#His kids never fucking let him live it down nor do any of them believe Bruce when he tries to defend himself and say he knew Kansas was real

[raeofgayshine]

Bruce Wayne, drunk and full on Brucie mood in the middle of a gala: You know, that accent doesn’t really fit in around here. It’s cute. Where are you from?

Clark, internally debating every life choice that led him to this moment: I’m from Smallville. Kansas.

Bruce, leaning closer to Clark with a flirty smile: Oh you’re cute and funny. You know, I like that in a man.

Clark, very confused but trying to just go along with it: Thank you??

Bruce: I mean, everyone knows that Kansas isn’t real but I do always enjoy a good laugh.

Clark: What.

Bruce: What? Everyone knows that Kansas was made up for Wizard of Oz.

Clark, unsure if Bruce is fucking with him or if he’s just really deep into this dumb act: Bruce, Kansas is a real place. It’s one of the 50 states that make up America.

Bruce, tilting his head a little confused: There’s 50 states? Since when?

[danhengist]

—𝐘𝐎𝐔'𝐋𝐋 𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐀𝐍 𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐌𝐄. ❀

warnings - Angst, arguements. mentions of abandonment, cursing. Angst breakup. Nagi written in a bad light. Angst to fluff. Happy ending (for you). Just a warning, this fic is kinda lengthy.

·  · ·  · ➪ Nagi seishiro has to choose between an eternity with you or a small scrap of Fame. He makes a choice and Reo helps him live to regret it.

“Your kidding.” You asked, aghastly. You sat there at your dinner table with your fiance. “Your fucking kidding, right Nagi??” you repeated again when you don't get a response from Seishiro. Nothing but a unimpressed look, his lips curled into a thin frown that awfully matched his low-lidded eyes.

You can't help but let out a pitiful laugh when you come to the realization that he wasn't kidding. “So, that's it? we've been together for 3 years, and 5 months and you're going to throw all of that out of the window? For a fucking sport.” You sneered at him, your words contaminated with such pure anger that you could be considered hostile.

“i thought you'd be happy for me.” Nagi replied, stolidly. He sat his fork down and positioned his attention back onto you. “Fuckin' hell. Happy for you??” You grimace at his statement. “My supposed-to-be future husband is leaving me. What about that should i be fucking happy about??” The volume of your voice had amplified at the sheer audacity Nagi had.

“You said that if i decided to chase my goals then you'd support me.” He scoffed, narrowing his eyes and Crinkling his eyebrows at your melodramatic outburst.

“Because i didn't think that you'd leave me behind to chase after them! Do you even hear yourself?? Why are you so fucking nonchalant about this?” You asked. Nagi heard the way your words wavered shakily, he could hear the fear and heartbreak setting in.

You saw his decision as Cold-hearted and selfish, the fact he didn't even show a sense of sadness about the whole situation is what hurt you the most.

But Nagi wasn't apathetic, not nearly. No, he was simply stoic. He saw how his sudden decision had truly hurt you, and he did feel guilt and remorse for it because stoicism wasn't feeling guiltless. it was feeling guilt and being able to hide it, a strong sense of self-control. “Because I'm certain that this is the right choice. You know that i love you. i love you so much but i can't balance out my career and our marriage...” He affirmed, confidently.

You didn't respond. You felt your words get caught in the back of your throat, Tears forming on your lower lashes. You couldn't believe your ears, you couldn't believe nor imagine the day that your future husband would choose his career over you.

The realization of this wasn't bearable. You sat there in silence and simply stared at your fiance. He's not oblivious, he can see the pain and heartache reflecting in your eyes. "Nagi..." You desperately rasped as you felt the urge to sob loudly, clawing at your throat.

an infinity of silence had passed before you snapped out of your thoughts when you noticed Nagi stand from his chair. You spared him any questions on his intentions when he rounded the table and moved towards you.

“Stand up.” were his only words. You wiped your tears away with your sleeves and stood as he'd asked, the last thing you expected him to do was pull you into a warm embrace. tightly hugging you close to him. “I'm sorry, baby.” he murmured, planting a soft kiss onto the shell of your ear. “I'd never intentionally hurt you, but i don't think i can keep struggling to balance out two things i love.” He said, softly.

You didn't bother to hug him back. Fuck, he didn't deserve any responding affection. "So, when?" you asked, pushing him away from you. an act of rightful bitterness, he just blatantly told you he was choosing his friends and career over you.

You had ever right to withhold yourself. "When do you plan on leaving?" You questioned him, irritably.

"Saturday of next week. if i manage to move out soon enough, isagi said that I'd be able to move in with him." Although he was a bit hurt by your denial of his loving gesture, he partly knew you had the right away.

"i know your hurt but if it's alright could we finish dinner? it might be one of the last memories I'll have with you." Nagi justified, placing himself back into the chair he sat at a few moments ago.

You considered it. You considering that maybe if you did everything he asked, said everything he wanted to hear that maybe he'd change his mind. a grim and painful sense of contempt shot through your body at that ridiculous thought. it coursed through your veins like cocaine.

You couldn't respond― no, wouldn't respond sensibly. You refused to be nice to the same man who thought that kicking a ball around was more important than you.

"Fuck you, Nagi." You sneer angrily. "if you think that we can just go back to eating as if nothing happened then you thought wrong."

Nagi didn't respond, neither did he try and stop you from leaving the kitchen. He sat there and ate alone that night, evaluating if his decision was a good one but no matter how logically he attempted to look at it, his heart longed for the feeling of freedom.

The raw rush of adrenaline that came from running across that huge field, the feeling of the entire stadium looking at him and calling out his name as if he were they're saviour. it was then that as he put his plate into the sink, he felt his mind give him the ambivalent consolation that leaving you will be a brave and righteous thing.

Nagi slept on the couch that night, and going forward. He didn't necessarily want too but after he broke the news to you, he never felt as welcomed into the bedroom as he used too. He'd try to hold you, kiss you and yet you never indulged in the romantic gestures like you did before. You'd ignore him, or push him away. You gave him nothing as punishment for taking away everything.

Everyday felt like a heartache. your relationship managed to dull out within a few days. it felt like a married old couple who were waiting for they're divorce to settle. But nothing prepared you for the day to actually come.

You sat there on the couch, watching Nagi handle his taped boxes, a contempt frown plastered on your face. it'd only been two weeks so logically you weren't over this sudden change. “Here, take this one. I'll carry the other two.” you heard Nagi's voice echo from the kitchen. oh, that's right. Reo is here.

Mikage reo, Your ex-fiance's best friend. It made sense that out of everyone, reo was the first person he'd call to help. Although this was such a grim and glum moment in your life, the random exchanges of conversation reo would gift you while grabbing boxes had admittedly dampened the anguish and bitterly feeling that settled in the pit of your heart.

Sometimes, you couldn't help the slight twitch of your lips when he'd crack a pitiful joke. But it was never enough to actually make you smile, and why would it? this was one of the worst days of your life. But you deeply appreciated the attempts reo had made.

“Stay here, I'm gonna take these over to isagi's house.” Seishiro exclaimed, dryly. He grabbed the car keys from off the counter. “Then I'll come back for the last four.” he informed, looking at reo who had taken a seat next to you on the couch. “alright, I'll sit here and rest for a bit!” Reo stretched, carefully not to accidentally hit you.

Nagi hummed in recognition before leaving. Only after a few minutes of Nagi's absence did reo finally stir up the courage to speak too you. “Hey.” He coo'd, successfully catching your attention. Your eyes meeting Reo's sympathetic purple ones.

“I'm sorry about what my friend is putting you through. Man, i know how painful it must be.” He sympathized, turning his body to face you. You couldn't help but hear him out. “Do you?” You asked, piqued.

“Yeah.” Reo replied, diffended. “When we were teenagers, Nagi left my side to be on isagi's side.” Despite the friendly smile on his face, there was a sort of bitterness deep in the crevices of his words. Almost as if he wasn't entirely over the whole ordeal.

“He wanted to win so badly. He didn't even hesitate to walk away.” Reo sighed. “He probably doesn't think about it as much as i still do but ...” He hadn't even realized that the smile he wore a second ago had formed into a conflicted frown. “I'm sorry that happened to you, Reo.” You spoke up, pulling him from his thoughts.

“if that's the case, then I'm sure you can imagine how awful it feels for me now.” You muttered, looking at the ground. “Yeah, i can.” Mikage replied.

There was a deep silence. The type where you could tell both parties that built the conversation were equally in deep thought.

“Do you think ... maybe i did something?” You sudden asked, to the man's dismay. “Huh?” He responded, curiously. “Could you elaborate?” he asked. Reo wasn't an idiot, he knew what you meant and this feeling of self-doubt that you gave off had felt all-too-familiar.

You took a deep breath to calm yourself. “i mean like, do you think i might've did something that Nagi didn't seem to like and that's what made him choose Soccer?” You quizzed, nervously.

“i can't answer that.” He admitted, but immediately regret it when he saw your crestfallen expression. “He told me about his plan on divorcing you, earlier on. I tried to convince him not to do it.” He added.

You hadn't replied to Reo, which gave him the space to continue talking. “y'know...” he cleared his throat. There was a long moment of comforting silence before Reo spoke again.

“I'd never abandon you the way he did." those words reeled you in, you look over at Reo with a intrigued look. “What kind of person leaves the love of their life for a sport.” he muttered. His words left a strange sensation in your chest, you couldn't quite pick at what it was, but you felt like you knew what he was about to say.

in any other case, if you and Seishiro were still fiances then you would've stopped Reo in his tracks.

“What are you saying?” You questioned in a curious tone. You knew what he was saying, but you wanted to hear Reo confirm it by himself. “I'm saying that Nagi is making such a huge mistake.” He replied, frustrated.

“he's my best friend. i want nothing but for him to be happy. But the fact being happy means discarding someone so...” Reo paused for a moment.

“So?” You encouraged him to finish his sentence. “So ..Perfect.” Reo concluded. You couldn't withhold the feeling of your heart fluttering in your chest at his words. The way he spoke to you with such delicacy and warmth. You couldn't think of him as anything but sincere.

“Perfect?” You repeated, in disbelief.

“Perfect.” He'd confirmed, inching closer to you. out of respect, he waited a moment and glanced at your reaction. once he saw no hints of uncomfort, he proceeded to keep speaking.

“I know your probably too shocked to reply, I mean I wouldn't blame you. Your ex-fiance's best friend is confessing to you.” Reo couldn't suppress his Nervous laughter when he saw your surprised expression. “But I really do think your perfect.” He sighed.

“And ... How long did you think I was perfect..?” You asked, you couldn't help the small dosage of curiosity that you felt.

“Since I'd first met you.” he replied. “i didn't say anything at first because you and Nagi were so in love.” Reo said. “I—I wanted to tell you, but I didn't wanna hurt Nagi or make our relationship weird because I attempted to come onto his lover.” He justified. His excuse made sense, it would've been wrong if he tried to convince you to date him when you and Nagi were still together.

“But if I would've know that he'd end up hurting you.” he halted his sentence, his deep lavender gaze connecting with yours. “i would've stolen you a long time ago.” Mikage affirmed emphatically.

You could feel you heart pounding at his words, strongly. The thought that all this time, for the past 3 years, Reo was madly lovesick for you. Something about knowing this made you feel delighted.

After a considerable amount of silence, time to think on what your response to all of this abrupt and unforseen information would be, and within a moment you knew what you wanted to say.

“You told me that Nagi and me being in a relationship stopped you, right?" You asked, Your question being answered when Reo nodded solemnly. “But— .. what's stopping you now?” You asked, boldly. Your words admittedly took him by surprise, never did he expect that you'd accept his confession, much less, encourage it.

He took in your question, giving it a moment of thought, he realized you were right. Nagi had practically thrown you aside for the sake of his career. Which means you weren't seeing anyone, and that realization gave him a substantially Marvelous sense of Buoyancy.

“Absolutely nothing.” He replied, sanguinely.

Subsequently after estimated 35 minutes, Nagi had returned to collect his last few boxes. Blissfully unaware of your imminently established relationship with Reo. The way Reo was able to function so casually around Nagi was almost astonishing. smiling as if he didn't just propose a new relationship with his childhood friend's ex-fiance.

That month was full of unexpected events, things that you'd never seen coming. Although you were still faintly offended and hurt by Nagi's decision, something about being with Reo substantially dulled that trivial feeling of abandonment.

You never wanted to compare anyone, but you couldn't help but notice that Reo was furthermore blithesome and open-minded than Nagi when it came to your relationship. Supposedly it was because he didn't have a trait of laziness like Nagi did, or maybe it was due to his constant consideration for your feelings and how he'd consult you before making any big or rash decisions.

Whatever it was, it kept you chained to him. During Your Drive to go and pick Reo up, you came to a sudden comprehension that you were possibly indulging in this relationship with Reo far more than you were with the one you had with Nagi. You were happier.

You and Reo agreed to keep your relationship hidden from Nagi for a lengthy amount of time. Until the residues of the dissolving love he had for you were flushed from his mind. Of course, when it was revealed years later, it was a slip-up on Reo's part.

After the ending of a soccer match against a competing team, Reo and Nagi's Team had managed to win, almost effortlessly. No matter how accustomed Reo was too winning, managing to do it again always gave him an ardent feeling of exhilaration.

So when you were standing outside the arena, waiting for him to come out so you could take him home, he managed to greet you in such a beauteous way. a energetic kiss and a hug, you couldn't do anything but laugh at his victorious grin. “I'm assuming you won, again. Tell me about it.” You invited sweetly. Your common interest in his day was like being wrapped in saccharine.

So enraptured with your daily reunion with Reo, you both hadn't noticed Nagi watching with aghast, while his other teammates passed him, leaving. He'd seen the way Reo almost knocked you over with how energetic he was to see you, and how tightly he held your waist. How close you were.

Something about this scene of the two of you being so affection with each other triggered a melancholic jealousy, and for a moment he'd planned to say something, until he felt his mind go back to the day he'd stepped away from you for his career.

Nagi knew that was his moral compass reminding him that Reo dating you was completely fair, especially since you and Nagi were officially divorced.

it wasn't like you were cheating on him, but even then as he watching Reo babble on about how he dominated the field, and watched how you lovingly took in ever single detail Reo spouted, he couldn't help but begin to regret his decision.

Attempting to get you back was out of the question, It would involve betraying Reo. He'd already hurt Reo before in the past, and he promised himself he wouldn't do it again.

So all he could do was sit on the sidelines and watch Mikage love you in a way he wouldn't.

