#Fun Little Distractions || Dash Games

[zapreportsblog]

Yandere Caius X reader

Caius is quite protective and strict when it comes to the reader. That includes, not leaving the castle grounds and only speaking to kings including himself and the guards only.

One morning reader opens their eyes and sees that it’s snowing outside. Readers eyes immediately lights up as she sees the white and cold sky.

And so the reader decided to have a little fun and dresses up for the cold air to play outside in the backyard where the flowers usually go and where Markus usually takes his daily strolls, Caius DID say to stay at the castle grounds.

As she went outside and started playing and making a snowman, Caius on the other hand was furious that the reader might’ve ran off somewhere and was about to have Demitri do a search only to hear the readers soft laugh.

As he goes outside he sees reader making a snowman with a bright smile on her face making Caius calm down and gets distracted from her.

When reader noticed Caius was watching she decided to have a bit of fun and throw a snowball at him, which Caius decided to play readers game and throw one back.

After a while Caius notices that the reader is cold so he brought them back inside and to the kitchen to make them a hot chocolate.

This is just fluff with a dash of protectiveness❤️🤭

You guys are out of control, we all know yandere Caius would lock us up in a tower 😔🤌🏾

❝caius, knows best❞

✭ pairing : yandere caius volturi x reader

✭ fandom : twilight x reader

✭ summary : (y/n) is the mate of caius, and let’s just say he pretty much controls her every being but it’s only because he wants her to be safe. After all Caius knows best.

✭ authors note : l swear you twilight fans come up with the most interesting ideas but girl, yandere Caius? Oh nawwww

✭ twilight masterlist

Deep within the ancient halls of the Volturi castle, (y/n) found herself ensnared in the web of Caius's possessive and overprotective nature. Ever since she had been discovered as his mate, her life had become a series of intricately woven rules and restrictions that bound her to the castle grounds.

Her every move was under scrutiny, and Caius's strict demeanor ensured that she adhered to his expectations without question. The rules were clear—she was to remain within the castle's walls, her interactions limited to the kings and the guards who patrolled the grounds.

It was a life of isolation, one that (y/n) had grown accustomed to, if not resigned to. Her connection with Caius was undeniable, the mate bond pulsating between them, and she could sense the depths of his possessiveness that knew no bounds. His protectiveness, while suffocating at times, was also a testament to the intensity of his feelings for her.

Days melted into nights within the castle's walls, and (y/n) found herself navigating the elegant chambers with a sense of grace and poise that had become second nature. The castle's grandeur was a stark contrast to the confines of her restricted world, a world where Caius's gaze lingered on her every move, his eyes a blend of adoration and caution.

When she did interact with the other members of the Volturi, (y/n) treaded carefully. Her conversations with Aro and Marcus were measured, her words chosen with precision. She had learned to navigate the complex dynamics of the ruling coven, understanding that her presence in Caius's life meant she had a role to play in their intricate balance.

But there were moments when (y/n) longed for a taste of freedom, a chance to explore the world beyond the castle's walls. She would stand by the towering windows, gazing out at the moonlit landscape, her heart yearning for a life beyond the confines of her gilded cage.

Yet, Caius's presence was a constant reminder of the love and devotion he held for her. He moved through the castle with an air of authority, his gaze never leaving her for too long. His actions, while controlling, were also infused with a tenderness that he reserved only for her. In his arms, she found solace from the constraints of her existence, a reminder that she was cherished and valued.

As the days turned into weeks, (y/n) began to find a delicate balance between her own desires and the expectations that bound her to Caius. The world outside the castle may have remained elusive, but within its walls, her love for him bloomed amidst the thorns of his possessiveness. And while her heart yearned for more, she knew that she was at the center of a love that transcended time and boundaries—a love that was as unyielding as the ancient stones that formed the foundation of their world.

Bundled up in warm attire, (y/n) stepped out into the snowy morning, the chill air tingling against her skin. The grounds of the Volturi castle were blanketed in pristine white, the snow creating a serene landscape that stretched out before her. Her eyes lit up with childlike excitement as she gazed at the glistening world that had transformed overnight.

With every step she took, her boots left a trail of footprints in the snow, evidence of her playful exploration. The cold air felt invigorating against her cheeks, and she couldn't help but let out a laugh as she spun around, her arms outstretched like a bird in flight.

The garden area, usually a burst of color from the blooming flowers, was now a canvas of white. (Y/n) could almost imagine the flowers peering out from beneath the snow, as if waiting for the warmth of spring to awaken them once again.

As she ventured deeper into the garden, she noticed a small bench tucked beneath a tree. The sight brought a fond smile to her lips, knowing that Marcus often sat there during his strolls. She imagined him here, surrounded by the beauty of the snow-covered landscape.

With a mischievous glint in her eyes, (y/n) moved to the bench and began to shape a snowball with her gloved hands. The cold, powdery snow compacted easily, and soon she had a perfectly round snowball in her grasp. Looking around with a playful grin, she took aim at a nearby tree and let the snowball fly, watching as it hit the trunk with a soft thud.

Her laughter echoed through the air as she continued to throw snowballs, each one finding its mark with unerring accuracy. She was lost in her own world of winter wonder, the joy of the moment washing away the constraints of her usual routines within the castle walls.

Meanwhile Caius paced back and forth, his expression dark and brooding. "(Y/N)," he muttered under his breath, "where in the world have you gone?" His anger boiled within him, his thoughts spiraling into worst-case scenarios. Had she run off? Abandoned him? The very idea gnawed at him like a relentless storm.

Just as he was about to call for Demetri to track her down, a faint sound reached his ears. Laughter. His head snapped toward the courtyard, disbelief warring with relief as he spotted her there, a mischievous grin on her face. The intensity of his emotions, from fury to exasperation, was replaced by a curious mixture of irritation and fondness.

Caius' gaze locked onto her as she gathered a handful of snow, her intent clear in the sparkle of her eyes. Without warning, the snowball whizzed through the air, narrowly missing his shoulder. The audacity! A rare, almost incredulous smile twitched at the corner of his lips.

He brushed the snow from his shoulder, his movements deliberate. The tension that had weighed on him began to unravel. In a swift and fluid motion, he crouched to pick up his own snowball, compacting it in his hand. With a calculated toss, he sent the snowball sailing toward her.

Her startled gasp and the way her eyes widened fueled his determination. He was not one to shy away from a challenge, after all. As the snowball hit her arm, a startled laugh escaped her lips. Caius' heart raced as he watched her reaction, the atmosphere between them shifting palpably.

What started as a playful exchange quickly escalated into a full-fledged snowball fight, each throw accompanied by a burst of laughter and an occasional yelp. The tension that had filled the air earlier was replaced by an electric energy, a connection formed through their shared antics.

Caius' stern facade cracked further with each throw, revealing a side of him rarely seen by anyone else. And as for (Y/N), her eyes sparkled with a mixture of amusement and genuine affection, finding joy in the simple act of playfulness.

Amidst the flurry of snow, their laughter intertwined, forging a bond that transcended the usual formalities. Caius had played her game, and she had matched his intensity. In that moment, they were not the stern leader and the confidante, but two individuals allowing themselves to revel in a carefree moment, where laughter and snowflakes danced in harmony.

As the snowball fight between Caius and (Y/N) continued, a playful spirit seemed to envelop them both. Laughter echoed through the courtyard, and even Caius found himself caught up in the exhilaration of the moment. Yet, amidst the joy, he couldn't help but notice the way (Y/N)'s cheeks had turned a rosy hue, and how she shivered every now and then.

His concern for her well-being surfaced, overriding the playful rivalry that had taken over. Caius stopped in his tracks, mid-throw, and eyed her carefully. "Are you cold?" he asked, his tone uncharacteristically gentle. (Y/N) chuckled, brushing a few snowflakes from her hair.

"Just a little," she admitted, her breath visible in the crisp air.

Without another word, Caius walked over to her and held out his hand. She looked at him, puzzled. "Come," he said, his voice soft yet commanding. "Let's get you warm."

Inside the castle, the contrast between the chilly courtyard and the cozy interior was striking. Caius led (Y/N) to the kitchen, where the warmth from the fireplace enveloped them in a comforting embrace. He motioned for her to sit at the large wooden table while he went about gathering the ingredients.

As he set a pot of milk on the stove to heat, his movements were efficient and precise. Caius rarely engaged in such domestic tasks, but the sight of (Y/N) sitting there, wrapped in her own thoughts, spurred him to act.

Soon, the aroma of cocoa filled the air as he stirred the mixture, the chocolate melting into the milk. He poured the steaming liquid into two mugs, the clinking of porcelain breaking the silence. Sliding a mug in front of her, he met her gaze with an unspoken question.

(Y/N) looked up at him, her eyes softening with gratitude. She wrapped her hands around the mug, savoring the warmth that seeped into her fingers. "Thank you, Caius," she said, her voice a hushed murmur.

He inclined his head, acknowledging her thanks with a nod. For a moment, their eyes held, a connection forming between them that went beyond the snowball fight and the jesting banter.

As they sipped their hot chocolate, the tension that had been present earlier transformed into a different kind of energy—an intimacy forged in the simple act of caring for one another. Caius watched as (Y/N)'s expression softened further, the lines of her face relaxing in the flickering firelight.

In that quiet moment, surrounded by the warmth of the kitchen and the shared understanding between them, Caius and (Y/N) found themselves in a space that was both familiar and yet unexplored—a space where vulnerability and camaraderie intertwined, leaving an indelible mark on their connection.

