#I fell in love with this ship the MOMENT it was introduced to me

[whereismyhat5678]

can you draw the anteater x snail from the cuphead dlc Please

(I’m so proud of this you will not believe-)

Their just casual co-workers who talk about casual things- Y’know- the basics :]

ALSO I’M NOT NOT GOING TO SHOW YOU THE BACKGROUND BECAUSE IT TOOK WAY TO LONG TO DO AND I’M HONESTLY QUITE PROUD OF IT- (Even though it’s supposed to be blurry I’m so proud-)

Also Bonus: (Might be a bit suggestive Idk 👀💧)

[zaczenemiji]

Hi there! It's me...again. Hope your doing okay.

I was thinking about a new request about Kenji Sato x Fem! Reader based on the song "Please, Please, Please" from Sabrina Carpenter. Reader is a singer just like her so and has a relationship with Ken but she thinks that some things aren't doing good, but she also has him wrapped around her finger. Like the part with "I beg you, don't embarrass me, mother******". It can be angst but also fluffy and spice (Only if you want to but no smut) It can end in a happy ending.

The rest is up to you because I know you'll do a great job. No need to rush so take your time.

Don’t Prove ‘Em Right

Kenji Sato x Singer!Reader

Word Count: 1,358

Genre/Warnings: Angst (light), Character Development, Drama, Emotional, Redemption

Author’s Note: I went with a bit of angst 🤧

MASTERLIST

“You could do better.”

This was one thing you’ve always heard since you started dating men as a singer. Throughout your career, you were either cheated on, abandoned, or used in a way that they just rode your fame.

Other times, fans would ship you with another singer or celebrity or whoever famous and you’d give it a try for them but the ending is the always same: you two were just pretending for public entertainment and there was never love at all.

Your perception of love blurred the longer you got in the singing industry. You sang about it, wrote songs about it, but you’ve never really experienced it for a significant amount of time or for a significant depth.

That was until you met Kenji.

Despite his fame, he seemed down-to-earth and genuinely interested in getting to know you. He took you to his baseball games and introduced you to his teammates. In return, you invited him to your recording sessions.

Kenji was always supportive, and always encouraging. He seemed genuinely proud of your achievements and was always there for you. Despite his busy schedule, he shows up at your gigs and concerts and cheers you on from the front row.

He had a way of making you feel special like you were the most important person in his world. It was easy to overlook the occasional outbursts, the moments of impulsiveness that seemed to come with his fiery temperament.

You told yourself that everyone had flaws, and Kenji's good qualities far outweighed his bad ones.

You believed in him and in the future you could build together. Despite the red lights and the stop signs, you held on to the belief that this time, this love was right.

But as time went on, the cracks in Kenji's facade began to show. His temper flared more frequently, and his impulsive decisions started to take a toll on your relationship.

You made excuses for him and justified his actions to your friends and family. You told them he’s different.

But they told you that with the way he’s behaving, you’ll just end up in the dumps again—that he’s going to cheat on you, hurt you, leave you, and the ending will be the same…

“You could do better.”

Heartbreak is one thing, but your ego is another. You couldn’t afford your name dominating the headlines again. And for what reason? Another breakup.

You loved him deeply, but the constant cycle of highs and lows was exhausting. You wanted to believe that he could change, that he could be the man you fell in love with.

But the more you tried to fix things, the more you realized that some things were beyond your control.

You sat in front of your vanity doing your makeup nicely. You glanced at the clock. Kenji would be here any minute to pick you up now. Tonight is your big night. It’s an afterparty to celebrate the release of your new single.

Your boyfriend had a reputation for causing a scene. It wasn't entirely his fault—he was passionate but it sometimes translated into impulsiveness. Tonight, of all nights, you needed him to be on his best behavior.

As if on cue, the doorbell rang. Kenji stood there, looking dashing in a tailored suit, a grin spreading across his face as he saw you.

"Wow, you look stunning," he said, pulling you in for a quick kiss.

"Thanks," you replied, forcing a smile. "You sure you wanna come?"

"Of course," he replied with a confidence that both reassured and worried you. “I’m always here for you.”

You arrived at the venue in no time. Celebrities, reporters, and fans filled the room, all eager to celebrate your success. You and Kenji mingled with the crowd, exchanging pleasantries and accepting congratulations.

But as the night went on, Kenji's behavior started to shift. The drinks were flowing, and while you had stuck to soda water, Kenji had not.