Xyhoo·  ·  ·  · ✦ ― do not copy, modify, sell, or repost any of my work on any platform, or claim it as yours. 02/19/2023. ― 11:23 AM.

Tags: @shoyoist @the-pyro-archon @suchatwistedaddiction @kittykittycore

[starjunkyard]

Good god ep18 s6. House dealing (god-awfully .Full disclosure. The episode opens with house drinking himself half to death with zero regard for himself to the point of unintentionally breaking into his neighbours house and passing out there) with wilson getting back together with his ex-wife while the patient of the episode grapples with his possibly reciprocated love for the woman he loves but cannot Have because she's engaged to be wed with his friend.......... Thirteen egging the patient on to tell her how he really feels but he genuinely Cant Bring Himself To because "my friend's a great guy . He's rich, smart, and he'll treat her well. Me-- I'd do everything I could for her. But it wouldn't be much. And she... she deserves the best." And the episode ends with house resignedly throwing away the sealed envelope that held all the dirt he hired lucas to get on wilson's ex wife to try and break them upOhhhhhhhh oh. OHHHHHHHHHHHHH Ouhhhhhhh. Ouhhhhh the acknowledgement that house would do everything & anything & more for wilson Give .all of himself To Wilson and it still wouldn't be enough because house is House. Because even at his best-- house would still be house and because of that house would never be able to give wilson what he wants What he Needs. Wilson doesn't. Need the misanthropic bastard he's been in love with for 20 years who bites and spits at any threat or sign of emotional intimacy or vulnerability. What wilson. Needs is a woman . A wife and two kids and a white picket fence because that's all wilson is

Its the foundation of his entire self that would bring everything else down with it if it were to crumble. The face that wilson has spent his entire Life honing and sculpting and perfecting to present as the Perfect Hardworking American Man and Son. The perfect husband and treasured son with his own big shiny department and a stainless-white doctor's coat and the Exact Man a woman would Need

What is wilson. who is he What is left of him if he is not needed by a woman; not needed nor wanted any longer by the world he's lived his entire life by to please. What is James Wilson if not what everyone else expects him to be

House is the antithesis to all of that. A man rough and abrasive as sandpaper who makes wilson selfish makes him emotional and stupid. Who encourages wilson to lash out and fight and get angry and stand up for himself and be the exact opposite of what he's worked his entire life to be. Instead of accepting and taking wilson's painstakingly pedantically constructed facade at face value House fucking. Crashes through the walls with a bulldozer. Snatches the mask right off of wilson's face and dangles it over his head goading wilson to go ahead; try and get it back

Wilson is so deathly terrified at the idea of breaking out of the norms he himself has walled himself into-- he can't Bear to think of any other future for himself that is anything other than wholly and completely unnoticeable average monotonous unextraordinary

and House is the exact opposite of unnoticeable average monotonous unextraordinary. House is the apple of Eden that rests on the other side of wilson's pristine-white picket fence. The object of Wilson's every true desire that simultaneously threatens to doom and tear down everything wilson regards protects worships as the one untouchable unquestionable unchangeable truth of his life

House loses before it even starts. No one can compete with that; not even house. By nature, house can never be what wilson needs. What wilson truly desires or wants or needs is another subject entirely, something im genuinely not sure wilson could even grapple with, let alone come to terms with canonically. I fully believe wilson and house are the loves of each other's lives but house will never be what wilson "needs" or "wants" no matter what he does or changes about himself. They love each other more than anything and they want each other and they cant live without each other but House-- intrensically, by nature-- cannot be what Wilson wants.

[atopvisenyashill]

You said that you don’t like Jonerys, but do you see it happening in the books? Do you see them actually falling in love?

there is nothing about their personalities that has ever lead me to believe they’d be capable of tolerating each other for more than 10 minutes before a slap fight started. nor do i think jon will be amenable to making any more alliances with targaryens after aegon vi dies, especially with the North in such peril due to the others. that + sansa’s distrust of The Great Game & the people who play it + arya spending half her storyline in a city that hated valyria & it’s legacy of slavery + bran telling br he can take his borg hivemind and shove it all leads me to believe that the starks are gonna be petty at best & actively hostile to the iron throne at worst by the time dany lands.

and by the time dany lands…we’ll have the burning in vaes dothrak, which is likely to be a huge moral turning point for her bc as george said, her being unburnt was a once in a lifetime magic event. she’s likely ordering drogon to burn the khals which is so much different - and more villainous! - than just lighting a torch & watching the place go up in flame. we’ll have “to go west you must go east” which is going to involve her sacking a city with the dothraki. we’ll have the battle of fire in meereen & a team up with a greyjoy which just spells disaster. then she lands in westeros with an army made up of dothraki screamers, unsullied slaves, and headed by jorah fucking mormont and a greyjoy. i’m not even sure when she has the time to meet jon let alone get dicked down by him!

(part of my “snowspear is real” trutherism is that i think dany in the show was given like half of aegon vi’s plot. considering arianne is going to meet them at storm’s end, which is a hop, skip, and jump away from dragonstone, it makes way more sense to me that the main targ the starklings would be dealing with is aegon. i also think that jon finding out he’s lyanna & rhaegar’s as he’s dealing with rhaegar’s trueborn son & has completely thrown his lot in with the north is gonna hit way more emotionally than jon finding out he fucked his aunt. george does a lot with romance, this is true, but the main relationships in this series? they’re siblings! they’re parents & children! cersei & robert are haunted by the ghost of lyanna but lyanna has always been a stand in for robert’s love for NED. cat & ned’s relationship is doomed before it even starts by LYANNA and JON, not by a former lover! all three lannister kids wonder how their lives would have turned out if their mother had lived!! it’s about ~these ties that bind us~ it’s about the human heart in conflict with itself! i just don’t see how you pass up two unknown half brothers meeting & clashing & then finding out they’re related in favor of…a very predictable, very boring romance between your fire & ice coded mains).

tldr i still generally feel no bc i’ve never thought they’d get along very well, plus there’s no time, but i’m pretty ready to eat my words on that one and cringe my way through a sex scene between them.

[blakeswritingimagines]

I know you're obsessed with me

Summary: As you and Ajax have another bitter fight where he tries to push the agenda you like him more than letting on while explaining to Xavier why he fights and pushes your buttons so often.

Word count: 1.3k

A/N: Enjoy the small update because for the next one i’m thinking over dramatic or overly sexual.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Wednesday characters nor do I claim to own them.

“You do everything in your power to avoid me, yet you still haven’t blocked my number." His voice was filled with snark and arrogance. He laughed as he heard you speak, you listened to him speak and immediately was filled with annoyance as you rolled your eyes at him and his thinking knowing even with the two of you disliking each other but never really seemed far apart of one another even if it was to simply annoy the other which always seemed to be enjoyed by the one causing it. Looking up at him with your arms crossed over your chest as you spoke.“And why would I ever block your number darling?” You said arrogantly “you couldn’t resist me if you tried and we both know it.” You said with a smirk "Yeah well, I like arguing with you. It's almost fun." You replied with an equally sarcastic tone.

Ajax chuckles, finding the whole situation entertaining then spoke up "I am pretty irresistible, aren't I?" He says with a smirk. The two of them were often like this, going back and forth to try to annoy the other. Even with how much they seemed to despise at each other, they always seemed to end up together somehow. Like the two of them had something special, something that had been there all along, yet neither of them seemed willing to admit it.

You rolled your eyes wondering how or when he got such an ego even when talking to you regardless of whatever it was you would say to him, he always seem to turn it around just to compliment himself even as he smirked it annoyed you. He always tried to act like he was so much better than you even as you thought that Ajax was known as an annoying prick around the school, with a huge ego to go along with it. He wasn't afraid to pick on people he saw as weak, and his specialty was getting under the skin of someone for months on end and making their lives miserable. But he wasn’t if only he could realize it. He always seemed to act so superior, his smartness always annoyed you to no ends but deep down you liked it, he was really annoying but you couldn’t stay away from him. “You aren’t that irresistible..”, You said slightly annoyed, deep down knowing it wasn’t true as you tried to turn your face away, even just looking at him made you feel something different than normal.

Ajax raised an eyebrow, not believing for a second that you didn't find him irresistible. Afterall, how could anyone not find a man like him the most attractive person alive? He found it quite amusing just how much you were trying, and failing, to deny your attraction towards him. It was like watching a child try to convince their parents not to buy them something they wanted, completely denying that they wanted it even though they were extremely obvious. You shook your head before giving him another look that just screamed are you fucking kidding?, You raised your middle finger towards the gorgon before smiling to yourself as you walked away for your class "let me know when your over yourself Ajax" knowing at some point or another you'd have to deal with him once more. Taking your seat and started drawing in your notebook waiting for class to start as you replayed the small spat you just left but rolled your eyes wondering how easily Ajax got under your skin especially when you could talk to every other guy at Nevermore with no issues what so ever.

Ajax watched you walk away from him, choosing to give you the silent treatment. He was so done with you being a hypocrite and denying how amazing he was. He knew that deep down, you were madly in love with him, and he could see what he figured was you pining over him every day, but he didn't want to waste time with someone who was in such denial, so he decided to ignore you, letting you come begging for his forgiveness, just like a person would with their lover. He sighed, sitting by himself at one of the many empty desks as Xavier walked into class before sitting down next to Ajax acting like nothing had happened, Glancing over at him having already heard about what happened since word moves quickly around Nevermore but chuckled as he leaned on the shared desk looking at Ajax with a raised brow "so everyone is already talking about you and Y/n...What happened this time?" He asked as his curiosity was peaked.

Ajax groans as he sits down for class. Having all of his peers looking at him and gossiping once again about him was exhausting. It seemed he had a habit of becoming the talk of the school at least three times every week, and that annoyed him more than he liked to admit. He turns towards Xavier, taking in a deep breath before answering. "Y/n and I had a little...disagreement. And now I've won. They know who the dominant one in our relationship is. There's no avoiding it. I'm better than them." Xavier slowly nodded his head in understanding even if he didn't know how this feud between you both happened or worked, shrugging his shoulders as he thought about Ajax’s words but figured it couldn't hurt to ask "do they know that? normally everyone thinks they win most of these little lover's arguments you both have".

Ajax crosses his arms, scoffing at the idea that you’ve ever won one of their arguments. He felt quite confident that he was always the one who was right in their petty rivalries, and the idea that any of them could have been in your favor annoyed him greatly. "Obviously their not going to admit that I've won. their pride would never let them. But deep down they knows they’ve been completely dominated. I've crushed them, and it's going to be a while before they forget just how much I've dominated this relationship." Xavier nodded along as he listened to his best friend but gave him a look as he started thinking, wondering to himself just how far this ran for the both of you or if it was even just an act "you keep saying you dominated them does that mean you guys are also hooking up? because that's one of the rumors i've heard going around" He spoke with a curious tone as he also tilted his head at the thought.

Ajax goes red, his face flaring up as he looks to the side, embarrassed. He hadn't expected that Xavier would go this far into the gossip, but he should have known his best friend would be keeping up with the latest on the gossip mill. He sighs, deciding that he might as well give a truthful answer, at least to get him off his back a bit. "Yeah...we've hooked up. A few times." Xavier felt his jaw drop at the sudden news that was just said to him before trying to cover his laughter, now starting to understand a little bit more about why you two fought so often but turned to face Ajax even as class started and lowered his voice as he acted like he was doing the work "good for you, but if you have then why are you still at each other's throats?".

Ajax shrugs, turning towards the lecture from their professor. He doesn't like being distracted from his studies by other student's gossip, but Xavier is an exception. He's fine talking to his best friend, even if the subject isn't one he's normally eager to share. Ajax sighs, leaning back as the professor continues. He can tell that Xavier is waiting for something, and he can understand why. So he makes his move, turning towards his best friend and speaking in a low voice so that no one else can hear.

"I think I love her."

[dirtytransmasc]

before I start renting, going to be completely clear and honest, I'm very frustrated over the stupid clock app and their stupid takes and their black an white thinking. it's my turn to be hypercritical and have black and white thinking over my own hyperfixation. this is a very biased, over simplified, lacking any and all complexity, nuance, or fucks to be given. I'm being mean, take this with a grain of salt.

I hate how people treat Rhaenyra, it's so fucking stupid. she created most of her own problems. I could care less who and why she had sex with/when, but she created a shit ton of problems when she A. attempted to get with her uncle in a brothel and then slept with a knight and let her best friends father take the fall B. slept with and had kids with a man who looked nothing like her husband C. expected everyone to just turn a blind eye, including her best friend (who she abandoned after alicent was groomed and forced to be a child bride to a man who only wanted her to soothe his own greige and bring him heirs). Do I think a women's dignity or honor rest in her virtue? no, but Nyra knew what game she was playing, she knew who she was hurting, she knew the consequences and she doesn't get to be as bitter as she was because she had to face them. she got away with so much and it was never enough. alicent and her children suffered so horribly because of her. none of them knew love, they weren't getting it from their big sister nor their father. their mother was so miserable she couldn't give them the life they deserved. The Hightower-Targaryen family lived in constant fear because they expandable in viserys's mind, pawns in Otto's, and obstacles in Rhaenyra's.

alicent was never truly wrong, she had every right to be angry with Nyra almost everytime. she was robbed of everything, her father, her girlhood, her freedom, her autonomy, and apparently her right to be angry. all the while, her best friend abandoned her, and continued to take from her and torment her, cause the fate forced on alicent wasn't satisfactory to her.

Nyra felt entitled to her son's eye, put a bounty on her children’s (mainly) head, and expected everyone to just be good and chill with it.

why do people see her as a saint for that? why is alicent the bad guy for simply trying to survive, to protect her children, to gain any sort of power in a world that only seems to wrong her. like sure, she's no saint either, but what other choices did she really have? lay down and let Nyra and Viserys keep beating her and her kids down? oh wait, she tried that, time and time again. (tw for rape up ahead) it was alicent who laid down and let Viserys rape her for his own comfort, it was alicent who laid down and believed Nyras lies that got her father taken from her, she laid down to every disrespect until she couldn't anymore. she only started fighting back when she realized no one would fight for her or her children every again.

