#// short starters r great i enjoy

[lurxof--thxmaw]

@boywiththeredscarf liked for a starter 。

The Madame's eyes dart to the walls. She can hear creaking behind the wooden tiles. Brave little steps, no doubt.

Without uttering a word, the Lady knocks on the wall, before resting her head ear close to it as she waits for a response.

[lumosandnoxwriting]

Never Let Go || George Weasley

Title: Never Let Go Pairing: George x Reader Summary: Turns out building a family isn’t as easy as George thought it would be. A/N: part 2 to dad!george x nanny!reader! Though it’s not so much nanny!reader anymore as it’s more like stepmom!reader but whatever! Hope you guys enjoy and feedback is always welcome/appreciated! <3

-

It’s no surprise that George finds them in the backyard. 

Summer is finally in full swing in the UK, and he knows Y/N likes to have Remi out in the fresh air as much as possible. The almost two year old has them on their toes, and spending the day out in the garden, running through the grass seems to be the only way to ensure Remi falls asleep as soon as her head hits the pillow. And George really does mean an actual pillow, since they recently upgraded the crib in her room to a toddler bed. 

He has no idea where the time has gone. 

He had hoped to sneak up on them, considering the fact that it’s the middle of the day on Tuesday and he’s supposed to be at work. But when he steps out onto the back porch he isn’t met with the sight of Y/N and Remi kicking a ball back and forth or blowing bubbles. No, the scene he walks in on is much more precious. 

Y/N is laying in the hammock, one foot on the ground to slowly rock it back and forth while Remi lays on top of her chest, fast asleep. They’ve got matching white sundresses on, a gift for Mother’s Day from Molly. He figures Y/N is asleep too, but when the deck stairs creak under his weight her eyes open and a bright grin takes over her face. 

“George,” she breathes, voice quiet so as to not wake their toddler. “You’re home early.”

“I missed my girls and I’ve been jealous of all the fun you two have been having together,” George explains as he approaches. “Besides, Fred has been having so much fun torturing the interns he won’t even notice that I’m gone.”

Y/N giggles and pats the empty netting beside her. “Here, come join us.” When George gives Remi a weary glance, she waves away his concerns. “She’s out cold and probably will be for another hour, Sandra next door’s St. Bernard chased her around the yard for over an hour this morning.”

George rounds the hammock, carefully easing himself down next to the girls so he doesn’t flip them. He lays down on his side facing Y/N, propping his head up with one hand while the other rests on Remi’s bum, just below where Y/N’s own hand is. He leans in and kisses his daughter’s messy curls, before placing one on his girlfriend’s temple. 

He can’t believe that it’s been almost eighteen months since that day at the brownstone, when he opened up his front door to meet his new nanny only to fall head over heels in love with her instead. It’s hard to believe how much has changed in such a short time. 

For starters he sold that stupid brownstone that he loved so much. As Remi got older it was clear his bachelor pad was not easily converted into a family home, and the pathetic stretch of grass he called a back yard was insufficient for his sweet summer child who loved running barefoot in the grass. Plus with Y/N in their lives, the possibility of someday growing their family was always in the back of George’s mind and a London townhome was barely big enough for the three of them.

So with a great return on his investment and a little dipping into his savings, George was able to buy a large family home in one of the uppity neighborhoods on the outskirts of London. Sure his commute every day is hell, but they’ve got a backyard big enough for them to add a dog or two, the best schools in the country are just a short walk away, and there’s plenty of room in case they decide to add to their family one day. 

Which is something George hopes happens soon, one of the biggest changes that has happened since Y/N came into their lives. Before Remi George had a hard time imagining himself settling down, getting married and having some kids, and whenever he did it was far into the future by at least ten years. Once Remi was dropped into his lap that outlook had changed, but he always figured it would be just him and his daughter, something he was totally okay with. 

Falling in love with Y/N totally changed all of those plans. 

He didn’t want a life that was just him and Remi. He wanted one that included Y/N and the love and light she brings with her, with as many kids as she wants to give him. And he didn’t want that life years from now anymore, he wanted it as soon as she would allow him to stick a ring on her finger. 

Hence the diamond ring tucked away in the safe at work. George doesn’t think she’s quite there yet, but as soon as she is he’ll be down on one knee and making her his wife. 

But by far the biggest change that’s happened is the fact that he no longer has a nanny. Because now Y/N is a stay at home mum. So far that change has certainly been the most difficult, and it’s all thanks to the stubborn girl laying next to him. 

Once their relationship became romantic George knew Y/N could no longer be his nanny. Simply for the fact that it felt wrong to hand her a paycheck on Friday morning only to have her underneath him in bed that night. Besides, once that line had been crossed they both considered Remi to be their daughter, not just George’s and he certainly wouldn’t pay his wife or the mother of his child to take care of them. 

So he had proposed two possible paths to Y/N. 

The first being that he would stop paying her to watch Remi, and in turn George would take over all financial responsibility in their home. His money would become their money, and George would take care of all of their bills while she stayed at home and took care of the house and Remi. 

Y/N had flat out told him no. Which aggravated him and made him fall even more in love with her. But George had understood her response once she had explained that of course she considers Remi her daughter, the fact of the matter is she really isn’t Remi’s mum, and she’d feel weird taking on a role without having felt like she really earned it. Which George thought was total bullshit, he understood her point of view, but he thought it was bullshit. 

Which led him to propose the second path. Y/N would no longer be Remi’s nanny, giving her the ability to seek a new, day time position with another family. She of course would still live at home with them, and George would find a new nanny to look after Remi during the day while they were both at work.

He figured that would be the perfect solution. Y/N would still be making her own money while getting to be with him and Remi, Remi would have still have that one on one care George wanted for her and he no longer had to pay his girlfriend to hang out with their kid. 

Except her response to this proposition was the same as the first. Hell no.

Which had pissed George off to no end. He was trying to find a solution that would make their family work and keep all of them happy, and his sweet, stubborn girl shot him down. Twice. His anger had abated when during one of their arguments Y/N explained that the thought of another woman being in their home taking care of their daughter made her absolutely sick to her stomach. Because how the fuck could George be mad at her for being jealous at the thought of someone else being with Remi. 

So for months George kept signing Y/N’s paychecks and they kept fighting about how best to handle things moving forward. And George uses the term fighting very loosely, considering the fact it was more him trying to convince Y/N to let him take care of her and her saying no. 

It wasn’t until they moved into the new house, and their neighbor Sandra slapped George across the face and yelled about him being a dirty cheater, did they finally come to an agreement. 

Because when Y/N took Remi to the park down the road she’d introduced herself as Remi’s nanny to the neighborhood moms and nannies that were there with their kids. Which normally wouldn’t have been a problem, except for the fact that they started to notice that when Remi called her Mama she never corrected her, and on the weekends it was always George and “the nanny” taking Remi to the park together and they always seemed to be so close. 

So when Sandra saw them kiss in the driveway before George went off to work it seemed to confirm the neighborhood gossip that had been going around for weeks: George Weasley was screwing his nanny and was going to replace Remi’s biological mother with her. 

Which explains why Sandra, a woman George had barely spoken to at that point, assaulted and confronted him on his own property. Thankfully Y/N had been able to calm Sandra down, and after awkwardly explaining to her that Y/N was both Remi’s nanny and George’s girlfriend and that there was no other woman involved, the rumor mill dried up and everything went back to normal.

But Y/N felt so terrible that she agreed to quit her job as Remi’s nanny, with the stipulation that George let her work a job that still allowed her to be home with their little girl during the day. So now she works for a few families in the neighborhood as a nanny part time, that way whether she’s working or not Y/N is still Remi’s full time caretaker and she can contribute to the house with her own money. 

“Whatcha thinking about?” YN murmurs after they’ve been sitting in silence for a bit. 

“You, Remi, life,” George answers simply. 

“I can’t believe she’s almost two,” Y/N says wistfully, slowly rubbing Remi’s back. “I feel like just yesterday she was learning to crawl and asking for more juice by throwing her empty sippy cup at me,” she pauses as they both laugh. “Now she runs circles around me and says please and thank you.”

“It’s hard to believe that she used to be that tiny, fragile baby I found on my doorstep.”

Y/N stiffens next to him, just like she always does whenever Remi’s biological mother or how Remi came to be in George’s life is mentioned. She’s never even met the woman, but Y/N feels nothing but hatred towards her purely because of how carelessly she abandoned her little girl. There’s also a little jealousy there too, because as Remi gets older it is apparent that looks wise, she takes after the woman who provided the other half of her DNA, giving Remi a connection to her that Y/N will never have. She will love Remi with her whole heart until the moment she takes her last breath, but she will never be the woman that gave her life. 

“Even though I hate the way she came into your life,” Y/N starts, tilting her head back so she can look up at George. “I’m really fucking glad she did.”

“Me too, baby,” George agrees, leaning in to kiss Y/N softly. “Me too.”

-

“What are the ethical and legal implications for fucking an intern?” Fred asks suddenly, making all of the men groan. “Hypothetically, of course.”

Every month the Weasley brothers get together for a guys night. They play poker, drink beer and just catch up with each other. They’re at Bill’s tonight, in a shed out in the garden that he converted into a man cave. It’s a full house tonight, with George, Fred, Ron, Bill, Charlie and Ginny’s fiancé Harry all in attendance, and all of them are looking at Fred with disappointment. 

“Fred, you shouldn’t have fucked an intern,” Bill scolds, forever the responsible eldest brother. 

“Hey, I never said I did. I said hypothetically speaking,” Fred points out. “And I’m a little hurt by all of the judgment boys. Georgie over here fucked his employee and all of you congratulated him. Not fair.”

George rolls his eyes, taking a sip from his beer. “First of all, fuck face, if you talk about my future wife like that ever again I’ll knock you on your ass. Second of all, what happened with Y/N and I is completely different than whatever you plan on doing with one of our interns.”

“Oh please brother, enlighten me,” Fred snaps. 

“Well for one I’m not nearly a decade older than her,” George responds, narrowing his eyes as he glares at his brother. “Not to mention the second things turned romantic I tried to fire her, not my fault Y/N is the most stubborn woman on the planet. Any intern you hump and dump will still be our employee for at least two more months. And fraternization in that manner can certainly be construed as sexual harassment, which could end in a horrible, very public lawsuit that will ruin the company we worked so hard to build. Me kissing Y/N ended in a very happy, healthy, romantic relationship. We are not the same.”

Fred is silent for a few moments, and George is almost certain he’s gotten through to his twin. Until the other man opens his mouth. 

“So what you’re saying is I should wait until August, once their internship has ended, to fuck them?”

“I need another fucking drink,” George grumbles, pushing away from the table before he heads towards the little bar Bill has set up in the corner. He drowns out the conversation Ron has started, since it’s mainly focused on which intern Fred has his eye on, so he’s surprised when Bill slides up next to him. 

“Hey. I’ve got that number you asked Fleur for,” Bill murmurs, holding out a piece of paper for George to take. 

He gives it a quick glance, noting it’s nothing but a phone number, no name or identifying information, before he slips it into his pocket. “Thanks man, I appreciate it.” Both the number Bill has given him and his discretion in how he chose to give it to him. 

Because George isn’t one hundred percent certain what he’s doing is legal, and the less people that know about it the better. 

It feels kind of silly, scolding Fred about ethics and legal ramifications when George finds himself in a similar position, but his motivation has nothing to do with getting his dick wet, so he feels like his pursuit is at least a little justified. 

Six months ago he had his lawyer start looking into what’s legally required for Y/N to be able to adopt Remi once they get married. He knows it kills her that the only claim she has to Remi is the one in her heart and George wants to make sure that she has the legal rights to their daughter as well. 

Unfortunately for George, the answer was far from simple. Because when Emily, Remi’s biological mother, dropped her on his doorstep there was no documentation that she was officially terminating her rights. Meaning that even though George has been her sole legal guardian for nearly 24 months at any moment in time Emily can reappear, demand custody and have it granted. It also means that Y/N can’t legally become Remi’s mother. 

His lawyer had spent a few months trying to dig up any information, in the hopes that Emily had filed the paperwork to terminate her rights and they just didn’t know about it. When that search turned up empty their focus pivoted, and George had his attorney find out how to contact Emily, hoping that they could get her to agree to meet and come in to sign her rights away. 

But so far every attempt has failed. Either the numbers his lawyer finds are out of service or no one returns their call. Places of employment claim to have no employees under that name and every address is outdated. It’s been months since their search began and they still have nothing.

Luckily for George his sister-in-law knows some interesting people. He doesn’t want or need to know why Fleur has the number for a private investigator who has a knack for hacking, he’s just thankful that she does. 

Because there’s nothing he wouldn’t do for his family. 

But the blurred lines between right and wrong keep him from telling Y/N about the information Bill passed along to him when she asks him how boy’s night went as he slips into bed beside her that night. That way if this all ends up blowing up in his face George will be the only one hurt in the process. 

At least he hopes. 

-

The little family Y/N pulled together started on an unsuspecting Monday morning. 

So it makes sense that it all starts to fall apart on one too.

-

“What did you forget this time?” Y/N teases as she pulls open the front door. George only left for work a few minutes ago, and after a weekend at home with their family it’s pretty typical for him to get on the road only to have to turn around to retrieve something he forgot. But the smile fades from her face when she realizes George isn’t the one who rang the bell, but a beautiful brunette woman. 

A beautiful brunette woman who has soft curls falling down her back and a face shape that she would recognize anywhere considering the fact that she presses a kiss to that same arched brow every single night.

Nope, Remi’s Father is not standing on the porch - her Mother is. 

The woman, Emily, smiles at Y/N either oblivious to the distress on her face or she simply does not care enough to react to it. “Is George home?”

“N-no,” Y/N stutters out, too stunned to say anything else. “He’s at work.”

Emily shakes her head, looking Y/N up and down in a way that’s anything but friendly. “Ah, you must be the nanny then.”

The way she says nanny creates a pit in Y/N’s stomach, and it takes all of her strength not to flinch. Because how fucking dare this woman who abandoned her child show up years later and be anything but thankful and appreciative for the woman who picked up her slack. 

“Is there something I can help you with, Emily?” she asks after taking a moment to compose herself.

Because as much as she wants to give this woman a piece of her mind, Remi is just in the other room, and she has to keep her head on straight to make sure no harm comes to her daughter. No matter what this horrid woman thinks of Y/N, Remi is hers, and she’d do anything to keep that little girl safe.

If Emily is surprised to be recognized it doesn’t show on her face. She pulls a card out of her pocket, offering it to Y/N. “No, George will know why I was here. Have him give me a call.”

Y/N isn’t in control of her body as she reaches a shaky hand out and takes the proffered card, her mind numb. She watches as Emily turns on her heel and walks away without a care in the world. Like she didn’t just blow up Y/N’s life. 

Because why the hell would George know why Emily came by the house?

And why the fuck doesn’t she?

-

George knows something is wrong the second he walks through the door that night. 

