#3 years I search for this missing motivation

[deliciousangelfestival]

Nothing Has Changed - 2

Summary: Returning home for peace, you're faced with your tormentor, Bucky Barnes, who is now involved in your family's business.

Character: Bucky Barnes x Female!Reader

Words Count: 2,143

Warning: Angst, Tragedy.

Chp 1, Chp 2 , Chp 3 , Chp 4 , Chp 5 ,-

Main Masterlist || support: Ko-fi

Thank you to anyone who gave a like, reblog, and left a comment. It motivated me to write more. 

The one person who turned your school life into a nightmare will take over your father's business.

You never had any interest in following in your father's footsteps. Tom had told you from the beginning that you weren't fit for this work. And you hated the business; you wanted to burn it to the ground.

Even though you had never come home for several years, you kept sending your father monthly money. That money was enough for him to move and buy a new house in a big city. Last Christmas, you called your father and told him to sell the house, but he said nothing.

Something never changed: your father would put work before his own happiness.

Now you know why he didn’t want to sell the house. Because he had found someone to continue the business. Bucky Barnes.

Bucky is the popular kid from the wealthiest family in town. Everywhere he went, people followed him. His entourage echoed his every move.

When Bucky said something about you, his followers echoed his sentiments. If Bucky said A, his entourage would cover B to Z, and he never stopped them.

You once thought that he looked down on you because he was rich. But after moving to the city with Ransom and meeting many influential and wealthy people in the business world, you realize that Barnes' fortune was nothing compared to the 0.1%.

Now, you see him as just a regular person.

You sighed, feeling a mix of frustration and resignation. "This is a big mistake. I shouldn't have come back here." You walked past them, not even glancing in Bucky's direction, and headed upstairs to grab your things.

Tom followed after you. “Y/N, please, we can talk about this. I didn’t know how to tell you.” He knew he had been an absent father. After you left for college, your relationship worsened.

You only called him on holiday, and he was afraid to call you first. He didn't know how to start the conversation when he had the chance to talk.

You stayed silent, slinging your bag over your shoulder and holding your laptop.

“Where are you going to stay?” Tom asked, desperation in his voice. “From what you told me, you don’t have much cash.”

He was right. Your bank account was blocked. But you still had some cash and your Rolex, which you could pawn. You glanced at your watch as you headed down the stairs.

Distracted, you missed the last step and started to fall. “Ahh!”

You braced for the impact, but instead, you hit something solid.

“Did you hurt your foot?” Bucky asked, holding you steady. His voice was worried. He had been about to leave, not wanting to cause more conflict between you and your father.

You looked at his face, searching for the smug expression he always wore when he tormented you with his “silly pranks.”

Quickly, you pulled away from his grasp. You didn’t want to be near or share the same air with him.

You walked past him, treating him like he didn’t exist. Before opening the door, you grabbed an umbrella—a habit of always being prepared.

As you opened the door, you felt a hand on your shoulder. You rolled your eyes, turned around, and saw Bucky stopping you.

“Please, listen to your father first,” Bucky said softly, sounding anxious. Your father stood at the top of the stairs, speechless.

At this moment, you felt like an outsider. They seemed more like father and son than you and Tom ever had.

You pushed Bucky's hand off your shoulder. "Keep your hands off of me!" Your voice was filled with years of pent-up anger and pain, each word like a knife stabbing into Bucky.

You slammed the door and stormed off, your heart pounding with a mix of rage and betrayal.

Back at the house, Bucky and Tom stood staring at the closed door.

Tom sighed, his shoulders sagging. "Give her a moment. She's been through a lot."

Bucky, still shaken, asked softly, "What happened to her?"

⌚

At the pawn shop, you tapped your fingers anxiously on the glass counter, awaiting Mr. Rogers' appraisal of your Rolex watch. His gaze met yours, and he inquired, "Do you know how much it's worth?"

You nodded, a sense of unease creeping over you. "I bought it three years ago for around $25,000. With the current market price, and since I didn’t bring the box and certificate, the price will be lower. I would say it’s around $8,000."

Mr. Rogers's eyes widened in surprise at your precise evaluation. Clearing his throat, he mumbled, "Ahem, you're right. And because you’re Tom’s daughter, I will give you that price."

You quietly sighed. You had just arrived at one shop, and he already knew you. But what could you do? This was the only pawn shop open this morning.

"Wait a second, I'll grab the money for you," Mr. Rogers announced before disappearing into the back room.

Taking a seat, you fidgeted with your phone, searching for the nearest hotel or motel.

Just as you began to scroll, your phone rang. It was Maya, your lawyer. You had chosen to work with her because she was your assistant's friend. Money was tight, so you couldn't afford a well-known lawyer.

“Hello?” you answered the call.

“Hi, are you alright? You have arrived in your hometown?” Maya asked.

“Yes, I have. By the way, is there any progress?” you inquired.

“Yes. They already looked through it. I guess you could hear good news in 3 days,” Maya replied.

You sighed in relief. “I’m glad. Thank you.”

After a brief conversation with Maya, you ended the call. Then you heard someone clear their throat.

“Ahem.”

You glanced up to see that the person behind the counter was no longer Mr. Rogers but his son, Steve Rogers, who was also Bucky’s friend.

Back then, Steve didn’t say anything when you were made fun of. But he didn’t do anything to stop the silly pranks either. So his name was also written in your black book.

But now you weren’t the same person anymore. You were a 'female Midas'. You were supposed to be confident. Steve used to look at you as if you were invisible. Now you should do the same.

You got up from your seat and walked towards him. There was a stack of cash, probably $9,000, in front of you. Mr. Rogers was quite a generous man.

You picked up the money and stuffed it into your bag. It was enough to live here for 3 days before you went back to the city.

Steve noticed that you didn’t even look at him. He cleared his throat. “It’s been a while. Are you staying?”

You continued to ignore him. As you exited the door, you clapped your hands, making Steve jump. Then you muttered, “Oh, it’s just a fly,” as you walked away.

🏨

You left the pawn shop and glanced back at your phone to find a cheap hotel or motel nearby. As you walked, sweat poured down your back, making you feel uncomfortably sticky. It was the most strenuous workout you had in a while, just trying to find a place to rest.

Eventually, you stumbled upon an interesting hotel on the booking app. The hotel was located inside a big building that sold outdoor equipment. It was cheap and conveniently close to your location.

Sweat dripping down your forehead, you kept walking until you finally reached the building. You were impressed by the natural surroundings, with shops surrounded by nature. The building was named Bronze Adventure Gear.

Upon entering, you were greeted by an employee.

“Welcome to Bronze Adventure Gear. How can we help you?” they asked.

You were taken aback by their energy; it was still 10 a.m., and they were already bustling with customers.

“I’m here for the hotel,” you replied. “I know it’s early, but I just need a place to rest.”

“No worries. It’s off-season, and there are many empty rooms. We’ll guide you to the receptionist,” they said, leading you further into the building.

Grateful for the hospitality, you thanked them as they left you at the receptionist.

The hotel was called Bronze Lodge.

“We’ll leave you to our friend,” the employee said before departing.

“Thank you,” you replied, feeling a sense of relief wash over you as you tapped the reception table and waited.

“Welcome to the Bronze Lodge. How can I help you?” a friendly female voice greeted you. However, to your ears, it sounded like venom. It was Natasha Romanoff, the popular girl in town.

You felt a shiver run down your spine, a sensation far different from when you had encountered Bucky and Steve again.

“Y/N? Is that you?” Natasha's voice cut through the air.

You tried to compose yourself. “Yup.”

“Goodness. It’s been a long time. And you're so beautiful. Ah, where are my manners? Are you staying at this hotel?” Natasha wore her trademark smile—the same one you hated seeing back in school, where her girl gang would always talk behind your back.

"You know what-?" You were about to say, but then second thoughts about leaving crossed your mind.

That's when you heard the most enormous thunderclap of your life.

“Are you surprised? The weather is quite unpredictable,” Natasha remarked casually.

She glanced at your belongings. “Oh, and you brought your yellow umbrella. Such a nostalgic touch. You never changed,” she continued, her words like needles pricking at your skin.

You clenched your fists, your frustration bubbling up inside you.

“You’re lucky. There’s a room ready for you. Here’s the key. I hope you enjoy staying with us,” Natasha said, offering you the card key with a sweet smile.

You snatched the key from her hand. “I’ll try.”

Turning on your heel, you made your way to the elevator. As you left, Natasha's smile faltered, and she quickly grabbed her phone to make a call. “You won’t believe who checked into the hotel today,” she said eagerly.

*********

The moment you entered the hotel room, you threw yourself onto the bed, exhausted. You turned around and stared at the ceiling.

The rain and thunder outside seemed oblivious to your desire for peace. You starting to regret coming back here.

Closing your eyes, you tried to ease your racing mind. But four hours later, what was meant to be a short nap turned into a longer one.

'Knock. Knock.'

You were jolted awake by the sound of someone knocking at your door. Lazily, you left the bed and peered through the peephole, wondering who it could be since you hadn't requested anything.

You gasped when you saw Bucky standing outside. What on earth did he want? Wasn't it enough that you had already encountered him and his friends earlier today?

Taking a deep breath, you hesitated before opening the door.

When you did, you remained silent, not wanting to converse with him.

Bucky said, "Tom is looking for you."

"I see. Thanks for the info," you replied, moving to close the door, but he stopped it.

"What do you want?" you sighed in frustration.

"You have to talk to him," Bucky insisted.

Closing your eyes, you responded icily, "I'll talk to him when I'm ready. But I don't need you hovering around. I certainly don't want to see your face."

His expression seemed to reflect grief when you said that, though you dismissed it as your own emotions. Why would he feel guilty towards you?

"And how did you manage to find me?" you asked.

"It’s easy," Bucky replied nonchalantly, "since my family owns this business. I can access anything I want, including information about guests staying here."

There it was, the smug face finally making its appearance, accompanied by that cocky explanation.

You gritted your teeth. Somehow, the idea of being in prison didn't seem so bad anymore.

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Author Note: Hey friends,

If you've been enjoying the content, I've set up a Ko-fi account.

Your support through tips would mean the world and help me keep creating.

Only if you feel like it!

Here's the link: Ko-fi

Thanks a bunch for being fabulous followers!

[justthoughts1310]

If you have not watched Netflix's live action ATLA yet, let me stop you right now. It is not good and it's score on rotten tomatoes is honestly too high.

However, it's far better than the 2010 Live Action movie.

I'm on episode 6 now, and as I watch, I've been trying to find the words that best describe the series.

I've struggled, but the first thing I've noticed is how all of the actors seem to walk their parts and miss the meaning and motivations of their characters all together. The only one who comes close to embodying their character is Iroh, and the only one who looks like they came from straight out of the avatar universe is the Bounty Hunter.

However, now that I'm in episode 6, I've found the word.

The series is Rushed. It's rushed. It feels that they are trying to pack as much avatar lore into the storyline as possible and they don't care what storylines or arcs they have to mangle in order to do it. It's like a really badly written fanficition or a bad spark notes recap of the OG show. I feel comfortable saying that because I've read the Kiyoshi novels (which are like fanfics) and they are EXCELLENT.

You notice this when the show starts. Aang can fly unassisted. Let me repeat. He can fly unassisted. Only two Airbenders in all of Avatar history can fly unassisted, and one hasn't even been born yet during the time Aang was trying to stop the 100 year war. This boy can fly, but we're 6 episodes in and he has not water bent once. If he hadn't turned into Kiyoshi, I wouldn't believe that he's actually the avatar.

As to not provide any spoilers, they've taken multiple storylines and mashed them together. For example, the spirt of wisdom that we meet in the library in the arc where Appa goes missing. Yeah, we meet the guy in the forest with the Panda Bear Forest spirit and then we meet Kah shortly after. As if that's not all terrible, then we are introduced to the Mother of Faces.

The mother of freaking faces! If you don't know who she is, she is not in the show. She is introduced in the graphic novel trilogy "The Search" when Zuko and Azula try to find their long lost mother.

It is my feeling that if you want to revisit a beloved show that you should work to make it better. Deepen it. Add color to it and help the audience better understand the characters insights. Take your time with it.

Netflix tries to do a little of this by providing some additional backstories, but it does this by running rough shot through literally everything else.

It even changes the characters relational dynamics with one another. For example you know how even though Sokka is the oldest, Katara very much has adopted the place of their mother? Yeah... throw that notion right out the window. Now, instead of Katara being the practical one who keeps everything on track, she's painted as the rash kid who needs to grow up and Sokka is the father figure.

Now, Zuko is kind of the beloved child even though he's been banished and Azula is seen as a nuisance to her father. Like what??????

It's actually ironic that the show removes Sokka's misogynistic nature because the show is kind of misogynistic in and of itself.

It's 6 episodes in and has already stripped three female characters of their core tenants.

1. Azula is a prodigy. She's the pride of the fire nation. Not anymore.

2. Katara is a motherly figure who is the mother of the group. She cares for everybody and keeps them on track. Not anymore.

3. Suki is a fierce and independent warrior who is not impressed by Sokka's misogyny. Now, she's a creepy woman who follows him around the entire time he's on the island until he asks to be trained by her.

When we heard that the OG creators and Netflix went different ways because of creative differences, we should have known right then and there that the live action was going to be trash.

Also, I'm going to put it out there. Considering the fact that this should be a block buster series, Netflix did not spend anywhere enough money on it, because the graphics are so cheesy and Appa looks terrible.

[alienssstufff]

MISSING PERSONS ARTICLE (5/10/ NULL):

An extract from a local article published by The Weekly Hermit on the 5th of October (Year: NULL). Covered by Pixlriffs [Pen Name] –DISAPPEARING ACT, The Bachelor Who Vanished In Thin Air

[MEMORY : 1/2 ] [MEMORY : 2/2 - HERE]

>[READ ARTICLE?]

They were young and unafraid, Joel [LASTNAME] alongside friend Scar [LASTNAME] would venture on a hiking trip around the mountains only to vanish without a trace.

With the Joel engaged and set to be married to the current head of the Fairy Fort Resort ranger Lizzie [LASTNAME], accounts state that him along with best man Scar were last seen on the 22nd of September in the safety of Hiker’s Checkpoint, a popular camping destination of the Last Life woodlands.

“He said it was supposed to be an ‘act of bravery’. He wanted to prove he was strong to me.” A distraught Lizzie recounts. 

“I knew Scar was acting rather off the last few weeks, but I never expected he would just.. Up and run away like this. Especially with someone as inexperienced to hiking as Joel – I didn’t think they would go this far!” witness and former roommate of Scar, Grian, relays to the press.

Further interviews with the witnesses on the day of the disappearance recount in agreeance to meet the two at the Fairy Fort Reserve, a small group had held an early-morning farewell bachelor party at the Hiker’s Checkpoint, where the two would begin their 3-day trip along the marked Mycelium Trail to the wedding venue on the 25th of October.

Joel was last seen wearing a thick brown sheepskin sweater, brown pants, and worn white-and-green running shoes - with his most noticeable feature being green, dyed highlights in his hair. Scar was last seen donning a brown aviator's jacket above a black, multi-purpose utility jacket and white plaid flannel with blue cargo pants - most noticeable feature being the green bandanna found at the checkpoint.