I'm so tired of these terrible takes, this show is so much more complex then how so many choose to see it. neither are saint, and nurse isn't all bad I know that, but I need people to pull their heads out of their asses for five minutes and see that alicent was much more of a victim then Nyra. alicent was robbed of everything her whole life, Nyra was sheltered and protected, given everything she wanted and taking what wasn't given to her, and yes, I know she lost her daughter to the stress of war, I know Aemond took her son (he didn't even want to, he wanted a debt payed, he wanted to scare Luke and take his eye, don't even start with me), and I'm sorry for her. But that doesn't automatically make everything she did disappear. cause I've seen that idea floating around and I just can't with it anymore.

just please, I need people (TikTok users tbh) to use their critical thinking skills

[athanasius-symposium-of-writings]

Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)

Chapter Eleven

Rated: M

Warnings: Character Death, Religious talk, Murder

A/N: based a bit on some headcanon ideas i got from watching "American Gods"

Chapter Ten | Chapter Twelve

Familia. Dad taught you Spanish when you were a baby, a few words when you could not say it in English. In high school you desperately learned it to converse with your father's side of the family. It was hard because you knew formal Spanish, it didn't come out naturally as theirs. His side of the family didn't want anything with you nor him as he had run off to join the military to get away from them. Dad helped you keep up with it until he left. You spoke it when you sang his favorite songs, or talked to yourself giving self comfort.

Jake speaks it so fluently when he spoke to your father back at the diner. Dad rarely spoke Spanish unless he forcefully had to. It was a personal reason he rather not speak it, you never asked why.

He sang in Spanish tonight, you were fighting to stay awake. Childishly but you wanted to see him off to work. It was an old song called Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen, his mother used to sing it when she cleaned. The song is pretty fucking dark but the way dad sings it is always soothing. His fingers brush down your closing eyes, you yawn, turning away trying to fight sleeping. He shushes you as he goes on singing softly until he hears you softly snoring. A warm smile on his old face, he wishes he could stay longer…

He wishes he had more time.

Long ago, after he left your mother and you, he settled in England. It was not his idea and he was going to settle somewhere but close by. But… He settled far away as if instinctively to run away from the pain.

When your mother died at hospital after a fall, he came to the funeral. Watching in the background as the rain poured. And poured. You left with your aunt, your mother's sister. She didn't want him around you.

He understood why.

A person in black, an old coworker approached him long after he returned to England. The same cop you saw Anubis with.

The craziest story told to him. Ammit, a cult obsessed with the scales of a heart, Arthur Harrow. Anubis appeared before, appeared and asked for his help. Your dad had old connections and could get information.

It was a lot… A real fucking lot to believe the nonsense and creature who spoke through the old colleague.

He refused. Willfully too. Then Anubis' avatar explains that your mom was killed by those who worship Ammit and followed Harrow. Her soul was wrongfully sent to the underworld by God she did not worship.

Cairo was not the only place affected by the one most massively affected.

"I only wish to bring those who still seek to continue to spread her veil will to justice."

Every night dad prays to his God to give him strength and forgiveness. The prayers changed when you started living with him. Asking God to protect his kid, the one good choice he made ever in his life. For all his mistakes and blood on his hands, he never wanted to hurt you.

Jake/Marc being named Godfather (rejected the offer) was the first attempt to make sure you were protected.

"Then as a friend: protect her." Spoken in private.

"... Heh, fine, Sergeant" Moon Knight knew nothing about what your dad was doing.

Was.

Anubis told him the risk. The forces up against them in this quest to destroy any remaining traces of Ammit and those who wished to overturn the underworld.

Your dad found the truth, real power behind these false scales. Something worse that he imagined.

Anubis' boon to your father for protection did nothing as the God known as Set. He should've known that trickster chaotic God would be the cause of further turmoil.

Your dad lays in a blood of his own. Gasping for life, Anubis could only remind by his side. Your dad begged the Underworld God not take his soul, to let his God put him to rest.

Anubis has no place to lay judgment upon his souls, other has his soul and Anubis can only hope your father's slumber is peaceful and dreamless.

[monkey-network]

Good Stuff: The Bad Guys

WARNING: *Spoilers*

Being Bad? Going Good? Both never felt this great.

I'll admit, it felt Dreamworks had a recent streak of underwhelming features following How to Train Your Dragon 3. Not all bad, but I don't believe Spirit Untamed was on anyone's minds last year. Then The Bad Guys swerved in and that hope is alive again. I won't beat around things, I've been anticipating this since the trailer hit and I haven't felt this way since Captain Underpants. So with all that said, is the Bad Guys good or did it turn out bad? Well, enough about Bad Guy

Let's run it back to The Good Guys club, so to speak

For an adaptation of the books, it is a mixed bag. They stick with mainly the first four books which are the most grounded; not kidding when I say this goes off the rails past that mark. They do Foxington better here than in the books; reminded me a lot of Barbara from the LEGO Batman movie. The Police Chief, voiced by Lois Griffin, is a welcome addition to the cast (y'know ACAB except Misty Luggens). The titular Bad Guys themselves are a hit and a miss. I liked that they were an already made team of thieves with a good rapport, but what's missing was their initial development from the books. You get why'd they would be a team, you love seeing them together, but it's not like Sly Cooper where, even in its beginning, you get to see the trio have their separate conversations or dynamics. Understandable because it's a movie, but still, the book did things better by having the bad guys not be as established a group and working from there. Then there's Professor Marmalade who is...yeah, spoilers ahead but...

"Okay, so now the tier list looks like this"

Didn't even need to see any spoilers, Marmalade was a predictable bad guy, there was nothing to throw me off that he would be the bad guy, I never took him seriously as a bad guy, and they don't really do anything outside make a rift between Wolf and Snake. The books did better but then again, the books go off the rails faster than this movie. Like why not make everyone except Mr. Wolf joke about him being the twist villain? It falls in line the writing of the books but doesn't take away from the scale of Marmalade's plan nor makes Mr. Wolf look that stupid. Basically do what Captain Underpants did with Professor Poopypants. They set up a better twist ending to make up for this, but the villain himself was boring, wack, and this honestly bogged the plot down to a more predictable outing. What definitely saves this from being bad though...

This movie is such a fucking vibe

Put an egg on this film because it'll sizzle and season itself with how much fun this overall is. The soundtrack fucking slaps. Every lackluster moment is picked up with three other great moments. The first ten minutes is one of the best openers in all of Dreamworks, Diane is a delight every time she's onscreen, I love that they subverted the notably cliched dance party finale, there's several moments that perfectly shows Mr. Wolf and Mr. Snake at his best, the titular Bad Guys themselves are just an enjoyable gang regardless of my gripes. It's on par with the Captain Underpants film where it could not have a sequel film or series in its future and I wouldn't mind because it's satisfying enough whether or not you read the books. And the animation is wondrous, possessing an unique energy that's a good blend of Sony's fast pace stuff and Disney's more grounded stuff. Hate to say it, but it feels like a CG anime at points, there no other film like this. It's like if Lupin the 3rd (part 2 Lupin, at least) directed a Zootopia spin-off and you can see that jazzy and kinetic flair at its best.

And the art, people, is genuinely refreshing

The Bad Guys just fucks so hard. I have the feeling this'll be compared to Megamind, though if Megamind is the reserved but passionate older brother, Bad Guys is the middle sibling that's more lively but is responsible where it matters. It was a fresh movie from Dreamworks, one that builds & builds, ending with a breezy jovial feeling. It's not complex, but again, they make this such a vibe that it eradicated any doubt I could've had with this film. Screw it, I'm not rating this...

I'm just glad a movie like this exists. I’m glad this exists.

[briamichellewrites]

45

Richie was served papers while at the studio with Bon Jovi. You have got to be fucking kidding me. He took the mailing envelope and brought it over to them. They gathered around to see what was going on. He opened it up and took out the papers. It was from a law firm. He was being sued by Jayde and her fiance, Adam. Why was he being sued? It was for custody of Ava. He told them about being approached by Adam, who asked him for permission to adopt her.

He told him that he would sue him if he tried taking her away from him. Did he expect a lawsuit? No. Jon took the paperwork and looked through it. In it, they had accused him of the negligence of Ava and choosing alcohol over being a father. He read that part out loud. They believed that they were better suited to be parents to Ava.

“Heather let them have custody, so she’s been living with them. We both thought it was temporary.”

“Why do they have custody of Ava?”

“Because Heather was arrested for a DUI.”

“Yeah, they are better parents than you and Heather. I’ll talk to Jayde about what’s going on.”

He sighed.

Neither Adam nor Jayde wanted to bring him to court but they felt they didn’t have any other option. He had threatened to sue them and the lawyer they hired thought that they had a good chance of getting custody. Jon could tell that they would be a lot better parents than he and Heather. What did Heather say? She wanted her to have a better life than alcoholism, so she supported the adoption.

I’ll talk to Richie. He was on thin ice as it was with his DUI. They loved him like a brother but they didn’t want to enable him. She and Adam agreed. They were going to talk to a professional about how to ask Ava if they could adopt her because they wanted to make sure they did it the right way.

What about her mother? She was doing a lot better! Could he ask what happened? She told him everything about her mental health issues and moving into a new treatment center. It was the change and stability she needed. The staff was wonderful and easy to work with. She often had a million questions, so they were very patient. Did she have power of attorney? Yes, she did.

Her mother agreed to that because she was in and out of her episodes, so she was not able to communicate what she wanted or needed. Because of the twice-weekly therapy sessions, medication, and stability, she was having fewer episodes. The last time she visited, she was laughing and making jokes. She loved Adam! They laughed. Jon joked that mothers-in-law were not always easy to deal with. He laughed and nodded. That was what he heard.

Ava came over to them dripping wet from the pool. She was thirsty, so she was coming to get something to drink. He told her that it was almost time to make dinner. Maybe a half-hour more of swimming. Ok. She put the glass down and then went back into the pool.

Did he know that Rob and Brad got divorced? Yeah, Rob told him. What happened? Rob cheated. They had mutually cheated but then, Brad thought that they were working together on getting past it. They started fighting again and Mike asked him if he was still cheating, so he called him and he admitted to it. It was extremely hard on him and he spiraled into depression and anger.

“Mike told me that they would be in the studio and he would break down in tears. Rob was his best friend. He also thought that he was rubbing his new relationship in his face.”

“Wow. David went through almost the same thing, except without the cheating. He and his ex-wife spent months going over custody before finally agreeing”, Jon said.

“I'm never getting divorced. I have full permission from Adam to kick his ass.”

They laughed. Heather was contacted by Richie regarding the papers he had been served. She gave Jayde and her fiance permission to adopt their daughter. Why? Because she deserved better than what they could give her. He told her about being served. They were both going through addiction and they were the stability she needed.

Adam received a phone call from their lawyer with some positive news. He excused himself and then walked away to hear what he had to say. Jayde and Ava were in the kitchen having fun making dinner while Jon continued visiting with them. It was Friday, so she could stay up later. Jayde reminded her she just had to brush her teeth first in case she fell asleep. She knew that. How late did she stay up? Eleven or eleven-thirty. She liked putting her pajamas on than watching a movie.

Adam came back walking on air! He pulled him into the office to talk about what happened. What’s going on? Richie and Heather were going to allow the adoption! Congratulations!

“Heather did something because he changed his mind. We just need help bringing it up to Ava.”

He nodded. “She knows what’s going on with her parents. You try to hide things from kids but they are always watching.”

Together, they talked about how they should approach it. Jon could tell just from observation how much she loved them as parents. They were possibly giving her the attention she was wanting. He thought that it would be a cute idea to ask her the way he had asked Jayde to marry him. Girls her age believed in princesses and fairy tales.

After finalizing their plan, they went back out to where the girls were. Rice, beans, lentils, frozen vegetables, cashews, and noodles. It was a mix of what they had left in the refrigerator and cupboard. Ava was excited to taste it when it was done. They had to go to the grocery store, which they would do the next afternoon since they liked to sleep in on weekends. Adam was usually up early anyway because he liked to go running down by the beach.

When he got back, the girls were starting to get up. He took a shower before joining them in whatever activity they choose to do. With Jayde being a stay-at-home mom, she cleaned the house during the week. That meant the three of them could relax.

“What are you making”, Jon asked.

“It's a hodgepodge of what we have left in our fridge and cupboard.”

“I have a question for Miss Ava”, Adam said.

“I think I know what it is!”

“What is it?”

He went over and took her hands into hers. Would she allow him and Jayde the honor of adopting her? Oh my God! Was he serious? He confirmed he was. Yes! They exchanged a hug and she had tears of joy in her eyes. Jon thought it was so adorable! What about her parents?

“I just talked to them and they want you to have what Jayde and I can give you. You will still be able to see them and you can talk to them on the phone.”

“Ok. Yes, I want you to adopt me!”

“We love you.”

“I love you, too!”

She wiped her tears and got a hug from both him and Jayde. Jon told her congratulations! Finally, Richie had made the right decision! Jayde thanked Jon for kicking ass. He hugged her. You’re welcome.

@zoeykaytesmom @feelingsofaithless @jovichic-bonjovi4ever @borhap-au @beneathashadytree @duffs-shot-glass @geo-winchester @lokolokong-manunulat

[buckyownsmylife]

I've Told You Now - Lee Bodecker smut

The one where Lee seduced his sister's babysitter.

Warnings: smut, dubcon, age gap, innocence kink, dirty talk, loss of virginity, blood

Word count: 1.7k

A/N: This one is a part of my kinktober celebrations. My original intention for this October was to work exclusively around prompts that my wonderful friend @darkficsyouneveraskedfor created for her challenge and dedicate each story to a different friend. My new plan became then 31 days of different kinks, which expanded on a poly relationship with Stucky, as you might know by now. However, some of the stories I started were already truly loved by me, and so I kept on writing them. It worked well because as it turns out, I am fortunate enough to have more than 31 friends on Tumblr, so here is the story I wrote for @slothspaghettiwrites! You were the biggest reason I fell for Lee and it was only appropriate I wrote you this! I only hope it doesn't disappoint! Special thanks to @sweetkingdomstarlight-blog who helped me believe this was good enough to be posted! @sweeterthanthis also has a big hand at this!

Y/N’s P.O.V.

I was finishing packing up the toys in the living room when I heard the door slam, startling me into dropping the box of legos on the ground. Looking at the clock, I considered the time before looking back at the hall again. When no one appears from the hallway, I get confused. If the Hendersons hadn’t come home earlier than they intended, who else could it be?

“Waiting for me, bunny?” I immediately straightened out at the sight of Sheriff Bodecker, trying to resist the urge not to flush and keep eye contact, but ultimately failing to do so. I hadn’t seen him since the night he offered to give me a ride home and I ended up with his cock in my throat, his cum in my mouth.

“I-I didn’t even know you were coming.” Silence followed my confession as he slowly approached, eyes never leaving my body while I tried to keep myself up. He’d always had this effect on me. I remembered being a young girl and Sheriff Bodecker being the crush I knew was too old to be mine, the guy I’d never have even in a million years, but that didn’t stop me from daydreaming about him.