Usually the house is filled with noise, Y/N almost always has music playing in the background as she cooks dinner and the sounds of her and Remi laughing echoes off the walls. But tonight when he swings the door open, his mouth opening to shout a greeting he’s met with dead silence. 

He’s immediately on edge, worried something has happened to his girls. 

“Y/N?” he calls out, voice frantic. “Where are you?”

He searches the bottom floor, switching between calling out for Y/N and Remi, his anxiety heightening each time he goes unanswered. His palms are sweating and he feels like he’s on the verge of a panic attack when he heads upstairs, his body moving without really being aware of where it’s going. 

All George knows is that something is wrong and he needs to find Y/N and Remi before he loses his mind. 

Finally he swings open Remi’s bedroom door and he takes his first deep breath in what feels like hours. Because Y/N is standing there, her back to the door as she gazes out the window. Her shoulders stiffen, so George knows she’s aware of his presence, but she doesn’t turn when he murmurs her name. It’s then that he finally notices a lack of their daughter, and the packed duffle bag sitting on the floor next to Y/N.

“Where’s Remi?”

“At Bill and Fleur’s,” Y/N answers, her voice flat as she still refuses to look at George. 

Her lack of emotion and just general shitty behavior does nothing but piss George off, which is why his words come out sharper than he intends them to. “Y/N what the fuck is going on?”

She finally turns to look at George then, and her appearance has him stifling a gasp. While no tears fall from her eyes, they’re rimmed with red and slightly puffy - a tell-tale sign that she’s spent a good chunk of the day crying. Her body is stiff, her arms crossed like she needs to protect herself. And her eyes, those eyes that George loves so much, are filled with one emotion: betrayal.

“Why don’t you tell me?”

That isn’t what George expected her to say, and he feels a little lame that he doesn’t immediately have a response. 

“Maybe you can start by telling me why the fuck, Emily showed up at our house today looking for you, and when I said you weren’t home she just left her number, claiming that you would know exactly why she was here.”

Oh fuck. 

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

George’s stomach is in knots and he feels like he’s going to throw up. He should have told Y/N that he was looking for Emily, he feels like such an idiot for keeping that from her. His lawyer has called several of her friends and family members to try and get a hold of her, of course one of them was sure to tell Emily George was looking for her. So it really isn’t a surprise that she decided to track him down instead.

Well at least, not a surprise to him. And why should Y/N have been expecting Emily to show up at their door after no contact for almost two years? He really, really fucked up. 

“Baby, wait, it’s not what it looks like,” George starts to explain, taking a step towards her. 

But Y/N takes a step back, holding up her hand to cut him off. “Really? Because it looks like you went behind my back and sought out the biological mother of the child you claim to be ours, after she abandoned her on a front porch no less.”

Fuck, it sounds even worse when she puts it like that. 

“Please, just let me explain,” George pleads.

But Y/N just shakes her head. “The time for you to explain would have been before any of this shit started.” She picks her bag up and tears start to well in her eyes. “I need a second George, to think about things. To think about what Emily being back around means for me and us and this family. Fleur and Bill are going to keep Remi for tonight, and Sandra agreed to watch her while you’re at work for the next few days.”

As she walks out of the room Y/N pauses next to George. “Emily’s number is on the counter in the kitchen. You better have a damn good reason for needing it.”

George stands there alone in the middle of Remi’s bedroom until he hears the front door click shut behind Y/N. It’s only when he’s sure he’s alone does he allow himself to break down: tears rolling down his cheeks as he falls to his knees. 

He thought keeping this secret was going to ensure Y/N felt secure in their family, but now it looks like he may have lost her for good.

-

Y/N plasters a fake smile on her face, not needing all of their friends and family to know how torn up her insides are. Because of course, the weekend after George’s betrayal is Remi’s second birthday, and despite the fact that they’re still not speaking and she’s still not sure where her place in their family is anymore Y/N will always show up for Remi. She’s already had one mother walk out, and Y/N is not about to be another. Emily’s reappearance be damned Y/N loves that little girl, and she’ll happily suffer in silence if it keeps a smile on her daughter’s face. 

Despite George’s best efforts, she’s managed to stay away from him so far. Of course they need to have a conversation about what happened, but the middle of their backyard while celebrating their daughter’s birthday is not the time or the place. So she’s kept close to Remi, reveling in the feel of holding her tiny hand as the toddler dragged her around the yard to all of the different activities they have set up. 

She’s standing outside the bounce house, watching Remi tumble around with her friends and her Uncle Fred, chatting with one of the Mum’s when she feels his presence behind her. The warmth of his body seeps into her skin, and Y/N’s eyes flutter shut as the scent of his cologne washes over her. Despite all of her hurt and her anger this week without George has been torture, and she’s afraid to admit how good it feels to be near him again. 

“Hi,” he greets, leaning in to murmur in her ear. “I’m really fucking happy to see you. I was afraid you weren’t going to show up.”

The other Mum gives her a cheeky wink before wandering off, clearly thinking Y/N and George are reconnecting during a quiet moment of a hectic day. Her stomach drops, both in fear and excitement. 

“It’s our daughter’s birthday, George,” Y/N responds once she’s composed herself, eyes reopening as she takes a deep breath. “If you think I’d miss it just because I’m pissed at you, you don’t know anything about me. I’m not Emily.”

Regret slaps George in the face, and he kicks himself for being so stupid. He hasn’t been able to think straight since Monday night, when he came home and his whole world fell apart. Life without Y/N is bleak, and if it weren’t for the little girl giggling wildly as she has fun with her friends, George is sure he would have given up by now.

“I’m sorry, I’m such a fucking idiot,” he apologizes, scrubbing a hand over his face. “Remi hasn’t been sleeping at night because she misses you and I haven’t been sleeping at night because I miss you and I feel so fucking terrible about everything and I can barely breathe let alone think straight.”

He pauses, taking a second to get his shit together.

“Of course I knew you would show up today, your love for Remi has always come first. That’s what I love most about you, how fiercely you love the people you care about.”

Y/N simply nods, to over run with emotion to trust her voice to come out clear and even. Knowing that Remi has been struggling during this time absolutely kills her, and she hates that she has brought her even an ounce of pain. But at least she’s young, and if this really is it for this relationship, Remi will never remember Y/N and the love and loss her brief stint in her  life caused. 

That’s a thought Y/N has had many times over this past week, and it’s just as heart wrenching to think about as it was the first time. Remi will never remember Y/N, but she’ll spend the rest of her life loving and missing that little girl. 

“Can we talk tonight?” George pleads. “I want to explain everything to you, like I should have done on Monday. Or rather even before that night. And if you still want to walk away from this relationship after that I will let you go. But please know that you will always be a part of Remi’s life, whether you and I are together or not. Remi may have come from Emily, but you are her Mother and you always will be.”

George walks away then, and Y/N furiously wipes at the tears leaking down her cheeks before anyone has the chance to notice. 

-

Y/N decides to hear George out. 

Because even though her heart is hurting and she feels like her trust has been broken, just being in his presence today has made her feel the most normal she has all week. Being by his side while they held Remi and everyone gathered around to sing her happy birthday just felt right, like she was just where she was supposed to be. There is no doubt in her mind that George is the love of her life, and Y/N knows deep down that she’ll always regret not fighting for their relationship. And when George had assured her that no matter their relationship status Y/N would always be in Remi’s life, she figured she had nothing to lose by sitting down and hearing George’s side of things. 

Plus, sticking around until the last partygoers made their way out means she gets to put Remi to bed for the first time in almost a week. 

Which is where she is now, laying on her side in Remi’s bed with the little girl snuggled up against her. They’ve just finished reading her favorite book ‘I love you to the moon and back’ and now Y/N is slowly stroking her soft curls as she watches Remi’s eyes flutter open and closed and she fights off sleep. 

“Mama miss me?” Remi’s sweet voice mumbles, and it makes Y/N’s heart break. 

She leans in, pressing her lips against Remi’s forehead. “Mama missed you so much, baby.”

“Miss Mama,” Remi agrees, her lips smacking together as she tries to stay awake. “Love you Mama.”

“I love you too, Rem-Dog. More than you’ll ever know,” Y/N promises. That reassurance must make Remi feel safe enough to fall asleep, and Y/N watches as her eyes finally flutter closed and once her daughter’s breaths have evened out she presses one more kiss to Remi’s forehead before extracting herself from the bed. 

“Goodnight, baby,” she murmurs, taking a second to tuck the covers tightly over Remi’s body. She heads towards the door, taking one more look over her shoulder before she closes it behind her. Taking a deep breath Y/N steals herself, preparing for whatever conversation is awaiting her downstairs. 

George nearly jumps out of his seat when Y/N comes down the stairs, furiously wiping the sweat from his palms on his trousers. He gestures towards the seat across from him, giving her a small smile. “Sit, please.” 

Once she’s seated across from him George sits down too, awkwardly fidgeting in his chair. He crosses and uncrosses his legs several times, his hands wringing together as he tries to figure out where to start. 

“Thank you for staying and agreeing to hear me out.”

Y/N gives a curt nod. “I’m not making any promises here, George. But I at least owe it to myself and our family to sit here and listen to what you have to say.”

She watches as George grabs a thick manilla envelope off the chair next to him, waiting with bated breath as he slides a document out of it. He places it on the table, slowly sliding it towards her so that she can see what it is.

Y/N takes a moment to read, her eyes scanning the words over and over again so there’s no doubt in her mind what she’s looking at. As the information soaks in, tears start to form in the corners of her eyes, and she presses a hand to her trembling lips. 

“George these are,” she starts, eyes finally flicking up to meet him.

“Adoption papers,” George confirms with a nod. “I told you earlier that no matter what happens between us you’ll always be Remi’s Mum, so I figured this would be a good place to start. That way once this conversation is done you can be free to feel however you want to feel, and not make a decision based on your love for Remi. I love you, Y/N, and I want us to be a family. But I understand that you might not feel that way anymore. So all you have to do is sign on the places that are marked, I already did, file these with the court and Remi will legally be yours too.”

“George, I,” Y/N stumbles, unable to find the words. This is the last thing she imagined George would say to her. And she knows now that whatever awful things she thought George was doing behind her back were nothing more than her insecurities speaking out.

When Emily showed up on their porch it surprised Y/N to her core, and all of those negative thoughts she’s had about feeling like she could never measure up to Remi’s biological mother came rushing back to the forefront of her mind; only made worse by the fact that George had seemingly been trying to get in contact with Emily behind her back. 

But sitting here, now, with George offering her a permanent place in Remi’s life even if she doesn’t want one in his - she knows. She knows that this is all just some stupid misunderstanding and she nearly let the best thing that’s ever happened to her slip away. 

“What about Emily?” Y/N asks, voice shaking. “I mean, isn’t she technically still Remi’s Mother like, legally?” she clarifies. She remembers when they had to register Remi at their new pediatrician after they moved, and they needed her birth certificate for her file. Y/N had noticed that Emily was still listed there, and when she googled what that meant that night, she found out it meant Emily hadn’t ever signed her rights away, so she still, legally, had a claim to their daughter.

“She signed her rights away,” George explains, a small smile forming on his face when Y/N’s jaw drops. “That’s why she showed up that day. My lawyer has been trying to hunt her down for months, and she must have heard I was looking for her.”

“And she signed them away?” Y/N asks, still in disbelief. “Just like that?”

George nods before launching into the story of what happened.

-

“You’re a hard woman to track down,” Martin, George’s attorney, jokes as Emily and her attorney take seats at the conference table across from them. But the smile is wiped from his face when George gives him a glare. 

This is not the time for joking. He’s barely been functioning since Y/N walked out two nights ago, and he just wants to get this shit over with so he can come clean to her and get on his knees to beg for forgiveness. And at least with Emily out of the way, even if Y/N doesn’t want to take him back she can still adopt Remi. He will deal with shared custody and watching Y/N fall in love with someone else as long as it means his girls are together and happy. 

“That’s what happens when you don’t want to be found,” Emily replies dryly. Her eyes finally and on George and the smirk that appears on her face makes his stomach turn. “Weasley, long time no see.”

George huffs. “Can we just cut the shit and get this over with? I’d like to get home to my daughter.” 

He can’t help but notice that Emily doesn’t react to him claiming Remi as only his, and it just solidifies that going through all this shit was a good decision. Clearly this woman doesn’t give a shit about the little girl they created together, because if he had said something like that in front of Y/N she would have slapped him upside the head and made him sleep on the couch for a week. 

“I’m sure she’s doing just fine with the nanny.” Emily’s voice drips with condescension, and it pisses George off even more. 

“Don’t talk about her like that,” he seethes. “Y/N is not Remi’s nanny, she’s her mother. And she’s a damn good one, which is something you know nothing about, so I’m not going to let you sit here and talk shit about the woman who has stepped up and done what you never had the balls to do.”

The room is silent, George’s words echoing around the room until Emily’s attorney clears his throat. 

“Well now that we’ve gotten that out of the way,” he drawls. “Why are me and my client here?”

“Oh, right.” Martin grabs the manilla envelope sitting on the table, drawing a document out of it. He hands it to Emily’s attorney, giving him a moment to look it over before he speaks again. “We’d like for Emily to relinquish her rights to Remi. It’s been nearly two years since she abandoned the infant, and George would like for his partner to formally adopt their daughter.”

Every second Emily is silent makes George’s stomach sink further and further, and he can feel the bite of his nails digging into his palm from how hard his fists are clenched. Martin had assured George that even if Emily refuses to sign her rights away there were other ways to have them terminated, but it would be a lengthy process. Which George would absolutely not hesitate to pursue, but he wants this done as quickly as possible, which hinges on this right now going the way he wants. 

“So I just sign and that’s it? The baby isn’t mine anymore?” Emily finally asks after she’s read the document. 

Martin nods in confirmation. “Precisely. If you sign that today I’ll have it filed with the court this afternoon, and you will no longer have any legal rights or ties to Remi.”

“All right, do you have a pen?”

Not even a second of hesitation. The second her attorney puts a pen in her hand Emily is signing, double checking to make sure she hasn’t missed a spot. As soon as she’s satisfied that everything has been taken care of Emily slides the papers back over to Martin, and George feels as if a weight has been lifted off of his shoulders. Emily is finally out of the way, and he and Y/N are free to be a family in every way possible. 

As long as she still wants him, that is. That part of the plan is still up in the air.

-

“So, yeah. That was that,” George trails off as his story comes to an end. He sits back in his chair, just watching Y/N as she takes everything in. There’s a few different emotions flitting across their face, but they’re gone before George can tell what they are. Her eyes look at everything in the room except for his face, and he can’t tell if that’s a good sign or not.

“She just signed them away? Just like that?” Y/N finally says, her voice thick with emotion. 

“Yep. We were ready to file a lawsuit for abandonment to have them involuntarily terminated but she just picked up a pen and signed them away.”

