate. 

 

"Well I will when I can..." You hear Pétronille say under her breath. You don't even know how you noticed, but, who are you to waste a chance handed to you on a silver plate?

 

"You like growing plants?" You ask, and pace to get closer. It doesn't feel good. Using the woman like that. But, she's the reason you're clear headed right now, so...

 

... Gross. 

 

"Kind of? I can't have big plants, but a couple of pots is undemanding enough."

 

You tilt your head. You let some of your hair cover some of Madame's vision.

 

"Really? You talk like you've done that a lot."

 

She moves her whole body to look at you. It doesn't take a lot to figure she's also avoiding Madame. 

 

"I don't live isolated, Freckles. My home isn't good for plant growing."

 

"Nille used to help the old lady with her garden." The kid says to you, like you know who the old lady is. They look proud. Of course they do. Not so much when they turn to her "Pity the new person didn't want to keep it. You liked that garden a lot."

 

You blink at them. Are they, doing this on porpuse?... Hang on, back in the loops, were those comments on porpuse, too? If so, well, it makes sense looking back. Not that you can comment that you know about that. You can't count the egg inside the chicken. 

 

"I did, yes, but what to do, Bug?"

 

"Still a bummer."

 

You nod. You're not sure if they saw it, you're just glad to be here while Stardust is... is... not. 

 

"Oh! A skill is a skill!" Mirabelle's eyes are shining. You know why "I would like to have a chat about it, if you don't mind? I mean, we already are, but,one that I can... take notes?"

 

Her voice becomes bashful by the end. You know the flower chat didn't happen on the last loop. You're already kind of Sad that you won't hear this. 

 

Nille gives you a look. You shrug, and she looks almost disappointed. Is this a attempt of another alliance? The Late Arrival Alliance? That doesn't sound so bad. 

 

In, out, in, out. You should talk about this, shouldn't you? Stardust is putting on the effort to talk to their party. The least you can do is talk to Stardust. The one who admited that preventing something like that from happening again, wasn't that you?

 

It was, it was. 

 

Doesn't mean you get the courage to do so later on the day. Or the following day. Or the day before you were meant to leave. Yes, in this case, that makes the choice you made even worse, but, can't be worse than to destroy yourself then trying to literally kill to have what you couldn't. 

 

The bed you picked is as comfy as ever, yet you lie awake. The time you spent in this town, this pretty, cosy town, you wasted it. You wasted it acting like you're still following a script. Acting like a sleepwalker despite being awake. 

 

This is a fresh new body. The old role is already casted for. Why are you acting like the old you again? Is that what you have to continue to be? Just an echo?

 

It's not fair. It really is not fair. You were her first. It was yours first. But...

 

But it doesn't feel like it anymore. You look in the mirrors and see him. You wash and see reminders of when your humanity was ripped away. Sure, you change your hair and clothes, but that's barely something. You still feel like you're trying to take a role that has already been fulfilled.

 

If your reward is a life, than it's yours to do what you want. And what you want is to not be a second Siffrin anymore. Wasn't that what you had decided under a cloud of steam? That you want to be Sisyphus?

 

Sisyphus deserves to be a person. Not a distorted mirror of another.

 

Your hand is shaking when you dig into your roommate's bag searching for pen and paper. You find a pen and decide to use the back of one of the bonding papers. It's not like she'll actually need it.

 

Now, this really is childish. Sneaking out like you'll do something wrong. Oh well, you're no stranger to do things under people's noses. You don't want to answer questions and falter. As much as it pains you to admit to it, you don't want to sadden Stardust by telling him, either.

 

You leave the note by the foot of Mira's bed, get out of the room, then pass the key under the door.

 

...

 

You should have expected Houses of Change to be different from one another. They worship Change. It would be peak irony if their buildings followed a model. Still, you're thankful when you walk through the gate and see the layout, the clothes you bought earlier pressed to your chest under the cloak. 

 

You have no idea of how this is gonna go. You'll have to beg some housemaidens for help, that's for sure, which is gonna be embarrassing but you'll survive. You don't know how long it'll take, but that's fine, better to get it over with already than waste time and energy brooding instead of present with... with your friends.

 

You do care if it hurts. You do care if it gives scars. That's the one thing you can't compromise on.

 

Again, better to get it over with.

 

...

 

You ignore the attempts to call you. 

 

...

 

...

 

...

 

Irony might not peak but it's still high. You ended up staying for two days.

 

But it's enough. It's enough. You didn't go there thinking about becoming unregornizable, just different enough.

 

You want to say you like it, but, that's not quite what happened here, is it?

 

After all, when you looked at the mirror, you didn't think anything particularly happy or flattering.

 

Just "it's you".

 

{{{I'm no pro in drawing but I try. I hope it's good enough,}}}

[intothedysphoria]

Steve first fully registered his feelings for Chrissy Cunningham after the apocalypse started.

Well, the term apocalypse was debated heavily on national news stations but Steve sure felt like it had come when the Upside Down began leaking into their world. Into Steve’s life.

He’d always had a vague awareness of something distinctly different about him. The way he’d just draw others to him, make people agree. Occasionally he’d look at his eyes too hard in the mirror and see silver flecks shining back. Seven shrinks couldn’t fix his “problem” of dunking his head under the bath water or the pool for hours on end, delighted that he could breathe and swim like a fish.

Then after Vecna, after everyone died and Steve saw Hawkins as the rotten graveyard that it truly was, there came a day where he was no longer able to walk.

It was the worst agony he’d ever been in. Every step he took made him feel like he was about to keel over, his skin was almost scaling over and he was constantly short of breath. At first Steve had thought it to be a curse from God before deciding that not even God would be that cruel.

Running out of options, Steve fled back to the only place that felt like a sanctuary. The pool. His greatest source of shame would be his salvation now.

The good thing was that the moment he slid under the water, he could breath again. His legs fused together into a tail and Steve had no doubt that if pools had mirrors in them, he’d be staring at eyes of the purest silver.

The less good thing was Barb Holland was staring at him. Glaring. Very much still alive.

After he swim her out and sent her on her way, the puzzle pieces of whatever was happening across North America started to fall into place. Whatever force was out there, leaking the upside down into the real world, killing the birds and the fish and the less prepared of Hawkins, was also bringing back those who had been killed by the upside down.

Because Barb Holland hadn’t quite been human when they made amends. She’d been something different. Something powerful. Something hungry.

That got Steve thinking about Chrissy. Sweet Chrissy with her light giggle and her cartwheels and the way she’d always call him Stevie whenever they met at parties. What had obviously been a crush in retrospect, now fell on Steve like a tonne of bricks. Shit, she couldn’t see him like this. Well, if she ever bothered to stop by at all. Somehow, that thought made him feel even worse.

It had been months since he’d had that thought and Steve felt like he was having a midlife crisis. From what human clothes he could wear, he looked like a damn trucker, he’d eat any small see monsters that slipped through the vents in his pool and he was just fucking lonely.

Of course, when he was at his lowest, that was when she came.

She looked older. More mature. Her hands were shooting beams of light at a demogorgon that seemed to be chasing her and of course she’d run into Steve’s back garden completely by mistake.

But then she saw him. Rotting away at the bottom of his pool. Cocked her head as if she couldn’t quite believe what she was looking at.

“Shit, Steve??????”

She took him out of the pool. Cast a spell on him so that he’d hold up long enough until he made it to her camp. She was living with Billy Hargrove and Eddie Munson.

Steves world briefly ground to a halt as he imagined sharing living quarters with all three of his crushes when he was a damn fish.

Hargrove and Munson weren’t friendly. They just sort of grunted at him, snickered something about King Steve and went about their day. Chrissy wasn’t phased.

She showed him his new pool. It was beautiful, a gorgeous sapphire blue. When she steadied his arms as he lowered himself in, briefly sparks flew.

But then she went back to her tent. Where she shared a bed with Hargrove and Munson.

For his own sanity, Steve tried his best not to imagine that.

Chrissy would come every night to the side of his pool to share food and gossip. She was so full of life, Steve couldn’t quite believe he’d once saw her dead body crumpled on the floor. Sometimes they even held hands.

Those days were Steve’s favourite.

Hargrove and Munson seemed to be warming up to him too, throwing out a “hey man” every time they passed Steve doing laps early in the morning. Chrissy was ecstatic. Steve wasn’t sure why.

Then she kissed him on his 21st birthday and things started to make a lot more sense.

They were all her boyfriends. Hargrove and Munson definitely seemed to have something going on too. Steve should have just been happy with that but he couldn’t help but want more. To prove himself to Billy and Eddie somehow.

Chrissy shook her head fondly and called him a silly fish when he told her. He asked why but instead she planted a kiss on his nose and said “you’ll see.”

Steve wasn’t sure what Chrissy had done but she must have done something because Eddie started to come to his pool with his guitar just to talk about The Hobbit or weed or whatever. Billy started doing laps with Steve, rarely talking but sometimes squeezing his shoulder and winking at him.

They weren’t exactly hiding their powers anymore either. Eddie would flash his fangs, very proud to be a vampire. Billy shifted into his wolf form with Steve still watching. It was almost like a courting ritual.

Eddie was a much easier target to get the information out of, even though half of it was an unrelated ramble. Something about Steve helping him get through his high school woes until he started dating girls and then his woes got even bigger.

Steve kissed him to shut him up.

Billy was a much tougher nut to crack. What had previously been lewd flirtation and confidence turned into quiet, introverted embarrassment. Though the manhandling had continued, to Steve’s secret delight.

Steve ended up having to grapple him and make the first move. Telling him that he’d been in love with him since the first time they met and that if Billy reciprocated, Steve might just die of happiness right there.

Billy just gulped, gave him a water lily and was about to run off before Steve dragged him back for a night under the water.