If I thought that maybe having him would help this infatuation disappear, it’d become clear by now that it wouldn’t be the case at all.

“And here I was, thinking you wanted me just as much as I wanted you.” The Sheriff tsked, and the sound went straight to my already dampened underwear. I couldn’t process his words very well, given how close he was and how loud my own heartbeat was ringing in my ears. Did he mean to say that he actually really wanted me?

“If that was really the case,” he taunted, circling me like I was some sort of prey. “You’d always be expecting me, wouldn’t you? But it’s alright, honey. You know why?” When I shook my head, he answered his own question, a single finger running down my jaw to guide me to look him in the eye. “Because I think you were expecting me. You’re always expecting me, looking for me wherever you go, just like I do. And there’s an easy way to prove my theory.”

Before I could question it, his arms embraced me from behind, hands slowly running down my stomach until they reached the edge of my skirt. I started sweating in anticipation. I knew what he would find.

“Let me check.” His fingers went over the fabric first, and he chuckled when he noticed how wet it was. “Would you look at that?” I was already trembling when he pulled my panties to the side and ran that same digit over my lower lips, just lightly grazing them. “Soaked already.”

Although I couldn’t see it, the humming sound he emitted after taking his fingers from under my dress didn’t leave me any doubt about what he did with the moisture he collected. Just the thought of him enjoying my taste that much had me weak in the knees, and I tried to keep myself up by reaching for a chair nearby.

Lee’s P.O.V.

I chuckled to myself at how sensitive she was, barely able to keep up with the little I’d done so far. Then again, it was clear I had a particularly strong effect on her. That had been obvious for a while, ever since she started working for my sister, probably - around the same age her womanly features began to stand out.

She seemed unable to look me directly in the eyes, always averting her gaze and biting her lower lip when I decided to stop around here for a coffee or check in on the little rugrat. I began doing this a lot more often after she was hired, but neither her nor my sister seemed to connect the dots.

Her innocence, her beauty just left me so fucking hard. I was hard right then, and I wanted her to know it. So I pressed my body against her back, lightly grinding my member against the curve of her ass.

“I suppose you’re finished for the day,” I speculated, knowing once the kid was out all she had to do was wait for my sister and her husband to arrive. “Guess I can help you unwind…”

She gasped when she felt my hardness, making me chuckle. “Your sister and her husband should be back soon…” She tried to reason, but I wasn’t having any of it.

“We’ll be quiet anyway. Can’t risk waking up the kid.” I gripped her wrist and pulled her on the direction of the guest bedroom, now fully unable to control myself. I was so close to having what I had wanted for so long.

She looked unsure of herself as I closed the door behind us, and I raised an eyebrow in a questioning look. “What’s wrong?” She shifted her weight from one foot to another, fingers playing with the hem of her skirt.

“I-I don’t know about this…” Chuckling, I approached her to cradle her face between my hands and deposit a kiss on those sweet lips.

“Don’t you trust me, pretty girl?” I had caught her now, we both knew it. She’d never risk disappointing or offending me, so when her mouth opened to explain herself and I raised an eyebrow in warning, it was only a matter of seconds until she closed it altogether and nodded, her eyes dropping to her feet.

“Yes, I do.” My smirk was full of victory, and I could taste it in my lips now. It was as sweet as the nectar between her legs I’d only had a taste of.

“There you go.” Approaching her once more, I settled my hands on her hips before leaning to kiss her shoulder. “Besides…” I continued, already bunching up her dress to get rid of it as quickly as possible. “You obviously need me to take care of you and this little wet hole.”

She bucked when my fingers rubbed her this time, dress already forgotten on the floor as I slowly shoved down the fabric of her underwear to join it. Once she was completely naked, I ran my digits over her cunt, verifying that her wetness was already so overwhelming that it was threatening to drip from her.

“So sweet.” I hummed once I wrapped my lips around those digits, tasting her on my tongue again. Yes, I was already obsessed. I think anyone who had the chance to try her nectar would understand my situation - but no one ever would.

She was mine now, and I would never let her go.

“C’mon, bunny.” Patting her ass, I directed her to the bed, chuckling at how embarrassed she seemed, being this exposed to my hungry gaze. “Be a good girl and spread your legs. Be my little angel, won’t you?”

I wished I could have done this somewhere more private - my own house, instead of my sister’s. But I just couldn’t wait anymore. My cock twitched inside my pants. I felt like I was drunk on this, drunk on her.

“C’mon, honey!” I repeated, lightly slapping the outside of her thigh. “I wanna fuck you. And I know you want to be mine, pretty girl. You can’t hide it from me.”

When she finally relented and slowly parted her beautiful legs for me, I nearly melted at the sight. Driven by my desire, I unbuckled my belt and worked to whip my cock out as quickly as possible, smirking at the wide, innocent eyes that settled on my member as I fisted it in preparation.

“Doesn’t it look good?” I teased, climbing on the bed to take my spot between her legs, rubbing the head of my dick against her slit. “I’m gonna have you taste it next time. But for now…”

Resting my forehead against hers, I slowly started to penetrate her tight pussy, slipping only the head at first, even though I was aching to fuck her throughly.

“This is gonna hurt a little,” I warned, not able to stop mid-way to let her adjust but keeping my invasion of her maidenhood slow until I had bottomed out inside of her. “Sh…” I tried to calm her, gently wiping away the few tears running down her soft cheeks. “I know it hurts, bunny. But you can take it, can’t you?”

She managed to nod despite her whimpers, and I brushed her tears away as I warned her, “I’m gonna make you feel so good, honey.”

It took a little while, but at last, she opened her eyes and I waited until she was able to focus them on me again. “You look so pretty, bunny…” I whispered, kissing her while I finally started to move inside of her, stopping only to moan out loud at her overwhelming tightness.

“I’m gonna train you until all you can think about is my cock,” I warned her, slowly pulling out until only the head of my cock was keeping her open.

“I can’t wait any longer.” Slamming my dick all the way in, I felt her nails running down my back, leaving trails of blood behind - trails I wouldn’t mind wearing under my shirt, sting as they might.

“I promise you, honey…” I panted, sweat already dripping from my forehead onto her pretty face. “You’re gonna miss me when I’m not inside of you.”

I kissed her cheek, rubbing my nose against it as she held me tightly against her. “I know you don’t want any of those boys you used to go to school with touching what I’ve already taken.”

She nodded quickly, my pretty little honey. Yes, she was mine already and she knew it. “It’s alright, pretty girl…” I soothed her as she started to whine, her cunt clenching deliciously around me. “It’s alright, cum with me…”

She closed her eyes when she met bliss, but I kept mine wide open so I wouldn’t miss her perfect expression of pleasure. It was almost enough to keep me hard, but I wasn’t as young as I once was.

I never pulled out of her tight heaven, keeping her body snuggled against me. I was happy that I decided to be patient, if it meant I now got to have her like this.

“I hope you know that you’re mine now, bunny.”

[paintedlady-bluespirit]

I don’t know about you but the fact that bryke couldn’t even allow zuko and katara to be FRIENDS post-atla (because their wish-fulfilment ship was so obviously threatened by zk’s chemistry and just the potential of ANY relationship/dynamic they may have had) only BENEFITS my interpretation of ‘canon’ zutara lol

If, indeed, there were only ever friendly feelings between the two, you would think that they’d have been pretty close in their adult years considering all that they’d been through together by that point, no? I mean, they’d clearly become each other’s confidant by the end of the war, and the final agni kai would have only further solidified that bond (zuko nearly DIED for her ffs!!), it makes absolutely no sense why they wouldn’t, at the very least, have remained great friends and stayed in fairly regular contact, especially given their duties and how often they’d have seen each other at international events (that is, had katara been allowed to attend)…

Therefore, the only logical conclusion? they were mutually pining for one another after the war, but neither knew how the other felt, nor would they dare to do anything about their feelings - not only because they believed that they were alone in feeling them, but also because, at a time of still fairly fragile peace (zuko nearly had a civil war on his hands for crying out loud), they knew that they just couldn’t take the risk; aang’s reaction, let alone the reactions of their respective nations, would have likely caused an international incident with catastrophic consequences for all involved (although he’d probably have to find another dues ex machina rock to open up that chakra since he never did learn how to let go of his “worldly attachments”, but if he was pissed off enough, even if he couldn’t control the avatar state, I’m sure he’d at least manage to enter it, and I doubt katara would be able to calm him down this time)… ultimately, they believed that their responsibilities came first; zuko as firelord, and katara as a SWT ambassador fighting for her people, for reparations, and to restore balance to the world (or sadly, so she’d hoped before she’d agreed to give aang children; she promptly had three (third time’s the charm!), and was left behind in the SWT to raise two of them by herself whilst the avatar focussed on favouring his only air-bending child and rebuilding his nation without her since she’d already done her part)…

And so, they both settled for their largely incompatible childhood romances, individually making the choice to distance themselves from each other for the greater good… until, one day, many moons later, when they’re both old and grey and their children have all long since grown up, they find themselves alone together in the same room for the first time in years, and they talk, just talk, catching up for hours as agni chases yue until he is once again high in the sky, and eventually, they have the same gut-wrenching and heartbreaking realisation: all that could have been. Through their tears, they reach for each other, allowing those long dormant feelings to resurface, the embers of their passion, never truly extinguished, become flames once more, and even though they wouldn’t give their kids up for anything, they still mourn for the time they never got to share, and decide to not let anymore go to waste…

Anyways, please excuse my rambling, this is kind of a mess but I just fucking LIVE for the angst that is afforded by the star-crossed lovers trope… the absolute tragedy but also beauty of finding each other later in life, and finally coming home…

[dreamwritesimagines]

Burn The Witch 20 - Final Warning [Bucky Barnes x Reader]

A.N: Thank you so much for your wonderful support and feedback my loves ! ❤ Here’s the next chapter, I hope you like it as well and please let me know what you think! ❤ Thank you! ❤❤❤

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Female Reader

Warnings: Enemies to lovers, lovers to enemies, fake dating, mentions of blood, sex, violence, death, manipulation, language, guns, knives.

Summary: Everyone has a past.

Series Masterlist

Not that you had ever been in a situation where you wanted to come clean to a target and blow your own cover, but you could easily say that this was one of the hardest things you had ever been through.

And considering your career, you had been through a lot.

You had no idea how to even begin the conversation, and you were pretty sure that it would completely ruin every chance of happiness you would have with him, every chance of a future together but—

You had to keep him safe. You owed him that much.

Considering your whole relationship had been nothing but a lie.

You were snapped out of your thoughts when you heard your name being called and you looked up, still holding the empty milkshake container.

“Yes?”

“Your boyfriend is here with the Captain America,” Tara winked at you, “Is he single?”

“Sam?”

“No Y/N, I’m trying to steal your man but letting you know beforehand. Yes, Sam!”

“Um—“ you tried to pull your thoughts together, “I’m not sure, I can ask.”

“Don’t make it obvious though,” she pointed at you and walked away. You let out a sigh, looking down at the empty container, then fixed your apron and walked out of the kitchen into the main area. You could feel the warmth in your stomach as soon as you saw Bucky and Sam in one of the booths, and you went under the counter to approach them.

“Hi darling.”

“Hey,” you pecked him on the lips and sat beside him, “Hi Sam.”

“Hey Y/N,” he greeted you as Bucky entwined his fingers with yours, “Anyways, as I was saying. I can look into her but unless you give me more information, we’ll hit a dead end.”

Your heart skipped a beat as you looked between them and Bucky thought for a moment.

“Maybe Sharon might help.”

“I mean she can try—“

“Who are you talking about?” you asked and Sam grinned.

“Bucky’s spy friend.”

“She’s not my friend,” he said almost instantly and your stomach dropped.

“O-oh?”

“I just want to learn who she works for,” he said, “Just in case.”

“In case of what?” you managed to ask and Bucky shifted his weight like he was uncomfortable.

“In case we need it.”

“But why would you need it?”

To that, he looked like he had no answer and Sam cleared his throat, grabbing his phone.

“Well, I’d better talk to Sharon,” he said, standing up from his seat, “To see what we can find. I’ll see you guys later.”

With that, he walked out of the shop and you turned to Bucky, your brows raised.

“So,” you said, “What’s happening?”

“No what you’re thinking right now,” he said quickly, “It’s just… I ran into her. Again.”

You actually wanted to find out how much information he would give you, so you decided to push.

“Oh? I didn’t know you went on a mission.”

“I didn’t, she broke into my house.”

You blinked a couple of times, staring at him as if you were confused. “I’m sorry?”

“I have no idea how she knows where I live, but—“

“She was in your apartment.”

“For like five minutes,” he added, “And she….she told me something.”

If he kept this up, maybe you had a chance to convince him to leave the country for a while by using your cover even if you couldn’t convince him by being yourself.

“What?” you asked him and he paused for a moment, then shook his head.

“It’s not important.”

Fuck.

“It sounds like it is,” you tried again and he cleared his throat.

“Nah it’s just…. Usual secretive spy stuff.”

“But are you safe?” you insisted and he smiled, pressing your hand to his lips, his fingers still entwined with his.

“Of course darling.”

No. No you’re not safe.

You bit inside your cheek, trying to find something, anything to tip him off without blowing your cover but you came up empty except for one thing.

You had to tell him. You had no idea how you would do it, and you had no idea how he would react but you couldn’t—

You couldn’t just sit there and let them take him and blame him for things he quite possibly hadn’t done. Knowing the General, he would pull every trick in the game to convince your superiors that he was dangerous.

And Bucky was one of the very few people you knew who didn’t deserve that.

But how could you do it? You knew it would mean losing him, you were quite sure that he would never trust you again, nor would he ever want to see you again. Not only that, but if the General found out anything about you tipping him off, you would be killed, that was for sure.

As he always said, actions had consequences.

“Don’t look so worried,” he said with a chuckle, snapping you out of your thoughts, “I promise you, everything will be alright.”

For some reason, you were having a hard time believing it but you tried to smile, then leaned in to kiss him.

“Yeah,” you managed to say, “Of course it will.”

                                                ***

By the time you were done at work, you were way too tired but it had nothing to do with the goddamn milkshake shop. You half wished you could ask Keith or Chloe about what to do, but you decided you actually needed to come up with a plan before getting them involved.

If you were going to get them involved, you had to make sure they would be safe even if you wouldn’t be, but it didn’t mean the lack of plan at hand wasn’t making you panic. Even the mind blowing sex wasn’t enough to put you to sleep, not when you kept thinking about how it would end soon.

Either way, you were going to lose him.

