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theidiotwhowritesthings · 1 year ago

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Take Care of You [10]

Sugar Daddy!Joel Miller x Female!Reader

Overall Warnings: slow burn, angst/comfort, power imbalance, age gap, possessive tendencies, eventual smut, #daddyissues, independent reader learns to let go and relax, emotionally constipated Joel Miller learns to be vulnerable; (more specific warnings to be added to individual chapters if necessary)

Chapter Word Count: 5.7k

Mood board and borders by @saradika

Summary: You spent your entire adult life supporting yourself and barely getting by. It’s why a life of ease offered to you by a mysterious stranger sounded so foreign and unbelievable. Joel Miller, dressed in flannels that had seen better days, didn’t look like the kind who could promise you the world on a plate, but he seemed desperate to help out. All he asks is that you let him take care of you. That wouldn’t be so hard. Would it?

[A/N: 🤡. I came back to life to immediately die off again i'm so sorry. here take this next part and all my love. speaking of my love, i already closed beta readers on tiktok but for anyone on here, if you wanna see why i've been so MIA, shoot me a message with your email if you wanna beta read my original work (i do ask that you do a questionnaire afterwards but that's just to help me out). But, imagine a scifi/fantasy where the book 'Six of Crows' meets 'The Last of Us', and I have good sources that y'all like TLOU👀]

[A/N pt.2: I did not edit this to the degree I should have and there is no tag list at the bottom i am so so so so sorry].

10: THE EVIDENCE IS PRETTY DAMNING

The ceiling wasn’t right.

That was your first, foggy thought when your eyes opened. Rather than the bumpy, plaster speckles collecting dust it was smooth and off white. You slowly sat up with a groan, head spinning and mouth dry, and you blinked three times before your situation dawned on you. This was not your bed, not your house. Fuck. You set your hands on the bed to lean back then winced. With a hiss, you pulled your hand up and saw the bandaged injury from last night.

You cradled the hand with your other and turned to hang your legs over the edge of the bed. Out of the corner of your eye, you noticed a note on the nightstand. You leaned over. There was a full water bottle and a bottle of tylenol resting on top of a piece of paper. On the paper, in scratchy, nearly illegible, writing was, ‘Come downstairs when you’re ready. Feel free to use the shower and change if you want. ⏤Joel’. You dragged your fingers to trace the words.

With a shaky breath, you grabbed the water bottle and took a couple pills in hopes to nurse the aches and pains you felt. You stared at the words again. Last night, Joel admitted to being married to Sarah’s mom and you had responded by passing the fuck out. You had tried to argue, demand more information, but your body fought against your curiosity. All the drinks you had prior and the fading adrenaline from the fight probably hadn’t helped.

You rose from the bed with a groan and crossed to use the bathroom adjoined to Joel’s bedroom. When you flicked the lights on, you took the first movement to glance around the space. The walls were beige with white tile floors. On one side was a large jacuzzi style tub next to an expansive walk in shower. On the other was ample counter space and drawers with matching him and her sinks. In the back was the small room where the toilet sat and beyond that a walk in closet. The space was lived in. A dirty clothes basket off to the side half full, toiletries on the counter and on the shelves in the shower, you spotted a pair of glasses you had never seen Joel wear resting by the sink on the right side of the counter. That must be the one Joel used most. A toothbrush sat by it and you noticed water by the rim like he hadn’t wiped up when finished.

Also on the counter were a stack of clothes, you stepped toward it and saw it was a t-shirt and pair of sweatpants that must have belonged to him. On top of it was a brand new toothbrush. Your gaze lifted to look at yourself in the mirror and you flinched. You looked a mess⏤ your hair, your clothes, everything. You rubbed at your face with a sigh and slipped into a morning time routine despite the unfamiliar setting.

Celina.

The name rang in your head over and over and over again. It didn’t matter that you had been only half with it last night. You remembered that clearly. As you cleaned up, your headache began to improve and by time you left the bathroom you at least felt human again. A new anger bubbled just under your skin. You couldn’t quite yet put your anger into words, but you knew it was there. After washing up, you traded the clothes you wore to the bar for the ones Joel left you. The shirt was worn out, like it was aged, and navy in color. It read ‘Miller’s Contracting’ with a number on it for contact. It reminded you of the kind of shirt a small company would make and not a multi-million dollar one. You tightened the waistband of Joel’s sweatpants. They were at least joggers so you didn’t have to worry about tripping over yourself.

You crossed the upstairs, open space to the stairs. Faintly, you heard the sound of someone moving around downstairs. A brief wave of nervousness had you hesitating at the top of the stairs, but it slipped away back to anger. It seemed that was where your heart was making camp this morning.

Slowly, you descended the stairs. The wooden floors under your feet didn’t creak or make noise as you padded into the living room first. A few couches were situated in front of a wall that held a large flat screen TV and a fireplace. The back wall was made of glass, a window and door all in one that revealed the back patio where a small pool and deck were, and the space beside it was the kitchen. Just as open as the rest of Joel’s house. The cabinets were made of dark wood with matching countertops and at the center was a large island with chairs.

On the island counter looked like to-go boxes of food. You stared at them a moment longer, but a door hidden just out of view on the wall in the kitchen opened. Joel stepped into the kitchen nonchalantly until he spotted you and did a double take. He froze and stared. The two of you were actually similarly dressed. He had on a t-shirt that looked tight on his broad shoulders and a pair of sweatpants that hung low on his hips. Joel looked exhausted.

“Hey.” He said softly. “Mornin’, sug⏤” Joel stopped himself, it looked like he choked on his words, but he locked his jaw and changed direction. “Mornin’. How did you sleep?” You gave a small shrug and a tight lipped smile. “Right. How’s your…” Joel lifted his own hand. “Your hand?”

You lifted it up to stare down at it. The bandages had been pulled away when you washed up this morning. It didn’t look so bad. “It’s fine. Thanks for the⏤ the tylenol. And the toothbrush. And the,” You motioned to the clothes hanging off your frame, “You know.”

“Can I?” Joel nodded toward you.

“I said, it’s fine, Joel.”

“I…” He sighed and the look in his eyes was agonizing. “I know you’re pissed at me. Understandably so. But, please let me…”

You walked over to sit down at one of the tall chairs at the island counter and set your hand on the marble top. Joel mumbled a quiet ‘thank you’ and disappeared for a quick second. He was back with a small first aid kit again. You twisted your lips when you felt his warm hand cautiously take yours. It was quiet as he reapplied a bit of medicine to the hand before wrapping it up again.

“You don’t…” Joel started then cleared his throat. You never would have used the word anxious to describe the Joel you had gotten to know thus far, but nervous energy seemed to radiate off him. The tension in his shoulders looked painful to keep hold of. “I had breakfast delivered. Some stuff I know you like.” Joel pulled his hand away from yours. “But you don’t have to stay if you don’t wanna.”

“No. I want to.” You replied. Joel looked briefly hopeful. “I want to talk about this. I want⏤ to know. I want answers.”

“Right. Of course.” Joel nodded quickly. “I owe you at least that.” You nodded in agreement. Joel straightened from where he stood and ran a hand over his chest and shoulder with a quiet cough. “Can I make you something to drink? Coffee, tea, juice?”

You gave a small nod, mumbling a response, and watched as Joel put it all together. He poured himself a cup of coffee after serving you. Rather than take the seat beside you, he stood on the other side of the island counter across from you.

“You mentioned the girl from Vegas last night briefly, but how did you know…”

“Yo-yo told me you had a sugar baby before me. That you married her.”

“I did have a sugar baby before you, yes.” Joel sighed.

“Why did you lie to me?” You demanded.

Joel shook his head, “I never lied to you. I just⏤ I never told you, and you never asked.”

“Really?” You scoffed. “That’s what you wanna hang your hat on here? Semantics?” Joel hung his head then shook it a bit. “I didn’t want to believe her, but yesterday Nima texted someone she knows. A private investigator⏤”

Joel’s eyes widened, “You hired a private investigator??”

“I didn’t hire anybody! Nima just texted them and they confirmed⏤”

“You went to a PI before just asking me?” Joel replied sharply. You leaned back in your seat⏤ in shock at his audacity. He must have noticed how you felt because he held up a hand. “I just mean, that’s a huge invasion of privacy and all you had to do was call me⏤”

You pushed out of your seat and turned to leave. Joel called out after you before following. He grabbed your hand to tug you to a stop and you glared at him over your shoulder. You snapped, “If you’re just going to stand there and be defensive then there’s no reason for me to be here, Joel.” You pulled your hand out of his grip and spun to face him. “I understand that getting in contact with a fucking PI was a crazy move, but yesterday I felt a little crazy.” You scoffed. “I felt like an idiot. I felt like a naive, desperate idiot who got played. So, yeah, I let Nima text her cousin’s cousin’s cousin to find an answer because the thought of standing in front of you and asking⏤”

The rest of your words got caught in your throat. You didn’t want to get emotional in front of Joel. More than anything you wanted to keep your cool and be collected. Just in case he did break your heart, you could walk away with at least some of your dignity intact. Joel took a step closer. Thankfully, he didn’t try to touch you, but he did lift his hands slightly in surrender.

“I’m sorry. You’re right. I’m sorry.” He said. “I’m being defensive. Hell, I'm being an ass.” You locked your jaw and let your eyes focus on something over his shoulder. Unable to stare into those deep, dark eyes. “This is… This isn’t an easy subject for me to talk about and I⏤ I panicked. I want you to hear me out. I want you to know the truth.” He shifted in his stance so your gaze was forced to meet his. The longing there made you suck in a sharp breath. “Please. Give me another chance to explain this. I’ll do better.”

You rubbed the back of your neck with your non-injured hand and gave a small nod.

“Thank you. Thank you.” Joel repeated himself. He took a step back but kept his shoulders facing you as if he thought you were a flight risk. Joel motioned to his couch. “Do you wanna sit? I’ll grab our drinks.” You sighed and meandered over to sit down on one end of his leather couch. Joel didn’t move back into the kitchen until after you were seated. He came back with both of your drinks and handed you your own before sitting on the other side of the couch. One cushion of space between the two of you.

You took a sip, trying to gather your thoughts, before nodding once. “I want to know about your wife first. Celina, you said? I want to know about her.”

“Yeah.” Joel swallowed thickly. “Do you remember anything I mentioned about Sarah’s mom before?”

“I didn’t know her name.” You replied. “You said the two of you had dated for, like, three months?” Joel nodded. “She got pregnant, and you worked it out. Things were fine, but two weeks after Sarah was born she left. You never said the two of you got married though.”

“Because we didn’t.” Joel replied softly. “I asked. Proposed to her when we found out she was pregnant with Sarah, and she said no.” Your eyebrows furrowed in confusion, but he wasn’t meeting your gaze anymore. Joel stared down at the coffee mug in his hands. “I loved her. She was my first real love, actually. I knew our situation wasn’t ideal, but… I wanted it to work. I saw a future with her.” Joel ran his thumb back and forth on the edge of his mug’s rim where it reached. He chuckled, “When Sarah was born… Those two weeks? It was⏤ It was good. But, uh, then she left.” Joel shrugged in a way that attempted nonchalance but did not meet the mark. “Her leaving hurt for a lot of reasons. For one, in no way was I prepared to take care of a newborn.”

You set your drink on the coffee table before leaning back. Joel stayed silent, his jaw clenching and unclenching, and you recognized the look of someone getting stuck in their own memories. You spoke up, “What happened then? When did you get married?”

“Celina is…” Joel began. He rubbed his jawline. “I spent a lot of time being furious with her⏤ hating her. Not just for leaving me behind, but for leaving Sarah. Sarah deserved better.” He shook his head. “But she… she came to me, needing help, and I⏤ I couldn’t say no. Not to her. And not because I still had any sort of feelings for her, but because no matter how angry I was at her she gave me Sarah.” A vulnerable softness filled his features and he finally lifted his head to meet your gaze fully. “Without Celina, I wouldn’t have Sarah.”

You could understand that. You knew that his daughters meant absolutely everything to Joel. More so, despite all the shit going on between the two of you right now, despite Joel arguing otherwise, you knew he was a good man. You had a very hard time picturing him saying no to anyone who came to him for help.

“When did she come to you? And why? What problem is solved with marriage?”

“Three years ago. Just about.” Joel mumbled. “It’s… She was sick. Cancer. The only feasible treatment was going to bankrupt her because her insurance refused to cover the cost. Celina came back wanting to see Sarah. Get to know her before she died.” Your eyes widened in surprise at both the news and the confusion that came with trying to connect the dots. “I told her that was up to Sarah⏤ she was old enough to make that decision for herself and I was gonna support her with whatever she chose.”

You nodded slowly, “Okay…”

“Sarah decided she did want to meet her mom. And I…” Joel paused. He set his coffee mug down on the coffee table as well and laced his fingers together. He was fidgeting. Another nervous tick of his. Joel could never seem to keep his hands still when he was caught in his own mind. It was like his hands so desperately wanted to fix what stressed him out⏤ even if it wasn’t a physical problem they could fix. “I⏤ I couldn’t stop thinking… remembering…”

Joel squeezed his eyes shut, and the palpable pain had you shifting closer. It dawned on you. Words clicking in your mind. You set a hand on his forearm and gave it a small squeeze, “Your mom.” Joel had told you, ages ago, that he had lost his own mother to cancer. “You lost her. I remember you telling me.”

“Yes.” Joel unlaced his own fingers so he could settle one hand on top of yours⏤ still resting on his forearm. The tip of his thumb dragged back and forth against the knuckle of your index finger. Tracing the shape of it. “It wasn’t… It wasn’t the exact same, I know that, but… Sarah technically had already lost her once.”

“Joel…”

“I offered to pay. Pay for the treatment in full.” Joel’s thumb stilled to squeeze your hand once. “I’d cover all the costs, but⏤ but Celina refused. Said she didn’t want,” Joel scoffed with a humorless laugh, “Didn’t want to be a ‘charity case’. Said she didn’t come back for my money, or for me to fix the problem, she came back for Sarah.” Joel shook his head. “We argued in circles for God knows how long. We finally settled on this. If we got married, she’d have my insurance instead of her own. My insurance would cover most of the treatments and she’d pay what it didn’t.”

You understood that. It matched up with what you knew about Joel. “How is she? Now?”

“In remission. Since seven months ago, she’s been in remission.” A small smile flickered on his features. “She lives in Waco. Wanted to be closer to Sarah. One of the only reasons I could stomach all of us coming to LA while Sarah stayed in Texas for college. I knew she’d at least have her there in case of emergencies.”

Your face scrunched in question, “Then why… Why are you still married?”

“I don’t have a reason. Not a real one. Not beyond me just being lazy.” Joel said firmly. He held your hand tight, keeping it pinned to his arm, like it was a lifeline. “Up until now, it didn’t matter to me. It made no difference. That’s it. I swear to you, sugar.” The nickname fell out of his mouth like second nature. “And I’m working on changing that already. You can ask Tommy or⏤ or hell I’ll give you Celina’s number or our lawyer’s number. We started the official divorce paperwork the day you and I got back from Vegas. It was the first call I made after dropping you off at your place.”

You did believe him. As Joel held your gaze, all you could see in those soulful eyes was a deep desperation. An ache seeking the comfort that would come with reassurance. “I believe you.” You said softly and his eyes closed in relief. His entire body sagged as the tension seeped out of it. You really did believe him, and of all the ways this could’ve gone wrong technically you supposed this was the best case scenario. However, learning this made you realize what aspect of this bothered you more than most. You slid your hand out from under his. “Why… Why didn’t you just tell me?”