Prior background given by loved ones and witnesses of the party reveal that the wellbeing of Joel, a novice hiker, would still be under the guidance of friend Scar who is reported to have years of experience of hiking both within and beyond the hiking trails of the woodlands. 

Reports to the authorities of their disappearance were made just 24-hours past the expected date by the Fairy Fort Reserve and the duo would be officially declared missing on the 28th of September. Several smaller search parties made within the FFR, Lizzie admits, were held prior to making the decision on contact around the reserve and the Hiker’s Checkpoint. A larger, more extensive investigation along the Mycelium Trail was held from the 28th onwards as more people volunteered and potential witnesses were questioned.

The Mycelium Trail is a relatively accessible route for both man and off-road vehicles to traverse between various locations in the Last Life woodlands. While recordings of the weather at this time of year had been colder than usual, there had been no signs of snow, rainfall or forest fires that would hinder the mens’ trip. 

A total of 78 individuals have participated in the search for our runaway bachelor and avid adventure-lover with little succession as damp footprints of the missing, Scar’s green bandanna,  a set of binoculars belonging to Scar, and two discarded lighters and canteens found within the bounds of the Hiker’s Checkpoint. 

Suspect of foul play between the men were brought up in questioning but was avidly rejected by witnesses and investigators for lack of motive even considering Grian’s accounts on Scar’s unusual behavior. Further theories relating to mentions of exploring the nearby Magical Mt were also suspect and a smaller search party made closer to the foot of the mountain was conducted to no avail due to the frigid weather. Urgencies from Lizzie to authorities in further investigation within the mountain were set forth and ultimately rejected due to windy weather and unstable, difficult-to-cross terrain.

As of current release, the status of Joel and Scar remains unknown. For information leading to the safe return of Joel [LASTNAME] and Scar [LASTNAME] please contact [NUMBER REMOVED] at the Fairy Fort Reserve investigation team.

>[ARTICLE ENDS HERE]

[just-aake]

Boundless Devotion - Part VII

Pairing: princess!Natasha Romanoff x fem!reader

Summary: MedievalAU. Natasha is the eldest princess of the Romanov Kingdom. As the time of her coronation approaches, she is suddenly forced to make a decision – either find herself a partner or her parents will choose one for her.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15

Warnings: slight fluff

Words: 5310

In the days following that night, Natasha has been spending more time with you, just like before. The two of you work together and continue your search for a solution to break the mind control's hold on you.

Her mother had only been involved in the early stages of the original Black Widow operations, so she was unfamiliar with the specifics of the process that further developed this version of mind control.

She suggested to Natasha that the person who may be able to provide more information about the subject would be your father. 

When Natasha shared this with you, you fell silent for the rest of that day. Seeing how the suggestion upset you, she decided not to bring it up again.

As the date of the festival approached, Natasha found herself increasingly busy with overseeing most of the preparations, a task assigned to her by her mother. 

Consequently, this left her with little time to see you. 

The castle's staff quickly noticed how this affected their princess's mood.

On days when she couldn't see you at all, Natasha became upset and sullen, often sighing deeply throughout the day as she completed her tasks. 

For some unknown reason, on those days, Natasha felt like she missed you even more than during the past year when you had avoided her.

However, with the festival finally here, she was excited to spend time with you again.

In her personal study, Natasha is currently reviewing potential leads to discuss with you later when a knock on her door interrupts her. She invites the unexpected visitor in, and when she sees who it is, she raises a brow in surprise.

"Shouldn't you already be at the festival with your children?" she asks.

Clint chuckles and nods at her question.

"I was going to head over right after this."

His voice drops into a more serious tone.

"Do you have some time to talk for a bit?"

At that, Natasha places the documents down on her desk and gives him her full attention, gesturing for him to continue.

“There have been some cases of guards and soldiers disappearing within the kingdom,” Clint reveals.

“Why hasn’t anyone informed me about this?” Natasha asks, frowning in confusion that this is the first she’s hearing about such incidents.

Clint offers a shrug as he explains.

“Well, those missing typically reappear after a couple of days, so there hasn't been much cause for alarm. Most of the higher-ranking soldiers assume that they must have celebrated a bit too hard and got lost on their way back.”

Natasha frowns deepens hearing the careless handling of such a suspicious situation.

"But that's not the strange part," Clint continues with an unsure expression. "When they return, they have no recollection of what happened to them or where they've been."

Natasha crosses her arms in thought before glancing down at her notes on the Black Widow operations.

It’s a bit unnerving how this new information lines up with how the operations usually went in the past, that period marked by disappearances and memory loss from the victims.

Is it possible that it’s just a coincidence?

Clint clears his throat to regain her attention before continuing, "I've also found the information that you requested about the man involved in the attack at the cemetery."

With how intent the stranger was on hurting you, Natasha decided to investigate further about the man to figure out his motives and plans that day and prevent anything like that from happening to you again.

“So who is he?” 

“As Lady Y/N said, he used to be a soldier in Stark's army during the war and was the one responsible for the murder of Lord Dreykov's wife. Not only that, apparently he's guilty of other crimes as well — such as the slaughter of his entire squad on a mission and even the murder of his wife and children. He's been marked as a criminal and has been on the run ever since.” 

Natasha shakes her head, puzzled at the information.

“So why risk coming back and revealing himself now?” 

“Unfortunately, the guards at the dungeon say he’s refusing to answer any questions unless…” Clint trails off, hesitating to speak the next words.

“Unless what?” Natasha presses suspiciously with a furrowed brow, already sensing she won't like what he's about to say.

“...unless he gets to speak to Lady Y/n.”

"No," Natasha immediately objects, her tone unwavering.

She won't allow him anywhere near you again.

"Absolutely not," she adds, giving Clint a stern look, leaving no room for discussion.

"Understood," Clint acknowledges in understanding. "I'll see if they can find another way to get him to talk."

Natasha gives him a grateful nod before asking, "Was there anything else?"

"One last thing," Clint says with a small smirk. "The queen sent someone to tell you that you were supposed to meet with her at the festival already to discuss your responsibilities for the day."

Natasha curses softly under her breath, realizing she was so absorbed in her research that she had forgotten about her prior commitments with her mother.  

After a quick horse ride into town, Natasha finds herself at the entrance of the royal tent, her arms crossed and foot tapping impatiently as her mother outlines her duties for the day.

“—then I'll need you to return here in a few hours to greet the nobles arriving from the other kingdoms. After that, there’s the jousting tournament…”

Glancing to the side, Natasha's attention drifts away from her mother’s voice when she spots you in her vision, strolling alongside Wanda and Pietro.

She can’t help but smile fondly as she sees you laughing at one of Pietro's failed attempts at a game booth.

“Then there’s the—,” Melina stops mid-sentence, realizing Natasha is no longer paying attention.

She follows her daughter's gaze and notices that it is you who has captured her focus.

With a knowing sigh, Melina dismisses her next words with a shake of her head.

“Never mind, I’ll just have your father handle most of this, but at least come and greet the members of the other kingdoms when they arrive.” 

When Natasha doesn’t respond, Melina waves her hand in front of her daughter’s face.

“Are you listening, Natasha?”

“Yeah, okay, meeting later, I’ll be there,” Natasha acknowledges her mother's words distractedly, her gaze still fixed on you. 

Melina sighs in exasperation and departs to find her husband, leaving Natasha alone, completely absorbed in watching you. 

You look good, she admits, your expression lighter and happier than before.

Natasha has always known you were beautiful, but with the sun shining, you seem to glow even more under its rays. 

A sudden shove against her side draws her attention away from you, and she turns to look at the culprit beside her. 

“You’re staring,” Yelena points out before casually tossing a piece of popcorn into her mouth.

“What?” Natasha frowns at the accusation. “No, I’m not.”

“Yes, you were,” Yelena rolls her eyes at her sister’s denial, “I’ve been standing next to you for a couple of minutes already, and you didn’t even notice.”

Letting out a huff of disbelief, Natasha decides to change the subject.

“Was there something that you needed, Yelena?”

“Nope, but if all you're going to do is stand here the entire day, then I’ll just go over and hang out with Y/n instead.” 

Yelena moves towards you, but Natasha grabs the back of her collar and pulls her back, preventing her from going any further.

“Don’t you need to go find your other half?” Natasha remarks.

Yelena, still hanging by Natasha's grip, appears unbothered as she continues eating her snack. She shrugs in response to Natasha's question.

“Kate’s busy preparing for the archery competition.”

“Then maybe you should follow her example and prepare for your own competition,” Natasha lectures her.

Yelena groans, “God, you sound like mom.” 

Natasha quickly lets go of her grip at that statement and rolls her eyes before turning to look at you again. 

Beside her, Yelena adjusts her collar back into place and then glances between her sister and you in the distance curiously.

“So are the two of you still pretending to be a couple?” 

Natasha glances at her before nodding in response.

“Of course, mom’s been off my back ever since we started. Meanwhile, Y/n can have the time she needs to find a partner for herself without having Lord Rumlow breathing down her neck. Everybody wins.”

Yelena blinks at Natasha in disbelief for a moment before exclaiming, “Oh wow, you’re serious.”

“What?” Natasha asks, giving her a perplexed expression.

“Nothing, it's just...I guess I've underestimated how clueless you are when it comes to romance.”

Yelena rubs her chin, whispering to herself under her breath, “I really thought you would’ve realized by now.” 

“Realize what?” Natasha presses, slightly annoyed at her comments. 

With a teasing smirk, Yelena makes a zipping gesture across her lips.

“I can’t say. That would be cheating.”

Rolling her eyes at her antics, Natasha pushes her sister away in another direction.

“Go bother Kate.”

“All I’m saying is you should take some time to reexamine your relationship with Y/n before it's too late," Yelena urges before walking away with a nonchalant wave goodbye. 

Squinting at Yelena in confusion, Natasha shakes her head, dismissing her sister's warning.

There’s nothing wrong with her relationship with you, at least not anymore now that you and she have cleared things up.

Her friendship with you is still as strong as before. 

Turning around, Natasha is about to make her way over to you but is stopped by a lady she recognizes as the daughter of one of the other noble houses.

“Princess Natasha, would you like some company this afternoon?”

Natasha gives her a tight but polite smile at her offer before refusing.

“Oh, uh, no, thank you but—.“ 

Another lady appears, presenting a plate of baked treats at her, blocking her path.

“Would you like to try some of these pastries, princess? They’re freshly baked.”

“I’m good, thanks,” Natasha responds politely.

She attempts to maneuver around the ladies, but more and more people begin to notice her presence and gather around her.

Soon, she finds herself quickly encircled by a crowd of ladies, their voices merging into a cacophony of compliments and inquiries directed at her. 