[edenmemes]

resident evil: 4 remake starters

❝ man, that stinks. ❞ ❝ this just keeps getting worse. ❞ ❝ you’re still a kid holding onto fantasies of what’s right and wrong. ❞ ❝ i’m gonna let you in on a little secret. just between us. ❞ ❝ the hell is going on? ❞ ❝ hey, we’re a team, right? ❞ ❝ where’s everyone going? bingo? ❞ ❝ you and me are two sides of the same coin. ❞ ❝ that’s just like you. you always had poor judgement. ❞ ❝ ah, so you aren’t heartless after all. ❞ ❝ like i told you, i’m gonna get you home safe. ❞ ❝ i’m not falling for your mind games. ❞ ❝ you proved you can handle yourself. ❞ ❝ you haven’t changed a damn bit. ❞ ❝ you look like you’ve got something to say. ❞ ❝ gotta fix everything myself. ❞ ❝ you can’t run. you got to keep moving forward. ❞ ❝ you’re nothing but an extra in my script. ❞ ❝ i thought you were gonna die. ❞ ❝ i don’t pay you to ask questions. ❞ ❝ there’s no time for resting. ❞ ❝ revenge? you think i’m doing all this...for revenge? ❞ ❝ i need you to trust me, and do exactly as i say. ❞ ❝ you’re too soft to do what’s necessary. ❞ ❝ i know your potential better than anyone. ❞ ❝ you’ve made it all this way, but you haven’t learned a thing. ❞ ❝ maybe you’ll live to meet me again. ❞ ❝ the most important thing in this world is pure, unadulterated power. ❞ ❝ i’ve something to ask you...but i don’t think i’ll get a straight answer. ❞ ❝ you didn’t answer my question. what’re you after? ❞ ❝ you know, you were always an asshole. ❞ ❝ you have a strange sense of humor. ❞ ❝ you are nothing if not unyielding. ❞ ❝ i just wanna feel good about myself. make amends. or something like that. ❞ ❝ just give me a heads-up before you stab me next time, okay? ❞ ❝ it’s okay to be afraid, you know. ❞ ❝ what do you think? people can change, right? ❞ ❝ not looking good, eh, my friend? ❞ ❝ you try to save one person; a hundred others die. ❞ ❝ was that an act of defiance? against me? ❞ ❝ a well-tuned weapon can make up for a lack of skill. ❞ ❝ i’ll let myself out. ❞ ❝ you won’t get away with this. ❞ ❝ be a shame to live the rest of your life wondering ‘what if’ - am i right? ❞ ❝ you have the stench of battle on you. ❞ ❝ so, tell me, why did you come to this horrible place? ❞ ❝ you wanna help? cause i could use it. ❞ ❝ if i could just forget what happened that night, the pain - even for a second... ❞ ❝ i knew i could count on you. ❞ ❝ i think you’d be pretty dashing in it. ❞ ❝ i’m not used to having such good company. ❞ ❝ hey. it’s dangerous outside. ❞ ❝ god damn...i was almost a pancake. ❞ ❝ a lot of people have gone missing around here. and it’s been like that for a while now. ❞ ❝ sorry. i, uh, screwed up. ❞ ❝ i’m so scared. when that happened...i wasn’t myself any more. ❞ ❝ well done. you’ve proven yourself reliable. ❞ ❝ won’t be going anywhere in this thing. ❞ ❝ sorry, didn’t realize that was yours. ❞ ❝ this time, it can be different. it has to. ❞ ❝ everything will work out just fine. ❞ ❝ you missed. that’s not like you. ❞ ❝ come to my rescue, prince charming! ❞ ❝ sometimes it’s more fun not knowing. ❞ ❝ if you do well, i’ll make it worth your while. ❞ ❝ that hurts, you know. ❞ ❝ this is one hell of a gloomy place. ❞ ❝ why help me, though? what’s in it for you? ❞ ❝ oh, well, maybe just untie me then? ❞ ❝ knowledge is power. remember that. ❞ ❝ i can’t tell if that’s meant to be a compliment. ❞ ❝ i’m sure you’ll do your best to help me. ❞ ❝ bill me for the repairs later. ❞ ❝ it seemed like you really wanted to talk. ❞ ❝ you know, those things will kill you. ❞ ❝ you haven’t changed. you just think you have. ❞ ❝ don’t let the smallfry distract you from the big fish. ❞ ❝ quiet type, eh? ❞ ❝ guess you picked the wrong spot to vacation. ❞ ❝ a most warm welcome to my castle. ❞ ❝ bet you’ve been in spots like this before. ❞ ❝ to think you could be this foolish. ❞ ❝ give me a break already. ❞ ❝ i’m sorry. i wish i could do more to help. ❞ ❝ i don’t want to recall what happened down there. ❞ ❝ years haven’t been kind to us, i suppose. ❞ ❝ finally, some peace and quiet. ❞ ❝ who are you? and what are you doing here? ❞ ❝ i’m just an average guy who happens to be quite the ladies’ man. ❞ ❝ you should really be telling me what a good job i did. ❞ ❝ is this the first time you coughed up blood like this? ❞ ❝ so much for helping me. ❞ ❝ so, who are you working for this time? ❞ ❝ you think i’m gonna give up that easily? ❞ ❝ hey, are you sure you’re good? ❞ ❝ i’m gonna get you home safe. ❞ ❝ i have a plan. but you’re going to have to trust me. ❞ ❝ gimme some space. ❞ ❝ i don’t get you. why risk your life like this? ❞ ❝ it’s a little over-the-top, don’t you think? ❞ ❝ they’re coming! get behind me. ❞ ❝ does that hurt? are you in pain? distressed? ❞ ❝ you are really starting to become a giant pain in my ass. ❞ ❝ you know i don’t work and tell. ❞ ❝ you’ve done well to make it this far. ❞ ❝ tell someone who gives a shit. ❞ ❝ happy to help. now you owe me. ❞ ❝ are you just trying to use me again? ❞ ❝ what’re you, my mother? ❞ ❝ i’m definitely gonna catch a cold. ❞ ❝ this artwork...doesn’t it look like it’s telling some kind of story? ❞ ❝ what do we do? there’s no way out. ❞ ❝ what’s wrong with wanting the same for myself? ❞ ❝ it’s a little old fashioned for my taste. ❞ ❝ you’re losing your cool. making mistakes. ❞ ❝ don’t scare me like that. ❞ ❝ you’re slow. and so goddamn weak. ❞ ❝ wow, you’ve really gone all out for me! you shouldn’t have. ❞ ❝ i will send you back to the hell you came from. ❞ ❝ heheh, having a rough day? ❞ ❝ the reaper comes for cowards and the careless alike. which are you? ❞ ❝ i’ve got to think. need to get my head straight. ❞ ❝ i shall leave tomorrow. go far away. ❞ ❝ here’s my question...have you changed? ❞ ❝ we will beat this. together. ❞ ❝ what’s wrong? show no mercy! ❞ ❝ i admit - you’ve done well to stay alive this long. ❞ ❝ this means death. a slow, miserable death. ❞

[k-atsukibakugou]

congrats on two years!! what an amazing milestone to hit! 💕 i feel so lucky that i'm here and caught this!

if it's alright with you, i'd like to order one bloody mary (my fav) + one bakugo please. can't wait to see where this drink takes me 🙂‍↕️

bunny!!! thank u so much! n ty for being here my love! i hope you like your cocktail ehehehe birthday bash intro + rules + menu | event masterlist

a bloody mary, a classic, and the bartenders personal favourite, his speciality, the process second nature to him after years behind the bar; his muscles moving on their own accord to chop the celery, slice a lemon and pour the vodka, juice and sauce. he hardly even measured anymore, the recipe was something he could do in his sleep, he could probably rake in tips doing his pours blindfolded, they were always perfect anyway, he wouldn’t have a thing to worry about.

they’d even started making it a special the nights he worked the bar, but sometimes he needed a break from the monotony of it all, of pouring, of shaking, of measuring, of chopping, of straining. sometimes he just needed a pretty distraction.

“can i get a bloody mary please?” the moment you handed him the token for your free drink, bakugou knew you’d be the perfect choice for his game, so gorgeous, all done up to dance with your friends, your dress a little short and your shoes a little high, you even wobbled a little on your way up to the bar.

“sure you can handle it? we have margarita’s as well,” his eyes rake over you, his tone playful enough, poking fun even as he leans closer, resting his forearms on the dark wood. you stare up at him, distracted momentarily from fiddling with the strap of your shoe, meeting his vermilion eyes, a wicked twinkle shining nearly as much as his pointed canines, his lips pulled back into an easy, confident smirk, “i like bloody mary’s, thank you very much.”

you can’t help the attitude sneaking into your tone; first you wait in line for nearly an hour, your shoes are already hurting your feet, and now the bartender can’t even make you the drink you want? what kind of night did your friends rope you into?

bakugou tries not to let it show how your attitude makes his hips jump, how his eyes nearly rolling into the back of his skull at how you spoke to him, this game was always more fun with brats; getting to watch the attitude melt the wetter he got you, he wouldn’t even have to fuck you to leave your brain blank. nodding, he tried not to let his mind wander too far making your drink, the routine doing nothing to distract him of the thought of you under him, only able to spit out his name.

the chopping, squeezing, measuring and pouring happened before the bass dropped on the song blasting out of the speakers surrounding the bar, the only break in his routine when he got to the tabasco sauce. spinning on his heel to face you once more, he talks again in that infuriatingly seductive voice, “how much can you take, sweetheart?”

if your drink had been ready, you’d have choked on it, the gravelly tone of his voice making your heart spike and your legs wobble, even with the strap of your shoe fixed, “i’m sorry?”

“i’m just askin’ how much heat you can handle, baby,” the expression on his face is anything but innocent, holding the neck of the tabasco bottle between two thick fingers, shaking it gently for emphasis when you stared back at him. with a hot face, your eyes drop to the diamond label, a bloom of embarrassment burning low in your stomach. you were too sober for this kinda flirting.

“oh,” your voice is hardly a squeak, nodding rapidly for him to shake the bottle over the glass again, stirring the glass as he dashed more in,”when.”

“that much? that’s how hot you like it, huh?” he steps closer, impossibly lowering his voice, “c’mon, i know you can take more than that.”

your heart pounds against your chest, your thighs subtly clenching together at the sound of his husky voice, the dirty line making your mind wander further toward the gutter.

“tell me, baby, you want it?” your drink is forgotten underneath the counter, your only focus on the plump of his bottom lip, on the thin chain dangling around his throat, “you want it hot?”

you feel like you need to pinch yourself, surely this is a dream, you didn’t even know this bartenders name—”bakugou! you done with this?”

his eyes don’t falter from yours for a moment, humming deeply in response, “yeah, one second.”

still armed with that lethal smile, he garnishes your cocktail, displaying the neatly chopped celery, two slices of lemon and a couple of leaves of basil beside your straw, the final touches to his speciality. flipping over a napkin, he sits your finished drink atop it, you’re almost certain the drink isn’t as hot as you are right now, your body burning and buzzing without so much as smelling the savoury cocktail. sliding it across the short counter towards you, his dark eyes don’t miss a single one of your movements, eyes sparkling like he could see the daydreams already plaguing you, “enjoy your night, sweetheart.”

[clonerightsagenda]

How's Uglies holding up to modern rereading for you? I loved it as a kid, but nowadays I see it as an early entry in the YA dystopia boom that other books took formula notes from and refined down the line, making it feel a fair bit clumsier by comparison. Very fond memories, though, and I appreciate seeing the toxic yuri on my dash now that I'm old enough to appreciate it, lol.

It's holding up pretty well for me! I'll be honest - while I read The Hunger Games and Unwind, I never read Divergent or The Maze Runner, so I'm not entirely versed in the YA dystopia boom. I'm aware of the cultural construction of it though - world's specialest teen girl is the only one who can topple the government and lead a revolution. I'm not even sure how many of the actual series align with that stereotype (imo The Hunger Games is deliberately interrogating it) but anyway, some thoughts re: Uglies' position vis a vis dystopia stereotypes and just in general:

The love triangle is annoying, no arguments there, but it also ends more messily than I think the stereotype typically conveys. She 'chooses' one of them and then he dies as a direct result of her behavior, and she's not with-with the other at the end of the main series (and in the sequel series they've gone their separate ways).

Also, Tally is frequently a pretty unlikable person, which is a bold choice! She is not motivated by any pure intentions at the beginning - she's betraying a friend for her own gain - and throughout the series we see her wrecking that friendship over and over because, as Shay accuses her, she thinks she's the center of the universe. Shay hits every big milestone before Tally - Smoky, Pretty, Special - and it almost feels like prodding the limits of a close third POV, reminding us that there's isn't one single world's specialist teen girl. In the stereotypical version, Shay would be the scrappy rebel hero. Tally always needs pushes, and she's always screwing it up.