“I was… I was going to. After.”

“Why though? Why after?” You shook your head. “Why didn’t you trust me with this?” Joel’s face fell again. “I know we haven’t known one another for long, but…” You bit back your words before you admitted to the naive truth that you felt some sort of connection to him. That being with him was as easy as breathing and you foolishly let yourself get carried away. “I don’t…”

Joel quickly scooted closer, a hand held up in surrender, “Had nothing to do with⏤ with me not… I do trust you. I do.” Joel shook his head. “Me not mentioning this had nothing to do with you. It was me.” His words reminded you of Vegas. This excuse was sounding familiar and the more you heard it the harder it was to believe. He hung his head and winced. “I need to tell you about⏤ about Erina.”

“That’s…” You began. “Is that your sugar baby?

“Yeah.” Joel nodded. “But it was more complicated than that.”

“So, I’m gathering.” You mumbled. The words of frustration left your lips before you could filter them. In this situation, you felt you had every right to be upset and bitter, but the look of pained guilt that filled Joel’s features made every cell in your body vibrate with regret. It felt like you had just kicked a puppy, and those sad, brown eyes were heart wrenching. “Sorry.”

Joel shook his head quickly. “No. Don’t. You don’t need to be sorry. I do.”

“You’re talking to me⏤ answering my questions.” You replied with a small shrug. “The least I can do is not be petty.” You twisted your lips. “So? Tell me about her.”

“She wasn’t my sugar baby to begin with.” Joel started softly. He turned his head to keep his gaze on the mug sitting on the coffee table, and you found the story easier to stomach without those powerful eyes focused on you. “My company got hired for a job. It was a big one, which is why it came across my desk. Some summer project. A finance guy wanted his vacation house completely renovated in Malibu. I decided to take a more hands on position for the entire thing. Stayed on site to work.” It wasn’t a shock to hear. You were plenty aware that Joel spent most of his work time on site if he could. Joel only donned a tie for the board room when Tess wrestled him into it. “The guy who hired us wasn’t there, but his wife was. At least, I thought it was his wife.”

“But it wasn’t.”

Joel gave out a sad chuckle, “No. She wasn’t. Erina was… lively and energetic. She was fun, and I… It had been a long time since I experienced that kind of light hearted fun. Plus, the client, when he did come around, was such an asshole to her and I⏤” Joel sighed. “She left him midway through the project, but we didn’t get involved with one another until after it was over. When it started, it was great. The honeymoon phase was…” His voice trailed off as a small, sad smile crossed his face. You found your stomach churn in jealousy at him talking about this other woman. It was damn near nonsensical, but the emotion rose up regardless. “The issues started a while in. I realized that we saw the relationship differently. I thought… I thought what we had was real, and she only saw me as her new sugar daddy.”

For a while, we just went on. I didn’t think the difference in how we viewed things would matter. Stupid, I know, but… I thought I was happy.” Joel mumbled the last bit. He lifted a hand to rub at his jawline. “As you’ve probably figured out, I’m not⏤ I’m not good at this. Relationships and…” He tensed. “Some people are just better off alone, but I’ve been too hard headed to accept that.”

“Joel.” You interrupted the flow of his story at his claim. You didn’t believe that and you especially refused to believe it about Joel. “That’s not⏤”

“Things were still working until I…” Joel shook his head. “I told her about Celina. Tried to explain the situation to her, but when she told me to get divorced and I couldn’t⏤ that’s when it all started to crumble. I didn’t actually end the relationship until after I found out she was seeing a few other guys.” You opened your mouth the speak, the beginnings of a sentence you didn’t know how to end slipping from your tongue, but Joel suddenly turned in his seat to face you and the look in his eyes silenced any attempt at speech. He hesitantly reached out and let his hand settle on top of yours. When you didn’t pull away, he squeezed his grip tighter. “You and Erina are not the same. It wasn’t until after we stopped seeing one another that I realized how terrible our relationship had been. So please, please, don’t think I’m comparing you to her because I’m not. I know how she reacted is not some⏤ some default and you wouldn’t necessarily react the same, but… but every time I considered telling you about Celina, all I could imagine was you leaving. And I, selfishly, stopped myself from admitting the truth to you because I didn’t want to ruin this the way I ruin everything else.”

You murmured his name. Early on, you recognized Joel had trust issues, but you had never realized it stretched this far. Joel didn’t trust even himself. It broke your heart that he thought so poorly of himself. No matter how upset you were at the man you knew deep down he was a good. His mistake had hurt you, but it hadn’t been born of malice. You saw that now. Fear and self doubt had brought the two of you to this crossroads.

“Joel, that isn’t true.” You said softly. “You don’t ruin everything.”

“The evidence is pretty damning.” Joel chuckled sadly. You opened your mouth to argue, but he shook his head quickly and held out a hand to stop you. “That’s not the point of… I should’ve told you. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. I should’ve told you, been up front about it all, and I’m sorry.” Joel sighed. “I’m sorry, sugar.”

He had answered a number of your questions and with the truth came the relief of knowing. Plus, the answer technically hadn’t been your worst case scenario. God knew your brain was plenty capable of thinking up some nightmare-ish situations. So in comparison, it would be worse. Still, there was an itch that hadn’t quite yet been scratched.

“Why… Why seek out a new sugar baby?” You asked. His experience with Erina had obviously been less than ideal so why try again? You shook your head, “Why me?”

“Those are two very different questions.”

“How do you figure that?”

“I …” Joel began hesitantly. You could see his thoughts jumbling in his mind as he struggled to string one along. Conversations like this were hardly considered Joel’s comfort zone so you did appreciate that he was trying. That went a long way as well. “Erina came back into my life not so long ago.” You felt your stomach drop and your heart clench painfully. The emotional response was so physical that it nearly made you sick. Joel must have noticed because he quickly reached out and settled a hand on your shoulder. “No. Not like that. She means nothing to me. She came to me wanting to get back together, harassing me about it, but I’ve made it crystal clear to her and everyone around us that I have no interest in restarting something with her. Especially now.”

“Okay…”

“The idea was…” Joel winced sheepishly. “The idea was to hire a sugar baby as a way to show her that I was serious. We were done and I was moving on.” It was ridiculous enough that from anyone’s else mouth you wouldn’t have believed them, but they had been said in Joel’s sincerity. “I know how that sounds.”

“Not good. It sounds not good.”

“I know. Everyone told me it was a bad idea. Tess, Sarah, Ellie.” You found it interesting that his daughters knew about their father’s love life to that degree. It spoke to how close they were and his stance on honesty. Joel chuckled. “Actually, the only person who agreed with me on the plan was Tommy, but I suppose that should’ve been a sign to give it up.” Your lips twitched up mildly in amusement. “But, deep down I knew it would hurt Erina, and I… I wanted to be petty.”

You shrugged, “And I’m apart of this… how? To annoy Erina?”

“No.” Joel said firmly, almost roughly. “Absolutely not. Remember the day you bought me that coffee? I said I had been meeting with some other, um, women?” You nodded and let him continue. “By time I made it to the that coffee shop, I had already half decided to give up the idea. It was obviously going poorly. I was literally just looking for someone I wouldn’t mind spending time with and I couldn’t even do that. But you were… God, meeting you felt like a breath of fresh air.” He messily ran a hand through his hair while his other continued to fidget. “You stayed on my mind and when I spotted you again…”

“I…” You tried to find the right words. The ones he would want to hear. It felt odd to give forgiveness for a misunderstanding, but you knew that’s what he was seeking. Validation. “I forgive you.”

The relief on Joel’s face was staggering and when he held a hand out to you, you knew exactly what he was asking for. You closed the space and let him pull you into a hug. His warm, large hands enveloped you as he craddled the back of your head to hold you as closely to him as you could. You wrapped your own arms around him and lazily dragged your thumb up and down where it rested.

You did forgive him for this. That was the truth and you meant it with your whole heart, but this entire experience was eye opening. You had fallen for Joel so dangerously fast. It made you realize that if this had been a different scenario, one of the nightmare-ish ones you imagined, it would’ve destroyed you. With the speed you were moving in, you would’ve hit the ground at a million miles per hour and shattered. You forgave Joel, but you needed to figure out a way to better guard your heart.

“I’m sorry for reaching out to a PI.”

“No. Don’t be.” Joel pulled back and the hand at the back of your head dragged forward to cup the side of your face. He sighed, “You were right. I should’ve handled this better, but I… I do appreciate you saying so.” The two of you sat in a moment of silence and for the first time since you met him that silence felt awkward. Joel must have felt it as well based on the clearing of his throat and fidgeting. “So… Are we— Are we okay?”

You nodded, “I think so.” The tension left Joel’s shoulders and you quickly stood. “I should… I should go.”

“You’re off today though, aren’t you?” Joel stood as well.

“Well, yeah, but—”

“Stay. Please.” Joel motioned back to the kitchen. “Have breakfast. I called Tommy and he’s gonna bring over your stuff.” Your eyes widened in surprise and he shrugged. “Tommy is gonna bring over your friend who has your stuff I should say.”

You hesitated, nervous after this heart to heart, but Joel held out a hand to you. Equally a peace offering and lifeline. You just weren’t sure if it was a lifeline for you or him. You set your hand in his and he gave it a small squeeze. The smile on his face was soft and open. Two words you knew not many people were able to claim as a description with him.

Joel led you back toward the kitchen and when you turned to try and go back for your mug he stopped you. He settled you on one of the bar stools, hands lingering on your hips briefly, before going back to the living room for both your mugs.

“You know, when I pictured you spending the night here this wasn’t quite how I thought it’d go.” Joel chuckled and grabbed a plate. You leaned on the counter and waited since you knew that plate he was making was meant for you. It took a second for his words to dawn on you. Joel pictures you spending the night in his home with him? Your face and neck warmed at the thought. It wasn’t like you hadn’t had those kinds of ideas, but hearing it from him still made your heart flutter. Even with the disaster miscommunication still lingering in your rear view mirror. “Here. Lemme know if you want anything else.” Joel set the plate in front of you and handed you a fork. After making his own plate, he pulled the barstool beside you closer and sat down. He sat sideways to face you and his knee pressed against your stool. “We could, uh, we could have a day in.”

“Hm?” You took a bite of your food.

“We’re both in pajamas and neither of us have work.”

“You don’t have work?” You asked in surprise.

Joel shook his head. “I already called Tess and told her I wasn’t coming in today. Told her I was feeling sick.”

“Did she actually believe you?” You smirked.

“No.” Joel chuckled. “She didn’t. But she also didn’t call me out on my shit, so…”

He gave you a charming smile, obviously trying to lighten the mood, and you found you appreciated it. Things weren't perfect, but for the sake of what had been you were willing to try.

#joel miller x you #joel miller x reader #the last of us fanfiction #sugar daddy!joel miller x reader #sugardaddy!joel miller #i forgot what tags i used to use #oh lord #uh #reader insert #joel miller

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nalyra-dreaming · 8 days ago

Note

For the armand headcanons- anything you want, book, show, literally everything that comes to your mind🙏

Alright, so ... let's see. :) (These are all wildly mixed headcanons, some which I expect on the show, some not so much, but I just... let it all spill out :))

Armand never really starts painting again on his own, but he keeps all the paintings he acquired over the years and which he chose himelf

the crypts at Trinity Gate are always prepared - depending on the decade that includes all kind of technical equipment too, and he is one of the driving forces behind a similar outfitting of the crypts at the château later

there is a charity he funded and keeps that stems from the dancer he and Daniel "adopted" during their relationship years

he spends way too much time eavesdropping on Lestat and he knows it too but is unable to help himself

it took years to hang the Marius' painting up after he found it again, and he was only able to do so after facing some memories that were especially painful because they were good memories

he and Lestat have an understanding that surpasses others, an awareness of the other that allows for perfect teamwork in battle or on the hunt

Louis and he rarely talk about what was - especially after Louis has accepted his own reality this is something that Armand finds that he grapples with more than he thought he would

the centuries with the Children of Darkness are a blur - the years were spent disassociating a lot, which sharpened his mind and spell gift, so only a few incidents are in sharp contrast of memory

Armand sometimes returns to where the theater was, to contemplate change and talk to those who are still entombed beneath the new structures built on the ashes

sometimes he feels the need to be touched in vivid colors

the emotions that Sybelle and Benji evoke in him pulse like neon lights in his consciousness

the way the court functions drives him mad because he finds it inefficient

when Daniel was with Marius and had his train obsession he would sometimes go by and leave special editions amid the boxes

he still likes to microwave stuff just so it is warm

in case of show Armand - he really likes hot blood wine

the blenders have been replaced by the new Thermomix

he has bought several for the kitchen for the prisoners at the court

he has an arrangement with Barbara to look at the wolfkiller cloak when Lestat isn't there

Armand bought and still buys a lot of first editions for Louis, something he has in common with Lestat

he took the BDSM equipment from the bedroom with him when he left and then gave it away at a club

he still likes to dive through harbors and look at the ships and fishes

he and Daniel go swimming on moonlit beaches

not hunting down the young vampires anymore has been surprisingly hard to implement since he gets annoyed by them

which in turn has led to bouts of shame which resulted in the quasi adoption of some of them

he has refined his mind gift call for "those who wish to die" to separate by blood type depending on his mood

he and Louis still have heated discussions about that since Louis still finds it tasteless and which Lestat always rolls his eyes at

he and Bianca sit down eventually to talk things through something that he realizes afterwards they should have done earlier and which relaxes something in him

his relationship with Marius is still bumpy, though Bianca serves as a buffer afterwards going both ways

Armand and Lestat sometimes talk Italian together much to Gabrielle's annoyance

... those are it, off the top of my hat :)

Some of these I would love to see, ngl, but then... I'm sure the show will give us plenty of new headcanons very soon :)) (and LOTS I have not thought about^^)

#Anonymous #ask nalyra #amc iwtv #iwtv #amc interview with the vampire #interview with the vampire #armand #headcanons

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loquaciousquark · 7 months ago

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Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Spread the self-love ❤️

This week has been hell and now that I'm finally coming to the end of it, I'm going to sit down & enjoy this! Sorry in advance for the length.

My favorite fics vacillate wildly depending on my mood, interest, and the time of year, but right now, I think this is what I've got. In no particular order:

Invicta, Invictus (2016)

Magister AU. Hawke ends up owning Fenris while in Minrathous & they fall in love anyway. This fic was difficult to write for a lot of reasons (a main one just being my fear of not doing justice to the premise and underselling the slavery aspect), and it took nearly a year to finish between the writing itself, the rewriting and additional scenes required from @jadesabre301's beta, and final edits. By the time I started posting I felt confident that I'd written something solid, but despite the otherwise positive response, I did end up receiving a series of extremely angry, lengthy critical comments from someone who basically accused me of perpetuating the glorification of rape, the enslavement of people of color, and the entrenchment of cruelty against victims of sexual assault. (I vividly remember a comparison between Thomas Jefferson & Sally Hemings.)

This came out of the blue from someone I knew & had otherwise quite respected; it was a blow that shook my confidence to the core, despite several wonderful people reaching out to me at the time, and while I finished posting the fic, I completely stopped writing otherwise. I ended up not writing anything of significance for three full years afterwards. It wasn't until I got extremely drunk on a work trip (after a personal dinner, no colleagues around) and went back to my hotel to jot down the first lines of the Hawke-is-rescued-from-the-Fade fic that I even entertained the idea of picking the hobby back up.

Now, looking back after almost ten years, I've long come to terms with her criticism. I've decided that I disagree with her, that I'm actually still okay with what I wrote, and that I'm proud of the work I did in that fic. I think the premise is good and the examination of the social and political structures is sound, and I think the fic does what it needs to where the relationship strains against the societal boundaries around it. Not to mention I think it has some of my best Fenris characterization I ever managed, and some of my better Hawke jokes. I think the letter exchange at the end is effectively poignant even after all this time (though I do wish I'd written Danarius's actual death a little differently), and I still find the ending as they approach Kirkwall very satisfying. I'll also never turn down a chance to let Varania have a moment or two.

I'm proud of this one, and I'm glad I wrote it.

A Midwinter's Carol; in Prose; Being a Ghost Story of Baldur's Gate (2023)

I think this fic has some of my best technical mimicry I've ever managed. I've always enjoyed a good stylistic parroting, but this was the first time I'd attempted Dickens, and I genuinely think I did a good job. 😂 I've always been fascinated by the mechanics of language, and I had a great time spoofing his oddly frank addresses to the reader and his serpentine asides.

It's quite short—less than 10k—but I think it does exactly what it's supposed to, and I'm genuinely proud of some of the AU elements. @eponymous-rose gave me Christmases Past and Present, so I can't lay claim to those (aside from execution), but the way Future's demand resolves & the Thayan book standing in for the door knocker were all mine, and I still think they're genius, ahaha. (I also fully acknowledge that I owe Jade big time for helping me clarify the final deal Astarion strikes.)

I think the wordplay throughout of what it means to be redeemed is well written, and I'm genuinely pleased with the turn of the mood during the Future sequence. I can tell my love of flippant characters having stark face-to-face encounters with gods is probably a little strong at the end, but Megan Whalen Turner was a formative influence, and I still love it the way it came out here. This is a fic that did exactly what I wanted it to from start to finish, and I love rereading it.

I also think Astarion refusing to participate in the narrative and Tav's modern voice against the Dickensian backdrop are utterly hilarious.

Iron Bound (2023)

This is the most ambitious project I've ever tackled, even considering Invicta above. I knew this would be a long fic, and while I'd daydreamed about scenes from it for nearly a decade, I genuinely didn't know if I had the technical ability to execute it the way I wanted. Once I finally, finally, finally sat down to write it, the words came out like butter, and I wrote almost 70k words in two weeks.

This fic was interesting because it included a love triangle, which is not something I have ever had the slightest interest in reading or writing, but I felt the relationships were strong enough between all three pillars that I wanted to give it a shot. I love Hawke & Fenris, obviously, but the Fenris + Sebastian brotherhood is likewise vitally important to me, and I've always treasured the Sebastian + Hawke friendship as well. Getting to examine all three of them closely here was wonderful from start to finish, and I loved looking at where the lines strained and grew lax as they got to know each other.

Likewise, I've also adored characters who have to face the conflict between love and duty, and this premise let me marinate in every part of the idea. Knowing that I'd be able to give them all happy endings—knowing that they'd be rewarded for doing the right thing—was very pat and yet very satisfying, and I enjoyed every minute of the tension before the resolution.

This fic was in many ways an homage to Patricia McKillip, one of my favorite authors, and also a frank wish-fulfillment exercise for me. This is the one where everyone lives. This is the one where no one suffers for too long. Malcolm, Carver, Bethany, Leandra—even Varania and Sebastian and Anders and the dog. Everyone lives. Everyone is happy and loved and fed and secure and will remain so for the rest of their lives, and I remain thoroughly unapologetic for it.

I do think (despite Jade's attempts to correct it) that there's some marked narrative clumsiness in the back third, and with a little distance I can see ways I could have revised the Danarius confrontation and the series of epilogues to hang together more cleanly. There are also some heavy-handed sequences regarding the broader world politics which I think stand out against what is otherwise fairly mature writing, and I wish I'd threaded those through a bit more deftly.

That said, I'm still immensely proud of this project, and once I finish this post I'm probably going to reread it start to finish. 😂

This Lethal Light Falls Softly (2023)

I was very passionate about the central conceit of this fic, and I think it shows. It's cleanly written with no wasted time—even rereading it now for this post, there's only one exchange I'd still tweak—and I'm very happy with the way I wrote the Tav & Astarion relationship at this stage. They're a wholly different beast to Fenris & Hawke, who are friends for seven years before they finally embark on a real relationship; Tav & Astarion know each other maybe a few weeks before they sleep together for the first time, and even with the most generous possible interpretation I don't think the game can take more than a handful of months. This meant I was writing lovers with new-to-me insecurities, and with Astarion's own basketful of bugaboos on top of that, everything felt fresh and exciting and a little terrifying. I think you can feel that energy in the prose, and I really like it.

Aside from that, I'm very happy with the solution I came up with to Astarion's vampirism. It was hardly inventive, but I did feel it was both practical and lore-friendly, and I felt like its cost (Tav's absence for Astarion, the exhaustion and battle and injuries for Tav) balanced out the number of boons it provided. It also made negating the vampiric effects an active, ongoing choice for Astarion, which I deeply prefer over more permanent solutions like True Resurrection or a god restoring him to mortality.

I also just honestly think it's just fun to read. I like Astarion being snippy and short-tempered while still being overjoyed to see Tav alive. I like Tav confronting the idea that Astarion loves her as much as she loves him and that her silent absence was an active harm to him. I think I did a pretty good job setting the scenery and conveying the appropriate atmosphere where it was important, and I think there are some turns of phrase throughout that came out quite lovely.

I also think ending on the button of him seeing himself in the mirror is hilarious. (Not pictured: Tav having to ask him to put down the hand mirror for literal weeks.)

ah! this grief like cold bells ringing (2020)

This is probably the most difficult fic I've written in terms of headspace. COVID's forced isolation was particularly awful for me, and I didn't know how to handle it except to try to write it out of me. This, like Iron Bound, contained something I never thought I'd write (rape/rape aftermath), but the gravity of the situation and the world at the time seemed to demand something likewise grave, and I ended up feeling like it was an appropriate choice. Hawke has been a tool of many kinds for me over the years, and I remain both glad and weirdly grateful for her resilience.

This was also the first fic where I felt like I didn't shy away from or veil Tevinter's atrocities (a necessary artifact of the premise). While it was hard to write, it wasn't hard to write, and looking back I'm glad I made the choices I did; I think to hamstring the severity of the moment would have broken the story's teeth and dampened the recovery which came after. The instinct to quit flinching away was the right one, and I think the fic is better for it.

I also think this is some of the most effective writing of catharsis I've ever managed. When I'm having a really difficult time and need to read a moment of recovery, the second chapter of this fic is always my first stop. I've actually only reread the first chapter a few times since I posted (usually the pain's not the part I need), but I've reread the second chapter a hundred times or more.

I also do think that the style of the prose—a little flatter and more direct than I usually write—came out well, especially given the subject matter. While I'd prefer never to go back to that emotional place, I'm glad this came out of it.

Honorable Mention:

Lacrimosa (2011). Still one of the oneshots I'm proudest of. I think it's technically proficient and emotionally very effective, and I love the structure of it.

A Detailed Accounting of the Rigorous and Remarkable Struggles Faced by One Fereldan Refugee in the Singularly Capricious City of Kirkwall, as Experienced by the Illustrious Author (2022). While the writing is not the best I've ever managed (it began life as a warm-up exercise, after all), it took ten years to finish, and I'm deeply proud of both finishing it and of the execution of several sections.

Find Me a Wayward Sun (2023). I like the emotional complexity of this fic very much. This was the first place where I felt like I really started to understand the dynamic between Tav & Astarion, especially in the complicated back half of Act Two, and I've gone back to it several times when I need to recapture that feeling of confused selfishness and nascent, uncertain affection.

#quark replies #wufflesvetinari #baldur's gate 3 #dragon age #fenris #hawke #fenris/hawke #tav #astarion #tavstarion #long post

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serverusslaype · 2 years ago

Text

Shameless, pt. 2

Snape x professor!reader fic

Shameless Masterpost

hello there, we meet again it seems? B)

here is part two for Shameless. i tried my best proofreading it and editing some bits, but there is a high probability that there's some bits i missed. i did get distracted changing some things.

i really like this chapter, i feel like it starts to give you an idea of the reader's feelings towards snape. >B)

also, i won't lie, Camila Cabello's Shameless did inspire this fic, and it especially fits the moment between the reader and snape here.. hehe

hope you enjoy, please let me know! <3

anywho...

off we gooo!

Your first class had gone smoothly, apart from a little mishap where a student had cast Incendio instead of Lumos Solem. You'd quickly extinguished the fire with a quick Aguamenti, much to the amusement of your class. As of right now, you were trying to clean the soot and ash off of the table with a wet cloth, your fingers starting to ache and burn from the harsh grasp you had. Sighing, you should have seen this coming... a mistake was a given for a class of second-years. It didn't surprise you that the student at fault was none other than Neville Longbottom.

You'd kept him after class, not to scold him, but just to make sure he was alright. The boy did give himself a fright.

"I-I'm really sorry, Professor," Neville sighed, his eyes glued to the floor as he stood in front of you with a sad expression. "I just got my spells mixed up." He explained weakly, braving a glance at you.

"It's alright, Mr Longbottom, but you do need to be a little careful next time." You said, throwing a kind smile his way. He nodded frantically and his eyes were instantly locked on the floor again. You were sure he was bracing himself for a telling off. "I'd rather not have my classroom burn down on the first day, you know." You joked, trying to lighten the mood. You knew Neville didn't do it on purpose, he had a good heart and you'd noticed in class that he was rather clever at Herbology. So you gave him the benefit of the doubt.

The boy smiled weakly at you, nodding once more. "I will, Professor." He said, swallowing anxiously. You gestured to the door, silently dismissing him. Neville quickly scurried out of the door, hurrying himself to his next lesson.

As he left, a rather big and exasperated sigh fell from your lips. What else could go wrong? You glanced around, your nose crinkling up in slight annoyance. The mess that was left afterwards was a little... headache inducing. Piles of mud sat on top of the table and some of it had found it's way onto the ground. Apparently, it had slipped your mind that teaching twelve-year-olds with messy materials would equal... well, a bloody big mess. Perhaps you should have thought that through a little better.

"Scourgify." You said, waving your wand at the large, wooden table that sat in the middle of the greenhouse. The specks and mounds of mud suddenly dissipated from the table, and you were suddenly very thankful for magic. A content smile came to rest on your face as you turned around to walk towards your row of potted plants, your eyes landing on a rather beautiful Aconite, also known as Wolfsbane or Monkshood. Unlike the other free-flowing plants, you'd placed it inside a glass case due to it's dangerous toxicity. You did trust your students, but you preferred not to take the risk.

"Ah, Professor L/N, just who I was looking for!" Came an enthusiastic voice to the left of you. You twirled around, frowning as you did not recognise their voice. As your eyes landed on their tall, strawberry-blonde haired form, you clocked that it was none other than Gilderoy Lockhart. Gods, you weren't sure whether you had the patience to deal with this man right now. You'd actually rather deal with another bout of Snape right now, despite your bicker an hour earlier.

"Lockhart," You greeted softly, offering him a polite smile. You clasped your hands together in front of you, staying beside your plants. "What can I do for you?" You asked, hoping it was some sort of small favour.

"Merlin, you're just as beautiful as that utterly gorgeous Aconite beside you," Lockhart commented with a wink, his piercing blue eyes bouncing between your form and the fauna to your right. You groaned to yourself quietly. Lord, if he's just come here to get in your drawers, he'd better just walk out the door right now.

"Back to the point, Lockhart?" You sighed, massaging your temples as you felt a headache coming on.

"Oh, right, well.. what does one do when... one releases pixies in a classroom?" He asked cryptically, and you could only frown at him in utter confusion. Lockhart smiled innocently at you, and you could only arch a brow at him, waiting for more clues to what the hell he was getting at.

"Pixies...? What?" You repeated, still clueless. What the hell has this man done? And why is he getting you involved? It's your first bloody day back here! You just wanted a quiet first day... Is that too much to ask for?

"Would you please accompany me back to my classroom, Professor L/N?" Lockhart pleaded, running a hand through his perfectly-style locks. You tutted softly and rolled your eyes, gesturing for him to walk on. "It's easier if you see for yourself." He added and cleared his throat.

You followed the man to his classroom, the wind gently blowing through your leafy-brown and green robes. "What have you done, Lockhart?" You questioned him curiously as the two of you walked into the castle, rushing up the moving staircases as the clacks of your heels echoed out into the empty stone halls.

Lockhart chuckled awkwardly, keeping the grin on his face to soothe your worrisome one. You sighed quietly, preparing yourself for the worst as you rounded the corner to the door of his classroom.

With wide eyes of horror, you opened the door to the screams of students and the high-pitched cheers of Cornish Pixies. The hanging skeleton of a dragon had fallen to the ground, broken bone fragments scattered everywhere.

"Oh my-" You gasped, ducking as groups of pixies flew towards you. The students scurried like terrified mice around the room, a futile attempt to run and hide from the little purple terrors. "Immobulus!" You shouted, aiming your wand at the gaggle of fiendish pixies. Immediately they slowed down, almost like they were in slow motion. The screams from the students quietened down as they looked up, watching you quickly pushing the pixies back into their cage with your wand.

"Lockhart, you have some serious explaining to do!" You exclaimed and turned around, expecting to see the famous author, however, he was nowhere to be seen. An exasperated groan leaves your lips.

"Erm, Professor L/N, up here..." Came a familiar voice from above you. As you looked up to the source of the voice, you gasped in shock. Neville Longbottom was hanging from the chandelier by the hood of his cloak. Instantly, you flicked your wand at him, slowly levitating him to the ground.

"Not having a good day, are you, Neville?" You sighed, placing a hand against your cheek as you glanced around the room at the chaos. Books and parchment lay destroyed on the ground and desks, ink pots and quills were scattered amongst the war zone too. As you looked back to Neville, he shook his head and leaned against the table behind him, steadying himself. "Neither am I." You added quietly, mainly to yourself.

"Professor, what do we do now?" Another student asked. Looking to your right, it was none other than Harry Potter. You exhaled softly, feeling the frustration beginning to build up. Why was this happening to you? Did someone hex you? Gods.

You were clueless for a moment, you'd no idea what they'd been taught in Defense Against the Dark Arts, let alone what you should tell them to do. So you improvised. "For now, just open your books and revise some of the material that you learnt last year, please." You said tiredly, gesturing to the books that had been knocked on the floor during the chaos. "I'm sure Professor Lockhart will be back soon." You clenched your jaw the sound of his name - how could he be so careless? You were not a janitor, so why were you cleaning up his mess? To be frank, you were more angry at him for putting the students in a potentially dangerous scenario - Longbottom was hanging from the chandelier for crying out loud!

You couldn't leave the students unattended so you walked to Lockhart's desk and sat against it, your mind racing with insults to hurl at the author when he finally returned. The students all quickly rushed around, picking up their belongings and sitting themselves down at their desks.

"Professor?" A student asked, quirking your attention. You looked up and smiled weakly at them, prompting their question. The boy had bright blonde hair, slicked back, and he donned a cunning smirk on his face. Draco Malfoy, of course. "Do you know anything about the Dark Arts?" Draco asked, almost mockingly. The boys surrounding him laughed. You had to force yourself not to roll your eyes.

"Perhaps, Mr Malfoy." You replied nonchalantly. Honestly, you weren't very knowledgeable on the subject, it wasn't one of your strong-suits back in school. Of course, you knew bits and bobs of it, but you didn't believe you were fit to teach it.

"Perhaps, you can teach us a spell?" Draco asked with sly eyes, and you shook your head at him, prompting a disappointed groan from the said student. He was brave to be mocking a professor, you thought. Though, you weren't all too surprised, his last name was Malfoy after all.

"No, certainly not. Now, get on with your reading, please." You said sternly, almost at your wit's end. "And five points from Slytherin for being a smart-arse." You added, earning a scoff from the boy.

In all honesty, this is not how you expected your first day back at Hogwarts to go. You prepared yourself for a peaceful day - maybe with a few mishaps from students, but that was it. You did not expect to be pulled from a free period to deal with some rambunctious bloody pixies, released by a professor no less!

Currently, you were walking with McGonagall through the corridors, escorting the hoards of students back to their dorms after dinner in the Great Hall. The torches lit the way, casting a pretty amber hue against the bland stone walls. The air was a bit chilly, and so you wrapped your leafy-brown cloak around you tighter as the wind bit at your skin.

"How was your first day, my dear?" McGonagall asked you, glancing at you from the side as the pair of you walked behind the gaggle of students.

A deep sigh left your lips, inducing an amused chuckle from the older witch. "Oh, Minerva, you have no idea." You groaned and let your fingers grasp the bridge of your nose momentarily, a sign of stress.

"That bad?" She laughed softly, arching a brow at you. You could only give her a disbelieving look.

"The first class of the day went well, until Longbottom set my table alight. Then, Lockhart decides to drag me into his mess!" You scoffed, keeping your voice quiet. Unfortunately for you, Lockhart had been avoiding you since the whole ordeal, so you hadn't had a chance to give him a piece of your mind. "I could've just about killed the man." Clenching your jaw in frustration, you suddenly hear a kerfuffle of gasps and a growing noise of mutterings coming from the group of students ahead as they all immediately came to a halt.

"I'll kill you!" A loud, gruffly voiced shouted from ahead. Gods, what now? You weren't always this wound up, but today had really tested you.

"What's going on?" McGonagall questioned worriedly as she began to swiftly move through the students. You followed suit, a perplexed frown gracing your face. As the two of you rounded the corner, your eyes widened in horror.

A message had been scrawled out on the wall in what looked to be blood. It read: The Chamber of Secrets has been opened, enemies of the heir... beware. As you glanced to the left, you noticed Filch's cat, Mrs Norris, was hanging from the metal torch-holder, blood dripping from her head. Your hand flew to your mouth.

"Bloody hell..." You muttered, stepping forwards to look closer at the haunting image.

Filch had a grip on Harry Potter's cloak, dragging him up to his face.

"Argus!" Dumbledore called from behind you, with Snape and Lockhart in tow. You stood back, allowing Dumbledore to step forwards towards the scene. As your eyes landed on Lockhart, his eyes met yours and they instantly widened. You glared at him and slipped past McGonagall and Dumbledore, your feet absentmindedly carrying you in his direction. Deep down you knew this wasn't the right time, but you couldn't hold back, he'd really angered you earlier. You reached out your hand and grabbed Lockhart's arm, dragging him away from the crowds of students and teachers.

With a muffled thud, Lockhart's back was against the wall. "If you ever pull that shit again, Lockhart, I will not hesitate to have you removed from this school. What were you thinking-"

Before you could continue scolding the man, a firm hand grabbed your arm and pulled you away from Lockhart. You looked up to find a set of piercing, cold dark eyes staring down at you. Snape. You felt your heart leap up into your throat and your cheeks instantly burned hot as he kept his hand on your arm. The scent of smoke, books and a hint of sweet wine filled your nostrils as he moved closer to you, your bodies almost touching at this point. His scent was utterly intoxicating to you, and that scared you slightly.

"Have you no brain nor sense of timing, Professor L/N?" Snape scowled at you and you sunk down slightly at the threatening tone in his voice. You looked away from him in a rather poor show of defiance. He kept his voice quiet. "I don't believe this is quite the right time to be scolding your colleague." The Potions Master said sternly, nodding his head in the direction of the bloody message. You looked back at Snape, pushing your jaw out in frustration. You were silently wishing that this wasn't the way that the two of you happened to be in such close proximity.

Ripping your arm from his grasp, your hand flew up to gently rub where he had gripped you so harshly. You glanced back at Snape, who now looked furious at you. Suddenly, it felt like he'd stolen the air from your lungs - you weren't sure whether that was because of your silly little crush, or his intense, fiery stare. Perhaps both. He was right, you should have kept your cool with Lockhart, but today had really pushed you to your limits.

"But Severus-" You protested, your anger bubbling as Snape silenced you with his icy words.

"I am not one to defend Lockhart, however, there is a serious situation at hand." Snape added quietly, though his cold tone was still there. There was a beat of silence before he spoke again. "Not that it's my place, Professor L/N, but I would have thought as a Hufflepuff, you'd be abstaining from any sort of conflict, not... instigating it." He said, narrowing his hauntingly dark eyes at you.

"When it comes to stupid, incompetent mistakes that can endanger our students, I won't hesitate to say my part, Snape." You said frustratedly, leaning forwards as if to challenge him.

"Do not be foolish, Professor L/N," He stepped forwards, articulating each letter he spoke intimidatingly. You swallowed and flinched slightly at his sudden movement. As brave and courageous you painted yourself, he still did terrify you. Snape's glare deepened and he retracted himself slightly, letting his eyes flick between the pair of yours. "It seems you have not changed since your time here at Hogwarts. You are still that silly girl who did not think before she spoke."

Snape's words made you enraged. Your fists balled at the side of you once again, almost shaking. The muscles in your body tensed and went rigid from the rush of sudden anger that was coursing through you. Gods, how could someone make you feel such different emotions?

You scoffed and pushed past him, shoving his broad shoulder out of the way of you. As for now, you couldn't look at him, nor bear to be near him. You were worried you'd hex the man, or at least say something you'd regret. Despite your burning desire to hurt him back, you pushed the thought aside. You were the bigger person, and you would not stoop to his level. Unless it truly came to it, you suppose.

You stalked back to the other professors with Snape reluctantly trailing behind you. You stilled yourself beside McGonagall once more and she offered you a confused look, glancing between you and Snape as he came to stand near the wall, away from you.

You shook your head at her softly and shut your eyes for a brief moment, attempting to calm yourself down. This was not how you expected to start your second year of teaching at Hogwarts, conflicted feelings for your colleague, and developing a boiling bitterness for another. As the year progresses, perhaps you could fix it. Nothing is lost yet, right?

"She's not dead, Argus. She has been petrified." Dumbledore said in a soft tone, attempting to soothe the caretaker. Filch only stared at his beloved pet, shuffling in his spot, clearly distraught at what he'd come across. He was almost shaking with grief. A small wave of sympathy washed over you as you watched Filch try to compose himself. It couldn't be easy seeing something so dear to you hung in such a... morbid way.

However, that calm feeling was soon lost again as you saw Lockhart stood in front of Mrs Norris, inspecting the body. You quickly averted your gaze before your blood pressure rose uncontrollably and you spotted Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley stood in a row, looking rather worried. Your brows knitted together in confusion.

"Ah, thought so." Lockhart said confidently, glancing back at Dumbledore. You fought the urge to scoff at Lockhart's comment by looking to the right and biting your bottom lip. Gods, this man was almost as infuriating as Snape this morning. "So unlucky I wasn't there. I know exactly the countercurse that could've spared her." Lockhart added, staring at Dumbledore uneasily. This time you couldn't help but roll your eyes at him as you folded your arms against your chest.

"But how she's been petrified I cannot say." Dumbledore added, ignoring Lockhart's useless comments, his wise eyes studying the scene at hand.

"Ask him," Filch nodded towards Potter, his voice shaky. You frowned again, glancing at the boy. Surely not? "It's him that's done it." The greasy caretaker added with a look of despair and anger on his face. "You saw what he wrote on the wall."

Harry let out a curt sigh before turning towards Dumbledore. "It's not true, sir. I swear." He said. "I never touched Mrs Norris." Harry gestured towards Filch's cat, who was still unfortunately hanging by her tail on the metal arm of the torchlight.

"Rubbish!" Filch hissed, still staring angrily at the boy.

"If I might, Headmaster?" Snape suddenly interjected, his deep voice softer than you'd heard it before. Your head instantly snapped up to look at him, shocked to hear such a tone of voice on a cruel man like him. "Perhaps Potter and his friends were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time?" The Potions Master offered, seemingly wanting to deescalate the whole situation. Since when is he considerate? you wondered.

"However," Snape added, his voice returning to it's usual cold tone. There it is, you thought, fighting the itching urge to roll your eyes. "The circumstances are suspicious." Snape said, walking slowly towards the three students, almost intimidatingly. "I, for one, don't recall seeing Potter at dinner." He narrowed his eyes at the three of them, stopping just short of a metre away. He seems to have a habit of doing that.

"I'm afraid that's my doing, Severus," Lockhart called out, making Snape turn around to face him with a face like thunder. You loathed how you couldn't help but stare at him. A whirling storm of resentment and admiration gathered in your stomach as you gazed at him. Undoubtedly, he looked ethereal underneath the amber-coloured lighting in this hallway, despite the unhappy and disdainful look on his face.

Fuck. You hated it.

The flames illuminated his prominent features almost too perfectly. His large, aquiline nose and high cheekbones would ultimately be the death of you.

"You see, Harry was helping me answer my fan mail." Lockhart explained, glancing between Snape - who looked utterly confused - and Harry himself. Lockhart's voice to you was like someone scratching nails on a chalk board. Every time he spoke, the hairs on your body would stand on end - and not in a good way.

You despised the fact that these two men brought out such a hateful side of you so easily.

"That's why Ron and I went looking for him, professor," Hermione spoke up, looking towards Harry. "We'd just found him when he said..." Hermione trailed off, staring at Harry. Snape turned back to face the three students, his eyes narrowing in suspicion once again.

"Yes, Miss Granger?" Snape prompted.

"When I said I wasn't hungry." Harry interjected, looking back up at Snape. Ron nodded quickly in a nervous manner, glancing between the Potions Master and his friend Harry. "We were heading back to the common room when we found Mrs Norris." The boy explained. To you, it seemed like a solid explanation, however, Snape didn't seem too convinced as he spun around to look at Dumbledore, waiting for his thoughts on the whole situation.

"Innocent until proven guilty, Severus." Dumbledore stated, looking at Snape through his half-moon glasses. Reluctantly, you looked at Snape as he arched a brow disapprovingly at the Headmaster.

"My cat... has been petrified. I want to see some punishment!" Filch cried out, commanding your attention to him. The man was shaking with rage, and it made you a little uneasy. You glanced back at Snape, your eyes lingering a little too long on him.

"We will be able to cure her, Argus." Dumbledore assured the man, still trying to calm the tense moment. "As I understand it, Professor L/N has a very healthy growth of Mandrake." The Headmaster said, tearing you out of your daydream. Your eyes flicked to Dumbledore as he gestured at your form. Looking to Filch, you offered a warm and sympathetic smile to him, nodding in agreement with Dumbledore. "When matured, a potion will be made which will revive Mrs Norris." He said, turning towards the Potions Master and the three students.

Snape had his eyes glued to you, catching you by surprise. You immediately averted your eyes from his as your cheeks began to burn, betraying you. The overwhelming, icy stare from Snape made your heart pound against your rib cage.

Get a hold of yourself, for Merlin's sake.

Dumbledore's voice cut through the strange tension between you and Snape. The two of you broke eye-contact and looked to the older wizard. "In the meantime, I strongly recommend caution to all." The Headmaster warned, capturing your attention. You nodded at the older man, waiting to see if there was anything else he wanted to say. "Professor McGonagall, would you mind escorting Miss Granger, Mr Potter and Mr Weasley to their respective dormitories, please?"

"Of course. This way." McGonagall walked towards the three students, gesturing them forwards with her hands. You sighed softly and bid Dumbledore a warm goodnight, turning around to walk to your quarters. As you padded away, you turned around gingerly, your inquisitive eyes searching for the broody Potions Master that made your heart beat a little faster in two different ways. Unsurprisingly, he seemed to have already left. A twinge of disappointment twisted in your gut, and you felt conflicted between your emotions. That close - and almost intimate - encounter with him earlier truly made you think about things. You couldn't choose between hating him or liking him. Gods, were you in trouble now.

However, as you rounded the corner, it seemed your luck was playing out. You spotted Lockhart striding ahead of you.

there we are, part two over! whew. i hope you enjoyed it as much as i did writing it, and i hope there weren't too many mistakes lol!

if you want to be added to the taglist below, please let me know in the comments/replies :)

thank you for reading!

part 3

taglist:

@a-laufeyson

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slaaverin · 7 months ago

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OK, let's keep the discussion going.

Here's one aspect of AYS I haven't seen anyone specifically discuss yet: JK's mood bordered on being downright testy at times. Jimin called him out on it in Connecticut, Jeju and Sapporo even though it wasn't readily obvious to the viewer that he was in fact cranky, so it seemed maybe most of it was cut out by editing.

The one that shocked me the most was after the water pistol battle where Jimin was supposedly getting even with him and Tae after they squirted him mercilessly when he wasn't feeling well. They didn't really show what happened but Jimin all of a sudden apparently became the bad guy and Jungkook was saying "I'm furious!" wtf?? Dying to know the real story there!

Followed by when JK made his meal and invited the staff, who don't immediately come, then Tae said they should hurry up and eat before they get an earful from JK. And Jimin follows up saying JK is scary when he's angry (so they should comply). All in good fun... except when taken together with previous signs of cranky.

He chewed out Tae over nothing, menaced Jimin with chopsticks over nothing, my boy was so stressed!

In Sapporo, Jimin flat out asks him why he's so angry these days, and JK says he's just pretending for the show. Do we believe him? Would Jimin really not know if he was genuinely cranky?

Thoughts?

Ahhh anon I get where you're coming from but my perception of all of this was not really cut through, I think there is nuance to all of it so I can't make the definitive statement that Jungkook was "cranky" during AYS.

I felt him a little unsettled in CT at first, but I think it's because he was sick, because he was unsure about what would be the show, because he had missed Jimin a lot so he still had the frustration from the month before and also because he was just coming out from a very stressful schedule.

But it was only in the beginning afterwards it got easier.

In Jeju Jungkook was on edge for different reasons. In the first episode it seemed he felt left out from Jimin and Tae, which was not what he wanted for this trip. I'm speculating but I think they must have had a talk with Jimin because in episode 2 they had that conversation with Tae to remind him he was a guest and afterwards things were more smooth and jikook got more time together which seemed to ease a little bit of the tension. During the water fight there was this hidden bathroom where we couldn't see in and I think something happened in there that wasn't showed. His "I'm furious" was for fun. I just think Jimin pulled out one of his slytherin trick off camera.

Honestly I think JK is simply being his baby alpha self, he's always been this way.

In Sapporo it was just for fun. I think he believes him playing the baby alpha is entertaining for us.