You watched with growing anxiety as he laughed a little too loudly, and gestured a little too wildly. The conversations around you started to feel like a backdrop to a ticking time bomb.

You pulled him aside. "Kenji, please," you whispered urgently. "Just... take it easy, okay?"

He frowned, a mix of confusion and irritation crossing his features. "What? I'm just having a good time."

"I know," you said, forcing another smile. “Just... for me, okay?"

He sighed but nodded and for a while, it seemed like he was keeping his promise. He stuck by your side, an arm around your waist, engaging in polite conversation with your friends and family.

However, you left him one moment and then the next, he was talking to one of the reporters. The latter walked away, a smirk on his face. Kenji turned to you, his face flushed with anger.

"Can you believe that guy?" he spat. "He had the nerve to ask about the last game. Said I sucked."

"Kenji," you said softly, trying to calm him down. You placed your hand on his chest. "It's not worth it."

"But—"

"Please, Kenji. Just... let it go."

He looked at you, the anger in his eyes slowly fading. He took a deep breath and nodded. "For you," he said quietly.

But the reprieve was short-lived. You caught sight of him at the bar, raising his voice at someone who had apparently made a snide comment.

The situation escalated quickly, and before you knew it, Kenji had thrown a punch, causing a commotion that drew everyone's attention.

Your heart sank as security rushed in to break up the fight. You could feel all eyes on you, whispers spreading through the crowd.

You felt a sense of dejà vu as this wasn't the first time Kenji let his emotions get the best of him, and you were able to hold it together as you’ve always done, but then you heard the one thing you hated.

“She could’ve done better.”

Without a word, you grabbed your things and stormed out of the venue, the tears you had been holding back finally spilling over.

Not long after, Kenji arrived at your house, disheveled and remorseful. "(Y/n), I'm so sorry," he began, reaching out to you. "I didn't mean to ruin everything."

You stepped back, keeping a distance between you. "Kenji, this can't keep happening. You promised me you would behave tonight!” You said in between sobs. “This was supposed to be my night, and you turned it into a disaster.”

You sat on your couch, your legs feeling too tired to keep you up. "I can't keep making excuses for you,” you continued. “I can't keep sacrificing my career for your mistakes."

Kenji fell silent, his shoulders slumping in defeat. He’s scared. He knew what those words meant. At that moment, he felt like the sky was crashing on him.

"I don't want to lose you, (y/n)," he said quietly, tears falling down. "I love you, and I know I've been screwing up. But I'm willing to do everything to make things right. Therapy, anger management, whatever it takes."

You stared at him, your heart aching with a mix of love and doubt. "Kenji, this isn't just about tonight,” you said. “This has been happening for a while now.“

“Please, (y/n),” he begged, his voice trembling as he knelt in front of you, embracing your legs as he rested his head on your lap. “I want to be the man you deserve. Please, give me one more chance."

Over the next few weeks, Kenji followed through on his promise. He made genuine efforts to address his issues.

He went out of his way to apologize to your friends and family for his behavior at the party, taking full responsibility for his actions.

Slowly but surely, he’s coming back to being the man you fell in love with. He made sure you wouldn’t be the one doing better because he was becoming better himself.

One afternoon, you had lunch with your friends. They asked about how things are now going between you and Kenji. You gave them a smile, a genuine one since after the party.

“He became better.”

Taglist is open! Comment if u wanna be tagged on future Kenji oneshots

@flowerloves @eternallyvenus @puppyminnnie @wattpadsuckssohard @sakura-onesan @reggies-eyeliner @buggs-1 @miffysoo @spencerrxids @stupidbutsmart @marimargirlies @mixvchelle

[pixiedustjellicle]

I have such a difficult time connecting with the Cats community now. Part of me feels like maybe I'm too old for the current fandom(I don't feel old, but I'm certainly not 19 anymore). Or that perhaps it's because I don't much care about ships. Sometimes I worry that I intimidate people, and I'd hate that. Let me introduce myself and how Cats has shaped my life, and maybe I can find my people?

I first saw Cats at a tiny local theatre when I was eight. I fell in love with it, and even though I didn't have the movie yet, I spent months afterwards with just the poem book and highlights album. Eventually I got the 98 VHS too- and then another local theatre put it on when I was ten! I got to see it twice there. And afterwards, I made up my own attempt at a costume, turned our spare room into my attempt at the set, and put some chairs in there to put on the highlights show for some friends of my mother. The CD was worn out, I went on with the show, and they even gave me a card and a new CD afterwards- the London 2 disc set! