#*stella; dash chat

[romerutherford]

Matt'll be fine with it, probably. I'll tell him we have a wonderful volunteer from the community who would love to help with demonstration and we'll just let it be a surprise that it's you. I'll allow one morbid joke, under your breath.

I'll bring the popcorn seasonings.

Wait, for real? Can I really? Like, Matt would be okay with it? ...Scratch that, don't ask Matt, he might say no. Sign me UP, I'll even promise not to make any morbid jokes during the demonstration. Maybe.

HELL yes, I'll totally bring enough for everybody.

[alotofpockets]

First day | Daphne van Domselaar x Arsenal media team!Reader

Where you meet Daphne on her first day at Arsenal

Woso masterlist | Words: 1.7k

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“Win, buddy, where are you going?” You called after the dog who just ran off. Usually she was a very good listener, but after you had taken off her leash when you were nearing the door, she dashed off in the direction of the parking lot and was not listening to a word you were saying.

You ran after her, hoping no one was currently driving around on the lot. What you saw when you got Win back in your vision melted your heart. It was Arsenal’s newest recruit, Daphne van Domselaar, crouched down and giving Win some love.

“I see you met Win.” You say as you walk up to the pair. “I think she more so met me.” She chuckled, as she kept petting the chocolate lab. “Yeah, she just ran off. I think she knew a new friend was arriving.” 

The Dutch goalkeeper got up and extended her hand. “I’m Daphne.” You smile and shake her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Daphne, I’m Y/n.” Her eyes sparkle in recognition. “Oh, we’ve been emailing! Thank you so much for all your London tips. I would’ve asked Vic or Viv, but I didn’t want them to feel like they had to take care of me, you know?”

“Yeah, no problem at all! I was happy to help.” You had originally emailed her to set up her schedule for her first day at the club. You were Arsenal’s media team manager, and wanted to make sure she was up to speed with everything, making her first day as comfortable as possible. After telling her you were there for any questions she had, even outside of the club, she was more than welcome to ask you, she had come to you with a few questions about London.

“Now buddy, let’s get you back inside and show Daphne around, shall we?” You turned to Win, and put her leash back on. She was a happy girl, and started walking right away. Glad to have made a new friend, who was following her to the door.

You chat with Daphne for a bit, asking her about her move and how she’s feeling about joining Arsenal on your way to the building. Despite just a few emails between the two of you before today, there was an ease in your conversation that made it feel like you had known her for longer.

Once inside you looked for Stella, who was set to give Daphne her tour of the training facility. “Hey Stella, Daphne is here.” You tell your coworker after you find her at her desk. “Ah great, I will be right out!”

“Mind if I snap a quick picture?” You ask as you walk back into the hallway where Win has laid down her head in Daphne’s lap. “Yeah, go for it.” Daphne smiles for the picture and you show her how adorable the scene looked. “Can you please send that to me? I have to show that to my mom, she loves labs.” 

You hand her your phone so she can put in her number, and send the picture to her right before Stella walks up. “Enjoy the tour, and I’ll see you after your contract signing and the rest of the media stuff.” Daphne smiles fondly, “See you later.”

The weeks after Daphne’s arrival passed by in a blur. Between filming everything for her arrival and shooting all of her kit pictures, to her training sessions with the team, you quickly got used to having the Dutch goalie around.

Daphne quickly became one of your favourite players to photograph. Her smile intrigued you, and her easy going personality drew you to her even more.

She often lingered after training to chat with you, asking you about your camera gear and just talking about life. The rest of the team noticed the way the two of you were drawn to each other as well, throwing teasing comments Daphne’s way, but she always brushed them off with a laugh.

It was clear to everyone around you that the two of you liked each other, but neither one of you made a move. You told yourself that it was because it was unprofessional to get involved with a player, even though Stella had already subtly mentioned in conversation that dating a player was okay since you weren’t in a position of power towards each other. Similar to Daphne you had waved off the comment and said you were just friends, but deep down you knew that even thinking of Daphne made your heartbeat raise. 

Arsenal had qualified for the Champions League, which was a huge deal, and also the reason for another media day. You arrived at the training grounds early to set up the set with your team. 

Daphne jogged over the second the team walked into the room. “Hi you,” She greeted you with her usual bright smile. “Ready for another day of making us look good?” 

“Always,” you replied with a grin, as you adjusted the settings on your camera, “Though you make my job pretty easy.” Her cheeks flushed as she walked off to join her teammates again. You heard them chuckling and could only guess at what they were telling her at that moment. 

After a successful media day you packed up your gear and headed home. While you loved your job, today had been a long day and you were ready to just go home and put your feet up. The universe however took that wish a little too literally.

What was supposed to be a quick stop at the grocery store, turned into a trip to the hospital. As you were walking back to your car, another car crashed into you after it swerved to not hit a cyclist who crossed the street without looking.

Your phone was shattered, but you knew your mom’s number by heart, so you made one of the bystanders call her and tell her to meet you at the hospital. She was able to take you home a couple hours later, where you could finally put your feet up. But this time on doctors orders after a surgery and cast on your leg.

Once you were settled, you asked your mom to find the number to the Arsenal facility, so you could let them know what happened.

The next day at training Daphne kept looking over to see if you had joined the rest of the media team, it wasn’t like you to be late, but she still held out hope to see you. When the training session was done, she walked up to Stella, “Hey, no y/n today?”

A sombre look took over the woman’s face, “Oh no, honey, she was in an accident yesterday.” Daphne started panicking right away, “Oh god, is she alright?” 

“Broken leg and some bruising I heard. She’s at home already, so I think she’s doing alright.” Daphne thanked Stella and quickly wrapped up training. She was able to get your address from one of the staff members and was at your door with flowers and chocolates not even thirty minutes later.

She knocked on the door and was faced with an unfamiliar face. “Hi, I’m Daphne, am I at the right house for Y/n?” The woman smiles, “I know who you are sweetheart, come on in. I’m y/n’s mom.” 

“Who was at the door?” You asked when your mom came walking back. She stepped aside to reveal Daphne. Your smile grew when you saw her enter the room. “I’m gonna run some errands.” Your mom announced before walking off and leaving the two of you alone.

“These are for you.” Daphne presents the flowers and chocolates. “I heard you got into an accident and I wanted to check in.” As you reached for your crutches, Daphne was quick to tell you to stay put. She found a vase to put the flowers in and then sat down beside you.

“How are you holding up?” She asked while giving you a piece of chocolate. “Very sore and tired, but doing alright considering.” 

Just like always you fell into easy conversation with Daphne. Then Daphne remembered something. “Your mom said she knew me?” Your cheeks flush instantly. “I don’t know why she’d say that.” 

Daphne chuckled at your bad lying abilities. “Fine, I told her about you.” Now she was really intrigued. “Go on.” With a shake of your head you turn the story back on her. “You first. What made you show up at my door?” Now it was the goalkeeper’s turn to blush. “Like I said, I wanted to check in.” 

“Hmm, you could’ve texted me. You didn’t know that my phone got shattered in the accident.” Daphne felt a little caught and raised her hands. “Fine, you got me. I wanted to see you, because I was really worried when I heard something had happened. I had to see if you were okay. Because I would hate for something to happen to you and not having taken the chance to tell you how I feel about you.”

She looked at you with widened eyes, still wrapping her head around what she had just shared. “Okay enough about me, your turn. Why does your mom know who I am?” Quickly turning the conversation away from herself.

“My mom knows who you are because I talk about you non-stop.” Daphne looks up at you with hopeful eyes. “You’re talking to your mom about me?” You nod nervously, “Yeah, she was faster to figure out that I have a crush on you than I was.” 

“I would totally kiss you right now if I wasn’t so afraid of hurting you.” You lean in anyways and kiss her. When you pull away you say, “Enough painkillers in my body to not let that stop me from finally kissing you.” You both smiled with your foreheads still pressed together.

“I know it’s not the most fancy date I can offer, but how do you feel about watching a movie right now? We can order some food as well.” You nod your head and smile, “That sounds amazing.” 

Daphne gets the remote and hands it over to you to pick a movie. “Can I borrow your phone? I want to let my mom know she doesn’t have to come back to help me and can just go home.” She hands you her phone and once you have sent the message, the two of you get comfortable on the couch.

-----

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[crystalline-no-regrets]

hey chat it’s stella. if you’re from my universe you may know me as the girl who got herself crystallized in area zero. my hobbies include gaming, eating stardust, and running around on earli, my koraidon.

squad:

Spectro (Skeledirge)

Pon-pon (Ogerpon)

Orange Peel (Pawmot)

Sqishy (Dachsbun)

Popstar (Espathra)

Fae Inferno (Gardevoir)

anyway hope to see y’all on my dash and mayhaps in my asks

btw everything’s on but i can veto stuff

[destinybcnds]

💖

send a ���and the mun will talk about a random mutual they love and appreciate!! [ accepting ]

[ I'm going to start off strong with Keres! @starchanged // @bullyberry // @adventourer

I love the energy that they bring to the dash. We've been chatting off and on since I started writing with their Penny and I always look forward to seeing their posts on the dash. The amount of world building they've done with their muses is so good honestly? I'm really loving the narrative we've got going on between Stella and Kotone in particular and I'm so excited to see where it goes from here.

And like they're also just super sweet!! Very easy to talk to. I sometimes struggle to make conversation with people but never really had much trouble chatting with them. Could honestly not recommend Keres enough. If you're reading this post you should give them a follow!!! ]

[opaliscoeur]

　　　　　 　board. information below the cut.

FULL NAME: ESTRELLA OPAL NICKNAMES: ESTI, ELLA, STELLA BIRTHDAY: FEBRUARY 8TH RELATIONSHIP: SINGLE ( VERSE DEPENDENT ) AGE: 24 ZODIAC: AQUARIUS SPECIES: HUMAN HOMETOWN: OPALIS GENDER: CIS FEMALE

Once upon a time, on a distant planet called Opalis, there lived a princess with silver hair. Opalis was known for its cold winter climate, with snow-covered mountains and icy lakes. It was a beautiful but harsh planet, where only the strongest and most resilient creatures could survive. And yet, this silver-haired princess was born and raised here, thriving in the midst of the cold and unforgiving environment.

But what made this princess truly unique was her connection to the moons of Opalis. You see, Opalis had not one, but three moons, each with its own mystical powers. And this princess, being born under the light of all three moons, was blessed with the gift of the Force. She was force sensitive, and as she grew older, she discovered that she had special abilities that were beyond the understanding of those around her.

As a child, the princess was fascinated by the moons and spent hours gazing at them from her bedroom window. She could feel their energy coursing through her, giving her strength and clarity. Her parents, the king and queen of Opalis, were both proud and worried about their daughter's powers. They knew that being force sensitive was a rare and dangerous gift, and they did their best to protect her from the outside world.

But their efforts were in vain when news came that the First Order, a powerful and ruthless organization, had learned of the princess's existence and her connection to the moons. The First Order was determined to harness her powers for their own sinister purposes, and they would stop at nothing to get their hands on her.

The king and queen knew that they had to act fast to protect their daughter. They called upon the help of the wisest and most powerful beings on Opalis, the Guardians of the Moons. These guardians were the keepers of the ancient knowledge and secrets of the moons, and they were the only ones who could help the princess harness her powers and use them for good.

Under the guardians' guidance, the princess learned to control her abilities and use them to protect herself and her people. She could move objects with her mind, see into the future, and even communicate with the spirits of the moons. With each passing day, her powers grew stronger, and she became more confident in her abilities.

guidelines.

    ONE.    

let’s start off with, i’m javiera! i’m 21+, i live in the hottest state ever. it’s central time zone. i’m mostly on monday-friday. i lurk online a lot, so i’m pretty much here all the dang time. i get along with pretty much anyone, i’m super kind. always here for anything.

    TWO.    

my muse is highly private, i will only interact with those whom i follow. if you try and interact with my and i do not follow you, you will be blocked. when it comes to following people, i will give them 72 hours to follow me back then i will be soft blocking them if they choose not to follow me back. i want to keep my dash clean and only follow those that wish to interact with me.

    THREE.    

if i send in memes/chats to plot/etc and you don’t respond to anything for days but see you active/doing other things frequently. (i understand breaks, etc.) i will stop sending them in/reaching out and it’ll result in a soft block.

    FOUR.    

i do this almost every two weeks, something to consider when following me. if we have never interacted in the last 6 weeks, i will be soft blocking. if i send a meme, like a starter call of yours, and i don’t hear back from you, i will be unfollowing you. if you wish to still write with my muse, please like this post so i don’t soft block + unfollow.

    FIVE.    

when is comes to shipping, i'm a total ship whore. i am open to pretty much anything. don't be afraid to come up to me and say you ship our muses together! i probably do as well.

[atlas-of-a-human-soul]

A little danger, pt. 9

A little danger - Series Masterlist

Pairing: Sky of Eraklyon x mind!fairy

———— PART 9 ————

Stella: So, tonight’s split into two events. The mixer is where the alums and the students chat, and then the banquet itself, which is just alums and VIPs.

Y/N: Why am I being told this?

Stella: Because you’re part of both events.

Y/N: No.

Stella: You know that’s not a word in my vocabulary.

Y/N: I refuse. That should be somewhere in there, or did Solaria not teach their heiress anything?

Stella: I’ll need your support. I can’t be left alone with Bloom and my uncle.

Y/N: Knowing Bloom is going to be there only reinforces my previous statement. Besides, Sky would kill me if I agreed to this.

Stella: If you come, I won’t tell Rosalind you snuck out of campus with Sky.

Y/N: You wouldn’t dare!

Stella: Don’t underestimate my desperation.

Y/N: Fine! But I’m not happy about it.

Stella: I don’t need you to be happy, I need you to attend.

Y/N: What can you tell me about your uncle? Is he on our side?

Stella: Yeah, he sees people for who they truly are. And he’s not afraid to say it. There’s no love lost between him and Rosalind.

Y/N: I hope you don’t mind if I do some digging about that myself.

Stella: Like…digging through his brain?

Y/N: Perhaps.

Stella: Just don’t leave him like a zombie.

Y/N: No promises.

Sky stands nervously outside Y/N's front door, his heart pounding in his chest. He wasn’t keen on spending the evening in his suit, the tie choking him to death for hours, but Y/N seemed excited for it and it’s the first time she’s been excited about anything lately. Sky wanted everything to be perfect. 

Drawing a deep breath, he knocks on the door.

After a moment, Y/N answers the door, looking stunning in a gorgeous blue gown. The dress hugs her curves in all the right places, and the color perfectly complements her complexion. Sky's jaw drops in amazement as he takes in the sight of her.

"Wow," he says, his voice barely a whisper. "You look incredible."

Y/N blushes at his words, feeling a heat rise in her cheeks at the way Sky is looking at her. She had spent hours getting ready, making sure every detail was perfect, and it was clear that her effort had paid off.

"Thank you," she smiles up at him. "I'm almost ready, I just need to grab my purse."

As she turns to grab her bag, Sky can't help but admire the way the dress moves with her, the fabric flowing gracefully around her legs. He had never seen her look so elegant and sophisticated before, and he couldn't wait to show her off at the dinner. No one will come even close to her beauty, he’s certain of it.

"You look like a movie star," he says, grinning at her. "I feel like the luckiest guy in the world to be going out with you tonight."

Y/N laughs, feeling her heart swell with affection for Sky. She’s so glad that she agreed to go this evening, to officially show the world that Sky’s hers, just as she’s his. Most know of their entanglement with each other, but very few can guess just how deeply they care for one another.

"Thanks," she says, slipping her arm through his. "Shall we?"

Sky nods, feeling a surge of excitement as they step out into the cool evening air. 

“I knew you’d be dashing in a suit, I didn’t realize you’ll be this handsome though,” Y/N smirks as she senses the rush of emotion in Sky. Some people call it butterflies, but for a mind fairy, it feels a lot more like bees buzzing when they find a flower and they’re trying to perform a dance to invite other bees for a feast. 

“Considering how you look tonight, I had to be worthy of you”, Sky presses a butterfly kiss to her temple before he leads her to the door.

They arrive at the event and Y/N can feel her heart beating faster in her chest. She's a bit nervous, aware it could be the night they finally get rid of Rosalind. Stella’s plan is risky, especially when it relies on Bloom doing what’s necessary, but at least they’re doing something.

Sky squeezes her hand reassuringly, and she beams at him.