Y/N shakes her head. “Wow. Fuck her.”

George can’t help but chuckle. “Yeah, I was pissed at first too, because Remi is fucking amazing and how dare her Mum not realize that and fight to be in her life. But then I realized it doesn’t matter, because Emily isn’t Remi’s Mum and never has been. From the second you walked into our lives you have been her Mum, and the reason why she’s such an amazing little girl is because of you and the love and attention you have shown her. It doesn’t matter that Emily gave Remi half of her DNA, you’ve given Remi everything a real Mother should and that’s what matters.”

She doesn’t even know she’s crying until a few tears drip off of her chin, and Y/N works to quickly wipe them away. Everything George has said just erased every single doubt she’s ever had in her mind. Y/N always felt like Remi and Emily would have some kind of bond due to the fact that they share DNA, but hearing George just now and knowing Emily signed her rights away as if it were nothing proves that it’s all bullshit. 

The only woman Remi will ever have that bond with is Y/N, and it has nothing to do with blood.

“Why didn’t you just tell me you were looking for Emily, George?” Y/N finally asks. “I would have understood and supported you.”

“Because I’m a fucking idiot, for one,” George admits honestly. “When I first talked to Martin about the steps it would take for you to legally adopt Remi I wanted it to be a surprise. I bought a ring and had this whole plan to ask you to officially be a part of this family. But when we found out that Emily hadn’t signed away her rights I decided to keep it to myself. I didn’t want to get your hopes up if it wasn’t going to go the way we wanted it to.”

Y/N nods that she understands to encourage George to keep going. It’s actually kind of sweet that George had put so much thought into this whole thing, and she understands why he didn’t say anything. Clearly George was aware of the sore spot Y/N had regarding Emily, and she kind of loves him a bit more for trying to be sensitive to that. 

“And then Martin’s search for her was going to shit. Every address we had was old or wrong, every phone number was out of service. Any employer we talked to just said she didn’t work there and any friends or family would ignore us. I was kind of starting to get a little desperate,” he admits sheepishly, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment. “So I talked to Fleur and got the contact information for a guy with a, um, special set of skills.”

That gets Y/N curious. “What kind of skills?”

“Hacking, mostly,” George mumbles. “And I wasn’t one hundred percent sure that whatever he was going to do was totally legal, and I figured the less you knew about that the better. If it was all going to go to shit we both couldn’t be in jail. Remi would be left to Fred and we all know how that would end up.”

Once it’s clear George has said everything he needs to Y/N takes a deep breath, taking a second to just let everything sink in. Obviously George made a few mistakes in the way he went about things, she can’t deny how full her heart feels at his gestures. And it’s clear he feels absolutely terrible about how things came about and he regrets not being honest with her. 

“That was really the only reason why you didn’t tell me you were looking for Emily? Because it was supposed to be a surprise and you didn’t want me to know about your potentially illegal activities?”

“I swear,” George promises, placing a hand over his heart. “I’m so sorry I kept it from you and I hurt you. I didn’t mean for that to happen and if I could go back and do things differently I would.”

Y/N nods in understanding. She brushes her fingers over the adoption papers, tapping them twice. “And no matter what happens between us you’ll let me sign these papers and legally become Remi’s Mum?”

“Of course. You’re her Mama, and I know how much you love her and she loves you just the same. We can go to court to figure out custody or we can just do it between us, whatever you want. But I will never stop you from being a part of our daughter’s life.”

“Well, I think I’ve heard everything I need to.” Y/N pushes away from the table, biting her lip to keep from grinning at the dejected look on George’s face. She stands, but instead of heading towards the door like he thinks, Y/N rounds the table, plopping herself right down into his lap.

“You got your chance to speak,” she starts, putting a finger to George’s lips to keep him from saying anything. “And now it’s my turn. I’m sorry too, for acting the way I did that night. Emily showing up shocked me, and brought all of these insecurities and negative thoughts to the forefront of my mind and I went spiraling down this dark path. I knew that there was a rational explanation for Emily being on our porch and I didn’t give you a chance to explain things. For that I’m sorry.”

“Apology accepted,” George responds once she lets him speak. “But just know I’m only saying that to appease you and not because I really think you owe me an apology.” Y/N finally breaks out into a full smile, and George feels the happiest he has all week. 

“And you’ll never go behind my back ever again?”

“Never,” George answers honestly, his voice firm. 

Before George has the opportunity to realize what’s happening Y/N leans in, pressing their lips together and pouring every emotion she’s felt over their separation into their kiss. George wraps his arms around her waist, absorbing every bit of hurt, pain, anger, longing and love she passes off to him. Even when their kiss breaks he keeps her pressed tightly to his chest, silently telling her that he plans on never letting go again. 

“So,” Y/N starts, her voice teasing. “What’s that you said about buying a ring?”

[gunnerfc]

By Your Side | Cloé Lacasse x CAN!Reader

summary: tearing your ACL is never fun, but having your girlfriend by your side makes it feel less scary

warnings: none other than this being a little angsty?

WC: 1.2K

AN: I know nothing about ACL tears so apologies in advance if it's not 100% accurate! 

to the anon that requested this, im sorry this took forever but I hope you enjoy nonetheless :)

may make a part 2 where R comes back after recoverying!

You normally enjoyed attending camps with the national team since it meant being able to see your girlfriend. While Cloé played in England with Arsenal, you were playing in Los Angeles with Angel City. However, waking up this morning before the game against The United States, you felt a nervous feeling taking over your body. You thought it was simply because of the rivalry between the two teams but as it got closer to kick off, the nervousness continued to consume you. 

Sitting in the locker room next to Jessie, you tried to tune out the loudness of some of your teammates and instead focus on prepping for the game. You had made the starting eleven because of all the hard work you had put in during practice but that did nothing to lessen your uneasy feeling. 

You were too deep in your thoughts to notice that Jessie had gotten up and her seat now being occupied by Cloé. The blonde could see the worry written across your face and like you, assumed it was because of the rivalry. 

“You’re gonna do great, y/n/n,” the blonde spoke just loud enough for you to hear her over your teammates’ music. 

You were brought out of your thoughts at the sound of her voice, turning to give her a small smile in appreciation for her words but you didn’t respond. You reached out a hand to hold onto hers and gave it a quick squeeze just as Bev alerted the subs they needed to head to the bench and for the starters to make their way to the tunnel. A quick speech was given but you were more focused on Cloé’s hand in yours. 

Cloé held on to your hand the entire walk to the tunnel, only letting go so you could find your spots in the line. As she let go, she gave you one last reassuring squeeze hoping to help your nerves. You were grateful for her trying to help, but it unfortunately didn’t. 

You did your best to focus on the walkout and anthems, hoping that once the ref blew the whistle, you would be ready to go. For the most part, that’s what happened. Once the game had started, you diverted your focus to the game rather than your nervous thoughts. 

The first half ended with both sides still at zero but that doesn’t mean it was uneventful. The rivalry was in full swing as both teams played a bit more aggressively than they would against a different opponent. A total of five yellow cards was handed out in the first forty-five, meaning a lot of players would have to be extra careful in the second half. 

The short break in between halves went by quicker than you would have liked but it meant less time to dwell on your feelings. As you walked out to the field, Cloé jogged past you, giving you a small shoulder bump and a smile as she passed. You sent her a quick smile before she turned away, heading to her position on the wing. 

The second half started just like the first ended, both teams playing a bit messy, fouling each other left and right. The scoreline remained at zero-zero with neither team getting a good opportunity to score, until the 75th minute. The US had gotten a shot on goal that Kailen blocked, sending it out for a corner kick for the States. 

You stood at the edge of the box, ready to get any ball that was cleared your way. You could feel the presence of one of the US players near you but you focused your attention on the ball. As the ball was kicked into the box, one of your teammates got a head to it first, sending it your way. The ball connected with your feet and as you turned to start your run down the field, you felt a harsh tackle that sent you to the ground. 

You felt a sharp pain in your knee, unable to move to get up. Tears instantly welled up in your eyes as you turned your head trying to hide your face from the large crowd that was now silent. All you could hear was the ref blowing her whistle, most likely to alert the medical staff that they were needed. You heard some shouts from your teammates but you couldn't make out what they were saying, too in pain to concentrate.

You felt two hands on your ribs and shoulder, knowing it was Cloé right away. You knew her touch so well that even in an insane amount of pain, you knew it was her. 

You weren’t paying attention to what she was saying, only making out “is it your leg” before the medical staff were by your side, asking the same questions.

All you could do was nod as they quickly started assessing your knee. Cloé hated seeing you in any kind of pain, but knowing that it could be the dreaded three-letter injury, she felt heartbroken for you. The blonde moved to wipe the tears off your face and some of the pieces of grass that had stuck to your forehead as the staff called for a stretcher. 

Your teammates who were now huddled around you gave the medical staff space as they lifted you onto the stretcher, some of them giving you a quick pat on your stomach as you were lifted up. Cloé gave you a quick kiss on your forehead before you got too far from her, watching as you gave a small thumbs-up to the Canadian supporters who traveled for the game. 

You spent the rest of the game in the locker room getting looked at by all the team doctors, They all came to the same conclusion, you had torn your ACL, but you should still go to the local hospital for it to be confirmed. You asked for them to let you be to process the diagnosis and they left you in the small medical room. You didn’t have much time to process anything before your girlfriend joined you.

“Did they say what it was,” the blonde asked as she entered the room. She knew it was your ACL but there was still a small part of her that hoped that maybe it wasn’t. 

“ACL tear,” was all you could get out without crying again. You knew how long and painful this injury could be and it was daunting. 

Cloé was quick to your side, holding your hands tightly in hers as she held back her own tears. 

“I’ll be by your side the whole time, y/n/n. You won’t have to do this alone,” the blonde spoke, her voice cracking more with each word. Hearing your girlfriend's words brought a small, sad smile to your face. 

“I know, I don't think I could do this without you,” you whispered as you gave her hands a tight squeeze.

Cloé leaned down to give you a quick kiss on your lips before giving you another forehead kiss. You knew this injury was going to be an uphill battle but with your girlfriend and teammates by your side, it would be a whole lot easier than doing it alone.

[dustorange]

is the dick comic reading list u made awhile ago a complete list of all the comics people should read or only a few? also, if you don’t mind can u link it i cant find it lol

those were just starterpacks based on the series and the order i started with! it really depends how familiar u r with comicsreading or dick grayson in general. it seems like a lot of the get-to-know-this-character readinglists start out with really culturally important and crucial-to-the-character comics but a lot of times in my opinion those comics are nooot good starter comics because they requure a lot of specific pre-knowledge. or are boring. and starting with boring comics is a good way to not get into comics at all.

I really would say for someone new to comics, a GREAT starter series is Grayson (2014-2016) because it’s a short run, really fun and clever and really delivers Dick’s character and smarts and darkness. It genuinely made me love comics. It was my first series and it is still my favorite to this day.

But the main list/order for getting the groundwork of Dick’s character imo would be:

Robin Year One

Grayson (2014-2016)

Teen Titans Year One

Batman #655 onward until you decide to stop and then also Batman & Robin 2009. This is the period in which Dick and Damian are Batman and Robin. 655 is Damian’s first appearance (Bruce is still alive), and it’ll get you in the swing of things while also being a really fascinating (albeit dark and heavy) time and character study

Either Nightwing 1996 or Nightwing 2011. Nightwing 2011 is more accessible (only 30 issues and the start of N52, so it is intentionally meant for new readers to pick up) and somehow even angstier and I prefer it to NW1996 personally BUT I HAVE BEEN TOLD I HAVE BAD TASTE so YMMV. Nightwing 1996 starts off veryyyy slow in my opinion and I got bored in the beginning although after like issue 40 is good and it’s important Dick Grayson cultural memory so it sort of has to be read completely at some point but I say start with the FUN stuff

this should give you a good grounding in Dick’s character and characterization in my opinion, and there’s lot of routes to jump off and explore other comics from these issues

Comics comes down to taste a LOT so you will hear people recommend Dark Victory or New Teen Titans, which ARE important Dick texts, but I felt very bored reading them and will probably never reread them in their entirety ever again, but someone who likes chewier, longer, more in-depth, darker stories might LOVE them. I really enjoy Golden Age stuff from the 40s, although the characterization is pretty much way off from what you see now.

The things to read after those ones are done……..I guess that’s when you move to New Teen Titans, Knightfall, No Man’s Land, just various random Batman comics is honestly a good way to find the characters in slice of life episodic things that don’t really matter but are fun

[l-ucitiel]

knowing your partner can potentially make writing together a lot easier.

– BASICS.

♡ NAME: rat / ratty

♡ PRONOUNS: she / her

♡  SEXUALITY: lesbian

♡  TAKEN OR SINGLE: taken by @r-adio

– THREE FACTS.

♡ i know how to longboard, i've been doing it the majority of my life & it's my favorite thing to do when it starts to get warmer.

♡ i listen to a lot of music ( the majority of which comes from my girlfriend ) & my favorite band atm is probably she wants revenge.

♡ my favorite animal isn't actually rats, it's snakes.

– EXPERIENCE.

♡   HOW LONG (MONTHS / YEARS?): longer than i can remember, proably around 10ish years.

♡   PLATFORMS YOU’VE USED: again, i can't really remember - so i'll just list tumblr, anirp & discord.

♡   BEST EXPERIENCE: tumblr by far. no other platform can really be so suited for roleplay & i've met a lot of great people here, including my girlfriend, so.

– MUSE PREFERENCES.

♡   FEMALE OR MALE: female.

♡  FLUFF, ANGST OR SMUT: fluff, but i can do angst as well. i tend to be somewhat picky about smut.

♡   PLOTS OR MEMES: i like memes more, but i do heavily enjoy plotting. i am not the greatest with starters so having something to go off of is very useful.

♡   LONG OR SHORT REPLIES: medium. i like long replies as well & i can do them, but short replies tend to lose my interest very fast.

♡   BEST TIME TO WRITE: i have no clue, it kind of just clicks sometimes.

♡ ARE YOU LIKE YOUR MUSE(S): i guess so? i wouldn't really be able to say so myself, but according to some, i will have to say yes.

tagged by : @r-adio , @chthonicrage , @jizzlords . tagging : i'm not sure who has done it & who hasn't, so anyone who sees it, just say i tagged you.