The thought of it made the tears burn your eyes but you rolled over in bed and looked down at him. He looked so peaceful without nightmares torturing his sleep and you sniffled before leaning in to press your lips into his dark hair, inhaling his scent. He moved a little, letting out a content sigh and you pulled back to grab your dressing gown, then made your way to the kitchen as silently as possible. After grabbing the wine bottle, you went to the bathroom to get in the bathtub, the cold surface against your warm skin giving you goosebumps.

You were being so stupid. Even more stupid than a Victorian lady risking it all for dick.

You cussed under your breath and took a huge swig of the wine, leaning your head back, desperately trying to find an idea to help you get out of this thing unscathed.

Or not to break his heart in the process.

By the time you had finished the bottle, you were still clueless but alcohol was slowly taking away the panic pulsing through you. You kept your eyes on the wall, tracing the rim of the bottle and only when Bucky knocked on the door that you realized he was awake.

Wow, the spy in you would be so disappointed if it were any other time.

“Darling?”

“Hey,” you called out, “You can come in.”

He opened the door and his brows furrowed as soon as he saw you in the bathtub holding a wine bottle.

“Hey,” he said, “Everything alright?”

You closed your eyes for a moment, then nodded and looked up at him.

“I couldn’t sleep,” you said, “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” he said and approached you to crouch down, “Nightmares?”

“Something like that,” you mumbled, still holding the bottle tight, “What time is it?”

“3 a.m.”

You heaved a sigh and he reached out to brush your hair behind your ear.

“Want to talk about it?” he asked softly and that made the burning in your eyes even worse, but you cleared your throat and shook your head.

“Did you know….” You trailed off, waving the empty bottle, “In some cultures people drink at funerals?”

“Nope,” he said, “I didn’t. Whose funeral is it then?”

“Mine I think.”

He tilted his head, stealing a look at the bottle before smiling at you softly. You were aware that he thought it was just the wine and nightmares speaking, and you were way too tired to let him know, to explain-

To lose whatever it was between you.

“You’re not dead, sweetheart.”

“Not yet,” you managed to say, and he took a deep breath.

“Don’t say that,” he said, his voice low as if the thought was too much for him to handle and you let out a bitter chuckle.

“Alright, I won’t.”

“Do you want to come back to bed?”

You shook your head, wiping at your eyes.

“Okay,” Bucky said, “Is it okay if I stay here then?”

“Yeah,” you sniffled, turning the bottle in your hands. His fingers caressed over your hair and the action was so soothing that for a moment you felt yourself getting lost in the feeling before you turned your head to look into his blue eyes.

“Do you think that—“ you paused for a moment, “Do you think we could have a happy ending?”

“A happy ending?” he repeated, confusion flashing over his features and you licked your lips.

“Yeah, do you think….Do you think we could have that house with the red door and the big garden and the treehouse?”

A gentle smile curled his lips and he nodded.

“Yeah,” he said, “Absolutely. And if I’m remembering it correctly, I was told there would be a hammock between an apple tree and a peach tree.”

“And a dog.”

“And a dog,” he repeated, “And kids.”

You could swear your heart hurt.

“I’m going to tell you something but you’re not allowed to say it back,” you said, “Not…not yet anyway. Not right now.”

He tilted his head, “Okay. What is it?”

“…I think I’m in love with you,” you admitted, your heart beating like crazy as you wiped your eyes again. A light crossed his eyes but you couldn’t even decipher what it was, instead you reached out to hold his hand, leaning your head back again.

“Why am I not allowed to say it back?” he asked and a painful smile pulled at your lips.

“Just because,” you said, “And I’m—I’m sorry.”

“For what?” he asked and you opened your mouth, then the fear crashed down on you so you just shrugged your shoulders.

“Can we stay like this for tonight?”

He thought for a moment, then leaned in to press a kiss on your temple.

“Of course darling,” he said, “If that’s what you want, let’s stay like this.”

                                              ***

The next morning, you woke up with a clear decision in mind.

You had to tell Bucky and you had to get him out of the country before the General could lay a hand on him. You even had a speech in mind, but in the morning Bucky had an appointment with his psychiatrist so he had left early. You didn’t have much time anyway, you had to go to the base as well but it didn’t mean you were as calm as you would like to be.

You had to make sure not to make the General suspicious of you until Bucky was out but unfortunately, you hadn’t thought about your best friends.

Keith took one look at you when he saw you, then checked whether anyone was watching you before he placed his coffee cup on the desk and grabbed your wrist to pull you into the hallway.

“What happened?”

You crossed your arms and shrugged. “What? What are you talking about?”

“Something happened,” he said, “Tell me and I’ll help you fix it.”

“Keith-“

“Y/N, I know you better than you think I do,” he said through his teeth, “Is your cover blown? Is Barnes suspicious of something?”

You clenched your jaw, then shook your head.

“Then what is it?” he said, “Chloe says the mission will be over soon and you’ll probably become a handler, I thought you’d be—“

“That’s the problem,” you interrupted him, “The mission will be over soon.”

Keith shrugged, “Okay. So? Isn’t that what you wanted?”

“Apparently not.”

He pulled his brows together, “What is that supposed to mean?”

“Maybe Bucky doesn’t deserve to be dragged here and have shit pinned on him. Again.”

He stared at you for a couple of seconds before a look of realization crossed his eyes and he ran a hand over his face.

“You’re not serious.”

“Keith—“

“That guy’s dick game can’t be that good. If you’re willing to put your life in danger just because he’s good at sex, I promise you there are a bunch of people who can fu—“

“It’s not because of that.”

“Oh it’s not? Then what is this about?”

“It’s not about anything, I’m just saying he doesn’t deserve it.”

“Y/N, if the General finds out you’ve gone soft—“

“I haven’t gone soft!”

“You know what happens to the spies who fall for their targets,” he whispered through his teeth, “No matter how much you want to—to put this behind you, to run away with him—“

“I’m not naïve,” you spat, “I know I’d never be able to run away. This is not a fairytale, I’m not going to walk off into the sunset with Bucky. He will never forgive me or want to be with me once he learns who I am.”

“Then?”

“It doesn’t mean he deserves this,” you said, “He tries to help people, and we will make people see him as dangerous.”

He shook his head, heaving a sigh.

“He’s a good person, Keith,” you said, “Unlike you and me, he’s a good person.”

“Y/N?”

You turned your head when you heard the General’s assistant calling out your name.

“Yes?”

“He’s ready for you.”

“Thanks,” you said and took a step but Keith grabbed you by the arm.

“Don’t tell him anything,” he whispered, “We’ll—we’ll figure something out, okay? Trust me, just don’t tell the General anything.”

You bit inside your cheek and nodded.

“We can talk about it later,” you said and walked to the General’s office. He was waiting for you behind his desk and looked up from the file when he heard you come in.

“Y/N,” he said, “Hello.”

“Sir,” you greeted him and sat down on the edge of the seat. “Hello.”

“I’ve been looking over your file,” he said, a small smile appearing on his lips, “And I gotta tell you, it’s….it’s very impressive.”

“Thank you sir.”

“Of all the missions we’ve put you on…” he said, “You haven’t failed. Ever.”

You felt like throwing up, but managed to smile back.

“You’ve taught me well.”

He let out a chuckle. “I’d like to take all the credit, but you and I both know it wasn’t just me, Y/N. You have a talent.”

Talent for killing and using people.

“Your father would be proud of you.”

Your eyes snapped up to his, that familiar ache at your heart making you sit up straighter.

“Growing up without him was very difficult for you,” he said, “I know that. I tried to help as much as I could and trust me, you’re like a daughter to me but I also know that deep down you waited for him to come back. Always.”

You rolled your shoulders back, trying to keep your head high.

“I’m not waiting for him to come back.”

“Y/N.”

“I’m not. He left me.”

He heaved a sigh and leaned in, his eyes locked into yours.

“I’m sorry you have to find out this way but your father didn’t leave you,” he said, making you frown. “The Winter Soldier killed him.”

Chapter 21

[semischarmed]

Temptation

-Wednesday- 

I love him so much. God I love him. And he’ll never know. Maybe it was a curse from a past life or something. To live like this, tantalizingly close to him but unable to act. I knew he didn’t see me that way, but that didn’t help any in my situation. 

Take today for instance, he just came back from the gym today soaked in the lingering smell of sweat. It was probably residual perspiration on the clothes he was carrying back or some other thing in his bag. Still. The smell. Goddamn. I could have died and gone to heaven on the spot. I tried to sneak a whiff of Connor, but all I could pick up was whatever soap and cologne he used. It was earthy, woodsy. Like cut cedar and fresh rain. It’s the Connor I always smelled, since he did always keep himself quite clean, and it’s a wonderful scent in its own right, forming the basis of my idea of Connor and the scent I associated with him. But damn. This paled in comparison to the hints of musk and workout sweat I could glean from his clothing. He reeked of pure man and it’s such a shame he covered that up. God I hope he doesn’t do laundry anytime soon.

He must have picked up on something, cause not a moment later I got a “Oh dude! I’m so sorry, this stuff probably reeks haha. I’ll get it washed up so it doesn’t stink up the place” he laughed politely. Fuck.

“Sure, you do you” I stated back, mentally cursing at his propensity for cleanliness.

You’d think the ROTC guys wouldn’t give two fucks about their smell but I guess Connor was an exception. Then again I don’t really know what they did, so maybe it was normal for them. In any case, he definitely did laundry tonight, and I definitely lost out on a good jack off.

-Friday-

So, weird thing happened last night. Connor looked tired as fuck, but he went out. The man must have been running on sheer willpower alone cause he had some kind of training day earlier today too. He collapsed in his room at like 8. Yet there he was an hour later- eyes bloodshot, hair tousled. Maybe he wanted to let loose or something? Still pretty weird. I mean, the guy was practically a saint. It’s odd enough that he went out for drinks, but even odder that he went out dressed like he did. Still I could definitely get used to a more experimental Connor. 

He was also a little looser when he came back. Gave me a pat on the shoulder and a wink. Something about “keeping the room safe” or something. I couldn’t concentrate enough to tell what he was actually rambling about. His breath was drenched in alcohol. I feel like I almost got drunk off the fumes alone when he spoke. No surprise when he had no recollection of any of it after he woke up from his nap. 

Total guilty pleasure, but the messy look was kind of hot on him. Never seen my friend so disheveled like this, he was always so prim and proper. It’s kind of nice to see him knocked down a few pegs. 

-Tuesday-

Connor let out a cute yawn before scratching his pits. He gave his scratching hand a quick sniff before settling into a satisfied smile. My dick jumped a little. I feigned ignorance when he regarded me, asking me if I saw that. “I… uh…no. Definitely not.” 

“Sure dude.” Now fully aware of my stare, Connor continued scratching at himself. “You’re seeing this now though, right?” He ran a hand over his stomach, gently feeling through his defined abs. I kept replaying the event in my head, drooling the delight I just witnessed and at a little daydream of me coming up to to feel this new side of Connor with him. In my daze, I barely noticed my roommate inching closer.

Plus, did he seem… bigger? Though I can’t say I’ve ever seen the guy without a shirt on so I guess I just never noticed. Regardless, this version of Connor was fucking hot. Looks like he’s got a tat too. Hot. 

“Baby if you’re gonna keep looking, you might as well have a taste.” He laughed warmly. I couldn’t believe what I just heard. In my stunned state, I couldn’t do anything beyond stare at him in disbelief as a vascular hand that seemed larger than it should be guided mine around his perky ass. God what a nice ass. I still recoiled out of the sheer absurdity in the situation. Try as I might, I couldn’t wrap my brain around the idea of this Connor. It’s like he was two different people. Well, I definitely liked this version of my friend more. I’m still drooling over what just happened.

“Another time, then,” he chuckled before walking to his room. 

Weird. Connor never really shut his door other than to sleep. Guess he was tired or something. 

-Thursday-

Well shit, I totally misread all of that. Today, I thought I saw that same glint of intrigue in his eyes and decided to risk it. Conner was just sitting in his boxers eating cereal and I was just standing there, a few feet behind. I couldn’t help it. My hand instinctively reached out and the cupped the outline of his ass. Perky. It was cute and compact and plump but definitely had a bit of muscle behind it. I regretted the action immediately. 

“…The fuck dude?” He gently whispered. It was more bewilderment than anything. Fuck. He was incredulous and I couldn’t blame him. Anger raged inside him, I could tell. But neither of us knew what to do in the situation. We stood there, staring at each other for what felt like hours before I relented.

In shame I could barely stammer out a shameful “s-sorry” before I slunk back to my room, bright red. 

I fucked up.

-Monday-

Okay. Scratch everything I just said. Connor is fucking with me. He’s got to be. He strode around the apartment half naked, humming a quiet tune to himself. Sure. Fine, I guess. Whatever. But as soon as he noticed me on the couch working on an essay, he walked over and gave me a hug from behind. Oh my god that hug. Connor was a lean dude, but I swear his muscles were fucking bulging, like they were barely contained in his skin. He wrapped those thick pythons over my shoulders and chest and I just about melted on the spot. I’m pretty sure I moaned a little too. Who wouldn’t? Wrapped in his warm embrace, surrounded by this man- I was his for that moment. I tensed up on the spot. I knew he didn’t swing that way, so I don’t know what he was trying but there was no way I would fall for what I could only assume was some kind of trap. 

He spoke in a tone laced in sex. It set me off in a way I didn’t expect. This was a side of Connor I’ve never seen, a tone of Connor I’ve never heard- an experience of Connor I’ve never had. It was a Connor I never knew I needed.

“I’ve seen the way you look at this body. You’re not very subtle.” In the faintest of whispers, he leaned in until his lips were barely touching my ear. My dick was already rock hard in anticipation- I was practically bursting at the seams and I’m sure he had a great view of it. “Just say the word and ‘Connor’ is yours”. 

With a control and a willpower I never had before, I refrained from kissing this boy- from putting myself all over him on the spot. I mentally cursed at my friend. ‘What the fuck are you playing at Connor?’ 

His hot, damp breath caressed my ear in its own embrace as I stood my ground, unmoving like stone. “Got to hand it to you, bro, you put up a really good fight. It’s okay. I love a good fight. Makes victory taste all the more sweeter.” The feel of Connor’s thick, defined fingers running through my hair and wet, slimy tongue across my cheek. He rolled his body forward, so the pulse through his abs would be felt across the back of my neck. From this spot, he was downright imposing. His guns went in for another caress- this time wrapping across my cheeks and around my chin.

“You know I love you bro… This body’s straight as an arrow. But it’s my body- I’ll go gay for you if you want”. What the fuck. Oh god I got a bit of his sweat on my cheek too. My eyes fluttered, body entrapped in a spell of my own hormones reacting to my friend’s advances.