So Steve had two boyfriends and a girlfriend now. And he was a fish. Life was full of surprises

This is my fic for @st-rarepair-roulette which has been a joy to participate in! I still feel very honoured that I was entrusted with a mod role and I hope that everyone else had as much fun with it as I did!

[shadowglens]

post game, things are … rough for cress and shadowheart, at least in those first few weeks after destroying the absolute.

being resurrected by withers did free cress from bhaal’s influence, but i imagine he took a piece of her with him when he killed her (she was made by him, after all). she pushes on though, like she always has. later, in the wreckage of baldur’s gate, when she’s feeling both elated and terrified and broken beyond belief, she’s then faced with the reality that her patron is also Furious. asmodeus had chosen her as his prized pupil purely because she was bhaal’s scion (as much as the abandoned child in her had wishes otherwise), with the intention of using her as a pawn to begin overthrowing bhaal’s (and eventually, the dead threes) domain and expanding his influence. he’s not as recklessly angry as bhaal though, not so intent on bloodshed at every turn - he knows the most efficiently cruel way to ruin her for her transgressions, now that she’s outgrown her usefulness:

he severs their pact and, by extension, her magic.

losing both bhaal and asmodeus in the span of like … a few days (?) leaves cress an empty shell of who she was. her entire existence had been governed and controlled by these powerful entities - they were the only reason she had power, influence, strength. bhaal was her father in every disgusting sense of the world, and asmodeus had been the closest thing to a mentor that an arch devil can be to a not-quite-mortal girl. without them, she feels empty and shameful. it hurts too that shadowheart so deeply understands what she’s going through, even if the semantics are different for her, because the Last thing cress feels like she needs in that moment is love. but shadowheart gives it to her anyway.

cress is near useless in the direct aftermath, so lost in herself as she is. she doesn’t help with the rebuilding, doesn’t see any of their friends. shadowheart lingers for a few days to assist with the healing effort, but by the end of that week insists the two of them leave the city. cress would follow her anywhere, despite her cleaved in two heart, so agrees.

they settle in some dilapidated cottage on the edge of the woods, a few days travel from the city. the local farmer gifts it to them after realising who they are, despite shadowheart trying to pay him for it. there’s a hole in the roof that leaks water into the washroom, and the small garden is overgrown terribly, but it overlooks a lake and is surrounded by birdsong and light.

that night shadowheart finds cress naked in the lake, half submerged and staring at the stars and the gods beyond them. they talk, and talk, and kiss. in the morning when shadowheart makes a start on the gardens, cress is beside her. the sunlight shines in her red eyes, now slowly fading to silver as the days drag on. shadowheart bathes in the warmth.

[amsterdamlouie]

i gotta write this all down before i go to sleep aesjrkj

seeing louis live again was INCREDIBLE. god i just can't believe he's REAL. a real person. cutest little accent.

he sounded and looked great

as usual i panicked over the seats i bought right up to the actual day but when i got there they were perfect!!

andrew cushin and the snuts were the perfect tour openers. andrew opened you slowly and got right to the bone, then the snuts came in and hyped you the fuck up

the greatest is the best concert opener

i'm lowkey convinced louis has scent diffusers to make the venue smell like weed during high in california 💀 i could be wrong obviously, it was only for a minute but i don't remember seeing anyone light up. hate to see a good joint wasted

everyone lost their shit after louis ditched the jacket.. rightfully so 😌 tease. (my manifestations for tank top louis came to life big time!!!!)

i just realized he strategically took it off right before 505.. nasty

"with your hands between your thighs" "I'd probably still adore you with your hands around my neck" nghhh he's killing me

lots of woofing during the entire show

being able to see louis stand with his hands in his pockets in real life was one of the hottest things ever. everything he does it hot tho let's be honest adoau especially the way he walks

i was given my first pride flag 🥺 my mom got it for me while i was gone from my seat. i'm keeping it forever if my cats don't try to eat it and also i baby waved it at louis and idk if he saw but i both hope and don't hope he did bc i'm terrified of what he thinks, of me - to clarify (even tho.. it's.. y'know.. a flag.. representation of love and equality.. which i support and he supports, duh. idk man i was really excited about it and i was in garden seating so he could've seen me and oh god why did i choose to sit so visibly close. 😩 still loved it. love him. wish he stayed at my right side longer.. 🎶 baby, i'm jealous 🎶 ) hopefully i get a day to actually meet him and just hug him bc that's all i really want.

speaking of flags, there was a big pride flag underneath the california flag with all the colors of pride. it was gorgeous.

the lights for she is beauty was amazing. i'm so happy i finally got to participate in a fan project .

angels fly, obviously, was my favorite to hear live

babe was complaining about being knackered during silver tongues 😆

the streamers at the end of silver tongues were designed to keep everyone in their seats. i just know it

i tried to not take too many pics and vids.. but as usual i can't be trusted when louis is just standing there looking beautiful lmao (but i did get.. angels fly in full hehe)

also shoutout to the girl who took a pic of me and my mom. u is very appreciated and i hope you had a wonderful time as well.

if i remember anything else i shall add it but like sloujoss i loved every moment of it. thank you, louis for giving such a lively concert experience

[acourtofthought]

In the interview at the end of acofas, there are flowers and Ivory decorated around the page, and at the bottom corner, there's a dagger tucked there that some elriels say is truthteller. What do you think of this?

A Court of Mist and Fury featured a bird. A Court of Frost and Starlight featured a flower though it was set in Winter (odd for that fact and for the fact that Nessian's book came after it). And A Court of Silver Flames features a mask and a sun rising over it. ........................................................................................ (That's me pausing for dramatic effect because these books are all over the place). Honestly, I don't think the designs on or in these books are foreshadowing much of anything. I mean sure, the mask is obvious for Nesta's book but Lucien's secret is that he's got the power of the Sun so.....is that a big clue for him on the cover of Nesta's book? As far as the interview at the end of FAS, there is also a picture of the mountain with three stars around the border, and an arrow . And the series is called the A Court of Thorns and Roses so seeing a border of vines with thorns shouldn't come as a surprise. And weapons play a major part throughout (especially TT since both Elain and Nesta used it to kill the King). So......trying to act like the border is for E/riel and E/riel alone is someone forgetting that E/riel are not the stars of this series. Honestly, in that interview I'm pretty sure the main thing SJM mentions about Az is that he's hot but he scares her 😂 Yes, SJM specifically talks about Elain's book in it and how she had done research for Elain's book and how Elain is a gardener and she was now going to have nightmares about ivy. But....the interview contains questions / answers about the other characters too and all the things decorating those pages can easily be tied to others as well (like the arrows and the NC insignia being about Feyre). It's truly entertaining how so many continue pushing the idea of Elain and daggers considering the actual novella itself tell us that "But Elain had (SJM italicized that "had" for emphasis) given it back - had pressed it into Azriel's hands after the battle, just as he had pressed it into hers before. AND THEN WALKED AWAY WITHOUT LOOKING BACK." SJM could have gone about her wording a million different ways. She could have said "Elain gave it back to him, thanking him for suggesting she take it since it helped her save her sister." She could have not mentioned it at all, just like she's never bothered to mention what happened to Lucien's jacket. She could have given us a conversation between Rhys and Az where he sees Az got TT back and Az explained that Elain wanted to be sure she returned it so he could protect himself on missions. But SJM went and really drove home that Elain wanted nothing to do with that dagger, what that dagger represents. "SHE WALKED AWAY WITHOUT LOOKING BACK." It's a very pointed way of delivering the message but some will still draw Elain with daggers on her thigh, with dagger tattoos, insisting that any dagger showing up anywhere on any cover has to do with Elain and Elain alone. Sigh.....

[eternal--returned]

Other things were going on at the same time. Houston had flooded, there were photographs of a care home in which several residents in wheelchairs, elderly black women, were up to their chests in dirty brown water. The President was on it, he was using a full arsenal of exclamation marks. Kathy read a long essay on Ivanka and Jared, she was doing her duty as a citizen, keeping abreast of corruption. No one liked them, that was the gist. Who gave a fuck, Kathy thought, no one liked Putin, likeability was irrelevant, what mattered was whether you could make people numb enough to change all the laws, change the entire system, that was the game. Once you pardoned a corrupt sheriff who'd openly run 'concentration camps' for Latinos you were probably well on the way.

Numbness mattered, it was what the Nazis did, made people feel like things were moving too fast to stop and though unpleasant and eventually terrifying and appalling, were probably impossible to do anything about. She'd been reading a book by Philip Guston. On 23 October 1968, Guston had been in conversation with Morton Feldman at the New York Studio School. He'd been thinking a lot about the Holocaust, he said, especially the concentration camp Treblinka. It worked, the mass killing, he told Feldman, because the Nazis deliberately induced numbness on both sides, in the victims and also the tormentors. And yet a small group of prisoners had managed to escape. Imagine what a process it was to unnumb yourself, he said, to see it as it actually was. That's the only reason to be an artist: to escape, to bear witness to this.

Kathy dug it, even as she felt the numbness moving up her body. The speed of the news cycle, the hyper-acceleration of the story, she was hip to those pleasures, queasy as they were. People got used to them, they depended on the reliable shots of 10am and 3pm and 7pm outrage. Take right now, 27 August 2017. HISTORIC rainfall in Houston, and all over Texas, Trump had tweeted. Floods are unprecedented, and more rain coming. Spirit of the people is incredible. Thanks! I will also be going to a wonderful state, Missouri, that I won by a lot in 16. Dem C.M. is opposed to big tax cuts. Republican will win S! The next day there was a picture of him by the floods, arm and arm with Melania in serious spike heels, her blow-dry flawless. Grifters on a jolly. The man who owned the megachurch, the pastor, Kathy supposed, was getting a lot of flak for keeping his church closed. He was praying, but since people were pitching tents on roofs they felt understandably annoyed at the doors being locked on a potentially vast public sleeping space.