While it's obviously written for younger readers, the writing is effective. Like I said, Scott challenges himself to write the same POV three times with different levels of brain damage and pulls it off. He integrates made up slang in a way that doesn't feel too distracting (I really enjoy the way the princess sections in Pretties are written). In classic Scott fashion he brings back key ideas and phrases to hit you hard when it counts (informed consent, a special circumstance), and of course the whole final word of each book forming a circle is a fun little bonus. I'm glad this was written before the modern codifying of YA when it would be in first person.

The moral is obvious yeah but it's MG/YA and also props to Scott for predicting influencers in Extras. You also get the protagonist semi-aligning themselves with the antagonists' ideology at the end which is interesting, even if it again fits into a Western environmentalist assumption that humans can't live in peace with nature.

And finally, despite not being sporty at all, I still want a hoverboard.

[blindmagdalena]

I wanted to send in a request I thought of :) Homelander watching reader run to their work because they're late and thinking they're cute, so he flys them there. Thank you!

Admittedly, there's something neat about the toil of people's mundane little lives.

Homelander has a bird's eye view of it all from atop the city skyscrapers. Above it all, with the roar of the wind in his ears, it's easier to find a moment of peace. He can lose himself watching the hustle and bustle of the world moving beneath him, like a child staring down at a colony of ants swarming around a sugar cube.

Amidst the mess of them, he sees one moving quicker than the others. A mad dash of sorts. At first, he thinks it might be a job: a robbery, or some kind of pursuit. He hones his vision in on you, but instead of anything exciting, he sees that the thing you're racing for is just the bus.

Which you miss.

Homelander smirks to himself, canting his head to one side. You're braced against a light post, breathing hard, flushed. Your clothes are disheveled, a work bag hanging haphazardly off your shoulder.

You look... cute.

Glancing around, Homelander shrugs. He's got nothing better to do. Stepping off the building, he lets himself fall several dozen feet before his flight kicks in, and his body takes to a horizontal angle. He debates for a moment stopping, explaining himself to you first, but where's the fun in that?

Instead, he slows just enough not to give you whiplash, and plucks you right up off the curb, trying not to laugh at the way you scream. You're perfectly safe, his arms supporting your legs and your back, keeping you tucked against his chest, but you still clamber for purchase. You immediately take hold of his collar, while your other hand blindly grabs a fistful of hair at the back of his head.

He very nearly swerves before collecting himself.

"Hiya!" He greets, sporting his finest hero's grin. "Where ya headed?"

You do a double take, looking from him to the ground, and then back at him, wide-eyed and in disbelief. "H-Homelander?! What-why-I-"

"Heyy, hey, hey! It's alright," he laughs, rolling to fly on his back, sitting up slightly, offering you more support. "Saw you miss your bus. Thought I'd lend a hand. Well, two hands. So, where're you headed?"

"Work..." You answer breathlessly, staring up at him with wide, buggy eyes. Your heart is thundering, your skin warm with the flush of it.

He slowly quirks a brow. "Which is... Where?"

"Oh, right, sorry, it's, uhm, the corner of Bowery and 4th," you say, hands still locked tight on his collar and in his hair. Disbelief looks good on you.

"Quite a grip you've got," he says, twisting once more through the air, rebalancing so that he's looking where he's going.

"Sorry!" You chirp, quickly pulling your hand from his hair. You look mortified with yourself, but curiously enough, you've not once broken eye contact with him.

"Ever met a hero before?" He asks, shamelessly fishing.

"Uh, no. Lamplighter spoke at a seminar I attended once, but he didn't... No, I haven't." Your grip on his collar has eased some, but you're still clinging to it, knuckles just barely brushing his bare throat. He's trying not to be too distracted by it. "Do heroes often ferry civilians who're late to work?"

"Just the cute ones," he answers with a sly wink.

Your eyes widen, lips parted. You look dumbstruck and kissable, but for now he's enjoying his little game too much. He's luxuriating in personifying the mysterious hero who descended from the heavens and inexplicably ascended with you, rescuing you not from death or destruction, but something as simple as a late start to your day.

After a beat, you laugh sheepishly. "Just the cute heroes, or just the cute civilians?"

"Looks to me like it's both," he quips, wearing charm as easily as any mask.

"You think you're cute?" You bounce right back, settling into a smile of your own.

Your quick wit earns a bark of laughter from him. "Who, me? I think I'm adorable," he says, waggling his brows. He's charmed by the way you laugh at that: not overly pitchy or false. You have a sincerity to your laugh that he likes. "Oh, brother," you say, finally looking away. There's a fond kind of exasperation in your voice that makes the exchange feel familiar. You're not just cute, you're real, too.

"You disagree?" He asks, feigning offense with an exaggerated lift of his brows.

You keep your gaze averted, chewing at your bottom lip. He can tell you're biting back your smile. You can't help it. You must be terribly endeared already. How could you not be?

"Would you drop me if I did?" You ask, throwing him a sidelong glance.

He pretends to consider it. "Mm, yeah. Probably."

You laugh, sounding equal parts alarmed and amused. "Then, out of self preservation, I guess I will have to agree," you say, turning to look properly at him. "I think you're very cute."

Unexpected warmth blossoms in his chest at that, softening his expression into a gentler delight, his smile emphasizing the crinkles at the corners of his eyes.

All too soon, the two of you arrive at your destination. Homelander floats gently to the ground just outside your office building, parting the flow of civilians who eagerly take note of Homelander's presence, pulling out their phones to snap a photo or thirty up close and personal.

Homelander sets you on your feet before his hands reflexively settle on his hips, the classic hero stance. You pull out your phone, and huff a soft laugh. "Wow, I'm... almost twenty minutes early," you say, slipping your phone back into your pocket. "I... Thank you, Homelander."

"My pleasure, ah...?" He extends a hand to you, and you make a sweet little noise of apology as you shake his hand, giving him your name. Homelander smiles as he repeats it back to you, testing the weight of it on his tongue. He likes it.

"I guess I will... see you around?" You say, taking a step back. There's a crowd starting to gather, circling the two of you with cellphones at the ready, taking either photos or videos, both of the two of you and of themselves with the two of you. Your face is going to be all over Twitter in seconds, he knows. The world will want to know who you are.

He finds himself wanting to know the same.

"You just might," he replies, smiling broadly. "After all, I know where you work."

He's not kidding, but you both laugh like it's a joke anyways.

"Uhm, excuse me, mister Homelander? Could I get a selfie?" Someone from the crowd asks, tentatively stepping forward.

Homelander glances over at them, and then back to you. He offers you a little salute, and says, "Catch you later." Next, he turns back to the crowd, and beckons the person forward. "Course you can! C'mon over."

Patiently, he takes a couple dozen pictures. He grins broadly for each one, though the contrast between these smiles and the ones he shared with you feels sharp. However, something that keeps him around a little longer is the fact he can see you out of his peripheral, lingering in the doorway of your building, smiling at him.

Eventually, it must come to an end.

"Alright, alright, thank you folks! Always a pleasure! Thank you! Ahah, remember, you guys are the real heroes! Get out there and prove it! Keep this country great!" He says, rattling off his party lines as he points to random members of the crowd, lifting up from the sidewalk.

He chances one last look to the doorway, but you're already gone. He's surprised to feel an unsettling pang of disappointment at your absence. He hums softly to himself. With that, he takes off across the sky.

No matter. He's already decided that he will be seeing you again.

[invaderzia1]

sweaty online gamer bf scara? we finally meet irl? smut?!😙

I may have gone overboard but I’m having a lot of thoughts (also surprisingly little nsfw but I do have some coming I’m just having a tough time recently)

also modern au and sweaty gamer guy

okay but can you imagine, you’ve been talking to him for a long time online. you’ve been playing for so long that when you casually mentioned where you lived and realized y’all live close to each other it felt natural to meet up with him. sure, he’s a jerk online but he’s you’re friend too, so you wanted to give him a chance. putting in your cutest outfit and making sure you’re makeup looked good, you dashed out of your apartment to meet him at a cute cafe.

only to meet him and he’s dressed so casual and it doesn’t look like he’s showered in the past day or so. he barely even says hi to you either, just a small nod to acknowledge you before telling you you’re late. it’s awkward, he keeps checking his phone and showing you memes off of Twitter too. honestly, for as bad as it seems, you kind of enjoy being able to see his face in front of you. you start to pick up on small quirks of his. like how his face breaks out in a light pink flush every time you’re hand brushes up against his.

he keeps rattling off about the newest win he had in lol and how he’s the best player in the game. usually, people would walk out of the cafe after hearing how arrogantly he speaks, but you just sit and smile, listening intently. he’s honestly pretty cute too.

this becomes a weekly thing for you, meeting up at some cafe and hanging out in person. scara will groan about how you are taking away his precious time, but will never say no to you when you ask if he wants to meet up. he never tries to dress up for you, either. hell wear some already worn tee shirt and some old jeans at best, but something about it just works. this is seeing the real him.

and slowly it seems less like a hang out, more like a date. though, he would refuse to admit that. but when you reach across the table and hold his hand, he doesn’t pull away. he stutters through his sentence and blushes heavily, but he doesn’t try to pull away from your grasp.

when he finally invites you to his place, he ends up playing video games the entire time. claiming to show you how elite he is, but in actuality he’s way to flustered having you this close to him that he needs to distract himself. when he looks over his shoulder and sees you laying on his bed like you own it, his heart skips a beat. AND THEN, you start making fun of him for having a girl in his bed for the first time ever, and that he’s playing video games. honestly, he’s embarrassed but shoots a sarcastic remark back at you. but that doesn’t stop him from walking over and getting into bed next to your, asking if “you are happy yet”. what he doesn’t expect is for you to wrap your arms around him and nod yes. honestly he might think he took too many edibles last night and probably is in some sort of weed hallucination coma.

as he’s cuddled up to you, you realize two things, one is that he clearly hasn’t washed his sweatshirt in months (if not at any point since buying it) and two, try as he may to deny it, he’s enjoying having you pressed up against. you can tell immediately how much he enjoys having you right against him by the way his body betrays him. he almost like a cat in how he cuddles up against you, scolding you that he is wasting precious game time, yet his arms stay firmly wrapped around you with no intention to let go anytime soon.

he’s not exactly subtle with his touching (ahem, groping) either. at first you think maybe it was an accident, but by the fourth squeeze of your breast it’s pretty hard to deny what he’s doing. all you can do is giggle to yourself, causing him to roll his eyes and tell you off for being rude, not like he’s the one being a perv. you tell him if he wanted to touch he could have just asked, this is your sixth date. which makes him freeze as he realizes that these have been dates. then he gains his confidence to touch you more, rudely telling you how easy you must be to let him do this. you can only laugh at his over confidence and massive ego, but at least he finally has the courage to touch you now.