[thisaintascenereviews]

The Blue Stones - Pretty Monster I’ve got a confession to make, and it’s probably something that a lot of people already know about me, especially if you’ve followed my music taste throughout the years, it’s that I don’t really listen to modern “hard-rock.” I feel like that’s kind of a bad word, because most of it is really bad. When it comes to 60s, 70s, and 80s hard-rock, I love it. Hell, one of my favorite albums of all time is Metallica’s 1991 self-titled album, more so known as The Black Album, and that’s what it’s been named retroactively. I love hard-rock from yesteryear, but hard-rock from the late 90s to now just doesn’t usually hit me in any kind of way, and it’s because the genre hasn’t changed much whatsoever. A lot of bands have remained very stagnant, uninteresting, and boring. That’s why rock is supposedly dying, at least according to a lot of fans and rock artists, because hardly any bands are doing anything worthy of talking about. Every hard-rock band these days sounds like Breaking Benjamin and Three Days Grace, both bands who had a strong start but fizzled out quickly. I really like some of their early stuff, but their later stuff doesn’t do anything for me. It’s all the same, though, and a lot of bands don’t want to admit that. That’s why one of my favorite modern hard-rock / rock bands is Canadian duo The Blue Stones, and their brand of hard-rock, blues-rock, and R&B, of all things. These guys have been around since 2011, but they didn’t release their debut album until 2015, and it got reissued in 2018. They’ve still released two more albums, one last year, and it was one of my favorite albums of last year, entitled Hidden Gems, and their new album, Pretty Monster. Hidden Gems was just that -- an album that not a lot of people know about, but they should. Their sound is really unique, especially when it comes to hard-rock / blues-rock. They throw in elements of R&B, and some psychedelic-rock here and there, but it’s not too outwardly. They more so throw in some R&B, and it sounds great, especially when they have some grooves and hooks that definitely lean more into that. Hidden Gems really did, and it was a great little record. It had some great hooks, solid riffs (as well as solos), and vocalist Tarek Jafer has one of the best voices in rock that I’ve heard in a long while. I didn’t know what to expect with Pretty Monster, and truth be told, I didn’t know it was coming out until this past weekend, but I gotta say that it’s a good album. It’s not quite as good as Hidden Gems, and I don’t know if I’d say it’s one of my favorites of the year, but I really enjoyed it. They continue the sound they were going for on Hidden Gems, but they tone down the R&B elements a bit, as well as the riff-heavy blues-rock, and instead, this record has more of an alt-rock feel to it, as well as a more of a standard rock album feel. It’s not quite as “hard-rock” as their last album, but that’s not a bad thing. For starters, Jafer still has a really good voice throughout the record, and he’s got some great hooks, especially on songs like “Camera Roll,” “Don’t Miss,” and “No Angels,” even if the instrumentation is a bit lacking in spots, where they just aren’t doing too much. It shows up in bits and pieces, such as a solo here or an R&B groove there, but it’s not as blatant as their last album. This album is really short, too, only 35 minutes, so it’s a quick and brisk listen that never feels like it overstays its welcome. So many albums have that problem, but this one doesn’t. The lyrics are also pretty well-written, even though I’ve never been too enthralled with them, but they’ve always been good. This album is just a pleasant, smooth, and catchy little rock album that fans of the genre might actually appreciate, because it’s not a butt-rock album that sounds like every other band that you hear in that vein. It’s nothing that will blow you away, at least not to the degree of their last album, which is still a lot better, but this record is a good evolution. They leaned more into a rock sound, and toned down some of the elements that made them stick out, but they’re in their sound just enough to keep it interesting. I wouldn’t say this is one of the best albums of the year, but I might come back to this every once in awhile, especially if I want a good and quick rock album that I can jam to. Not every album needs to be super deep, or mindblowing, but sometimes they can just do what they’re supposed to do and move on. That’s what this album does, and I enjoy it for that, so I’m happy that I gave this one a listen.

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Wednesday, March 16

Buffy: ...so then Kathy's like, 'It's share time.' And I'm like, 'Oh yeah? Share this!' (She punches at the air.) Oz: So, either you hit her, or you did your wacky mime routine for her. Buffy: Well, I didn't do either, actually. But she deserves it, don't you think? Oz: Nobody deserves a mime, Buffy.

~~Living Conditions~~

The Sunnydale Herald is looking for at least one new editor. Contributing to the Herald is a great way to get your Buffy on! Find out more here.

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

Bitter Brew by badly_knitted (Giles, G)

Things of Old by apachefirecat (Labyrinth crossover, Giles, PG/K+)

Their Will Be Done by Acb6293 (Buffy/Spike, M)

Breathe No More by VeroNyxK84 (Buffy/Spike, R)

Bloodstream by VeroNyxK84 (Buffy/Spike, R)

Pain by MissLuci (Xander, Dawn, G)

Bring On The Men by TheSunnySlayer (Buffy/Spike, R)

Don't Lie by TheSunnySlayer (Buffy/Spike, R)

March Drabbles (up to #11) by Slaymesoftly (Buffy/Spike, R)

Open Mic Night: The Master by Girlytek (The Master, PG-13)

Open Mic Night: Kathy by Girlytek (Kathy, PG-13)

Poem: May 17, 2003 by Dusty (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

Mirror, Mirror, Ch. 13 by scratchmeout (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

[Chaptered Fiction]

Cordelia Loves her Dog - Chapter 1-3 by anymalystyk (Cordelia/OC, E, warnings in tags)

Boon, Ch. 19 by Soulburnt (Buffy/Spike, R)

Boon, Ch. 20 by Soulburnt (Buffy/Spike, R)

Willing Slave, Ch. 33 by Sigyn (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

He used to be Mine, Ch. 10 by DeamonQueen (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

where the shadow ends, Ch. 11 by disco-tea (Dawn, R)

Zoom Zoom Zoom, Ch. 3 by the_big_bad (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

Under The Rubble, Ch. 9 by Geliot99 (Buffy/Spike, R)

You Drive Me Out Of My Mind, Ch. 28 by Geliot99 (Buffy/Spike, R)

The Replacement, Ch.1 by Desicat (Buffy/Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Family Issues, Ch. 32 by cmdruhura (Xander/Buffy/Willow/Cordelia, FR21)

Accidental Finds, Ch. 2 by calikocat (crossover with Psych and Teen Wolf, Xander, FR15)

Little Conversations, Ch. 15 by Chelle (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

So One of Us is Living, Ch. 16 by violettathepiratequeen (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

Make Me Stay, Ch. 15 by Grief Counseling (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Jigsaw, Ch. 15 by Dusty (Buffy/Spike, R)

Vies Microscules, Ch. 11 by Rea (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

Now That I Saw You, Ch. 15 by scratchmeout (Buffy/Spike, R)

Mostly Harmless, Ch. 11 by Lady Emma (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

The Longest Day, Ch. 15 by ashcrashed (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

Fire Starter, Ch. 13 by Teuntje (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

Snippets, Ch. 13 by MaggieLeFay (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

42, Ch. 15 by Dynamite (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Belonging, Ch. 12 by honeygirl51885 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Found family ties, Ch. 15 by Julikobold (Buffy/Spike, G)

Trying, Ch. 12 by Pet35 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

something wretched, something precious, Ch. 11 by LittleTayy (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

The DeSoto, Ch. 16 by ClowniestLivEver (Buffy/Spike, R)

Unclaimed Property, Ch. 15 by PuckRobin (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

[Images, Audio & Video]

Buffy the (Last) Vampire Slayer by l0veisntbrains (Buffy/Spike, worksafe)

Gifset: So scarlet, it was maroon by slayer-pride-parade (Angel/Darla, possibly NSFW)

Cordelia/Doyle drawing by finzphoenix (worksafe)

😘ATS 205. Dear Boy😘 by tmcarlee (Darla, worksafe)

[Reviews & Recaps]

A warning about the guidebook of the Buffy tarot deck by somekindofadeviant

Discussion of Buffy the Vampire Slayer #10 (cont'd) by Taake

Discussion of Buffy the Vampire Slayer #12 (cont'd) by Taake

Discussion of Buffy the Vampire Slayer #13 (cont'd) by Taake

Discussion of Buffy the Vampire Slayer #16 (cont'd) by Taake

For the ones who don't have positive opinions about season 7 - what are some of the things you do enjoy or like about it? by Joshua and others

What's your top 10 episodes (in order) and why? by straysayake, Zeus-Kyurem

[Recs & In Search Of]

OtherwiseFortune4 seeks Willow and Buffy friendship-centric fic recs

[Fandom Discussions]

A big part of the reason I only ship Buffy with Angel by nevergonnabemuchmorethanweather

What if.....Wesley had been Kendra's watcher? by LightBlueSky55

Would it have made a difference if Xander was honest with Anya before the wedding? by cheesecake611

Willow Ego by Soundsister11

[Articles, Interviews, and Other News]

Mary Ellen Iatropoulos will explore the monster metaphor and its sociopolitical effects through critique and discussion of BtVS on Thursday, March 16th, 7pm EST, in Poughkeepsie NY or via Zoom

Submit a link to be included in the newsletter!

[fawnhunter]

Lincoln Clay SFW A-Z

- written with a chubby reader in mind, but that’s not the main focus at all.

!: possible suggestive themes. nothing too serious tho

A= activites- what do they like to do with their s/o? How do they spend their free time with them?

When Lincoln does have time to spend with you [ Aside from any missions he takes you on] he likes to take you out to do things. He will take you to areas and districts he has already claimed so that it’s safe for the two of you. And then he leaves it up to you. You want dinner? You got it. You wanna go to a show? You got it. You wanna have a night in with just you and him? You can have that too. But he wants to show you off.

B=beauty- what do they admire about their s/o? What do they think is beautiful about them?

Lincoln enjoys his s/o’s shoulders/chest. He thinks that your collar bones are beautiful, and he enjoys a sweetheart neckline. When he sees you during the day, his arms always find their way around your shoulders. And at night in the bed, he wraps his arms around your shoulders and crushes you against his side. His face finds its way to your neck and chest by the end of the night

C=comfort- How would they help their s/o during hard times or when they need it most?

When you come to him with an issue, and it so happens that you ended up getting hurt or threatened. Then he handles the issue right away, he may have other things to do but you are at the top of his list. He will make sure you never have to deal with this issue again. If the issue happened to be more emotional, he may not be as much help. But he will hold you until you pull yourself together and assure you that he has your back.

D= dreams- how do they picture their future with their s/o?

All Lincoln knows is that he wants you for as long as he can keep you. He will continue to fight to keep you, but he knows some day soon his story will come to an end. The thought that his life is not guaranteed is the only reason why your future is iffy.

E= equal- are they the dominant one or are they more passive in your relationship?

As much as my switch ass hates to admit it, he ends up being the more dominant one in the relationship. He leads the way day in and out. Let you know when to go and where. Stands in front of you when you go places, and nudges you behind him a little for most conversations. Checks in on you all the damn time, and does most of the stuff for you when at home, even when you insist you can handle it.

F= Flirting- how often do they flirt or tease their s/o? How smooth are they?

He is flirting with you every chance he gets. Sly little things whisper into your ear when you try making breakfast. Lingering touches when you begin getting dressed for the day. Filthy things said over the dinner table, just to startle you a little. Smoother than he should be. Every move he makes has the ability to lead into a quickie somewhere. A dangerous man indeed.

G= Gratitude- How grateful are they in general? Are they aware of what their s/o does for them?

Lincoln is very grateful for you. He knows he can be considered scary, he hears it enough from the people on the street. But his heart swells every time he returns to your shared Apartment and all of you are still there. He Doesn't know how he would patch himself up if you were there as well, you keep him clean and healthy after a long day.

H=Honesty- do they have any secret that they keep from their s/o or do they share everything

Lincoln doesn’t talk about the things he did during the war, he will talk about his time, and about the activities he did with donovan. But he leaves out the gross gorey details, he doesn't want to come off as a monster

I=Inspiration- did their s/o change something about them or is it the other way around? (it could be personal issues or just trying new day to day things)

You have reminded him that there is still a little heart within him. When he comes home, he tries to remind himself that this is you. And that you love him. And he tries to put that hardcore, Sal killing mindset away, and just tries to relax

J=jealousy- do they get jealous easily? How do they deal with it?

I don't think that he is given many chances to get jealous. I think he knows that the two of you are in a relationship, and I think that he would have trust for you. If he ever does get jealous, he will bring it up and maybe ask a question. But he really just wants peace of mind not to create problems for the two of you.

K=kiss- how do they kiss? What was the first kiss like?

Well for starters Lincoln alway kisses you when he sees you, and when he's saying goodbye. These kisses are short and chaste, just enough to give a taste of you for good measure. His other kisses are always more intense, his hand squeezing your waist or thread through the hair on the back of your neck, just to hold you in place while he kisses you. Breathes in the scent of you deeply and doesn't let you go until he’s done kissing you

L=Love confession- How did it go down?

He was hurt pretty badly after a mission. It seems like all the adrenaline shots in the world couldn't help his case. He was hurting real bad, but all he could think about was coming to you, and making you the last thing he sees, before his time is up. But your home appeared closer than he thought it would, and before collapsing on your doorstep he knocked on the door. [Ever the gentleman] And After hearing your concerned gaps and the watering of your eyes and felt safe enough to sleep. And when he woke up, the first thing he saw was your form right next to him. He had to let you know how felt, before he never got the chance again

M=Marriage- do they want to get married? How do they propose? Wedding day description?

Marriage may seem like a far off dream for Lincoln. The only thing he sees set in stone for his future is Sal Marcono’s death. I think Under different circumstances, with Sammy still alive, he would be a married man for sure.

N=nicknames- what do they call their s/o?

Puddin

Peaches

Darlin

Honey

O=Obsessed- how protective are they of their s/o? How much are they worried about them?

Lincoln is as protective as one can be. When at your home, he is alway in the same room as you. He may be doing something like reading a file, or fixing his guns but his glance always finds its way back to you. When he is out with you he is your shadow, right behind you or almost flanking you. He worries about you sometimes, when he has to leave the area of your home, he finds himself calling you, or asking Donovan to check up on you.

P=PDA- are they obvious about the relationship? Do they talk a lot about his s/o? Are they okay with affection in front of others?

Lincoln does not just go running around yelling about you. That being said his immediate crew does know about you, sometimes with you coming with him on missions you run into them. Cassandra and Vito are favorable to you, And Burke is.. well.. Burke. PDA in front of the other is rare as when you two are out together there is rarely time for that.

Q= Quirk- some random ability they have in a relationship

Lincoln is just a little touch starved, the human contact he receives is associated with pain and lies. So i think he won't ever need any space, sit next him, on his lap, look over his shoulder when he reads. Just touch him he loves it

R=Romance- how romantic are they? What would they do to make their s/o smile? Are their ideas rather original or creative?

Lincoln takes any chance he has to be romantic.When he isn’t trying to get things done, he likes to spend his time with you. Dates outside of your home are not a common occurrence, he just doesn’t feel like he can really keep you safe. His romance has more of a catering feel. He shadows you a lot so you find yourself not needing to grab things or reach on your own, he’s already one step ahead of you. He likes to make you laugh by being his cute butterbean self.

S=support- do they push their s/o to do better? Do they believe in them?

lincoln isn't the type of person to get to involved in his S/o’s personal life, i mean we all know he is a busy man. If he does push his S/o to do better it's because he knows it's something his S/o is passionate about. He wants the best for you and believes in you as well, he just isn't overbearing about it and may need to be reminded to express that verbally sometimes.