Natasha tries to look in your direction, but to her frustration, she can't even see you anymore through the crowd that's formed around her.

~~~~~~~ ⧗ ~~~~~~~

Meanwhile, over where you were at, Pietro groans in disappointment when the ball rolls out of the target, signaling his loss once more.

“Pietro, you’re going to lose all of your money at this rate,” Wanda remarks.

“Like you can do better,” he counters.

Wanda grins confidently at the challenge and hands a coin to the vendor for another round. She tosses the ball at the target, and it spins on the rim a couple of times.

Just as it was about to fall out, the ball suddenly tipped into the goal. 

The vendor claps in amazement and hands Wanda one of the prizes.

You pull her away quickly.

“Wanda!” you whisper with a chastising tone. “You shouldn’t be using your power like that.”

"What? I'm getting a lot better with them, and nobody even noticed," Wanda reassures you.

Pietro hums beside you in thought.

“Hey, do you think you can do the same to win any of the other games?”

“Pietro!” You turn your reprimanding tone toward the other twin.

He raises his hands defensively, exclaiming with a nervous chuckle, “I was kidding!”

He turns his head to the side, seeing another game booth before muttering under his breath in thought, “Sort of kidding.”

When he sees you are about to continue your reprimanding, he points at another booth. 

“Oh look, they are selling pies! I’ll go get us some slices!”

Pietro runs off quickly before you can stop him.

You shake your head at him, letting out an exasperated huff.

Loud chatter rises in the distance, catching your attention, and you hear faint chants of the princess' name.

You turn with an excited smile, expecting to see Natasha.

However, your smile drops slightly into a bittersweet line when you see the scene in front of you. 

A feeling of disappointment creeps into your heart.

You had hoped to spend some time with Natasha today at the festival, having grown accustomed to all of her attention and time spent with you recently that you forgot how public events like these usually went.

Natasha always ends up being surrounded by people who adore her.

Beside you, Wanda notices your sad expression, and when she looks at the cause of your shift in mood, she nods in understanding.

She pulls on your arm to get your attention.

“You know, you are technically her partner. You can go over there and be with her.”

You consider the option of taking advantage of your fake relationship with Natasha to be by her side before shaking your head lightly.

“No, it’s fine. I don’t want to interrupt anything.”

Wanda frowns at your refusal before asking, “How are things going between you and the princess anyway?”

“Good, I guess,” you answer, tilting your head in thought. “Last time, we found some old notes on the initial trials of the operations. That might give us some new ideas.”

Wanda deflates when she realizes that you were only talking about the research you did together. She crosses her arms and sighs exasperatedly in disappointment.

“I could’ve sworn something more was going to happen between you two, especially since I found the both of you in bed together that morning.”

You quickly cover her mouth and look around to see if anyone had overheard her comment.

“Sleeping, Wanda,” you stress with a small blush on your face. ”We were just sleeping. Nothing happened.” 

You remember how you had woken up that following morning, surprised to find Natasha's sleeping face beside you. Her arm was wrapped around you protectively as she slept, securing you in place. Not wanting to wake her, you decided to go back to sleep.

Later, you were awakened again. This time by the sound of Wanda clearing her throat with a message from Queen Melina looking for Natasha for their usual morning meeting.

Natasha had rushed out after hearing that, with a quick goodbye and a promise to meet up later. 

You had given Wanda a sharp warning glare before she could make any teasing comment about the situation.

Thankfully, she didn’t bring it up again.

Until now.

Wanda places her hands on her hips, frowning at you.

“Do you like Princess Natasha?” she asks plainly.

You look away from her accusing stare and wave your hand casually.

“Of course, who doesn’t?”

Wanda pokes you in the shoulder, annoyed at your response.

“No, not as a friend or as the princess, I mean, do you like her?”

You feel your face heat up at the question, and your heart beats faster at the thought of being more than friends with Natasha.

“I—it’s not like that, Wanda. There’s nothing going on between Natasha and me.”

Undeterred by your denial, Wanda presses on with a meaningful tone, “But do you want there to be?”

At her question, you look at Natasha, and that warm feeling from before immediately fills your chest again.

Over the past couple of days, you’ve already realized what that feeling you’ve been having around the princess means, and your expression twists down dejectedly at the reminder.

“You know I can’t, Wanda,” you say sadly.

“Why not?” she presses.

“Because…” you pause, closing your eyes briefly in frustration. “Because we’re friends, and we just repaired that relationship. I'm not going to ruin it over some little feelings.”

Wanda furrows her brows at your response, “That’s not fair. You never go after what you want.”

She gestures to the crowd of people surrounding Natasha, all of them trying to get her attention.

“You have a better chance of actually being with her than any of those ladies,” Wanda points out confidently.

“That’s not true,” you say, shaking your head in disbelief. “Natasha can have anybody she wants. Everybody loves her. She’s kind, smart, brave—”

“I’m sure the same can be said about me, Lady Y/n,” a grating voice interrupts you.

You grimace, a silent sigh escaping your lips at the sound of the insufferable noble. Turning around, you give him a tight expression. 

“Lord Rumlow, what a surprise,” you say sarcastically.

Next to you, Wanda doesn’t bother hiding her disgust at the presence of the noble, already familiar with his persistent advances toward you. 

Deciding to try and get this conversation over with quickly, you ask, “Was there something you needed?”

His eyes roam over you shamelessly in a way that makes you feel thoroughly repulsed before finally speaking with a smug smirk.

“Well, seeing how Princess Natasha won’t be participating in the tournament later, I thought I'd let you know that I would be honored to receive a token of your support for me,” he says, his tone filled with false humility.

Before you can respond, Wanda scoff beside you, muttering in disbelief, "Unbelievable."

Rumlow's eyes narrow as he focuses his attention on her.

“What did you just say?” he asks with a warning in his voice.

Unbothered, Wanda meets his gaze defiantly and continues, “You've got some nerve, requesting a favor from a lady who has already rejected you. Multiple times too.”

“Why you little…“

His face twists in anger as he raises his hand to strike her, but you swiftly step in front of Wanda, catching his wrist in a firm grip before you address him.

“Lord Rumlow,” you say, your voice is calm but with a clear, warning undertone, “she is someone very important to me. So, I strongly suggest you reconsider your next action before you do something that would greatly upset me."

He pulls his hand away from your grip and points towards Wanda with a sneer.

"That girl should know better than to address me that way."

“Then allow me to instead,” you interject firmly, silencing him.

“Wanda is right. You are truly unbelievable. For some reason, you can’t seem to comprehend that I have absolutely no interest in you whatsoever. And you are arrogant to think that I would give you any favor, given my relationship with Princess Natasha.”

He scoffs, his face reddening with anger and embarrassment as some people stop to listen and watch the interaction.

“The only reason you chose her over me is because of her status. If she weren’t the princess—”

“I would still choose her,” you state firmly. 

He sputters in disbelief, “But—”

You raise your hand in a silencing gesture, giving him a harsh glare.

“Understand this, Lord Rumlow, even if she wasn't the princess, even if she were just an ordinary person in the kingdom with no title, I would always choose her over you, every single time.”

Rumlow gapes at you, too stunned to respond.

Crossing your arms, you lean in slightly and lower your voice in a threatening manner.

“Now, I believe you should find somewhere else to enjoy the festival and leave me and those I care about alone, unless you want me to continue to humiliate you further.”

Rumlow’s eyes dart around at the now small crowd of onlookers, who are blatantly watching the confrontation with interest.

With a disgruntled sneer, he turns and stomps away, but he only manages to go a short distance before stumbling.

Right into a plate of pie.

In front of him, Pietro gasps exaggeratedly, in a way that is too dramatic to be real, when the pastries that he was holding are smeared all over the lord.

He quickly apologizes to Lord Rumlow before hurrying over to you and Wanda, barely concealing his smirk as he discreetly high-fives his sister.

Rumlow curses loudly in anger at the mess on him before scurrying away from the laughter of the nearby people.

You're almost certain you saw the familiar red mist disappearing from his shoe when he stumbled. 

Turning your attention to Wanda and Pietro, you shoot them a suspicious look.

However, they both maintain innocent expressions while also avoiding your gaze.

You attempt to maintain your reprimanding demeanor, but even you can't stifle the laughter bubbling up within you, and soon, the three of you are sharing a hearty laugh at the absurd situation.

After a moment, Pietro lets out a contented sigh.

“That was the most fun I’ve had in a while.”

You nod in agreement. It was the kind of story that you know Natasha would enjoy hearing about.

However, when you look back at her, your smile fades, replaced by disappointment at the reminder of how she is still surrounded by her admirers.

Pietro notices your expression and leans in to whisper to his sister, “What's up with her?”

Wanda responds with an exasperated sigh.

“Y/n wants to spend time with the princess and is upset that she’s surrounded by other women.”

“Wanda!”

Unbothered by your exclamation, Wanda shrugs.

“It's true.”

Pietro glances over at the crowd and then back to his sister with a mischievous smirk.

“Hmm, Wanda, are you thinking what I'm thinking?”

Wanda matches his expression with a sneaky look of her own.

“I'll handle the distraction,” she announces.

“Then I'll run in and grab the princess,” Pietro declares.

The twins nod at each other in agreement.

When you realize what they mean to do, you try to stop them.

“Wait, you two, don't—”

But it's too late.

They have already left your side, heading toward the crowd.

Natasha gives a tight smile as yet another person tries to engage her in conversation. She's been trying to excuse herself for a while now, but the amount of people around her just keeps growing.

Suddenly, dozens of kites seamlessly drift through the crowd, capturing everyone's attention.

They then shoot up high into the sky causing the onlookers to look up in awe, entranced by the spectacle of colorful kites twirling in the sky.

Natasha, however, observes the kites with suspicion.

Something about their movements seems unnatural, especially since there's barely a gust of wind in the air.

Before she can contemplate it further, a hand grabs her wrist and swiftly pulls her through the crowd.

Unable to see who’s holding her, she's about to break free when she's thrown forward out of the crowd and into someone’s arms.

You catch her in surprise, providing support as the princess regains her balance.

When Natasha pulls back and sees you, a charming smile appears on her face.

“Hey, you,” she breathes out in greeting.

You bite your lip to contain your smile.

“Hi,” you reply, and for a moment, the two of you simply gaze at each other.

The sound of a high-five grabs your attention, and you turn to see the twins returning to your side, both wearing satisfied expressions. 

“I think that went well,” Pietro comments, fixing his slightly disheveled hair from the hurried run.

In response to his words, Natasha looks at you curiously in realization.

“I guess I should be thanking the three of you for the rescue then.”

You laugh lightly in amusement as you raise a disbelieving brow at her.

“Oh, so being surrounded by women fawning over you now qualifies as a situation that requires saving?”

“Careful, Y/n, that almost sounded like you were jealous,” Natasha teases with a smirk.

Rolling your eyes, you huff in disbelief before gently pushing her away from your arms, allowing her to stand on her own. 

“Please, if I got jealous every time someone wanted your affection, I'd be jealous my entire life,” you counter.

“Well, thank you anyway,” Natasha chuckles before giving you a soft look. “So it looks like my schedule cleared up. Is it okay if I join you three around the festival?”

“That’s fine—“ you start.

“Actually,” Pietro raises his hand to interrupt. ”I have a date, so I have to go.” 

You give him a suspicious look, but he just winks at you before dashing off.

Wanda starts to back away as well.

“And I think I’ll check out the fortune teller. Have my future read and all that.”

You catch Wanda’s hand before she can escape, whispering to her accusingly, already aware of her intentions.

“You don’t even believe in that stuff.”

“Well, I do now,” Wanda whispers back, slipping her hand from your grip before looking pointedly at the princess, who is waiting patiently a short distance away. “Maybe they’ll tell me when you’ll finally decide to act on your feelings.” 

She turns and leaves quickly with a wave goodbye, exclaiming. “Have fun, you two!”

Your mouth hangs open in disbelief as Natasha steps up next to you.

“So, I guess it’s just you and me,” she says before adding, “This could be like our second date in public.”

Recovering your composure, you cross your arms and look away from her as if considering her offer, humming teasingly, “I don’t know, I wouldn't want to deprive you of the chance to be with all of your admirers.”

Natasha bumps your shoulders playfully before a small smirk appears on her lips.

“You know, jealousy looks cute on you,” she comments, before taking your hand and bringing it up to her lips for a soft kiss. “But, to be honest, I’d rather spend my time with you.”

Your heart quickens slightly at her flirty statement, and you feel your words catch in your throat, too stunned to respond.

Sounds of coos and awes surround the two of you, snapping you out of your flustered state and reminding you of your supposed relationship with the princess in the eyes of the people of the kingdom.

Even though you know Natasha is doing all of this to keep up appearances, you still can’t help but blush in response.

You just hope Natasha doesn’t realize how real your reaction is to her actions and words.

Looking back at her, Natasha gives you a fond smirk before tilting her head in question.

“So what do you say, Lady Y/n, would you like to join me on another date?”

~~~~~~~ ⧗ ~~~~~~~

Natasha watches you with a soft smile as you admire the performers on stage, completely entranced by the show.

She had initially focused on the performance as well, but when she glanced over to see your reaction, she found herself distracted and unable to return her attention to the stage, becoming more interested in watching you.

Natasha finally tears her gaze away when the performance ends, and she joins you and the crowd in clapping.

As she finishes, her hand naturally finds yours, and she intertwines them again.

It's strange — she's never noticed before how perfectly your hand fits in hers.

As the crowd disperses around you, you turn to look at her in question.

“Your turn, what do you want to do next?”

At your question, Natasha surveys the surrounding festivities before nodding toward a game booth where participants are throwing darts to pop the balloon targets. 

“How about a friendly competition? Whoever gets more points wins,” she suggests.

You glance at the game she's referring to and nod in agreement before pulling her toward the booth.

“Sure, it’s been a while since the last time I beat you at a game,” you tease her.

Natasha follows behind you and lets out a laugh of disbelief.

“That last time was a tie, and you know it.”

You glance over your shoulder at her with a small smirk.

“Whatever you say, princess.”

Arriving at the booth, Natasha hands the vendor some coins for a round for each of you, and he places ten darts on the tabletop, five for each person. 

Natasha picks up the first dart and smoothly throws it at the targets, popping a balloon. She gives you a confident smirk before stepping back with a dramatic gesture for your turn.

You roll your eyes fondly and take your position, aiming carefully before throwing your dart and popping a balloon.

The two of you continue with each of you popping a balloon during your respective turns until only one dart remains for each.

“How about a little wager?” Natasha suggests before you take your final shot.

“So much for just a friendly competition,” you say, laughing lightly. “Alright, what are you proposing?”

“If I win,” Natasha pauses with an amused smirk, “You let me teach you how to fight with a sword one day next week.”

You laugh lightly in amusement at the reminder of your promise and nod in agreement.

“And if I win?”

“I’ll do whatever you want.”

“That’s not really something a soon-to-be ruler should be promising,” you tease her as you line up your shot.

With a careful throw, your dart hits the center of a balloon, giving you a perfect score.

You raise a brow challengingly at her while Natasha nods approvingly at your shot, unworried.

When Natasha picks up her dart, you speak up in question.

“What about if we tie?”

“I wouldn’t worry about that,” Natasha says, smiling confidently and turning away from the targets to look at you. 

She holds your stare even as she throws the dart.

Neither of you look at where it lands, but the unmistakable popping sound of two balloons signals the winner.

You accept your loss with a small teasing smile.

“You could have just invited me. I would’ve agreed to come anyway.”

“Yeah, but this way was more fun.” 

You hum in agreement as you absently trace a pattern against the wooden booth.

Wanting to make sure everything is okay, Natasha takes your hand, stopping your movement as her thumb softly caresses the back of your hand.

She tilts her head at you in question, “We don’t have to train if you don’t want to.”

“No, I want to,” you say reassuringly, giving her a small smile. “Besides, you've been stuck with me in the library the last few times we were together. It's only fair if we do something you would enjoy.”

Frowning at your dismissal of the joys of being in your presence, Natasha pulls you closer, holding both of your hands in hers to ensure you focus on her words.

“Hey, I enjoy doing anything with you,” she insists.

When a smile appears on your face at her words, Natasha feels her heart warm with that strange feeling again at the sight.

She's not sure if it's because it's been a couple of days since she last saw you, but to her, you look really stunning with that happy expression.

Without thinking, she feels herself unconsciously lean in closer to you.

"Y/n!" a familiar voice calls out, bursting the peaceful bubble between you two.

You both turn to the source of the shout.

Before Natasha can react, you are swept away from her in a twirling hug, lifting you slightly off the ground as you let out a surprised yelp.

The blonde-haired newcomer smiles widely as she steadies you back on your feet in front of her.

"I was hoping to see you soon!" she exclaims.

You laugh lightly, regaining your balance and leaning slightly on her arms for support as you return the friendly greeting. 

"It's so good to see you too. I haven't seen you in a couple of years with all your traveling."

The person finally turns to Natasha with a casual smirk and nods in greeting.

"It has been a while since we were all together, hasn't it, Natasha?"

Natasha hides her displeased feelings at how you were taken away from her side and responds politely.

"Yeah, it has."

She eyes the hands still clasping yours, her teeth clenching slightly.