So yes, I saw the tension at times, but it was not the generality either. I found Jungkook pretty at ease and relaxed and enjoying the moment too.

But many factors came into play.

They were also so close to military service and this could stress out anybody.

This plus his schedule plus the desire to spend real quality time with Jimin plus the "I want to be entertaining enough for the show, I want it to be a good show" so mostly he was just playing.

It's also in his character to be assertive and sometimes a little bit dominant but since we never really followed him over that long period of time interacting with other people it comes as a shock but if you looked at him closely over the years there always was little comments here and there about this part of his personality.

Of course here it's a bit blown out of proportion but I personally didn't find any of this very shocking.

If he was a bit on edge he had good reasons every time, it was not over nothing, and the other times it was for fun.

I enjoyed immensely Jungkook showing his authentic self during the show, he was chatty, he was excited, he was smiling a lot, he was still his protector self towards Jimin and having loads of fun with him.

So to be those parts where there was tension was not what I took out from the show from him.

Despite those little moments he was really, really happy and it showed that those trips meant a lot to him. "They're the best trips I ever had in my life"

I think he really enjoyed all of it, so those little moments are for me only a second thoughts because I think it doesn't really matter. That's not what he took from it. He didn't see any of it as bad, so neither should we I believe.

I think his baby alpha self is a charm of his personality. Jimin lets him because Jimin enjoys it a lot, it makes him laugh, it makes him blush, it's all a fun flirty game and it's not that serious.

Jimin didn't seem that fazed over his antics. He played along.

I think overall Jungkook was his sweet self and it was really a joy to watch.

But of course that's only my thoughts and opinion 😌

Thank you for your ask and take care anon 💜

#jikook #kookmin #jimin #jungkook #ays #are you sure #travel show

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alocon · 1 year ago

Text

Business As Usual - Lance Stroll

written by alocon

Summary: Lance meets a lovely business woman and decides to drop some game with the help from the community

Before you read: Fluff, Lance being nice, Lance is underrated - I do not want Lance Stroll hate here pls, Quickly written, not edited so sorry if it isn't great x, This is basically some backstory just in case I decide to turn it into a SMAU series!!

Genre: Fluff, some social media at the end

fc: Tess Holloway for profile picture, faceless blondes from Pinterest

[The Masterlist]

Business as Usual - LS18

You walked through the woods, heading towards the isolated little river that you sat by whenever you felt overwhelmed. As you approached the opening in the trees, you saw a figure, someone sat down on the rock next to the one that you normally say at. You shrugged to yourself, not really caring if someone else was there, he seemed quiet and you could still unwind. As if he could sense a presence, he turned, looking at you. You sent him a gentle smile, walking over and sitting on the rock that sat beside the one he was on.

“Do you mind? This is my spot,” he said, sounding rather frustrated at the new presence.

“Well it's my spot too, so I'm going to quietly enjoy it,” you responded, not really in the mood for another argument that day. He seemed to accept that, groaning rather dramatically before accepting it and going quiet.

You watched as the river flowed gently, the crystal-clear water meandering gracefully between rocks. You could see the pebbles below the water, laying contently on the river bed, some adorned with moss which had slowly covered more and more pebbles over time. The sound of running water and gentle rustling of leaves in the breeze subdued the loud sounds in your brain, allowing you to shut everything that you were feeling out. The fragrant scent of wildflowers and mud filled your senses as you breathed in, causing a sigh of content to leave your mouth. The natural canopy provided by the trees above allowed you to sit there calmly, shading the sun from your face and body as you watched the ripples of the water.

You heard a gasp and sudden movement from the man sat beside you. You looked in his direction, looking into his eyes and following his eyesight to the creature that had landed by him and startled him so much. You started laughing softly. “It's not funny, don't laugh.”

“You're scared of a tiny little frog?” You asked, leaning over to pick it up. “Hi little buddy.” You spoke gently to the frog as it sat contently in your hand, bringing it up to eye level with you and looking at it. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw the man sit back down. “Do you want to hold him?”

He was silent, so you looked up at him, seeing the anxious look in his eyes. “What if I hurt it? I don't want to do that.”

You smiled softly. “You trust me?”

He thought for a moment before gently nodding. “I guess, why?”

You signalled for him to hold out his hand, which he did, before gently moving your hand over so the frog could move onto him. You watched as his brown eyes softened, his mouth turning into a grin as he held the tiny creature in his hand. “It’s kind of cute…”

“I hope this doesn't sound weird but may I take a photo of it in your hand? Your face won't be in the picture, of course, but I like infodumping about animals, plants, buildings and history on my Instagram pages that I'm an admin on.”

“Pages, plural?”

“Yes, I have 2. One for nature and history and I have one where I post personal stuff.” He nodded, before allowing you to take some photos. You did, answering his questions about the type of frog as you took photos, him offering to take one of you holding it afterwards, which you gladly accepted. Placing your camera back in your bag after turning it off, you looked back at him as he spoke again. You placed the frog on your knee, luckily having chosen to wear shorts so your clothes weren't getting dirty from the little creature that rested contently on you.

“Why do you come here?”

“It's… an escape.” He looked at you, his expression unreadable so you continued talking. “When everything gets too loud, when family gets overwhelming, when work is stressful, it's nice to be able to escape here and just listen to the breeze and the water, the trees. It's all just so calming. What about you?”

He nodded, understanding exactly where you came from. “Same.”

“You wanna talk about it?”

He pondered your question for a moment before he decided to explain. “Where I work… people can be quite harsh sometimes. It's like I can never do anything without people hating me. They call me a nepo baby.” He paused, chuckling bitterly. “I know that it sounds stupid, getting frustrated over it, but people always say I don't deserve my job, that the only reason I'm here is because of nepotism. It's mental.” He sighed, looking in your direction, eyes scanning you. “What about you? What's going on with you?”

“My dad, well, step dad's trying to convince me to give him my business now that it's successful. Just like handing it over to him willingly. He invited me over to ask me to willingly give up the thing I built from the ground up.”

“Really? Why would he do that?”

You lifted your hands up, making quotation marks with your hands. “Women shouldn't run businesses, they should marry, have kids and stay at home doing housework.” He snorted, thinking you were joking. “I'm serious.”

“People still think like that?” He looked confused, watching as you nodded, sighing in response to that. Unfortunately, some people were still like that. And it pissed you off a lot.

“Unfortunately, I always wondered why mama willingly gave up working despite absolutely loving her job after they got married.” You shrugged. “He won’t be getting my company though. No way in hell. He only wants it for the money.” You paused, checking your phone. “Speaking of my business. I’ve got a business meeting party thing tonight so I will have to go.”

“It was lovely meeting you.” He smiled at you as you placed the frog on the rock, picking up your tote bag and heading out.

You went straight home, thinking that he looked familiar but you couldn’t quite put your finger on it. Sat in your hotel room, you decided to paint a bit before you headed for the business event. You wore quite a basic smart casual outfit - some white pants with a green shirt and matching blazer. Your hair was left down and you wore some basic makeup, not feeling like going over the top.

Stepping into the venue, you sighed. This was something you didn’t love about running a business. Sure, you enjoyed the small delicacies and the free wine you got all evening, but you couldn’t stand the large handful of males who decided that you, a woman, couldn’t understand basic terminology so would spend the entire time mansplaining to you. Usually, you’d bring a friend, but being in Canada, away from your main place of residence, you didn’t really have anyone to bring. So you wandered around the venue quietly, other than stopping to say hi to people as you passed them, champagne in hand. That was until you saw a white-haired man approach you.

He smiled, seeming rather friendly. He held out his hand. “Hi. Miss Martins, yes?” You nodded. “It's lovely to meet you, I'm Lawrence Stroll.” You shook his hand, smiling back. “Your step-father said that you're here on behalf of his business?”

You shook your head. “Martins Associates?”

“That's my business, not Anthony's,” you said, leading to a look of confusion on his face. “He's been trying to convince me to hand over my business to him willingly now it's doing well.”

“Oh, well I am very sorry if I insulted you there, dear. I genuinely had no idea.”

“No, it's perfectly fine. Has he been telling everyone this?”

Lawrence nodded. “Want me to go have words with the owner of this?”

“I’m meant to be talking later, so I’ll just bring it up then.”

You and Lawrence continued to talk, making friendly conversation. He talked a lot about his son, you realised. You didn’t mind, though. You didn’t usually know what to talk about. He explained about how his son is a Formula One driver and how he was super proud of him and how far he’s come over the years. He then looked around before waving somebody over. Your eyes turned from Lawrence to the person who was being waved over. When you glanced at the familiar man who you had spent time with earlier that day, you smiled. His face twisted from a look of boredom to one of relief, likely at someone he had noticed, someone who wasn’t an old man. “Y/N, this is my son, Lance Stroll. Lance, this is Miss Martins, she runs Martins Associates.”

“Miss Martins. It is very lovely to see you again.” Lance lifted your hand gently, placing a kiss to your knuckles.

“Please, call me Y/N, Mr Stroll.”

“Alright, and you can call me Lance, of course.” His dad excused himself so he turned back to you, a gentle smile on his face. “May I get you a drink?”

The rest of the night went by pretty quickly. You had done your little talk, making it very clear at the start that you owned your business, not your step-father. You then spent the rest of your evening with your new Canadian friend, who you found out also lived in Switzerland, relatively close to you as well. However, eventually, your conversation wrapped up and you had to head home to catch your plane back.

----

instagram

youruser

liked by lance_stroll and others

youruser Canada was lovely, home time now x

-view all comments-

mickschumacher: Hello???? The painting??????

mickschumacher: You're so talented PLEASE youruser: THANK YOU MICK!!

yourbff: You beautiful, beautiful woman. I miss you, hurry back to Switzerland xx

youruser: Of course, my love. Will come and see you as soon as I land yourbff: Thank you, darling youruser: ofc, anything for my wife x

lance_stroll: Safe travels back!! Maybe we could meet up when you're next free?

user1: Hey Lance! Thank you for fixing world hunger! user2: Lance, you amazing man, remember when you picked up that bus with your bare hands to stop it from hitting me? Thanks for that, buddy, you're a real one user3: Lance, thank you for landing my airplane safely that one time. estebanocon: Bonjour Lance, thank you for saving my cat from being abducted by aliens that one time!!! -175 more comments-

youruser: Oh my lord what is going on in my comments 😭

youruser: also @ lance_stroll, message me and we will plan something.

lance_stroll: Yes ma'am, will do x user1: HE DID IT! OUR BOY ACTUALLY DID IT landonorris: LETSGOOOO

youruser added to her story!

-and 8 more-

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habitatsandhistory

📍 Montreal, Canada

liked by lance_stroll and others

habitatsandhistory: Today, we stumbled across a pseudacris crucifer, known more commonly as a Spring Peeper! These small tree frogs from the Hylidae family are found in woodland areas of the Eastern states of the USA and Canada. They are usually grey, tan or olive brown with an x-shaped, often irregular, brown mark on it's back. They grow to a length of between 2.5 and 3 cm in size!

This little guy was found by the river on slide 5, when it jumped up onto a nearby rock and I couldn't resist getting a photo of it! Feel free to follow for more history and nature facts!

-view all comments-

lance_stroll: Wowwww who's hand is that in the second photo? Must be someone pretty cool

youruser: They were alright, I guess. Not as cool as the person in the first photo

-Word Count: Around 1.5k not including socials-

Hi All, Next chapter of MV1 will hopefully be out in the next week, I have had some writers block though so my apologies for that. Hope you're all well. Here is a Lance story, it is unedited tho so pls give feedback. I used tweetgen for the tweets and used canva to make the instagram page and post Have a lovely day x Alocon

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grayskiesandink · 2 months ago

Note

Drink for 33 and 39

I'm in the mood for some fluff for them

33. What is their wedding day like?

Ohhhhhh..... honestly I think it would be pretty small?? The reason there's any people at all is because Ink wanted to go WILD with the wedding planning. And, I think that's probably the main reason they'd have a wedding at all. Ink would want to plan it and make it as cool as can be. They don't really strike me as people who think marriage is necessary- just from personality, and the fact that I don't think their relationship is exactly cookie cutter. I think they'd get married because of the protection of the true name ceremony and because Ink thinks it would be SO fun. I think Ink would look up to his dad's and their relationship- he'd remember they were married and how fun their wedding is so he'd go. Ah. I would like that for myself <3. why not.

Surprisingly, Ink would be the one to propose.

Ink would invite a bunch of random people and Dream would have to kinda reel it back in.

It depends on what is going on with Nightmare, but I do find the idea of him being invited really, really funny. Especially if there's not an active truce. I think Nightmare would hold to his honor though, and not try to murder everyone. He does get wine drunk and cause a total scene, though.

For the naming ceremony, I'm unsure as to if Nightmare would be there. I think it really does depend on what's exactly been going on with him/if the Multiverse war is still happening. If Nightmare isn't there, it would be Big Top and Blue.

Ink would be super, super nervous about getting his paints right for the day. He does NOT want to fuck this up. At one point he takes too much blue and starts actively sobbing from anxiety into the nearest person's arms. which would be Error. because of course Error would be there.

For more Dreamtale culture/lore stuff that I've come up with: For a human or humanish AU, hair cutting would be a part of the wedding. At the public ceremony, you would cut your partner's hair: symbolizing this new chapter of your life, and getting you ready to accept your new name. Afterwards, before the True Name ceremony, a close family member would be expected to pretty up your hair. If Nightmare is there, regardless of the active relationship he'd have with Dream, he would still be the one to do Dream's hair for him. Nightmare is still a little wine drunk and therefore... compromised, emotionally. He'd end up apologizing to Dream and crying in his arms a little bit: thinking about how much of Dream's life he's missed. But, he wouldn't remember after </3. I could give even more wedding thoughts (and hair lore thoughts!!) but this is getting long lol. If anyone has any specific questions- feel free to send those over. 39. Do they get along with the other's family? If not, how do they deal with the other's family?

This is SUCH a funny ask for them because like. Hmm. I wonder what Ink thinks about Nightmare... I think Ink thinks Nightmare is kinda boring, honestly. He's a cookie cutter 'I'm going to take over the Multiverse because I'm evilllll and have trauma' villain. At least Error has more going on!! Ink would look at both Dream and Nightmare and wonder, how the hell are those two related: one being one of the most interesting characters that Ink has ever met, who keeps surprising him to this day. And... Nightmare being Nightmare. I think Ink would grow to appreciate Nightmare though, at least in relation to Dream: how he makes his story more interesting. Ink would love to annoy Nightmare </3, push his buttons.

Now, for Aster and Big Top......... This connects back to my 'Dreamtale is LITERALLY a fairytale' idea. I think it would be so, so funny if both of them knew about the story of Dreamtale. I think Aster would be into mythology and folklore and have like... the most definitive edition of Dreamtale. Ink would talk about Dream sometimes but he's not giving enough details for either of them to connect the dots. I'm just imagining Ink finally bringing Dream to meet his dads and they're both like "hello son. why the fuck is Cinderalla in our house". I think they'd like him, though. He's polite. He's nice. He makes Ink laugh. Ink would watch, smiling, as Dream looks over the well worn copy of 'Dreamtale' that Aster has, answering questions and making corrections: despite the pain Ink knows it's bringing him.

ask game

#ask #ask game #dreamtale lore

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sadhornydemons · 1 year ago

Text

Rapid-Spoiler-Season-Speculation: Full Moon Edition

Following the lead, but hopefully not completely on the coattails of many great theories, I'll throw my ideas into the wind and hopefully only end up half wrong.