Was everyone getting more democratic, now things were starting to bite? Probably not, though Kathy had some small hopes. A local mattress retailer, called something like but not exactly Mattress Matty, had opened up his stores to the wet hungry and otherwise dispossessed. He was offering free mattresses, help people get back on their feet. Meanwhile Stephen Hawking had written a letter to the Telegraph explaining that Jeremy Junt was about to sell off the NHS to private corporations, even though he said he wasn't. This was beginning to seem like the end game of Brexit, especially after the Japanese non-deal, to get the country into such a dead end, an abject hole that the only thing to do was sell the public silver. If there was any public silver left—yes, Kathy thought, schools, parks, swimming pools, possibly railway tracks, the Royal Mail, definitely the NHS. The gold had gone, also electric power and other utilities, there'd been a series of pieces in the London Review of Books that she'd read carefully but now could barely recall beyond a slow stirring of nausea, the sense of the ground being parceled off beneath her. Last night a steam train had gone past on the tracks at the bottom of the garden, an unexpected visitation, its windows lit gold with old-fashioned lamps. There were people inside, in glowing chambers, and she opened the door to her study and stood in the evening air, watching them shunt by. The past was gone, if you posted a letter now it took three days to reach its destination, there were definitely unpleasant changes up ahead, less money, fewer elephants, one day for sure no water in the taps. Kathy hoped to be dead by then, but she'd prefer it if the mostly benevolent life she lived was shared equally by all people. A crane in the distance, the imperative to make it over, make it new.

Olivia Laing ֍ Crudo (2018)

[spaghetti-steven-side-dish]

Weird dream

Got sent to a party/art auction in an ancient temple in an undisclosed place (possibly in space?) and felt very uneasy about it. I was there to make connections in the art industry.

Met a nice guy there and some other interesting characters. Didn’t know anyone personally.

Then when the party moved into a new room all the doors slammed shut and two gods showed up, one in a beam of light the other by rotting down a wall.

They looked similar to ancient Egyptian gods “theming” but were very distinct from them as well. In order to talk they changed shape into two women.

The “Life” god was hard for me to see for some reason.

The “Death” god was an older white woman with pitch black hair. She wearing a red cardigan and white shirt underneath and black loose pants.

Another God also showed up, just was suddenly there, a god of Chaos and Neutrality? She looked like a “gamer” anime-type stereotype? Bright colored hair, big hoodie, single fang smug smile. She just watched.

The gods of Life and Death both have ultimatums. Life offered eternal life to all the guests, as long as they served her, and they would live in bliss- all they had to do was convince the death gods chosen Priest not to eat the holy fruit and kill them all. They could not harm the Priest, since he would be protected.

Death said that everyone in the room besides her Priest would die. She apologized tersely and said she had been sealed away by the other god, whom she trapped with her, and it was causing many problems in the cosmos. In order to leave, she needed to reap all their souls-but could only do so if she had her Priest accept her way and empower her with his faith- by eating the Holy Fruit. She materialized a silver apple in her hand.

She said she would name her Priest and “as usual” I would have one week to contemplate my decision.

Well, then the Death god pointed me out and called me by name. I adamantly refused to do anything so awful as to cause everyone here to die! However, she said she would talk to me in private later.

The Life god said she’d make sure everyone was well taken care of during the week, to show the “benefits” of the crowd choosing to put faith in her. I still couldn’t see her very well. She was blurry and undefined.

Later I get invited by the death god to walk with her in a large enclosed garden. We talk about how important death is for living things, I agree that I would not want to live forever. She seems very kind but quietly sad as she talks, and very tired.

She explains that I, as her Priest, would live a few extra hundred years, then I would reincarnate again just as she did. She said we were Soul Twins. I was always the Priest. She is always the God of Death.

She doesn’t say anything about Life, but as I’m talking with her I get the impression that what “Life” offers may not be a true life. I say something about it being odd that she offered eternal life and bliss to everyone, but what is life without death? What is happiness without sadness?

By the end I’m trying to negotiate with Death to spare people’s lives or find another way out. She says there is no other way. I have to accept that I’m going to burden their early deaths on my heart.That it would be a mercy compared to eternal “life”.

The silver apple materilzes in my hand.

I wake up.

[deeplyclosetedjameswilson]

heres the original last supper

heres my labelling

i think the three people on either end rule out the three apostles on the left/right. ive really gone by just heads here, so foreman is philip rather than matthew but ill address both

chase as peter (and maybe also judas??) - for starters, look at the way hes talking to cameron. that pose mirrors the way peter and john are talking in the original last supper painting.

two things come to mind for me for peter: him denying christ three times, and him succeeding christ as head of the early christian church. i assume chase has ‘betrayed’ house at least three times throughout the show so there’s that. AND he becomes the next head of diagnostics, essentially taking on house’s “ministry”

he might also be judas, looking at the position of his left hand but tbh i think peters denial of christ suits what he does better than what judas does

cameron as john the beloved: cameron may as well be called cameron the beloved in the show. arguably house’s favorite fellow. plus, john and peter are both part of a triumvirate (more on that later) AND they kind of are fighting for the position of jesus’ favorite. just funny to think about in terms of chase and cameron

house as jesus: blah blah blah house the healer died for the sins of the world (wilson) and came back to life blah blah blah. rip house you would have hated this comparison. house is kind of god to a lot of people though. jesus said a lot of stuff that people thought was crazy. so did house. yeah

wilson as thomas: thomas the doubter. after jesus died, when the apostles got word of it thomas was the one who said “i’ll believe it when i see it😒”. contrast this with wilson at house’s funeral talking about how house had truly abandoned him. wilson the doubter

cuddy as james the great: tbh we dont know a lot about james the great. he is the third member of the aforementioned triumvirate which is why i kinda wish they flipped cuddy and foreman’s places. or made cuddy matthew. james is the brother of john (cameron) so i guess think about that when you watch the valley girl bloopers ft cunty cameron and cuddy

oh shit actually i forgot james and john were two of the three witnessing christ when he was in the garden (the whole bleeding from every pore). compare with cuddy and cameron both caring for house’s wounds in season 3/7. granted james and john did both fall asleep. compare with cuddy and cameron both eventually leaving house.

(peter was also there as part of the trio. again why i think foreman as james the greater would be a better spot for him but whatever)

foreman as philip: we know very little about philip👍

foreman as matthew: we know more about matthew. worked as a tax collector for the romans, gave up tax collecting to follow jesus. compare with foreman trying very hard to give up his house like tendencies but always falling back on them.

again i think foreman would be a better james the greater as original followers of christ/original fellows, and was there with christ at the end/was there for house until the end. but alas

BONUS: wilson as judas, since he self-identified himself as judas (talking to tritter about needing 30 pieces of silver): you can easily draw a comparison between judas trying to return the 30 pieces of silver and killing himself and wilson telling tritter he wouldn’t testify on pain of going to jail. pathetic attempt at career suicide if you will

I labeled it, any Bible fans wanna analyze it? I really don’t feel like reading and annotating the Bible.

[just-some-random-blogger]

Rebel

Prince!Kylo Ren x Cage Fighter!Reader

Summary: Prince Kylo was a rebel at heart. His grandfather, Emperor Anakin, was on his final limb trying to groom the boy into becoming a good Skywalker, but it seems he was too preoccupied with things outside his duty to care.

Word Count: 9k+

Warnings: fem!reader, alternate universe, slight modern/contemporary world au?, royal family-ish au, enemies with benefits?, smut (sadism, dom/sub dynamic, vaginal penetration, unprotected sex, light bondage), kylo is going through a phase ig, yucky smoker!kylo (don't smoke pls), slow burn, typos, etc.

A/N: Felt like cross posting this on AO3 also minors dni you guys arent ready for this because I'm not ready for this HAHAAHHA my brain farts are real. also if there's anything wrong with my star wars lore just roll with it ok it's the beauty of my au world HAHHAH <3 Tagging: @pinksirensong @aralezinspace @sloanexx

"Put that out before father sees you."

Kylo looks over his shoulder, pulling away the cigarette from his lips as he blows smoke from his lungs. He looks at his mother and sighs, "my father or your father?"

Leia eyes her son, "Ben-"

"Kylo," he corrects, taking another puff of his smoke.

The crown princess narrows her eyes and with one flick of her finger, the barely burning cigarette shoots out of his fingers, across the hall.

"Bro- what the fu-"

"See," she places her hands on her hips, "you would have been able to stop me if you trained with Luke more often," Kylo's mother offers as she leans into him and sniffs his rank smoker odor, brushing him off as she did.

Leia's son, who towers over her, cringes as he is pat down harshly.

Leia notes, "you reek."

"Stop it," he quips as his shoulder is swatted with way more force than necessary. Kylo curls his arms over himself in protection. She does not relent, and so he calls, "mom!"

Leia sighs and places her hands on her hips, "no, you're right," she looks up at him, "I should just let the emperor catch you," she raises a finger, "and let's be honest. Even if you trained more with Luke," she turns about, " you still wouldn't be able to best me."

The woman marches off, mentally noting to rant to her son's father about him.

Kylo grunts as he watches his mother walk away. By the time she reaches then end of the hall, Kylo rolls his eyes and shakes his head. He pulls out his sleek, silver box of cigarettes and grabs a stick. He turns around as he begins to light the thing lazily pressed between his lips.

He doesn't get to though. His fire is burnt out by the ominous snippy atmosphere and his lighter slips through his fingers.

Immediately, the cigarette falls after, down to his boots and he grows frigid at the sight of the slouching man before him, hand propped on a cane, face concealed in a dark mask.