Together, they step into the grand room, and immediately all eyes are on them. Y/N can feel the gazes of the other guests as they look at the pair, hand in hand, entering the room together.

The room is filled with elegantly dressed guests, and the decor is lavish and opulent. But Y/N is only focused on Sky, and she can feel his eyes on her, a look of pride and affection in his gaze.

As they make their way through the room, Y/N feels a mix of excitement and nervousness. But Sky's calm presence beside her makes her feel more confident and secure.

As they move further into the room, several people stop to compliment Y/N on her stunning blue gown. She blushes, feeling a bit self-conscious, but Sky beams with pride at her.

"Thank you," he says, his arm still around her waist. "I’m glad you talked me into coming tonight."

Y/N smiles at him, feeling her heart swell with affection. “Well, I needed arm candy and you delivered.”

Chuckling, he nods. “Always available if you call.”

“Where have you two been?” Stella’s smile is frozen and Y/N doesn’t need to use her powers to know how fake it is. 

“Do you really want to know?” Y/N wiggles her eyebrows, making Stella grimace.

“Eww! No!”

Giggling, Y/N winks. “So, what’s with the panic and the fake smile?”

“Bloom decided she wants to go by herself.” Stella waves at a guest on the other side of the room, gracious by anyone’s standards. Yet Y/N can sense her dread. It wrapped itself around Stella’s mind, twisting and turning with each passing second.

“She did what?” Sky frowns, scanning the room for signs of Bloom, making Y/N sigh. 

“She did what she always does, which is fuck up.”

Stella’s eyes widen before nodding reluctantly. “Uh, hold that thought.” Setting off after Beatrix, Stella left the two alone.

“You’ve got to be kidding me”, Sky furrows his eyebrows, squinting as if he doesn’t believe his eyes.

Standing on her tiptoes, Y/N tries to follow his line of sight. “Gonna need some context, babe. I can’t see anything.”

Huffing, Sky begins to make his way across the room. With her eyebrows raised, Y/N grabs onto him, pulling him to a stop.

“What is happening?” She hisses, looking around to make sure no one’s paying them any mind. The last thing they need now is to make a scene.

“Stay here”, Sky tries but the glare he receives from her is answer enough. Grabbing her hand, he slows down so she can walk with him and once he arrives at his destination, a quiet gasp leaves her lips.

“Nice enough to make up for burning my house down?” A tight-lipped smile appears on Saul’s face.

“Ah, your house wasn’t that great”, Andreas chuckles.

“What the hell”, Y/N looks at Saul, her confusion palpable as she processes the sight before her. She had been under the impression that Saul was on the run, not hanging out with the very man who was out to get him. Her mind races with questions and concerns, her brow furrowing as she tries to make sense of the situation.

“Oh, don’t worry. We’re all family, aren’t we?” Andreas grins, staring at Y/N. 

Staring right back at him, she didn’t hold back. Diving into his mind had left Andreas stumbling back, unable to blink as Y/N rummages through his memories. She focuses all her energy on trying to penetrate his mind, leaving no stone unturned as she searched for Saul, finding the two agreeing on working together and Rosalind giving Saul full pardon. Y/N knows finding more details can be beneficial, but as she concentrates harder and harder, she begins to feel a splitting headache forming at the base of her skull. The pressure in her head builds, and she can feel her temples throbbing with pain.

Y/N tries to push through the discomfort, desperate to understand what's going on inside Andreas's head. But the pain only intensifies, and she can feel her vision blurring as the headache reaches a crescendo.

Finally, she has to give up. The pain is too much, and she can feel her mind screaming for relief. 

With a small grunt, she breaks eye contact. Closing her eyes, she turns her head to the side, feeling Sky’s arm around her. She’s pulled closer to him, her temple leaning on his chest. Swallowing thickly, she opens her eyes slowly, focusing her vision with a few blinks. 

“Did you just”, Andreas begins and she smiles faintly.

“You thought you could train yourself to withstand a mind fairy?” Y/N licks her lips. “Maybe it would have worked on a weaker fairy, but not me.”

“Yet you seem to struggle past the surface”, Andreas reaches out to touch her arm, but Sky steps in front of her. 

“Think again”, Sky speaks, almost like he’s challenging him to try, to give him a valid excuse to punch him.

“I’m glad you’re not on the run anymore”, Y/N tells Saul. “Just wish you would have told us, instead of catching us off guard like this.”

Nodding, Saul sighs. “We’ll talk later. I can’t stay here until the pardon is official.”

Wrapping an arm around her, Sky leads Y/N away to a quiet corner where they can stop holding their breath.

“You tried to read his mind in public?” Sky whispers, agitated by her recklessness.

“Pardon you, I succeeded.” 

“This isn’t a game”, Sky frowns, his eyes alight with anger as he grabs her wrist. “What if he had reported you or arrested you? I can’t fucking lose you”, his eyes fall to his tightly wrapped hand around her delicate wrist. Releasing her, he rubs his forehead. “I can’t believe I grabbed you like that. I’m sorry.”

Leaning her head on his arm, she smiles softly. “It didn’t hurt. I’d make stop and let me go if it did.”

“Please do.” Sky’s eyes are misty as he continues his earnest plea, “I fully support you taking my mind for a joy ride if I hurt you.” 

Nodding, she realizes something. All this time, she was so focused on her own feelings and her loss of control, but this is the first time she sees that mirrored in Sky. She knows he’s been suffering ever since Andreas came to Alfea, but she never understood just how much it affected his control too. There’s an edge to him, a temper she never paid much attention to before as it was rarely directed at her.

Her cell phone vibrates.

Aisha: Looks like you three will be tied up during dinner.

Y/N: What about Bloom?

Aisha: She’s been invited by Rosalind. Good luck.

Y/N: Rosalind plus Bloom equals a disaster. Are you sure you don’t need my help? Stella will understand.

Aisha: Flora and I are on it.

“Apparently, Aisha and Flora are going instead of Bloom.”

Sky raises his brows. “Are we happy about that or not?”

“Always better to have a few cool heads on super-secret missions”, Y/N shrugs. “We should go before Stella kills us.”

They arrived just in time for the dinner to start. Sky is between Stella and Y/N who sat next to Bloom. Andreas and Rosalind are seated across from them, and a man, one she presumes is Stella’s uncle.

Y/N takes a deep breath and reaches out to place a hand on Sky's knee, feeling it bounce nervously up and down. She gives him a reassuring smile and squeezes his knee gently.

Sky looks at her, his eyes slightly widened with anxiety. Y/N can feel the tension radiating off him, and she knows that he's nervous about this. She wants to help him calm down, but she doesn't want to draw attention to his nervousness and make him feel embarrassed.

She leans in closer to him, her voice soft and soothing. "Hey, everything's going to be okay," she says. "Just take a deep breath and try to relax. We’ll be out of here the first chance we get."

Sky nods, his eyes still locked on hers. Y/N can see the gratitude in his expression, and she knows that he appreciates her attempt to calm him down. She gives his knee another squeeze and then leans back in her chair, trying to appear relaxed and nonchalant.

In truth, Y/N is nervous too. But being there with Sky makes it easier. She feels more grounded and centered when he's around, and she knows that they can face anything as long as they’re together.

As they continue to sit at dinner, Y/N can feel the nervous energy in the air slowly dissipating. Sky's knee stops bouncing, and he starts to relax a bit more. Y/N can see the tension in his face easing, and she knows that her small gesture of support has made a difference.

“At least Sky was lucky enough to be raised by Saul. Talk about the blind leading the blind”, Stella’s uncle laughs, drawing Y/N’s attention. She tried to drift off for most of the conversation, but the moment Sky’s name was mentioned, her mind couldn’t let it go.

Stella chuckles, “Uncle Arthur!”

“Oh, come on. Now, you know it’s true!” The man turns to Sky, “I mean, no fault to you, but if you and my niece had stayed together”, he drifts off with a mock gasp, “…scandal!”

Sky’s knee is bouncing again. He runs a hand through his hair, his frustration evident in the way he clenches his jaw.

“Granted, you seem to have landed on your feet. First, you dated the fairy who transformed, and then you landed the one that is quite possibly the strongest fairy in existence.” Arthur chuckles once more. “Well done.”

“I didn’t realize we were discussing our dating histories at the table”, Y/N smiles politely, but her attention was elsewhere, focused on the thoughts she was picking up from Arthur's mind. It wasn’t a struggle like it was with Andreas, with Arthur, it was like a floodgate had been opened. His thoughts were swirling around in her head, and she couldn't ignore the nagging feeling that something was off.

And then, it hit her like a ton of bricks. 

"I know what you're doing," she said, her voice cold and steady as she chained his gaze to herself, implementing a thought in his head, so this part only he can hear. "You're cheating on your wife, and it's not okay."

Arthur looked like he had been caught red-handed, but he seems to have understood her warning. Sky is off limits.

Unlike Y/N, Bloom spoke up. “Tone it down.”

Trying to laugh it off, Arthur glances at Y/N. “Everybody’s so delicate.”

“No, you were being a royal dick,” Sky states.

“What did you say to me?” Arthur raises his voice ever so slightly as Andreas laughs heartily. 

Y/N gives him a pointed look, forcing Arthur to pipe down and this time, everyone seems to have noticed the exchange. 

“Don’t talk to my friends like that.” Stella pipes up. “Every comment out of your mouth has been a thinly, or not so thinly, veiled insult. And you’re drunk.”

Perhaps that’s what made it so easy to enter his mind.

“Your mum was right. You’ve changed. A shame, considering you really wanted that gem out.” Arthur stands up, marching away from the table as Stella looks down at her hands in her lap, too embarrassed by his behavior to face anyone.

“You can still have the gem taken out”, Y/N whispers to her. 

Shaking her head, Stella sighs. “Not like that.”

Looking at Rosalind whispering with Bloom, Y/N focuses on their conversation. She doesn’t have to hear them speak as most people think about what they’ll say moments before they speak the words in existence. It takes no effort to harness those thoughts, drifting from them so easily. No one guards the thoughts they’ll speak openly.

“He’s an absolute prick, but I need him.”

“For the vote?”

“This room is full of people who want to see me fail. I'm cryptic because every move I make has to be bulletproof or they will pounce. 

“They all love you”, Bloom states.

“Nobody really loves the powerful ones. You'll learn that soon enough, just as your friend Y/N did.” Exhaling sharply, Rosalind smiles. “Luckily, fear works too.”

“Yeah, you have a knack for it.” Bloom remarks.

“I have to have a little fun. But there’s one thing you need to know is true. You are my star pupil, Bloom. Transforming, taking down the Burned ones, that’s just the beginning of your story. A story I’m lucky to witness.”

Scoffing, Bloom glances at Y/N, nearly catching her in the act. “You and I both know I’m the star pupil because the other contestant isn’t willing to play your games.”

“And yet, you will be the one to shape the Otherworld and I’ll be on your side. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have cryptic business to attend to.”

Rosalind leaves, Andreas following her closely. Sky lets out a loud exhale as if he’s been holding his breath this entire time. 

“Are you okay?” 

Nodding faintly, he rests his arm on the back of Y/N’s chair. “Are you?”

Pursing her lips, she tries to keep a smile at bay but it’s nearly impossible. “You’re with me. What more can I ask for?”

The phone vibrates again, but not just Y/N’s this time. Sharing a quick look with Bloom and Stella, her eyes shift to Sky. 

“They’ve done it.”

Bloom and Stella rush to meet the girls, only Stella pausing. “Aren’t you coming?”

“Give me a second.”

Inhaling sharply, she takes Sky’s hands in hers. “I’ll never force you to a fancy dinner again.”

“Was this dinner not a part of the gala?” Sky’s eyes widen slightly. 

Feigning innocence, she smiles. “Maybe not?”

Lips parting, his eyes narrow at her. “You’re lucky I love you”, Sky grins. He reaches over, taking her hand, his thumb stroking the back of it gently. 

Feeling a flutter in her stomach at his touch, Y/N can feel her cheeks darkening. They both lean in simultaneously, their lips meeting in a soft kiss. Her heart skips a beat as his arms wrap around her, pulling her closer.

Resting his forehead on hers for a moment longer, their lips part. Neither move, their eyes remaining closed in this silent declaration of love they share for each other. 

Finally pulling away, Y/N can see the adoration in Sky’s eyes. What she’s done to deserve it is beyond her, but she’s grateful. 

“What do you think the girls found?” Sky asks, but Y/N shrugs.

“I don’t know. However, Bloom and Rosalind are far too comfortable with each other for me to trust them. I think she knows I would never cooperate with her, so she’s focused on Bloom fully.”

“Bloom’s capable of making her own choices.”

“Is she?” Y/N questions. “Her previous choices were all disasters. For all of us.”

Licking his lips, Sky sighs. “Let’s hope this time will be better.”

Frowning at her phone as it vibrates once more, Y/N takes a quick look at the messages only to realize she’s already missed a lot.

“Stella’s trying to vote Rosalind out.”

Standing, Sky helps Y/N to her feet. “Let’s go.”

Arriving a little late, Y/N and Sky sneak inside and stand to the side.

“After torturing him in her lab, after stealing his magic, Rosalind let that student die in her office.” Stella’s claim left everyone in shock, muttering loudly. “Devin deserved better. Solaria deserves better.”

Rosalind walks in, her head held high. I hate to break protocol, but there may be a few minor inconsistencies with Her Highness's theory.”

And right from behind her, a student walks in. 

“Devin!” Stella gasps. 

“About a month ago, my friend Mayor Quinn called me. Two fairies, recently released from their studies at Alfea, went missing in Blackbridge. They were found days later, catatonic. Bitten. I offered my help. But until we found answers, he swore me to secrecy. He didn't want to cause panic.”

Taking Sky’s hand in hers for support, Y/N ignored his eyes upon her.

“I have to admit, I was stumped until I borrowed a text from the Royal Archives, with Arthur's permission. In it, I found an ancient creature called a scraper, a native of The Realm of Darkness. It feeds on magic. I realized that's what had happened to those poor fairies.” 

Rolling in a large tank, Rosalind pulls the cloth covering it.

“What the hell is that”, Y/N whispers, her eyes wide. Y/N stands frozen, her eyes still locked on the creature. It is unlike anything she has ever seen before, with a slimy, scaly exterior and rows of jagged teeth that gleam in the dim light.

As she watches, the creature stirs, its eyes blinking open and fixing on Y/N. She feels the weight of its gaze, and a shiver runs down her spine.

Taking a step back, she is unsure of what to do. The students are gasping as the creature chitters.

The creature moves again, its body shifting in the tank, and Y/N can see the power and strength that lie beneath its slimy exterior. She knows that this creature is dangerous, and she is terrified of what it might do.

A low, guttural growl emanates from the tank, and Y/N takes another step back, her breath coming in short, panicked gasps. She tries to keep her wits about her, but the fear is overwhelming.

“I've been studying a scraper here at the school since we captured it. It wasn't until Devin was found that I got the answers I needed. I was able to bring him back from near death. All thanks to Benjamin Harvey's daughter, who discovered an amalgam that was able to revive all three fairies. I probed their minds and the picture became clear. The scrapers were being called upon by a Blood Witch.”

Swallowing thickly, Y/N allows Sky to pull her into his side. Wrapping an arm around his middle, she lets out a shuddered breath. 

“Our old foes have discovered how to steal our magic. If Blood Witches continue using scrapers, fairy magic, therefore fairies, will cease to exist. Clearly, despite my efforts to keep my investigation secret, some of you sensed danger and took action.”

Glancing at the girls, Rosalind then turned her attention to Y/N as she spoke. “Your courage will be needed in the coming days, as we face our real enemy.”

She expects her to take part in this fight. Rosalind’s intentions are clear – she couldn’t control Y/N before, but this will allow her to certainly try. As the moments tick by, the tension in the room mounts. 

Y/N doesn't know what will happen next, but she knows she is in deep trouble. The creature's eyes continue to bore into her, and she braces herself for whatever comes next.

“Thank you for joining us here. Students, for now, you are dismissed.”

Y/N didn’t have to be told twice. She bolted out the door, dodging the girls expertly as she ran to the lake. 

Sky followed her. Y/N can sense him near and for once, she doesn’t get the urge to push him away. She wants him closer.

“Blood witches?!” Y/N shouts, running a hand through her hair. Pacing, she shakes her head. “I don’t know how to stop hurting people around me and she’s going to try to weaponize that!”

Grabbing her by the shoulders, Sky stops her. “I won’t let anyone force you into anything.”

“That’s the thing!” Y/N chuckles dryly. “She won’t have to force me, I’ll feel obligated to help the fairies.”

Cupping her cheek, Sky presses a kiss upon her forehead. “Breathe”, he reminds her. “Breathe.”

Y/N can feel the weight of expectations that are surely to fall on her shoulders to stop the scapers and Blood witches. She is not ready for this. Her own powers are still not fully under control, and the thought of using her unstable magic as a weapon terrifies her. Y/N’s powers are unpredictable, and the consequences of using them could be disastrous.

Y/N bites her lip, her mind racing. She wants to help, and she wants to be brave, but the fear is too much to bear. If she loses control of her magic, it can go terribly wrong, and innocent lives could be at stake.

“I don’t want to do it”, she whispers. “I wish everyone would leave me alone.”

“I know”, his voice is soft as are his hands running up and down her back. “We’ll figure it out, love.”

Shrugging off his jacket, he wraps it around her shoulders and pulls her close.

“But you need rest tonight.”

“I don’t know if I can sleep after this”, her bottom lip quivers.

“I can help with that”, he teases, eliciting a quiet chortle.

Walking toward the dorms, Sky knows she can feel his worry too. Amid all the chaos in both their heads, Sky can feel the weight of his own worries and fears. He can see Y/N struggling, and he feels helpless.

He doesn't know how to help her or if he can protect her from the dangers that lay ahead. The creature is unlike anything he had ever seen before, and the thought of Y/N facing it is a nightmare waiting to come to life.

Sky’s meant to be her specialist, her sworn protector, yet he doesn’t know how to help save her from creatures that he’s never encountered before. It won’t send him running scared, he cares not for himself, only for her. 

No matter what, Sky will protect her. No cost is too great if it means she gets to walk away from this fight unscathed.

PART 10

[apinchofm]

Lady in Red

1931, London

Marcus found himself often idle. He wondered if it was a familial trait - His aunt Anastasia bore easily, which could turn into a productive project or something destructive. His uncle Godfrey, according to Philippe, had been the same, his sharp intellect causing him to bore easily.

He supposed that was why he was in the East End. The area was not unfamiliar to him - he treated patients across London - from rich women in Mayfair and Belgravia, bored and needing medication to numb the mind to children in Whitechapel. But he rarely socialised.

He turned a corner, seeing the dim light of a club under a bridge. He nodded to the bouncer, handing him a few notes before he let him in.

The atmosphere was far brighter and warmer than the cold, foggy city of London. People were drinking at tables, chatting happily. Dancers on the floor as a jazz band was in full swing.

Marcus smiled, having missed New Orleans. But the singer caught his eyes.

Good authors too who once knew better words Now only use four-letter words Writing prose. Anything goes.

She was swaying to the rhythm as she sang, a smile on her face. But it wasn't flirtatious; but joy at making everyone happy.

That red dress. Long and tight fitting, yet only showing the slightest bit of cleavage. Her curls were tied back in a sleek bun. She was beautiful.

...

Phoebe prided herself on being able to avoid men who flirted with her when she snuck out. So many curious eyes were always on her. But the owner, Janet Gowdie, didn't require any other services but her voice and look beautiful.

She sat at her usual table, sipping her cocktail of honey, lemon and gin.

"You have a beautiful voice," She heard someone say to her, standing behind her.

"Thank you." She replied politely. But he sat down. She turned to him.

He was beautiful. She would not describe a man as such, but he was. Even in the low light of the club, she can she the slight shine in his brown eyes and how they shamelessly stare into her own. He is dressed well. The suit is expensive, but his shoes are worn in. A professional, perhaps.

"You are far too posh for this place. What are you doing here?" the polite smile on her face falls.

"You do not know me."

"I know when someone is out of place." The stranger replied, a slight smirk on his face. She notices his drink. Red wine. Unusual.

He stood and walked away. No proposition.

...

He makes his first proposition when he comes to see her for the third time. He sits at her table, in her seat, with her drink order for her after her second performance.

She would call it a proposition because of how he looks at her. As if she was both something precious and something to devour. She cannot place it.

But Phoebe was raised to slap any man who did so but found herself unable to when he kissed her hand.

"Marcus Whitmore." He introduced himself.

"Phoebe."

"No last name?"

"That is how one gets attached." She pointed out, and he leaned forward.

"What if I wish to get attached?" He challenged. Her tongue darts out between her lips to wet them.

She doesn't regret kissing him that night when she was going home. She regrets wanting to do so much more than that.

...

During the day, Phoebe was good - she attended luncheons and garden parties she cared little about. Jazz was played on a gramophone.

Her sister Stella enjoyed it all. She was a natural social butterfly, like their mother, who was a good diplomat's wife. Phoebe preferred the company of her books.

"You look so dashing!" Phoebe forced a smile as her sister grinned happily at the peach dress she was put in. Stella gave her the matching white gloves.

"Now, try to be social." Stella asked, "You are so pretty and smart and should show that. No hiding in corners."

"I cannot even growl at the Princess of Kent? How unfortunate!" Pheobe smirked. Her sister attempted to glare but laughed with her.

Phoebe found the same old politicians, diplomats, government sycophants and aristocrats boring. She wished to sleep because at least her mind would come up with something far more interesting than a cricket story.

"Phoebe!" Her sister's excitable voice broke her daydream, and she saw her sister walking with a smug, well-dressed man. Oh, dear God.

"This is my little sister I was telling you about. Phoebe, this is Mr William Brooks. He is a barrister." She introduced, excited.

"I did not know we were going to court soon, sis?" Phoebe replied pointedly, a smile on her face.

"Your sister has been singing your praises ever since her dear fiancé introduced us. I should like to take a walk with you," He asked.

"Oh, well I..." She purposefully sped up her breath, and soon, she could feel herself growing faint. When her sister screamed, she knew she had gotten out of at least two more parties.

...

She preferred to sit in bed, even as her mother fussed. They called a doctor and she would feel bad for the man who asked to come.

"These fainting spells. My darling," Her mother gently stroked her forehead.

"I am fine, mother. I just did not have a lot of breakfast." She tried to assure her. There was a knock at the door, and her father poked his head in, his eyes kind and concerned.

"Bee, the doctor is here. Can he come in?" He asked. Phoebe nodded, sitting up.

"I am well, doctor, just a bit tired." Phoebe insisted before the man even came into the room. Her face fell, seeing Marcus Whitmore carrying a dark leather bag.

"Dr Clairmont," He introduced formally as if they had never met.

"We'll leave you to do your examination," Her mother said, kissing her on the forehead before leaving.

"You are a doctor?" Phoebe asked.

"Yes," Marcus confirmed, setting down his bag. He looked far more put together than he usually was.

"Here." He gave her his identification, "I have not stalked you. In fact, you have interrupted an actual clinic I was to hold for children."

"My apologies. But I am well. I made myself faint." She told him.

He merely looked at her, "Is this the first time?"

"No," She shifted under his judgemental gaze.

"Have you not questioned why it becomes easier each time?" He challenged.

He knew she was posh. A young woman likely raised in Mayfair or Belgravia who wanted to not be a debutante or a little wife. So she finds a way to rebel with a natural talent that was not bought for her.

"Perhaps you would be better getting some sleep, Miss Taylor. You are likely anaemic." He told her.

"Everything is real there." She told him, "All of this..." She indicated to her room, "...Is a facade. A beautiful facade, but it is not the real world.

Marcus nodded in agreement, "No. But is chasing reality truly worth your health and energy?"

"Is all of this?" She retorted, "My parents would not let me sing. They would want me to be a good wife. You are a man, so you may not know what it is to need to escape."

Her eyes were drawn to his signet ring on his left hand and he looked at it, "We all have our pretty cages, Miss Taylor. I cannot fault you for wanting to escape."

He silently drew blood and checked her temperature. He checked her heart and smirked as he heard it speed up slightly.

"I would recommend Miss Taylor stay in bed for the next few days. Uninterrupted," He said authoritatively to her parents, "Just until we receive her blood test results. But she should be well. I will see you soon."

"Thank you," Her father shook his hand, and she gave him a small smile. She would be very happy to see him tomorrow night,

[neondiamond]

Someday Snippet 🐱

I’ve recently been tagged by @littleroverlouis @alwaysxlarrie @greenblueish @itsnotreal and @wabadabadaba to share a snippet from one of my WIPs.

I decided almost 9k into writing my Christmas bookshop au that I needed to add a bookshop cat after seeing this post on my dash, and Amelia chose the perfect name for it, so I went back and added one in last night. This is the formal meeting between new bookshop owner Harry and Stella, the bookshop cat:

“Hey,” Niall says. “You have some time to chat, like we said?”

Harry nods before inviting him to sit with him behind the counter.

The still nameless cat Harry’s befriended over the past two weeks suddenly appears and plops itself right into Niall’s lap the second the back of his thighs touch the seat.

“Hey Stella!” he says, smiling and stroking the cat’s white fur. “Haven’t seen you in a while, girl.”

The cat meows at Niall as if saying hi back.

“Stella?” Harry asks, looking down at the cat. He thinks it suits her. “Is that her name?”

Niall looks up at him. “Has no one introduced you two yet?”

Harry shakes his head, intrigued by how acquainted Niall seems to be with the cat.

“Stella’s the bookshop cat,” Niall explains. “She just appeared one day and never left. Richard used to say she wasn’t his, but everyone knows he loved her just as much as his books. Everyone loves her. She’s a bit of a local legend.”

He says it all so seriously and Harry can’t help but laugh a little.

“I see,” he says with an amused smile. “Nice to formally meet you, Stella.”

The cat meows once more, this time in Harry’s general direction, indicating she returns the sentiment.

Tagging @disgruntledkittenface @beelou @sun-tomato @thebreadvansstuff @tommokat @haztobegood

[writingsbychlo]

blurred lines | dave hodgman

word count; 9237

summary; a few miscommunications almost ruin something that could be phenomenal.

notes; I had this idea, and I really liked it, so i just rolled with it. this is the dave insert for my birthday week celebration/7k follower milestone.

warnings; smut, public sex, car sex.

There weren’t many people that were more popular than Jane and her group of friends. They were like high school elites, and yet there was always that even more exclusive tier, those who were for all intents and purposes, teen royalty.

As he was saying, there weren’t many people more popular than the likes of Jane, Stanwyck and Brianna. However, Dave could without a doubt say that (Y/N) (Y/L/N) was.

She had more likes on just one of her Instagram posts than that of all of Dave’s posts combined. If he added the combined sum of Big C’s and Simon’s, they’d probably still fall short, even collectively. There wasn’t a student or teacher that disliked her. She was well known not only in his own school, but in others too. Even Aubrey knew of her and liked her, and that was saying something, because Aubrey had a twisted sense of importance and political standing in every view of it.

That was why Dave couldn’t quite understand exactly how he’d gotten himself into this position.

Well, that’s a lie. He knew exactly how he got himself into this dreadfully embarrassing position, that would likely ruin not only the remaining months of his senior social life, but was so colossal that it may well actually follow him to college, too.

See, it had all started three days ago, a Monday lunch-time just like any other, as he sat pouting into his basket of curly fries as Simon once again scrolled through Aubrey’s latest uploaded pictures on Instagram with her new boyfriend and shaming him in an attempt to feel better. Dave was fine, he’d moved on, truly, but Simon clearly hadn’t, and needed his own closure on the situation.

It soon followed with “so David, which of all the lovely ladies in this school are you going to take to the dance, because you have two tickets, a dashing suit, and I refuse to let you waste them,” which had prompted Dave to snort a laugh, and make a joke about asking the heartbreaker (Y/N) (Y/L/N) dance, since he had nothing else to lose.

Apparently, he’d still had a shred of dignity, which was curling up and dying with every second that passes him by, but back to how this all came to be;

Unfortunately for him, his ‘good friend’ Jane had passed by at exactly that moment, and had been just thrilled at the prospect of him finally asking out the girl he’d “been pining over so long I thought you were going to turn into Ryan Gosling and rebuild he a house out in the country after hanging from a Ferris wheel”, which still left a bitter taste in his mouth, because how had the girl picked up in his pining for you, but never once picked up on the feelings he’d once held for her?

Despite that, a collection of kids Dave wasn’t confident in the names of but often followed Jane around had seated themselves at their table, and Jane - in all her innocence and confusion - was excitedly telling them about how Dave was finally going to ask out his crush.

That was exactly how he found himself here, almost two days later, feeling all pairs the eyes in the more-crowded-than-usual corridors as he leaned against your locker and tried to look as casual as possible as he waited for you, as though it wasn’t scaring him shitless and making him sweat like a sinner in church. He pulled at the collar of his shirt with one finger, trying to distract himself from all the people watching and whispering, waiting to see if Dave Hodgman could, in fact, score (Y/N) (Y/L/N), or if more likely, he was going to be rejected in a pile of flaming shame and the crumbling of what shredded remains he had left of his dignity.

“Hey, Dave.”

He felt like a moron. A moron that had been looking the wrong way down the corridor and now you were standing behind him, leaning back with a small laugh to avoid being hit when he spun around to face you with such speeds that his own head was spinning. “Hey! Hi! Hello!”

He cringed visibly at his ridiculous greeting, the confidence he’d held was slipping from him with every passing second, and you did a better job of avoiding the lingering gazes in the halls than he was, you barely seemed to notice them as you allowed him to step out of the way of your locker so that you could swap out your books, but he supposed you were used to it. “I’ve been waiting to talk to you, there are some rumours flying around.”

He wished he could hate the way you were teasing him, but he couldn't. It was playful, not mocking, and you were offering him such a friendly smile and making him feel comfortable once again, and he just couldn't find it within himself to dislike any part of you. “Yeah, I had a question for you..”

“You had a question for me?”

“I suspect you already know what it is” His shoulders sagged, he felt himself giving up, the stress and pressure were just too much, but he at least wanted to be able to walk away with dignity after his inevitable rejection, he didn’t want to be seen running through the halls in order to escape your soft voice trying to let him down gently.

“Will you say it anyway?”

He fixed you with a studious gaze, unsure as to what your angle was, but gave you a stiff nod anyway, and hooked his thumbs through the straps of his backpack as he stood tall. “I was wondering if you’d like to go to the ‘Night In Vegas’ dance with me? As my date. Y’know.. um.. yeah.”

“I’d love to.”

He gaped at you - blinking once, twice, three times - before his face was splitting in a grin, and he cleared his throat. “Really?”

“Really.”

“Woah.” You seemed to find amusement in his reaction, and you pulled his hand up to you and plucked a pen out of your bag, uncapping the lid with your teeth and moving the nib towards his skin, beginning to write down your number. “God, I was so nervous, and now I feel stupid. Nobody thought I would get you, not even me, and all these people are here an-”

“Get me?” Your pen had stilled on his skin, and he looked back at you, shrugging his shoulders as your face seemed to take on a neutral expression, unreadable as you watched him.

“Yeah. You’re like.. really popular, and pretty, and just way out of my league. Nobody really thought you’d go for me because it’s normally the other guys you want. Guess I’m proving everyone wrong.” Your expression flickered with something he couldn���t quite understand, but you were soon offering him a polite smile and finishing your number, dropping his hand again and tucking your pen back into your bag.

You stepped back from him, letting out a small sigh and glancing around everybody that was gathered around you, not-so-subtly listening in on the conversation. “Okay, well, text me. We can sort out details. I have to go, but we’ll chat soon?”

He nodded his head moving before he could control it, and he watched you walk away with a small grin on your lips. “For sure! I’ll text, soon! See you later!”

“See’ya, Dave.”

The weeks between the day he’d asked you and going to the dance had been filled with texts at night and flirty smiles in the corridors, and Dave couldn't be more excited as he pulled on his suit. It was odd, he thought he’d clicked with Aubrey more than he’d ever click with anyone, and yet even from the simple things he’d managed to learn about you during your conversations, he felt more of a bond with you than he ever had with anyone else.

You were like an enigma, you were a little bit confusing and you often ran him in circles, but he liked trying to work you out, as if knowing you was the prize at the end of a challenging puzzle. He told you as much as he could about himself, wanting to share everything he could with you. He had felt awkward and slightly robotic in the way he went about his conversations with you, to begin with, simple texts to ask you how your day was and what you were up to, but soon enough it had resorted to one of you starting a conversation with you about anything. The jokes on the back of biscuit wrappers, something that had happened in his day, movies on the TV or even just to complain.