this unleashes a new side to him, now that you’ve opened that door he will always be touching you. any time he has you alone he is either grabbing at your chest or touching your ass. he’ll also have more courage to be more of a perv too. if he hasn’t seen you in a while, then he’ll text you for nudes. and he doesn’t ask nicely, will always try to brag that since he one his last round of lol he deserves it. if you ask for one back from him, he’ll scoff but send a poorly done dick pic that shows off his nasty gaming room. just give him some tips and you’ll be getting those videos of him smacking the tip on the camera and letting you hear his very soft moans. oh man, once he realizes you like his videos he will start sending more too, whenever he feels like it. so always watch out opening videos and snaps from him.

god just nasty gamer dude scara is so djxkkdkdsm

[littletism]

cg!sunset shimmer & regressor!sci twi headcanons

under the cut to avoid clogging people's dashes ♡

REGRESSOR!SCI TWI

twilight is a toddler regressor (2-4). her headspace is primarily involuntary and is triggered, but sometimes she can make herself slip if she wants to, but it's hard to do when sunset isn't around.

she is a vent and trauma regressor, with her regression being something she didn't really start experiencing until after the midnight sparkle incident at the friendship games.

she experiences partial speech loss in her headspace, only being able to say simple words like yes, no, etc.

she calls sunset "mama" or "sunsun". she hates being away from her even for a second. if sunset is making lunch in the kitchen, twilight is probably clinging to her leg.

twilight loves to play with children's science kits and loves doing little experiments with sunset. she also loves to do learning worksheets. she would rather do these things than play with toys.

pinkie pie sometimes babysits when sunset isnt available and twilight is regressed. she can't really be left alone while in her headspace.

twilight is extremely susceptible to breakdowns, especially if she's having midnight sparkle hallucinations.

she isn't a fussy or bratty regressor in the slightest, and is extremely obedient and good at listening to directions, and well behaved.

twilight's absolute favorite activity to do with sunset is late night snuggles. she always falls asleep in her mama's arms.

CG!SUNSET SHIMMER

sunset, while still new to being a caregiver, takes to the role like a fish to water. she has a naturally caring and motherly instinct about her that especially comes out when caring for twilight.

sunset calls twilight "twily", much like shining armor does. she also calls her "little one", "princess twily", & "my special girl".

sunset does just about everything for twilight while she's regressed. she makes her meals, she gets her dressed, helps her brush her teeth and hair, etc.

sunset, much like a real parent, can get burnt out very quickly. she'll often give twilight a lengthy science experiment to work on like making slime or something, and will go into her room to decompress for a little bit. twilight, though she struggles with separation, will usually be too distracted to notice that sunset isn't there.

sunset knows all of twilight's triggers, and is usually pretty good at keeping her from having her breakdowns. however when they do happen, she's always quick to swoop in and comfort her, shushing her out of it and letting her know that she's there.

sunset loves to sing twilight to sleep while they're cuddling. it works every time.

sunset's favorite activity to do with twilight is go to the theme park, equestrialand. simply seeing a smile on twilight's face while theyre doing something fun together is enough for her.

[miscling]

🌻 xx

this thing has, for various reasons, been thinking about ask memes and sending asks, and wondering about the status of its blog.

occasionally, someone will call the miscling blog a big blog, which always surprises it. this thing is... online a lot, reblogs a lot, and gets a fairly consistent stream of likes and reblogs. it gets at least a few asks to answer in a day, though they mostly come from the same few people. it gets a few anons, sees its favourite familiar faces (hiiiii! 💚), and enjoys and loves all the attention it gets. it doesn't want to get braggy about its blog though. ultimately it doesn't matter, and given how this site is... well... you get it.

the thought that comes to mind is actually about ask memes, because for all the attention this thing gets, ask memes can be so hit-or-miss. open ended ones are too vague sometimes so they take a lot of reader inspiration, some of the long ones are too hard to pick things from. the most popular ones this thing has reblogged are the colour ones with short lists and funny statements. it still sends more ask meme questions than it gets, and rarely gets ask meme questions from others that reblog them from it, and little reciprocation when it sends an ask meme question out to others.

there's no judgement here at all, for what it's worth, this thing is just rambling.

there's a couple of posts that are like 'ask memes are tumbly culture! don't let ask memes die!' but this thing wonders if many others are actually active enough to make ask memes work. it knows it's scrolled by a few itself when it's checking its dash while tired or distracted or on its phone. it's far easier to copy questions out of an ask meme on desktop, but it thinks most others are on their phones most of the time.

cultures change and how people interact with the site changes and everytime one of the other sites fucks up and others surge here the culture shifts a little more as well. this thing has no idea what any of this means, if it's being honest, only that it is here to play posts and have fun being itself.

anyway, this is getting long... thank you for the 🌻!

[sabyfangirl]

A Hurt Wing

The Kratt brothers were flying around in their peregrine falcon suits, until they stumbled on Zach who was up to no good...

On a sunny day in a beautiful forest in North America, two bird-like forms - green and blue - were soaring through the sky.

"Peregrine falcon powers are the way to go, bro!" Chris cheered as he dove into another cloud, Martin flying behind him.

"Yeah, it sure is fun to be able to fly around in this suit, we should do it more often," he laughed as he flew past his brother, triggering his competitiveness, alleviated by sudden remembrance.

"I'm with you on that one, but we're supposed to be looking for a clearing for the Tortuga to land, remember? So no more goofing around," Chris said as he flew by his side, giving him a serious look.

"Okay, you're right," Martin rolled his eyes as he bumped into him playfully. "Doesn't mean we don't get to see who finds a clearing first!"

Sensing his brother's enthusiasm, carrying a gleam of eagerness in his eyes, the green Kratt couldn't help but participate in the activity. "It's on bro!"

Just like the suits were designed for, the brothers were given the ability to mimic the peregrine falcon's ability to fly rapidly and change direction very quickly, in addition to its strength, powerful eyesight and sharp beak, rendering it the fastest bird in the world. With this creature power at hand, covering more ground was far easier than one could imagine.

The Kratt brothers raced each other, showing off a few tricks and moves here and there, yet their competitive nature never stood in the way of them having fun as siblings.

"Woohoo!" Chris let out as he zig-zagged his way between some clouds.

"Nice one bro!" Martin flew up to him and gave him a high wing.

Suddenly, a loud sizzling noise pierced the area, interrupting their little game. "Chris, what was that?!"

The brothers in the falcon suits looked down to find...LASER BEAMS shooting from all directions, much to their horror. Then their eyes caught a familiar figure.

"Zach!" Chris and Martin looked at each other, eyes wide from panic. From their point of vew, they could see a few trees that had already been taken care of, making them sick to their stomachs. They simply couldn't bear the idea, and even less the sight of any form of life being threatened. Parting from that principle, the sight of Zach destroying those trees in such a cruel and inhuman way truly aggravated them.

"Tortuga, come in," Martin suddenly called the team.

Aviva showed up on his screen. "Yeah MK, did you guys find a clearing yet?" she asked with a casual smile.

"No! Get this, we stumbled on Zach and you won't believe what he's doing." At that, the expression on Aviva's face shifted, Koki tilting her head behind her. "Let me guess, capturing another animal?" Aviva scoffed.

"Even worse, he's chopping trees down to get to the animals!" Martin exclaimed. "With laser beams!" Chris added, flapping his wings hurriedly.

Aviva and Koki exchanged panicked looks. "We'll be there as soon as we can, until then keep him distracted," Koki finally said, rushing off to the pilot room. Then the call ended.

The brothers looked down to scan the scene; Zach was standing on his floating platform, arms behind his back with one hand in the other, shoulders relaxed, seeming very content, a mischievous smile on his face. His Zachbots were following his commands by using laser beams to take down the trees, one by one, they all came crashing down. If the brothers weren't in their falcon suits and flying a hundred feet in the air, they would've clenched their fists from anger.

Their eyes met. They nodded.

"Hurry it up, Zachbots! The sooner you exterminate all those pasky trees, the sooner I'll get my hands on all the varmints in them," Zach laughed, rubbing his hands diabolically.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, something green swooped past his face and missed it by an inch, followed by a blue one dashing behind his back. Zach shrieked and nearly fell out of his platform. "What was that?" He looked up to find two human-sized birds flying down on him. "Wild Ratts?!"

"It's Wild Kratts, and just what do you think you're doing?" Chris gave him a menacing look.

"Don't you know a lot of creatures depend on these trees for survival?" Martin added, his tone calmer than his brother's.

"In fact I do, which's precisely why I'm taking them down!" Zach said proudly, irritating the brothers.

"Alright Zach, we can either settle this the easy way or the hard way," Martin said, his eyes were uncharacteristically deep and serious.

However, Zach seemed completely unaffected. "Do you really think that a pair of flying pigeons will stop me?" he mocked. Just then, another tree came falling down, startling the brothers.

"Sorry Zach, but you leave us no choice," Chris shot Zach a death glare, then swooped down on one of the Zachbots before snatching it from the ground and ripping it to pieces thanks to his sharp talents.

"Hey!" Zach let out, vexed but not surprised.

Martin, in turn, joined his brother and started eliminating a decent amount of Zachbots, much to Zach's displeasure. "No, no, no, don't just stand there you useless machines, stop them!"

Automatically, the Zachbots changed their aim from the trees to-

"Martin, look out!" Chris pushed his brother out of the way just as a laser beam was about to pierce through him.

Soon, laser beams were streaking randomly all over the place, the brothers flying around and dodging each and every single one of them. One of the laser beams bounced off a rock and ended up hitting Zach's platform, almost knocking him over. "Gah!" Zach yelped, steadying himself. "What do you think you're doing?!" he yelled.

Chris stopped for a moment and started laughing, Zach turning red with anger. Just as Martin avoided one more laser beam, he looked around to find a Zachbot aiming right at his brother. Zach noticed this too, a venomous smile slowly creeping across his face. Martin felt like his heart stopped in his chest. He thought about flying at full speed and pushing him out of the way, but something told him he wouldn't have had enough time. Other options ran through his mind, but before he could do anything, a laser beam cut through the air like an arrow, striking Chris in the middle of his deactivation button. "AH!" Chris cried out in pain. Martin watched in horror as his brother came crashing down, a blast of green surrounding his unmoving body.

"Chris!" Martin landed near his brother and gently wrapped one wing around him, but when he looked down at his face, his eyes widened at the sight of...blood dripping down the side of his head. "Chris, please open your eyes," he stammered.

No answer, except for a weak moan.

"Aw, is green guy hurt?" Zach mocked, then the expression on his face became obscure. "Don't worry, you're right behind him," he snapped his finger and all the Zachbots immediately circled around the brothers.

"Zach," Martin clenched his teeth, anger building up within him. Any other day, he would've forgiven Zach for any terrible thing he might do to nature. But to have the audacity to hurt his own brother? It only made him want to shred him to pieces. "You'll pay for this!"

"Sure I will," Zach laughed sheepishly. Martin was about to say more, but was held back as he remembered the Zachbots threateningly swarming around them. He put up a protective wing to shield his unconscious brother.

Through Zach's laughter, Martin patiently waited to get zapped, when suddenly-

Bang. Bang.

He looked up to find two Zachbots completely annihilated, relief washing over him, followed by confusion.