"Emperor. I-"

"Continue to disappoint?" he speaks through the constraint of his mask, not even raising a finger to get both the fallen objects on the floor as well as the one in Kylo's hands.

The emperor chucks out those hazards through the window, using so much Force that it probably propelled out of orbit. Kylo internally begins to sputter out curses.

"Why are you roaming here in the gardens, killing your grandmother's flowers, boy?" the old man demands, breathing heavily.

Kylo gulps and clenches his hands into a fist.

"Are you not meant to be training with your uncle?" Anakin quips, taking a deep breath as he slowly walks past his grandson.

Kylo tenses and steps aside to allow the emperor passage. He knows better than to do so, and yet he still offers, "do you want some hel-"

"Do you have a death wish?" Anakin wheezes as he heads to the arch in the hall, not even sparing his hulk of a progeny a look. He would have beaten his ass in his prime, he thinks, as he makes his way into the palace garden.

Immediately, Anakin feels a Force around him. He basks in it and Kylo can feel it too, though he thinks the Force is coming from his mother's father.

Anakain swears he can smell the scent of his beloved Padme in this moment. He mentally debates taking his mask off, but decides against it, knowing his child's child will throw a hissy fit, then his actual children will throw another hissy fit.

Kylo does nothing but watch the old man walk off. He thinks of the few memories he has with his grandmother then goes terse all over again when he hears a shout, "GO TRAIN, BOY!"

Kylo releases a breath, "yes sir."

Anakin, after a long while, finally reaches a bench and sits down. He looks at the flowers in the shrubs and bushes around him. He breathes in deeply, as deeply as his mask will allow him then closes his eyes. He pretends he was not himself, rather that he was his younger self. He thinks about his wife and how he would have plucked out a flower for her in this moment.

"Oh, Padme," instead he sighs, "you're grandson is a rebel, my love. I don't know what to do with him," he opens his eyes, "but you would have."

Kylo, at this point, had successfully fled the wrath of his forebears, and was now at the garage, readying his air speeder. He ruffles his black, baggy jeans with infinite pockets and feels his key eventually. He jumps in his vehicle and finds another box of cigarettes in his compartment.

"Thank you, Kylo," he mutters to himself as he gets another stick of nicotine.

He lights his cigarette as he waits for the garage door to open.

But then came a high-pitched beeping noise, and he immediately pulls away the lit stick in his mouth.

R2-D2 rambles on and on in his dings and buzzes in a scolding manner.

Kylo's ears ring. Fucking droid. He rubs his ear then turns to his side. He watches as the robot nears rolls back and forth as it chastises him.

"Can it, tin can."

R2-D2's light becomes red.

Kylo clutches his steering wheel, "if you rat me out to grandpa, I'll turn you into a museum display."

R2-D2 flares even more at the threat.

"Well, I don't give a shit if uncle Luke is waiting for me," he snips back, staring his engine, then driving off. He raises a hand, "later, loser."

R2-D2 loses its marbles.

Kylo drives deep into the capital city, the part that was more commercial and had less military presence. But really, the old man's reach was felt throughout the galaxy. It'd be a matter of time before his fun is over. That's why he intends on having as much fun as he possibly can.

He aimlessly roams for a moment, driving through streets he frequents, and some he doesn't recall he's ever been. He leans on his side and feels the wind blow back his jaw length hair. Then he finds himself parking in a coincidentally free spot on a busy street.

It's destiny, he thinks.

So, he pulls up in the edge of the street and hops out of his air speeder, aimlessly walking around. He pulls out his comms device and sends a message.

From Kylo: where u?

He shoves his comms back in his pocket, keeping his hands stuffed there, knowing he wouldn't get a response from his friend any time soon. He walks to the edge of the street, stops right at a pedestrian lane, then crosses once the light turns green.

As he struts past a conveniece store, he turns to his barely visible reflection and runs his hands through his hair. The street grows increasingly busy as he continues. It's packed with people on the daily their commute, off to work, to school, or to wherever they ought to be. With every being that passes him, human, alien, droid, or otherwise, he slowly feels the paranoia seep in him.

He rubs his nose, 100% sure that that old lady was whispering about him.

He was being watched, he was being looked at, he was being talked about. A work hazard, something you deal with as royalty. He likes to pretend he's better than that, public opinion doesn't matter to him, but he isn't a very good pretender.

He clears his throat, pulls out the shades he always kept handy on him, and puts them on. Suddenly, he's not as paranoid.

In truth, if you knew the faces of the Skywalker clan, not even these large glasses would stop you from recognizing him. But still, he felt better with them on. The only reason he probably did was because the little boy in him still believed the words of his father.

Ben had been 4 or 5 at the time, and had been struggling with the attention from the general public and the press. Han Solo had gave him shades, the very same one he had now, and told him when he had them on, he'd be invisible. It helped that his dad, mom, and uncle were in on it and pretended he was when he'd wear them. The servants were quick enough to follow suit. His grandfather though, ever the cynic, never played the game with him, and always told him to put the ridiculous thing off.

He figured then of course the emperor could see him. He had superior connections with the Force.

Kylo crosses the street.

A group of school girls catch sight of him and stare as he walks by. Once he's gone, they squeal and gush over how handsome he was.

Kylo feels his comms vibrate.

To Kylo: At work. Can't come.

Kylo snorts, then turns to his side when he smells an alluring savory scent. He sees the burrito stand and walks over as he replies.

From Kylo: im getting burritos

Kylo walks to the order window and decides he'll get what he always gets. The employee begrudgingly walks over to the window and leans on the table by the window, "Good morning," she says flatly, "what can I get you?"

Kylo examines at the bandage she has on her brow and the swollenness of her cheek. He knows it'll turn blue soon, but he doesn't say that, "two classic burritos, one of them with extra radish."

She nods and then punches up Kylo's order on the register, "12 credits."

Kylo pulls his head back, "12? It's 4.50 each."

"Not anymore for a long time," she mutters in response, shifting in her spot.

Kylo lets out a breath, thinking it's a ridiculous price, but pays 12 credits nonetheless.

He receives another message.

To Kylo: No.

Kylo snorts yet again at his text mate. He moves to the side and waits for his order. In the meantime, he looks around the block, thinking of what else he can do to amuse himself.

From the corner of his eye, he spots the sign The Death Star, and chuckles under his breath. He uses his Force to try and see what exactly this death star was, and then quickly realizes it was a cage fighting arena.

Kylo smirks.

From Kylo: come to 12th street. we're watching a cage fight in the death star :D

Kylo turns around when he hears his order get called out. He says quick thank you to the man who gives him his burrito. He looks at him and his pudgy form, then examines his knuckes before he pulls away. He spots, seeing no bruise on them. He definitely wasn't the one who punched the lady that worked here.

Kylo then crosses and heads to The Death Star. He looks at his comms one last time before heading for the entrance.

To Kylo: ????

"Moron," he chuckles to himself.

He reaches The Death Star, finding it had a small entrance with guard big enough to block it whole.

"50 credits," the bouncer says to him.

Kylo looks at the man. He was twice as big as the one who worked at the burrito shop. Still, Kylo thinks he could take him.

"Why so expensive?" he asks.

The bouncer rolls his shoulders back, "you got a problem, peasant? Then leave."

He does not like that. The bouncer was on the steps leading up to the door, which was why he was about as tall as Kylo. He wonders if he should force choke him and walk in, but then he feels a buzz from the comms in his pocket and is snapped out of it. He pays the over-expensive door fee then walks in, eating his burrito.

"Just keep walking straight then go down the stairs," the bouncer says, "you can't miss it."

He doesn't miss it. He immediatly spots the stairs, finding it went both up and down. Kylo looks up in curiosity. He figures if he instead went upstairs, there would most definitely be someone there waiting him to throw him down. He simply just descends with his burrito.

Once he reaches the only place the stairs lead to, he surveys the setting, wondering why there were chandeliers and drapes in this foyer when he knows once he gets to the area where the crowds were screaming, there would be a semi-large cage and audience members hollering for blood. Weird.

But then again, his grandpa lived in a palace and he was out for his blood.

He takes it back. It's fitting.

He continues to walk, chewing on his food, then get into the arena, at the very edge of it. It seems the round just finished, considering the reaction of the crowd.

Kylo promptly finds an empty spot, then sits down as he watches the cage get swept. It looks like a droid was shattered after the match.

He chuckles when he imagines it being R2-D2.

It takes a few minutes for the next round to commence, and by the time it does, Kylo's burrito was finished.

At this moment, he pulls out his comms and sees he's received multiple messages. He grins when he sees the one that confirmed that he was, in fact, going to be seeing his friend here at the death star soon.

There is a loud announcement suddenly, and the crowd goes wild. Soon enough two competitors are announced, and Kylo perks up and tilts his head when he sees the face of one of them, you, the burrito lady.

Kylo, is so stunned that has to push his shades down to see if he was seeing clearly. Yep. Still 20/20.

There you were, standing no longer in your burrito-stand uniform, but in fitted shorts and a fitted tank top. You had wraps in your hands and feet, and the marks on your face made total sense now.

Kylo leans back on his seat and pushes his shades up.

You got them from your cage fights.

He finds himself smiling.

Interesting.

"- with 27 wins and 2 losses-"

Hmm, an impressive record.

Kylo cannot help but to cheer with the crowd as it screams for you after you are introduced. An interesting name you had. He'll have to remember that.

Both you and your opponent's hands are raised just before the start of the match.

The prince nods his head and thinks he will enjoy seeing you win or lose today.

Halfway through the match, as Kylo is screaming for you as you bash your knee into your opponent, who was, mind you, twice your size, he is grabbed my the arm and ripped out of his focus.

Kylo turns annoyed then breaks into a smile, speaking loudly over the audience' noise. "Hux! You're just in time." Kylo hands the man the burrito with extra radish, then turns back to the cage, "burrito girl is really good!"