Stolas's bed curtains can be seen, this appears to be his magic displaying the day's info.

Stolas still has his bandaged arm. Cue panic, then duet song.

Afterwards, IMP returns from a mission, Loona has the book.

Time is 10 minutes until 6pm, clock out time! At least for Blitz who has removed his jacket.

Get in bitch, we're going shopping at the Asmodues private reserve safe, emphasis on privates.

(Fizz, unless Stolas is in full demon mode, that thing will murder his cloaca and not in a good way)

Meanwhile, waiting, worrying.

(Blitz, isn't not gonna fit!)

"Stolas, you don't have to turn on that red light." ♪

And as everyone and their second cousin predicted, Blitz freaks out. As to how long the talk went, or what exactly was stated, we'll have to wait and see. But we get a taste of Blitz cursing Stolas out.

Stolas is roughly still in the same place, as the earlier scene, as he gives what seems to be a closing goodbye. Although dialogue can easily be mixed in a trailer.

And at some point we get this moment of Blitz, with a sad expression(?), seemingly reaching for Stolas in what appears to be inside.

Then being teleported outside (by magic)?

Also referenced in a fantasy sequence here:

Did Blitz say some very terrible things to Stolas before the full details of the Asmodean crystal and Stola's intentions for their relationship were made clear to him? And then regretfully try to make amends? That's full speculation on my part, but considering what we get in what appears to be a follow up scene between these two:

The most common theory I've seen and can still believe myself is that this scene will take place in the Apology Tour, but I think it's actually taking place in Full Moon. This entire episode will probably be focused on these two and the preceded scenes (even with missing parts) aren't enough to fill a full (and heavily anticipated) one.

On a commentary note, and not to pick sides, but Blitzø Buckzo, what DID you do?! That bird didn't balk when you were torching his beloved Loo Loo Land to the ground and now he looks like he's 2 seconds away from releasing the hellhounds on your ass.

But on a positive note, he's at least outside, drinking wine and reading a romance novel. Not knocking down absinthe with the houseplants or burning all of Blitz's horse drawings in effigy. It's more of the 'My lovelife is in the shitter, Gabriella' vs 'He'll never love me and I'll die alone next the ice cubes' mood of earlier. But either way, dude looks PISSED.

A mocking angry bow. Blitz has a smile, but maybe it's just because they're talking instead of Stolas ignoring him.

(book is still in hand) "Do you have any kind of remorse for what you do?" matches the mouth movements. Yeah, I'm pretty sure this is directed at Blitz. Unless Stella happened to drop by at a bad time to pick up her mail (what happened?!!)

Judging by the sky, it now appears to be morning.

(note the roof and curtains behind Stolas, they're now under/inside a fancy canopied tent) Owl is still angry.

Blitz has kicked back his feet, making himself at home. Stolas's pose is familiar but possibly still mocking, based on his earlier expression. Does Blitz want to solve their problem the usual way and Stolas may not bite this time?

End of my speculated/confirmed sceencaps from this episode, save maybe for this:

Granted, this could be a scene from any of the Blitzø-Conga-Line-Trauma-Storyarc of this season, but I'm thinking it may end this particular one. Leaving Stoltiz in a not great, but possibly getting things out into the open place.

Leading into the Apology Tour!

#helluva boss #helluva boss spoilers #helluva boss full moon #stolitz #stolas #blitzø #blitzo

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cuffmeinblack · 2 years ago

Text

Friendly competition

Garreth Weasley x Sebastian Sallow x Leander Prewett

5k words

Accompanying audio | ao3 link

A/n: This started with a dumb idea and badly edited picture, then @xantineverdoer ruined my life by sliding smut into my ask box and I produced whatever the fuck this is. Thank you for the coin flip idea. Also tied this into this week's Weasley Wednesday prompt: Quidditch!

Garreth was used to Sebastian's smug attitude, particularly in the case of friendly (or not) competition. The Slytherin had always been cocky, self-satisfied, insufferable in some regards, but he usually had a reason to be. Talented in more ways than one, Sebastian's confidence also extended to the bedroom—something Garreth had found out the previous year after far too much firewhiskey and a particularly ferocious Quidditch match.

He'd been sick to death of the brunet's endless gloating and intoxicated flirting, pinning him to the stands and finding out that Sebastian was quite the vocal partner as he whined underneath Garreth's touch with little care for who might hear. Garreth hadn't expected him to be so submissive; though he fought back endlessly and riled Garreth up to no end, in the end he always found himself obeying once Garreth's cock was buried in the boy's arse. Fucking Sebastian Sallow had become a favourite pastime, and the Slytherin appeared to be utterly insatiable in that regard.

Usually after a particularly fraught training session, Garreth would unwind by paying Sebastian a visit, until he found that the Slytherin had started waiting in the stands, watching him fly. There was nothing like aggressively hitting a bludger around to get the blood pumping and adrenaline rushing, except fucking Sebastian afterwards. Garreth started appearing as the Slytherin team trained, drawing curious glances from the green-clad students around him and a knowing smirk from the chestnut-haired boy flying around the pitch. Sebastian was a beater too, and the sight of him swinging his bat around never failed to get Garreth in the mood—he was pretty sure Sebastian added the loud grunts and ruffling of his hair for Garreth's benefit.

What he hadn't expected to see that particular Sunday morning as he settled into the hard wooden bench, was Leander Prewett approaching with a confused expression.

"Alright, Leander? What brings you here?"

"Just fancied watching a bit of Quidditch," he replied with a shrug.

"They're doing drills," Garreth said, quirking an eyebrow.

"Right. Er, why are you here?"

"Scoping out the competition."

Leander grunted, returning his attention to the Slytherin team now mounting their brooms. Garreth knew he was lying, but didn't understand why until he started to follow his gaze. He was watching the same person Garreth had his eyes fixed upon; the fluffy-haired brunet currently pelting bludgers across the pitch to his teammate. It wasn't merely a quick glance, but an intense stare at the boy that was obvious to anyone who was paying even the slightest bit of attention.

"Why are you watching Sallow?"

"What is this, twenty questions?" Leander huffed, turning a gentle shade of pink across his freckled cheeks.

"Do you fancy him?"

"What? No!"

"Seems like you do," Garreth teased.

Leander turned to Garreth, shuffling along the bench towards him and lowering his voice.

"Don't you dare say anything. I mean it, Garreth."

"Merlin's beard, you do!"

"We've been…fooling around with each other for a while."

Garreth's stomach dropped and mouth hung open stupidly at his admission, whilst his friend looked at him uncomfortably, obviously disappointed by his reaction.

"You and…Sallow?"

"Yeah, is that a problem?" Leander replied, defensiveness flaring.

"Well..."

"Never thought you were the bigoted type, Garreth…"

"Gods, shutup, will you? I…I'm shocked because I've been…fooling around with him, too."

"What?!"

Leander's exclamation drew the attention of several of the spectators surrounding them, their patience for the Gryffindor interlopers clearly wearing thin. Garreth shushed his friend quietly, casting a furtive glance around before landing on Sebastian. Far from being concentrated on his practice, he was watching Garreth (or were his eyes fixed on Leander?) with an amused smile whilst his teammate shouted at him from across the pitch to pay attention.

"That little brat," Leander muttered.

The idea that Sebastian was sleeping around shouldn't have shocked Garreth, but it did bother him slightly. The way the Slytherin flirted incessantly, he was bound to have used it on other unsuspecting victims in order to get his dick wet, but never in a hundred years would Garreth had guessed his best friend would be swayed by him. Of course, Sebastian was gorgeous, physically fit, and had the most perfect little arse, but Leander hated the boy. Perhaps that rippling tension and unresolved hatred was what had drawn them together in the first place.

"I think we should have a talk with him after this…," Garreth sighed.

"I think you're right."

The rest of the training session passed slowly, with Garreth trying his hardest to avoid looking at Sebastian at all, or Leander for that matter. He found himself watching Imelda and wondering if Gryffindor stood a chance against such a strong team, when a whistle blew and snapped him out of his reverie. As the Slytherins landed and filed off of the pitch with backs slapped and smiles exchanged, Garreth and Leander stood simultaneously to walk down the flights of stairs to the grassy grounds below.

They stood in awkward silence as they waited outside of the changing rooms, waiting and waiting until finally, Sebastian sauntered out. Garreth tried to remain impassive as he approached, ignoring how his damp hair from the shower fell over his freckled face, water droplets dripping down his neck and pooling above his collarbone. His mouth was suddenly dry.

"Lads," he said by way of greeting. "Come to watch me play?"

"We had an interesting conversation whilst we were," Leander said calmly.

"Oh? Do tell."

"You've been having sex with both of us?" Garreth asked, trying to keep the jealousy out of his voice.

Sebastian merely shrugged, bored with the conversation already. Garreth flushed pink, irritation building at his nonchalance. Certainly they weren't anything more than sexual partners, but he'd thought he was his only partner. Perhaps the assumption had been foolish, but the jealousy that rippled through him was very real.

"If you're going to be such a little slut, Sallow…how about you try us both at the same time?" Leander asked.

Sebastian blinked and looked at Leander before breaking into a smirk as Garreth gawped at his friend.

"Hah, likely story. I can't imagine you two daring to have your cocks out in front of each other. You'd spend the entire time bickering over who's bigger."

Refusing to take the bait (because surely he was bigger than Leander, right?), Garreth smiled cheerfully at Sebastian and nodded.

"I think that's a great idea. Tell you what, if Slytherin win the next match, you can have us both," Garreth agreed, catching Leander's surprised glance in his direction.

"And if Gryffindor win, by some miracle?" Sebastian drawled.

"You have to choose between us, for good."

Sebastian narrowed his dark eyes, gaze flicking between the two as he considered the bet. Garreth was faintly worried he'd decide not to choose him, though he didn't particularly like the idea of sharing Sebastian in either scenario either.

"Fine. You'd better decide who gets to go first," he smirked, hauling his bat over his shoulder and giving Garreth a wink.

The wink sent a surge of desire through Garreth's body, culminating in a rush of blood straight to his cock, which twitched eagerly in his trousers. Damn him. He watched Sebastian walk away with his usual swagger, casting a look back at them with another wide grin, knowing they were both ogling the view of his slightly-too-tight breeches.

"Fucking Sallow," Leander muttered.

Sebastian found Garreth a few days before their match after the Gryffindor team had been put through their paces, leaving him exhausted and in no mood for the Slytherin's antics. Of course, his lethargy didn't last long in the face of Sebastian's wandering hands and exasperating taunting. Sebastian had only just finished telling him that he'd be choosing Leander if he couldn't keep up with his energy when his words were replaced by whimpers that filled the space underneath the Quidditch stands.

He still found ways of winding Garreth up whilst his cock was buried deep inside his arse, but that was part of the fun of their rendezvous. He pushed Garreth's buttons until he snapped, forcing him to reduce Sebastian to a whining mess who could barely answer his name. The way the cocky Slytherin eventually folded to Garreth's commands was so deeply satisfying, the way those smirking lips parted for Garreth's tongue and moaned his name as he rode him was exhilarating.

Until a couple of days ago, nobody else in the world knew of their little arrangement, and Garreth was still miffed that he apparently wasn't the only one able to tame Sebastian Sallow. The thought of having his best friend join him was strange but intriguing. Garreth couldn't help but wonder what Sebastian would be like with not one, but two boys pleasuring him—what would become of those soft little whines and begging eyes? Sebastian had left him that day with a nip at his ear as Garreth squeezed his bottom, already missing his warmth.

By the time the anticipated match rolled around, tensions were high in more ways than one. Garreth had been growing more and more frustrated by the day as the stress of the match only increased his need for an outlet. All the furious pumping of his hand in the world couldn't compare to Sebastian's supple body, and the fantasies were no longer cutting it to relieve his frustration.

With a sigh, Garreth started pulling on his kit and gathering his gloves and bat into his bag. Leander appeared at his side as he finished changing, shoving his hands into his pockets with a feigned attempt at nonchalance.

"If they win…," he muttered, looking around the dormitory to check nobody was listening, "we agree not to go easy on him?"

"Goes without saying."

"You okay with this?" Leander asked.

"If they win, yes. Should be…fun to teach him a lesson," Garreth said, barely suppressing a smile.

Leander chuckled and slapped him on the back, sending a ripple through his body. Gods, he hadn't considered actually being naked with Leander as part of the deal. He'd thought about it, but what would it really be like to touch his best friend's bare skin, to see his uncovered frame and watch him fuck the boy he'd been sleeping with for months? If he were truthful, the images he conjured of Sebastian being violated by both of them set his pulse racing and blood rushing straight to where was entirely inappropriate at that moment.

Garreth shoved the thoughts to the back of his mind as he steeled himself, giving Leander a final nod before leaving the room with his belongings. The walk down to the stands flew by and as he tore himself away from his distractions, he was clutching his broom and bat and readying himself to walk out onto the pitch in front of hundreds of people. The roar from the crowd was almost overwhelming, and the rest of his team looked terrified.

Once out onto the lush grass, Garreth mounted his broom as the captains met in the middle of the pitch to shake hands under the glare of Madam Kogawa. His eyes drifted over the swathes of supporters and then down to the Slytherin team gathered opposite. Sebastian was already hovering a few inches above the ground, twirling his bat in his hand and staring at Garreth. A knot twisted in his stomach as he watched his dark eyes and dipped head, perhaps indicative of intimidation to anyone watching, but clearly meant to entice Garreth. He knew then that Sebastian needed that smirk wiped off his face once and for all. Slytherin needed to win.

By all accounts, Slytherin should have secured an easy victory, but by some cruel twist of fate, the one time Garreth wanted his team to lose, they were playing absolutely fantastically. The match was fast, furious and the lead razor thin by an hour in, with Gryffindor ten points up and Garreth growing increasingly frustrated. He’d been thinking about a particularly heated evening spent in the boathouse with Sebastian a few weeks ago, when his peripheral vision caught a brown blur heading towards him and he collided his bat with the bludger just in time, hitting it halfway down the pitch.

“Careful, Weasley. I wouldn’t want you to mess up that pretty face.”

Garreth turned to see Sebastian fly past with a devilish grin aimed his way before shooting off after the offending bludger. Annoyed that the comment had made him flustered, Garreth flew in the opposite direction, hunting down the other ball. He spotted it not too far away, hurtling towards his teammate who was hovering near the goalposts. With a muttered expletive, he was on its tail as the crowds roared around him and the commentator appeared to be going wild—someone was after the snitch. Garreth tuned his hearing into the amplified voice and listened, his head whipping around to see the Gryffindor seeker chasing down the tiny gold ball with his counterpart still seconds behind.

Shit. Gryffindor were going to win.

Garreth had merely half a second of blind panic, his selfish desires overtaking all rational thought as he aimed the bludger and pelted it towards his teammate. His eyes bulged as he realised what he’d done, hoping to Merlin nobody had noticed his deliberate aim. The ball missed by a margin, but distracted the seeker long enough to veer him off course and allow his Slytherin counterpart to catch up.

The rest was history. In a blur of green, the pitch was swarmed with supporters for the winning team as Garreth and the rest of his team were left dumbfounded. There’d be time to contemplate what the hell he’d done later, as well as wallow in guilt, but for now, Garreth was keen to get out of the crowds—he had a bet to collect on.