"Hey, what's going on?" Zach whined, the loud sound of a ship above his head. He looked up and gasped in horror.

"Hello, Zach."

Martin looked up to find the Tortuga flying right above them, Aviva standing near a large gun-like machine, grinning with satisfaction.

"Uh oh," Zach gulped, knowing he was in trouble.

At that moment, Aviva exterminated the rest of the Zachbots, blasting them with her brand new weapon. "NO!" Zach let out as he closed his ears, overwhelmed.

"Now Zach, leave before I use this on your plane," Aviva wore a serious expression on her face, already aiming at the mentioned vehicle.

At that, Zach surrendered without hesitance. "Okay, okay, I'm leaving!" Zach took off like a scared child, leaving the disaster he caused behind him.

Martin looked up and met Aviva's eyes, Chris still in his wings. "Thank you," Aviva read his lips, and seeing the state his brother was in, she smiled sadly.

Nothing but darkness. All he could feel was a hand caressing his hair. "Hey Chris," a familiar voice echoed in his ears, it was calm and soft. He leaned in on the touch, slowly opening his eyes. The smallest bit of light in the chamber really irritated them.

He could see a blurry figure, already guessing who it was. "Martin?" His voice was feeble.

His brother jumped as he heard his name. "Chris, can you hear me?" Chris' vision slowly became more distinct; he could see the worry in his brother's eyes. He gave him a small nod as he smiled weakly, earning a sigh of relief from him.

Just then, Chris felt sharp pain stinging the right side of his head. He let out a hiss through his gritted teeth. He pressed his hand against the source of the pain, grunting from the pressure as he instantly regretted it. He also felt a bandage wrapped around his head.

"Careful bro," Martin reached out two comforting hands.

"What happened?" Chris asked.

The expression on Martin's face saddened. "You got...hit by one of the laser beams," he slowly looked away, a shred of guilt in his voice.

The memory of deactivating in mid-air flashed before Chris' eyes, followed by a faint voice screaming his name. The rest was a blur. He remained silent before sudden remembrance hit him. He gasped. "What about Zach? Did he-"

Martin raised a hand to cut him off. "Don't worry about him, he won't be causing trouble any time soon, thanks to Aviva and her new invention."

Chris smiled. "Well that's a relief."

Silence.

Chris couldn't help but sense something was bothering his brother. "Martin?" The blue Kratt avoided eye contact, looking down with sad eyes. "What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry bro."

Chris looked genuinely confused. "What do you mean?"

"I could've saved you or at least yelled your name in time, but instead I just stayed fozen in mid-air," Martin's voice cracked. "You could've gotten even more hurt, or worse..." At this point, tears were starting to form in his eyes, threatening to fall any second. "I should've protected you, but I let you down." A small tear ran down his face.

However, he didn't expect what came next. He suddenly felt his bother's arms wrap around him, without warning, which startled him at first. "Don't say that," Chris whispered in his ear. "You never let me down."

More tears came rolling down. "B-But you could've gotten badly hurt, I just-" he paused, taking a deep breath. "I just don't wanna lose you," he managed with a trembling voice.

"Hey," Chris looked deep into his eyes. "I'm a tough Kratt, I won't let anything happen to me, ever." He wore a reassuring smile.

Martin smiled in turn, eyes glassy from his tears. "I know," he laughed, wiping his face. "But it won't stop me from always trying to protect you."

Chris laughed softly. "Fine by me."

And they hugged tightly.

[moodymelanist]

But If She's A Ghost (Then I Can Be A Phantom)

happy last day of @cassianappreciationweek everyone! it’s been so amazing seeing everyone celebrate our favorite bar boy!!

this is part 2 to I Depend On Me from Nesta Week 2023, so if you haven’t already read that one you might be a little confused lol.

hope you all enjoy ❤️‍🔥 the final part of this series will be coming during @nessianweek hehehe

Summary: Cassian, Azriel, and Mor follow the Valkyries to try and finish their mission.

It doesn't quite go according to plan.

Word Count: 2,280

Read on AO3 here!

✵✵✵✵✵✵ Cassian 

Cassian had been hoping that Nesta and her friends would show up tonight, but getting to dance with her was practically the cherry on top. He could hardly believe his luck when she’d let him approach her, let alone wrap his arms around her and hold her close, but he certainly wasn’t going to complain about it. 

The longer they traded innuendos and flirted back and forth, the more Cassian knew this was meant to be a distraction. But damn if he wasn’t having fun twirling Nesta around and holding her close. 

“I hate to dance and dash, but…” Nesta said once she’d finished her spin and faced Cassian again. “I’m afraid I’ve worn out my welcome.”

“And what if I want you to wear me out instead?” Cassian fired back without missing a beat. He knew she wouldn’t take him up on it, but he really did like this little game they had going. 

“Then I suppose you’ll have to keep holding your breath,” she replied, deftly stepping out of his hold once the song ended. “Have a good night, sir. It was lovely dancing with you.”

Cassian could only gape as Nesta bent over slightly and smoothed out the wrinkles on her dress, unable to tear his eyes away from the frankly ridiculous way her breasts were almost spilling out of her dress, before straightening up to walk away. Between her calling him sir and giving him a show like that, Cassian’s jaw had gone a little slack, and the little smirk she threw his way as she sashayed her way out of the gala only made the growing situation in pants even more pressing. 

“You two are disgusting,” Mor said as she slid into the empty spot Nesta had left behind. She dropped her voice into a mockery of Cassian’s as she repeated his comment to Nesta. “‘And what if I want you to wear me out instead?’ Gross.”

Cassian raised his arms and started dancing with Mor automatically, not wanting to piss off anyone else in the vicinity tonight. “Thanks for the support. Really, you’re so kind.”

“The only thing getting worn out is my patience,” Azriel muttered over the comms. “You’re insufferable.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Cassian replied, rolling his eyes even though he knew Azriel couldn’t see him. “Laugh it up.”

“The other Valkyrie took the chipped card, so at least we have that going for us,” Azriel informed them. While Cassian had been working the floor, Mor had been the one to pick their target’s pocket and stick a near-undetectable tracking device on the back of his room key. “I need you two back at the rendezvous in the next ten minutes so we can follow them.”

“I love it when you talk technical to me,” Cassian responded, winking at Mor since he couldn’t wink at Azriel. 

Mor chuckled at Azriel’s loud sigh before fixing Cassian with an unimpressed look. “I think that’s enough flirting from you tonight, lover boy. Keep your head in the game.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Cassian told her. He fired off a crisp salute before turning to follow her out of the gala. 

No one paid them much attention as they cut a path for the entrance, Cassian trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible. It was a little difficult when he was all big and tall as he was, but hopefully the most anyone would remember — if they remembered him at all — was wishing that they could’ve been the ones to leave with him instead of Mor.  

Once they made it back to the van Azriel was running this part of the mission from, they didn’t waste any time. Azriel pulled away from the curb and started driving, Mor immediately started stripping out of her red ball gown and into her familiar tactical suit, and Cassian swapped out his tuxedo jacket for a bulletproof vest. “Sitrep?”

“All we have to do is leave with the drive before the Valkyries do,” Azriel said as he continued to drive. “We can let them do all the hard work of getting into the room and cracking this guy’s safe for us.”

“Doesn’t sound too bad,” Mor said back, only slightly out of breath as she yanked a thigh holster on and slid a gun into it. 

“Only if they don’t know we’re coming after them,” Cassian chimed in. He tightened the straps on his vest before changing out his shoes to something more practical. “They don’t fuck around.”

“They definitely know we’re coming now,” Mor grumbled. “ Someone just couldn’t help himself.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Cassian responded, rolling his eyes. He’d known he was supposed to stay far away from Nesta and her friends, but he just hadn’t been able to help himself when he’d seen her in that goddamned dress. “I’m but a man, Mor.”

“You’re just lucky I was able to put that tracker on the card,” Mor told him. “Devlon would’ve had your ass if we fucked up the mission otherwise.”

“Yeah, like you wouldn’t have loved watching that,” Cassian sniped back good-naturedly. Devlon was their commanding officer and every time he yelled at Cassian, it was like Christmas came early for Mor. 

“Less bickering, more arming yourselves,” Azriel cut in with the air of someone tired of keeping them in line but long resigned to doing it anyway.

“Yes, Dad,” Cassian and Mor responded in perfect unison before they looked at each other, snickering. 

The three of them had been working together professionally for years, and had known each other personally for far longer than that. Cassian and Azriel had grown up together, the two of them both deciding to enlist, but they’d gone their separate ways when Cassian had joined the Marines and Azriel had gone Air Force. They hadn’t met Mor on account of her being Navy until they’d all worked their way through the ranks and gotten transferred to the same CIA unit. The higher-ups had noticed how well the three of them worked together, and the rest was history. Cassian couldn’t remember the last time he’d been assigned to work a mission without the two of them, and quite frankly he didn’t want to. They were more than his fellow soldiers; they were family, and one of the few people he trusted to watch his back as well as he’d watch theirs. 

“Alright, we’re approaching the location now,” Azriel said after a few minutes of silence. “The tracker hasn’t moved for the last few minutes, so we’ll go in and see where the rabbit hole leads us.”

“Are you actually coming inside with us?” Cassian asked, peering at Azriel curiously from the back seat. Azriel tended to prefer sitting back and planning their operations these days, only coming out into the field proper with them on rare occasions. “I feel like a proud parent right now.”

“Someone has to keep you idiots in line,” Azriel replied dryly. He pulled the van into an empty spot, making sure to double check that they didn’t need to feed the meter before the three of them headed toward their mission. 

Cassian had to laugh quietly at the mundanity of the thought that even highly-trained spies needed to make sure their getaway vans wouldn’t get towed. They all made sure their weapons were in working order before heading around the back of the hotel. 

The hotel had a service entrance that they took full advantage of, avoiding all the fanfare that entering through the front would’ve put them through. While they were waiting for the service elevator, Cassian sighed and turned to Azriel and Mor. 

“Let me try and talk to her first,” Cassian said. He wasn’t so delusional as to think Nesta would be swayed from her getting paid by him batting his eyelashes at her, but maybe they could work something out without it ending in a fight. “Before we go in guns blazing.”

Mor rolled her eyes so hard at him it was a miracle they didn’t fall out of her head. “She’s not falling for your lover boy act.”

“It’s definitely not an act,” Azriel muttered, pulling a little laugh out of Mor. 

“Just— let me see what I can do?” Cassian tried again as they got onto the elevator. 

“Fine. Thirty seconds,” Mor acquiesced. “But after that I’m shooting something.”

Azriel used a spoofed hotel key to get them to the fifteenth floor, and once they got off the elevator the three of them slowly crept their way down the floor until they made it to room 1536. They didn’t encounter a single soul on their way, and the hall was eerily silent even for a hotel as high class as this one. 

The Valkyries had been at the hotel for at least ten minutes — more than enough time for them to have broken into the room and started trying to crack whatever security Hale had around this drive. They didn’t have time to keep being subtle, so Cassian caught Mor and Azriel’s eyes before he counted to three and used their spoofed key to enter the room. 