The two of you would sometimes even be found talking in the corridors, sharing laughs and jokes, and he found himself falling for you a little more with each passing day. He was all but buzzing with both nerves and excitement, brushing his open palms down and over his tux jacket, Stella tugging on his pants as she whined for attention, but he was too nervous and too busy to play barbies with her right now, and she just wanted him to do the deeper voices of the only male one she owned when he made his rare appearance at ‘the dreamhouse’.  

A flower in a box sat on the shelf under his mirror, his fingertips still a little sticky with the gel he’d used to style his hair, and so he didn’t want to touch the corsage yet and smear it with the substance. He’d planned or get ready early, his plan to pick you up at eight was not going to be ruined because he lost track of time in the shower and ended up being late. He had one chance, and he didn’t want to fuck it up. Now, though, it seemed he was ready a little too early, because he was stuck with a good thirty-minute wait before the earliest acceptable time to come and get you would roll around, and he had nothing else to fill his time with.

He was dressed, and ready. Clean and freshly styled and just enough of his special occasion aftershave spritzed on his skin to be alluring but no overwhelming.

Okay, maybe he had a little bit of time to play barbie dolls with Stella.

With fingers tapping on the steering wheel, he peered up at the driveway to your house, watching as the clock ticked over onto 7 PM, and he let out the breath he was holding, letting the smile that had been pulling on his features finally come free, as he slipped his phone out of his pocket, a finger under his collar to tug it loose for a second as he pulled up the string of messages the two of you had been exchanging.

hey cutie. i’m outside.

The little speech bubble at the bottom of the screen danced for a few minutes, the nail of his thumb caught between his teeth as he waited for you to respond, but soon it just disappeared. He waited, and waited, and soon five minutes had passed and he was beginning to worry for what was happening, the thoughts that this all may just be an elaborate joke was slipping into his mind when your front door opened, closing only a second later as you came walking down the driveway with a smile on your face.

He hurried from his seat, rushing up to meet you with the corsage in his hands, and you paused upon seeing it, before your eyes were finding his, wide and wondering as you closed the gap between you until you were standing right in front of him.

“Is that for me?”

“Yeah! Yeah.. you said you were wearing a gold dress, and I couldn't find a gold flower, so I got a white one, but it does have a cute little tassel on it that matches the fringe-tassel thing you have going on and-” He cut himself off with a series of stutters and breath sighs when you kissed his cheek, your thumb coming up a second later to clear away the red lipstick print you’d left on his skin from the freshly applied coat that was still a little wet. “I could have come up and met you, at the door. Do you want me to meet your parents, o-”

“It’s good, Dave, really. Let’s just go have fun, okay?”

He swallowed, glancing between your gaze and the front door, before giving it up and nodding, cracking the box open to present you with the flower to put on your wrist. “Sure, I can’t wait.”

He held the door for you, held your hand as you stepped into the car, and made sure you were settled before he got in on his own side. He was determined to be the perfect gentleman. This was his one shot to prove to you how good the two of you could be together, and he wasn’t willing to mess it up. When he got into his own seat and clipped his safety belt in, you were fiddling with the dials on the dashboard and tinkering with the radio channels, switching over to the CD he had in, and his cheeks flared a little as you looked over the back of the CD case at the songs. “You mind if I pick the music?”

“Knock yourself out, babe, whatever you want.”

You nodded offering him a wide grin as he set the car off into motion, and he peeled away from the sidewalk outside your house to head toward the school. It was a short drive, but he couldn’t help but notice every little thing you did that only made you seem more like a regular person to him, and not like someone who was miles and miles out of his league, it made him feel calmer, like this wasn’t all just some big and elaborate prank that was the punchline of, but instead like he was here with a pretty date to have a great evening.

Your fingers tapped along on your leg in time with the tune, the conversation flowing easily between the two of you, and before he knew it, he was pulling up in the back of the somewhat crowded parking lot, trying to find a space that wasn’t too close to the crowds gathering around the doors, and you were brushing your dress down and stepping out the car, grinning as you looked between him and doors.

Shooting a quick text to Simon and Big-C to let them know that he was here, he tucked the device into his pocket, offering his arm to you and grinning when you accepted it. His friends met the pair of you at the door, and this was the nervous moment he’d been waiting for.

Simon was quiet for all of two seconds, before he was smirking widely and holding his hand out to introduce himself, the slew of comments neither of you would be able to avoid all night beginning to pour from him without hesitation; “Simon Daldry. You look absolutely ravishing tonight, far better than Aubrey ever did, you really traded up, Davie-boy.”

“Don’t call me that, and don’t talk about Aubrey.”

“No, Davie-boy, do spill. Who’s Aubrey?” You turned to him, a teasing look on your face and he sighed, raising his eyebrows at him, his eyes flicking down to your hands when he felt your fingers slide down his arm and lace with his, squeezing encouragingly. You were telling him that it was okay, that he didn’t have to share if he didn’t want to, but you were staring at him intently and still giving him that look that was giving him the confidence to be by your side all night, and so he caved.

Instead of voicing his history himself, though, he turned to give Simon a pointed look, and Big-C clapped him on the shoulder as the shortest boy all but vibrated with glee at the chance to tell you the story.

“Aubrey is our dear boy’s ex-girlfriend. She wasn’t very nice, we didn’t like her very much.” Dave dropped his head back with a groan as his friend took the chance to throw some insults into the conversation and he squeezed his hand around ours to draw back your attention, cutting Simon off as the boy took a breath to start off on yet another rant;

‘How about we go and get our picture taken, yeah? I’ve seen some of the photos on Snapchat already, and they're pretty good. They really went all out; neon signs, props like the strip attractions, there’s even a red carpet.”

“A red carpet? Well, how could we resist?”

He guided you along, your heels carrying you at closer to his height and your strides wider as you expertly balanced in the shoes, thanking him when he held the door open, your jaw dropping form the second you stepped inside with the small group. The bass was beating through the floors and the music was loud, even from the main entrance, the hall holding the dance still a small walk away, and anticipation filled his body.

He may or may not be a sucker for school dances.

The room was decorated with dice, cards, flashing banners and shiny decorations with bright lights. Black, red and white hung from all of the walls, and everything screamed Sin City extravagance, but had been toned down to high school appropriate. The usual red solo cups that were always brought in for the punch and drinks had been swapped out for plastic champagne and martini glasses, which definitely looked funny being filled with the non-alcoholic and red fruit-punch, but it was a fun thought nonetheless, and he was impressed by how quickly it had all come together, being that none of it had been up when they’d been ins school earlier that day.

The flashes of the camera set up in the corner snapped him out from his wonder, and he looked over to find you in much the same way, and he leaned in, his lips brushing your ear as you looked around. “Wanna’ take pictures?”

You nodded vehemently, the two of you making your way over to the setup, and bursting out with laughter at what you saw. Big-C was accompanying Simon, who had clearly manoeuvred him into a slightly less than formal dance photo pose. The pair of them were recreating the famous Titanic pose, the one of Jack and Rose at the front of the ship as she insisted that she was flying, and neither of you could contain your laughter as you watched on.

“Simon looks like he’s having the time of your life, but your other friend looks like he’d rather actually be on the ship as it sank.”

“Simon is insane, and I’m really not sure how Big-C put’s up with him.” He shrugged, allowing you to drag him into the queue for photos taken, the words you were running a mile a minute about different poses you could do were going in one ear and out of the other, because he didn’t care what pose you dragged him into, however formal or informal, because he was shocked by how seamlessly you were fitting into his friendship group, and how his friends had known you for less than ten minutes but already seemed to like you ten times more than they ever did his ex.

By the time your turn to take photos had come around, he hadn't heard a single one of your ideas for pictures to take, and simply let himself be guided by the photographer. He found himself standing behind you, hands sitting on your stomach as his arms wrapped around your waist, your own fingers lacing through his own. The first one was a formal shot, the sort of one his mother would have taken of the two of you had she met you, and he knew she’d love it when he presented it to her. In fact, she might actually frame it. He did look good tonight.

The second was a little more playful, his head was tipped up and chin balanced on the top of your head as he beamed at the camera, holding you a little tighter and pinching at your side, prompting your face to screw up and a laugh to bubble up from you as he did, and the final one featured him leaning around you, the tip of his nose brushing your skin as he pressed a kiss to your cheek. It was more you than him, his face was mostly obscured by his position and all that could be seen was his arms, legs and the top of his head, but he knew it would be his favourite simply based on the was your cheeks had been tinted red and your eyes glistening when he looked at you after hearing the ‘click’ of the camera taking the photo.

“They’re going to be cute photos.”

The pair of you were hurried off of the platform, and took your hand in his once again, the four of you walking along the halls, following the music as it got louder and louder, and he twisted his head to face you, a smirk on his lips and his eyes dragging along you, head to toe. “That’s because there’s a cute girl in them.”

“Dave, that was shocking. Appalling, actually. How the fuck did you get someone as out of you league as her to go out with you when you have lines like that?”

He felt his face blank into boredom as he looked over at Simon, but you simply laughed, pulling him through the open doors and telling him not to mind it, because you thought it was sweet, and your reassurance was enough to give him confidence on his statement one again. Bodies filled the room, some on the dance floor, some milling around the food tables, others sitting at tables and filling the seats.

Lifting your joined hands up, he spun you in a twirl, a surprised sound leaving you before you were giggling, his brows wiggling suggestively as he brought your hand to his mouth and kissed your knuckles. “Let’s start with a dance, yeah?”

You had danced, the two of you swirling around on the dance floor until your legs were aching and you were gasping for a drink. Some songs were upbeat, and these were the songs that the two of you busted out your best moves for, limbs flying in all directions as you cracked up with laughter upon watching the other move, and your hair flew around, pink coating both of your cheeks as the blood rushed underneath, heat flashing around you until you were slumped against one another and holding yourselves up, using your intertwined body for support as you gasped for breath and tried to calm your hearts as tears pushed at your eyes from laughing so much.

Then there were the slower songs, your cheek pressed to his shoulder, or your temple resting just below his as you leaned into him. His arms were around your waist, or his hands in yours, and your own fingers were looped around his shoulders, fingers in the shorter hair at the base of his neck and your nails scratching at the skin softly, lulling him into a feeling of peace so serene that his eyes were fluttering shut, his breathing levelling out, and he realised he could definitely get used to it. He liked being able to hold you so close, and being able to feel you pressed up to his chest, your lips almost brushing on the times you'd look up to talk to him and let your forehead press to his own as you mumbled quiet words of calm chatter between you both.

There were also the more sensual songs, the ones that had too much bass and sliding notes to be a slow song, and it was with those songs that Dave found himself suffering the most, his eyes closing and jaw dropping open, hands gripping your body tightly. Your body would roll into his, your ass pressed to him when you turned in his arms and your body swaying with his own, never stopping him when he dragged his hands over your body, never too much for the public eye but more than enough to get the two of you worked up, and you never flinched away when he began to pepper the bare skin of your shoulder with light kisses and the occasional flick of his tongue against your skin.

By the time the two of you had collapsed in your seats, you had thanked him with a kiss on his cheek when he brought you punch, and you’d pulled your chair up so close to his that your thighs were pressed together, your body facing his and elbow sitting on the back of his chair, fingers once again in his hair and playing with that sweet pattern that made his whole body sag with relaxation.

He’d leaned into you, barely getting a chance to enjoy the feeling of the quiet and intimate moment, the two of you feeling more like a couple than he had ever felt when he was with Aubrey. You simply enjoyed his presence, and you made him feel calm. He wasn’t nervous and sweaty and on edge when he was with you, the way she had made him feel was so entirely different that he couldn't even compare the two of you, because you were unique, nothing like anyone he’d ever met before.

Simon had soon interrupted you both, a deck of cards in his hands as he insisted that you played him in poker, and he pressed a kiss to the palm of your hand as you turned away to face him as he dealt up. The two of you were teamed up, and you had ended up in his lap, balanced across one of his legs as his chin popped on your shoulder, arms tightly around your waist to hold your back to his chest as you held the cards.

Not only had you won the game, but you’d done the whole thing while never once caving to Simon’s trash talk, meeting him with it and raising the stakes until him and Big-C were simply watching on as the two of you playfully slated one another, goading the other to break their poker face as you played, and Simon had even offered you a shake of his hand upon winning, and it was the most sportsmanly thing he’d ever seen his friend do. He was normally such a sore loser, but maybe that’s just because it was you that he’d lost to.

The feeling that he was waiting for the ball to drop, that there was something coming around the corner or a big joke waiting to be unveiled was gone, because you were so clearly enjoying yourself that it wasn’t possible to be able to fake that kind of joy. He was having one of the nights of his life, the flickering of the lights, the beat of the music in the floor, the taste of the fruit-punch hanging on his lips and the feel of you in his arms. You had managed to convince him into taking pictures, the two of you wandering around the room to take selfies with all the fun props and displays, wanting to truly capture the Vegas theme in all its flashy entirety.

His favourite one had to be the picture of you posing under a replication of the famous sign. ‘Welcome to the Fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada’ was sparkling above your head as you looked up at it, your hands held out on either side in a way that made it look like you were holding up the sign, in the same way that tourists took pictures that made it look like they were leaning on the Eiffel Tower or holding up the tower of Pisa. It was cheesy, and he loved it, because you were so carefree and happy in the shot.

Being with you made his social anxiety melt away, your own carefree attitude washed over him and it sunk into him, taking it on himself. The lingering gazes and whispers never bothered him, or made him wonder. He managed to let it all go, because his only focus was you.

As the night went on, the pair of you were getting warmer and warmer, fanning yourselves with your hands as the sweaty bodies in the room rose the heat up, and you had only hesitated for a moment when he offered you a walk outside, sighing with what he assumed to be relief, before nodding and lacing your fingers with his as he guided you back out into the cool night, the sky dark now and the stars twinkling overhead.

There were far fewer people now, a few boys lingering on the other side of the field, clouds of smoke rising up around them with no surprise as to what they were doing, but the car park was empty, and your hands swung between you both as you walked along in comfortable silence around the outskirts of the cars. It was halfway around when he finally pulled you to a stop, pushing down the butterflies that were going wild in his stomach, and raising a hand up to cup your cheek, thumb smoothing over your skin delicately.

“Do you have any idea how beautiful you are? You’re absolutely stunning.” his words were breathed out on a sigh, and your lips flicked up at the corners.

“You’re not so bad yourself, Hodgman.” He tilted your chin up a little more, watching the way your eyes darkened, and his jaw dropped when he felt your fingers hook into his belt loops, and tug his body towards your own, hips pressing together. Swallowing thickly, he dragged his eyes back up to yours, taking a quick inhale of breath as his eyes got stuck on the way your plump lower lip was caught between your teeth, seductive in ways he couldn't even fathom. “Are you going to do what you’ve been wanting to do all night, or not?”

“Fuck, yeah, I am.” With that, his mouth was descending onto your own, heavy and wet as his wet lips meshed with your own. He could taste the lipstick you wore, and the slightly sticky fruit punch residue in your mouth, the flavour of which only increased when your lips parted for him and your tongue dipped out to find his own.

It was needy and hot, and raw in a way that made his head spin, and one of his hands came up to lace in your hair as he backed you up into the streetlamp only a few feet away, your back arching into him as your skin met the cold metal, and the sound you made in your shock went straight to his groin. It was sweet and low, a little groan that was crossed with a whimper, and your hips were rolling up into his.

His other hand slipped down and around your waist, past your lower back until he was taking a handful of your ass in his palm, squeezing roughly at the flesh and this time, you both let out moans at the feeling. Your bodies were flush now, the heat from inside was back, like a raging fire between your bodies as you rutted against one another, pulling back for gasping breaths before diving back into one another’s mouths once again. Your lipstick was smeared around your mouth and his own, your hair was messy from the pretty style it had been in at the beginning of the night, and you were a picture-perfect mess, the sort of sight he wanted or wake up to, or fall asleep by after a long night of holding you close to him and showing you how much you meant to him.

It wasn’t love, far from it, but the spark that he thought could turn into so much more had never been brighter, it had never felt this good, and he found himself sinking into your bliss with every rock of your bodies and every drag of your lips over his, every sweet noise to meet his ears or every moan he made that you muffled with your own mouth. It was getting heavy, and you showed no signs of stopping and he didn’t want to, but he also didn’t want to get caught with your legs around his waist as he fucked you against a metal pole, because the way you were now grinding down onto his thigh was very clear, and he was only seconds away from pulling down the spaghetti straps of your dress to see whether or not you actually had a bra on underneath your clothing.