Hux takes the burrito and looks at Kylo, then the cage. The dark haired man clenches his hand into a fist and cheers as the round is called to an end.

The red haired man pulls his head back after beholding the collective protests.

"AW WHAT! SHE TOTALLY WON THAT ROUND!" Kylo snarls against the announcement that your slimy alienoid opponent was the victor for round 3.

Kylo sits back down and cross his arms. Hux sits down next to him and gives him a look, "you're insane, you know that right? D'you know what would happen to us if someone-"

"And you're boring," Kylo retorts, running his hand through his dark locks.

Hux holds back his eyeroll, and shakes his head instead. His ginger, gelled back hair reflects the glaring spotlights in the room. Hux unwraps his burrito and takes a bite, crossing his legs as he did so.

Kylo turns to him, mentally noting he appreciated he came to him right after work, the give away being he was still in uniform. Hux's sharp shoulder pads starkly contrasted the softness of his frumpy sweater, though they were both black.

"Extra radish," he points.

Hux nods and rolls his eyes, "yes," he chews, "thank you, Ben."

Kylo glares at him.

Hux chews some more, then corrects himself, "Kylo."

Kylo turns away, looking back at the cage.

The next round promptly begins and Kylo is visibly excited. He talks over the loud cheers of the crowd, "we're going to meet her after the round."

Hux knits his brows as Kylo stands to his feet and claps for the competitors.

"Meet? Who?"

"Her!" Kylo points to the cage.

Hux looks.

"I paid 500 credits to have her company to ourselves later," Kylo says with a fond smile.

Hux nearly chokes on his burrito, "you what?!"

He is dutifully ignored for the rest of the match.

When the match does end, Hux thinks of Kylo's decisions even more poorly. The prince is incredibly sour, as the match did not end in favor of this burrito girl as he had gotten fond of for no other reason than that he is compulsive.

Hux does not know if he should be mulling over the fact that the girl, who lost the match on a technicality, worked part-time at the burrito shop that made the delicious snack he just ate, or the fact that Kylo, in all his temper and moodiness, was about to meet her when he was extremely disappointed and very emotional over her loss.

Hux, though he knew about Kylo's explosive tendencies, doesn't dare offer to just leave though, considering he basically made himself homeless by paying so much to meet the cage fighter.

That would be funny though, no? A homeless prince.

When Kylo and Hux are let in the back room, the two turn to each other, seeing the poor conditions of the place.

"500 credits dude," you say, standing from the spot you were sat on.

Kylo takes in the cuts and bruises in your form, agreeing with himself that, considering the violence you exacted and received in the ring, you looked extremely well, and came out mostly unscathed.

"You should have won that round," Kylo says shaking his head. He watches as you smile softly at his words. He feels his chest flutter and decides he enjoys the subtleness of your expression. He would love to make you react the same way again, "that thing outnumbered you with his six arms."

You shrug, toned shoulders glistening with sweat and ointment. Now that he was up close, Kylo could see how fit you were. He licks his lips when he catches your barely visible navel.

"A biological advantage," you retort, "it's not like I can ask him to cut off his arms for me to make it fair."

"Still," Kylo raises a finger, "you should have won."

You shake your head at his words, offering another smile, but no further reply.

Hux surveys the dingy room, thinking if you worked at a burrito stand and a cage fighting job, you must be desperate for credits. He turns to you and straightens up, "you know, with your skills, you could do well as a trooper," the commander says, "you would be paid well, given lodging, health care-"

"So you are an imperialist," you place a hand on your hip and point to him.

Commander Hux tenses. Kylo chews his bottom lip as he holds back a laugh.

I mean, Hux was very visibly an imperialist.

"I thought you just liked imperial fashion on whole other level," you add.

Hux finds himself getting defensive, "is that a problem?"

You tilt your head, "liking imperial fashion or being an imperialist?"

Kylo pretends he's offended and knits his brows, speaking at the same time as his friend, "both."

You look between the two and shake your head, "no. It's just weird to see an actual, I don't know, officer from the regiment spectate a match."

Hux narrows his eyes, "why, is this place illegal?"

You snort, and Kylo beams at the idea.

"I wouldn't have joined this troupe if it was."

Kylo is mildly disappointed, but more so amused by the topic that was spiraling and how Hux was reacting to it. Kylo turns back to you when you point at him, "I remember where I know you from."

Hux feels slightly agitated over the idea the prince was going to be recognized.

Kylo smiles and adjusts his shades, "yes, you took my ord-"

"History class, 204, professor Djarin."

"..."

Hux pulls his head back and looks between Kylo and you.

Kylo is dumbfounded. So much so, he takes off his shades, "you went to Naboo Public State?"

You promptly laugh upon seeing his brown eyes, knowing well how much he rolled them at your shared history teacher, "yeah. Djarin called you Skyslugger cause you were always late."

Hux internally cringes, agitation level skyrocketing, because that does sound like something that would have happened to him in school. That meant, you knew exactly who they both were now, which meant, if you wanted, you could happily talk about how a commanding officer and the prince of the empire went to your cage fight match at a place called The Death Star, and paid 500 credits to speak with you after. Lord, he could already hear General Leia's disappointment in his head.

Kylo snorts, though he was more annoyed at the memory than amused, "damn Din Djarin."

"You never graduated, did you?" you ask.

Hux turns to Kylo, wordlessly telling him not to answer that.

Kylo does anyway, "I didn't, no. Parent's pestering me to re-enroll."

That's enough, Ben, Hux thinks loudly.

You tilt you head, "maybe you should."

Hux turns to you and presses his lips, "hear that, maybe you should!"

Kylo turns to him as Hux slaps his hand on Kylo's shoulder. He glares at Hux, "no."

A beat passes.

You look between the two, "so, what did you want to talk to me about?"

Hux instinctively turns to Kylo, prompting you to do the same.

"Well," Kylo starts, leaning onto one leg, crossing his arms.

Hux recognizes this behavior and then makes a face.

"I honestly wanted to just talk about how I think you deserved to win, and perhaps," he moves slightly closer to you, "to invite you to hang out with us."

Hux shakes his head and raises his hands, "count me out. I have places to be."

"Just you and me then," Kylo smiles softly.

Hux rolls his eyes, he was right. Another day, another plaything. He so very much wants to leave now.

But then, Hux catches the way your face twists. He finds his lips curling into amusement as you furrow your brows. You are clearly uninterested, and suddenly, he is glad that Kylo paid 500 credits just to be here. His rejection will be sweet and deserved.

"Your payment for a meet does not extend to outside endeavors."

Kylo nods, leaning towards you more, "oh, I know. Just wondered if you would be interested in getting a drink."

"Well, I'm not."

"Interested in getting a drink?"

"In you, Prince Ben."

Kylo's face twitches. Hux clears his throat to hold back his laugh.

Kylo doesn't have anything else to say and it is hillarious.

Another beat passes.

You shift in your spot as Hux turns around and laughs in his hand. Kylo rubs his nose and straightens up.

"Is that it?" you ask.

Kylo turns to you, ire beginning to burn, "what?"

"Is that all you wanted?" you clarify, waving a hand. "I mean, you paid 500 credits, I can show you around the place if you like."

Hux turns back around and smiles, "oh, please, do. That would be lovely."

Kylo clenches his jaw, "no. I saw everything I needed to see already."

Hux makes a soft oof sound and indulges himself with a chuckle.

"I'm a force user," Kylo says, "I used my Force Sight to see."

"Ah," you nod.

Hux turns to you and nods, "I stand corrected, I think we will both be leaving now."

You purse your lips and shrug, "suit yourself."

Kylo releases a huff. You knit your brows when he nods to you in regard, "burrito girl."

You blink at him, "500 credits dude."

Hux watches as you curtsy at Kylo. He shakes a hand and his head, mouthing, "he doesn't like that."

You straighten up and watch as the two then walk out of the room.

"Oh, if you ever want to apply as a troop, tell them you were recommended by commander Armitage Hux."

You raise your brows at that, "your name is Armitage?"

Hux makes a face at your expression, "what? Why?"

"Nothing it's just, you don't look like-"

"Hux, let's go."

You turn to Kylo, who just walked out of the room.

"Just call me Hux, everyone calls me that."

You purse your lips then nod.

"Goodbye then," Hux waves and follows after his friend.

As Kylo and Hux exit the room, then the arena, the latter notes, "well that was fun."

Kylo ignores him.

Hux chuckles, "oh, come on. She was a good fighter. You said it yourself."

Kylo grunts.

"I especially enjoyed it when she defeated you."

Kylo glares at Hux. Hux grins from ear to ear.

"Do you want me to demote you?" Kylo groans.

"You can't demote me, prince Ben," Hux says a-matter-of-factly as they climb up the stairs.

Kylo eyes Hux as he ascends before him then uses his Force to make him trip on the steps.

As Hux nearly faceplants, barely catching himself with his hands as he crashes down, Kylo steps over him and continues climbing up.

"BEN!"

Kylo hisses harshly, "don't call me that."

Kylo leaves Hux, deciding he deserved it for being annoying. He thinks he'll go get drinks by himself since no one cared to keep him company.

He nearly breaks his comms after all the ruckus it made while he was brooding in a booth at a lounge he frequented. He doesn't destroy it though. It wasn't his to break. It was a gift from his uncle. His mother refused to get him a new one after breaking countless ones before this one. Luke made him swear to keep it intact.

Kylo abandons his booth to get himself another drink after finishing his nth cocktail.

This time around, with his tiny martini glass in hand, complete with a paper umbrella, he decides he's going to dance, even if he was tipsy and, frankly, hated dancing, especially those folkdances his mother and grandmother taught him and made him do every moment they could. Fuck that shit.