“Well, well, well,” Cassian called out as he entered the suite. The key had made a little whirring noise once he’d used it, so there was no point in trying to sneak around; any operative worth their badge would’ve heard the noise. “What do we have here?”

Cassian got a quick glance at the other two Valkyries fiddling with a safe before Nesta filled his vision. She’d ditched the dark blue dress in favor of a suit that was remarkably similar to Mor’s, the material stretchy enough to show off her sweeping curves while also thick enough to protect her from a host of nasty injuries. She was pointing a gun directly at Cassian’s chest, bulletproof vest aside, and boy did she not look happy to see him. 

“We’ve got to stop meeting like this,” Nesta said dryly. At Cassian’s smirk, her expression turned distinctly unimpressed. “That wasn’t a joke.”

“Mhmmm, I love it when you threaten me,” Cassian told her, still smirking. He loved nothing more than a dangerous woman, and Nesta was one of the most dangerous women he’d ever met. “Really gets me going.”

Just as expected, Nesta’s features morphed into an outraged glare. “Do you not possess any home training?”

“You know I can’t help it when it comes to you,” Cassian responded, his smirk turning into a more earnest smile as he looked at her. “Twice in one night. How could I be so lucky?”

“I wouldn’t call it luck,” Mor replied from behind him. At the sound of someone else’s voice joining the conversation, Nesta’s expression shut down completely, her eyes flitting around over Cassian’s shoulder as she cataloged the latest threat. “Maybe creative stalking.”

Damn. He supposed his thirty seconds had gone over much faster than he’d thought. The moment Mor stepped over the threshold, one of the other Valkyries — Emerie, he thought — appeared out of nowhere, darted around Nesta and Cassian, and aimed a roundhouse kick at Mor’s head. 

Mor ducked out of the way, and it was all the signal Cassian needed. He tried to take the gun out of Nesta’s hands but she’d clearly anticipated the movement and flung herself backwards out of his reach. Cassian rushed forward to create more space in the crowded entryway, allowing Azriel to dart around all of them to try and get to the last remaining Valkyrie who was still working on the safe. Azriel would be able to handle himself, and Mor could hold her own, too; Cassian didn’t have time to even think about worrying. Jokes and flirting aside, he had to devote all his energy to staying sharp while grappling with Nesta. 

It was absolutely exhilarating fighting Nesta. Cassian couldn’t stop smiling every time they connected, from him blocking her jabs to the way she’d use his force against him to dodge and weave around his punches. He’d almost forgotten how fast she was, how well-trained she was, and though his heart broke a little every time he thought of all the things she’d probably had to go through to get this good, a much larger part of him was so thankful that it had resulted in the two of them being here at the same time. 

As they fought around the room, Cassian and Nesta ended up closer to the large sliding doors that let out onto the suite’s balcony. Azriel and the redheaded Valkyrie from the gala had moved their fight to another part of the suite, leaving the two of them to duke it out near the enormous, floor to ceiling windows. If he hadn’t been so focused on his objective, Cassian would’ve loved to admire all the glittering lights of the city spread out below him. 

Unfortunately, those glittering lights also spelled out danger. Too quick for Cassian to react to, there was the sound of shattering glass, and something struck Cassian perfectly in the neck. The sharp sting of pain distracted him just enough for Nesta to swipe his legs out from under him and he hit the ground hard, disoriented between the sudden pain in his neck and the way he’d fallen like a sack of bricks. 

“Oh, fuck,” Cassian said, pulling what looked like a tranquilizer dart out of his neck. Whatever he’d been dosed with was strong; he could already feel his vision getting a little hazy around the edges. God, he couldn’t believe he was getting knocked out like this in front of her of all people; he’d never live this down. “Son of a—”

The last thing Cassian saw before he passed out was Nesta’s lips forming his name. 

tag list: @perseusannabeth | @bookstantrash | @charming-butt-insane | @oversizedbats | @melphss | @sv0430 | @podemechamardek | @autumnbabylon | @live-the-fangirl-life | @julemmaes | @that-little-red-head | @jmoonjones | @sayosdreams | @thewayshedreamed | @hiimheresworld | @brieq | @pearlfortears | @swankii-art-teacher | @nerdperson524 | @snickerdoodlechittybangbang | @imsointobooks | @nesquik-arccheron | @sweet-pea1 | @champanheandluxxury | @dustjacketmusings | @mrs-shadowsinger04 | @unlikelypersonalknight1 | @goddess-aelin | @arinbelle | @talkfantasytome | @simpingfornestaarcheron | @duskandstarlight | @letstakethedawn | @vidalinav | @c-e-d-dreamer | @dealfea | @katekatpattywack | @burningsnowleopard | @thatsowlmazing

[trulybetty]

Sunday | Week in Review VII

Not too much to report on this week - Mr. Truly and I both had the week off and then the little Truly's were thrown off their routine and it's been a week. But it was capped off with a new addition to the household!

So without further ado, let's get on with this week's late-night Sunday in Review!

Truly Betty Updates This Week…

Cake (Marcus Pike)

Autumnal Offerings

Distracting (Joel Miller)

Smut, just Frankie smut

Fics I Enjoyed This Week…

Shared Breaths (Frankie Morales) by @frenchiereading This whole series is such a delight to read and let me tell you, chapter nine is worth reading multiple times over, let me tell you that 😏. But this is a perfect story - you've got yearning for the first half and the second half is the play out of a developing relationship that is so fun to watch play out. If you love Frankie, you won't be disappointed in this.

Turbulence (Frankie Morales) by @rhoorl Jess' first run at a one-shot on our main man this week Frankie does not disappoint! I don't mind flying, but I can guarantee any flight sitting next to our aviation expert Mr. Morales is going to be a lot smoother. This is such a fun read and I really hope we see him again in a possible continuation of this.

Saying I love you through an accidental kiss (Joel Miller) Pre-Outbreak by @songsformonkeys This one reappeared on my dash this week and it's always worth a re-read and always one I'll recommend. It's Joel at his most hectic, which is very much how I picture pre-outbreak Joel and just the build-up here and the kiss is such a toe-curling delight to read, that I squeal each time even though I know it's coming.

Strawberries (Joel Miller) by @softlyspector This is set after Clouds, but doesn't have to be read first before this one. This explores Ellie and Joel's relationship after the events of TLOU and delves into TLOU2 territory (no spoilers in either one-shot). As much as I love the idea of Ellie and Joel living happily ever after in Jackson - I do enjoy an angsty dive into their relationship as it is in the TLOU2 games. This and Clouds are excellent takes on this!

Hungry Hearts | Epilogue + Bonus I Wanna Mary You (Joel Miller) by @atinylittlepain How my heart wasn't ready for this to end - but Gin gave Jerry the send-off they deserved and not only that, we were treated to a bonus second part to the epilogue that I'm still raving about! Honestly, who wasn't reading this? But if you weren't, I suggest you do - you can binge all the posted chapters! Jerry4Eva! 💘

Candy (Dieter Bravo) by @secretelephanttattoo I imagine any date with Dieter to be chaotic and El does such a great job of describing such an event here. I feel like a broken record with how many times I referred to it as such, but it really is a deliciously raunchy romp and I'd gladly go for Ray-Ban candy floss with Dieter any time if this is the end result.

Working Title (Dieter Bravo) by @rhoorl Finally got to reading this and devoured it all. It reads like a fabulous romance novel you’d read at the beach and then want to re-read again because it’s just that enjoyable! Plus the last chapter? My loins have not recovered lol, cannot wait for the next update!

Conversations with a Movie Star | Chapter 3 (Dieter Bravo) by @gnpwdrnwhiskey Aside from my own OC x Dieter, this pairing is hot on their heels for the title of favourite OC x Dieter. Ava keeps Dieter on his toes and has made herself at home at the Bravo Inn. The descriptions of landmarks in Myrtle Beach are fantastic, the chemistry is *chefs kiss*, and the way @gnpwdrnwhiskey writes Dieter 'Anthony' Bravo is fantastic. Please do take some time out to read this series - the premise alone is superb, you won't be disappointed - trust me!

Posts I Enjoyed This Week… Okay, so there's a reason this week's week in review is christened 'Sunday Thots' - the thots were out in force this week!

@goodwithcheese’s thread on the origin of Frankie’s oral skills

@beskarandblasters’s curation of creators with a smaller following

@legendary-pink-dot's Catfish Pond PHD program's latest curriculum, Pedro & Oscar

with Catfish PhD Logo, that I will figure out how to make into a shirt at some point 

@grogusmum doing the hard work for us and sending us all to horny jail

Jess’ deep dive on Grey Sweatpants Season with the Triple Frontier boys - thinking she should visit the Last of Us next 😏

Things I’ve Enjoyed This Week… No competition this week the most enjoyable thing was the addition of Francesca 'Frankie' Cat to the Truly household...

This Week’s Song… Not much has been played this week, but if you saw my mood board for Salt Water last week- this is where the title takes itself from...

Happy Sunday all! Here's to a great week ahead! 💕 xx

[whenthechickencry]

Our Confession

I actually have read both this one and Last Note Before, it was a long while ago though... so I know the general gist but I don't quite remember all the details

The way Beatrice is doing her dead inside sprite before she realizes others were in the room and then she plays up her hamminess a bunch is really sad, aaa.

Dlanor constantly tells Beatrice she's a good writer and she's so excited but a little sad she won't get to see it as a full-blown game first, and Beatrice is like you don't need to flatter me but she's right Beato you should accept her compliments.

Iirc what the Booklet did for this was having the pages be sealed after this and you had to unseal them, which is actually extremely cool. They did their best here but a simple choice prompt just can't match that, I think.

Haha, the complaining about how Natsuhi is hard to make an accomplice... she's like the only person that cares about the headship as much as the gold, Eva as well but Eva isn't getting that without Sayo's help anyways, thinking about it even in Episode 4 she was one of the first to go,, so I can imagine getting her to cooperate is kind of hard. Granted, once you bring up Jessica to the equation you can probably get her to relent.

Beatrice getting a gun sprite is kind of uncanny, haha, really bringing it home was an early draft before Sayo had the chance to embellish the story with magic.

Kinzo being willing to explain to his children that he would blow them up if he felt like it worked in Sayo's favor when getting accomplices, I suppose.

You know, the fact Genji was like "hey! you are a product of incest. we rewrote your entire life for your incestuous grandfather. All your lovers are your cousins. Everything in your life is a lie. By the way, you have a bomb to blow everything up!" like okaayyy what were you expecting at that point Genji.

It's kind of interesting Beatrice tells accomplices that Kuwadorian is safe - technically Rosa could have probably survived Episode 2 with Maria if she just checked Shannon's corpses and realized she really was dead and just tried to make a mad dash to Kuwadorian, maybe.

Krauss is like yeah sure, sure, why not I guess. The fact that Natsuhi is the one more hesitant about this when she's the one thrust into solving all their problems, figuring out what to do, and she never had the option to not do her part...

This episode really does feel like tearing up the guts of Umineko... you can tell a lot of the accomplices act a little weird around Battler so you can guess Sayo probably told them vaguely of her plan, but it's the sort of thing you don't expect to be explicitly confirmed.