Garreth took his time in the shower, cleaning everywhere and waiting for the last of his team to file out, trudging back to Gryffindor tower to wallow in defeat. He was squeaky and smelled of pine by the time he crossed the stands into the opposing team's changing rooms, finding them empty except for Sebastian leaning casually against the wall. His eyes flicked over Garreth as he walked in, a look of smug satisfaction across his face.

"Congratulations," Garreth said with a smile.

"Did you purposely attack your own teammate just so you can both fuck me, Weasley?"

"Wouldn't you like to know."

His own gaze ran over the boy in front of him, still wet from the shower, flushed and enticing. Garreth was practically salivating at the thought of getting his hands on him as he strode towards him with a predatory glare. Before be could pounce, he was interrupted by Leander's entrance. The three of them stood in the changing room, looking at each other and waiting for someone to initiate.

"So, who's going first?" Garreth asked his friend.

Leander hummed before he rifled through his pockets, producing a silver sickle.

"Heads, I go first?"

Garreth nodded as Sebastian just watched the exchange.

"Tails."

"Thank fuck for that," Garreth sighed, barely able to contain his pent up frustration.

"Come here, princess," Leander grinned, holding out a hand to the brunet.

"Fuck off," Sebastian spat back, but he did as he was told, walking into Leander's open arms.

Garreth found himself watching, fascinated but utterly fucking furious at the display, as Sebastian pulled the taller boy by the tie and swiped his tongue over Leander's lips, all whilst keeping his dark brown eyes trained on Garreth. He closed the distance in a flash, snaking his hands around Sebastian's waist and pressing himself against his back, the moan that left the Slytherin's lips captured by Leander's mouth.

Garreth dipped his head, lips finding the still damp skin at Sebastian's neck as he slid his hands to his waistband, following the thick hair that trailed his chest and abdomen. Licking and nipping at the sensitive spot behind his ear that Garreth knew all too well, Sebastian arched his back, pressing his behind into Garreth's waiting crotch. His erection was already growing steadily and Sebastian was more than eager to tease it with a rhythmic rocking of his hips.

"Like that, Weasley?"

"I'll like it even better when it's buried in your tight little arse," Garreth whispered into his ear.

Sebastian whined and shuddered at the tease as Leander grew impatient with the distraction, swatting Garreth's hands out of the way to grope hungrily at the bulge in Sebastian's trousers.

"You're absolutely rock hard, Sallow," Leander chuckled. "We've barely started."

Sebastian glared but didn't reply, continuing to rock his hips into Leander's hand until he unbuttoned Sebastian's trousers. The boy groaned as his stiff cock was released from the fabric into Leander's waiting hand, his other pulling Sebastian's face back towards him to claim his mouth in another hungry kiss. Running his fingers through that soft chestnut hair, Garreth resumed his attention on Sebastian's neck, biting harder with every push of his soft backside against his erection, sucking the skin with increased vigour at every muffled moan.

Sebastian's soft whines and wet slapping of his cock being tugged were delicious, Garreth's own hard length now throbbing for more attention than the restricted friction could provide. He reached down to release himself, roughly pushing down Sebastian's trousers and giving his arse a hard squeeze before his dripping cock pressed against those peachy cheeks.

Sebastian was writhing between the two friends; breath heavy, skin flushed and hands grabbing at Leander's hair, making a mess of his coiffed 'do. Garreth couldn't help the groan that clawed its way out of his throat as he held Sebastian's hips still to grind against his arse. He felt good, so good, but sounded even better. The way his composure broke down so quickly was intoxicating and Garreth longed for more of those wavering breaths and pathetic mewls…but they had an agreement.

"Remember we said I'd have him first," Garreth warned, eyes flicking to Leander over the brunet's shoulder.

"Oh you can fuck him, but we didn't specify who'd make him come first."

Garreth frowned at the technicality, but his head dizzied with possibilities of what they could do to the increasingly limp Slytherin between them.

"Would you like that? Think you can handle me pounding that tight little arse-" Garreth teased, pressing himself hard into Sebastian's behind, "-after you've spilled all over yourself?"

Sebastian responded with a desperate whine, his head lolling back onto Garreth's shoulder. He really was so beautiful when he was in the midst of pleasure, when the only sounds leaving his mouth were sinful moans rather than sarcastic jibes.

"He's absolutely fucking gone already," Leander chuckled, slowing and eventually removing the hand wrapped around Sebastian's cock.

Sebastian tried to protest but was met with another searing kiss by the towering redhead. They were so close, Garreth could smell his friend’s cologne mingling with their combined arousal and the musky scent of sweat from his lover. Garreth hummed against Sebastian's neck, running his tongue over the blotchy red mark blooming on his skin as the two boys exchanged soft moans. Garreth was about ready to start marking an enticing spot on Sebastian’s shoulder before Leander pulled out of the kiss with a glint in his eye of undisguised lust.

"On your knees.”

Sebastian panted, taking a few seconds to find his voice and realise what he’d been told to do.

"Absolutely no way, I'm not getting on that filthy tile," he spat back.

"I suppose you don't want my cock inside you, then?” Garreth remarked from behind him, taking his length in his hand and guiding himself between Sebastian’s cheeks. “Shame."

The Slytherin gave a tiny shudder of arousal, putting up only a small protest when Leander sat on the bench behind him, pushing Sebastian to the floor by his shoulder. Garreth watched him kneeling between Leander’s legs on the hard floor, completely bare and cock weeping as his face was guided towards the redhead’s waiting member.

The view was utterly obscene—Garreth was so entranced he barely noticed that he was lazily stroking himself as he watched Sebastian sucking his friend’s cock. He was so eager. Who knew anyone could make that much noise whilst their mouth was so stuffed full? Delicious moans, groans and gasps escaped his throat, muffled but still loud enough to fill the room and echo off the tiled walls. Leander’s eyes were fixed downward as his hand gripped the chestnut hair in front of him, completely absorbed in Sebastian’s performance.

"Fuck. Arse up, Sallow.”

Sebastian tried to smirk around the cock in his mouth; not entirely successfully but Garreth got the idea. Kneeling down behind him, Garreth lifted his behind off of his feet, pushing the boy forward as he stumbled and gripped Leander’s thighs for support. The muffled complaint was cut short when Sebastian’s cheeks were parted and Garreth’s tongue swiped over his entrance. Fuck, this was uncomfortable, but needs must.

Garreth closed his eyes and allowed himself to be completely absorbed in Sebastian’s dulled moans and the wet slurping from his mouth. Every flick of Garreth’s tongue made him gasp and keen, much to the frustration of Leander who growled his frustration as Garreth tried to suppress a grin. The Slytherin particularly liked it when Garreth circled his hole before plunging the tip of his tongue inside, the pitch of his whines increasing a whole octave each time he did.

The dull throb of Garreth’s cock grew in intensity with every salacious noise from Sebastian until he couldn’t handle anymore waiting. He was crazed with desire, the pain in his knees nothing compared to the head-spinning arousal that threatened to overwhelm him. A final, firm swipe of his tongue and he retreated, groping in his pocket for his wand with shaking hands and muttering the charm to coat his fingers in a slippery liquid.

“N-not yet. I still want to make this one come,” Leander said, still tugging on Sebastian’s hair as the brunet’s head bobbed up and down.

Garreth swore from frustration, reaching around to spread the lubricant on Sebastian's stiff and twitching cock as Leander pushed him off his lap with a pop and a groan and into Garreth's waiting lap. He was already so pliant, limp and writhing on top of Garreth as he stroked the brunet's girthy length—his bare arse rubbed Garreth's painfully neglected erection with every tug of his hand and their combined loud moans reverberated off the walls and filled his ears.

"Are you going to come all over yourself?" Leander asked through the noise, his hands gripping the twitching boy's thighs and fondling his tight balls.

"Y-yeah…"

The snarky façade was crumbling, revealing Sebastian's pure desperation to be toyed with. He was close, the noises he made bordering on hysterical as his hands made a pathetic attempt at controlling Leander's head. Garreth watched over a freckled shoulder, the ginger head dipped against Sebastian's muscular thighs now peppered with teeth marks and blooming red marks across the tender skin.

"Fucking…faster…"

"Say please," Garreth responded to the whiny demand.

"Please."

Garreth picked up the pace, only a few strokes needed to send Sebastian over the edge with a shuddering moan, spilling his load all over his stomach and Garreth's hand. Garreth muttered praises in Sebastian's ear as he rode out his orgasm, the last dribble of cum barely leaving the boy's cock before Garreth pulled his hand away—he was so fucking ready he could barely think.

"Gods, you're a fucking mess, Sallow," Leander's far away voice said.

Sebastian was already off of his lap, Garreth getting shakily to his feet and wincing at the pain from the hard floor. Undeterred, he gave Leander a sharp look before speaking.

"Help me get him up, I'll probably need you to take his weight."

Garreth had no intention of fucking him on the tiled floor. Sebastian was already getting to his feet, his dark eyes boring into Garreth's skull as he drank him in, diverted as soon as Leander parted his swollen lips with his tongue. Sebastian was but an inch shorter than Garreth, strong and well-built but he looked positively tiny next to Leander, who towered over the both of them with his lean muscular form. He'd have time to wonder why the sight was so riveting later; for now, Garreth's fingers were busy stretching that tight little hole he craved so much.

He'd been right that he'd need Leander's help. As soon as he'd started stroking and circling the soft pad inside Sebastian, the boy was a mess. His legs shook and desperate mewls left his mouth, falling against Leander's plush lips that were turned up in an amused smile. Garreth was three fingers in, Sebastian's entrance stretched so well for him, relaxed and ready.

"Think you can handle all of me?" Garreth asked, already withdrawing his fingers.

"Shutup and fuck me."

Apparently he still had a fucking mouth on him. Any intention of going slowly died with Sebastian's taunt as Garreth lined up his swollen, dripping head with his entrance and pushed inside. The smirking Slytherin collapsed into Leander's chest as Garreth stretched him steadily, until his groin was flush with the soft flesh of Sebastian's behind.

"Come on princess, this is what you wanted wasn't it?"

Leander was busy whispering against Sebastian's parted lips as Garreth looped his arms around Sebastian's, pulling them behind him and linking his hands. Sebastian's back arched into the hold, groaning as he was manhandled just the way he liked.

Sweet relief and absolute ecstasy flooded Garreth's body the moment he started to rock his hips, his eyes diverting downward to watch his cock impaling his lover's arse between those soft cheeks. He'd have time later to grab the flesh and mark him up prettily, but all that Garreth wanted, and could manage to do, was grind against them with increasing vigour. He felt incredible—tight, warm and wet, his walls enveloping Garreth's cock so perfectly and teasing every last drop of frustration out of him.

"So…fucking good…," Garreth gasped.

Sebastian merely whined in response, his flushed face pressed against Leander's shoulder and eyes rolling back into his head. The taller boy stroked his freckled cheek and teased his lips with a thumb, all whilst he laziky stroked his own cock, waiting for his turn.

"What's my name?" Leander asked the Slytherin.

"Uh- fucking…Prewett…"

"Fuck him harder, he's still lucid," Leander chuckled, his brown eyes meeting Garreth's and sending an unexpected shiver of arousal up his spine.

Garreth growled with lustful want, tightening the hold on Sebastian's arms and angling him down, his back arching as Garreth picked up the pace. Their combined moans were deafening and as Garreth spotted a stray tear rolling down Sebastian's cheek, he lost it. He couldn't have stopped if he'd tried, his orgasm coming so suddenly he barely had time to pull out of Sebastian before his ropes of cum spilled all over the heated skin of his back. Garreth threw his head back, gasping for breath as the waves of pleasure ripped through him, cock pulsing against the brunet's soft cheeks as the last of his release dribbled from the tip.

"You're mine, Sallow."

The command was met with a tug from Leander, breaking Sebastian free from his loosened grip around his arms as he was guided backwards to the bench. Leander sat down, spinning Sebastian around to ogle the view, planting kisses on his lower back as his fingers teased his opening.

"You want more?"

"Y-yeah…"

Leander pulled the brunet down into his lap, his cock sliding into his already stretched hole with ease. Garreth made his way to the pair in a trance, running his fingers through the soft chestnut locks as he tilted his head instinctively up to him. Finally, Garreth kissed him, those sweet lips tasting of sweat, a hint of Leander but still overwhelmingly Sebastian. He gripped him tightly as Leander started to thrust up into him, the Slytherin too fucked to be able to do much himself except moan into Garreth's mouth.

Garreth steadied himself with a knee on the bench, his strong arms wrapped around Sebastian's back as he shuddered through the pounding from below. The sounds he made were so sinful; whines, gasps, expletives; an incoherent string of noise against Garreth's lips that sounded like the sweetest music, so satisfying to hear.

"Are you going to come again?" Garreth whispered.

"Uh- uhhuh…"

"Fucking hell…," Leander muttered, approaching his peak.

Garreth wiped another tear from Sebastian's eye as he kissed him again before telling him what he wanted to hear.

"Good boy."

Sebastian fell apart, pulling Leander right along with him over the edge. They collapsed backwards onto the hard wooden bench, wrenching Sebastian away from Garreth's grip as Leander continued his rhythmic pounding with the boy on top of him, writhing and overwhelmed. Sebastian gripped the wood, arms, legs, anything he could reach as his body convulsed and all Garreth could do was watch and paw at the brunet's thighs as they came down off their highs, completely awestruck.

"Fuck…s-stop…," Sebastian managed to eek out, squirming in Leander's tight grip.

Leander gave him a final thrust before pulling out, cum spilling on his legs and splattering on the floor. Sebastian could hardly move, but managed to lift himself off of Leander and into Garreth's waiting arms, head lolling onto his shoulder. He'd realise in a minute what he was doing, and the cocky brat would return, but for now Garreth enjoyed the exhausted and thoroughly ruined boy bundled in his arms.

"Slytherin might have won the match but I think I'm going to claim a Gryffindor victory," Garreth sighed, stroking Sebastian's hair.

Leander laughed and held his hand up for a high-five, the ridiculous gesture only making Garreth's grin wider.

"Thank fuck he's finally stopped talking."

#garreth weasley #sebastian sallow #leander prewett #garreth weasley x sebastian sallow x leander prewett #weaslow #sebastian sallow smut #garreth weasley smut #leander prewett smut #prewlow

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crescencestudio · 1 year ago

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2023: A Year of Connection

Hi everyone!

As I told you last month, this month's "devlog" will be more like an end-of-year recap. For those of you who have known me a while, you'll know that I get ~in my feels~ and Very Nostalgic at the end of the year. And this year is no exception to that.

Looking back on this year, I realize I did much more than I thought I did. The year was filled with so many waves of uncertainty, burnout, and ruts, that I felt like I wasn't accomplishing anything in the moment. Now that the year has actually wrapped up, I can see that was Once Again my imposter syndrome whispering words of sweet nothings into my ears.

In fact, this year, I find that I did Way More than what I did last year. Crazy, considering how busy I remember 2022 being. Let's take a walk down memory lane, shall we?

Writing

If there is one thing this bitch did, it's fucking write LFMASODIJ. For all my complaining this year of routes taking too long, getting creative ruts, etc., I still wrote (what I consider) a Very Good amount. While I may not have hit my writing goals that I had set out, I still ended up writing around 255k words in total this year. Most of this being for Alaris, and some of it being for my dissertation (LOL) and other side games, like Intertwine and Jam Games.