Kylo puts the umbrella stick in his hair just by his ear and chugs his drink as he walks to the crowded dancefloor.

He raises both of his hands and sways his hips on beat as he sifts through the creatures dancing to insanely loud music.

He randomly taps someone's shoulder and hands them the glass, which they stupidly accept, allowing Kylo to break it down and boogie freely with no glass to think about. Only his dark glasses.

By break it down and boogie, of course, I meant Kylo was flailing his head and arms around, pivoting his shoulder and belly to the music. Was it good? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

He feels a bunch of people come onto him, grinding on him or dancing with him. He lets them. When they tell him they should take their dancing somewhere else, he refuses.

Eventually, he's turned down a bunch of people and is left alone.

With his forehead damp with sweat, he exits the dance floor when the music changes to something slow.

He decides to get himself another drink.

"Never knew you had that in you, Ben."

He cringes before he even sits down. He turns to the woman in a pink dress next to the stool at the bar he was about to sit on. He feels his brows pull up at the sight of her.

"Don't call me that, burrito girl," Kylo quips as he calls for the bartender.

You furrow brows further, leaning on the bar top, "call you what? Your name?"

Kylo is served another cocktail, the only one he ever orders, without needing to say it. He thanks the bartender as he downs his drink.

You raise your brows at him, watching some of the liquid spill from his corners of his mouth.

Kylo turns to you, wiping his lips, "don't call me Ben."

You blink, "so... you want to me to call you 500 credits dude?"

"Kylo," he retorts, as he racks his brain. He can't seem to remember what he's looking for though, so he asks, "what was your name again?"

You give him a once over before responding.

When he hears your name, Kylo shakes his head, thinking, truly, the only time he heard it was during the match earlier today, "I really don't remember you."

You chuckle, "yeah, more so now than ever."

Kylo looks at the bright pink dress on your body and thinks it looks good on you, "you change your mind then?"

You take a sip of your drink and turn to him, "what?"

"You come here knowing it's where I'd be?" Kylo leans forward.

You raise a brow at him, "no. I came here to meet someone but I got stood up."

Kylo chuckles, "serves you right."

"Excuse me?" you tilt your head.

Kylo grins and stands, "you're excused."

Kylo walks off and heads for the dancefloor again even though the music was still slow. Why? Because fuck it. He was down to slow dance with strangers.

You take your turn to survey Kylo as he drunkenly moves to the dancefloor. He was incredibly large and even through his baggy clothes, you could tell he was quite athletically built. You turn away just before he catches you looking.

The entire time he dances, Kylo's eyes isn't closed like how they were a while ago. He was looking at you, faced to the bar, hunched over in a pretty pink dress, waiting for no one.

Pathetic. You should be dancing here with him.

He dodges a two headed alien that asks if he wants to have a good time and walks back to you.

He calls out your name and grabs your arm, making you turn to him from your seat with a glare that would have intimidated him, but he was drunk, and he could so take you... in more ways than one.

"Forget about that loser. He's not into you. I am. Dance with me."

You gotta hand it to him. He is confident. But then again, it'd be embarrassing to be in line for the throne and not be.

You take a moment to wonder how Kylo could possibly know you were waiting for a guy then decide he was just good at guessing, not that you looked pathetic right now. You pull your arm out of his grasp, "haven't we established I don't like you?"

"Yeah," Kylo scoffs, placing his hands on his hips, "well, I don't like you either."

You narrow your eyes at him, "why do you want me to dance with you then?"

"Because this is what lounges are for!" Kylo flails his hands out, "not for sulking."

You roll your eyes at him and turn away.

Kylo raises a finger and uses his Force to spin you around. When you realize this is what he did, you stand and look up at him, eyes devoid of any amusement, "you know, I don't care who you are. You're seriously pushing your luck right now."

Kylo enjoys a good conflict. He shakes his head the way drunk people do and raises a finger, "if you're going to waste your time waiting on someone you already know stood you up, wouldn't it be better for him to walk in on you having so much fun rather than looking miserable?"

You clench your jaw at his words and tense when he grabs your wrist and pulls you to the dance floor.

This time, you do not refute him, though you drag your feet on the way.

"Only to make him jealous," you say, walking close to Kylo.

Kylo makes a gagging sound, "how corny of you."

You shove him back, and Kylo is taken off guard by how strong you actually are. He collides into a group of people, who promptly shove him back towards you. You grunt as you catch him, keeping him upright.

"You're wasted," you hiss.

Kylo grins, "no, I'm Kylo."

You roll your eyes, pushing him away with less force, then turn around and leave him there.

Kylo grabs your arm before you can walk away any further .To his surprise, you do not repel him and easily fall back into his arms.

"We're meant to dance not to-"

Kylo shuts himself up when you speak a name that is not at all his.

He lifts up his eyes and sees a man looking at you with contempt. Before he can think, you shove him away and walk over to loser. The man eyes Kylo as you walk with him.

Kylo feels a headache coming on. He just stands there in the middle of the crowd, sticking out like sore thumb with how large and unmoving he was, waiting for the headache to come. To his luck, it doesn't.

He decides to go to the bathroom then settle his bill.

He busts open the men's bathroom door, cringing at the sound of moans that come to a halt when he enters. He quickly washes his hands and walks out, pulling out his comms device, sending a message to multiple people to have him get picked up.

He decides to drink some more as he waits.

He downs about three more cocktails before paying his dues and coming to terms with the fact no one was going to pick him up.

He sighs and drunkenly gets out of the lounge, gracelessly bumping into some people along the way.

He is surprised to see a pretty pink dress when he gets out to the curb.

Kylo calls out your name and hears you gasp.

When you turn to him, he swears he sobers up a fraction at the sight of your red eyes and tear stained cheeks.

He coughs and shifts on his spot, "you want me to kill him?" He points to no where.

You knit your brows and cross your arms, "what?"

"I can kill him for you," Kylo mutters.

You make a face and shake your head rapidly, "are you insane?"

"Yes," he mutters, "I don't like it when girls cry over guys-" he brushes his nose, "-s'why I don't date."

For a prolonged moment, you stare at Kylo, at this drunken Ben Solo, second in line to the Skywalker Empire, the same one who laughed at your joke that one time during lunch. You feel incredulous to the events that has transpired.

You weren't shocked that he didn't know you from university. For starters, he was a chronic repeater, turned drop out, which was insane to think considering he let the class copy off his exams, setting a new curve because of how many of them aced that test.

Ben Solo was the cool kid with bad habits, and he hung out with troopers in his spare time, which meant he didn't really know anyone beyond his circle.

And this Kylo persona was just the same as the Ben you once knew. Bigheaded, loud, and rebellious, with streaks of genuinity and thoughtfulness who wouldn't expect from him.

He was a loose canon in other words. This was why you didn't like him, why every time people would gush about him, you'd let yourself think opposite because nothing ever came out of liking a guy like him.

You ask through your clogged sinuses, rather out of context, "why can't I call you Ben?"

Kylo runs his hands through his hair, the umbrella he left there falls on the floor, "cause I don't like him."

"You don't like Ben?"

He shakes his head, "don't wanna be him."

A group of people exit the lounge the next moment, prompting Kylo to walk over to you to make way. You narrow your eyes at his answer and wipe your face. He probably meant he doesn't want to assume his roles as a prince.

You find yourself chuckling.

Everyone's got their own thing, you think.

"You're drunk," you mutter, making him turn to you.

"I'm Kylo," he repeats once more, making you roll your eyes.

"Yeah, I got that, prince."

Kylo grumbles, looking away from you, "shut up."

The word triggers you, because the man you thought you loved and would love you back just spoke the same words to you a while ago. You look at him, emotions flaring up all over again. They manifest in rage and contempt, "no."

Kylo turns back to you, face fully annoyed.

"It's the truth, isn't it?" you stab, "why do I have to shut up about it?"

Kylo shakes his head and let out a deep breath. The smell of alcohol makes you pull back, "now I really don't like you."

You scoff, "well I really don't like you either."

"I didn't even do anything to you," he raises a finger, "and you rejected me?" he retorts in full offence.

You pull your head back at his words.

He begins to trail off, "what? Was I a jerk to you in uni? I wouldn't have been because I barely talked to anyone there, so I know you're just being spiteful."

Is he really on about that? You make a face, "have you never been rejected before."

"Of course I've been rejected," he sputters out, "just not without unfounded reason."

You cannot believe what you're hearing, it was like this moment really was a reply of your earlier encounter.

"Are you trying to say I'm being senseless?"

Kylo scoffs, "I'm saying you getting dumped is the universe balancing itself out."

You let out a dry laugh, "wow," you step on his foot, making him reel back in pain, "asshole!"

Kylo nearly topples over as he pulls his leg back and grunts, "you little shit!"

You very much walk away after that. You manage to storm to the edge of the street before you can't move at all anymore.

It takes the honking obnoxious sounds of Kylo coming near for you to realize it was all his doing.

He comes over like a siren, screaming out in the otherwise quiet street, "give me one good reason why I shouldn't shoot you out into orbit right now."

You turn to him, feeling just a fraction of a tinge of fear rise up into because he was from a line of powerful Force users after all. But then you remember Ben Solo was all bark and hardly any bite. You scoff, "well, for starters, I don't think you could even if you wanted to."

Kylo laughs. It's honestly pretty dark it makes your skin break out with gooseflesh.

"If you could, you'd have done it by now-" you choke on your last word. Literally, Kylo force chokes you up until he gets close enough to press his hand on your throat.

In all honestly, you were in a damning situation, and yet you were more focused on the way he licked his lips, grit his teeth, and rubbed his fingers on your skin. That, and the fact that you still could actually breathe through the pressure he was putting on you.

You felt your stomach roll.