“We should.. um.. move. Car? I think we should go to the car.” He barely managed to get his words out, but you were pushing him away from the post, hands tight in the collar of his suit jacket as you tore your lips from his, looking around for the vehicle, and his mouth descended to your neck, licking and kissing along your skin. You seemed to find it, because only a moment later you were pushing him in that direction, his feet moving underneath him and your hand rifling through his pockets for the keys, before his back was meeting cold metal this time, and he hissed out at the feeling.

He forced himself to remove his hand from your ass, fumbling for the handle when he heard the car sound it’s unlocking, and when he finally managed to wrench it open, he was quickly being pushed into the driver's seat, the keys tossed carelessly onto the dashboard and his hands reaching to push the chair back as far as it could go as your own reached for the lever to flatten the seat back.

Suddenly, he was laying down, the door slamming as you straddled him in the vehicle, hair framing his face as your lips met yours once again, and now he was able to get both hands on your ass, and had his mouth not been so deliciously otherwise occupied, he would have been smirking as he groped at the fleshy mounds in bliss. The windows were fogging up, the tent in his pants pressing to your clit each time he thrust his hips up to meet your movements, and his cock twitching in his pants with every squeaky moan you let out, and every breathy moan of his name that sounded out.

Pulling away for only a second, his lips were still pouted, but his jaw soon dropped open when you pushed away the straps of your dress, the flimsy material falling away to pool at your waist, you breasts on full display to him, bouncing as you rocked down into him, and nipples perky and pointed out for him, skin showing a thin layer of goosebumps with your arousal showing clearly.

His question had been answered; you were not wearing a bra. He fucking knew it.

Dragging his palms up and over your smooth skin, he cupped your tits in his hands, the rough pads of his thumbs teasing over your nipples, and an entirely new sound left you, one that had his gut twisting with desire, and a primal urge raring up within him. You pushed your chest up into his hands, your head falling back and your own hands finding his wrists, holding his touch on your body as you rode yourself down onto him, the two of you nearing you peaks, even with the layers of clothing between you, and it took every ounce of self-control he had to still your hips atop him.

“Baby, as much as I love what you’re doing, if you keep it up then I’ll cum and the fun will be over.” His voice was hoarse, even to himself, and you took a steady breath of your own, leaning down to place a softer and gentler kiss to his lips, pulling his bottom lip with your teeth when you shifted away from him.

“Better put the condom on and put that cock to use then, huh?”

His eyes widened, spluttering falling from him, before he shut himself up by snapping his jaw shut and nodding quickly, sitting up with you in his lap and searching for his wallet in his jacket pocket. While he was up, he took the opportunity to shove the material down his shoulders, discarding the blazer to the back seat and popping the button on the front of the leather pouch, rifling through and praying against all known gods that he had replaced the condom in his wallet, only barely managing to contain the cheer of joy he wanted to let out when he found it.

The cards and that note were of no concern to him, instead, he was dropping that to focus on the silver packet he was holding in his hands, a low groan slipping from him as he watched your own fingers dip under the black panties he was only now catching sight of, the digits disappearing from his vision. Your head fell forward a split second later, your foreheads pressing together as you whined his name under your breath, fucking yourself down onto your fingers to the thought of him, and he’d never gotten his belt and pants undone faster.

The car was steamy and hot, windows fogged over to block any sights from outside, and now it was just the two of you, in a bubble of your own making as you barrelled quickly towards the very activities that Dave had been dreaming about since he’d first caught sight of you in Freshman year.

Finally dragging his cock free from its confines, he grinned happily to himself, pumping his already hard cock a few times, before using his teeth to help him tear open the wrapper and roll the rubber down over his shaft.

“Holy fuck, you’re amazing. So fucking hot.”

You flashed your teeth at him in a wicked grin, your hand coming over to take control of his, your fingers slick with your own juices, and he hadn't realised just how wet you were, but now as you were pulling your panties to the side and lining him up with your core, he could feel the heat of your entrance as the tip of his covered cock dragged through your folds. He felt as though he was panting like a dog, drooling and clenching his fingers beside his body, before he was lifting them up to sit on your hips, taking control as you erased him by pulling you down in one swift movement.

You sunk all the way along him, both of your eyes rolling in your head and your body shaking above him as he became fully sheathed in your warmth, and he worried that he was gripping you so tightly it may bruise you. His thighs were clenched and his head was pressing back into the cushions of the reclined seat, letting out a shuddering breath as he tried not to explode just from the feeling of being buried in your dripping cunt.

“Oh my God, Dave!”

“I know.” His words were wheezed out, a playful look on your face as the two of you took your second to adjust, but that seemed to shatter as the look you shared darkened, and only a moment later you were rolling your hips down into him. It started out slow, a series of simple and steady movements that were almost mechanic, the rise and fall of your hips as you moved up and down along his cock, slowly as you grew used to the position and the movements you could make within the car.

Once you had grown comfortable, you were spicing up your actions, slamming yourself down onto him with quick and rapid movements, and then slowing it down to tease him, rolling the muscles in your stomach and clenching yourself so tightly around him that he almost choked on his own tongue, his eyes crossing and hips bucking up into you desperately. He couldn't take it, the way you would drag him to the edge only to let him come back down, but he loved it, because you were with him, riding him in his car after having an amazing night, and he couldn't get enough of the way it felt to be completely and utterly surrounded by you.

You were taking over his every sense, everything he has was given over in surrender, because he was barely holding on at all.

Your lips brushed his, and your movements became weaker, less coordinated and more frantic as you chased your own high as well as his. Taking one of his hands in your own shakily, you folded his fingers away until only two remained, and he watched through hooded eyes and you sucked his long fingers into your mouth with swollen lips, warm and wet just like your pussy, your cheeks tightening around his digits as you soaked them with your spit. Your tongue lapped around his fingers, dipping and weaving between the digits and dips with precision that would be haunting his mind and filling his wet dreams for weeks, as well as the permanently burned-in feeling of your warmth around his cock.

Dragging the slick digits down your body, you lifted up the edge of your skirt and pushed the pads of his fingers up to your swollen and neglected clit, and he took the hint, taking control of his limb again and picking up the pace. Pushing down roughly on the button, he traced his name in jerky and needy movements, a possessive act that he took pride in, rubbing his name on the nub and only making it as far as the ‘O’ on his last name before you were exploding around him.

Your eyes were rolling back in your head, nails digging into his chest through the dress shirt covering his chest, and he arched up into the touch, your orgasm spurring on his own. Your mouth pressed to his, lips working slowly and tongue seven slower, simply dragging over the top of one another’s and tangled together in sloppy patterns as you muffled the cried of each other’s names and moaned out curses, prolonging one another’s orgasms until it was all too much to handle.

When you finally peeled yourself off of his cock and collapsed down into the seat beside him, you had a lazy smile on your face, your body slumping into the passenger seat, and he forced his seat back up into a sitting position Peeling the condom off of his cock and tying it off, hiding it in a handful of tissues that were left on his dash, he placed it in the cupholder to dispose of later, and tucked himself back into his pants, his mind still spinning from the events and his thoughts still swimming with only you, in his post-orgasmic bliss.

He undid the tie around his neck, popping a few buttons on his shirt to allow himself to breathe, and once he knew you’d adjusted your dress and cover yourself back up again, he rolled down the windows to air out the heat in the car.

“So, you can just drop me off at home now, then.”

His head whipped around to look at you, only you weren’t looking at him, you were looking at yourself in the mirror and wiping at the lipstick around your mouth, cleaning your skin up and removing any trace of the kisses he’d left on you, and the sight of you doing so made him rub at his own mouth the back of his hand, wiping away the red smudges on his skin. “What are you talking about?”

“Now that we’re done, y’know? You got me, you got your notch on your belt or whatever, and this night really has been an absolute blast, but I would love nothing more than a nice hot bath and some pasta, now.” He was speechless, he really didn’t know what to say, because right now there was a bitter taste taking over his mouth as he thought about the night, storm clouds coming in as your words settled over him.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

He knew he had all but spat the words at you, and he was angered by the audacity on your face to look shocked by the anger in his tone when you finally let your eyes meet his, a light shrug on your shoulders, before you picked up the keys and handed them to him, and he didn’t even look down at his palm as the cold metal met his skin. “Hey, don’t worry. I wanted to be here, I said yes to the dance and I initiated this. A lot of guys try it, want to sleep with me for the popularity boost or cool guy badge or whatever, and I think it’s dumb but you seemed so sad and nervous in the halls, and I figured, why not? You’re really cute, I like you.”

Rage swelled within him and he felt tears sting at his eyes as he let out a breathless laugh, before starting up the car and shaking his head, peeling out of the parking lot in silence. It wasn’t until the two of you had hit the main roads that he spoke over the dull playing of the radio once again. “What, so I was just a pity-fuck for you? Some kind of project, the whole night was a lie?”

“What? No!” Your hand landed on his bicep, but he shrugged you off, never even looking over at you as he flicked his way through the roads, nearing your house as he drove as quickly as the speed limits would possibly allow him to, not wanting to draw out the journey any longer than it needed to be. “I had fun tonight, I told you that!”

“You had fun on a date that I thought was real, and you thought was just something to fill the time with while you were bored?”

“I never said that!”

“Sure.” He sighed, flicking on his indicators as the two of you entered at the top end of your neighbourhood, and he heard you make a distressed little sound beside him, and even though it made his own body fill with sadness and regret, he was still angry, too angry to even consider letting those secondary emotions take over.

“Why don’t we just talk about this, I think mayb-”

“No. Why don’t we just finish this journey in silence, yeah?” He let his gaze flicker over to you for only a second, before he was looking back at the road, swallowing thickly to push down the way seeing you upset expression had made him feel. You did as he requested, and the rest of the ride was filled with tense and awkward silence, and neither of you spoke again until the car was coming to a halt outside of your house.

This time, he didn’t try to be a gentleman. He didn’t get out of his seat and open the door for you, and the evening routine he’d planned of walking you up to the door and hoping against all odds that maybe you’d kiss him was completely dashed, his newly fog-cleared mind full of regret for how fast things had advanced between the two of you, disappointment filling every nook and pore in his body.

You opened your own door, climbing from the car and walking away, the quiet click of your heels on the tiles was all that was heard, and he watched you go, eyes scanning up over you as you stopped in your place, turning and taking a breath as you prepared yourself to speak, but he cut you off before you got a chance; “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone about tonight. Despite the impression you seem to have of me, I just wanted to go to a dance.”

Your face seemed to crumple in on yourself, your arms wrapping around your body, and he squeezed his hands on the steering wheel tighter, resisting the urge to rush from the car and pull you in close to him. “I-I..” Your voice cracked, like you were going to cry, and he felt his resolve crumbling, his fingers reaching for the handle of his door as you continued on, cleaning your throat. “I was just going to say thank you, I had a really great time with you, at the dance.”

He didn’t get a chance to speak, to ask you what had happened or why you’d ever thought of him like that, before you were turning on your heel, a near-run as you carried yourself up the driveway, slipping into your house and slamming the door shut. He didn’t have time to think about it or dwell on the thought because soon he was on the road, completely confused and a little bit heartbroken, and just wanting to curl up in his own bed.

Dave was walking at his locker, swapping out the books for his next class and keeping his head low, ignoring all the congratulatory pats on the back and hoots or hollers he had been receiving. It seemed that being with you had been a real boost for his popularity, because guys that have always believed themselves to be too good to talk to him were now stopping him in the corridors to start up conversations, and girls who had never looked in his direction were now batting their eyelashes and waving their fingers flirtily.

He didn’t care for any of it, but Simon was eating it all up as you went along.

He had barely gotten his fingers out of the way of the door when it slammed shut, his body jumping backwards and eyes widening, before he was turning to look at you, his shoulders slumping even further and he removed his bag from his shoulders, distracting himself with packing his bag, waiting for you to shot, or yell, or publicly tear him down. Whatever it was that you needed.

“You said it wrong. You are terrible with words.”

“Excuse me?” A flicker of anger shot through him, and he zipped up his bag with more force than was needed, swinging it up onto one arm and letting it hang there, wiping a hand over his face to calm his feelings before he turned back to you. “I was never anything but polite to you.”

“I know. But when you first asked me out, you said nobody thought you could ‘get me’. You made me sound like a prize to be won, like a notch on your belt. Do you have any idea how many guys try to ‘get me’ just to prove that they can?”

He shuffled from foot to foot, glancing around at the few pairs of eyes that had landed on you all, before a sigh on his lips helped him from his next words. “I didn’t want that, I never did. I just wanted to go to the dance with you.”

“Do you like me?”

“What?”

“Do you like me? In a real way, not a popularity-boost, make it a game, prove to people who looked down on your way.” You were vulnerable as you looked up at him, eyes wide and expression flickering every so often as you tried to appear strong, and his head tipped to the side before he could stop it, a small smile on his lips as he let his eyes scan over you, before he was looping a couple of his fingers loosely with your own.

“I really do, for a while now, actually.” Heat crawled up his cheeks at the confession, but you were giving him a grin wider than the sun, holding onto his hand a little more tightly, weaving your fingers through his until your palms were pressed tightly to one another.

“Do you want to go on a date, then? A real date. Like, to a restaurant or mini-golf, or something.”

He used his other hands to tuck some loose hair behind your ear, risking taking a step closer to you, until you were forced or look up at him as he stepped into your space, only having to whisper as he spoke to you now, the conversation only for the two of you to hear. “I would love that.”

“Okay. Cool.”

“Cool.” His own smile finally matched your own, feeling his heartbeat steadily in his chest as you seemed to relax before him, your defensive stance slipping away, and for a second, you weren’t the popular girl that had always seemed out of his league and too scary to talk to, but right now you were just the pretty girl that he had a connection with like no other. “Can I kiss you in front of other people?”

“I’d really like it if you did.”

His other hand settled itself over your cheek, pulling your lips up to meet his so that he could press his mouth to yours in a sweet connection. It was nothing like the previous night had been. Last night was rushed and sloppy and just a preemptive action towards what the night had become. There was no ulterior motive or further action to be taken now, though. Instead, it was simply a brush of lips, it was the only thing either of you needed, it was an act of reassurance in order to make sure the spark between you wasn’t being ignored.

Your other hand threaded into his hair, your body pressing to his as you pushed up on your tiptoes, being sure he wasn’t pulling away or moving from you, and he let his arm drop to wrap around your waist to support you, to keep your body pressed flush to his your thumbs played together and smoothed over one another’s knuckles with the hands that were still connected. Your lips teased his, the occasional flick of a tongue through the smiles but never enough to go any further, and you were refusing to pull away, until the burn for oxygen was just too much to ignore.

Your forehead pressed or his, a satisfied and happy noise sounding in the back of your throat as you bumped your nose against his, and he let out a breathless laugh, bumping his nose against yours in return, a grin forming on your lips at the gesture. When you finally sunk back down to your height and were no longer balancing on your tiptoes, he was able to press a kiss to your forehead, before your hand was pulling from his to loop around his waist, letting you snuggle into his chest and rest your cheek on his shoulder.

“I really like you, Dave Hodgman.’

“I really like you, too.”

[totempestsfromwhispers]

To Tempests, From Whispers

[Prologue: Arrival]

It was early in the morning in Lumiose City as the sun hasn't risen up and a grey cloudy sky loomed over the airport. A Lucario in flannel and baggy pants looks toward the horizon then back at a Meowstic wearing a simple buttoned-up shirt underneath a bright blue hoodie and trousers, they're both smiling as an announcement is heard from the lobby that the flight will start shortly.

"Looks like you gotta go. Are you sure you're gonna be fine, Cipher?" The Lucario asks, addressing the Meowstic in a cheerful fatherly tone.

"I'm gonna be fine, dad. I'll call as soon as I get settled in, alright?" Cipher answers back holding his luggage with his right hand as he looks toward the plane bound for Sinnoh. "I'll remember our training too and- …"

He was interrupted mid-sentence as the Lucario hugged him tightly, holding back tears. "Have a safe trip, son. Promise me you'll do your best?"

Cipher just hugged him back as his voice breaks just a little. "Sure, dad … I gotta go now. Wish me luck." He wiped a little tear from his eye and proceeded to take his flight, as he turned back he saw his father waving back.