"How have you been, Princess Carol?"

~~~~~~~ ⧗ ~~~~~~~

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15

Series Masterlist : Boundless Devotion

a/n: Thank you for reading!

Taglist: @lightwhoranoutoflight, @taliiiaasteria, @romanoffprentiss, @canvascoloredin,  @silentwolfsstuff, @blacklightsposts, @arcturusseer, @presser24, @dvrkhcld, @jujuu23, @screechcat, @vivs46, @cd-4848, @youneversawmehereooooooo, @pancakefan7529, @confusedspaceotter, @natbelovasblog, @izzy-b09, @iamheartless, @mrsrushman 

[weirdgenetic-fuckup]

can you write 90s Axl Rose being all sweet to his girlfriend and they have bath sex in the jacuzzi in their hotel room?

A/n: the thought of this is really sweet but I just can’t stop thinking about how badly it would hurt like on your knees and stuff, man I’d fall and break my jaw power to you if you could survive bath sex

Also sorry that it’s short I kind of lost motivation halfway through, I hope you it’s still good <3

Warnings: smut, fingering (f receiving), bath sex, if you think I missed anything let me know otherwise enjoy!

You were so happy that Axl finally brought you out on tour with him. You'd been seeing each other for almost a year and had always wanted to come with him.

Axl was hesitant, tours could be draining, but Guns was going to some of the most romantic places this tour and he was sure it would make a great trip for the both of you.

You'd been so excited for this trip, planning and packing a month in preparation for it. Axl didn't seemed stressed in the slightest, although you were the one packing for him and his trip planning was also done by a group manager. He did try to help you calm down a few times, it usually worked, at the very least it was helpful and a sweet gesture.

When the tour finally came he refused to leave your side, even if you were just going to the bathroom he'd wait outside for you.

With the way everyone was treating you you got the feeling he had given a speech to everyone, lecturing them on how to treat you.

Axl wanted to show you off, always helping you pick out more revealing clothes when it was just the two of you going out, making sure people saw when he brought you into his dressing room. He wanted people to know how lucky he was to have you and he wanted people to know he had you.

It was about a week into the tour, you'd just landed in Paris and were staying in a hotel room that had a window staring out directly onto the Eiffel Tower.

It was night and the city was glowing so beautifully, you couldn't help but stare out the big window.

Axl came up behind you, placing his hands on your hips and giving them a small squeeze. "Beautiful, isn't it?" You nodded. Axl opened his mouth to say something more but you interrupted him.

"No ruining it with something cheesy." Axl scoffed.

"It wasn't gonna say anything cheesy." You rolled your eyes. "I was just gonna say that it's not as beautiful as you." You groaned and walked off.

"Alright, you ruined it." Axl laughed. "I'm going to check out the place." You walked back into the living room area, a half kitchen by the front door. You noticed another door leading out to what you assumed to be a deck, and it was. A deck with a jacuzzi, that is. It was filled and ready to go so you immediately went to get in.

You went to change into a bathing suit but couldn't find one, even though you were sure you had brought one. You searched and searched but it simply wasn't in your suitcase, so you went looking for Axl.

You eventually found him on the deck setting up candles and tossing in rose petals. He smiled back at you when he heard the door open. "Where's my bathing suit?" You asked, coming to stand beside him and admire his work.

"Come on, you don't need a bathing suit." He assured, wrapping an arm around you and rubbing your side. You rolled your eyes at him. Axl shrugged and began to strip.

Your eyes widened as you looked out across the city. "What are you doing?" Axl was already getting in the water.

"Thought you could use some company." He said with a smile. "Now you won't be lonely. You chewed your cheek but you couldn't deny that it sounded nice so you stripped as well and got in with him.

The water was just right, it relaxed your muscles and smelled so good with the candles. Axl sat beside you, running his hands over your body, kissing down your neck and whispering in your ear.

His hands moved lower, rubbing your thighs, teasing your hole. You let out a soft sigh. "What are you doing?" You asked, voice low and airy.

"Just helping you relax." He said, deep voice raspy in your ear. You melted under his touch, head falling back and resting on his shoulder and he rubbed your clit in circles, drawing more moans out of you.

He slid a finger into you, groaning when he heard the noise that came from you. "You're so pretty, you know that?" You moaned in response, grinding down on his finger. "Don't worry, we're getting there." He kissed your cheek and pulled his finger out of you, you whined softly.

He pulled you up onto his lap, sinking you down onto his dick. His arms wrapped around your waist and he held you tight to his chest. He rolled his hips, you gasped softly and he did it again. You started grinding down on him and soon you both found a rhythm.

"Ah-ngh, Axl." You muttered. "Fuck, go faster." He chuckled and kissed your neck. He started moving faster and you matched his speed.

Axl pushed you off of him and turned you around. You were staring out to the cityscape below, all the bright lights scattered across the town, the Eiffel Tower looming not far away.

Your hands were on the edge of the jacuzzi, your knees resting on the seats, Axl was behind you with his hands on your hips. "Was this what you were thinking when I asked you to come on tour with me?" He asked, deep voice pulling you from your thoughts.

You shrugged. "Not the first thing that came to mind." He kissed the back of your neck and over your shoulders.

“But it’s pretty fucking nice, huh?” You inhaled deeply, moaning softly when he pushed into you once more.

“Hah, it’s perfect.” You sighed. “You make it more perfect.”

Axl laughed. “And I’m the cheesy one?” You waved him off and pushed your ass back on him.

[froznwater]

You win some and you lose some (Alenoah)

Growing up, Alejandro was a I always win type of child. There was no losing. There was no throwing on purpose. There wasn’t a bigger picture. Only winning. Come forth grade, he started to see how boosting classmates' egos could in turn boost their opinion of him. And, by product, give him a leg up in both school and social status. 

He was on top of the world. A few gifts and charming compliments netted him every student of the year award on top of about a dozen others. 

Freshman year though. That almost really humbled him. There were a few bothers, that he got rid of rather quickly. Students the teachers seemed to like just a little too much. Kids whose grades he needed to strike down early, and eliminate the possible enemy later. 

Everything was fine. And then it wasn’t.

Noah showed up sophomore year and appeared to have a special talent for flying under the radar. Until he started taking the places of Alejandro’s name in the morning announcements. In almost every aspect that didn’t involve sports.

That year, they didn’t share any classes. Alejandro almost never ran into the boy. Only saw a couple flops of his overgrown hair in the hallway in between classes. (He looked him up online, then, when that yielded no results, searched through neighboring highschool yearbooks.) 

The next year, Noah was in every single one of his AP classes. And he didn’t give a single shit about any of Alejandro’s advances. Responded coldly when Alejandro forced his signature friendly smile. Put his headphones in when Alejandro greeted him in the halls. He didn’t react to flirting. 

So, for the first time in his life, Alejandro started working harder. There was someone he couldn’t beat. Someone he couldn’t manipulate.

He paid attention. Learned his schedule. Learned what he ate for lunch. Learned who his friends were. 

That got his attention. When Alejandro started fucking around with Owen and Eva. Flirted with Gwen and led on Leshawna, only to leave her in pieces.  

It only seemed to motivate him more. It’s exhilarating. 

Noah always seems to have a comeback. Always something to say. Always one step ahead or one step behind and Alejandro literally wakes in the morning trying to make sure that he is in the lead. Thinking up what he can say or do or be to throw him off.

Senior year and the race is too close to tell. All Alejandro knows is that it’s him or Noah. Third place is a whole .3 gpa behind and that’s not even a doable comeback at this point. 

All he has to do is think, breathe, look, and speak Noah. 

And then Courtney moves to town half way through the year. Her gpa is right there with them. 4.05. And she’s running for school president and interning at some fancy law office on the other side of town and her father has just as much pull as his own. And she wants nothing to do with anyone. A real Type-A good girl that has her sights set on Harvard. 

And all of the sudden this isn’t fun anymore.

Alejandro and Noah team up. There’s no way this random girl can just wander in and steal their place for free. She needs a distraction. Something that will help her live a little. 

And what better distraction than love? Someone to give her butterflies. Just enough to miss that one assignment and throw her out of the competition forever. 

Gwen seems like the perfect candidate. 

-

Academic rivals Alejandro and Noah team up to set Courtney with their friend Gwen and fall in love in the process.

(this is not my day 2 LMAO. I was just thinking about this and wanted to type it out)

[sweetcarrotsandroses97]

Aşk-ı Memnu | JJK

Pairing: non idol! Jungkook x fem! married! Reader

Summary: What is prohibited, it's desired the most. Or in which you tangle yourself in a forbidden love with Jeon Jungkook while being married to an older man. Yet it is also said that forbidden fruits taste the best.

Warnings: fluff, angst, forbidden love, food ingestion, cheating, age gap, mentions of sex, alcohol consumption (during dinner), lying, mentions of death, reader is described to be shorter than Jungkook, (let me know if I missed anything)

Word Count: 1.8k

~Prompt 3: Saying “I love you” for the first time

~Snowflakes divider by @samspenandsword

~Prompt list by @flightlessangelwings

A/N: This short story was highly inspired by the Turkish novel of the same name "Aşk-ı Memnu" which translates as "Forbidden Love" in English. Let me know what you thought of this controversial story in the comments!

You can listen to the series' music on Spotify to get into ambience as it helped me a lot to write this. Just search it with the same Turkish name. Happy reading everyone!

Love knows no boundaries. Love is untamable, like the sea. Like a flame. It exists, it consumes. It destroys.

It was cold outside, the night was heavy over the city. Snow was falling from the sky yet the house was warm. The clicking of the cutlery against the expensive china plates could be heard along with the flickering flames of the fireplace.

You sat next to your husband, the man clearly enjoying his dinner and you couldn't help but smile softly at his praises for the new cook.

"So, tell me Seokjin. How is your father?"

Asked your husband, a rich business man by the name of Lee Yong-su. Seokjin smiled against his glass of wine, he put it down and looked at your husband, the two men happily engaging in conversation.

"He's quite well, actually. His treatment is going smoothly and we expect a complete recovery by the end of February."

"Give him my regards when you see him, Seokjin."

The young businessman turned to look at you, bowing his head softly at you not minding at all the fact that you were younger than him.

"Of course, Mrs. Lee."

You smiled kindly at him before the conversation between Seokjin and your husband took place once more. You continued to enjoy your dinner, allowing your thoughts to wander for a bit.

The marriage with your husband had been really controversial given the age difference between you both and the fact that he already had two children with his other wife that you knew had passed away.

Nisun was the oldest. A seventeen year old girl who resented you for taking the place of her mother. Munwoo was the youngest, he was twelve and the innocent boy never ceased to claim that if you ever divorced his father, he'd marry you instead for he had always wanted to marry a beautiful woman when he was of age.

You found it cute whenever he mentioned something like that, only smiling at Munwoo before he got distracted with his videogames once more.

But those weren't the only people that lived in the mansion when you married your husband. There was someone else. A person you had met before you became Yong-su's wife.

Jeon Jungkook.

You knew that he was the only son of one of your husband's closest friends that had sadly died in a car accident when Jungkook was barely five years old. Yong-su had taken him under his wing, providing for him and taking care of him as if he were his own son.

Jungkook was also twenty-six, just like you. And that was the first motive so as to why you two clicked so easily. Yet that fact was the beginning of a web of lies and passion that you had never thought you’d be a part of. 

He was also very handsome, a sleeve of tattoos adorned his right arm, his lip and eyebrow were pierced and his hair was rebellious like his soul. Jungkook was a really attractive man and, according to his own phrasing, you were the most beautiful woman he has ever seen. 

Lust ruled your relationship with the son of your husband’s best friend. Desires of the body, flames of the heart. Feelings were never involved, or at least that was what was planned in the very beginning. 

But to be honest, nothing was ever planned. This mess you were now tangled in started with a glance, continued with a kiss and ended with you in his bed. Sentiment was never supposed to happen. Everything was dominated by a mutual carnal infatuation. 

You weren’t in love with your husband. The marriage had only been a great opportunity for you and your soft revenge on your cruel mother but Yong-su was deeply in love with you. To him, it didn’t matter the nearly twenty years age gap between you both. It didn’t matter that he had been married before. It didn’t matter he already had two children. He loved you, he cherished you, he wanted you almost in a fierceful way. 

“Darling, are you alright? You aren’t usually this quiet during dinner.”

Looking at your right, you met the concerned gaze of your husband, you smiled slightly though not fully. 

“I’m alright, I just have a headache.”

Yong-su frowned, you felt the eyes of everyone on you, even Jungkook’s gaze. It burned you to even know he was looking at you. 

“Don’t worry about me, dearest.”

Silence filled the room after those words left your lips before soft conversations began to arise once more on the table. The children started talking about a new movie that was going to come out next week while your husband and Seokjin talked about business. Jungkook was still looking at you and you were able to read the concern in his dark eyes. 

You smiled at him, ever so delicately and he nodded subtly. Taking in your silent reassurance as he resumed his dinner. 

Butterflies flew in your stomach at his concern. At what you had seen in his eyes. Those hidden emotions behind his gaze. A dark galaxy you loved getting yourself lost in. The place where you found comfort during lonely nights and a refuge when your soul tormented you. Yet the fact that your love was forbidden only made you want it more. It attracted you more. You desired it more. You needed it more. Needed him. As if you were metal and Jungkook was your magnet. Like a forbidden fruit. Prohibited yet delicious.

“Are you alright?”

You knew that voice. Its raspiness did things to you that shouldn’t happen as a married woman. His deep voice always captivated you. You turned around, facing Jungkook. He stood in the kitchen’s doorway, leaning against the frame as his gaze pierced your own with intensity that a shiver ran down your spine.

"Yes, I just took a pill for the headache. Don't worry, Jungkook."

He frowned softly at your last sentence, uncrossing his arms as he walked towards you with his large steps. Your breath hitched in your throat when he stood in front of you a little too close for it to be proper.

"I always worry about you, (y/n)."

You swallowed, not knowing what to say. Nothing came to your mind. There were no words in your mouth to express, no thoughts in your mind to keep you busy.

"You matter to me more than you could imagine."

You looked aside, trying to break free from this chain he held you in. You took a deep breath, eyes focusing on your nearly empty glass of water that rested on the counter.

"Stop it, someone could hear us."

He took another step towards you, eyes never leaving your form as he gazed down at you.

"Uncle Yong-su is in his study with Kim Seokjin,"

His fingers grabbed your chin ever so softly, turning your head so that your eyes met his before he continued in a soft murmur.

"and the children are already upstairs."

His hand cupped your face while his thumb caressed your cheek in delicate touches. His dark eyes took you in; your beauty, your personality. Your essence.

Your hand rested atop his own. Even when the feeling of his skin against your own burned you with desire and adoration, you weren't allowed to show your sentiment freely.

"I don't want to risk it, Jungkook."

He smirked at your whispered words. Daring to take another step until your chests were almost touching. His warm and minty breath fanned your face and you, once more, lost yourself in his enchanting eyes that held your whole world.

"Risk what, (y/n)? Us? Are you that scared of my love for you to be known to the world?"

Your eyes widened at his words. You took a step back in pure instinct, forcing his hand to leave your cheek as you shook your head in silent motions of hidden despair.

"Because I love you, (y/n). I have for a while. And it only keeps growing in my heart."

You took a deep breath, trying to process everything that was leaving his mouth, wrapping your head around the fact that Jungkook was in love with you. If anything, it complicated things even more yet that didn't mean you craved it any less.

"You can't. Jungkook, you can't love me."