Kumasawa is grinning here, haha, she really does think she's a prank up to the very end.... it's kind of sad. She probably can't even imagine Sayo as someone who would do what she did, but I guess that also shows the way she didn't reach out to try and understand her enough...

It's kind of funny how sometimes you see the story going, ah, shit, sorry I have to embellish this more, right.

While thinking on how to properly kill 5 people she gets distracted by the fact she wants to draw a cute girl instead of a man, haha.

It's kind of funny because she does absolutely think they also did something wrong, but I guess talking to herself like this also makes it easier for her to justify herself to her...

Huh... now that I think about it most magic circles were indeed in places that people don't usually go to, ie the shed or Kinzo's rooms... I did think Sayo did the drawings in between murders, haha

The fact Sayo writes some of her tales while thinking about how the argument with Battler is going to go is kind of funny, haha. I wonder what the Japanese version said for metaworld here... it's not a sentence the translation has used so far and the side arcs don't have the greatest translation, so I am curious...

Beatrice is making fun of Battler for reading so many mystery novels but not being able to figure out the mystery, but also praises the person able to see the fantasy aspect of it...

The fact that so many of the mysteries in Umineko rely on several characters thinking that Shannon/Kanon wouldn't do X is very sad... like Sayo is writing these stories with the assumptions that no one in the family actually understands her and won't care to try to, so her mysteries are safe.

It's kind of interesting how in the episodes Sayo does this they mix up whether a Sayo actor is doing it or whether it's an actual conclusion the characters reached, in order to have more difficulty seeing the pattern. For ex: in Ep1 Eva, the accomplice, and Natsuhi both brought up this argument. Eva was an accomplice but Natsuhi isn't.

It's brought up that Gohda and Kumasawa don't know its actual murder, I knew about Kumasawa but didn't know about Gohda, actually... I think the roulette accomplices always know or at least figure it out early enough. Kumasawa's the one who is always clueless. Not really sure about Gohda in ep2, though. I think a lot of people were probably clueless in ep4.

This scene always fucks me up.... the way one of the few light conversations we see between Sayo and Kumasawa is here, the fact Sayo is crying after what she does before resuming the mocking Beatrice act. The use of "End of a Daydream" as the song...

In general this episode really highlights how? Disassociative? Sayo was during all of this. She constantly switches from doing the cruel witch that laughs at everyone's misfortune, to passing the blame on to Battler for what happened, to being fucked up about what is happening. None of these are Sayo on their own but all of them together make up Sayo. I think an episode like this really helps you see how all of the Sayos are one Sayo. Its role as a post-Umineko arc is interesting too. Even people sympathetic to Sayo occasionally role her as ie the innocent victim who did nothing wrong or flatten her into her relationship with Battler. Sayo is so much more than that and this episode forces you to confront that.

Shannon's words here hit so hard... Sayo here is affirming she was an incomprehensible being that was impossible to understand in the first place. In general, Shannon seems to be the persona most resigned to giving up... Beatrice might think its a long shot but her game and the meta arguments show that she does have a hope that she can be understood. Kanon might not think better is possible, but still yearns for it and isn't satisfied with what they have; as opposed to Shannon who seems completely resigned to the fact no one will understand them and that there is no hope for the future. Ofc all of these are the same person, so it's not useful to see them as totally different perspectives. But I think trying to understand each persona on their own is useful to analyzing Sayo. Like, why is the persona that has completely given up tied to George? Why is the persona that wants better but doesn't think its possible tied to Jessica? I think answering those kinds of questions can help you understand what was going on in Sayo's head during a lot of moments as well as help you contextualize their relationships more.

It's kind of funny how they do the missing corpse trick with Kanon constantly but never with Shannon, when Shannon's corpse appears its either after Sayo is dead or they hide the corpse another way entirely. R07 probably didn't want you to figure out they were the only corpses allowed to do this.

Dlanor points out that Beatrice surely wants to be understood by more than one person, Beatrice doesn't really answer to that remark and just says it's fine for her to just hope that one person understands her.

Of course, Dlanor did end up guiding Battler to Beatrice... and thankfully he didn't have to release her guts in order to do it, but... Battler still didn't understand her with just Beatrice's own words and actions. He needed to be guided and prompted by others to be able to get there, and it was still too late. This is still very sad.

Beatrice gets a shocked expression once Dlanor points out that said prince needs to have love for her or otherwise they won't get to her, and Beatrice relents in giving her the manuscript as long as Dlanor agrees to not release it before she is dead.

Now, on to the present.

Of course, Sayo didn't *just* want Battler to understand her. She wanted others to be able to see her heart. She wanted others to stop painting over her for the benefit of others. She wanted everyone to see her for the full person that she was. But that seems like such an impossible, naive dream that she won't even accept to having it.

There's just so much going on here... Dlanor begging for you to understand her, the reuse of the episode 4 red truth. Dlanor points out that just understanding what went on in the gameboards isn't enough to understand Sayo, there is still so much more for you to understand.

This is the first of all the side arcs I would say is completely required reading, Umineko's Saikoroshi basically. The writing here was excellent, allowing you to see the gameboard from a different perspective helps you understand Sayo much more. Being post-ep8 also lets them be so much more explicit with things they didn't have as much of liberty in the main arcs. There are so many heartbreaking scenes in this episode. If anyone reading this hasn't read this arc, I really beg you to do so.

[ashes0909]

Hello! For your writing game:

Steve and Tony, with kitten, chocolate, and sunshine please ☺️

Thanks for the prompt - I had a lot of fun with it! I hope you enjoy!

-------

“Cars?” Tony asked as he kicked his legs out across the hallway floor. They’d been stuck together on this spaceship for two hundred and eighty eight days--or was it eighty nine? He never knew; it was Steve’s job to flip the calendar sheets. 

On the floor opposite Tony, sitting against the wall, Steve shook his head. “Not me. Motorcycles, maybe.”

“Calendars synced to Earth’s satellite system.” 

Steve laughed, the one he seemed to reserve just for Tony, tinged with affection and exasperation. “How did you even get to calendars?”

“There was a connection.” 

It was a game they started on day who-the-fuck-cared: What do you miss from Earth?

Tony missed watching Steve on his motorcycle, thighs straddling metal, competency radiating through every turn. But he wasn’t going to say that. Instead, he blurted out nonsense about calendars. 

“Journals,” Steve continued. 

“You have your journal here...” Tony had seen him scribbling in it most days, and his interest definitely wasn’t piqued every single time. 

“I miss browsing through empty journals in the bookstore, the possibility of future sketches and paragraphs.”

Tony turned his foot so his leg lightly brushed against the side of Steve’s. “So poetic.” He smirked. “You should write it in a journal.”

Steve narrowed his eyes. “Your turn.”

Tony narrowed his own eyes in return. “Rim jobs.”

A month ago, Steve might have sputtered or even abruptly ended the game. But all that happened now was a faint dusting of pink across his cheeks. Tony’s favorite part of the game was throwing the most obscene thing he could think of into the mix without any segue. He’d made it through most of the sexual positions, and a large part of him was intrigued about whether Steve even knew what a ‘rim job’ was. By his reaction, he seemed to. Interesting.

“Kittens.”

Tony barked out a laugh. 

“There was no connection!” 

Still smiling, Tony shook his head. “I didn’t think there was, Sunshine.” 

Blush deepening at the pet name, Steve pushed their legs together this time. These light, fleeting touches made Tony wonder: What would they be to each other on day five hundred?

“That kid who always sneaked his cat into the coffee shop,” Tony resumed. “Mmm, mocha lattes.”

“You chose every type of coffee, the first day we played,” Steve reminded him, leaning his head back against the wall, eyes still fixed on Tony. “But I haven’t said it yet, so, mocha lattes.”

“You’re just saying that to make me miss sweets even more.”

This time when Steve reddened, it had nothing to do with shyness or embarrassment and everything to do with duplicitousness.

“Steve….” 

Cracking like an egg under the slightest of pressure, Steve’s hand found Tony’s calf and he squeezed. Tony forgot how to breathe. It’d been so long since someone had touched him, and this someone was Steve. While Tony was distracted by the touch, Steve started talking, fast. “I was saving it for your birthday, and, well, I know we talked about sharing all our commissary early on but I thought that--” Then he was gone, bolting from their confessional hallway and back again within minutes. In his hand was a chocolate bar. Tony’s favorite Godiva dark.

“You little minx.” Tony looked up at Steve, a million thoughts rushing through his head. Steve had brought this, his favorite chocolate, and hid it for a special day. Not Steve’s special day, but Tony’s. That had to mean something right? 

Before Tony’s brain could dash towards conclusions that involved feelings, Steve slid into the spot next to him, shoulders brushing together before thighs and knees did the same. 

“Happy Not-Birthday, Tony.” Steve opened the wrapper and split the chocolate in two, offering half out for Tony. 

It was just a chocolate bar, but awe and appreciation ran through him with such force he knew it showed on his face. “Happy Not-Birthday, Steve.”

Their eyes met over the chocolate bar as they both took a bite. Steve’s gaze flicked down to Tony’s lips after he swallowed, then back up to Tony’s. “Kisses,” Steve whispered into the space between them, resuming their game. 

“Chocolate kisses,” Tony countered.

“What’s that?” Steve smirked, the little lift of his lips going straight to Tony’s core.

“Let me show you.” 

Sweetness erupted against Tony’s lips as they brushed against Steve’s. Suddenly it didn’t matter that they had all the time in the universe; he didn’t want to be anywhere else but here.

-----

If anyone else is interested, check out my Writing Game!

[obsessedfluffbutt]

@glowweek day 5: Family

Dinner and Game Night

“Steven! Connie!” Amethyst yells as she spin dashes her way into the cottage.

“Amethyst!” Steven yells back in glee, snatching her up before she can crash straight into Connie.

The two laugh and giggle as Steven tosses Amethyst around. He throws her into the air, catches her and spins her around and around. He's so incredibly excited to see them all! She'll never get over just how tall he's gotten either! So much for the shorty squad!

“Hello everyone!” Pearl waves as she enters, carrying a small casserole dish.

Garnet follows behind her silently, grin on her face the moment she sees, now all grown up, Steven, and the engagement rings they both wear. She places the grocery bags of fresh cut fruit Pearl had insisted they bring in the kitchen counter. Greg follows next, all smiles and laughter as his son, somehow taller than him now, practically crushes his ribs in a bear hug.

“Connie! Steven!” Two more voices call out as they enter.

“Mom!” Connie practically squeals with delight, “I'm so glad you made it!”

Priyanka hugs her only child tight, “I missed the last get together, there was simply no way I was going to miss another!”

“Especially not after hearing the crazy shenanigans we got up to with charades last time!” Doug mutters quietly to his daughter, making her giggle at the memory. Amethyst had cheated and used shapeshifting, resulting in all the gems using it, then arguing, and somewhere along the lines a pillow getting busted throwing feathers everywhere. She and Steven were still finding stray feathers in odd places when they cleaned, and it's been nearly two weeks!

“Are you eating well sweetheart? You look a little pale.” Priyanka asks, placing her hand on Connie's forehead to check her temperature.