"Go get 'em, hero."

~~~

"Hello, Jubilife! Today … a hero will be born."

I breathed a sigh of relief as I went outside of the plane, greeted by the bright sunny day of Jubilife. The flight surprisingly took a few hours from my hometown of Lumiose but I guess they're just doing their jobs as usual.

I had my suitcase in tow as I made my way towards solid ground, it was a large wheeled suitcase that I had a bit of trouble carrying by myself which I didn't really mind. After all, I didn't really come here for just a vacation … I came here to apply to my dream school, the ever prestigious Stella Academy, a place that has honed the skills of the best heroes to have ever lived, from what I've seen at least.

It really took me a while to choose what academy I wanna go to. I could have just attended a simple hero academy back at Kalos but my father insisted I go here, he did graduate here after all and now he is one of the well-known heroes of Kalos. I still remembered what he said to me during one of our training sessions.

"If an aura tells you something, you best be listening to it. It never lies."

I took a measly stroll around the city just to see what I can expect here. After some time, I decided I should probably find an apartment somewhere to settle into. This luggage of mine is already putting a bit of weight on me considering I just been on a plane and I'm still feeling a bit of jetlag. Now that I've mentioned it, I was told there would be someone who's gonna help me settle in here and I have yet to find this 'mon.

Having nothing else to rest on, I just sat on a nearby bench putting my luggage next to me as I figured out where I should be heading next. Of course, I can't just run around the entire city just to find a single 'mon, not to mention this is the first time I've been here.

While I seemed to space out for a bit, I felt someone tap my shoulder. Turning around, I see a Lucario wearing a pastel-colored tank top and a black skirt who seemed to be inspecting me up and down. "Umm … can I help you?" I asked as she responded with a smirk.

"Are you, Cipher by any chance?"

"I … I am. Why do you ask?"

"Ah! Yes, yes … I was expecting someone to arrive here in Jubilife and was tasked to accommodate them." She extended her hand towards me and gave a hearty laugh. "Lucia Ferros. Hope we'll get along quite well!"

I instinctively shook her hand and smiled back, a bit confused and dumbfounded as to why she was here. But I can't really complain … at least I can finally settle down. I let go and stood up from my seat, clutching my luggage with me.

"Pleased to meet you, miss. Now … where to?"

"Ohh right, follow me and we should get started settling you in."

"Okay …" I just followed her as we walked along some apartment buildings and alleyways. I don't see any standalone houses and bungalows which were the type of housing I was used to so living in an apartment would be something new for me.

While we walked, I saw her looking around the buildings and taking a sharp turn as we seemed to come across the entrance to an apartment. She seemed to be leading me towards the backyard when she suddenly stopped walking with her back turned away from me.

"Think fast!"

I was going to question where and why did she take me here when she suddenly threw something at me, what looked like a Bone Club on fire heading straight towards me. Her eyes were glowing blue as her body was now covered in aura. Panicking a bit, I let go of my luggage and readied an attack.

Uh … umm … come on, Cipher … think!

"Energy Shockwave!"

I can feel my ears activate as I let out a pulse of Grass and Psychic energy while I closed my eyes. After seeing whether the attack hit her or not, she suddenly wasn't there in my line of sight. I can, however, sense her presence and it was too late for me to react as I turned around and got knocked back almost instantly.

"Aura Blitz!"

Dammit! Why is she so fast …

"Come on, give me your best shot! We aren't gonna be here all day …" She exclaimed back at me as I was standing my ground and not letting myself get knocked over. I attempted the same attack when she grasped my right arm and raised an eyebrow. "Too predictable … surely you had something else on your sleeve ..."

The grip was surprisingly tight, so tight that I can't even move my arm. This whole ordeal was happening way too fast for me to keep up and I needed a way to counterattack. Luckily, I still have my other arm as I sneakily readied an arm behind my back. Combining my Thunder Wave and Energy Ball, I managed to barely materialize the attack from my hand and sent it out.

"Paralyzing Shock Ball!"

Luckily, Lucia seemed to be taken by surprise as she shuffled back and let go of my arm. "Not bad, not bad … now can you handle this?" She was smirking rather than being annoyed that I hit her with my attack as she activated her aura again but this time her paws seemed to be on fire now.

I just braced myself as I am starting to get a little fatigued from having to manage two attacks while still feeling a bit of jetlag. I opened my ears again as I activated my aura as she dashed toward me still with quite an impressive speed, maintaining my form and getting ready to counter any of her attacks.

"Pyro-Combat Strike!"

I just managed to barely dodge it as the flames grazed through my right cheek, leaving a small burn mark as I grabbed her arm and used a weaker version of my Paralyzing Shock Ball with my free hand. "Still had it charged this whole time …" With that, I brought her down to one knee and I stood back to see if she's gonna attempt another attack again.

"Looks like I've seen enough … we're done! Impromptu training is over for now." She smiled as she strained a little while getting up to her feet. "Sorry about that, I just needed to make sure you were the one trained by Dominus himself."

"Well yeah … I'm his father after all …" I scratched my head and chuckled nervously. Father was a hero back in Kalos but I didn't know his legacy would also be known as far as Jubilife of all places.

Her eyes seemed to light up as I said that and immediately held both of my shoulders in awe. "Wait a minute … you are his father? What an honor! Now I feel really bad that I made you do all that … Ok how about this after we get brunch after I get you settled in? Just to make it up to you …"

I just stood there, blinking in disbelief and a bit dumbfounded. Who knew being the son of a well-known hero would be a big deal? I just came here already and I am already having some adoration. "Please … you don't have to do that …"

"I insist! It's all on me anyways and hey, I want to get to know you a bit more and have a little chat if that's alright with you."

"Alright, if you say so …"

"One more thing … Welcome to Jubilife, I'm sure you're gonna love it here!"

"I sure hope so. Still a little nervous about all of this you know …" I immediately grabbed my luggage which surprisingly wasn't damaged and was just a bit dusty from the battle earlier. "Should we head to an apartment now?"

"Yes, yes of course! I'll lead the way. Come on, let's get you finally settled in."

"Right behind you …"

~~~

"Cipher! Glad to see you've finally settled in over there! I hope Lucia wasn't too much for you…" It seems dad had immediately called back just as I rang his phone. I was just on my living room couch when I decided to call him and it was already afternoon by the time I had just finished setting all of my stuff here.

"No worries about it, dad! She was pretty dynamic but she's alright for the most part." I had just learned from her that she used to do some hero training under dad too to prepare herself in studying at Stella Academy. She is now in her third year and is one of the top students already, no wonder she was darn fast with her attacks…

"I'm glad. I just want to make sure you're in good hands … okay, I should be doing my work. I'm currently en route towards a flash fire and I don't want to slow myself down. Goodbye for now, son!"

He immediately turned off the call just after he said that as I stared blankly at my phone screen just to reign in all of what had just happened today. Entrance exams for the academy are tomorrow and I want to make sure I'm in my best shape for that so I'm going to do some training for the big day ahead.

"Don't you worry, dad. I'll make sure mom's gonna be proud of me too from up above. I’ll promise that…" I left him a voicemail just as Lucia was waving at me by the window to start my training.

[lackofhonor]

To anybody who has an opinion:

Favorite drink for each of the boys? I'm a bit of a teetotolaer so this is mostly based on my friends.

Jack Daniels - Whiskey, but a good mid-range bourbon with a smoky finish is preferred. Buffalo Trace with a dash of water. Chilled but not cold. Will drink beer, especially at summer parties when it is hot out. Been known to indulge in some scotch on occasion when mingling as the face of the New York Statesman office or traveling on behalf of the legitimate liquor side of the business. The Scots know how to have a good time and he even invited some down to Kentucky a time or two. They fit RIGHT in! He's headed over to Glasgow next year for some shenangians with his new buddies.

Francisco Morales - Not picky. Will drink Stag or PBR if that is all this is available but enjoys Shinerbock, Heiniken and Fat Tire for something a little tastier. He stays pretty chill in the bar unless it is a celebration, just a couple beers and always cuts off early because he is the 'responsible friend' who is the designated driver. But take this man to a bonfire on the back forty of somebody's property with a guest room to crash in? Drunk!Frankie will emerge! He is silly and giggles at everything but also very easily confused. Will be affectionate with EVERYONE even though he is kinda swaying in his seat and has slightly glazed eyes. Need to guide him back up to the house for sleep even though he whines he is fine he will be asleep as soon as he hits the pillow.

Marcus Pike - Will enjoy a glass of wine or beer with a meal or relaxing at home. He isn't really one to go out and get buzzed. He isn't 25 anymore after all. Michelob Ultra or a crisp white like a riesling (fuck chardonnay). He likes flavor so I could see him enjoying a craft beer or two on occasion. He likes learning and would go on a brewery tour for sure. Also, reminds me of every runner I know who works out hard so they can have a good time after the race. Man works hard, he will smile and laugh while tipsy and want to hug his friends. Also, man would do pub trivia night in a heartbeat. He can cover the music/art categories while sipping his coffee infused stout.

Pero Tovar - My secret hc for this man is he is of Basque origin. They have some very unique wines. Txakoli wine essentially meams homemade. The harsh spanish basque region is known for sheep herders and fishermen. Rustic, stubborn and pretty masculine culture. Look it up. I see Pero tossing back a hearty red wine that tastes of berries but also has a pretty solid alcoholic punch. He waters it down if he will be working and needs to stay alert, but he has been known to slide into his cups when somewhere safe. If he and William are back in Spain or even back near Basque country, he will more freely smile and chat with his countrymen. Bascos have steel in their spines but they do have a lovely dark humor. Totally would play the game where you stab a knife between your fingers really fast while drunk.

Javier - Whisky, Tecate and Shinerbock. He obviously is a whiskey drinker. He drinks it on the rocks at the bar and straight at home. He grew up in Texas so a mexican beer and Shiner seems appropriate. Probably keeps his alcohol pretty simple. Javi drinks when he is stressed, depressed or just out on the town. Tipsy Javi is horny and will try to catch the eye of every woman he thinks he has a chance with. He will slip onto the dance floor and mold his body to another's. It's a physical advertisment of what he can do in bed (or against the wall of the bar if necessary). Drunk Javi is different. Truly drunk Javi is probably depressed/sad or angry. He is liable to lash put if pushed too far and if he is drinking out of stress he may become sloppy and uncoordinated. This is pretty rare though. Javier has a pretty high tolerance for drink so if he is truly sloshed he has imbibed a massive amount. Tipsy Javi who just wants to fuck is much preferred.

Ezra - Stella Artois, Heiniken. Noooo idea why. This just feels like something he would be into. He is so unique. Also tequila. I could see him as a tequila shot sort of man fresh off a successful job. This man is sensual and frankly anything that enhances that would be appropriate. But since he isn't terribly well off unless he has had a good haul, I'd say vodka or tequila based drinks. Tispy Ezra is verbose to the extreme. Expounding on all and sundry to whoever will listen. Has a bad habit of accidentally pissing people off because he just. won't. SHUT UP! Needs someone to watch his back and smooth things over or steer him outside to continue his diatribe where ya'll aren't disturbing other patrons. Free and floaty and excitable, Ezra with a bit of alcohol is just magnified and happy. Probably a lightweight who falls asleep super easy too. Tuck him in and rhen listen to him grumble as you tell him to "budge up blanket thief!" and he just pulls you into his arms while he hums in satisfaction. (Based on nothing. I am riffing here).

[buns-with-a-book]

Reflections and Illusions

For Day Six of DMCWeek2020, the prompts chosen this week were Family and Belonging! They’re subjects quite close to our leading lady Cassandra. Cordelia and Anastasia (and the idea for this fic) are all from @furyeclipse

Fandom: Devil May Cry Characters: OC, Dante, Vergil, Nero (minor role), Kyrie (minor role), Credo (cameo) Tags: @nimnox​  @astral-space-dragon​ @harlot-of-oblivion​ @queenmuzz​ @i-write-fanfics-to-procrastinate

Summary: While on a mission, Cassandra hears her name and goes into a strange portal. What she finds is a world she dearly wants but cannot have.

“Jeez, all I wanted was a nice birthday-” Cassandra swiftly dodged out of the way of the demon’s attack. “And you come along to ruin it!” The demon, taking the form of a large black dog, snarled at her. “Come on, you terrible little doggie!” The demon dog let out a ferocious roar, leaping forward. She twirled out of the way, Failnaught impaling itself into the demon’s flank and ripping open a large wound. The demon hit the ground hard, turning into dust. Cassandra spun the sword-cane in her hand, sighing.

“Not how you wanted to spend your birthday?” Dante asked with a cocky grin.

“What gave you that impression?” She huffed. “This stuffy old mansion...jeez, it’s a terrible place for a birthday. Come on, let’s find Nero and Vergil and go get our pay. Maybe that local pizza place is still open at this hour-”

Cassandra…

A voice, strangely siren-like, called for her. She paused and looked around, visibly confused. She looked to Dante, who looked just as confused as she was.

“What’s the matter?”

“I...I just thought I heard someone calling for me.”

Cassandra...

Cassandra closed her eyes, shaking her head. “Maybe I should go take a look around. Just in case there’s something...you know, suspicious. You go find Vergil and Nero.” Dante nodded, silver eyes glancing around. Cassandra nodded at him before dashing off. The sound of the voice calling her was northward, she could feel it. As she dashed through the halls of the abandoned mansion, the call of her name seemed to become louder, a ringing in her head she couldn’t ignore.

Cassandra...

She dashed out the back door, looking around. The grounds were visibly overgrown from decades of neglect. Her eyes fell upon the greenhouse, windows broken and frosted from disuse. She walked over to the greenhouse, carefully opening the glass door. Planters had been thrown out, leaving nothing but a dirt floor. At the other end of the greenhouse, however, was what looked to be a mirror of some kind. It’s stone frame was covered with plants, both in motifs and actual plants. It’s reflective surface shone brilliantly, as if it was untouched by time. Cassandra slowly stepped forward, boots crushing glass and dirt underneath her. As her reflection appeared in the mirror, it seemed to...wobble? Her hand carefully rested on the glass…

And went right through it.

She yelped in surprise, pulling back her hand. She looked at her hand, noticing nothing wrong with it.

Cassandra…!

The voice was more insistent now, overwhelming her senses. Following the call, an intense ringing drowned out everything. She held her head, Failnaught clattering to the ground. The agony pounded at her skull, like a terrible awful migraine she only heard tales of from old women. She stumbled, her foot caught something, before her body fell onto the mirror’s reflective surface.

CASSANDRA!

She half-expected her body to hit the glass, piercing her skin and leaving a nasty cut. To her surprise, her body hit warm grass. She slowly opened her eyes, finding what had once been a gloomy overcast dusk was now a bright sunny day. She let out a pained groan, her head still throbbing.

“My little star!” A voice, a painfully familiar voice, made her eyes snap open. She looked up, seeing someone that should be dead staring back at her: her own mother, Stella Sagefire.

“Mother…?” She whimpered as she felt oddly cool hands help her on her feet. She looked past her, seeing Dante happily grilling like a dad (well he was an uncle, that was close enough). Nero and Kyrie were sitting at a table, happily chatting about something. Next to Nero was Cordelia, beaming at Nero like he was an older brother. Vergil was sitting next to Cordelia, but his eyes were firmly focused on Cassandra. Next to Kyrie was a man she only saw in pictures, her older brother Credo, relaxed and at ease. Her gaze returned to her mother, her hair tied up in a messy bun, strands of golden blond framing her face and clear blue eyes. It looked as if she had never been so deathly sick at all.

“Cassandra!” A second voice, another familiar voice that only made her heart ache as a more youthful woman that was near the same age as her mom stepped forward: Anastasia Faye. Her bright seafoam green eyes stared at Cassandra in worry. Her dark brown black hair went down to her mid-back. A lavender colored ribbon was tied in her hair, similar to how Cordelia put bows in her hair, but her bow was on the left side of her head compared to Cordelia keeping it centered on her head. She wore a rose gold trimmed strapless black dress that went down to her knees and brown boots to match. A necklace around her neck like V's old choker but, instead of a tooth, it was a small charm from outside the walls. She never did find out where she got it from.

“It’s your birthday, Cassandra.” Stella gently explained. “Do you not want to attend your own birthday party?”

“I...I mean...I…” Cassandra lowered her head. Something was wrong, she could feel it in her core.

"Cass sweetie, you getting overwhelmed again? You tripped over your own two feet again." Anastasia chuckled softly as she ruffled her hair. "Hmm no bumps, you're fine."