Connor broke me. I shivered on the spot, leaned up to the man, moaned an “Oh fuck…Connor I-I need you. I-” before he cut me off. “Well bro, kind of looks like you still got some work today- you have fun with that.” He laughed coldly. He was fucking with me.

That whole exchange was really fucking weird, cause just a few hours later, it was back to pure awkward silence between us. Like a flip of a switch, the every energy he exuded around me could only be described as “uncomfortable”. I wanted to talk to him, to speak with him about earlier, to tell him I wanted him the same way. Something about those eyes read differently though. They read the same Connor I had been used to until recently. I decided to hold my tongue. Something about this situation wasn’t adding up.

Also I’m pretty sure this kid needs to see a doctor or something. I swear the guy doesn’t sleep- he’s out every night and then I see his tired ass drag himself to class every morning. Rushing a frat? Weird drugs? Could have been a host of things. 

-Tuesday-

Now 4 days since the incident last week. Thankfully he hasn’t brought it up- nor has he brought up whatever the fuck yesterday was. If it was even real. I sweat and stumble over my sentences in every conversation I make with him. I flash back to what he said to me. God, this was all too much. Every time I try to focus myself, focus on whatever he was talking to me about, I couldn’t help but think of the Connor that visited me yesterday night. 

Maybe, maybe it was just a hallucination. Maybe I dreamed it all up. I was working on an essay for hours. The whole encounter could have easily been a dream. He’s been going out every night too, so it’s not like he could have been speaking to me that coherently. Still. That didn’t make it any better. Whether or not he knew it, Connor was a demon in my life. 

I shamefully admit I totally jacked off to that little exchange from yesterday after he left. Grabbed some used Connor-scented garments off his hamper and exploded all over myself in a Connor-themed session. Nothing like the exquisite gym-soaked clothes from a week ago, but it was enough. It was still Connor. My eyes rolled up to the back of my head in pleasure as I took a breath, basking in the afterglow and the scent of forest and earth and faintest lingering musk of Connor in my nose. Connor was everything to me and, hallucination or not, I committed yesterday’s events to memory. 

-Still Tuesday-

Shitshitshit. Definitely not a dream. I caught the son of a bitch. In the dead of night, I caught him sneaking in from a dark corner of the room. Like a figure manifest from the shadows itself. He was holding some silver figurine in his hand, reciting some odd words, before he lunged at the sleeping Connor. He gave my roommate a quick sniff before scoffing. “Bro you have to stop cleaning all your nice smells away… With that the stranger pulled at the corners of Connor’s mouth. I watched as my roommate’s skin was forced to accommodate the man’s muscular calves. 

I watched as the stranger pulled Connor every further up himself. Damn, even in the dark I could tell the man was ripped. When his head finally slotted into where Connor’s skull would be, and Connor’s face was stretched being pulled, I saw the immediate change in my friend’s demeanor. This was the guy who’s been fucking with me recently. This was why Connor looked so buff lately. I couldn’t see the man who jumped inside my best friend, but I could never wipe that smug smile he wore through Connor’s face. 

The smell that originated from inside Connor, the same smell I experienced a week ago. God I loved that scent. It permeated throughout the room. Best friend concentrate. Like a humid, musky, grime that clung to the very air and decorated my nostrils. I never wanted his scent out of me again. I felt like I was inhaling Connor himself, regarding a newly discovered private part of my friend.

My stomach churned in a mix of anticipation and horror. Sweat beaded at my temples. Gotta admit, this was kind of hot. I had to figure out what I was gonna do about this. Self-preservation kicked in and I fled to my room, taking special attention to ensure I did not alert the man inside Connor. Not like he’d notice anyways- dude was feeling himself up almost immediately after he slipped inside. 

-Wednesday-

It’s like clockwork at this point. The “other” Connor came back early in the morning from a wild night out, before passing out on our couch as I was finally able to speak with my friend. Impossibly tired eyes looked back at me. He gave a weak grimace. “Must have passed out again….Uh.. can I help you man?” My heart sank. Could I really tell him this? My poor roommate. “No, uh.. do you want any breakfast?”.

I could tell he had meant to say yes. He motioned as much, before staring at my face and turning away. Fuck. He was definitely still put off by last week’s advance. I honestly don’t blame him. “N-no. I got it. Thanks.” 

I grimaced awkwardly before shrugging and walking to fix myself some breakfast. This would complicate things. And I couldn’t do that to Connor. I needed to find a way to fix this without him knowing. Evidently, his body being used and worn out like an evening jacket was taking its toll on him. Despite whatever we were going through, he was still my friend. And I couldn’t in good faith add more to that burden. 

“Hey, one of the guys from the gym’s coming over for dinner, that cool?” 

“Yeah man, I’ll just order some extra pizza,” I said back, sighing internally in relief at some semblance of normalcy.

-Still Wednesday -

I met Connor’s gym friend. To be honest, already forgot his name. He gave me a wink when he shook my hand and I couldn’t stop staring all dinner. I think even Connor picked up on it. He looked almost jealous with all the attention I usually gave him being directed at the stranger. The stranger asked to use the bathroom, and I wanted to let him know how to get to it, but he seemed to already know the path.

“Hey bro, is it cool if I stay the night?“ I nodded automatically, lost in deep thought.

There’s something peculiar about the Connor’s gym friend. And I didn’t notice it until I was already in bed. Then hit me like a brick. 

That fucking smirk. 

-End-

If anyone knows who this guy is, please let me know… for.. uh.. research purposes.

[pumpkinpaix]

Pleeeeeeease get into the class one at some point because I very much want to understand the class dynamics happening in the story but I have yet to find a meta that dives into it

god anon you want me dead don’t you alsjdfljks

referring to this post

okay, so -- my specific salt about class interpretations in mdzs are very targeted. I can’t pretend to have a deep understanding of how class works in mdzs generally because uhhhhh yeah i don’t think i have that. i’m just not familiar enough with the genre and/or the particulars of chinese class systems. but! i can talk in general terms as to why I feel a certain way about the class dynamics that I do think I understand and how I think they relate to the themes of the novel! i’m gonna talk about wei wuxian, the daozhangs, xue yang, and 3zun with, I’m sure, a bunch of digressions along the way.

the usual disclaimers: i do not think you are a bad person if you hold opinions contrary to my own. i may disagree with you very strongly, but like. this isn’t a moral judgment, fandom is transformative and interpretive etc. etc. and i may change my mind. who knows what the future will bring!

OKAY so let’s begin!

here’s the thing about wei wuxian: he’s not poor. I think because characters use “son of a servant” kind of often when they’re trying to insult him, a lot of people latch onto that and think that it’s a much stronger indication of his societal status than it actually is. iirc, most of the insults that fall along the “son of a servant” line come after wei wuxian starts breaking severely from tradition. it’s a convenient thing to attack him for, but doesn’t actually indicate anything about his wealth. (exception: yu ziyuan, but that’s a personal familial issue) this is in direct contrast to jin guangyao who is constantly mocked for his family line, publicly and privately, no matter what he does.

so this, coupled with all the jokes about wwx never having any money (wei wuqian, sizhui’s “i’ve long since known you had no money” etc.), plus his like, rough years on the street as a child ends up producing this interpretation of wei wuxian, especially in modern aus, as someone who is very class conscious and “eat the rich”. but the fact of the matter is, wei wuxian IS rich. aside from the years in his childhood and the last two years of his life in yiling, like -- wei wuxian had money and status. he is gentry. he is respected as gentry. he is treated as a son by the sect leader of yunmeng jiang -- he does not have the jiang name, but it is so very clear that jiang fengmian favors him. wei wuxian is ranked fourth of all the eligible young masters in the cultivation world -- that is not a ranking he could have attained without being accepted into the upper class.

wei wuxian’s poverty does not affect him in the way that it affects jin guangyao or xue yang. he is of low-ish birth (still the son of jiang fengmian’s right hand man though! ok sure, “son of a servant” but like. >_> whatever anyways), but for most of his life he had money. he, jiang cheng, and their sect brothers go into town and steal lotus pods with the understanding that “jiang-shushu will pay for it”. this is a regular thing! that’s fucking rich kid behavior!!! wei wuxian is careless with money because he doesn’t have to worry about it. he still has almost all the benefits of being upper class: education, food security, respect, recognition etc. I think there may also be a misconception that wei wuxian was always on the verge of being kicked out by yu ziyuan, or that he was constantly walking on eggshells around her for fear of being disowned, but that is just textually untrue. i could provide receipts, but I admittedly don’t really feel like digging them up just now ;;

even in his last years in yiling, he was not the one who was dealing with the acute knowledge of poverty: wen qing is the one managing the money, and as far as we know, wei wuxian did little to no management of daily life during the burial mounds days -- mostly, he’s described as hiding in his cave for days on end, working on his inventions, running around like a force of chaos, frivolously making a mess of things -- it’s very very cute that he buries a’yuan in the dirt, but in classic wei wuxian fashion, he did Not think about the practical consequences of it -- that A’Yuan has no other clean clothes, and now he’s gotten this set dirty and has no intention of washing them. is this a personality thing? yeah, but I think it’s also indicative of his lack of concern over the logistics of everyday survival, re: wealth.

furthermore, i think it is important to remember that wei wuxian, when he is protecting the wen remnants, is not protecting common folk: he is still protecting gentry. fallen gentry, yes! but gentry nonetheless. wen qing was favored by wen ruohan, and wen ning himself says that he has a retinue of people under his command (the remnants, essentially). their branch of the family do not have the experience of living and growing in poverty -- they are impoverished and persecuted in their last years, but that’s a very different thing from being impoverished your whole life. (sidenote: I do not believe wei wuxian’s primary motivation for defending the wen remnants was justice -- i believe he did it because he felt he owed wen ning and wen qing a life debt, and once he was there, he wasn’t going to stand around and let the work camps go on. yes, he is concerned about justice and doing the right thing, but that’s not why he went in the first place. anyways, that’s another meta)

after wei wuxian returns, he then marries back into gentry, and very wealthy gentry at that. lwj provides him all the money he could ever want, he is never worried about going homeless, starving, being denied opportunities based on his class and accompanying disadvantages. who would dare? and neither wei wuxian nor lan wangji seem to have much interest in shaking up the order of things, except in little things like the way they teach the juniors. they live in gusu, under the auspices of the lan, and they live a happy, domestic life.

were his years on the street traumatizing? yes, of course they were, there’s so much delicious character exploration to be done re: wei wuxian’s relationship to food, his relationship to his own needs, and his relationship to the people he loves. it’s all important and good! but I feel very strongly that that experience, while it was formative for him, did not impart any true understanding of poverty and the common person’s everyday struggles, nor do I think he ever really gains that understanding. he is observant and canny and aware of class and blood, certainly, but not in a way that makes it his primary hill to die on (badum-tss).

this is in very stark contrast to characters like jin guangyao and xue yang, and to some extent, xiao xingchen and song lan. I’ll start with the daozhangs, because I think they’re the simplest (??).

I think both xiao xingchen and song lan have class consciousness, but in a very simplified, broad-strokes kind of way (at least, given the information we know about them). we know that the two of them share similar values and want to one day form their own sect that gives no weight to the nobility of your lineage and has no concern with your wealth. we also know that they both disdain intersect politics and are more concerned with ideals and principles rather than status. but, I think because of that, this actually somewhat limits their perception and understanding of how status is used to oppress. as far as we know, neither of them participated on any side in sunshot and they demonstrate much more interest in relating to the commoners. honestly, i hc that they were flitting around trying to help decimated towns, protecting defenseless villages etc. I ALSO think this has a lot of interesting potential in terms of xiao xingchen and wei wuxian’s relationship, if xiao xingchen is ever revived. regardless of whether you’re in CQL or novel verse, xiao xingchen really doesn’t know wei wuxian at all, other than knowing that he’s his shijie’s son. he knows that cangse-sanren met with a tragic end, like yanling-daoren before her, and that he wants to be different. but here is cangse-sanren’s son, laying waste to entire cities, desecrating the dead. I would very much like to get into xiao xingchen’s head during that period of time (and i think, if i do it right, i can write some of it into the songxiao fixit), but that’s neither here nor there, because i’ve wandered off from my point again.

i would posit that song lan is used to an ascetic lifestyle, and xiao xingchen probably is too -- but that’s different from poverty because there’s an element of choice to it. I also think that neither of them is particularly worldly, xiao xingchen especially. he lived on an isolated mountain until he was like, seventeen, and he came down full of ideals and naivete about how the world worked. I think that both of them see inequality, that they are angered by it, and that they want to do something about it -- but their solution is neither to topple the sects, nor is it to reform the system. rather, it seems to be more about withdrawing and creating their own removed world. I think that the daozhangs embody a kind of utopianism that isn’t present in the minds of any of the other characters, not even wangxian. honestly, baoshan-sanren’s mountain is a utopian ideal, but one that is not described. it exists outside of and beyond the world. i have a lot of jumbled, vague thoughts about utopianism generally, mostly informed by china miéville and ursula k. le guin, and I don’t think i have the ability to articulate them here, but i wanted to. hm. say something? there is something about the inherent dystopianism contained within every utopia, that utopias are necessary, but also reflections of the existence of terrible things in their conception. idk. there’s something in there, I know it!! but i suppose what I want to say is -- i do not think the daozhangs understand class and social hierarchy very deeply because they don’t see a need to examine it deeply. for their goals, the details aren’t the point. they’re not looking to reform within the system, they’re looking to build something outside of it. I think they spend a lot of time concerned with alleviating the symptoms of social oppression, and their values reflect the injustices they witness there.

regardless, even if their story ends in tragedy and there is a certain amount of critique re: the utopian approach, i think the text still emphasizes that xiao xingchen left a utopia and that he thought that people mattered enough for him to try, and that was an incredibly honorable, kind, and human thing to do.