He pulls you close to him, and before you can think of fighting back, he uses his force to keep your body pinned in place.

He releases you altogether and gives you a once over, "don't underestimate the things I can do."

Kylo looks at the cut on your lip, drawn over with lipstick. He thinks of licking the color off, "the things I want to do to you."

Your heart skips a beat. You huff, hands shooting to his sides the moment he releases you from his Force hold.

His other hands comes to your neck. He tilts your head up at him.

You heave, "and what do you want to do with me... Ben?"

He hisses, "put out that glint in your eye," he steps forward, pressing his fingers into my scalp, "make you beg."

You feel your stomach roll.

It amplifies when Kylo traces the injuries on your face with his fingers.

Needless to say, Kylo was wholly surprised but fully pleased when you got back to your place and didn't put up much a fight against him.

He was a kinky fucker, making you get on your knees, making you do his every whim, making you call him sir.

You figured pretty quickly that he probably craved to be in control, considering how bossy he was. Kylo figured the opposite for you, considering how readily you were to be told what to do.

He fully enjoys making you undress him, especially with all the lip worship you gave on his burning skin. He half regrets making you undress yourself, considering how satisfying it was to see you strip. He would have loved it more had he done it himself. Maybe next time.

He massages your body the moment your bare. He makes it a point not to press on your bruised skin, but then the inner sadist in him felt his insides ignite at the whimper that left your lips when his hand brush over your swollen hips.

"Kylo," you moaned as he kneaded at your sides while he trailed kisses down your sternum.

He lifts his head, smirking as you tugged at his hair, asking for his attention.

"Yes, my sweet?"

With you pressed beneath him on your bed, you buck your hips upward into him. He feels his cockiness double with your neediness.

"I'm gonna have to hear you beg, baby girl," Kylo muses, "that's our deal."

You whimper, "please."

Kylo is insufferable. He grabs your bare thighs and pulls them apart, rubbing himself in your already sopping heat. He pouts, feigning confusion, "please what?"

"Please, sir," you whine.

He laughs, asking again, "please sir what?"

"Please, sir, do something."

How desperate. Adorable.

Kylo sighs and nibbles on your breast as you tighten your legs around him, "hmmm, let me take my time."

Your soft flesh reluctantly retreats out of his mouth as you force his head off you by lifting it up. Your nipple is grazed out of Kylo's teeth as you shimmy beneath him, pushing your way down against his wishes, wanting nothing more than to be aligned on him.

You want to be a brat? Game.

Next thing you know you're paying your dues, pressed on your knees, hands bound to the bed with his belt as he lets your needy core drip down your parted thigh as he barely touches you with his fingers.

"One more time," Kylo coaxes as you sob and whine.

"I'm sorry, sir," you sigh in defeat, eyes watering at the edging.

Kylo shushes you, though he laughs and shifts behind you. Your body jolts you feel him grab your hips that have been tirelessly hanging in the air, waiting for this very moment to come to pass.

"Now, remind me what you want again?" Kylo says as he brushes the tip of his length against your entrance.

You let out a pathetic cry, feeling your core flutter in anticipation. You desperately cry out his name.

He appreciates it, but it isn't an answer. He tells you this exactly.

"Need you," you mutter, "need you to fuck me."

Kylo's ego is through the roof. "Need me to fuck you?" he repeats, though he does not give away how much that strokes his ego.

He does not forget your lack of respect though, "where's that sir, baby?"

You nearly sob as you repeat yourself, "need you to fuck me, sir."

You let out a lewd noise when you feel him slowly push into you.

You immediately try to fuck yourself onto him, but you're too delirious, and he's too strong for you to follow through. Kylo locks you in place, pulling you tightly against him, "hold on, pretty girl. Don't ruin this for me. Need you to calm down and take me well."

All you can do is pull at your bounds, further helping the bruises form there for visibly.

"Kylo," you groan in an empty threat and desperate plea.

"Okay, okay," he chuckles, slowly beginning to move.

You graciously moan in response.

He immediately quickens his pace.

Your noises grow louder.

Kylo wonders about your neighbors. He smiles and decides he doesn't care though. The next moment he thrusts into you so punishingly, as if it was a punishment. But no it felt so good.

Your bodies slamming against each other makes your bed creak in distress as it, itself, ruts into the wall behind its headboard.

You drool on your arm as you breathe hotly against it.

Kylo drives you further into insanity by rubbing into clit.

Needless to say, the next thing you know, you're making even more of a mess and your legs begin to give out as he continues to brutalize into your tenderness.

You come around him with a frantic cry and feel your body quake and tighten around him.

The ripples of ecstasy continue to ride out and heighten when Kylo comes inside you, pouring all his heat, frustration, and want into you.

He basks in your wetness the way you bask in his hardness. Your toes curl and your air leaves you. Kylo's rigid thrusts continuously grow sloppier.

A few moments pass and you both go putty.

You very much remember going for a less intense, more intimate round two after, with him leaning against your headboard and you maneuvering up and down him as your chests pressed together. You very much also remember Kylo curling into you later that night.

What you don't remember was ever kissing him, or feeling him get up to leave the morning after.

So it was a big fuck you when you saw him later that day, with his stupid ass shades in the middle of the afternoon as he whimpered over a ticket.

You made a mental note of the make and plate number of his air speeder next time he makes a mistake of parking it here.

The truth was, Kylo had been waiting for you at the burrito store, not knowing you didn't have a shift that day, and once the pudgy guy, a funny guy honestly, name Marley, told him he couldn't loiter there, he bought a burrito and asked where you were. Marley told him that you didn't have a shift today, so then he made Marley promise to pass a message to you. Kylo trusted him to tell you that he wanted to apologize for leaving.

That fucking summit earlier today was so fucking boring.

And Marley did mean to pass the message on, it's just that he forgot after taking so many burrito orders.

So it came as an even bigger fuck you when Kylo came to your match that same day, cheering you on.

What you wouldn't do to have him trapped in this cage with you.

You made it a point to tell the guys at The Death Star, not to let 500 credits dude anywhere near your changing room later that day, nor to let him in the place again, in fact, unless he was willing to pay 500 credits as a door charge.

So the next day, guess who wastes 500 credits trying to get into The Death Star for absolutely no reason?

Kylo does.

You didn't even fight that day.

The day after that, he has half the brain to go to the burrito stand again instead.

You nearly lunge at him and the stupid shades propped on his pointed nose through the window when he says, "you made your guy charge me 500 credits as a door fee?"

"Sorry, I only do burritos here," you quip back, "don't know what you're talking about."

Kylo brings out some units, "20 burritos then," he raises a finger, "I'll give a tip only if they're made by you."

You growl at him, nearly swatting the credits off the window sill, "the fuck do you need 20 burritos for?"

"I have a family!" Kylo calls back.

"And you're their burrito provider?" you scoff back.

"I am, actually," Kylo growls, "this is the only place in the capital that has nice burritos!"

Marley overhears this and pushes you aside, "why thank you, Kylo."

Kylo turns to him, clearing his throat, "it's not really a compliment. It's my opinion."

Marley beams, "and a great one! You know, I've been meaning to tell you, you look so much like our star prince, Prince Ben Solo."

You watch as Ben Solo cringes and waves his hand, "trust me, we look nothing alike."

You scoff at him.

Marley doesn't get to refute that as suddenly, he remembers something and turns to you, "oh," he gasps, "that reminds me. Kylo was here when you didn't have a shift and said he wanted to speak to you."

You pull your head back, "what?"

Kylo's eye twitches, "wait, are you saying you didn't pass my message to her?"

Marley turns to Kylo, "well, I was stacked up with burrito orders-"

The ding of an alarm from behind you indicates that you no longer have to listen to him, as your shift just ended.

You're not dealing with this.

You immediately hang up your apron and promptly leave, heading out the back, trailing down the narrow alley.

Before you could even reach the end of the exit, you jolt back when you see a heaving Kylo run up to you and block your passage.

You glare at him, watching his adam's apple bob as he gulped. You, yourself, gulp at that.

"I had to leave because I had a duty early in the morning," he rushes out.

You huff and push past him, shoving him back. Again, he forgets about your strength, not that he remembers much about that night beyond your sweet sounds, and is shocked when he nearly topples back.

Kylo does feel something familiar with how he uses his Force to keep you from walking away.

"Kylo, I will fucking deck you, I swear to--"

"I didn't think of leaving a note because I panicked and I'm an idiot."

Kylo circles around you and raises his hands in surrender. He accepts the consequence of you decking him if you really meant to once he removes his Force hold.

You sigh deeply, but don't bash his head against the pavement. He is grateful for it.

"So," Kylo starts, "do you still hate me?"

You narrow your eyes at him and scoff, "what is that? An apology with no apology?"

Kylo watches you walk off and chases after you, not at all convincingly responding with a, "I'm sorry!"

To be fair, even he could tell that he sounded more confused that apologetic.

"Take a hike, Ben."

Kylo growls. He pulls his shades off and manages to stand in front of you. He clenches his jaw and points with his glasses, "you know what. I hate you too."

Your face contorts. You scoff, "great," you force a smile, moving on.

He blocks you again when you sidestep, "you have made me spend thousands of credits in such a short span of time."

You sidestep once more, only to have him block you.

"I never asked you to do any of that!"

"So you're not sorry," Kylo narrows his eyes.

"Not at all," you gleam.

"Then that fucking does it!" he barks.

You look up at him as he seethes.

He steps forward, "you hate me, cause I'm an dick, and I hate you, cause you're a bitch."

You let out an incredulous laugh and feel your insides rage.

You grab him, intent on seriously hurting him, but it seems he anticipates it and grabs you right back then spins you over. He pushes you against the wall of the dingy building, pinning you against his body.

He can feel his heart hammering in his chest.

You can feel your heart hammering in yours.