Connie giggles again, “I'm fine Mom. I promise.”

Not entirely convinced, Priyanka hums and resolves to heap some extra food on her daughter's plate for dinner. She may be an adult now, but she'll always be her little girl, and she'll always care for her.

“So what game are we playing today?” Amethyst asks.

“We actually haven't decided yet. Connie and I figured this week we could leave it up to a vote.” Steven says, a grin still plastered on his face. He can't stop smiling. He's just so, so excited! He loves seeing his family, and spending time with them.

Once he and Connie had gotten engaged, and moved into their little cottage, they'd contacted Bismuth about installing a small local warp pad, so the gems and humans could visit more easily. Then they all agreed on a twice a month dinner and game night, which Pearl has made sure they stuck to. Every two weeks they gather together, have a fun little potluck style dinner and play some fun family games.

At first it was just charades, or Yahtzee, but after a while everyone started getting bored with the same old same old. So Steven went out and began collecting tons of different types of games to play. Ranging from Settlers, to Wonders, and tons of card games. One of which had such raunchy results that Pearl nearly poofed and Greg and Priyanka both nearly passed out. They've since shelved that one, though whenever Amethyst visits she insists they play, and the three will often have a good laugh the entire time.

The gem and human family gather around the large table, laden with all sorts of food, and begin to dish up. Amethyst heaps her plate full, and Priyanka successfully sneaks extra green bean casserole onto her daughter's plate when she's not looking. Her eyes meet Stevens, he's doing the same thing with the mashed potatoes, heaping extra onto Connie's plate while she's distracted chatting with Pearl. The two exchange an embarrassed smile and giggle before returning to their own plates.

“So! Connie, Steven, how's the wedding planning going?” Pearl can't help but ask.

Swallowing his bite of food Steven says, “Good, Garnet’s been a huge help! Well, more like she's taking care of pretty much everything, but still!” He laughs, Garnet grins again, fiddling with her thumbs. She seems to be practically vibrating with excitement in her chair.

They all continue with the small talk for a short while, Doug asking Connie about work, Greg telling Steven about the latest tour news, and Amethyst snarfing down any leftover food she can grab. Garnet, unable to hold it in anymore, stands rapidly from her seat, practically shaking the plates off the table in her haste. Everyone stops to stare at her as she stands, shuddering, massive grin across her face.

“Okay, okay!” Steven holds up his hands. Figuring they've tortured the poor fusion, with her future vision long enough he and Connie stand as well.

“There's one thing we wanted to say before we do anything else.” Connie says.

With everyone's unbridled curiosity, thanks to Garnet, and undivided attention Connie says, “Steven and I have been together for a long time now. I've got a stable well paying job, we've got this beautiful house, a wedding coming up and such a wonderful growing family.”

She places her hand over her stomach, a light blush and gentle smile drifting across her face. Steven places his hand over hers, and grins brightly. Priyanka gasps, Garnet bounces where she stands, but Doug, Greg, Pearl and Amethyst still seem a little lost.

“We're pregnant!” Connie and Steven exclaim together, Steven providing some jazz hands for added effect.

Chaos breaks out as Pearl and Priyanka squeal in delight, Greg, Doug and Amethyst cheer and jump around in excitement, and Garnet lifts Steven into her own bone crushing hug.

Forget games, the family spends the rest of their evening asking questions, planning dates and parties, and just so, so excited for the future and all the changes it's about to bring.

“No wonder Steven caught me before I could roll into Connie!” Amethyst laughs.

[paintedgrilledcheese]

The DOA/RITHOTD preschool au!

The burning kitchen

It's another day in Mr. Goncharov's preschool class. The children were enjoying their free time in the classroom, playing nicely together so far. Little Sigma, the youngest of the class, was dashing back and forth between the pretend kitchen playset and the snack table where the kids normally eat their lunches. He was playing as the manager of his little pretend restaurant, and he was serious about it. Sigma wanted all his customers to be satisfied with his service, including satisfying the stubborn Mushitaro.

Mushitaro was a little vex to these games. If he was going to play, he made sure to be the antagonist and make the game much more difficult than it needed to be. Mushitaro liked playing the role of a food critic, always giving Sigma the unfortunate 4 star rating. This would always make poor Sigma upset. He believed that his restaurant was the greatest and DESERVED a 5 star rating.

After receiving another 4 star rating, delivered on a pink sticky note with poorly drawn stars and scribbles, Sigma huffed and stomped his little feet back over to the kitchen playset.

"PUSHKIN!" Sigma yelled in a high-pitched voice, which startled Pushkin. Pushkin was Sigma's one and only chef. "We got another 4 star rating from Mushitaro. I don't know what we're doing wrong. Are you slacking?" Sigma accused.

"I'm not slacking. I'm the one who's cooking, not you." Pushkin defend as he put a wooden block of milk into a plastic bowl with wooden eggs in it. "Mushitaro is being a meanie. That's what's happening. He doesn't know how hard I work to cook his order. I should put a dead cricket in his order next time." He muttered.

Sigma shook his head and protests. "No, don't do that. We'll lose customers."

"Why not? Crickets have nutritional value, my dad told me so." Pushkin argued.

"Nuh uh, bugs are gross and not meant to be eaten, you weirdo." Sigma was getting a little upset since he was scared of bugs.

"Yeah huh. You're just a scared of trying one." The two started to bicker. Despite this being a fun game for pretend, it was serious for them. If Sigma lost customers, the world would end in his little child mind.

The back and forth continued, calling each other names and getting so caught up in their petty argument (that was completely off-topic now) that Nikolai came over and threw balls of red paper into the plastic bowl Pushkin was using.

"Uh oh, seems like you got a fire!" Nikolai laughed loudly as Sigma screamed high pitched. Sigma yanked the bowl away from Pushkin and threw it into the pretend kitchen sink. But Nikolai continued to throw more red and orange balls off paper into Sigma's kitchen, causing a "fire." Nikolai was giggling joyfully as he watched Sigma try to put out this fake fire.

With all the commotion going on, Sigma screams, and Nikolai's laughter, Nathaniel came over wearing a plastic fire fighter helmet from Firehouse subs.

"Is there a fire?" He asked, holding an empty water bottle that he found.

"Yes. Please help." Sigma said in a panic. Nathaniel had a good look at the scene, seeing all the red and orange paper balls scattered across the kitchen playset.

"Hmmm, pay me first." He demanded.

"Why would I pay you?!" Sigma yelled, being extra loud.

"Because I'm going to need a lot more water to put out this fire, and I'm out of water." Nathaniel said with his logic.

"The money is burnt." Pushkin informed. Nathaniel looked at him straight in the eye before shrugging.

"Guess you guys are on your own then." Nathaniel turned to abandon them. Wow, what a great firefighter. Nikolai laughed more, watching all of this before running to leave the scene he caused. Sigma looked upset. He was upset. Sigma was about to throw a fit before Ivan announced it was snack time.

All the children were distracted by the announcement of snack time, including Sigma. Today was sugar cookie day, which cheered him up in an instant, forgetting all about his little game for now. During nap time, Ivan picked up and cleaned some of the room, picking up Nikolai's mess he caused in the pretend kitchen area. This brought joy to Sigma's face to see his kitchen wasn't on "fire" anymore when he woke up. All was well once again. Expect for that 4-star rating.

[your-littlesecret]

I've been sleeping like shit and working like crazy and I'm in a weird mood all week and also feeling like shit and I don't know why I'm telling all that but the basketball date 2.0 made its way to my dash again and I went down that rabbit hole, again

I wanted to write something bigger for this event but eh

this is nothing but I hope someone likes it 🫧

so where you go i follow (piarles | 736 words)

Charles is already in bed when the videos and edits start to pop on his phone. He simply scrolls through them, stopping occasionally to study further one or another gif of him and Pierre at the basketball match.

Pierre was so soft and warm with that sweater and jacket and Charles was sleepy.

There was nothing else he was feeling except the want to get back to their hotel room and fall in bed - and now, Pierre is the one already fast asleep curled around him while he watches videos on instagram. Very clever, Charles.

He remembers how Pierre gently grabbed at his wrist under his hoodie and told him “Come on calamar, it’s going to be fun. And you can sleep until late tomorrow, I promise.”

Charles shut up then, because the only reason he was doing this was Pierre. He was invited, yes, but if he were to go alone, he would have given up just before leaving the hotel room.

But Pierre would be there, and he insisted Charles should come too so they could spend a little time together after all that time they were winter-training on opposite sides of the world.

So Charles went, almost falling asleep on the back seat of the car they sent to take them to the game. Pierre was holding his wrist all the time, the soothing movement of his fingers never stopping until they had to get out of the car.

He knows now everyone could tell he was sleepy when they arrived, the video of Charles rubbing his eye and almost leaning against Pierre’s shoulder while they try to find their seats playing over and over again.

Then the videos of Pierre talking to him and making him laugh, smiling so pretty and wide when Charles ducks his head the way he always does. What everyone doesn’t know is how Pierre was only doing that to keep him awake and alert enough.

“Pierre, I swear I’ll fall asleep right here. This is too boring.” Charles complained not even 10 minutes into the match.

“It’s been 10 minutes calamar, it’s not boring.” Pierre squeezes his knee and his hand may or may not linger a bit too long for the public eye but surprisingly, there are no videos of that moment. “Do I have to distract you? You know I can’t use my normal techniques right now.”

“Pierre!” Charles whisper-shouts, looking ahead at Pierre's shoulders and then looking back, just in time to see Esteban rolling his eyes and laughing at them.

“What? No one knows what my techniques are.” He shrugs but Charles simply sighs, leaning back against his own chair. Pierre’s got his elbows resting against his own knees, leaning to the front but head turned to look back at Charles.

“You’re so grumpy when you are sleepy, Jesus.” He shakes his head, straightening up and crossing his legs.

“I didn’t even want to come! I’m only here because of you, so shut up?” Pierre laughs and ducks away when Charles pokes at his cheek with his index finger.

“Stop this.” Pierre grabs at his finger but he doesn’t let go, bringing Charles’ hand to his lap and holding it tightly.

“Oh, do you see that guy over there? He almost ran into Esteban today and he said ‘oh, sorry little guy, didn’t see you there’. Esteban turned so red he looked like you, funniest scene of the day.” Pierre says, letting go of his hand and when Esteban says ‘hey! it was not like that!’ Charles bursts out laughing, ducking his head.

They start bantering while Charles is in the middle simply laughing too much, and the rest of the match goes unnoticed by the three of them.

There’s a pair of arms hugging him from behind, a hand skimming through his stomach. “What are you still doing up?” Pierre’s drowsy voice comes from his place in bed.

“Nothing.” Pierre hums and then kisses his shoulder, grabbing at Charles’ phone and taking it away from his hands - lost somewhere between the sheets now.

“Come to sleep, then.” Pierre’s arms tighten around him, pulling him closer. There’s another kiss on his shoulder before Pierre buries his face on the crook of Charles’ neck.

All the tiredness he felt earlier seems to find its way back to him and sleep comes easily now that he’s in his favorite place in the world - Pierre’s embrace.