YEAH SURE THE DAOZHANGS ARE THE SIMPLEST ok ok RETURNING to class and moving forward: xue yang.

i also don’t think xue yang has class consciousness lol, or not in any way that really matters, but I do think poverty impacted him in a much stronger way than it impacted wei wuxian. wei wuxian spent some years on the street as a child. xue yang grew up on the streets. chang ci’an’s horrific treatment of him was directly due to his class and social standing: chang ci’an is a nobleman and xue yang is not even worth the dirt beneath the wheels of his cart. what I think is the seminal point though, is that this does not make xue yang think particularly deeply about systemic injustice, because xue yang is so self-centered, self-driven, and individualistic. he is not even slightly concerned about how poverty and class might affect other people -- they’re other people. what he takes away from his experience is not an anger at being wrongfully cheated by a system, but an anger at being wrongfully cheated by a specific man.

xue yang is not particularly concerned with the politics of the aristocracy -- he has no obvious ambitions other than, “i want to eat sweets whenever i please”, “i want to hurt anyone who wrongs me”, and “i want to be so strong that no one can hurt me”. like, he just doesn’t care -- it’s not the kind of power he wants. he sneers at people for like, personal reasons, not class reasons -- “you think you’re better than me” re: xiao xingchen and song lan. to him, all people -- poor, wealthy, noble, common -- are essentially equal, and they are all beneath him. after all, what does he care what family someone comes from, how much money they have? everyone bleeds when you cut them. some of them might be harder to get to than others, but xue yang does not fear that sort of thing. it’s just another obstacle he needs to vault on his way to getting revenge and/or a pastry.

ANYWAYS onto jin guangyao (wow this is hm. getting rather long ahaha oh dear): I would argue that the two characters with the most acute understanding of class/societal politics and the injustice of them are jin guangyao and lan xichen. i’ll start with jin guangyao for obvious reasons.

where xue yang took the damaging effects of poverty as personal slights, I think jin guangyao is painfully aware that there is nothing personal about them, which is, in some ways, much worse. why are two sons, born on the same day to the same father, treated so differently? just because.

he watched his mother struggle and starve and work herself to the bone in a profession where she was constantly disrespected and abused for almost nothing in return, while his father could have lifted her out of poverty with the wave of a finger. why didn’t he? because he didn’t like her? no -- because he didn’t care, and the structures of the society they live in protect that kind of blase treatment of the lower class.

“so my mother couldn’t choose her own fate, is that her fault?” jin guangyao demands. he knows that he is unbelievably talented, that he has ambition, that he has potential, and that all of it is beyond his grasp just because his father didn’t want to bother with it. his mother’s life was destroyed, and his own opportunities were crippled with that negligence. it isn’t personal. that’s just the way things are. your individual identity is meaningless, your humanity does not exist. when he’s kicked down the steps of jinlin tai, it’s just more confirmation that no matter how talented or hardworking he is, no one will give him the time of day unless he finds a way to take it himself and become someone who “matters”.

jin guangyao’s cultivation is weak because he had a poor foundation, and he had a poor foundation because he was denied access to a good one. he copies others because that’s all he can do at this point, and he copies so well that he can hold his own against some of the strongest cultivators of his generation. he’s disparaged for copying and “stealing” techniques, but -- he never would have had to if only he had been born/accepted into the upper class. the fact is that i really do think jin guangyao was the most promising cultivator of his generation that we meet, including the twin jades and wei wuxian: he had natural talent, ambition, creativity, determination and cunning in spades. in some ways, I think that’s one of the overlooked tragedies of jin guangyao: the loss of not just the good man he could have been, but the powerful one too. imagine what he could have done.

jin guangyao spends his entire time in the world of the aristocracy feeling unsteady and terrified because he knows exactly how precarious his position is. he knows how easy it is to lose power, especially for someone like him. he’s working against so many disadvantages, and every scrap of honor he gets is a vicious battle. jin guangyao fears, and I think that’s something that’s lacking in xue yang, wei wuxian and the daozhangs’ experiences/understandings of poverty. i think it’s precisely that fear that emphasizes jin guangyao’s understanding of class and blood. jin guangyao exhibits an anxiety that neither wei wuxian nor xue yang do, and it’s because he truly knows how little he is worth in the eyes of society and how little there is he can do to change that. to me, it very much feels related to the anxiety of not knowing if tomorrow you’ll have something to eat, if tomorrow you’ll still have a home, if tomorrow someone will destroy you and never have to answer for it. it’s the anxiety of knowing helplessness intimately.

moreover, jin guangyao is the only person shown to use the wealth and power at his disposal to take concrete steps to actually help the common people typically ignored by the powerful -- the watchtowers. they’re described in chapter 42. it’s a system that is designed to cover remote areas that most cultivators are reluctant to go due to their inconvenience and the lack of means of the people who live there. the watchtowers assign cultivators to different posts, give aid to those previously forgotten, and if the people are too poor to pay what the cultivators demand, the lanling jin sect pays for it. jin guangyao worked on this for five years and burned a lot of bridges over it. people were strongly opposed to it, thinking that it was some kind of ploy for lanling jin’s personal benefit. but the thing is -- it worked. they were effective. people were helped.

i believe CQL frames the watchtowers as an allegory for a surveillance state/centralized control (i think?? it’s been a minute -- that’s the hazy impression i remember, something like a parallel to the wen supervisory offices?), but I personally don’t think that was the intent in the novel. the watchtowers are a public good. lanling jin doesn’t staff them with their own sect members -- they get nearby sects to staff them. it’s a warning network that they fund that’s supposed to benefit everyone, even those that everyone had considered expendable.

(did jin guangyao do terrible things to achieve this goal? yeah lol. it’s not confirmed, but his son sure did die... suspiciously...... at the hands of an outspoken critic of the watchtowers........ whom he then executed....... so like, maybe just a convenient coincidence for jin guangyao, two birds one stone, but. it seems. Unlikely.)

lan xichen is the only member of the gentry that ever shows serious compassion for and nuanced understanding of jin guangyao’s circumstances. lan xichen treats him as his equal regardless of jin guangyao’s current status -- even when he was meng yao, lan xichen treated him as a human being worthy of respect, as someone with great merits, as someone he would choose as a friend, but he did so knowing full well the delicate position meng yao occupied. this is in direct contrast to nie mingjue, who also believed that meng yao was worthy of respect as a human being, but was completely unable to comprehend the complexities of his circumstances and unwilling to grant him any grace. you know, the difference between “i acknowledge that your birth and status have had effects upon you, but I don’t think less of you for it” and “i don’t consider your birth and status at all when i interact with you because i think it is irrelevant” (“i don’t see color” anyone?)

to illustrate, from chapter 48:

大抵是觉得娼妓之子身上说不定也带着什么不干净的东西，这几名修士接过他双手奉上来的茶盏后，并不饮下，而是放到一边，还取出雪白的手巾，很难受似的，有意无意反复擦拭刚才碰过茶盏的手指。聂明玦并非细致之人，未曾注意到这种细节，魏无羡却用眼角余光扫到了这些。孟瑶视若未见，笑容不坠半分，继续奉茶。蓝曦臣接过茶盏之时，抬眸看他一眼，微笑道：“多谢。”

旋即低头饮了一口，这才继续与聂明玦交谈。旁的修士见了，有些不自在起来。

rough tl:

Probably because they believed that the son of a prostitute might also carry some unclean things upon his person, after these few cultivators took the teacups offered from [Meng Yao’s] two hands, they did not drink, but instead put them to one side, and furthermore brought out snow white handkerchiefs. Quite uncomfortably, and whether they were aware of it or not, they repeatedly wiped the fingers they had just used to touch the teacups. Nie Mingjue was not a detail-oriented person and never took note of such particulars, but Wei Wuxian caught these in the corner of his eye. Meng Yao appeared as if he had not seen, his smile unwavering in the slightest, and continued to serve tea. When Lan Xichen took the teacup, he glanced up at him and, smiling, said, “Thank you.”

He immediately dipped his head to take a sip, and only then continued to converse with Nie Mingjue. Seeing this, the nearby cultivators began to feel somewhat uneasy.

all right, since we’re in full cyan-rampaging-through-the-weeds mode at this point, i’m going to talk about how this is one of my favorite 3zun moments in the entire novel for characterization purposes because it really highlights how they all relate to one another, and to what degree each of them is aware of their own position in relation to the others and society as a whole.

1. nie mingjue, who is a forthright and blunt person, sets meng yao to serving tea and is done with it. he notices nothing wrong or inappropriate about the reactions of the people in the room because it’s not the sort of thing he considers important.

2. meng yao, knowing that his only avenue is to take it lying down with a smile, masks perfectly.

3. lan xichen, noticing all this, uses his own reputation to achieve two things at once: pointedly shame the other cultivators in attendance, and show meng yao that regardless of others’ opinions, he considers him an equal and does not endorse such behavior--and he does it while taking care that no fallout will come down on meng yao’s head.

is this yet another installment of cyan’s endless lxc defense thesis? why yes it is! no one is surprised! but this is my whole point: both meng yao and lan xichen understand the respective hierarchy and power dynamics within the room, while nie mingjue very much does not. this is not because nie mingjue is a bad person or because nie mingjue is stupid--it’s a combination of personality and upbringing. nie mingjue is straightforward and has no patience for such games. but then again, he can afford not to play because he was born into such a high position: that’s a privilege.

to break it down: meng yao knows that he is the lowest-ranked person in the room, sees the way people are subtly disrespecting him in full view of his general who is doing nothing about it. in some ways, this is good -- nie mingjue’s style of dealing with conflict is very direct and not at all suited to delicate political maneuvering. after all, the way he promoted meng yao was actually quite dangerous to meng yao: he essentially guaranteed that his men would bear meng yao a grudge and that their disrespect for him would only be compounded by their bitterness at being punished on his behalf. (it’s like, why often getting parents or teachers to intervene ineffectively in bullying can just be an incitement to more bullying -- same concept) meng yao’s reaction during that scene shows that he’s pretty painfully aware of this and is trying to defuse the situation to no avail. nie mingjue gives him a bootstrap speech (rip nie mingjue i love u so much but. sir) and then promotes him, which is pretty much the only saving grace of that entire exchange, for meng yao at least.

lan xichen, on the other hand, understands both that meng yao is the lowest-ranked person in the room and that any direct attempt to chastise the other cultivators in the room will only serve to hurt meng yao in the long run. he knows that if this were brought to nie mingjue’s attention, he would be outraged and not shy about it -- also bad for meng yao. so he uses what he has: his immaculate reputation. by acting contrary to the other cultivators’ behavior, he demonstrates that he finds their actions unacceptable but with the plausible deniability that it wasn’t directed at them, that this is just zewu-jun being his usual generous self. this means that the other cultivators have no one to blame but themselves, nothing to do but question their own actions. there is nowhere to cast off their discomfort. meng yao didn’t do anything. lan xichen didn’t do anything -- he just thanked meng yao and drank his tea, isn’t that what it’s there for? he doesn’t disrupt the peace, he doesn’t attack anyone and put them on the defensive, but he does make his position very clear.

i know this is a really small thing and i’m probably beating it to death, but I really think this shows just how cognizant lan xichen is of politics and emotional cause and effect in such situations. certainly, out of context I think the scene reads kind of cliche, but within the greater narrative of the story and within the arc of these characters specifically, I think it was a really smart scene to include. it also showcases lan xichen’s style of action: that he moves around and with a problematic situation as opposed to moving straight through.

not to be salty on main again, but this is why it’s very frustrating to me when I see people call lan xichen passive when he is anything but. his actions just don’t look like traditional “actions”, especially to an american audience. it’s easy to understand lan wangji and wei wuxian’s style of problem-solving: taking a stand, moving through, staying strong. lan xichen is juggling an inconceivable number of factors in any given situation, weighing his responsibilities in one role against those in another, and then trying to find the path through the thicket that will cause the least harm, both to himself and the thicket. lan wangji and wei wuxian are not particularly good at considering the far-reaching consequences of their actions -- again, not because they are bad people, but because of a combination of personality and upbringing. they’d just hack through the thicket, not thinking about the creatures that live in it. that is not a terrible thing! it isn’t. it’s a different way of approaching a problem, and it has different priorities. that’s okay. there are advantages and disadvantages on both sides, and where you come down is going to depend on your personal values.

okay we’ve spiraled far and away from my original point, but let’s circle back: i was talking about class.

I think it’s undeniable that class, birthright, fate etc. are some of the driving forces of thematic conflict in mdzs, and the way each character interacts with those forces reveals a lot about themselves and also about the larger themes of fate, chance, and what it means to be righteous and good and how that is and isn’t rewarded. a lot of the tragedy of mdzs (the tragedy that isn’t caused by direct aggression on the part of one group or another) stems from the injustices and slights that people suffered due to their lot in life. it isn’t fair. none of it is fair! we sympathize with jin guangyao because we recognize that what he suffered was unconscionable, even if we don’t excuse him. i sympathize A Lot with xue yang as well for similar reasons, though I understand that’s a harder sell. this is a story focused on the mistakes of an entrenched, aging gentry and the effects that those mistakes had on their children, and a lot of it has to do with prejudice based in class and birth status. whether the prejudice was the true reason or whether it was just a convenient excuse, the fact remains that the systems in place rewarded and protected the people in power who used it to cling to that power. mdzs is also a story of how the circumstances of one’s life can offer you impossible choices that you cannot abstain from, and it asks us to be compassionate to the people who made terrible choices in terrible times. it’s about the inherent complexity in all things! that sometimes, there are no good choices, and i don’t know, i’d like to think that people would show me compassion if I had to make the choices some of these characters did. not just wei wuxian, mind you, every single one of them. except jin guangshan because I Do Hate Him sorry. and i guess wen ruohan. i think that’s it.

good. GOD this is clocking in at //checks notes -- just over 5k. 8′D *stuffs some weeds into my mouth like the clown i am*

(ko-fi? :’D *lies down*)

[thecarnivorousmuffinmeta]

While we're on the subject what do you think would have happened if it was Carlisle who came back after Bella's cliff diving? Maybe he happened to be closer to Forks or Alice was in another country and called him to go check on her (or whatever it was she hoped to accomplish by going to Forks) Would he nope out after seeing Bella's alive or would he stick around, become concerned about her wellbeing?

The post anon is referencing, where Rosalie comes back instead of Alice, things get hilarious and awkward. Edward never attempts suicide in Volterra.

So, Why Didn't Carlisle Come Back?

He didn't know.

For plot convenient reasons, he and Esme were out of the house at the time, and it was Alice, Rosalie, Jasper, and Emmett by themselves.

Alice had her vision, heads down to Forks to see Bella's grave/catch the funeral, Rosalie decides to man up and tell Edward around the time that Alice reaches Forks.

(It probably takes her quite a few times to actually get a hold of Edward.)

I believe Carlisle is supposed to be absent from the time Alice gets the news until the Italy debacle is nearly over. He and Esme come back to everything on fire, Edward very likely to be executed for breaking the law in Volterra itself, and Edward having attempted suicide period.

By the time he gets there, it's known Bella's actually alive.

However, had he been home earlier, had he been there in the period where they thought Bella was in fact dead, I believe he would have travelled with Alice back to Forks.

Well, he would have tried to make the family come. This girl was important to Edward, important to their lives, of course they're showing up for the goddamn funeral.