Neither of you can tell the other felt the same.

"Let me go, you fucking-"

"But I'm sure you can't say fucking without thinking of me fucking you, huh," he mutters under his breath as he brings his face near yours.

You tense at his words. You feel your breathing strain after.

Kylo's lips barely curve.

Defiantly, yet halfheartedly, you mutter under your breath, "fuck you."

He leans in and rubs his nose against your ear, "that can be arranged."

When Kylo releases you, you shove him back and walk off.

He heaves as he watches you storm away. He releases a breath in annoyance and licks his lips, finding himself gritting his teeth at his shoes. He got all worked up for nothing?

"Hey!"

Kylo lifts his head

"You better keep watching my matches," you say, turning to him as you walked back, "I get a cut from the door charge."

Kylo shifts in his spot. He does not show how he is pleased to know you want him to come to you again, "that 100% markup is cruel."

You shrug, "well, I hate you, so..."

Kylo holds back his laugh, "you'll pay for that, pretty girl."

You ignore the way your stomach rolls at his pet name. "Make me," you mock, turn away, then walk off, "see you, Ben."

Kylo scoffs, "oh, I'll make you."

[blues824]

Empress Navier has a male butler Sebastian Michaelis!Reader; he's sadistic and stubborn but he does care for her tremendously. Giving her good gifts, making sure she's healthy, creating hard-to-find secret places so she can de-stress in peace without fearing it'll be discovered by someone else (again). He's charming but sinister and can put down others without getting in trouble thanks to his silver tongue (and the fact he may be a demon, but that's up to you).

If he is a demon, he might not have a contract (he's just there because he's bored). He will be his Empress's shadow; waiting to strike at a moment's notice if he feels you've done the slightest wrong to her Majesty.

Preface: You are a demon, but you aren’t contracted yet so you’re killing an insignificant amount of time by serving the Imperial Families throughout time. It just so happens that you are serving Navier as her butler presently.

Sovieshu

You were a good butler, but he could tell that you had other intentions. You got close to his wife 1) because you genuinely cared about her and 2) you wanted to piss him off to no bitter end. But since you were still productive as head of housekeeping, Sovieshu couldn’t do much against you.

It was as though you were the one who was truly in control. You had power over the guest lists, you had power over the food and entertainment, and lastly you were the one who made sure that the guest rooms were up to standard (thus meaning you had the power to make or break political alliances).

The only thing is that the Emperor could tell that you harbored no romantic feelings towards the Empress. You cared for her well-being just as any employee would. The difference is that you don’t give a shit about him. You’ve indirectly insulted him a multitude of times, and he doesn’t even catch it until much later.

Another thing he absolutely despises about you is how charming and devilishly handsome you are. You can win over anybody you wished (read: rizz up anyone you wanted). Most of the women in the palace (and even Rashta) swooned whenever you would use your manners and bow down because you would say something along the lines of, “This way, my dear”.

Rashta

She first saw you as intimidating until she saw how cordial you acted towards her. You acted as though she was just any other person. You actually treated everyone like that, aside from Navier obviously because you were her butler. But that was understandable.

So, her first act as mistress was to beg the Emperor to make you her butler instead. She really felt a close connection with you, and saw you as a friend. However, Sovieshu quickly shut down her request and refused. No amount of crying or begging would change his mind.

Not only did you truly not care for Rashta, but your manners were forced. You knew her true intentions, and even though you weren’t in a proper Faustian contract with Navier, you still felt obligated to protect her from harm as her properly employed butler.

As a result, her infatuation with you turned sour. If you weren’t a friend, you were a foe, and she began to notice how you treat her like any other woman. You were known as a womanizer (mainly because of rumors she had spread, but also because you were definitely a lady’s demon), but you gave more attention to the Empress than any other person entirely.

Navier

You were competent and very diligent, and that’s what she likes to see in a butler. Your relationship is actually very professional. Whenever you display your more charming side, it’s never to her because you know that she wouldn’t fall for it. She typically rolls her eyes, actually.

If you were being honest, you actually liked working for Her Imperial Majesty. It was very calming, compared to some of your other contractees. You stayed of your own volition because of it as well. The things you have done for her; you’ve even designed an entirely separate garden that no one knows about so she can have a breath of fresh air.

Navier was probably the first person you’ve genuinely cared for. You made sure that she had a relaxing tea before she went to bed so that she may be well-rested for the next day. You got along with the handmaidens as well. You even helped her with planning the New Year’s Ball.

She didn’t mind your reputation of being a lady’s man. It didn’t matter to her, because rumors are just that: rumors. And even if you were, you were still a valued employee because you did your job perfectly. Even her husband had to admit that you were an efficient worker.

Heinrey

He thought you were a rival at first, but upon seeing that you did not desire a romantic relationship with Her Imperial Majesty, you became an ally. He often asks you what Navier likes so that he could increase his chances with her.

You both were known to be womanizers, but for him it wasn’t true. Since you joined him and Ergi via your reputation, you were one heck of a band of friends. However, there was a bit of passive aggressiveness between you and Ergi that Heinrey failed to notice because of his love for Navier.

The Crowned Prince of the Western Kingdom noticed how you treated the Empress with all due respect. Even though you were both charismatic and charming, you portrayed a nothing less than professional side of you.

When the whole thing with the divorce went down, you were there to assist where you were needed. You were the one to prepare the carriage that could conceal Navier in a more comfortable manner. After all, a Queen deserves a comfortable carriage.

[notbadforafailedvessel]

Batcina AU - Part I

Not many knew Alcina had another transformation.

Just like her draconic form is the signal of losing control of her mutation, her bat form indicates her most healthy state, feeding herself correctly to keep the reins over the cadou.

However, it's not a form Alcina is fond of turning into because as a bat she's more fragile and vulnerable, making her feel mortal.

Also because it made her feel humiliated. How was it possible that a woman of her height, capable to provoke fear and intimidation ended up turning into a tiny creature that could be considered adorable?

One night, Alcina decides to go out on her own after listening some gossip about hunters, once again, planning to attack the castle, wanting to deal with it once and for all instead of waiting for them.

She spots the group right away, the gang not even bothering to go unnoticed with the torchs in their hands.

Alcina wonders, boringly, licking her claws clean, if humans were becoming more stupìd. She had killed the group so easily. Why even trying an attack when it seemed they didn't even bother to come up with a plan to at least make it thrilling?

The last thing she expected was finding herself surrounded by a bunch of people in the next second.

The village didn't count with such quantity so it was clear that people from other places had joined for the assault.

She fights without hesitation, but sometimes her height ends up being a disadvantage despite her strength.

Alcina had never faced so many people at the same time, much less people who actually counted with a plan for the confrontation, and even though she would have prefered to deal with this on her own, she was aware it wasn't going to be possible.

Despite it wouldn't be enough to kill her, the large amount of weapons coated with holy water and silver bullets striking her skin over and over again were enough to make an impact and weaken her.

She decides what's best is let Mother Miranda know what they are facing, that this time it's wasn't just an heretic group from the village as they were used to but a whole mob.

Alcina turns into a bat, small and nimble, confusing the people around her by her sudden disappearence to fly away.

But there was a hunter with hawk sight that noticed the creature that wasn't common to see in those lands, who is capable to hit the target, piercing Alcina's wing with his arrow before she managed to disappear entirely from his sight.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

You live on the village but somewhat isolated, after experience the nastiness of people, you preferred it that way.

You are getting ready for bed when you listen a crash outside, startling you.

After waiting a few seconds, making sure there wasn't further commotion and waiting for your heartrate to slow down, you decide to investigate.

Holding a lantern, you step outside your cabin, not finding anything out of the ordinary at first sight but then you notice the fallen buckets in the front of your garden shed, knowing that's not how you left them.

You squat in time to see a bat shaking its head, shaking off the dizziness of the hit, using its wings in an attempt to get up just to tumble to the right side, which makes you notice the tear of the wing membrane.

"Oh, you poor thing," you whisper, placing the lantern on the ground, your eyebrows furrowing with concern. Without thinking, you reach out to take the animal in your hands, not surprised when it hisses at you, finally realizing of your presence, but you do stop before achieving your goal. "I know, I know. I just want to help you, I promise." You keep one hand close to the animal so it realizes you are not a threat.

The bat freezes, its golden eyes locking with yours instead of inspecting your offered hand, looking at you in what it could be considered, a scrutinizing way.

You are befuddled by it, used to animals getting desperate in their attempt to escape and seek refuge to lick their wounds. Instead it felt like you are being inspected.

Alcina would prefer to escape and leave the mortification she is feeling behind. But after the unexpected attack she received, it wasn't possible for her to turn into her human form, she was too weak to even try it.

She looked at the person in front of her, knowing she would have to depend of them for a while because she was aware that she wouldn't be capable to make the rest of the flight. For a reason she had fallen during it. Unable to fly or move easily, it wasn't going to be possible to take care of herself on her own.

It wasn't something Alcina liked but needed, reason why she still hissed at them once she finally moved, crawling carefully over the offered hand. She hoped they were smart enough to get the message.

You smile when the bat settles down on your palm, noticing its body fits perfectly on it, its healthy wing folded against it while the other one is spread to the side not to aggravate it further.

You scratch softly the bat's head with your index finger, in a reassuring gesture, to then take the lantern with your free hand and stand up, making your way back to the cabin.

Alcina huffs at the petting. "It seems they aren't smart enough. Or at least they are smart enough to remove their finger before I had the chance to bite it." She sighs dramatically, already abhorring what would come in the next weeks.

Part II, Part III, Part IV

I would like to make a special shoutout to @ctitan98 because watching them share their AUs inspired me to finally share mine instead of keeping them in my mind and most likely never coming to life in any way, lol. Thank you so much for blessing us with your Alcina content!