This number also doesn't include deleted passages, edited passages, etc., so the amount I've spent writing, reviewing, etc. was Significant this year. Here's to hoping that momentum continues into next year and finishing the rest of Alaris!

Side Games

Something completely unexpected, but that I'll forever be grateful for, was my decision(s) to join game jams this year. It all started with Otojam, a visual novel jam I'd wanted to join for a WHILE.

Intertwine was, without a doubt, one of my most memorable moments from this year. The friends I made/grew closer to during that jam. The people I connected with because of Intertwine. The people I got to work with. Everything about the experience surpassed my expectations, and Van and Summer 2023 will always hold a very special place in my heart because of it. Thank you to everyone who enjoyed that game. It was my first full game I ever released, and I couldn't have been more nervous about it (no literally. I wasn't sleeping and I was nauseous for a week before release).

Knowing there was no "revision" afterwards that I could hide behind or promise that there would be a "better"/"enhanced" version made the release terrifying. But the reception you all gave to it and support from so many friends made me feel so connected and grateful for the community.

The other three side projects were... well, Unexpected. LOL. Before these jams, I'd never wanted to work in team settings, mostly because I have Mad Imposter Syndrome, and I've always imagined I'd be dead weight in any given game dev team. My skills on writing, art, and/or coding alone aren't "exemplary" enough for me to think I, well, deserve to be on a team. But when a couple of short jams were being held by a friend, and teams were being made filled with other friends, I thought maybe I could help, even if it's just to QA/playtest. But I've walked away from each of these experiences learning so much from other talented people and with very dear friends.

Each of these side games truly tested my chops in terms of writing, narrative design, and coding. But I'm glad I challenged myself to take part in each of these experiences because I've walked away with so much more than I would've expected.

Alaris

My Heart. My Soul. And at times, My Worst Enemy.

As much as I may have talked about how I Wasn't making progress on this baby. I, in fact, made A LOT of progress:

Art: 15 CGs, Updated Sprites, Kickstarter Artwork

Commissions: 20 BGs, Complete GUI, Personality/Affection Indicators, Editing, Voice Acted Lines, Complete OST (8 Tracks!)

Writing: Three Finished Routes

Shipped Kickstarter Merchandise

I'm going to be Real with you all. I'm not in the mood to recap everything for Alaris in the way I did with everything else LAFKMSDFOIJWOEI. Main reason being, I do that Every Month, and at this point, I would feel like I'm repeating myself for no reason. But let me tell you, when the Enhanced Demo comes out, you will see what I'm talking about with progress made. And I'm excited for the next year when I start getting to show things off (read: Demo Release and Route Beta Releases) now that assets have really come together ^^

I will say, thank you for sticking with this project for so long. It's easy to get bogged down in development when a project like this is as big as it is. It's just as easy to think that no one will care about this by the time I release, or people will start losing their patience with me as development goes on. So I'm forever grateful for how kind, supportive, and patient you all are, especially this year <3

Connections: The True Theme of 2023

If you've made it this far, I'm extremely impressed with you. And to reward you, I'll give you a moment of honesty and vulnerability which, to be frank, I Don't Do as a person and especially with my dev persona LMFAOO ((Before I do, let it be known, CW: mention of death, grief, alcoholism, chronic illness, suicidal thoughts))

Something I don't talk about much is that for all of 2022 and most of 2023, I was not in a good place mentally. At the beginning of 2022, I lost three very important people in my life back-to-back (I'm not exaggerating when I say back-to-back it was within 2 weeks, three separate deaths lol). That, on its own, was hard to deal with. But on top of that, I soon found myself having to cope/help with a family member's chronic illness and another family member's mental health (read: alcoholism, suicidality).

While this isn't a particularly unique situation, it was one that I found myself struggling with pretty severely on top of a pretty demanding work life. And it was a situation I found myself in until about midway through this year. Things have lightened up. I navigate a new life with some pretty severe triggers, and without the presence of some of my most loved ones. But overall, I at least feel like I can breathe and function, which is a state I didn't feel like I could exist in for over a year (and started to believe I may never exist in again).

Because of this new room in my life, I was able to connect with people again, in a more genuine way. I've grown closer to a lot of dev friends, to the point I consider some of them genuine close friends. And IRL, I've been able to reconnect with some of my dearest loved ones. The main reason I bring all of this up is because this year, I felt unbelievably connected to people, whether that was dev friends in the community, people who support my games, and IRL people.

And sometimes, when you interact with people solely online, it's easy to think they don't care as much about you as you do for them. But this has been disproven to me time and time again this year. And I've found myself in a state of appreciation for so many of the people I've been blessed to meet and befriend <3 I felt this especially so during some of the game jams, with the Secret Santa gift exchange, and with my recent Holiday Tree.

So thank you for everyone who has let me take up some space in their life. You literally Do Not Know how much it means to me and impacts me. This year, while I started it in a state of slightly hopelessness and numbness, I find myself ending it with gratitude and connection.

I hope the rest of this year (the very few couple of days we have left LOL) treats everyone well. I'm excited for how we get to start 2024 and what we'll get to experience together <3 Thank you again for the memories and support, love you all very dearly ^^

#crescence cries

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mibyleonline · 2 years ago

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alt text 101 for artists

I’m not an accessibilty expert, but I gathered these tips here and there, and it has really been helping me writing better alt texts - and I hope they will help others too!

Alternative text is a description of an image that can be read by a screen reader. It also can help the understanding of an image for people who don't use screen readers.

What do you write?

It all goes down to including what is relevant to give the user an accurate idea of your artwork:

the medium you used to make the artwork (is it a digital illustration? a traditional oil painting? a graphite pencil sketchbook doodle?)

the subject of the artwork

anything that is relevant for understanding the meaning of the artwork. For instance, is the lighting important, or does it bring a particular meaning or mood?

Write sentences - don’t just throw away key words. EDIT: don't write full sentences, but phrases and fragments to keep your description concise

adding one more thing after getting feedback: keep it concise! Under 125 characters (even 100 is best)

Where/how do I add it?

The alt text feature is more or less obvious on the apps we usually post on. In doubt, please just search for it on a web browser, you’ll find how to add it in the blink of an eye :)

On Twitter

enable the alt text reminder! Everytime you post an image, it will remind you to add alt text if you forgot it. Go in your settings, then “accessibility, display and languages”. Then “accessibility”, and in the media section, check the “receive image description reminder” box.

on web browser: once you’ve uploaded your image, click on “add description” under it.

on the app: once you’ve uploaded your image, click on the “+alt” bubble in the right bottom corner that appeared on your image.

On Instagram

at the bottom of the posting page, go in “advanced settings”, then “accessibility”, then “write the alt text”.

On Tumblr

once you’ve uploaded your image, click on the three dots icon that appears when your mouse is on the image, then click on “update the description”.

On Mastodon

once you’ve uploaded your image, click on the “description missing” message that appears on it.

On your website (portfolio, shops, etc)

Where and how you can add it depends on the platforms but there’s always a way! My tip for this would be to schedule yourself an alt text audit of your website to take a moment when you would search how to do it and when you would add all the necessary alt texts! I’d also encourage you to pay attention to some other accessibility features - for instance contrast between background and text. There are lots of ressources out there and I admit it can sound overwhelming: digital accessibility is an expertise, a job field in itself after all. In my opinion, taking it a few steps at a time is a good way to go! For instance I like to do little accessibility audits of my portfolio every once in a while and check a new area that I might have missed before.

I forgot to add it, what should I do?

On some platforms, you can add it after posting if needed - it’s the case on the Instagram app for instance. Always try to see if you can add it afterwards. If you can’t, add it in the replies (if it’s on twitter for instance) or edit the body/caption of your post if you can change this but can’t change the alt text.

Adding it as a “simple description” instead of an alt text that will be read by a screen reader in lieu of the image isn’t perfect, but having it somewhere very close to the image in plain text that will get to be read by screen readers is way better than nothing to my knowledge :)

It's Disability Pride Month (July, when I'm writing this)

I wanted to take some time to encourage you to take some time and energy this month, and at anytime of the year, when you can, to learn about Disability Justice. I’m not the best at explaining what it is, and how much there is at stake. I’m better at this, making small guides about what fellow artists can do to make their work more welcoming to disabled people. But it doesn’t mean Disability Justice isn’t close to my heart and that I shouldn’t even mention it.

There’s a documentary about the Disability Rights movement that I can only highly recommend - it’s Crip Camp. It’s on netflix, and even watchable in full on Youtube.

youtube

Pay attention to us, disabled people, to what we have to say. ”Nothing about us without us”: our perspectives and opinions are those you must focus on when it comes to disability and to our lives.

#disabled artist #disability pride month #disability community #artists on tumblr #art community #illustration #artist on tumblr #illustrators on tumblr #cute art #accessiblity #art resources #art tips #tips for artists #Youtube

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puppycheesecake · 3 months ago

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hi! i'm trying to work up the courage to post the sims i've made but even though my in-game graphics settings are set to highest, i still feel like my screenshots make my poor pixel guys look like potatoes (especially when zooming in or trying to see details). i was wondering if you had any tips for crisper quality screenshots? i'm on a mac and not very technology-versed but i thought i'd ask anyway. please feel free to ignore if you're not in the mood and keep being rad <3

I mostly just use custom CAS lighting and Gshade/Reshade, then do some minor editing afterward (upping contrast and color vibrancy, sometimes sharpness). GIMP and Photopea are some pretty decent free editing programs. My screenshots aren't super high quality, though... 😅

I know there are ways to get crisper screenshots: SRWE seems to be popular, although I haven't used it myself. This might also be helpful, but I think it depends on your graphics card.

But even without all that--you should still post your Sims! Potatoe or not! I sure posted potatoes when I first started, and now it's kinda fun to go back and compare. You gotta start somewhere--don't wait until it feels perfect! Post those Sims!!!

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39confetti · 2 years ago

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Can you make maison talo and John Doe headcanon about doing it with them please🥺

Sure thing !

IMPORTANT : This post contain nsfw, blood/Knife play, S&M elements, aftercare, cream pie, and biting. If you are under 18, do not read this... If you continue reading this post, I am not responsible for any shock, or the fact that you are underage. You have been warned.

Doing "it" with them (Uncanny Valley Edition)

John Doe :

-He's the kind of guy who doesn't hide his desires. In fact, he's very explicit, and won't hesitate to let you know he's in the mood.

-In this kind of situation, your personal bubble no longer exists. John Doe is glued to you, his hands getting all over you, even sliding under your clothes.

-He loves to give you pleasure. It's what he prefers, in fact.

-As his tongue is rather long, he's able to do many strange things... But it’s only pleasant things. He always feels useful/satisfied when he slips between your legs to give you “treats”.

-He'd rather give you “treats” than receive it, but if you offer, he'll NEVER refuse. Feeling you against him, your breath against his privates... It's enough to make him gasp.

-He's a switch, but he's more naturally a bottom than a top.

-When he's bottom, he becomes very obedient and begs you to hurt him. And yes, John Doe is a masochist.

-His favorite thing is knife play. He loves to feel the blade of a sharp knife penetrate his skin. The marks you leave him are his favorites, he sees them as a symbol of your love for him, and that drives him absolutely crazy.

-When Doe's a top, his ultimate goal is to please you, although his definition of "pleasure" isn't quite the same as yours. If you like knife play too, then he'll be more than happy to oblige. However, it's absolutely essential to tell him if you don't like it, because John Doe doesn't understand that this practice can be unpleasant.

-Also, if he can lick your wounds and taste your blood... He'll be in heaven. He considers it as a kind of foreplay, and it works like a charm on him.

-Whether he's bottom or top, he's in total awe of your body. He cherishes every gesture or breath you make. He won't stop praising you, or staring at you with pupils filled with love and respect. In fact, seeing him stare at you like that with his big eyes can be quite... special.

-Boy, is he loud. If you like people who moan during “it”, you're in for a sweet moment. He can't contain his moans, and if you do your job well enough, he might even shake.

-Don't hesitate to pull his hair, he LOVES it. Feeling your hands in his hair gives him butterflies in his stomach. Sometimes his hair even gets tangled around your arm, as an invitation to be harder on him.

-John Doe can canonically change his gender or privates, and he's very comfortable with that. So whatever you like, he's ready to adapt to your tastes and desires!

-Moreover, the size of his privates can also change. Are you a little stressed and find him a little too big? No problem, he'll find the right size for you.

-I'm not going to explain in depth. Just. 2 words. Cream pie.

-He's curious, so if there's anything you'd like to try out, he'll always agree.

-The aftercare is a special moment! Holding you in his arms afterwards, covering you in kisses as he strokes your head... He always feels special at that moment.

-Doe wants to make sure you've enjoyed it, so he's likely to ask you several times... even though he may appear to be insistent he's just a little anxious. Reassure him that he's been awesome, and he'll be even more satisfied!

Maison Talo:

-He doesn't really embrace his desires... He's the type to hide them, and he knows how to control himself perfectly.

-But if you play on his nerves a little too much… he's likely to be pretty rough.

-He likes to be in control. So when you make him lose control, he has to take control over you.

-Maison loves bondage, especially when you are the rope bunny. He doesn't hesitate to restrict you with ropes, or his limbs...

-He loves to lick you. And by that I mean licking absolutely everything. His tongue can wander over the back of your neck, your cheek, your belly, and other more intimate places.

-If you're limited, then he's satisfied. He can do whatever he wants, and Maison often starts with “treats”.

-He, who used to dream of eating you... He can finally have a little taste of you. Careful, though, he might bite your inner thighs and make you bleed with his sharp teeth.

-He's taking it slow, and enjoys making you yearn. Maison waits for you to beg him to go further... After all, you asked for it!

-If you have to give him some, he'll guide the frequency with a hand on your head. He's not much of a talker, but he'll probably say a few words like "Good job." "That's perfect..."

-Maison loves to top you. He's a top. But if you manage to surprise him, he might be completely flustered and suddenly go bottom.

-Beyond being a top, he's above all dominant.

-If he can choke you, he will. He loves to see your pleading eyes, your whole body being at his mercy... For him, it's a real blessing.

-It's constantly hot when you're doing it, so very often you end up sweaty and a little out of breath. And he loves to see you so weak, he finds it very exciting.

-He's not very vocal. Though, if you listen carefully you may notice a few grunts and sighs, but he prefers to keep it quiet.

-If you tease him about it, he won't hesitate to spank you, just to put you back in your place, or to move faster and rougher to keep you quiet.

-If you want to please him, shout his name, it always does something to him.

-He'll never admit it, but he loves it when you scratch him, especially his back. Feeling your nails dig into his skin drives him crazy.

-Maison doesn't care where he ends it, even if he still prefers to see you covered in his... stuff.

-The aftercare isn't necessary to him, he's a bit scared of eating you immediately afterwards so he'd rather walk away.

-But if you really want it, then he'll do his best to control his urges.

-He's the type to gently stroke your back afterwards, making a few comments about everything that happened... Nothing negative, of course.

-Even so, he doesn't feel like staying close to you for too long. You smell so good after it that he prefers to be far away.

-But to make up for it, he'll run you a nice hot bath, with a few bubbles and a delicious vanilla scent.

And finally, for both of them: Even if they like to cause pain, they want you to get some pleasure out of it. If some of the things I've written bother you, don't hesitate to ignore them, because they'll NEVER do anything you don't like.

#john doe game #john doe horror game #john doe visual novel #john doe #maison talo house hunted #maison talo headcanon #john doe headcanon

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