His hands were on your shoulders the next second making a soundless gasp leave your lips. His eyes bore into yours like never before that you nearly felt his soul touch your own.

"But I do. And I do not regret it."

You stood in silence, never breaking eye contact with him. Why now? Why did he have to say such a thing now?

"If you do not love me, say it. Say it and nothing left my mouth. Say it and I'll try to stop."

But how could you say that you didn't love him when your heart beats for him and only him? How could you tell such a lie when you loved him more than your life?

"Jungkook, I-"

"Love, are you there?"

The voice of your husband was heard from around the corner. Your eyes widened in fear and Jungkook put a finger over his lips, signalling you to stay quiet as he went to hide behind a wall, opposite from the kitchen's entrance.

You turned around in time to face your husband crossing the doorway with a soft smile on his lips.

"Yes, I just took a pill for my headache."

Yong-su frowned and walked over to you, eyes searching on your own with concern.

"Are you alright? I need you to sign some documents but if you are not feeling right you can do it later."

Your eyes momentarily looked at where Jungkook was hiding before you shook your head with a smile.

"It's alright, I can do it now."

Yong-su nodded, walking out of the kitchen with you behind him. But just as you were about to leave the room, you turned to look back only to spot Jungkook peeking out from around the wall upon hearing your fading footsteps.

With your heart skipping a beat, you sent him a subtle nod. The trace of a smile over your lips before you disappeared behind the wall.

And it was in that moment that he smiled to himself, feeling his heart beating wildly in his chest upon the silent confirmation of your love for him.

It didn't matter if it was prohibited, that it was a sin. That you were betraying your husband with Jungkook. For you were his forbidden fruit he should not even gaze at but your essence was addictive he couldn't think to stop himself. Not now, not ever, because love knows no boundaries. Love is untamable, like the sea. Like a flame. It exists, it consumes. It destroys.

December/15/2023

☕Caffeinate me so I can keep on writing! ☕

[absolutebl]

This week in BL - I am all over the place, But Laws of Attraction is Phenomenal af

July 2023 Wk 2

Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs. Organized by which ones (in each category) I’m enjoying most.

Ongoing Series - Thai

Laws of Attraction (Thai Sat iQIYI) 1 of 8 - Icky picked it up but it’s not airing for me until Sundays so I held this post specifically to watch and talk about this show. Stars the pair from To Sir With Love with the same production team. IT’S SO GOOD Y’ALL. A morally corrupted trickster lawyer with a tragic past, sad eyes, and a beautiful smile that he uses like a weapon. Meets paladin martial arts instructor from other side of the tracks (who is out, at least to his baby sister). Corrupt police. Spoiled rich kid evil. Ambitious politician. Tragic death. Terrible subs.* This show is very like Manner of Death but so far it is a much better/tighter story. It’s NOT BL but it is fucking phenomenal. And you shoudl watch it. Not wait to binge it. WATCH IT. On a global scale this might be the best thing currently airing featuring gay romantic leads. Its really fucking good. It’s Lawless Lawyer but more complex character motivation and gay af. Fuck yes please and thank you. FINALLY. Triggers for violence, beatings, death & torture depicted on screen. Like MoD they are not holding back.  (* A lot of the familial names they are using are not gendered in Thai but translated as such, like “nephew”. This one is gonna go down a lot easier if you know some Thai.)

Step By Step (Tues WeTV & Gaga) ep 12fin - 2 years pass and no one’s hairstyle changes? Srs. Them meeting again = hella AWKWARD. Both still pining & hurt. NO SINGING. The reconciliation scene was great. I enjoyed that on the “do over relationship” they went with phi/pom (instead of the super formal khuns). So cute and so much more relaxed. Also lots of neck kisses! Charming final ep. It’s only flaw being they dropped the side couple, but I wasn’t really into them anyway. Ultimately? This is what Boss & Babe should have been and could we please have Up lead out another BL? I miss him and he only gets prettier. Full review below.

La Pluie (Sat iQIYI) ep 12fin - I adore the tiny little baby GL thread that we almost got. And I wish we had had more of it throughout the show. The side couple turned out to be good too. Emotional crying kisses are my favorite. Sunshine netted himself an earnest serious romantic boy, we likey. As for the main couple? Well... Tai’s search story arc was dull and dragging in a final ep and it felt bloated and slow as a result. It was a good confession reunion with Tai figuring all of his shit out, not surprising but fine. Kind of a a weak final ep. Full review below. 

Hidden Agenda (Thai Sun GMMTV YouTube) ep 1 of 12 - JoonDunk are back and we have all seen this a million times before, but Thailand never executed a successful formula it didn’t want to repeat a million times over, drunk bathroom and everything. Welcome (back) to Thai BL (and back and back and back). Basically they just added glasses, a new 1-shared-brain-cell friendship group, and different uni departments. Ah GMMTV, forever trying to recreate the magic of 2gether. But also I’m enjoying it. I’m a simple person. (Hi Jamie! Still in college since 2018 I see.) Anyone else notice that Chinese phrase that they did not translate for us? Mmm hum. Cute. Still... NO SINGING. 

Low Frequency (Sat iQIYI) ep 2 of 8 - Thames is in coma and getting slagged off on the socials. It’s moving a bit slowly but the premise is interesting despite the poor quality of the execution. 

Dinosaur Love (Sun iQIYI) ep 3 of 8 eps - Major trigger for self harm depicted on screen in part 2/4. I skipped it. Then there is assault and verbal abuse. I told you Ultimate Troop is NOT to be trusted. 

Be Mine Super Star (Mon Viki) ep 2 of 12 - Look, I don’t really mind this show but I also don’t like second hand embarrassment and I sense a metric butt ton incoming.

Be My Favorite (Fri YouTube) ep 8 of 12 - I was not best pleased with this episode. Ya’ll round the tumblr-sphere seem to be enjoying it but I have officially hit the wall on Kawi. There is not enough booze for me to cope with his shizz. I may be alone in this. But gotta say how I feel... Unlike him. Trash watch here.

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Tokyo in April is... AKA Shigatsu no Tokyo wa (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 5 of 8 - Poor Ren, he feels compelled to take on the burden of protecting everyone from sexual assault because he blames himself. And he can’t even talk to his boyfriend about it. Oh fuck me the pair of shoes at the door. And neck kisses? TOO MUCH. Argh. Japan. Why must you hurt so good? 

Stay By My Side (Taiwan Fri Gaga) 3 of 10 eps - It’s a very cute show. All the tropes and archetypes with no fuss or attempts to be clever, just executing them (sometimes over and over again). Even hiccoughs as a result of flirting! I haven’t seen that one in ages. The show feels old fashioned as a result. Nostalgic. I’m good with that. 

Tie The Not (Pinoy YouTube) ep 6 of 8 - Sad boys still sad now drunk. (Noooooo shoes on bed! Argh.) Finally kisses! Also good ones for a large portion of this ep. Plus hair pulling. And verse rep! And after sex convo. Then side dishes have a whole proper gay ax covo about top/bottom. Everyone say thank you Philippines! get down with your queer selves! 

Stupid Genius (Vietnam Fri YouTube) ep 6fin - I believe this was the final episode. It was cute. This is a standard sort of semi-crappy VBL high school drama. Enjoyable in its floppy friendliness, weirdly like a queer after school special promoting education. Dead fish kisses but fine for what it is. 7/10 

Minato's Laundromat Season 2 AKA Minato Shouji Coin Laundry Season 2 (Japan Thu Gaga) 2 of 12 eps - Activate cohabitation trope. They okay bfs. Minato not as frustrating this week, but still frustrating for me and Shin. Next week = cute outfits and dumb miscommunication yay!

Vian the series (Vietnam YouTube ) ep 11 of 12 - again it didn’t show up on my dash in time for this. I’ll pop it into next week. 

It’s airing but ...

House of Stars (Thai Mon iQIYI) 12 eps - I bounced at ep 3. Will binge if told it is worth it at end.

Stay (Pinoy YouTube) 7 eps - It’s mostly English & set in LA (shudder) so I’m not bothering.

Stay With Me ... NO I WILL NOT! And you can’t make me.

Ended This Week

Step By Step Series Review  

This was Thailand’s answer to The New Employee, and everything I loved about that show I loved about this one. This was an office romance between stern boss and sweet subordinate that felt more authentic to an office environment than previous Thai BLs of this ilk. And that authenticity added tension to the narrative and character development (how novel). Now that might be because it has western source material, or it might be because it is actually kind of old-fashioned (it’s been years since I worked as an office grunt). I also really enjoyed the brothers’ relationship, and kinda wished they hadn’t attempted (and failed) to give said brother his own side BL. That one flaw made it a 9/10 for me. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

La Pluie Series Review

This BL takes to task the fated mates trope and what it means to have love chained intimately to predestination. It’s about how faith in destiny before choice diminishes the authenticity of emotion, relationships, and connection. This is a high concept to examine through the lens of a BL. By activating + examining the soulmates trope this show is challenging a foundation of romance: the idea that there is one person meant to be your one romantic partner all your life. This means that we, as viewers, spend much of the show worried about it having a happy ending, and that’s the source of both its brilliance and tension: would the narrative have the strength to truly challenge its own romantic core? But, ultimately, all this elevated complexity was executed in a somewhat shaky manner with the narrative derailing into some serious pacing issues and characters manipulated by miscommunication. However, with good chemistry and decent acting all around, plus some excellent high heat and representation of consent and a few other rare tropes, this one has to (like it’s sibling show My Ride) earn a 9/10. I enjoyed it even as it made me think, so despite its flaws: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Next Week Looks Like This:

Starting:  

7/19 Wedding Plan (Thai Wed YouTube & iQIYI)  - It's Mame and she's coming for our GL. She's such a misogynist IMAGINE what we will get with a GL side dish? It's going to be absolute carnage. To crane your neck as you drive by the car wreck or not? That is the question. Me? I'm wallowing in the guts. Trying to decide to trash watch or not... 

7/20 Jun & Jun (Korea Thu Viki) - From 2022 I CAN’T FUCKING WAIT! So excited for this one. 

2023 forthcoming BL master post (see comments, some are inaccurate, NOT KEPT UPDATED)

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

FYI roselle juice is made from hibiscus (a flower) so technically neither a tea nor a juice. (Hidden Agenda)

Tie the Not = all the verse rep this ep. I love this for them. 

The giggling was SO DAMN CUTE (Step by Step, na?) 

We all guessed it but it was still fun. (Stupid Genius) Also miracles of miracles, two actors who actually look like they could be brothers play brothers. 

First time I’ve seen faen translated as significant other. (Laws of Attraction)

THE PAIN! (Tokyo) 

(Last week.)

[oldworldwidgets]

TEDDY TIME TEDDY TIME

howdy pardners this is theodore dawson, my courier from new vegas :3 he is very large and very angry yet very soft and very gay and he is so precious to me

here's his playlist!! once again it's chronological so u can listen to his story like a fun yeehaw jukebox musical. i think his is my favorite of all my character playlists

alllll the teddy stuff (appearance, stats, story before the canon events of the game, fun facts) can be found under the cut!!! if you feel so inclined to read The Long Version written like a story where my longwinded ass spends about 7k words talking about themes and character motivations (and some soft gay longing perhaps), it's up on ao3 here.

appearance

31 years old; birthday sept 25, 2250

6’6 with broad shoulders, generally built like a securitron.

patches of vitiligo splash across his face, chest, and arms

bennys bullet hit the right side of his face, carving a path from his eye to his ear, where a chunk of his ear is missing

because of this, he's blind in his right eye. the blind eye (a light, milky blue) is always a bit more closed than the seeing one (a dark grey/blue)

dark auburn chin-length hair and a short beard, both peppered with white because of his age and vitiligo. a big chunk of hair behind his ear is white as it grows from the scar.

he wears a horse or cow-skin vest with a great khans patch on the back

signature black cowboy hat, either on the top of his head or tied around his neck so it hangs down his back

gold jewelry - dangly cross earring in his left ear, upside down cross on a leather strap around his neck, big ass belt buckle

bright red shotgun shells on leather belt slung around his waist for his shotgun, dinner dell

stats

SPECIAL: 8, 1, 4, 5, 9, 2, 10

favorite perks: confirmed bachelor, animal friend, ferocious loyalty, intimidating presence

story

his dad was raised in utah and was very strictly mormon. when new jerusalem collapsed, dad moved himself, his wife, and his first son to the mojave and found work on an NCR sharecropper farm.

teddy was born fifth of six kids: four older brothers and one younger sister. he, his sister hannah, and his brother noah all have very visible vitiligo.

the kids were all also raised strictly mormon. his whole childhood, they were very poor. "at least we have each other" poor. his dad blamed it on the NCR, who owned the house and land and animals they ranched. they owned nothing, and the NCR paid them little more than that. teddy was quickly disillusioned with the NCR, then with the three of his brothers who decided to join them. one brother stayed back to inherit the ranch.

turns out, the NCR was paying; dad was just gambling it all away. he was so deeply in debt to all the families on the strip that they all decided to cut their losses and burn his farm to the ground.

that's... that's the story teddy decided to tell hannah, anyway (he wouldnt tell u this but he totally burnt that shit down on purpose). mom, dad, and one of his brothers were lost in the fire. teddy and hannah made it out, waved goodbye, parted ways.

teddy took his horse, old red, and began running jobs for whoever needed them. he never tied himself to one organization aaand his jobs weren't always above the ethical board. really, it was luck of the draw that, on any given day, he was the one defending the caravan instead of stealing from it

when he eventually went searching for his siblings, he found that two of the three brothers that had enlisted, predictably, were killed on duty. noah, though, had absconded almost immediately upon arrival due to a nasty chem habit

he found hannah "working" in front of gomorrah on the stip - her vitiligo made them instantly recognizable to each other - but she pretended not to know him because she was ashamed. he understood and gave up, but not before she hinted that he could find noah at the old mormon fort

he did, in fact, find noah there, medically detoxing under the care of some hot, blonde doctor (bweheheh....). they reconnected and it was..... really nice, even when they talked about how ashamed their dad would be if he could see them. it didnt matter. the family disappointments were the only family survivors.

teddy and arcade quickly grew very fond of each other, with arcade even being the first one to call him "teddy" after he told the doctor his name was theodore. he decided, despite its cutesy nature, to keep it.

after finishing his open jobs, teddy decided to stay with noah at the fort and run jobs for the followers when they needed it. he got reeeal comfy with arcade, and their subtle, playful flirtations eventually became noticeable to others. his brother, angry and sick from chem withdrawal and still fighting his religious upbringing, could not handle finding out that his baby brother was gay. when he did, he angrily shouted slurs and threw bottles at them until he was sedated and returned to bed.

teddy left the fort that night while everyone but the night watchman slept. he struggled to recover from what happened and drifted listlessly for a while... until he heard the news that noah had fled from his "rehab" program in the fort the day after teddy left, overdosed, and died.

the news spurred something in him, and he went looking for a real family and place to call home. after excelling in his initiation trials, he found one with the great khans. for two years, he was their resident rancher, runner, therapist, you name it.

then: 2278. the bitter springs massacre. teddy was away when it happened, and he still hasnt forgiven himself for it.

he spent the next three years drifting - again. hunting NCR. somehow racking up bounties in seemingly every single tribe in the mojave. his infamy, believe it or not, helped him survive: when he came across those who would kill him or turn him in, they seemed to prioritize who got to turn him in and collect the bounty over keeping themselves alive. whoops!

it was exhausting, though. drifting, killing, taking on the wasteland completely alone (except his beloved animals) took a heavy toll on teddy. he'd always been a killer and an outlaw, but he'd always been paid to clear other people's consciences. now, he felt he was only killing people to run from the consequences of his own actions. it was exhausting.

so, when three strangers – one in a loud, black-and-white checkered blazer – tried to knock him out and bind his hands, well… he had no reason not to let them.

*aint that a kick in the head starts blaring*

fun facts

hes not a big chem guy but hes such an alcoholic. in game he keeps at least 10 whiskeys on him at all times but would prefer to drink a sarsaparilla over using a stimpak.