T=thrill- are they okay with a certain routine or do they need some spice every once in a while?

Lincoln needs routine in his life. He has spent most of it away at war where nothing is ever the same. And when he attempted to rebuild his life the first time, everything went sideways. Knowing exactly what going to happen when he comes to see you is something that make him feel stable, and it is something that he craves

Understanding- how well do they know you? Are they sensitive to your emotions?

If Lincoln has committed to being your S/o then he knows you like the back of his hand. He knows when you have good days and bad ones and is always ready to step in and lend a hand

V=Value- how important is your relationship compared to other things in their life?

This question is a little tricky for Lincoln because he has a job to do . He loves you but he also knows that this is a thing he needs to get done. And in order to do that sometimes his job may have to come before you. In the names of people on his list, you are at the top. If you are not his first thought then you are the second.

W=Wild card-Random Fluff bomb!!

Lincoln finds great pleasure in being helpful towards you any time he can get involved in something you’re doing, he wants to be the one who helped you finish.

X=XOXO- how affectionate are they? Are they a cuddle bug or do they like their space?

Because he can always see you, he tends to be very affectionate with you. In his day to day life he doesn't get much healthy skin to skin contact, so any chance he has to get some love from you he takes it. He is a cuddle bug, when you take a seat on the couch he sits next to you but much closer than he should be. When out in public his arm finds its way around your waist and shoulders on its own.

Yearning- what happenes when they miss you

When he misses you he finds anyway he can to reach out to you and tell you that he loves you. He most likely has a memento that you've given him in the past that he keeps on him for moments like this. Other than that he gets really solemn, he punches a little harder so he can have a reason for you to clean him up.

Zzz- how do you both fall asleep/nap

When sleeping you both are engulfed in each other. His arms wrapped around you pressing you to him as tight a possible. One leg thrown over his side and your arms around his neck keeping him close to your chest. ITs hot and sticky and gross but you can hear his heartbeat and the sound of his breathing and decide that it's worth it.

[petri808]

@thenaluarchive winter wonderland snow activities prompt. How about some sledding in Hawaii 🤗🏂🌨

For college student Lucy Heartfilia, if there was one thing she missed about home, it was the snowy winters. Being in Hawaii for the last 3 years, she enjoyed the beach days, of sun and fun, and all the new friends she’s made, but the autumn and winter months was such a different experience here. For starters, the leaves don’t change color in the Fall! Before she’d come to the University of Hawaii at Hilo, Lucy never realized how much she would miss such a trivial thing.

And that January was colder than the last one according to her roommate Levy McGarden. Honestly, Lucy couldn’t really tell the difference because to her cold was like 20 degrees Fahrenheit not 70. That first year was amusing to her as she walked around in a tank top and the locals in hoodies complaining about the chill in the air. But she had to agree with Levy as they sat in their rented house. That night was a bit chillier than most. Hawaiian winter storms were really just deluges of rain, and based on how much it was pouring outside, that’s exactly what hit that evening.

“Bet there’ll be snow on the mountain by morning,” Levy chirped from her blanket burrito. “Maybe enough to play in too.”

Lucy excitedly popped up from her textbook. “You guys get snow here?!”

“Yeah,” Levy chuckled. “I heard there’s even a skiing club on the island. When there’s a lot of snow people ski and snowboard up there.”

“Darn,” Lucy deflated in her seat, “if I’d have known, I would brought my board.”

“Tell ya what, if it turns out there’s snow I’ll get Gray to take us up in his truck.”

“But I don’t have my board.”

“Don’t worry,” Levy winked. “We’ll show you the island style.”

The storm lasted for two more days, so no one could really see what was going on above the clouds. But according to the observatory’s on top of Mauna Kea, snow was in fact building on the mountaintop. The question became how much? It was finally on the third day, that the sun came back and clouds disappeared, when Lucy got her first glimpse of snow in Hawaii. She could see the mountain clear as day from the third floor of the UCB building on campus.

“Natsu! Natsu!” Lucy ran up to him as he was existing his last class of the day. “Did you see?!” She squealed and pointed towards the mountain. “It’s covered!!” Natsu Dragneel was best friends with the girls other friend Gray Fullbuster. Lucy had met both men in classes at the university her Freshman year and since they were local to the area, they often took the girls to see places around the island.

He laughed with a smile. “Yeah, I saw it.”

“Levy said maybe Gray can take us in his truck?”

“I’ll ask him, probably could go tomorrow morning as long as the road is open.”

“They close the road?”

“Just until they can make sure it’s safe to drive it.”

“Yay!! I can’t wait!”

At 7 am the following morning, Lucy and Levy piled into Gray’s Toyota Tacoma truck along with Natsu and headed up the mountain. The drive would take about an hour to get to the visitor center, where they’ll be required to acclimate for an additional hour before moving onto the summit. When they arrived, Lucy was absolutely in aww, the snow had come all the way down to the center, blanketing the building in white fluff.

They got out of the truck and Lucy played the typical tourist, fawning over the gorgeous view. With a cloudless, light blue sky above them, they could see a great distance down the mountain and it was amazing! The parking lot was already half full of other park goers ready to take advantage of the snowy opportunity.

“Come on,” Natsu prompted Lucy into the center. “They’ve even got souvenirs if you’d like a memento.”

Lucy smiled, a light blush coating her wind swept cheeks. He knew her too well already. “Thanks.”

The hour passed by quickly at the center, with the friends eating a breakfast they’d packed along with purchases like hot chocolate at the center. And yes, Lucy purchased a couple of souvenirs, including a picture frame to commemorate the day. She really wished she had her snowboard, but just being able to hang out with her friends was enough for her. Maybe they could even have a snowball fight!

As they piled back into the truck for the last leg of the journey, Lucy noticed something in the bed of the truck. She laughed. “Boogie boards?! Are you serious?”

“I told you we do it Island style here,” Levy laughed too. “Sometimes we just bring inner tubes. Trust me, it’s just like sledding and fun.”

The last time Lucy had gone sledding she was 7 years old, but of course those sleds were built for snow and the children’s type had something to hang onto. These did not. Well, guess she’ll just have to trust they know what they’re doing. As for the drive, this portion of the road was both a little scary and amazing. It had been cleared but still icy, so everyone crawled along the skinny road, giving Lucy a chance to stare out the window and take pictures.

“Oh, wow theres some trippy rock formations,” she mumbled.

“Huh?” Natsu turned to see what Lucy was talking about. “Oh, yeah, that’s like layers of old lava rock or something.”

“The colors are beautiful.” Some had an oily sheen, brownish-reds and golds in horizontal waves along the rock faces. Yup, Lucy was definitely glad they brought her here.

Gray drove until he found a decent spot to park that was close to the heaviest snow areas, yet away from the majority of crowds. Families with children stayed closer to the scattered observatories or where the snow would not be as difficult for children to maneuver in. Lucy even noted some trucks were simply shoveling snow into their beds. She was told many took the snow back down the mountain for those who couldn’t make it up.

“Stay away from any pink or yellow spots in the snow,” Gray warned.

“Pink?” Lucy asked in confusion. Yellow she figured out but why pink?”

The man shrugged, “sometimes it looks pink up here.”

“Weird,” She laughed but carried on, helping to grab a boogie board. The guys had brought enough for each of them.

They climb up a decent sized hill, trudging through the snow. It wasn’t too deep, and actually it was a bit icier than Lucy was expecting but not too bad yet. She couldn’t lie that she’d hoped for powdery snow, but this was better than nothing. After a quick group selfie, Natsu started explaining how to use the boogie board.

“We hold onto the leash to steer and use our feet as brakes. Since it’s just a short hill, you probably won’t pick up too much speed where you won’t be able to stop yourself.”

“Okay, I think I got it...” Lucy gripped onto the edge of the board as she looked down the hill. Snowboarding never made her nervous, but this did. She wasn’t used to having such a short area to move in, and definitely didn’t wanna think about running out of snow to slide on.

“If you’re nervous, I could go with you till you feel more comfortable,” Natsu suggested.

That brought a new flutter and wave of heat back to her cheeks. The board could fit two people sitting on it, if she was practically on his lap!

“It was just an offer, you don’t have to—.”

“N-No, thank you. That might be a good idea, for at least the first time so you can show me what to do.”

Both Lucy and Natsu hadn’t noticed the silence coming from their friends who stood on the side whispering and snickering through the unfolding scene. Levy had even pulled out her phone ready to record the event. They watched the pair settle the board onto the snow, Natsu digging it in to keep it still a moment as he got on first, then directed Lucy to sit between his legs with her feet on the board for now. He then had her grab the leash where he was holding it, and placed his other arm around her waist for security.

“I got ya,” he whispered near her ear.

She swallowed thickly, his heat was radiating against her body and suddenly the cool air of the mountain had disappeared. “O-Okay.”

“All you gotta do is watch how I use my feet to break at the end and have fun. Ready?”

“R-Ready.”

Natsu used his feet to scoot them initially, then let gravity do the rest. The pair slide down the hill, picking up a decent rate of speed, not too fast, just right. Lucy screamed in elation, this was so much fun! It was only a short distance and Natsu easily dug his feet into the snow to bring them to a stop. Her heart was beating rapidly from the exhilarating ride and she was still giggling after they’d come to a full stop.

“Did you like that?” Natsu chuckled and got off, holding his hand out to help Lucy to her feet.

Lucy looked up and blushed, then took his hand. “Yes, a lot more than I’d expected to.”

Once she stood up the pair pause, breathing slowing, as they gazed into each other’s eyes. Natsu’s hold on Lucy’s hand tightens. Her heart fluttered, spellbound at the handsome smiling face, and rosy cheeks from wind burn. Natsu’s smile always captured her like a siren pulling her in. He brushed a stay lock of hair from her face, causing her to gasp lightly.

“Finally!”

“Just kiss her already!”

With the spell broken, the pair look up the hill to see their friends laughing, and Levy holding up her phone, pointing to it. Lucy giggled, they were totally busted, but a long time in the making. Who would have thought that a snow capped mountain in the middle of a tropical island would break the unrequited stalemate.

Natsu turned Lucy’s face back to him, tipped up her chin, and lowers to within an inch of her lips, “may I?”

“Yes, please...”

Bonus picture of a couple of kids on the mountain with boogie boards I found online. But yes, lol we have snow in Hawaii 🙃

[jawabear]

Maxwell Lord NSFW Alphabet

Not my GIF

A/N: Hi, here is my NSFW Alphabet for the shitbag Maxwell Lord. As with my other NSFW Alphabets, these are just what I put to the character so they may differ to what you think so please be respectful of other views of characters. Also, I was debating with myself whether or not to post this in light of what is happening in the world, but I thought maybe people would want to maybe want a little bit of light. By no way by me posting this am I trying to be disrespectful. So I hope you enjoy. Sorry for any mistakes :) Stay safe

Genre: Smut

Warnings: fem!reader, mentions of sex, just usual Maxwell filth, Pedro Pascal comes with his own warning

Summary: An A-Z of Maxwell Lord’s bedroom antics

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

Max defiantly isn’t the best at aftercare. He kind of just lets you deal with yourself. But bless him he tries. Awkwardly asking if you are okay or if you need anything. But you know he’s only going it because he doesn’t know what else to do, so you have to help him by snuggling into his side for him to hold you whilst you fall asleep. And this is at night.

During the day, after the much loved office sex, he’s even more awkward. Clearing his throat and sorting himself out while you’re still there panting and shaking. But you’ve gotten used to it. Knowing that he’s not great at it so you have to do it yourself, but he’s trying to get better. But he’s not really the person for it.

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

He loves your legs. Goddess like legs as he calls them. He makes love to your legs, he worships them. When he has you tied to his bed he literally worships them. His hands running over your skin in a feather light touch, placing kisses all over them. Making them shake in desperation for his touch somewhere else. And he loves to watch as you press your thighs together into order to suppress the wetness between your legs. And he loves your ass. He loves to grab at it and slap it when he takes you from behind.

On him, he’s fond of his hands. They are big and are able to grab large handfuls of your ass.

C = Cum (Anything to do with cum basically… I’m a disgusting person)

Maxwell will come anywhere. In you, on you, wherever. He especially loves to come on your chest or your ass. He loves to see you covered in him, showing your submissive nature to him but allowing himself to paint your precious body with his come.

D = Dirty Secret (Pretty self-explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

I don’t really think Max has any dirty secrets. He’s very open about sexual fantasies etc. If he wants to do something he’ll tell you. But one may be that he did once get off while smelling a pair of your panties...

You were away and he was desperate, and they were just there...he couldn’t help himself.

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

This is Maxwell Lord we’re talking about. He is very much experienced when it comes to pleasuring women. He knows his way around the body. Touching you in places that you didn’t even know excited you.

F = Favourite Position (This goes without saying. Will probably include a visual)

Taking you from behind. Not necessarily in the ass, but just having you bent over his desk, seeing you ready for him just does stuff to him. He loves your ass, he loves to grab it while he fucks and he loves to see it go red from it. But this is mainly only during the day.

In the mornings, Max is a little more soft. A side of him he shows no one other than you. Slow missionary sex. Because he loves to kiss you and he loves when your fingers entangle into his hair when he rolls his hips into you.

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

Max doesn’t fuck around when it comes to sex. Oh okay, maybe that wasn’t the best way to phrase that.

What I mean is, he takes it very seriously. Max doesn’t like to play around at all. He’s a business man, probably never had actual fun in his life. So when it comes to sex, he is the same. It’s serious business to Max.

H = Hair (How well groomed are they, does the carpet match the drapes, etc.)

Like everything else in his life, his hair down there has to be perfect. Prim and proper to put it better

I = Intimacy (How are they during the moment, romantic aspect…)

Unless it’s early in the morning, he’s not all that intimate. It’s kind of just like, sex and then parting ways until you both return home. Even then it’s more sex.

But early in the morning, he will be a little more loving towards you, caressing your sweet skin while he fucks you slowly. He will refuse to remove his lips from your while he takes you, he just need that little bit of softness in the morning, also that a reassurance that you still love him.

J = Jack Off (Masturbation headcanon)

Max doesn’t necessarily need to get himself off when he has you. You’re usually more then willing to allow him to use you.

But on the rare occasion you aren’t there for him, he’ll do it himself. He’ll probably get himself off more time then what he would have sex with you. The frustration of not having you to fuck just makes him get off so much during those lonely days and lonely nights.

K = Kink (One or more of their kinks)

(I have to be honest, I’m not well educated in the world of kinks so I did a bit of research and my god there are some...things out there..)

Maxwell Lord is a kinky piece of shit. Probably has every kink in the book to be honest. Obviously, the daddy kink. Man is the daddies daddy...

Definitely has a voyeurism/exhibitionist kink. Fucking loved to watch you get off in his office, and he loves to take you over his desk, keeping the door unlocked so anyone could walk in and see how much of a mess you get for him (but he knows no one will, anyone who ever came to his door was scheduled down to the second). Definitely sadist, he loves to spank you. Like he is just a filthy man.