Rosalie would throw a fit, Jasper would be an emotional wreck (likely feeling somehow complicit in all of this), Esme would be an emotional wreck for what this means for Edward, Emmett would be very awkward, and all in all Carlisle would wonder if, perhaps, he should have left the family at home.

Point being, Carlisle would absolutely have come back, but he probably would not have been alone.

But this is AU world, let's say he did.

Carlisle Returns Alone

His family is imploding, he leaves them behind, he'll tell them when the funeral is.

Alice doesn't come with him because Edward has to be told and Alice is the best one to do it. Alice really doesn't want to, but Carlisle insists, no, Edward has to know and best it comes from Alice who was her best friend.

And Rosalie, bless her heart, lacks the tact.

(Rosalie is mildly offended but agrees, probably best Alice does it).

So Carlisle returns alone, opens the door, "Oh, hello Bella."

Carlisle gets to awkwardly explain that, you see, Alice thought you had died. Neither he nor Bella have any explanation for this. Jake, meanwhile, wants Dr. Cullen out and is giving his "how dare you speech"

Unlike Rosalie, Carlisle sticks around and finds out the awful truth.

Bella is being hunted by vampires, the town of Forks is under siege by Victoria, and apparently the presence of vampires triggers the wolf transformation and so now half the Quileute tribe under the age of 18 is a shape shifter and it's all his family's fault.

Oh, and Bella did just attempt suicide, but isn't admitting it. She just likes jumping off cliffs now because, well, she might be hallucinating Edward? That's normal, right?

Carlisle goes to stand in a corner and breathe in a paper bag.

Carlisle goes into emergency mode.

He gives Bella the pep talk of a lifetime and explains why the family left and what they were trying to accomplish with this. He gets the not so good details of exactly how Edward broke up with her. He returns to breathing in a bag.

Then he gets the phone call.

Alice... may have fucked up.

Edward didn't take the news well, he's decided to kill himself in Volterra, and the only way to stop him is if Bella Swan shows up to stop him in person.

Carlisle speed dials Aro, Aro is delighted to hear from his old friend, except that the conversation is Carlisle's stressed screaming. Carlisle gives Aro the fast version: he's made a coven, his son is coming to ask for assisted suicide, he has a human girlfriend (yes, Carlisle knows, no he doesn't like it, THAT'S NOT THE POINT, ARO) Carlisle asks, for the love of god, stall Aro and Carlisle will be there as soon as he can (yes, with the human girlfriend).

Aro is delighted at the prospect of seeing Carlisle but also a little weirded out. Alright, Carlisle, he'll pretend to humor this Edward and stall him.

So, Aro does, and he does it with magnificence. The throne room is filled with incense, Aro is back in Myceenaen garb, and the only light is from candles. The ambiance is spectacular.

While the Volturi will not assist Edward's suicide, they will grant him a wish, should he pass through the Volturi's three trials. Only then will he be worthy of the highest and most ancient honors.

Edward eats this up. HE IS READY FOR HIS TRIALS.

The first is a trial of strength, he must wrestle Caius and win. Well, unfortunately, he loses. Aro tells Caius that he has to let Edward win, if he gets too frustrated, there's no telling what this kid will do. Caius refuses to lose to this punk.

Aro has to bribe him.

This continues up until Carlisle and Bella finally arrive.

Carlisle gets to witness the madness that is Aro and Edward playing chess in this room filled with incense and candles. Aro abruptly calls everything off and gives the three some privacy.

Carlisle has had the world's worst day and lays into Edward. Edward's processing Bella's alive, human, and that nothing is going his way. It's a giant mess.

Aro returns and goes, "So, onto the real trouble, Bella Swan is human."

Unfortunately, Alice isn't there with them, so Aro doesn't have his out. Aro concludes that Bella Swan will be turned in Italy, though she may leave afterwards with Carlisle and Edward.

As for this Victoria situation, well, Aro and associates will keep an eye on it.

Edward loses his shit. With Carlisle right there. Carlisle gets to witness Edward's Full Edward mental breakdown.

It's a disaster and the flight home from Volterra is the most awkward thing in the world.

However, because the law was enacted and Bella didn't return home human, Caius is much more appeased. He still doesn't like Carlisle, and certainly not Edward, but he's no longer concerned Aro lacks the will to enforce his own laws.

The plot of Eclipse and Breaking Dawn do not happen.

Bella and Edward likely do not end up together, as Edward is eaten alive by guilt at having been responsible for Bella now being a vampire. This makes Bella miserable, but such is life.

At least she's a Cullen now.

[heyhihellowhatsup0]

Hooked On Your Feelings - Prologue (FWB! Tom x Reader)

Warnings: Some angst, language, eventual smut in future chapters, fluff

Word Count: 2570

Summary: After a bad breakup, making an agreement with your womanizing neighbor, Tom to be friends with added benefits and no strings attached seemed like the perfect idea. Until things become messy, emotions caused your agreement to crumble.

A/N:   So I’m starting a new series! I always wanted to do this trope for Tom and I’m realllllly excited for this series!  I’m not completely sure how long it will be as of right now, most likely between 8-10 chapters. So if you want to be added to the taglist, please DM me! I hope you all enjoy the prologue and can’t wait to hear your thoughts on it! (Also credit to @osterfield-holland-andcompany for this amazing ass mood board I made her too..I’m obsessed!) Thank you xx -N

“Get out!” you screamed as you shoved your now ex-boyfriend out the front door of your apartment. You knew the walls were thin but you didn’t care. You were so completely filled with rage and your body was vibrating as you flung his pants at him, “Get the hell out, Justin!” you shouted again.

    Justin flinched as the door swung open and he stumbled out the front door, still in his boxers. The anger in your eyes made your pupils black while he grabbed his pants and rolled his eyes at you, “Will you just let me explain, Y/N?” he tried to speak but you cut him off with a dry and sarcastic laugh.

    “No. The conversation is over,” you snapped at him, taking another deep breath to try and pull yourself together. You felt yourself fighting back the tears because you didn’t want him to see you cry. Not again, anyway.

    Watching as Justin stumbled down the stairs, you stood at the top completely and utterly overcome with your anger you barely recognized your voice. But you knew you had every right to be mad. You couldn’t excuse his behavior and you were done defending him. You knew you deserved better than the shit he was putting you through. It was enough and now you were letting it all pour out as he was practically falling down the stairs.

    You grabbed the shoe he had dropped on his way out the door and aimed it right towards his head, missing and making a loud thud against the wall behind him. You probably just woke up the entire floor but you didn’t care right now. Forming a fist, you refrained from punching the door as you finally lost it, “Don’t call me! Don’t even walk down the same street as me anymore, do you hear me? You conniving son of a bitch!” your voice bounced off the walls with an echo as you watched Justin exit your life through the elevator, still with his pants in his hand.

    You couldn’t help yourself as you flipped off the closing doors while you let out the breath you were holding in. Your chin began to tremble as you tried to stop yourself immediately. He wasn’t worth it, you thought to yourself. You should be proud of getting rid of him. Especially after what he had done to you.

    Just as you were heading back into your apartment before anyone realized you were the cause for the commotion, your neighbor’s door flew open and made you jump when you saw his familiar face meet yours from across the hall. You saw his smile as he noticed you and you knew what that meant, you just weren’t in the mood right now to assist in his little escapade.

    “Y/N! Oh, I thought I heard your voice out here,” your neighbor from 3B made his way over to you with bare feet, brown curls a mess, with his grey sweatpants resting low on his hips as his bare chest was revealed to the entire floor, “Thank god! I need your help with this chick inside who is talking about meeting her family this weekend and I’ve known her for...three hours,” he cringed as he carefully tip-toed his way over towards you.

 You couldn’t help but roll your eyes because this was a regular thing for him, even if it wasn’t your business. But he was a friend of yours, in a neighborly way at least, so at some point you made it your business.

    “No,” you scolded him as you shook your head. You tried to hold in your laugh at the desperate look on his face but you couldn’t help, “Not tonight, Tom. No! C’mon, seriously? No!” you warned as he began to give you puppy dog eyes to try and convince you otherwise.

    Tom pressed his palms together and pressed them to his chest, praying for your assistance, “Please, Y/N! I owe you so much if you help me out and this is the last time, I swear,” he paused for a moment when he realized you were standing by your door this late at night and you looked as if you had gone through hell. His lips tightened as he suddenly grew concerned, “Wait, what are you doing out here right now?” he questioned.

    You sighed as you pinched the bridge of your nose, “Um...I sorta caught Justin sleeping with his co-worker so I was just kicking him out, sorry,” you don’t know why you apologized for it but you knew you didn’t want Tom or anyone for that matter to see you when you were this visibly upset.

    “He did what?! Fuck...Y/N, I’m so sorry,” Tom said as he offered you a hug, pulling you into his bare arms while he tried to make you feel a little bit better, “That guy was a fucking prick and I never really liked him anyway,” he told you, making you laugh through your tears while you pulled away with a small smile showing.

    Running a hand through his curls to smooth them over, Tom squeezed your shoulder playfully, “If it makes you feel any better, I’m probably a bigger mess than you right now,” he told you as he cringed at what was waiting for him back in his apartment.

    “No, you have a bigger mess than me,” you corrected with another eye roll. Quickly wiping your tears away you placed a hand on your hip while taking another breath towards Tom and his stupidity, “If I do this, you owe me big time,” you sighed.

    Tom was a good guy but the decisions he sometimes made were, to say the least, questionable. You didn’t know too much about his personal life but just enough to come to the realization that he couldn’t commit to much of anything. He was always bringing random girls home, roommates came and went, and he had a tendency to flake on tenant meetings at the last minute.

 There was no question that he wasn’t looking to settle down, you never once saw him with the same girl more than once and that was none of your business nor concern. Tom was a good neighbor to you. He watered your plants for you while you were out of town visiting your family, he kept his music down to an appropriate volume, he would even bring you pizza on occasion to eat together while you gossiped about the other tenants on your floor. And sometimes in return, he would ask for favors like bailing him out of sticky situations that you tried not to judge too harshly.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Tom gave you another hug with a kiss against your cheek, “I will owe you for fucking life, Y/N,” he thanked you as he waited for you to head into his apartment to do what he clearly was too afraid to do himself. Letting girls off bluntly was something he was never good at. Then again, that was a whole other issue he didn’t want to think about.

Tom followed you into his place as you glared at him when you saw all of the clothes strewn across the living room floor. Making a face at the boxers on the ground you shuddered at the thought of what the hell went down in this apartment as you watched Tom nod towards his bedroom signaling that she was in there.

Nodding your head you rolled your eyes before you got yourself into your character. Seconds later, you whipped around and channeled your anger towards Tom as you slammed his door shut, “Save it, Tom! I won’t hear it! I come home after taking a double shift for us and this is what I come home to?!”

 Tom gave you a thumbs up that you were doing a good job as you slammed your fist against the nearby counter, “I just spent fourteen hours stripping to pay your way through law school so we could afford a better place to live and this is the thanks that I get? You fucking some random girl?!” you shouted while you shook your head towards Tom with a shrug.

“Woah, nice touch. I love the story line this time,” Tom whispered with an approving smile as he pointed towards the bedroom door, signaling for you to go and get rid of her.

You stormed into the bedroom, already seeing the girl scurrying to find her shoes, “Oh god! Please, I’m so sorry,” she pleaded as her red hair swung back and forth while she adjusted her sequin cocktail dress. Limping through the threshold of the door she couldn’t even look at you or Tom as her face grew red, “I had no idea that he-”

“That he what? Was married? Was cheating on his wife of seven years? You still want this son of a bitch?” you asked the girl who shook her head ‘no’ nervously, “The both of you need to leave! Get out!” you pointed towards the door as you focused on Tom.

Tom apologized to the girl as she practically ran out the door before he turned to you, “Darling, please let me explain! Think of the children!” he begged you as he still noticed the girl was in earshot.

“I want a divorce and I’m taking both the kids! You won’t have two pennies to rub together by the time I’m done, Thomas! Do you hear me? I can’t believe you would-”

“She’s gone,” Tom cheered silently as his door finally closed with a sigh of relief. He rushed to the fridge to grab two beers as he made his way over to you, “Both the kids? Really?” he teased while he clinked his bottle up against yours.

Giving him a shrug, you brought the beer to your lips as you collapsed onto his couch, “Well if you kept your dick in your pants for once maybe you wouldn’t have to ask your neighbor to make up such elaborate lies on the fly to kick girls out of your apartment,” you teased right back as Tom took a seat right next to you with a pout on his face, “Am I wrong?” you questioned him with a giggle.

“Well, technically, no. But then, where’s the fun in that?” he laughed as he took another sip. Trying to figure out why he even did half of the shit he did anymore. He knew there wasn’t any fun in any of it. Not anymore, anyway.  It made no sense, especially if he wasn’t getting anything out of these situations except drama. And he hated the drama of it all.

You made a face at Tom, “I guess no more fun than watching the guy you were in love with make out with his co-worker,” you stare at the bottom of your bottle, letting the alcohol swirl around your brain as you tried to push away those thoughts. You didn’t want to think about Justin again. It was still fresh but you weren’t ready to move on just yet.

“Guess we both should be alone for a while, huh?” Tom stated as he slumped further into the couch. Downing his beer as he set it aside on the table. This feeling was beginning to come more often than not with Tom after he dismissed one of his...conquests. He didn’t like it anymore because it was suddenly beginning to make him feel like this but he kept doing it anyway in hopes it would go away. But so far it only got worse as the nights rolled in and you came by to kick out more of them. He was lucky you were here because he didn’t feel like being alone right now.

The room fell still as the two of you remained on the couch in silence for a bit. Trying to blur out the events that had taken place earlier with Justin, you finished your drink and placed it beside Tom’s. You knew you wanted something serious and Justin was not that, even though you knew he was going to be trouble from the get go. You knew perfectly well what you needed but maybe you just needed some time for you right now and not to jump in to things that were going to be messy. You wanted numbness but at the same time you wanted to feel something that you hadn’t yet.

Turning your head to face Tom, your eyes met his in the dimly lit living room. The muted TV gave off the only illumination while you both remained there in your tipsy states, trying to figure out where both of your nights had gone wrong.

“I really don’t want to be alone,” you finally broke the silence as you stared into his eyes before they flickered towards his bare chest, back to his eyes slowly.

Tom swallowed as he shook his head, “Me either,” he agreed in the same tone. He noticed you were looking at him and more importantly the way you were looking, but he found himself not minding at all as his eyebrows raised up a bit when your lips crashed into his.

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