he needs glasses pretty badly for his one seeing eye but he’s too stubborn to wear them

his scars always look a bit irritated because he doesnt take care of himself

he was a big pistol guy before benny shot him, but after he went blind in his aiming eye and started suffering from bouts of dizziness, he became a shotgunner. they require a far-from-perfect style of aiming

[beansidhebumbling]

We Stand Between Goliaths- Chapter 1

This was originally intended for Feylin week but in keeping with my reputation I am fashionably late. Thanks to @ae-neon, @kateprincessofbluewhales, and @feyres-divorce-lawyer. I can't write without encouragement and they were an endless well of it. Also I reckon this will be about 3 chapters in total if I stay motivated lol 😅

Some translations and notes at the bottom. I'll return later to add more. Please ask if there's something you don't know about and I'll make a note on it. If there is anything I missed or anything you have questions on please ask.

--

Old Moore's Almanack, a publication weighted by the faith of a nation, the bible of every town and village dotted liked barnacles on the rock of Ireland, failed them that summer. The worn pages of the copy, tied with string to the dresser by the back door, held no warning of the rare scorching heat that hit Mayo that August.

It held no warning of him either.

--

It crept in slowly first, the continental warmth a welcome novelty. Sure, on days like this, they said, when the cornflower blue skies kissed the rolling fields of Monet-painted green wasn't Ireland more beautiful than France and Spain?

'You're lucky to be away from Dublin for the Summer, young Archeron, aren't ya?'

Big Paddy McCaffrey commented, ringing up their purchases to add to the account, as Nesta ventured down the shop's only aisle for some flour. Feyre, focused on saving her 99, the milky ice-cream already saturating the thin wafer rim of the cone and dripping onto her sunscreen sticky hands, threw the man a tight smile.

'Suppose I am.'

She answered tersely.

'Strange all three of ye be home together, isn't it? First time since yer Ma passed, God rest her,'

He pressed, his hulking frame leaning over the old counter of the siopa, eyes searching for any shred of a story, or even better, a tear.

'Bout as strange as how you've aged ten years in the space of two, Paddy-boy.'

Her elder sister sniped as she emerged from the back corner of the shop, the bag of Odlum's safely in her grasp. The sharp lines of her trousers, some fine London make, cut through the dust motes, conjuring whirling ghosts as she marched towards the till.

Not leaving the huffing giant any room to retort, she grabbed Feyre's free hand, and they left the shaded confines of the shop to face the noon-day sun, a blistering presence high in the clear sky.

'Not looking like you're here to make friends, Nes.'

Feyre snorted, once out of earshot.

'Nosey fucker. They'll do his autopsy one day and find the Toormakeady Tribune instead of lungs inside him.'

The laugh that tickled its way from deep in her belly, had no breeze to dance on and so hung happily between them, another sign of the welcome if unfamiliar camaraderie birthed between them since their return to the home place in May.

Feyre did not know what her sister had found in London these last two years, but it looked an awful lot like peace.

'Speaking of gossip, did you see the new owner of Drimbawn House?'

'New new or new to us?'

Feyre asked. It was a relevant question. With Elain in Cork working in one of the big houses, Nesta abroad terrorising the lawyers at her new secretarial job, and Feyre in college, they had happily lost the rhythm of their birthplace.

'New to us. He bought it off Hollywood. Tamlin Stewart-Carmichael is his name. A fine block of a man by all accounts.'

Nesta paused to climb the gate behind the GAA pitch as they followed the path of their childhood, cutting through Ma Bryant's fields to get home.

'He's English. No surprise with a name like that. An excessive bunch in every way. Has only visited the place once after buying it but it's been kept in ship shape since last July, in case he wants to call on his summer residence.'

Feyre scoffed, running her hands through the grass that tickled their calves, rippling like the waves at her touch.

'What in Christ's name are they at? Houses for the seasons. Have you ever heard the like?'

'You wouldn't believe half of what I hear back in London with that posh lot. It's a different world Feyrín.'

Nesta grew quiet then, lost to a place across the sea, her mind's eye turned towards the unfamiliar horizon and, Feyre reckoned, to the secret letters that had been arriving with an English postmark since she'd landed on Irish soil.

Her heart full at the sound of a pet name she had not heard from Nesta in years, Feyre followed her sister home, as she had done all her life.

------

In a country where too much of a good thing was highly distasteful the unnatural heat soon extended beyond its welcome. After a week of no rain and blistering, bruising sun, the rumblings of concern began. The labourers started to seek shade to avoid the rage of noon and the farmers nearest the Lough Mask, let their cattle cool in gentle waters, for neither man nor beast in Toormakeady was built or bred for a Mediterranean climate.

Having been on nursing duty Monday night, Feyre greeted the dawn with a weary welcome. He was fading and she knew it. Her father, who had looked so frail when she'd come home that Summer, a husk of the hale man she'd known from childhood, felt like a figment now.

It hurt too much to sleep knowing by the minute more of him was lost to her, gone to a heaven Feyre had never truly believed in until death loomed. Because there was no way the story of John Archeron ended with a skeleton in the ground.

He was the ritual footing of turf. Lunch together on the bog, eating sandwiches Elain wrapped in tinfoil, the fresh bread slathered in Kerrygold with thick slabs of salty pork. A needed balm for the tired ache that radiated from neck to ankle. Sitting in the rusty Ford come sunset, drinking cold tea from a shared cupán before heading home, his wordless clap on her back the only praise she'd ever got or needed at the end of the day.

He was the man who'd never raised his voice in all of Feyre's life, bar the time she captained the U-15s to a camogie final, when his bellowing and cheering could be heard from Galway as she raised the corn above her head. She remembers him, cheeks full and face ruddy, the proudest he'd ever been Nesta said. For hadn't his Feyrín óg scored three goals and two points that day and led her team to victory.

He was her father, and, in that word, a million memories were stored.

Elain's bustling entry into the kitchen brought Feyre back to the present.

Her sister, already busying herself with making breakfast, whispered.

'How is he Feyrín?'

Stretching in the armchair by the stove, feeling the tension roll from her shoulders and down her arms, she shrugged.

'Not too bad, slept like a log for most of the night. He's still running a bit of a fever but that stuff the doctor gave him has eased the pain. Also don't worry about whispering, fairly certain Judgement Day couldn't rouse him right now.'

Meandering over to her sister she added.

'What's on the schedule today then?'

'Elain, expertly frying rashers and eggs, ran a critical eye over Feyre.

'Well, some food and the leaba for you I'd imagine anyways. Did you sleep at all?'

Feyre ignored the question.

'I'm not tired, El. Actually was going to head on over to the Kelly's place. They've been shocking good taking the herd when Da got sick, but I can manage them now. Reckon I'll sell half at Ballymote this month, bring the number down, you know?'

Elain's back stiffened, her sister in temperament and posture as flexible and fluid as the willow, became stone. Only the crackling and hissing of breakfast could be heard.

Words careful and softly spoken passed her lips.

'Have you spoken to Nes?'

'No. She's never been interested in the farm. Didn't think I needed to ask permission.'

The words, daggers of her making, pointed at Elain.

Her sister's soothing tone did nothing but rankle her further.

'It's not about permission, Fey. I just think we should make these decisions together.'

But though Elain dealt in serenity, she could wield knives too and often did with deceptive skill. Sticking one in Feyre's gut she said with feeling.

'It's what Da would want.'

Her doe-eyed sister who vomited sugar and ribbons could be a right bitch.

Too close to bleeding from her eyes, hurt and a desperate anguish crawling from her stomach and up her throat, Feyre turned towards the back door, grabbing some blackberries, juicy and shining, from the glass bowl by the Almanack.

'I'm going for a walk. I'll be back for dinner.'

The words spilled from her, gruff and broken, trails of hot saltwater carving famine roads along her high cheekbones.

With Elain who'd always read people like Nesta read books, burning holes into her back, Feyre pulled on her boots and grabbed her old hurley, that was tucked neatly in its shrine of a nook by the door.

It was time to visit the forest.

---

The camóg sat like a comfort in Feyre's hand, its weight familiar and grounding, the sleek ash stained with dirt at the boss. She imagined this was how warriors of old felt carrying their swords, this strange companionship, an extension of herself that knew her in a way no person could.  

As was the case when Feyre had a hurl in hand, time moved differently, the mixed woodland hurtled by a blur of brown and green, the ferns that crept onto the path crushed beneath her boots. Bouncing the sliotar off the ash, she focused only on that settling pulse, on finding the perfect balance to keep that round ball on the curved head of the stick, on the thumping of her feet against dusty ground.  

And gradually that burning sadness that ate at her heart, the searing anger at her sister's face, too soft to be so cruel, faded from stinging tears to a small hole at the pit of her stomach. Contained and controlled for now.  

After all, Setanta didn't cry. 

She ran and ran, taking joy in the burning muscle of her thighs, the stinging of her eyes, the heavy panting of her breath, until she reached the boundary line where Toormakeady Forest met the Hollywood Hills.  

Stopping at the rusted gate choked by bindweed, where lus na teanga grew between the tufts of grass as the path faded to an end, Feyre stared out across the rolling hills of the English fella's fields, just about able to spot the glittering waters of Lough Mask in the distance.  

When Richard had lived here, it was custom to walk through the hills. Hollywood, as he was known, a retired American actor had been genial if distant, happy for the village to take the short-cut through his land provided they never approached the house. 

Feyre reckoned he might have been more than a bit offended if he knew exactly how well that suited the villagers in kind.

But now this Tamlin Stewart-Carmichael had co-opted the land the rules had likely changed.

With a fecklessness more characteristic than she'd prefer to admit Feyre hopped the gate anyways. Ignorance was bliss and in weather like this no jumped-up staff of an absent gentleman were going to get between her and the shining waters.

---

Lough Mask lapped at her legs cool and tickling as she stood to her knees in the water, a medicine Feyre had not known she needed, easing the feverish redness that coloured her cheeks and gently tempering the fire that still roiled quietly in her gut. 

Looking out from the shore, Feyre faced the distant veridian mountains that sat the far side of the expanse of rippling greyness. There they stood, imposing Goliaths set in sharp contrast to the saturated summer sky. The bays and cries of livestock nearby seemed so muted, overwhelmed by the gentle rhythm of the calm opaque waters.  

Tranquillity found her briefly. 

And left rapidly when, out of nowhere but Hell surely, a naked man arose from the lake, splashing and gasping for air, a siren of old. 

'Sweet Jesus!' 

Feyre yelled, lifting her hurley above her head to take a crack at the blond menace before her.  

‘Don’t!’ 

He commanded, raising his tanned well-muscled arms in mercy. His voice was deep, with the distinct sharp bite of an English accent. 

She dropped her hurley before him in the water in panic before grabbling it and retreating to the land. Her wet feet smarting at the pinch of the pebbles as she made the rapid withdrawal, putting distance between them. Man, or siren, she was not interested in drowning either which way. 

‘Who the fuck are you?’ 

She pointed the hurl accusatorily at him.  

Sitting back into the water, his lower half became submerged once more. Not that Feyre would forget what she saw in a hurry. As it was, the well-hewn muscles on his abdomen, shining with water droplets and the crosshatch of curling golden hair on his chest, was distraction enough.  

Smirking slightly, green eyes dancing, he replied, 

‘I could ask you the same question...Miss.’ 

Apollo had stopped pulling the sun and landed his chariot in Toormakeady to laugh at her apparently.  

 ‘Anyone who is anyone in these parts knows my face, Sassenach. On voice alone, if you’d ever set foot in the village, I’d know ye.’ 

His dimples seemed to share an inside joke with the lines that creased his eyes as he stared at her. Definitely entertained and strangely delighted at this bizarre encounter it seemed.  

‘Touché, Miss.’ 

‘Odd name that,’ 

She stated drily. 

He laughed. A gentle thing, carried in huffs and breaths by the soft breeze off the lake. 

‘You wield your words as well as your weapon....’ 

He motioned lazily towards the hurley,  

‘...Feyre Archeron.’ 

Her eyes widened in shock, and, following the movement of his arm, were confronted with the thick Sharpie scrawl of her name along the handle.  

Well, shit. 

Her pulse began to settle all the same to a somewhat normal rhythm now she was out of arm’s reach of the dangerously alluring specimen. 

‘You must be connected to yer man moving into the big house then,’ 

She gestured vaguely towards Drimbawn. If she had the sense God gave a rat she’d walk away now, leg it back home. But Feyre would not be scared from the lake, let alone by some Englishman so she continued, 

‘Usually, the posh lot hire locally or at least Hollyw.. the last fella did. But then again, it’s been a few generations since we’ve had someone with the brass neck to keep such a beautiful place as a second home. Can’t say I’m terribly fond of your boss there, stranger.’  

Pink roses blossomed on his cheeks and a large, veined hand pulled at the wavy sun-bleached strands that tickled his shoulder. 

‘He has hired local men. Um... I’m here to just keep things running until he comes to visit. I’m Ta-Tanner.’ 

He went to stand up and shake her hand. Some remnants of well-intentioned civility she imagined, however when challenged by his pronounced obliques, the last of her good sense and innate Catholic shame made her turn rapidly on her heel to face the forest she’d come from.  

‘Easy there, squire. Might want to put some trousers on first.’ 

‘Of course.’ 

He answered, voice apologetic and brimming with a crushing embarrassment that made her want to cackle. 

He was like art. Like whomever Michaelangelo thought of when he had carved David. 

Her supplies had remained zipped away since coming home. It seemed wrong to take joy in the delicate scratch of lead on paper, to crave the feeling of dried acrylic on canvas and skin. Where she usually saw endless, boundless colour and life, there existed only delicate ash structures. It struck her, this sudden wish to paint Tanner, as the first time since she’d seen her father so frail in that flimsy, miserable bed off the kitchen, she wished to paint. Her first time seeing and tasting glorious colour again.  

A shadow fell against her own. 

‘You can turn around now.’ 

Tanner murmured quietly.  

Feyre came face to face with the most beautiful person she’d ever seen. His looks, that were barely palatable from a safe distance, threatened to overcome her as he stood within arm’s reach. The freckles that dotted his nose, slightly crooked from at least one break she imagined, and across his high cheekbones, seemed to map constellations of the night. But he, gilded like the horizon at sunset, was no child of the moon.  

His eyes, speckled with brown flecks like oak leaves smouldered as they met hers, the threatening spark to a flame. 

Casting her sight down, coward that she was, she focused instead on the cotton of his shirt, which though crinkled, was luxurious and well-crafted.  

‘The big man must pay well indeed,’ 

She scoffed.  

‘He’s not a bad guy, all things considered.’ 

He remarked, his hand glancing off her own, a touch just slight enough to claim as an accident.   

‘I’m sure he’s a charmer.’ 

Feyre muttered. 

The silence that settled between with a comfort that seemed unearned, a space of knowing and understanding. It was this, this strange contentment in her soul, that said stay, which prompted Feyre to run. 

‘You best be going, it’s nearly time to do the milking.’ 

She prompted.  

His eyes shuttered, disappointment flickering through them before he nodded reluctantly.  

‘Oh yes, of course. The milking...For the cows.’ 

His hand caught hers gently, encasing it within his, and Feyre who had never felt delicate in her life, felt like a doll in his giant grip.  

‘Do you come here often Feyre?’ 

A question that sounded more like a plea. 

Her heart, ever the loyal organ, beat to the rhythm of his.  

‘I’ll be here tomorrow,’ 

She replied breathily, unsure yet whether it was a lie or truth, before breaking his grasp and running back towards the forest.  

You’ll be back tomorrow,  

Her heart whispered.  

-- 

As she disappeared from view, the mountains and a liar watched on.  

---

Translations:

Feyrín- Little Feyre (Fey-reen). Common structure in Irish. Add -ín at the end and things become small. See names like Róisín (Little Rose) or bothrín (little road, i.e. a lane).

cupán- cup (cup-awn)

óg- young (oh-guh). Common to put after someone's name if they are young, sort of like Junior in English. Especially traditionally in families where there's a family name. E.g. there's a grandfather Connor and a grandson Connor in the one family, the grandfather could become Connor Sean (Old Connor) and the grandson, Connor Óg.