Definitely bondage of some kind. Having you ties up and blindfolded is just his heaven. So submissive and ready for him to use you in any way his wants (with in your stated limits of course)

There’s just a long list of kinks that Max has...I don’t even think he could name them all.

L = Location (Favourite places to do the do)

He loved to do it in his office. The thrill of getting caught just makes him crazy and he loves the face he can just bend you over his desk, having your naked body pressed up against the place he sits at every single day, looking at it, remembering the sweet noises that fall from you mouth as he fucks your into oblivion.

M = Motivation (What turns them on, gets them going)

Just everything. Just seeing you makes him hard, the thought of you makes him hard. Seeing you in a short skirt that showcases those goddess like legs of yours, or when he gets home, having you sat on his bed dresses in his favourite set of lingerie.

N = NO (Something they wouldn’t do, turn-offs)

As twisted and kinky as Max is, he does have limits, believe it or not. Maxwell Lord does not share for starters, he earned you fair and square, so that means no threesomes. Plus he doesn’t really find the idea of another guy or girl touching you attractive. You are for him only.

And of course, you are a precious goddess to him. So he would never hurt you. He would never do anything to make you uncomfortable. And humiliation, he wouldn’t do anything to outwardly put you in the spotlight sexually. For one he knows of your self conscious nature and two, you are for his eyes only.

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

Max is a sucker for you going down on him. He loves it. Can’t get enough of it. He especially when he has to hide you under his desk when someone walks in. It amazes you how he can stay so composed while you’re sucking him off.

You knew that if you were in his position, you would be a stuttering mess. Max’s has a talented and twisted tongue and he likes to use it where he can.

P = Pace (Are they fast and rough? Slow and sensual? etc.)

I think Max would be hard and fast. This man fucks. Only making love to you in the mornings, which is why they are so special to you. He is definitely one who goes hard, go big or go home I guess.

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

All. The damn. Time.

Max thrives on these. A quick fuck in his office or dragging you into the bathroom. Or even better, pulling you aside at a gala or something and fucking you there, preferably against a wall.

R = Risk (Are they game to experiment, do they take risks, etc.)

Yes. Maxwell is happy to do almost anything. And he is also very open with things he doesn’t like. Which is good, because we should all be open about things like that.

S = Stamina (How many rounds can they go for, how long do they last…)

This man can go forever to be honest. He never seems to get tiered, you could fuck at midnight and he’ll still be raring to go.

Obviously he’ll stop when you tell him to, but to be fair, he could fuck you until the end of time.

T = Toy (Do they own toys? Do they use them? On a partner or themselves?)

Max isn’t all that adventurous when it comes to toys. Most people would think he has some sort of sex dungeon in his house, but they would be wrong. If blindfolds and ropes count then he’s got plenty, silk of course, even his sex life has to be expensive.

As far as any other toys go, he’s pretty empty. He’s overly fond of watching you use your trusty vibration on yourself. He’s half tempted to use it on himself, he sees how good it makes you feel so he wonders what it would feel like on him, buts he’s a little embarrassed to ask.

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

Mr Lord is the definition of tease. He’ll call your desk so you can listen to his moans as he gets off, knowing it’s turning you on but also knowing you’re surrounded by others so you can’t do anything other then listen to the sweet and low grunts that leave his lips.

And if you’re both in a meeting, you bet your ass his hand is going to be at you under the table, teasing you through your panties before slipping inside them. He loves to get you all riled up because he likes when your sexually frustrated. You go crazy and he loves it.

V = Volume (How loud they are, what sounds they make)

Maxwell has a big mouth, he likes to use it. He never fucking shuts up when he’s fucking you. He’s so loud.

W = Wild Card (Get a random headcanon for the character of your choice)

As mentioned, Max would love to use your vibrator on himself. In fact, he would love for you to just ruin him as he has you so many times. He wants to know how it feels to be ruined by someone, and he wants that someone to be you. But he has to much ducking pride and won’t allow himself to tell you this. But he has dreamed night after night if you edging him until he is literally in his knees begging for you to let him come or for you to at least touch him, only for you to shake your head no.

X = X-Ray (Let’s see what’s going on in those pants, picture or words)

He’s thick, I’ll give you that. Average in length but he’s thicker than most. Excellent for stretching you out, and he’s very proud of that.

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

It’s pretty damn high. The frustration of his work just makes him need to get it out. So his sex drive is definitely up there.

Z = ZZZ (… how quickly they fall asleep afterward)

Max isn’t one to fall asleep all that quickly after sex. His mind is constantly going, thinking over the day after, all the business meetings he’ll have to go to and all the boring talk he’ll have to endure. And he likes to watch you sleep, especially after sex, your face twisted with pleasure, no doubt dreaming of him. 

Masterlist

01/06/20

[magic-and-moonlit-wings]

Chapter 53: Identity

Becoming The Mask

Barbara was at work when her phone buzzed. She didn't have time to check it – she was busy with a toddler who had swallowed a paperclip.

If it had gone into the kid's stomach, things might have been okay. There was some risk of the sharp point doing damage, or the wire catching and tangling in the intestines, but the rounded ends of the paperclip meant there was also a chance it would simply be passed through.

Unfortunately, instead of ingesting the paperclip, the child had aspirated it, so it needed to be removed from her right lung.

Immediately after Barbara got out of surgery, she had to work up the x-rays of a teenager who'd crashed his Vespa into a tree. Nothing was obviously broken and he didn't have a concussion, but there was a risk of hairline fractures.

And then, (because why not,) there were three successive cases of people who had stuck odd things up their butts and gotten those things stuck.

By the time she was able to sit down for two minutes and gulp some coffee, she had forgotten about her buzzing phone.

She didn't even look at her phone until she was leaving for the night. Barbara got it out to turn the ringer off, since she wasn't supposed to be on call that night, which never stopped anyone when they were short-staffed, which was often, and she was tired enough it would probably be dangerous for her to be treating patients again until she'd had some sleep.

(Also, she was probably tired enough that she shouldn't be driving, but Barbara never let herself think about that.)

After finding out she'd missed something as big as her kid sneaking around to fight a secret magical war, Barbara was trying to reassert some boundaries between her time at work and the rest of her life.

Her phone announced that she'd missed a notification.

It was just an exclamation point. What had that been supposed to mean?

Barbara turned her phone off and drove home.

"I'm back, kiddo!"

"We're in the kitchen!"

'We' meant Jim and Toby. Jim was pulling a shepherd's pie out of the oven. Toby and Barbara both inhaled appreciatively.

"You said it's lean ground beef, right?" asked Toby. Jim smiled and rolled his eyes.

"Yes, Tobes. You know if you cut all the fat out of your diet you'd get protein poisoning, right? Mom, back me up."

Barbara took a moment to remember this. She wasn't a nutritionist – she'd encountered this concept in a novel a few years ago and looked it up to see if it was true.

"He's right," she said. "It's the rarest kind of food poisoning. Not much risk of it happening here and now." Not in a city in the United States, haven of processed and instant foods.

Jim portioned out the steaming vegetables and meat and mashed potatoes. Barbara added some sour cream to hers.

"Is Nana out tonight?" she asked Toby.

"Yeah, she and some of her chess buddies are doing a tournament. Informal, I think, but maybe a prize? Like, a gift certificate or something."

"We should see if we can get her and Mr Strickler to play a match sometime," said Jim. "I think I heard once that he's a grandmaster, but I don't know how often he plays anymore."

That combination, Nancy and Walt, made Barbara's brain click and remember the significance of that exclamation point she'd sent herself.

"So … it's been a month. Have you made any progress on telling your friends' families about trolls?"

Both boys froze.

"We gave Vendel a bunch of family stories," said Toby. "Once he's done reading it, we'll find out if we have permission or we're going behind everybody's backs."

"Guess I should warn him the clock's ticking again," said Jim.

"We could maybe tell people now and say we're LARPing, and tell the whole truth later?" Toby suggested. "That's what my therapist thinks is going on."

"You told your therapist?" asked Barbara and Jim together, in very different tones.

Jim's eyes were huge. He had a white-knuckled grip on his silverware. "Tell me you didn't use the word 'Trollhunter' in front of her."

"… No?" said Toby in confusion. "I just said your character was a magic knight on a quest to fight an evil troll."

Jim sighed. "Okay, that's generic enough it's probably safe. Don't use any specific names or terms, though."

"Dude, you seriously think someone is spying on a random high schooler's therapy appointments?"

"Someone is spying on a random high school's entire history class," Jim pointed out.

The rest of the meal was tense. After they were done eating and cleaning up, Toby went back home, and Jim went upstairs to do homework.

Jim's yearbook from the previous year was on one of the shelves in the living room. Barbara brought it over to the couch.

She could use this to get an idea of who Jim and Toby's classmates were, at least.

Jim didn't have many signatures in the book. There was Toby's, of course. The rest all had generic messages – "Have a great summer" from Eli Pepperjack, "Have fun this summer!" from Shannon Longhannon, "See you in September" and a doodled smiley face from Claire Nuñez, and "Enjoy summer break" from Seamus Johnson.

People Jim knew? Or random classmates he approached so he wouldn't look 'weird' for not caring about yearbook autographs?

Barbara made note of all the names. She felt like Jim had let slip that the other children who knew about trolls were girls, early on, but she couldn't quite remember for sure and didn't want to rule anyone out. She flipped to the class photos to match names to faces, so she could keep watch for the signatories hanging around her house or across the street.

+=+

Enrique carefully printed the English alphabet. It hadn't been that hard to mimic from a reference image, but this was his first time writing it independently. He haltingly hummed the song to keep track of his place.

"Pretty good," said Claire, reading over his shoulder. He fought the urge to turn and strike. He was (supposed to be) safe. Claire wasn't purposefully lurking in his blind spot to attack him. "Definitely way better than my first scribbles. I guess next you should learn to write your name."

On another piece of paper, she printed it for him to copy.

The first letter was N. Sensible enough. Except wasn't that one pronounced 'nuh' instead of 'en' when it was in a word and not the alphabet? He shrugged. Claire knew this writing system better than he did – if she said Enrique started with N, he'd go with it until he had some evidence otherwise.

The second letter was O. He frowned. That … didn't feel right. Shouldn't it be an R?

The third letter was T. He stopped.

"Read it," he said to Claire, trying not to growl.

"Not Enrique," she said, without shame. "You only copied the 'Not' part so far."

Angrily, Enrique scribbled out the letters he'd written so far and the bit he'd copied from. In fast, shaky letters he copied out the rest of it and underlined it.

"No," said Claire, getting angry in turn, "you don't get to use that name. That's my brother's name, not yours."

"The kid can share. It's mine now."

"Oh, come on," Claire scoffed. "You're, like, hundreds of years old. I get that Jim's used to being called 'Jim' after sixteen years in deep cover or whatever, but you can't possibly have gotten that attached to 'Enrique' in just a few months."

… Did she really not know?

"It's the only name I've got."

"Bullshit. Other trolls had to call you something when you were in the Darklands."

Now he growled for real. "That wasn't a name."

"What, some kind of codename system? Then I'd think you'd welcome the chance to start using your real name again."

"I don't know what it used to be!" he snapped. "No one exactly kept track of who they were grabbing. And if we lived, it was 'Changeling' this and 'Impure' that if it wasn't just 'hey you'! Enrique's the first name I can remember having and you don't get to take it away from me!"

He stood there breathing hard for maybe a full minute. He'd cracked the pen. There was gloppy ink on his clenched fist. He licked it off before ink could drip on the floor, and popped the plastic into his mouth.

Claire's voice, when she spoke again, was a lot softer.

"How did anyone tell the Changelings apart, if … if you didn't have names?"

Enrique snorted. "You think they bothered? One Changeling's as good or as bad as any other. S'probably part of why Jim and the big Boss Man were so quick to change sides when they had the chance."

"Even the other Changelings?"

"The rule about not getting attached starts early."

Claire looked like she was about to cry. That … that wasn't fair, she didn't get to make him feel bad for her when they were in the middle of a fight …

"We give each other nicknames, sometimes," he admitted. Imp had been a popular one, if nothing else about a Changeling stood out. "Us or the goblins. But then when we get up top, it's like a rite of passage, you know? We get a name then. Using the old nickname's … like an insult. Saying you weren't worth making a surface agent."

Claire blinked rapidly a few times, then hugged him. He almost clawed her before realizing it wasn't an attack.

"Oi, easy!"

"You can't have my brother's name," she said stubbornly. "But we'll figure something else out."

"Not exactly your call to make," Enrique retorted.

"Don't ruin the moment."

"What moment–?!"

+=+

Previous Chapter (Troll Dads become official!)

Table of Contents

Next Chapter (Angor Rot’s debut!)

Not featured in the above chapter: Jim's internal panic, as he frantically tries to figure out how much Toby has already told Dr Archenn and how to warn Toby off telling her anything else, without exposing yet another Changeling's identity to humans.

Featured in the above chapter: my headcanon that Otto addressing Not Enrique as 'Imp' in early Season 2 was a deliberate insult. I've actually got a different nickname in mind for Not Enrique, it just didn't feel natural to bring it up in this scene. Imp, short for Impure, is basically a 'starter nickname' that all Changelings have in the Darklands, until and unless something about them stands out enough that the other Changelings start calling them something else.