“I don’t feel fine.” She muttered. What was it that was so wrong about it? She missed her mothers so dearly, she had loved them so, but they were dead. They couldn’t be here, not in this mirror world.

You could just stay here with your mothers, in this perfect world.

That nagging feeling prodded at her, almost tugged on her insistently in her mind. She could stay, with ghosts and echoes all around her.

"You alright there, Sleeping Beauty?" Anastasia asked. She could hear the concern in her voice.

“No, this is all wrong.” She pulled away. Already, the world was starting to fade around them, mixing together like a bad watercolor painting. Despite that, Stella and Anastasia remained clear and pristine in her vision. “You’re dead. You two, you died, you can’t be here!” She didn’t stop the tears from falling down her face, she couldn’t.

Anastasia sighed softly and put a firm hand on her shoulder. "Cassandra, look up at me please." Cassandra let out a soft heaving noise, slowly looking up at Anastasia.

"I made Anastasia bend the rules a bit, again.” Stella admitted sheepishly. “I know that I promised last time I wouldn't but this time, I needed to do it for an important reason: so that your mother and I can see you free and happy, far from Eternis Brillia, happy with the azure Son of Sparda and free from that sorry excuse of a boy Draco. I'm also guessing you found Cordelia as well."  

"I'm happy that my Magpie found her way home to you." Anastasia added. “And you’ve found your self confidence again. Make sure that the azure boy knows how much you love him and how happy you are being at his side.”

"I got to finally see you again Cassandra. I'm proud that you've grown up into a confident lady."

Anastasia pulled Stella and Cassandra into a tight warm hug, kissing her head softly. “Happy Birthday Cassandra, please ever don't forget how much we love you. Before I forget, please tell my little magpie, you got her gift.”

“Her gift?” Cassandra asked tearfully. The world around them was nothing but darkness, with only her two mothers still clearly before her. Anastasia kissed the top of her head and smiled softly. Cassandra swore she felt something at her neck, arms hugging her close. “Mom...Mother...tell me, what do you mean?”

“A happy family. People who love her dearly, no matter what.” Anastasia murmured. “And it was something we wanted for you as well.”

“Cassandra, my little star, you cannot stay here.” Stella said, her voice grim. “You have to return back to the azure son, to your family, to our little magpie.” Her and Anastasia’s hand rubbed away the tears that streaked down her face. “Because we weren't strong enough to live, but you are.”

“Mom, Mother, don’t go-” Cassandra suddenly heard the sound of glass shatter before she fell backward, away from the rapidly disappearing images of her mothers. Faintly, she saw her tears fly into the dark abyss...or were they hers?

We will always love you.

She expected to hit the floor, for her arms to be cut by shattered shards of mirrors, but strong arms, Vergil’s arms, caught her and held her up. She blinked, watching as Nero and Dante stared at the remains of the mirror, weapons aloft. The mirror was now just stone and glass on the floor. Nero rushed to her side.

“Mom, are you ok?” Nero asked worriedly. Cassandra nodded, letting Vergil help her onto her feet. “What was that?”

“...a trap. It’s an illusion mirror, from Eternis Brillia. I suppose the last owner was an adherent of the Earthfaith.” Cassandra breathlessly explained. “It was still effective...I…”

“You what?”

“...I saw my mothers.” She said, trying not to cry. She had enough of that for a while, at least. Her gaze rested on the broken mirror. “It wasn’t real. They’re dead. They died years ago.” She took a deep breath, feeling Dante rub his hand against her shoulder. “That’s what the mirror does: it lures you in with what you want the most and traps you in it’s illusions.” A quiet fell between them, all eyes on the broken trap at their feet.

“Hey…” Dante broke the quiet, trying to sound easy-going, as if nothing had happened short of a job well done. “How about we get a pizza?”

“A pizza, Dante!?” Vergil growled. “That’s the last-”

“No no no, I...I’d like something stupidly greasy right now to take my mind off things.” Cassandra looked up to the trio. Dante beamed at the sound of Cassandra taking his side of things. Vergil scowled at the decision before seeming to relent. Cassandra took one last glance to the broken mirror, the damp air silent. It couldn’t be real...right?

And yet, as her hand reached up to realize that a new Rhodonite necklace now hung around her neck, she suddenly wasn’t sure if everything in the broken mirror was illusionary.

[canirandagi-archived]

Anonymous said:

karamiatta

multiipl

somegremlin

multi-mused-menagerie

Send URL for Positivity - Always Accepting!

(( Time to give all these wonderful peeps some love!~

@karamiiatta​ - Cinder, you’re an absolute sweetheart, seeing you on my dash always makes my day! I love both your canon and OC muses, you put so much thoughts and love in either of them, it’s a joy to read them and write with them. In short, you’re amazing and deserves all things nice <3

@multiipl​ - Lucy, my dear, I keep telling you this in DMs but lemme reiterate this in front of witnesses: you’re an angel! No really, you’re so nice and sweet, chatting and plotting with you is a pleasure! Hope you have a wonderful day <3

@somegremlin​ - Stella, our own very Unapologetic Yumeno Apologist™️,  have I ever told you how sweet you are? Coz you are, a really sweet and kind mun and amazing writer, love you lots <3

@multi-mused-menagerie​ - last but not least, Micha, also known as my favorite little brother, you’re a joy to see on my dash and interact with, be it via plotting and chatting on Discord or writing here on Tumblr! We’ve been interacting ever since you only had Ray and it’s been tons of fun from the beginning! I love you <3

All of you, keep being awesome! <3 ))

[jawnjendes]

a particular lie | shawn mendes

university au, shawn x goth gf

if there’s anything you wanna see happen in this series, let me know!

masterlist | series playlist

“She just goes right for the what?” I asked incredulously.

Shawn only smirked and wiggled his eyebrows.

He has been quite open with me ever since we started dating, mostly in the hopes that I would do the same. It was easy for him to be honest because he put so much of himself in his music, which was both his passion and his therapy. It was just another thing I adored about him, even though I never outwardly said it. Explicit expression of emotions was… quite the task for me.

Anyway, Shawn put a new song up on Spotify and it was a lot sexier and more fun than his other ones. The lyrics caught my attention, because they were pure sex, which he and I hadn't done a lot of. I certainly didn't do what this girl in the song did, not that I thought he was going to be singing about our sex life. I just knew Shawn got around as much as I did before we met each other. Although, his reasons were different from mine. Consider my curiosity sparked!

“So, who's this ex you were obsessed with?” I asked with a grin. The song was on repeat in the background, playing through my small bedroom in the dorm.

“Oh, you don't wanna hear about that,” Shawn replied, waving it off.

“If I didn't, I wouldn't have asked,” I said, only for my attention to be taken by another interesting lyric. I was learning a lot about the sensual side of my boyfriend.

Then, I crawled onto the bed where Shawn was laying, and I made my way onto his lap. I smiled at him and gently ran my fingers through his curly brown hair. “So, you gonna spill the tea or…?”

“If I do, will you keep doing that?” he asked, closing his eyes at my touch.

Listen, I love music. I'm not a singer or songwriter like my boyfriend, but I knew the effect music can have. Listening to music and creating playlists was one of my healthy coping mechanisms. A good song can alter my mood completely, and this song… Well, I felt a little daring.

My hands cupped Shawn's face and I leaned in until our faces were an inch apart. “I'll do whatever you want…”

His cheeks heated up almost immediately, but he sounded composed when he spoke. “It was just an idea that ran through my head.”

“Like a fantasy?”

“Uh… yeah. Something like that. Now, are you going to do whatever I want?”

The rising heat between us was enough to wipe away any other questions from my head. I nodded and pulled him into a lustful kiss, but it only lasted for a second.

I quickly pulled away hearing noise outside my bedroom. Stella had come home, and she was chatting with someone. By chatting, I mean we heard audible kissing noises, soft moans, and finally a door slamming shut.

“Is this weird?” I asked Shawn. “I don't want this to be weird.”

He shook his head. “Two… couples can play at that game.”

I smiled and kissed him again. “I'll be right back.”

Quickly, I hopped off his lap and dashed out of the room. I ran over to the bathroom and opened the cabinet under the sink, reaching for the box of condoms Stella kept in there. Just as I snagged the last one, the lady herself ran up to the doorway.

“No,” she said in disbelief. “Please tell me there's another one.”

I shook my head. “Sorry, boo.”

“Weren't you taking it slow? I thought you weren't getting dicked down yet!”

“Bitch, I might be! I told Shawn I'll do whatever he wants! I need to be ready!”

Stella opened her mouth to argue, but it seemed like she had that argument in her head. “Fine! Only because you haven't gotten any in a while! If I catch something, I'm blaming you!”

~

We're going to get a little TMI for a minute, okay? Cool.

I was in bed with Shawn after… three hours. Yes, three fucking hours. We each missed a class, who cares? We were sweating and panting, coming down from a particularly intense high. I was beginning to wonder why I put this off for so long, even though I had very good reasons for doing so. I was perfectly sleepy and loopy in the best way, and I couldn't stop smiling.

“Mm, Stella's gonna be pissed,” Shawn mumbled as he rested his head on my chest.

Her guest didn't stay very long, we discovered after our first round. I almost felt bad, but then Shawn showed me just how talented he was with his fingers and his mouth. Nothing else mattered.

“She’ll live,” I replied, stroking Shawn's hair.

Now, I'm not a virgin, but I was new to the concept of not leaving after sex. I was new to cuddling and still caring after sex. I was new to the other person caring about me. A long line of being kicked to the curb left me very touch and affection starved, so I needed Shawn to stay with me. I needed to be reassured that he still liked me after getting his nut. He hasn't left a single time.

Shawn picked himself up, and rolled off of me. He rested on his elbow and cupped my face with his free hand. He did that when he wanted me to look directly at him.

“Hey.”

“Hi,” I mumbled, my eyelids heavy and my heart whooshing.

“I love you,” he said quietly.

Okay, I know I said I needed reassurance… but my eyes weren’t heavy anymore, and the cloud I was on vanished and hurdled me back to earth. I blinked a few times and I smiled. Shawn had a hopeful look in his eyes, like he was expecting something in return.

“I love…” I trailed off, “that concept.”

And I kissed him on the nose.

Yup. I said what I said, and I crawled out of bed before it got weird.

“You know what?” Shawn said while I got dressed. “I'll take it.”

I didn't know what to say, honestly. I kept my back to him as I got my underwear back on.

“That's probably as much as I'll get right now,” he continued. “And that's okay. It's probably just another wall you got up, right?”

Finally, I looked at him. He was still lying on my small bed, arms resting behind his head. He didn't look upset… but he sounded like it.

He certainly knew how to call me out too. I guess it's what I get for disclosing my reasons for going to therapy. He wasn't wrong, though. I was weary around the L word, thanks to various life experiences. I guess Shawn just wasn't having it anymore.

“Is it so bad if I don't say it the second you tell me?” I asked, mild snark in my tone.

“Well, it doesn't feel good.”

That put a gross feeling in my stomach. “Huh. I definitely don't wanna say it now…” I turned away again to pick up my t shirt.

“No - sweetheart. Hey…” Shawn got up and approached me, the blanket wrapped around his lower half. “I'm sorry. I got lost in the moment.”

“So you don't feel that way?” I was confused now… and picking a fight.

“I do. I don’t know how soon is too soon for you, but I love you… a lot. You don't have to say it back at all, or ever. I know you don't use words to express those things, and that's okay. I promise.”

Why does he have to be nice to me? Why can’t we just yell and be angry and call things off? Why can’t we just ignore each other for weeks and have him come back just to sleep with me again?

I offered a weak smile and silently went to my dresser. It was time for my round of meds. Usually, I had to take 2 of my 3 pills in the morning, but I was rarely awake before ten o’clock. I knew how to take care of myself, it was just actually doing it accordingly was my problem.

Shawn approached me yet again. He looked down at my prescription bottles and whistled. “You take all of these everyday?”

“Not this one.” I held up the bottle with large white tablets. “This one is only for three more days. It’s for my abnormal digestive tract.” I smiled like I said the most attractive thing in the world. Then I held up the bottle with small, white circular pills. “I also got birth control to treat PCOS-”

“What’s that?”

“It’s a reproductive disorder. There’s that, and finally-” I held up the bottle with blue and white tablets. “Prozac for the nerves.” I wanted to jokingly ask if he still loved me, but it was probably too soon.

“Wow,” Shawn said. “My little fighter.”

I chuckled as I downed 3 pills at once. “It’s not a big deal. In three days, I’ll be down to two pills.”

Then, there was a knock on the door, followed by Stella’s voice.

“If y’all are done,” she called, “me and Camila need a ride to the mall!”

“Your kids are calling,” Shawn told me with a grin.

~

My boyfriend left to his next class, leaving me to drive Stella and Camila. Oh, and it wasn’t just the two of them, either. They had a third friend named Hailey who tagged along. She was long, blonde, and beautiful. She didn’t speak that much, she just sat with Camila in the backseat and scrolled on her phone. She, Stella, and Camila could wipe out the entire campus with their looks.

I really felt like a mom driving her teenage daughters around. That was partly because I felt tired and my stomach was grumbling ominously. I love being a 40-year-old mom.

“Did you guys hear Shawn’s new song?” Camila asked. “It’s different, right?”

“It sure is,” I said, blushing at the events that happened after I first heard it. “What a talented boy.”

“Why don’t you tell him that?” Stella asked, probably still salty about the screaming match from earlier.

I chuckled. “I can’t. He’s already got a huge ego.”

Then came something interesting from Hailey, who I did not think was listening to a word I had to say. Oh jeez…

“That’s not the only huge thing about him.”

I peeked at her through the rearview mirror. She was still scrolling on her phone like nothing happened. Uuuhhhhhhhhhhh-

“You know you’re talking to Shawn’s girlfriend, right?” Camila said non-too-gently.

“Yeah,” Hailey said mindlessly. “Thought I was just saying something we could agree on.”

Shit, I thought I was bad at making conversation. Aside from that, my stomach felt heavier. It made me sweat a little bit.

“Are you, like, trying to flex your BDSM thing or something?” Stella asked, looking back at Hailey.

What the hap is fuckening??

“I’m just quite particular. And Shawn would agree.”

Particular? Why particular?

“Did you date him?” I finally asked, but talking made my nerves increase.

Hailey laughed. “I wouldn’t say that. He was never the dating type. I wonder what he sees in you. No offense.”

My stomach kept flipping, so I kept my eyes firmly on the road. “Yeah, I always say he’s much cooler than me.” Especially right now, because I felt quite warm in the face.

“Hey, you’re cool,” Stella reassured. “And Shawn is very fucking lucky to have you. You’re not exactly the dating type either, it’s a match made in heaven.”

I smiled and then flipped off the AC. “Is it too cold?”

The other three girls said they were fine. While I was blushing from the uncomfortable conversation, the rest of my body was chilly. Soon enough, I was trying not to visibly shiver. Also, why did I never know that Shawn wasn’t “the dating type?”

“You know his song is called Particular Taste, right?” Camila said. “Does that sound familiar, Hailey?”

“I knew I left an impression. Guess I just have that effect.”

Suddenly, I hit the brakes and swerved to the side of the highway. The girls practically screamed at my actions and were about to cuss me out. However, the second I pulled the parking brake, I opened the door and threw up on the ground. It didn’t take long because there wasn’t much in my stomach. Once I finished, I sat back in my seat and shut the door.

“Like I said,” I told the girls, who were now looking horrified, “my boyfriend is way cooler than me.”

He’s also a fucking liar.

~

Shawn was out of class by the time I got back to campus. I just knew that by looking at the time, so I went back to my dorm and asked him to meet me there. If I was going to be sick again, I’d rather it be in my own living space.

I listened to his new song again while I waited for him to come over. The lyrics had a whole new meaning now that I had spoken to Hailey. This song was riddled with inside jokes and little intimate moments that had happened between them. So it was just some fantasy, huh? Just a little idea? When in reality, she actually went for the face. Holy fuck.

When he finally showed up, he had a plastic bag in hand, and he was moderately frantic. “Hey!” He kissed my cheek as he stepped into my humble abode. “Camila texted me saying you got sick, so I brought some stuff!”

“Oh…” I said, my mind not occupied by my stupid intestines for once.

Shawn went and sat in front of the coffee table and emptied the bag. “I got chamomile to calm your tummy and your nerves. Pepto for your tummy. Oh, and I got you some Lunchables because I know you only eat that when you’re sick. How do you feel now? Feeling okay?”