leaba- bed (lah-baa)

camóg- hurl (less common term used for a hurl when playing camógie. See the notes below for more context).

Further Notes for Context:

GAA- Gaelic Athletic Association consists of four indigenous Irish sports (hurling/camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders). Hurling and Gaelic football are by far the most popular. I didn't even realise rounders was on the list and I've been involved with the GAA since I was a kid.

[suleikazuleika]

I don't have access to Movie 27, so this theory might already be debunked.

But I'm more convinced then ever that Kaitou Corbeau is a Chikage + Kudo Family Team-Up.

If the whisperings I'm hearing about the reveal are true, then the three of them have an invested interest in seeing Kaito retire as KID.

I mean, it wouldn't be the first time Yusaku and Yukiko pulled some really sketchy shit. Remember the "Conan Edogawa Kidnapping Case" from the early volumes? They straight up kidnapped their son to prove a point.

That said, I don't think that's their primary reason behind Kaitou Corbeau. I think they're searching for Toichi Kuroba. What better way to lure someone out than to wear their face and use their own techniques?

If Toichi's body was never recovered after the accident or went missing, then of course it would raise suspicions from his loved ones.

It would explain their rather frequent trips overseas, especially considering how shit in going down in Japan right now with their children.

But if Toichi is alive, why hasn't he shown himself? I have a few theories:

Option 1) Like Shinichi, he believes that his loved ones will be safer if both they and the assassins who targetted him believe he's dead.

Obviously, this backfired spectacularly with Kaitou Kid's return. I love Konosuke Jii, but I'm starting to believe he royally screwed up Toichi's plan with his desire for revenge.

While he did not want Jii to tell Kaito of his alter ego, Toichi clearly had plans on telling his son himself. He left a voice recording in the secret room, which probably detailed his motivations and a warning not to follow in his footsteps. Unfortunately, that message deteriorated over the 8 years since his death.

It is possible that around this time, Chikage and the Kudo couple were tipped off on a Toichi sighting, thus forcing their focus elsewhere.

Option 2) He was seriously injured in the accident, and now believes his presence poses a danger to his loved ones. This one would be incredibly tragic, but sometimes a traumatic injury can cause a personality change like increased bouts of anger.

Even if these concerns were unfounded, I don't see Toichi as the kind of person who would take that risk with his family. Combined with concerns over the organization, it paints a bleak picture.

Option 3) Toichi is the series' main villain and a bad father. Just as his final message could've been a warning to Kaito against becoming KID, it could also be an invitation to inherit the role.

The adrenaline rush of a successful heist could have proved addicting, and Toichi could have used his assassation attempt to leave his shackles of responsibility behind. He could have graduated to an even more dangerous phantom thief persona.

Remember how there is 8 Night Baron books? One for each year since Toichi's supposedly death? And Yusaku has never revealed his identity, not even to his own son...

While I think this last scenario is the least likely, it would certainly be the most dramatic. It would force Kaito to rethink his whole career.

[maaarshieee]

IT HAS BEEN AWHILE HWWKNSHE HOW ARE UUU?

anw! here's a fluff drabble >.<

accompanying dottore to his little exploration seemed a great idea for you. it would be a simple date, trying to find plants that he needed for an experiment. you weren't that athletic and you get pretty tired easily. so during your hangout, you were breathing really deep and like almost out of breath.

dottore knew that you would be tired, so he made sure to bring ready-to-eat meals and a blanket if you wanted to sleep. he also thought that this would kind of be date so he permitted you to come. with no enemies that can attack you both, no guards that will follow the two of you, nor any other priorities except you and the plant.

so dottore searched for a place where you can both sit and eat for awhile. reminisce about the memories you made throughout your relationship. these little peaceful moments with him are rare, so you take the opportunity to give him all the love he deserves aka lots of hugs and kisses, plus words that show how much you love him, and taking pictures using the kamera he bought for you.

the both of you definitely took your time and forgot the plant.

-weekly anon (im def turning into a weekly anon)

⎯⎯ ୨ Moments Like These ୧ ⎯⎯

ੈ♡˳ Il Dottore x Gn!Reader *ೃ༄

ੈ♡˳ 1.1k words ┊ Fluff *ೃ༄

ੈ♡˳ Masterlist *ೃ༄

author's note ˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚

OMG FINALLY BACK TO WRITING... hi weekly anon,, missing you <3 hope you had a nice holiday and new years! sorry it took so long to write this but my motivation is slowly coming back! anyways. soft dottore 🥺also its so weird to not have warnings on dottore fics... have a good day/night!! WAIT IS THIS A REQUST. I MIGHTVE INTERPRETED THIS WRONG BUT WHATEVER HAVE THIS LMAO IM SORRY

If you had half the mind to actually listen carefully to his words, you would've thought it was very very peculiar for Dottore to invite you to hunt for a particularly rare plant he needed for his experiment. And if you weren't blinded by your giddiness to spend more time with him, especially when Dottore himself asked you, you would've found it odd that he would go out to fetch this plant himself and not assign a segment for such a trivial task. It wasn't an urgent need either, it seemed like an excuse to dismiss every other responsibility he has as a Fatui, ignore his unfinished projects and take you out somewhere nice because he simply wanted to.

But you were too excited, too delighted that the Archons had given you a chance to be with your lover. Well, you're technically always with him, being his annoying little assistant in his chaotic laboratory, but being with him in a different region? Now that's quite a thrilling thought! When was the last time the two of you went outside together? Somewhere that wasn't Snezhnaya? You were getting tired of seeing the endless white of the frozen nation, so traveling to a nation filled with greenery and without a lick of snow? You couldn't help but start nagging Dottore to leave sooner, unable to contain your evident eagerness.

Perhaps in midst of your excitement, you hadn't noticed that Dottore never once gave you an irritated glance even if you insistently nagged him to no end. Rather, his features would soften behind his mask, and a small smile would stretch his lips, watching you ramble on and on about what you've read about Sumeru and possible locations where the plant he required could be.

You weren't slow, no, you're far from it. You help in the laboratory and graduated from the Akademiya, then worked in the Fatui to share your knowledge with the Doctor and help him achieve goals that were thought impossible. But for some reason, you couldn't catch on Dottore's true intentions, too distracted, too elated to detect the strange amount of fondness radiating from his form whilst he held onto a basket full of food and necessities, just for you. Only for you.

So when you inevitably got tired from walking, muttering curses under your breath and holding onto Dottore's outstretched arm while you tried to calm your pacing heart, he immediately looked around for a better spot to rest. Dottore can't get tired, not anymore, so he could keep on going without you. But who was he to leave his dear lover alone? Where they can get attacked by anything at their moment of weakness? Absolutely not. Besides, he planned on staying with you until the end of the day, the plant was the least of his worries. Plus, he gets to enjoy your bewildered expressions once you've finally caught your breath and turned your head where Dottore was.

"I... What's all this??" You asked incredulously, tilting your head to the side in confusion to see Dottore sitting down on a blanket he laid out on the ground. Your favorite foods, pastries, and drinks were present on the blanket, which made it look like a normal picnic. "Come and sit, you need rest." His reply left you speechless, blinking at him multiple times as if he wasn't real but you obeyed nonetheless, walking toward him in a daze and taking a comfortable seat right next to him.

Allowing him to wipe away the sweat that formed all over your face and neck with a clean piece of cloth, you could see a small amused smirk on his lips, sharp teeth poking out. You pursed your lips in thought, his hands gentle and cautious as they made their way downwards. It was rare for Dottore to be so... pleasant for once? Grabbing the hem of your shirt, you absentmindedly raised your arms and he pulled it off, then proceeded to wipe off the sweat on your chest and back. Warmth spread throughout your skin, from the tip of your ears down to your bare shoulders, glancing around nervously. No one would be around these parts, especially when the two of you were searching for something that was so rare it was considered a myth, so not a soul would probably be wandering around the area you were in. Though, all your nervousness faded away when Dottore pinched your nose, your attention snapping back towards him as you huffed, swatting his hands away. The corners of his lips twitched, and that was when it clicked.

"Oh," You started, glancing back at the prepared meals on the blanket for you to eat, another bundle of blankets and a pillow inside the basket, and even a Kamera he had bought at some point before entering the forest when you both first arrived at Sumeru, "This was your plan all along, huh?" The corners of your eyes crinkled as a huge grin slowly formed on your face, eyes filled with mirth and, undoubtedly, tenderness at his thoughtfulness. You were extremely touched, it wasn't often Dottore did something like this, especially outside of his lab.

Dottore's hand froze and tensed. While he had expected you to catch on sooner or later to his intentions, it still surprised him when you spoke those words. Yes, he indeed did this all for you. But no matter how much Dottore loves you, it would take a lot more for him to admit such things to you, especially when you were looking at him funny with a smug expression on your face. The grip he had on the now sweaty cloth he had in his hand tightened as he put it away. "Awww, who knew you could be so romantic?" And you just had to run your mouth, "You could've just told me you wanted to have a picnic with me, dear! Did you have to use a 'rare plant' as an excu— oof!" Before you could finish your sentence, something soft hit your face, catching you off guard.

It was a clean shirt that you wore without hesitation, but once your head poked out, his hands immediately attacked your cheeks, pinching and stretching with a scowl on his face. Grabbing his wrist as you groaned, you shot him an unimpressed glare, cursing him, and tried to pull his hands away from your poor cheeks. "Hey! Don't avoid the subject— eek!" You suddenly squealed, then burst out laughing as he began to poke your sides, ultimately rendering you helpless. "What are you talking about, dearest?" Dottore finally spoke with a purr, a smirk returning on his lips. "I'm not avoiding anything."

And as you wriggled in his grasp, Dottore couldn't help but pull you closer to him, watching as tears formed in your eyes from how hard you were laughing, and the way the curves of your face stretched and wrinkled from how big you were smiling. From the cold, hollow chest, he felt warmth. Fullness. Happiness.

A feeling he could only truly feel with you.

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- ̥۪͙۪˚┊❛❛ If you like this a lot, consider reblogging! I'll appreciate it very very much! Don't repost and/or translate my work anywhere. ❜❜ ┊˚ ̥۪͙۪◌

[asexualzoro]

it's december 9th, meaning today is my 23rd birthday (which is my favorite number!), which means it's time for...

Lew Writes Wrapped 2023!!!

im including anything that happened after my last bday, so we have some works from december as well. this one's a bit of a weird one for the total word count, you'll see why

it's all treebark from my sideblog / alt ao3. i cannot change. i will not change. for these im just gonna specify the relationship that's the main focus bc thats easier than fandom bc all but like one are third life

dandelion wishing

(Dec, 2.4k, treebark, oneshot) (link)

op movie 6 au for dogwarts in which Martyn is the baron and Ren doesn't know he's dead

id actually plotted out a whole third life au for this movie like months prior and really wanted to write it, so i took it for treebark week and focused it just on these two. it's my fave movie of all time and i obvs had to give it to my fave completely dead team <3

i will admit tho. it did make me back search martyns twitter to see if hes ever posted abt watching this movie. bc i know he likes One Piece and i realized this would bring me into the danger zone (he hasnt ever posted abt it if hes seen it)

A Romance Route for the Doomed Villain?!?

(Dec, 5k, treebark, oneshot) (link)

treebark dating sim isekai parody that spiraled out of my control made in a day-long possession

im still baffled by this one. why was the response to this one so insane?? there was smth in the water the day i posted this bro. a 1:2 kudos to hits ratio for the entire first day is literally fucking unbelievable. 70 comments?? what hold did this fic have on you people. i got fic written about this one?? my friends goncharov'd me in front of my face

really fucking fun to write and the insane response was smth im always gonna remember. i appreciate you guys so much

treesekai also turns a year old in a few days!

Until the Angels Realize You're Not One of Them

(Feb, 7.2k, emerald duo, oneshot) (link)

a traitor phil au which was mostly just me talking about all the reasons i love technoblade

this one... wasnt actually written this year for the most part? i didnt want to not acknowledge it, since it's on my ao3 in this year, but i wont be able to count it toward the total

still. traitor phil au my beloved. hearing him say on his stream he and techno wanted to do a betrayal arc made me feel insane bc i already had this written at the time

missing or obstructed

(2022-present, 12.9k, Grian & Ren, ongoing) (link)

post 3L fic about Ren and Grian seeking out closure with a lot of funny little sleep metaphors

same deal as the last fic, i, uh dont think i actually wrote anything new for missing or obstructed this year either? just uploaded chapters i wrote last year,,, i didnt wanna now acknowledge it, but i wont count this in my total later

i miss her. one day ill actually sit down and write more missing or obstructed. in my doc im JUST at introducing Martyn and i havent written it yet

to reach my mangled debut

(Sept, 4.2k, treebark week, ongoing) (link)

it wouldnt be me if i didnt have an execution somewhere in here. another op au!

THIS. I LOVE HER. when rev and i were plotting out the whole storyline for smop renchanting i was begging please give me this scene i need it and i had so much fun writing it. i rlly need to finish soon but i haven’t had time but please. please check out smop. she’s top of my priority list to update

Three-Dog Night

(Sept, 6.7k, treebark week, oneshot) (link)

BIG DOG. beauty and the beast au!

god im so fond of this au. there’s some rlly good scenes written for this and unposted bc i just need to link them together. honestly i think if i took a month and focused it on this fic alone i could fucking finish it but i don’t have the time ;-;

that said i’m so enamored w this au genuinely. o dunno what else to say i just think. puppy

Cover Me In Roses

(Sept, 3.3k, treebark week, oneshot) (link)

lamplight roleswap! put Martyn in a flower pot

i don’t feel as motivated to work on this one when i have lamplight unfinished so it’s lower on my priorities but know i have like an entire arc of this written and unposted. we just have a few paths for this one and i have to decide which one to use

it’s so wild to me lamplight has like. aus. like this isn’t even the only one? a roleswap. that’s insane? it’s wild that you all like lamplight enough i can even get away with this

First Sign of a House Fire

(Sept, 2k, treebark week, oneshot) (link)

i love superhero stories for two reasons: plots about secrets and adapting the characters to give them powers. this had smth fun for both of them

yellow rose isn’t super high on my list of priorities to update (i think the oneshot is interesting on its own) but one day,,,, it’s part of the many aus cherri and i have but it’s the longest for sure. the doc for just this au is like 100k words long on its own. at the time i draft this cherri and i are actively writing smth else for it in another tab. theres like 4 offshoots and im obsessed w all of them. we had to make ocs about this one. i’m excited to eventually add more to this series

actually that’s one of the scenes i’m most excited for and most dreading adding. we made a backstory oc and im SO attached to him and im excited to post a thing out there w him but. ough. whatever cringe is dead i’ll get there eventually and brute force my way into attaching you to our funky little robot guy

also love that this fic forced me to be decided on a docv characterization that i have to stick to. he may be a canon guy to martyn’s vtuber lore but he’s my oc now too

Blindsided

(Sept, 2k, treebark week, ongoing) (link)

pirate au and royal au based on a big secret and also stuffing a guy in a box and it's all stupid dramatic literally what else do you want or need in life

this is my wife. my favorite. my most beloved. blindsided gives me new illnesses and diseases. i have just one scene to write before i can update it and then i can continue unleashing her. god i love this fic the drama of it is SO fun.

the funny thing abt blindsided is i know all the plot chronologically but now how to Present it which is part of why i haven’t continued too much. eventually i will but until then know that one of the scenes im sitting on which has been fully written is one i think about constantly. hopefully when i post it cherri’ll let free the comic she did for it