[voiceofduality]

oh hi.

name / alias: draco age: 25

my character is: friendly / approachable / difficult to talk to / unapproachable     — Enid is the friendliest of them, my other ocs... well, it depends. Gunna and Sirius are less sociable or tend to do worse in social environments, and Fallahan is good at those but can be just as difficult to handle. i prefer: plotting relationships & dynamics before we write / building the relationship as we write / i like both    — I’m fine with plotting things beforehand, but I prefer it after our muses have already interacted. I’ve worked a lot with assuming bonds and relationships, and even creating verses to get our muses in a specific dynamic. i ship: easily / if there’s chemistry / only if plotted / never    — If our muses seem compatible, there’s a high chance I already ship them. I won’t force a ship on anybody ofc, but for anyone interested, you should know adore romance. my character is: easy to ship with / difficult to ship with / completely unavailable to ship with   — I enjoy fluff but it’s not my favorite genre, so expect me to always have a tendency towards complicated relationships, ranging from slow burn to straight-up toxic, to unrequited. In this case, Enid is a romantic but she’s shy and insecure, Fallahan is... not the best partner you can get, Gunna is a handful, and Sirius is aro but open to non-romantic relationships. the easiest way to write with me is: through threads / through memes / both   — I adore memes and, as I said, I’m fine with assuming relationships, of all sorts! Romance requires a bit more of work, but they could be friends, travel partners, enemies, maybe exes! i am: comfortable with talking ooc / uncomfortable with talking ooc   — I’m..........slow, though. Sorry about that. i prefer to talk ooc over: tumblr ims / other im system (discord) i respond: quickly / slowly / rarely / as soon as i’m able   — There’s a reason why I specified that this blog might or might not run on a queu i prefer: short threads / multi para threads / novella threads   — Depends on the thread. If there’s a lot going on and I’m very invested in a particular interaction, I tend to go for longer replies unconsciously. No need to match length however! i am: not okay with aus / happy to write my character in an au i prefer writing: angst / fluff / smut / romance / friendship / horror / action / all of the previous options   — I’m definitely not great at action, especially in English, but I wouldn’t mind trying, just for the sake of practice. As for smut, I enjoy writing short drabbles as replies to asks, because intimacy is a favorite topic of mine, but I admit it’s been a looong time since the last time I actually rped smut. Could be done with a partner I’m comfortable with. i am: okay with nsfw topics / not okay with nsfw topics / okay with some nsfw topics i am: okay with being tagged in random starters / not okay with being tagged in random starters / okay with random asks / not okay with random asks i am: okay with multiple memes being sent / not okay with multiple memes being sent topics to avoid writing: the basics, plus the two things i would be okay with appearing in a character’s backstory but never writing myself, which would be r*pe and child ab*se. ‘Okay’ as in exploring trauma and healing from the safe place of a narrator, not as in reveling in suffering for shock and character ‘development’

[yodawgiherd]

Somewhere Out There

>>>Read on AO3<<<

Happy Holidays everyone! ^^ And since I prolly won't do anything new for some time again, happy new year too :P Annie heard about the woman she was matched with today. A known name in the MMA scene, she was among the top-ranked - steadily placing high in various tournaments. Experienced, dangerous, and strong, a welcome change from her first fight and that egoistic wrestler. Annie was looking forward to the challenge. The bell rang and they both moved at the same time.

At first, it was her enemy throwing punches, testing the waters, looking for openings. But Annie didn’t budge. Using the technique she learned from Reiner “the Armor”, she turtled with her hands raised, absorbing the hits. The pain didn’t mean anything, and as long as she protected the important parts of her body, she could safely ignore it. Only a very good striker could get through the armor, find the gaps and slide the damage in, but this girl couldn’t do it and Annie shrugged her hits off. Seeing that there was no progress to be made there, she bit the bait and went in.

The woman went low, Annie went high and they met in the middle, grasping at each other. A grappler then, same as she was. Muscles straining, they fell on the ground, their duel continuing there as they tried to get a submission hold on each other. Her enemy was about the same in both height and weight as Annie and their struggling was more or less equal. Yet as it continued, it was clear that Annie had something the other woman didn’t – cold-blooded dedication. While she was running out of breath, the blonde wasn’t even winded, coiling herself around her like a vice, never letting go, never lessening the pressure. But before she could truly put her choking techniques to work, the woman simply tapped out.

Confused, Annie let go and they disentangled from one another. For whatever reason, the defeated party was wearing a huge smile anyway, almost immediately offering the victor a hand to shake.

“I shouldn’t have taken you to the ground.”, she said, “You’re insane there. Do you ever get tired?”

There was joy in her voice, enjoyment even, and Annie didn’t get it. She got crushed, so why did she look like that she was having fun?

“You don’t mind that you lost?”

“Nah, I kind of expected that to happen sooner or later.”

“Why’s that? Don’t you have faith in what you do?”

“I do, but I know that there are others out there who are class above normal people. I found out about it a few months back.”

Despite not being here to make friends, Annie was interested.

“How so?”

“You see, I was competing in an MMA tournament, all hyped up and ready to go. I was counted between the favorites to win the whole thing, and that did wonders to my ego. It inflated even further when I breezed through my matches. But then I met her.”

Annie didn’t even realize that she was holding her breath, immersed in the story. A bit embarrassed by how easily she was drawn in, she huffed it out, waiting for the other girl to continue.

“She had an impressive streak, but was a newbie, only recently switching to our scene. No worries, I thought, I’ll show her what MMA is about.”, she shook her head, “ I have never been so wrong. She was fast, insanely fast, and far stronger than her build suggested. I did my best, I gave the match my all, but she crushed me anyway and that’s when I realized that some people are just built differently. She was a prodigy, I am not.”

If there was someone like that out there, it would be helpful to keep tabs on her. Hell, she might be even competing in this very tournament.

“What was her name?”, Annie asked, “How did she look like?”

“Asian girl, black hair, pale skin, a scar on her cheek. Her name was Mikasa.”

Annie’s next breath was a deep inhale as she struggled to keep herself calm. The night still haunted her, that fight in the rain, the one where she almost got beaten to death. The naked steel in Mikasa’s eyes when she raised the bloodied fist, that was something Annie would never forget.

“You know, she was giving me a similar feeling you do.”, the girl went on, “Do you know her?”

“N-No.”, Annie lied, shaking her head vehemently, “Never heard of her.”

“Oh well, if you go on like this, I’m sure you two will meet somewhere in the bracket.”

With that, the woman tapped Annie on the shoulder and left the ring. Gritting her teeth, clenching her fists, the blonde’s dedication to winning had reached a whole new level. Because now, she knew that her worst rival was here too. Because now, she knew that she could crush her demons on the way to the top. And Annie would enjoy that.

Eren didn’t even know how they ended up like this, on the couch with Mikasa straddling him. She came down from the bedroom, he wished her good morning, so she kissed him in return and things somewhat escalated from there. Not that he was complaining. She was still in her sleeping attire, a shirt and a pair of panties, meaning that her bare legs were all his for the taking.

And everything was great, until she pulled back, grasping his chin and casting an inspecting eye over the beard Eren was cultivating for a few days.

“You really should shave babe, I’m not sure I approve of that homeless vibe.”

“You’re the one the talk.”

“What’s that?”

Fine then, if Mikasa wanted to play this game, he was in. Eren liked that beard, and shaving was a pain the ass anyway. To tease her, he swapped the circuit in his brain from horny to asshole, the one that was usually reserved for Jean.

“Well, you are… you know…”, it was hard searching for an insult with Mikasa on his lap, so Eren just blurted the first word that stumbled on his tongue, “ugly.”

“Ugly? You think I’m ugly?“

“Yep. Hideous even.“

“Care to elaborate?”

“Well, for starters, look at your hair.”, his hand came up, dragging through the short locks, “So short, so black. And a dyed red streak? How old are you?”, he shook his head, “Everyone knows that long blonde is the best.”

Her own hands found purchase on Eren’s shoulders as Mikasa anchored herself, listening.

“Go on.”, she prompted.

“Your shoulders are too broad, biceps too big..”, tracing that lovely shape, he went on, “what do you need muscles for?”

“I beat people up for a living.”, she grinned down at him, “But continue.”

It was only a half-truth by now, but they both knew that. Taking full advantage of her position, Eren slid his hands to her breasts, cupping them through the fabric of her shirt. Mikasa didn’t wear bra to bed, obviously, so he could feel her nipples through it.

“Your chest is way too small to be attractive, you look like a man. I mean, everyone knows that the bigger the better.”

Amused, Mikasa made a happy noise in the back of her throat. But when Eren’s hands kept groping the same area, she raised an eyebrow.

“Hello?”

He reluctantly let go of her breasts.

“R-Right. Sorry.”

Torn from his trance, as it was always so much fun to play with her chest. Eren quickly repositioned his grasp to her hips, the move itself a herculean effort. Mikasa was patient, playing with the ends of his overlong hair, smug on her throne.

“Your stomach is too hard,”, poking her abs, Eren faked his best scowl, “woman is supposed to be soft to the touch.”

Five years back, all this critique would send Mikasa’s confidence crashing down, especially if it would come from her own boyfriend. But now all she did was smirk, watching him pull those words out of his ass. Self-growth is a wonderful thing.

“Thighs, again too strong. What for?”

“Choking people out.”, she scratched his nape slightly, “Maybe you too if you ask nicely.”

A low growl left Eren as the scenario flashed through his mind, fingers digging into those beautiful legs for a second before he re-composed himself. With a deep breath, he moved his hands to the last part of his inspection.

“And your ass…. Your ass…. Err….”

“What’s that?”

“I mean… Uhm…”

But how was he supposed to say anything? Granted, his insults were lame to begin with, but at least he could try to look at it from someone else’s perspective to pass her strengths as faults. However, what was the play here? To reassure himself that there is indeed nothing he could latch on, he ran his hands over Mikasa’s backside, the “inspection” taking much longer than needed. That made her giggle.

“I’ve got nothing.”, he finally surrendered, “Your butt is perfect.”

Mikasa didn’t say anything for a time, simply looked down at him, the smug smirk never leaving her lips. And then she did that the one thing that Eren feared she would do to completely destroy his arguments. She stirred her hips. Just a little, a tiny rock back and forth on top of him, but she was experienced and he was weak, so fucking weak for her, that the little slide almost immediately began producing results. His traitorous body refused to cooperate with the mind, and Eren was hard before he even realized how it happened. With Mikasa on his lap, the change was rather obvious to both parties involved, and her smug smile became even smugger. Worst of all, Eren knew that she’s probably not going to do anything about it and leave him blueballed, because while she knew that he spoke only to tease her, Mikasa preferred her teasing to be done in a more physical way. And to Eren’s dismay, she was damn good at it.

“Still, you raised some valid critique.”, Mikasa suddenly said, halting her movements, “So tell me, with all these faults, why do I have this?”

She wiggled her engagement ring at him.

“That’s easy.”, he replied, summoning his blood to his brain back from the crotch “I love you.”

“Even with my wide shoulders and hard stomach?”

“Precisely because of that.”

“Well..”, she leaned closer, whispering, “You are lucky that I love you too. Even with your girly hair and hobo beard.”

And just as Eren moved in for a kiss, she slipped out of his lap and was gone.

“Mmmhhh……. W-Where are you going?”, he called after her, even more desperate than before.

“I’ve got training with Levi.”, she called right back, her voice accompanied by the sounds of her getting dressed.

“Now? Can’t you go in like… five minutes?”

“Aw, I’m sorry babe.”, Mikasa appeared in the doorway, already wearing her signature leather biker jacket, “But you know how punctual Levi is.”

“Miki…”

“I have to run, but I’m sure that you and your…”, her eyes dipped between Eren’s legs before coming back to his face, “right hand can figure out the issue.”

Disappearing with a wink, Eren soon heard the door click and he was alone. Knocking his head back against the couch, he barked out a laugh. How could someone not love Mikasa Ackerman, that was completely beyond him. Well, time to shave.

If anything, Levi was even harder on her now. Mikasa’s training was more extreme than ever, pushing limits of both her strength and endurance above and beyond. But she didn’t complain. She knew that the road would be hard and rocky, and Levi was simply trying to prepare for the worst. Yet when her brother said that she should develop a new move, something not seen before, she had to ask.

“Why? Don’t I have enough shit in my repertoire?”

“You do, but they will know that. An ace up your sleeve might be worth investing some time into.”

“What do you mean?

“Rest assured that they will scout you. Watch your past matches, learn what you do and how to counter it.”

“Really?”

“Of course. You haven’t lost yet after switching to MMA, not even once, and now you went and knocked one of the top contenders down on his ass.”

“I see…”, Mikasa scratched the back of her neck, a new idea popping in, “If they do that, shouldn’t we do the same?”

“Way ahead of you. I’ve already done some serious research and, I’ll be honest with you, it’s not looking pretty.”

“How so?”

“There are some serious monsters out there. Last night, I watched a tattooed giant completely brutalize some poor fellow’s face with his elbows. That’s the thing about this tournament. On the bright side, the next to no rules means that you get to fight a wide variety of people, a lot of great experience. But on the other hand, guys like him can be as brutal as they want to without any drawback.”

“I know what I was getting into.”, Mikasa countered.

“Still, be extra careful. Especially if you get into the ring with the guys I picked out.”

Levi had spent about a week or so on this, combing through the huge-ass number of matches, looking for individuals who stood out the most. Those that would be most dangerous to his sister.

“I’ve compiled them into a file with all the info I could dig out, videos of their fights and whatnot. Sometimes it's not much, but it’s better than nothing. I’ll send you an email with the file.”

“Thanks, I appreciate it. Really.”

He nodded back, turning and leaving back into the gym. Mikasa got out, kicked the bike awake, the engine roaring, and soon she was on her way back home with a new set of things to ponder.

When Eren came home, Mikasa was already deep in her research, looking at the laptop screen with a focused look on her face. He sat down next to her, eager to see who she would be facing later on. There was a guy on the screen right now, a real tank. Blonde, tall and very heavily muscled, with a somewhat sad look on his face.

“Damn, look at this dude, he’s built like a space marine.”

Mikasa blinked at him.

“A what?”

“A space ma-, nevermind. I’ll educate you some other time.”

Eren and his fantasy worlds. Focusing on the page instead, Mikasa read out loud.

“Reiner Braun - Germany. Specialty: grappling – long history of Judo and Wrestling.”

“Dude’s heavy as shit.” Eren noted over her shoulder, “If he ever gets you on the ground you’re finished.”

Mikasa had to agree with him. She was strong, but there was no way she was getting over a hundred kilos of pure muscle from her chest. Worrying her bottom lip with her teeth, she scrolled down.

“Fahkumram - Thailand. Specialty: Muay Thai – also known as the god of Muay Thai.”

Talk about an imposing figure. Over two meters tall with almost unnaturally broad shoulders, arms and legs bulging. Numerous tattoos covered the man’s skin, Mikasa’s own paling in comparison. She could almost hear Eren’s worry increasing. Levi wasn’t lying, these guys were truly monsters, far beyond anything she had faced until now. Hoping for someone that would take their mind from that German tank and abnormal Thai warrior, she scrolled down. And her heart skipped a beat.

“Is that….”, Eren whispered next to her, “No way…”

But there was no mistaking it. Exchanging a bewildered look with her boyfriend, Mikasa’s eyes slid over the page, reading.

“Annie Leonhart – Germany.”

[words-writ-in-starlight]

the untamed is on netflix, right? i think i've seen it. i'm enjoying your posts about it and my mom would love if i watched a chinese show (it looks chinese, i might be wrong though) but i'm kinda short on time so please pitch to me why i should watch it so i will be convinced and look past the lack fo time

Anonymous asked:

ok the untamed looks cool af how doesone watch it 

A L L R I G H T I’m finally going to make a rec post, I’ve put this off long enough.  You’ve definitely already started to watch it, clever, so please forgive me for using this as an excuse to pitch this show.

So, for starters, Anon, The Untamed is indeed on Netflix!  It is in Chinese!  If you (like me) do not understand Mandarin Chinese, the Netflix English subbing is…fine, it’s fine, but I recommend poking around in the fandom because every single form of address is changed to the character’s full name.  And maybe I just spent too much time doing translations for my old Spanish and Chinese and especially Latin classes, but I think there are some things that, A, shouldn’t be translated or, B, should be translated awkwardly over being translated incoherently.  