I was surprised at the lengths he went. “This is… awfully nice of you. I’m fine, though. I just forgot to eat with my meds. And I’m supposed to take them separately.”

He made himself comfortable on the couch. “Aren’t they supposed to help?”

A pit of annoyance struck me in the chest. “Yeah. I don’t really wanna talk about that, though.” I cleared my throat and sat down next to him. I busied myself with devouring the Lunchables, but I still couldn’t push down what was really bothering me. “I met a girl named Hailey today. Said she knows you.”

“You met Hailey?” Shawn asked, his tone changing from that sweet boyfriend voice.

“She’s very… particular.”

He gave me a look. “Sweetheart. Is there something you wanna say?”

“Is your new song about her?”

“Well, not entirely-”

“Shawn.”

He hesitated. “Yeah. Yeah, it’s about Hailey.”

I began picking at my nails. My stomach flipped again, but it wasn’t from nausea. “Why didn’t you tell me that before?”

“Why is it such a big deal? Are you jealous?”

I scoffed and rolled my eyes. “No. She’s gorgeous, and I don’t blame you for letting her sit-”

“Please don’t finish that sentence.” He paused, then he held his hand out to me. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”

I folded my arms, still feeling dramatic. “Are all of your songs about exes I don’t know about? Am I going to run into all of them in the hallway? In class? How many of your songs have you lied to me about?”

“Hey, I didn’t lie-” Shawn tried to say.

“You told me you made it up. You told me there wasn’t an ex when you wrote that song.” I raised my voice a little bit. He needed to know why I was so upset.

He sighed. “I told you that because you loved the song and I was worried that the real reason would ruin it. Like when you found out about Mercy.”

My mind was still searching for things to be pissed about. How do I know he’s not lying right now? Why did I have to find out the truth from the ex and not him?

“Plus,” he continued, “you liked the song so much that we had really good sex for like three hours. How could I tell you then?”

“Oh, so you lied to get into my pants? You know I was trying to take that part slow!”

“That’s not why I did it!” He raised his voice at me, but he stopped himself and took a deep breath. “I was trying to protect you. I wasn’t thinking of myself, I was thinking of you and your best interests!”

“Protect me?!”

Now, Shawn looked exasperated. He huffed. “Yes, I wanted to protect you! Why is that such a bad thing?”

This is why I don’t like letting people in. Once they see what’s in my head, I’m suddenly fragile and made of glass. They think they can’t do anything around me. They proceed with caution like I’m some ticking time bomb. But Shawn knew I was strong, he was the last person I expected this from.

“I don’t need protecting,” I said firmly. “I need you to be honest with me. I don’t mind knowing about your exes. They’re probably way better than mine. I don’t mind that you write and sing about them. It’s what you do best.” It sounded less angry than I was, but I didn’t know how to sound bitchy about it.

Shawn processed what I said and nodded. “Okay. You’re right, I need to be more honest. And, I won’t perform Particular Taste if you don’t want me to.”

Oof.

“That’s another thing,” I told him. “I will never ask you to do something like that. Those are your songs, your babies. I know you’re proud of them otherwise you wouldn’t put them out there! Keep singing Particular Taste, and keep singing Mercy. They’re both amazing songs, and I love them because I love you-”

Shawn and I gasped at the same time. He lit up like a Christmas tree, all of his frustration flying away. I had my hand clamped over my mouth. My eyes widened in shock, and I quickly tried to retract my impulsive words.

“No, no!” Shawn said over me, smiling wide. “You said it! You can’t take it back!”

I could only continue staring at him with wide eyes. I didn’t mean to say it at a time like this. We were supposed to be fighting!

“You love me.” His smile was radiant, like it was his birthday. Like when he was on stage. He placed his hands on my upper arms. “Honey, it’s okay! I love you too!”

I dropped my hand and nodded. “I’m not the type to say it all the time, though. Honestly, I don’t know when’s the next time you’ll hear it.”

“I’ll say it enough for the both of us.” He kissed my forehead. “And I really am sorry I lied to you. I won’t do it again, I promise.”

My eyes narrowed. The irrational, anxious side of my brain was screaming for me to kick him to the curb. The logical side reminded me why he did it to me in the first place. His intentions were good.

“Fine.” Then I figured I’d give him one more for the road. “I… I love you.”

“And I love that concept,” he replied.

“Nevermind. I fucking hate you.”

[licoriceblackaliceangel]

February 1st is the day I made this blog!

First making this blog, I’ve said it plenty of times when it was brought up, but I never intended to do much with it.

I made it for the purpose of not flooding my main blog with bat/im stuff, and having the idea of answering asks for Alice if any came by. I was RPing as Alice with someone on discord for at least four months prior to this blog, and soon this blog delved more into an RP blog more than an ask blog.

I’ve made plenty of friends, have so many memories and a lot of growth through this blog. And despite some of the hard times I faced and forces and situations where I almost deleted a few times.. I don’t regret a thing.

SO.

I decided to make a little follow forever under the cut! A few people (Going back. A lot of people did. Oops.) will get some special shoutouts solely because I have a lot of thoughts, but if I don’t write something for you, don’t think you mean any less to me! If I forget anyone, my DEEPEST APOLOGIES. I have the memory of a gold fish and trying to remember everyone is. Hard.

But just know if we are mutuals I LOVE AND CHERISH YOU.

This also got a lot longer than I expected OOPS

@inkdrenchedsmile: Tea, I tell you everyday and talk to you almost everyday. I love and cherish you so so so much. You’re the sweetest, cutest, most darling thing ever. You are the brightest little marshmallow peep~ And I have so grateful everyday to have met you and be able to write with you. I love your writing and stories and your ideas and art and YOU ARE SO TALENTED! You mean the world to me. I love you, honeybun <3

@kalamxs: GIO. BOY YOu know I told you plenty of times you’re one of the reasons I even went to making this blog. I followed you before I even had the thought in my mind (I don’t remember why, maybe from your AWESOME ART and your writing and rping made me stay) because YOU ARE SO FUCKING GOOD!! I remember laughing all the time and sharing with my friends in my discord even though they don’t exactly understand BUT-- Man I’m so happy I got to actually. Interact with you! And get to befriend you and man YOUR ART GIVES ME LIFE. I love seeing all your stuff and writing and I LOVE WRITING WITH YOU. Bendo and Alice are absolutely adorable as well; fucking dorks. I LOVE YOU BABEY!! NEVER GONNA STOP LOVIN AND SUPPORTIN YOU!!

@bendicethedaughterofthedevil: NICK. You know I been with you since the MERE START. And I told you watching your growth and Bendice’s story was. WOO. Man I sometimes see the old Baby Shower art thing I did for the twin’s baby shower like.. Gonna be almost a year with that too. And just. :(.. THINGS WERE SIMPLER THEN.. I love you Nick, you’re talented and sweet and so so ambitious and strong and I LOVE YOU BABEY!!

@devilswinging: Veemo, I am so glad to have been able to meet ya and interact with you. I love ya man and I love writing with you and your muses. I love the small chit chats we have and seeing you on my dash. I love Alice’s relationship with Bebe and Sammy and just. Man!! You know, no matter what, if you ever feel down and feel like no one likes your boys, know I !! Will always love and appreciate them. <3 And Alice does too.

@instrumentsofcyanide: STELLLAAAAAAA. I fucking love you Stella. You’re so funny and sweet and the little messages back and forth sometimes and you coming in my DMs like: WHAT THE FUCK IS WITH YOUR ANONS all the time is. So funny. All the damn fiascos Oreo manages to produce and just. Oreo in general. Always gets me laughing and smiling. I love you and your boy so much?? You’re so fun and creative and silly and just an OVERALL JOY TO TALK AND BE AROUND WITH!!! I’m so glad to be able to interact and talk with you <3 (Never forget the first time I think you actually said anyhting to me was about that one Alice Blog Foot Pics Fiasco and I’ll never forget being like; Man someone I look up to and I’s first interaction is over saying ‘wow fuck this girl’ over guilting me for foot pics-- DOFIHJGFD)

@inkwise: AVI I LOVE YOU SM. DFKGJ. You’re so sweet and creative and your muses are an absolute joy. I especially have so many feelings. For Henry. So much. I love this man so much and I thank you and him everyday for my life. He needs a break. I love getting to write with you and seeing you on my dash is?? A fucking delight. Thank you. <3

@lxgner: ALICE YOU CREATIVE SWEET PERSON. You have so many damn muses and I APPLAUD YOU. Your OCs are all pretty sweet imo? The ones I seen. And the ambition you have to write and work on all this?? I applaud. I love your Joey muses esp and they’re so interesting and I love the thought you put into them all you know?? It’s interesting and really brings life into them. Your writing is delicious and your humor is. Great. I love writing with you <3 Keep your head up darling.

@one-eyed-twin: LADY V I LOVE YA SWEETHEART. Your muses are a delight and I love the little threads we’ve had, either it with Phiona, Clyde or Vlad (here and on my other blog) I love peaking at your threads and seeing your writing. You’re an absolute delight and I love?? Your creativity and your ART!! You truly are a person with impeccable tastes ~ Love seeing you on the dash, love <3

@inkyencounters: Glowbun you. Are really a sweetheart. So creative and funny, you really are kind and try to look out for everyone and it’s Very nice. I’m very appreciative of how kind ya are and the creativity you have with your muses and just. It’s very refreshing. Thank you for everything.

@sillymuses: Where do I begin. I love writing with you either with Charlie or on this blog, both here and my OC blog of course. You really have such a creative spin in your writing and really? Feel your characters and paint them so!! Amazingly. I love the back and forth between you and you’re honestly. Adorable. I love seeing you and your creativity hun <3

@inkmachine: GLOOMY I LOVE YOU AND I HOPE THINGS ARE/WILL GET BETTER SOON LOVIE. God it’s always a treat when you’re online and on the dash it’s. Always hilarious. I love seeing what Bendy fucking gets up to this time and he’s so?? Awesome. I love him a lot. The little bastard PFF. He’s absolute adorable and cute and I love the dark shit with him honestly. And him and Alice’s lil Candi adventures are always. Tooth rottingly sweet. I love ya hun. <3

@taakos-troupe-of-threads: I hope you know the phrase “Snap would fight Chalk Jesus for Alice’s honor” is a thing that will NEVER leave my mind and tends to cross it once a day. PFF. I love writing with you and seeing you on the dash as well! Snap is a fucking DOLL and I LOVE HIM SO MUCH. (As does Alice, ofc) They’re absolutely adorable and poor girl is such a worrier PFF. Our DMs are always something funny as well, I think. I always know I’m in for something good when I see that fucking. Orange Danny Devito icon in my dms-- KSKJF

@dappcrdust: GLITTER!! Man. I remember first writing with you with your Bendy muse and honestly? Ever interaction from him to now has ALWAYS been a fun treat. I love your writing and love seeing you on and getting into whatever shenanigans that seem to pop up. Mostly with Angel it seems pfff.. Sweet Angel. I love what you have all done and cooked for him and his character he’s so?? three dimensional i love it. Him and Alice’s BFFship is honestly. Great and I love them SO MUCH. You’re creative and fun and just. A sweetheart. Love ya hun <3

@gamblxrhxsk: tbh I didn’t know what blog to @ YOU FUCKING MANIAC. Jk. I love you Echo. PFFF It’s funny to me that I feel I got closer with you via fucking. shit with CEO-Entity. LMAO. Echo where do I start. You are SO DAMN FUNNY. Like my GOD how many times have I laughed out loud to myself over some shit ya wrote and done?? Hell, even with your stuff with phil swift and entity and all that stuff got my SQUAD TO COME TO ME LAUGHING OVER IT!! I love also all your muses and the fact you got this whole arsenal and can?? Keep up with it for what it seems like. PROPS!! I love fucking around with you here and there and even though we don’t really write together too much (which, I would love to but I’m myself and even still lowkey anxious OIGJG) I just love putzing around and seeing you do your thing on the dash; from jokes to serious business. It’s always a treat. <3

@nctherchpter: Pai, I’m still lowkey so flattered you ever followed me back (and now mutuals with me on our mains like. WHAAA--) Your art is always. Bellissimo. Asriel was always a joy to see and honestly just. Stole my heart. I love him so much. Your writing is always a joy and man you just. Are skilled in The Arts(TM) Your self insert blog is also?? Awesome. I love the concept and idea and going through with a thing like? Honestly. Inspiration. All your self insert stuff really is just. Big big inspo. I’m so glad you seem to have? So much fun. Also I did say it in Nick’s stream many moons ago when they were going through BATIM again. Your voice is v cute <3

@clair-de-luna: WHERE DO I BEGIN WITH YOU!!! Man I remember following your main back for that SWEET MUFFETON ART. My cherished Muffeton mutual. And now here we both are with THIS. YOUR ART JUST CONTINUES TO INSPIRE AND GROW AND I LOVE!! SEEING IT!! And LUNA MELTS ALICE AND I’S HEART ALL THE TIME. God does she ADORE HER LITTLE STAR!! Ugh. I cry real tears. Always a delight to see you both here and your main. <3 I love ya DC!!

@lilithmagne: AC you. Are truly an artistic marvel. Your art is INCREDIBLE, your writing is BEAUTIFUL. And I love seeing you on my dashboard. You are so sweet and kind?? It’s so nice. I LOVE the love and work you put into Lilith and her story and your research and dedication? It’s amazing. Lilith is an absolute BEAUTY and God I LOVE HER. You do her SUCH A BEAUTIFUL JUSTICE!! So honored to be mutuals with you honestly. <3 Keep being amazing you beautiful person.

@lucifermagne: MARZI YOU ARE AN ABSOLUTE ANGEL. Working on all those HH icons for other rpers, working on your other RP blogs and pumping out that SWEET CONTENT. You are honestly a treasure. You are absolute sweet and a joy to see online. I love peaking at your threads and LOVE seeing your posts either for HCs or just IC shenanigans with Lucifer. You put so much through and care into your interpretation of him and I LOVE IT. He’s such a fun goof ball but at the same time presents himself as. THE KING OF HELL. Obviously. He’s an absolute Joy and just!! It’s amazing. We haven’t threaded together yet but even despite that?? I just love seeing you and him (and Alastor and Marx and the gang ofc) on the dash. Always a damn delight. <3

@thatscwewywabbit: we only just started interacting like. a week or so ago but AMANDA Man I have told you before how much I adore seeing you write for Bugs and how it’s ALWAYS SO FUN to see him and your posts for him on the dash. THE AMOUNT OF RESEARCH, CARE, LOVE, THOUGHT ALL PUT INTO HIM AND YOUR WRITING FOR HIM. It’s just so good. So refreshing. Ugh. MY CHILDHOOD!! It makes me so happy all the time. You really are. An inspiration. Writing with you and him is a DELIGHT and love peeking at your other threads just. It’s so nice. It’s almost uncanny how well you play him. My goodness! Keep being awesome lovely <3

@viennaxmuses​: Fuck you bitch. Yeah. You’re getting put here. Bitch. Fuck you. I LOVE YOU. BItch. You fucking fuck. You sweet cute funny fuck. You adorable loving supportive bitch. Ya uplifting comforting creative artistic thot. Fuck you.

Okay this went WAY LONGER THAN I INTENDED but sorry everyone else I didn’t write a lil blurb for. I wrote a lot and I STILL WANNA GIVE SHOUTOUTS CUS I LOVE!! ALL OF YOU!! Even non-mutuals like. I just wanna share all the love and appreciation I have here.

@hxllodolly @cvangclii @snxkeyes @ofinkdxmonsandxngels @brxkeninstrument / @butcherbrains @stupidcoffeeboy @strawberry-lemonade-muses @hazbinmuses @bornloscrs @black-jack-the-cat​ @bluescarfvivi @a-framed-rabbit​ @angelusvoce​ @ask-slender-and-gray​ @wrenchand-abone

[talesofourworlds]

*showers you in heaps of stars* ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Writing with you has been so fun! And I absolutely enjoy our ooc chats about the characters that we adore and such! Not to mention all of the art that you create of them? Now that's dedication as a content creator, omg!!! Logging on and seeing you and your muses on my dash totally brightens my day! ^_^ )

Send ‘⭐️’ if you like roleplaying with me.

(ooc: AAAAAAH ;A; You're so kind, omg. I love writing with you, too! So so much! You put so much love into Stella, and it makes me so happy to see the life you breathe into her in all of your threads!)