i actually have the ending of this fic written i just need to get there lmfao. second on my priority list after smop i think

Cradle of the Leviathan

(Sept, 1.5k, treebark week, oneshot) (link)

i just love mer aus man. whats the point of it all if you cant have mer aus. just get a big ol fish

i have the ending of this au written as well and literally so little of the lead up. but this is pretty low on my priorities. i think this one stands just fine on its own. mer aus are nice like that

we actually have a few mer aus but for now i’ll be focusing on this one. i do have a few sweet post story things written for this one. maybe one day i’ll write enough to post em lmao

Lamplight AU

(2022-present, 47k, treebark, ongoing) (link)

renchanting dnd/fantasy au, martyn's a paladin and ren's a lamp

so i started this au last year. my wrapped last year said my total was 20k, so that means this year's total is.... 27k!

and… it was just lamplight’s birthday and i did all my appreciation for the fic and its readers then, but god. i love this fic so much and i love you all who have read it and been so kind about it. the amount of popularity it has makes it a bit nerve wracking to work on, but i still really want to see it finished. i hope to see the bulk of it done by this time next year!

Six Sentence Sunday

six sentence sunday is a challenge where i try to post six sentences i wrote that week every sunday, to keep me writing every week of the year! i do it over on my writing blog, @driflew

i did not keep up on my six sentences,,, i had a lot of sunday fencing tournaments. i did for ~33 weeks this year! thats a pretty good amount! i’ll have to be more on top of it next year tho

unpublished work

the last few years i havent included unpublished work, but with the extreme bulk of it, i wanted to note it down. cherri @/cherrifire and i have been writing a lot back and forth at each other in discord dms this year, and i wanted to include those in my count! bc holy fucking shit is there a lot of them

i didn’t include collab pieces, just pieces i wrote alone. i also only included the renchanting aus i share w cherri and scarian aus i share w flowey, nothing else—no unfinished lamplight or other independent pieces or oneshots, no original fiction for class, nothing. i also missed a few u haven’t moved to docs yet. so i’m lowballing by a few. thousands. of words

the total for those is...... 135k words! there is,,, something wrong with me

total and end notes

our total this year is...

187512 words!

that might be my highest word count yet! because i caught treebark disease. wild.

something really fun about this year to me is i really loved everything i wrote.

if you want to get me a gift or support me on my birthday… maybe try reading my work and reblogging it or leaving a comment! you can find my writing at driflew or skelew on ao3, follow my writing blog at @driflew, or even consider tipping my kofi!

thank you for sticking with me and supporting me this year! i really appreciate it! hopefully i can break 100k next year too!

[woeswrites]

Fidus Achates

Capulus

To his team, Spencer has only ever been treated as an encyclopedia. Only when they're at a loss do they search through his pages. He is used and used, but is never once appreciated. Maybe that is what motivated him to seek a confidant. Someone who can sympathize with him and see him for what he truly is; a person and not just a machine spitting out facts (though he can do that too).

Or... Spencer Reid seeks out a therapist and realizes he has some boundary issues, to say the least

Pairing: yan!Spencer Reid x male!OC

Word count: 1,031

Notes: Don't expect quick updates to this. I'm a very inconsistent writer. Editing constantly

"Hello, this is the office of Dr. Ward, correct?"

A well-kept and most likely middle aged receptionist took a break from her string of typing to look up. The nameplate displayed front and center on her marbled counter read “Karla Thompson, Front Desk Representative”.

"You’re in the right place, name please."

She held a tight (yet appropriately polite) smile on her face. She didn’t appear displeased but it was evident she had a lot on her hands.

"Spencer."

The woman held eye contact expectantly.

"Oh right- uh, Spencer Reid". She punched in something before responding.

"It seems your new here. You'll need to fill out these-" Just before Karla could finish grabbing a stack of forms to drop on him, Spencer reached into his leather satchel.

“-Actually…” Reid slipped a standard folder labeled ‘WARD’ out of his bag and onto the countertop. "I filled them all out already.” The woman was a bit surprised but reached over nonetheless. “I can get pretty busy so I figured I would do all this desk work prior to coming in. It has been shown to save up to…" His words began to fade as he realized he was going off again. "Sorry." Karla nodded and opened up the manila casing. She seemingly glanced through the materials.

"You're lucky, our doctors have been running ahead of schedule today. Doesn't happen very often." She shook her head at her comment. "Listen, you'll need to head down to the last door on your left." The long acrylic pasted to her index finger directed Spencer toward the nearest hallway. "The doctor should be waiting for you in there." Spencer gave a curt nod as a formality.

Before he had even left the desk Karla was typing away again. The clacking was audible all the way from the nearly empty waiting room to the mahogany door inscribed with the name 'Malakai Ward'. Spencer lifted his hand up in a loose fist before rapping his knuckles against the wood. A muffled voice granted him entrance.

Spencer hadn't planned for the sudden wave of dark roast that hit his nostrils. It wasn't particularly on brand for a doctor's office, which he usually associated with more of a soap-like aroma, but he'd be lying if he said it didn't help soothe his nerves a little. Spencer was latching on to any bit of familiarity her could around here.

"Oh hello! Dr. Reid is it?"

"Huh?" Too entranced in his senses Spencer completely missed the figure standing in front of him. A tall caucasian male, approximately 27 years in age and 6 feet 3 inches in height.

‘Definitely young for someone in his profession, so there’s a high probability for an above average IQ.’

"Oh yes. Though, I would prefer if you just called me Spencer." Being addressed by that title in this situation felt a little odd.

"Alright, Spencer it is. It is very nice to meet you."

"Uh, yes, it is nice to meet you too Doctor." He was not the type to physically greet people like this, but he was unsure of exactly how he should be approaching this situation.

As a profiler, it’s not uncommon for Spencer to take in the appearance of those around him. In fact, it would be far more strange if he ignored the attributes of someone before him.

As such, all of the man's features were quickly being jotted down and stored in his mental files. Dr. Ward wore a brown curled haircut, a pair of metal-framed reading glasses, and some light stubble. His general attributes were pretty common, but a closer look reveals an amalgamation of attractive features.

Dr. Ward smiled and reciprocated the gesture. He definitely seemed more comfortable than Spencer during the interaction. The later retracted his hand in a calculated way (trying not to focus too much on the skin to skin contact) and stood awkwardly. "I believe I mentioned on the phone the reason for my reaching out to you."

"Yes, I believe you did. It's not every day that an FBI member contacts me after all." A polite laugh was exchanged as Dr. Ward motioned for the two of them to take a seat on his office chairs. "I remember finding it strange that you sought an outside professional instead of contacting a therapist whom you work alongside." Spencer took a seat on the surprisingly comfortable chair across from the doctor.

"Well, that was my intention really. I wanted to be able to speak to someone who wasn't affiliated with my... work situation."

"So, to my understanding, you have come to me in order to find someone who will listen-" Dr. Ward glanced down briefly to his notes before continuing “As you believe many of the people in your life are not willing to. Did I get that right?" Hearing those words out loud stung a little.

"It appears so..." Spencer adjusted his sweater vest at the collar.

"Don't worry, it is a relatively common occurrence in this field." The doctor offered a smile. "And I am more than happy to help you with that Spencer. You will always have my undivided attention while you are here."

Spencer's eyes widened slightly from the sincerity of the response but he quickly returned to his normal composure. This whole situation was more than embarrassing for the young wiz kid so it was comforting to know that someone wasn’t judging him for making this move. The opposite actually.

“Before we begin, have you ever had a therapist before me?” Spencer shook his head no. “That’s alright. I’m just going to briefly ask you some standard questions to help me further understand how I can best assist you throughout this process. Is that okay with you?” Spencer looked around the room for a second, gathering small bits and pieces as he did.

'Dog person'

'Hockey fan'

'Big on literature'

All of this information helped Spencer gather a better sense of who this person was behind his doctorate. It helped soothe his nerves a little knowing that, he too, was a normal person with hobbies, likes, and dislikes.

Spencer nodded, allowing the doctor to proceed.

"Alright, well lets get started then, shall we?"

[charmspeakerx]

hiii !! i’m zia (she/her, 21+) and even though i’m not new to tumblr, i’m new to roleplaying on tumblr, so i apologize for mistakes and upcoming questions. i really like the premise of this collective so i’m excited to meet everyone’s muses and plot with y’all!! i’m still working on minjae’s bio, but here’s his ability and resident profile and under the cut you can find a few more information. please just hit me up if you want to plot <33 or like this post and i shall approach you <3

first and foremost, this muse and his abilities were inspired by paul atreides and the bene gesserit sisterhood from dune. with the difference that my muse isn't space jesus on drugs 💀

the word “charmspeak” is from rick riordan <33 

background summary:

he was born into a secretive cult of charmspeakers known as the hyeonmu order. this cult has existed since metahumans were first introduced to society and since then, they’ve been subtly influencing politics and society for their own gain

in the cult, members undergo strict training to perfect their tone, intonation, and emotional control

they practice extreme emotional discipline, like how to detach themselves from personal feelings to enhance the effectiveness of their charmspeak

all members have to swear an oath to keep the order’s existence and activities a secret (under penalty of severe consequences if they don’t keep their promise)

once the members’ abilities are fully developed, they are assigned to influential positions in society (some of them are even in the aeternal task force)

as he grew older, he became increasingly aware of how morally corrupt the order was and he also noticed that no one seemed to question their practices or motives

he even suspected that the order used mind control on its own members to maintain obedience and secrecy but it somehow didn’t work on him and that’s how he realized that, at some point, he obtained the (minor) ability to resist any form of mind control 

wow i feel like i’m just yapping and there’s still so much to say about his background??? 

anyway, i’ll try to keep it short: his mom is a high-ranking charmspeaker within the order and she’s quite respected for her abilities and her wisdom, but she does not have the highest position in the order, so she must still adhere to the rules and decisions of the order’s leadership

his relationship to her was always good <3 she always supported her son and recognized his potential but also his need for individuality

she advised him to leave and explore life outside the cult and find his own path and use his abilities for his own purposes, yadda yadda yadda 

she’s bad as hell ngl, she helped him build a new identity (surprise !! moon minjae is not his real name) to hide from the cult

WE’RE REACHING THE END GUYS, WE CHEERED !! so yeah with his mom’s help, he escaped the order at 19 and lived here and there and took odd jobs to survive

he only decided to move to silver line apartments a year ago because without the cult, he kinda missed the feeling of belonging and thought that he could find it in a community of metahumans (he’s also taking a risk by living there because the chances of the order finding him in 2cc is higher)

ok that’s it for the summary… i think? right now my boy is a security guard and wanders the halls during the night to keep trouble far away !! which is kinda easy for him, given his ability of persuasion <3

oh, and he’s still very cautious since his old cult is actively searching for him. BUT he’s very protective of his mom and would never reveal any of the order’s secrets to ensure her safety

if you actually read this far, thank you so much and please hit me up to plot with my boy :(( 

personality:

he tends to keep to himself and rarely initiates conversations and often observes silently from the background

he has difficulties expressing his feelings openly since years of emotional discipline and control have made him somewhat detached

despite his quiet and reserved nature, he is friendly and polite when others treat him with kindness and respect 

and !! he tries his best !! he puts effort into adapting to his new life to build friendships, even if it’s challenging for him

and once he forms a bond, he is actually really loyal and protective of those he cares about

but at the end of the day he’s still a cult-raised charmspeaker, so if someone provokes or challenges him, he doesn’t hesitate to use his charmspeak ability to assert control and get what he wants ://

last but not least, he values privacy and discretion (both for himself and others), so he’s good in keeping secrets

AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR READING THIS FAR WOW???? MWAH PLEASE HIT ME UP <33

[murphy-kitt]

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

Thank you to @darthfrodophantom for also tagging me in another post! :)

I have 69 (nice) works on AO3 so there was quite a lot to go through.

1. red in tooth and claw (that’s your fatal flaw)

Summary: Everyone finds out Wes was right in the worst way possible.

Reason: This was the first fic I wrote in phicphight ‘22, my first year of participating for the event. I remember loving writing this in the moment and beginning to flesh out Wes’ character in my style. It was the first time he had a main POV in my fics. It definitely took me out my comfort zone as I had to take Wes, someone who wants his discoveries to be known, and reduce him to this subdued bystander facing the realisation that although he did want to reveal Danny, he never thought it through or considered the impacts.

2. lie like a tombstone (yet secrets will bloom)

Summary: Valerie finds a body in the park thanks to some ghostly flowers, and she never would’ve guessed that it belonged to Phantom. Only, the context around his death sounds.. concerning. Because he died alone. And no one ever reported him missing. But that just barely scratches the surface of Phantom’s secrets.

Reason: This fic is so self indulgent it’s actually ridiculous. 35k+ (and ongoing) words of a corpse au and no one knows au mashup with me trying to keep the mystery up as long as possible. I’ve been working on it for two years now, it’s seen me through college, and who knows how long forever more. I appreciate this fic a lot, because it’s a massive motivator for me to keep writing and reminds me that I am capable of longfics outside of one-shots. The Val and Wes team up was unexpected when it began but honestly one of my fav combinations of characters to write. Of course it’s also a big favourite because it’s a corpse au ❤️🤌.

3. Mask

Summary: Danny never really took a minute to consider what he looked like in Phantom form. He didn’t need to, not really. It wasn’t as if he was scared of what was under the mask. No, not at all.

Reason: another self indulgent fic. It was Ectober 2021 and I saw this prompt and went “yup it’s danno has a HAZMAT hood time”. I loved writing the reveal scene in this the most, when the Fentons and Val realise that Phantom is just this kid with no evil intent (best genre of fics imo). Also the opportunity for a sequel is prevalent—although I’m unsure if I’ll go ahead with that. I put a lot of work trying to get the build up and reveal done smoothly.

4. Forest Fires

Summary: 1967. Nine-year-old Madeleine Walker watched her older brother Daniel Walker die in a lab accident. Years on, she’s certain that Danny Phantom is the ghost of her dead brother. But she’ll never know now, having thrown away the opportunity in a fleeting moment of anger. Meanwhile, a confused Danny sets out to uncover what happened to the uncle he didn’t even know existed. Only the truth is much more than just a simple lab accident.

Reason: although only one chapter and two prequel one-shots at the minute, this AU/series is something I’m very proud of. I’ve planned a lot out for it and I can’t wait to get all the mysteries set and unravelling. Maddie’s portrayal of character I feel satisfied with considering the turmoil over her brother and having to deal with Danny’s changing behaviour. Excited to get this one going again. Also love it because I get to include my OCs 😁.

5. beyond false pretences (we search in plain sight)

Summary: Danny Fenton disappeared without a trace. Soon after, his family followed. Five years on, Sam Manson is determined to figure out why.

Reason: This was my third phicphight fic in 2022 (I seemed to have really liked my fics that event 😆) and I saw the prompt and ran with it. I particularly love writing mystery and suspense so this was very fun to do. Unfortunately it’s not finished but I like what I’ve done so far. I loved putting the easter-eggs within the fic and seeing if readers could spot them. And it was great fun to see people theorising on what they thought had happened to Danny.

I’m going to tag: @jadenoryuu @kawaiijohn @dp-marvel94 @jackdaw-sprite @cleanlenins