I digress.  My thoughts about maintaining forms of address in their native language for the sake of clarifying levels of respect/etc are not relevant here.  Chuck a note in my inbox if/when you get confused about everyone’s three names and I’ll write/link you a guide.

POINT IS.  The Untamed is an adaptation of the novel Mo Dao Zu Shi, which is generally translated as “The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation,” and my quick pitch for it is: There’s a plot, sure sure, it’s the story of Wei Wuxian (his fall from grace to Most Hated Person In Magic!China, and then his resurrection and efforts to solve a murder), and if you like character-driven fantasy narratives you Will Like This

B U T

You know that post “but is he…you know…your narrative foil?”  That’s this show.  If what you crave is “one character committedly pines over another for twenty years even when the entire world hates that person,” please let me interest you in Lan Wangji, the love interest.  They have a kid together.  It’s a great romance.  Literally what else do you want from me.  I love a narrative foil, I love a tragedy, I love an epic love story, I love a found family.  And good GOD do I love a character who self-destructs in an effort to do the right thing.

Wei Wuxian isn’t evil.  He’s not even especially malicious.  But when the chips were down and he needed to survive, and to save people, and to figure something out, he took the only avenue left to him, and it was—it was inevitable, really, that it make him the villain of the piece.  He saved a lot of lives.  Everyone except Lan Wangji hates him for it.  He’s already thoroughly despised by the time he starts actually doing things that are objectively bad.  Talk to me about it forever.

My usual list of free-form associative Things I Like That You Will Probably Also Like under the cut:

Wei Wuxian!  I know he’s the main character but I love him so much that he gets a bullet point!  He’s the kind of lighthearted goofball who’s perfected the “I Would Honestly Die Before Showing Emotion To Anyone, How Dare You Imply That I Am Not Sincere In My Perpetual Good Humor” mask, and it hits like a sledgehammer when that mask cracks.  I would watch this actor flip between smiles and homicidal rage all day.  He gets a hug from Son Boy in the last episode and I almost cried.  50000/10.

Lan Wangji!  A great love interest!  Noble to the core!  Incredibly bitchy!  I want five more just like him!

This is where I mention that China has strict censorship laws, so, despite the fact that they kiss and have sex and get married and the whole nine in the book, the show is all Intense Staring And Love Declarations Where They Never Say The L-Word.  But like.  Please trust me, it’s actually So Romance.  If anything I think I like the  romance in the show better.

Wen Ning!

I don’t have anything else to say about him, I just love him so goddamn much.  He and his sister Wen Qing are stars and the rest of these sinners don’t deserve them.

COMPETENT. VILLAINS.  I’ve spilled a lot of ink on this one lately, but I love competent villainy, I love villains who have Goals and plan to Achieve Them and actually pull it off.  Jin Guangyao, the big bad of the “present”(the part where Wei Wuxian is resurrected and kicking around trying to solve a murder), is actually phenomenally good at his job and I support him even though I enjoyed watching him go down in flames.  There are enough villains in this show for everyone to have their preferred type of villain, from Devoted Right Hand Man to Megalomaniacal Overlord to Freewheeling Engine Of Death.  GREAT villains in this show.  Which brings me to…

YI! CITY! ARC!  I’m not going to tell you that much about it, but it’s dark and tragic and features my very favorite villain in the entire show, Xue Yang, who is just.  *chef kiss*  A horrible monster of a man.  An unapologetic, cold-eyed shriek of a villain.  The very best at what he does, and what he does is absolutely horrible, and I would watch an entire series about this five-ish episode arc.  Also, I’ve adopted Song Lan/Xiao Xingchen from the Tragic Ships Shelter and someone should toss me a headcanon ask for them.  Any AU your little heart desires.  I love them.

THE MAGIC!  I know it took me a long time to get here, but it’s a very character driven show and I am a very character driven person and I just wanted to yell about characters for a minute.  But anyway, I’m told that the Untamed is a great onboarding point for this genre of Chinese fantasy novel, because they do a really good job of making the necessary points accessible.  I had no familiarity with wuxia/xianxia/etc when I started watching this and everything about cultivation made sense to me, or at least enough sense to be going on with.  It’s very lovely and fascinating and it’s where they put their Entire Non-Clothing Budget.

This is where I mention that their effects department clearly used their entire funding for, like, cool sword stunts and beautiful clothing.  The wolf puppet in particular is just.  Almost adorably terrible.  If that’s going to severely impact your enjoyment, Idk what to tell you, man.

Related to the above, I love plotlines about characters losing control of their magic.  That’s all I’m going to say about it.

Unreliable narrators, baby! They set up a lot of concrete facts about Wei Wuxian in the first two episodes that become obvious as complete bullshit as you go on, and it’s very satisfying to watch!  See also, Nie Huaisang, the most unreliable narrator of them all, whom I adore.

Beyond all those things…it’s just got a lot of great relationships in it.  It’s hugely driven by the affection people have for each other, or the places they feel they’vebeen deprived of that affection.  It has a lot of iterations of the same relationship in wildly distinct ways, if that makes sense—offhand, there are maybe four major sets of siblings, five if you count the Jins, and they are all radically different and insanely compelling.  The basic structure of Wei Wuxian/Lan Wangji, the “black cultivator/white cultivator on a crusade to change the world” thing, appears a lot of times, and goes horribly awry in a slightly different way for all of them.  That kind of in-universe repetition of themes, doing the same thing over and over again looking for the Right Path, is one of my favorite things to appear in a story—see also, the Kencyrath (twins, Dreamweavers, Knorth lords, loyal Kendar, etc), the Animorphs (warrior teams, deaths on the field, etc), any number of other things I yell about.

TL;DR: The story is great and the cultivation is fascinatingand the schemes are elaborate, but

[thisaintascenereviews]

Brittany Howard - What Now

I’ve talked a lot about how there are albums and artists that I respect more than I actually like. Music, as with all forms of media, are subjective, being that your overall enjoyment is depending on your own taste and opinions, but you have to admit and admire when something is well made. You may not personally like it, but that doesn’t mean you can’t admire the artistry that went into making it. There are tons of bands I respect more than I like, because even if I can’t get into what they’re doing, I can see the vision. That’s how I feel about the new solo album from former Alabama Shakes singer and guitarist Brittany Howard entitled What Now. I’ll be honest — I never got into Alabama Shakes when they were around, but I do recall listening to their second (and final) album, 2015’s Sound & Color, but I don’t remember anything about it. It didn’t quite stick with me, but I could always admire how unique they were. I never listened to Howard’s debut solo album, 2019’s Jaime, but I was curious about What Now. I didn’t know what it would sound like, but I figured I’d check it out, at least along with Alabama Shakes’ critically acclaimed 2012 debut album, Boys & Girls. I will say that their debut album is absolutely fantastic, and I wish I would have listened to that years ago, because it’s a wonderful slice of blues-rock / southern-rock. I wish I liked What Now more, but that’s not to say this album is bad.

There’s a lot of craftsmanship on this album, and it’s clear that it’s got a lot going for it, especially when she’s got a massive amount of talent. For starters, her voice is really good and has this soulful sound to it, and she reminds me a lot of Prince, both in terms of her vocals and sound. I think the sound is where I respect this album more than I like it, because this album is very much in the vein of Prince’s sound, especially where he had the ability to weave between genres at the drop of a hat. This album is what I’d call “genreless,” especially where this album is influenced by rock, soul, pop, psychedelic, R&B, and the blues, among other things. This isn’t a very “catchy” album, and that could be one reason why it’s not resonating with me as much as it should. It’s not that this album is unlistenable, or even experimental, but it goes into more of an ambient and psychedelic sound that’s more focused on groove and mood, versus hooks and catchiness. There’s a place for that, and on certain tracks, there are some good hooks, such as “Red Flags,” “Prove It To You,” and “I Don’t.” I suppose it’s that the album doesn’t have a particular sound, and while it’s well put together and unique, its inconsistency kind of bothers me after a while. Just when I start to get into the album, it pulls me out when the album randomly goes into a different sound, only to go back to a sound I really like a few tracks later. It’s not the album is inconsistent on purpose, or that it doesn’t know what it wants to be, it’s more so that it crams so many ideas into 38 minutes. Normally I like short algums, but sometimes you need to expand your sound more, and this is a case where really expanding that sound and what she was trying to do would have worked.

I really want to love this album, and certain songs are great, so maybe this will be a case of the album needing time to grow on me. I loved Alabama Shakes’ debut album, now that I’ve heard it, and I wasn’t expecting this album to sound like that, especially when Howard shed the blues-rock sound a decade ago, and I do appreciate the sound here. I like a lot of what this album does, but it doesn’t feel complete, like the album moves between sounds quickly, and doesn’t give the listener a lot of time to breathe in between songs. There are some cool crystal bowl playing that happens on the album, at least in between songs, but they just come and go. I still enjoy this album a lot, warts and all, because it has some cool ideas and Howard sounds great, but it is a bit too short, and there’s an inconsistent sound. I’d recommend this album if you want a solid album that has a diverse sound, even if some sounds are highlighted more than others, but it’s a good album and I respect the craftsmanship behind it. I’d say that I respect more than I ultimately like it, but I’d still say I enjoy it. I always have fun with this album when I listen to it, even if it hasn’t stuck with me as much as I’d want it to. I’d check it out, it’s a solid record.

[multific]

Just Hair

Tom Holland x Reader

Summary: You see Tom with his shaved head for the first time.

Warnings: talks about sex, swearing

A/N: I might be late with this. But I only had time now to write it. I absolutely love Tom, so this is not meant to be hating on him. I just wanted to write something light-hearted and fun. Hope you like it! Enjoy~

 You remember that morning when he told you he’d be getting a new haircut. You got so excited since during the years you had been dating, whenever he came back with a new freshly styled hair, you’d always jump on him and you wouldn’t leave the bed for hours.

So, you decided to prepare a great night for the two of you.

You got off of work early and went to the store to get the ingredients for the dinner you wanted to prepare. You even bought a bottle of wine to go with the dish. You knew that Tom would appreciate anything you cook for him, so you thought a simple dish would make the night perfect.

You didn’t feel like going all the way though. So you didn’t buy any new lingerie or anything like that. You just wore a set that he bought for you earlier. It was a simple one, but you knew, he will much prefer you naked than in any expensive lingerie.

Tom was a simple man. He liked simple dishes, simple clothes and appreciated the time you spent together more than anything else. He didn’t need you to put on a lot of make up to please him. And you loved that about him. Love how stuck to earth he was even though he became so big, he never let the fame and money go to his head, and part of it, he can thank you. You always told him straight if he began to act like a jerk when he needed that.

So, there you were on that night. Waiting for him, everything was ready and waiting to be eaten. You were watching the TV when the door opened and you heard Tessa running in. The dog found you and with a waggling tail, she went to greet you. As you stood from the couch to greet your boyfriend, he stepped into the room.

And that’s when you saw him for the first time. His new shaved head.

You were in full shock for a full of five seconds, you didn’t even hear him call out your name, then you had to look away.

Tom got worried.

“Y/N, baby? Are you okay?” As he approached you, he saw your shoulders began to shake. “Don’t cry, it’s just hair. Baby, come on! I quite like it myself.” As he turned you around, he realized, you weren’t crying, at least not from sadness.

You were laughing. Unable to look at him in the eyes. You were now nearly on the floor, trying to hold your laughter in. Then he crouched down to look at you and as you saw his face, you lost it completely.

You were now laughing so hard and so loud, no one would be able to stop you.

“T-Tom…” you tried to speak in between crying and laughing but you couldn’t say a sentence normally.

“Alright, I’ll let you laugh it out.” Tom left the room to change, hoping you’d stop your laughter when he arrives. Even if he wasn’t in the room, the image was burnt into your mind.

And you just couldn’t stop.

You got your phone off of the couch and while still laughing, you called his brother, Harry, since you knew that he was with Tom.

After a few rings Harry picked up.

“Y/N? Something’s wrong?” he asked, worried something might happened, but when he heard you laughing and coughing, he knew what was happening. “So, I assume he’s home? And how do you like it?”

“H-Harry. What the fuck did they do to him?!” hearing that Harry started to laugh and hearing him, you started another fit. “H-He went from… P-Prince Charming to… the egg from Puss in Boots….Like WTF?”

“Oh my God! Y/N, that’s genius! I told him that he looked like One Punch Man and he got offended, but if he’d hear THAT…!”

Now both of you were laughing.

“How am I supposed to look him in the eyes?”

“I don’t know, it took me about an hour to be able to slightly look at him. And all the women at the stylist’s place said that he looked more handsome like this.”

“What? NO. I mean he IS handsome but that shit’s more funny than sexy. I think I’ll have to apologize to him.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll call you tomorrow, you promised you’d come to the park with me for the photos?” Harry often asked you to be his amateur model when he needed or felt like taking pictures in nature or anywhere. And you were happy to help him out.

“Oh, yeah. Okay. Call me then Bye bye.”

“Good luck! Bye.”

You placed the phone back on the couch. Petted Tessa on the head and took a deep breath.

After you washed your face a big and took another deep breath, you headed to your bedroom where Tom was.

“Tom?” you called out when you found him sitting on the bed, looking at his phone. “Are you mad at me?”

“No. I did find it funny too, and Harry laughed a LOT. Probably more than you, so no, I’m not mad. But calling me the Egg from Puss in Boots?” at that you started lightly laughing again.

“I can’t. Please don’t bring that up! But I’m glad you are not angry. And it’s not that I hate it, there are some men out there who look absolutely sexy without hair or short hair. But you… it’s a bit weird and funny to see you like this.”

“I’m sure you’ll get used to it. But I do need something to… help me forget, that you laughed and cried because of my hair. At least what’s left of it.” when he said that you had to look away. You felt him smiling at you.

“Okay, I made dinner how’s that for starter?” you asked and looked back at him, he was now standing and walking your way. He placed his hands on your hips and pulled you closer, your hand went to around his neck. As an instinct, your hands wanted to run through his hair, but you stopped yourself from doing that.

“Dinner sound’s lovely. Any plans after that?”

“Sure. But you might have to do it from behind, I cannot look at you dead in the eye with a head like that while achieving an orgasm.”

“Why? Would you laugh?”

“Most likely. It could ruin the mood.” you said.

“Then I just have to make sure that you enjoy yourself enough that you won’t have time laughing or thinking about this.” he said as he pointed to his head. You smiled at him and pulled him in for a peck on the lips.

“Deal.” this time he pulled you in for the kiss and you got lost in it. You only came back to reality when you tried to pull on his hair. The missing locks made you a bit angry. “Just tell me one thing, Mr. Holland. How am I supposed to pull on your hair while making out?”

He raised his shoulders and made a face that said, ‘I don’t know’. You could tell that he didn’t care.

And you were sure, you’d get used to his new look, you just needed to give it some time. And his hair always grew back quickly.

But in the meanwhile, Tom had to work extra hard so you would stop laughing at him while he tried to be serious.

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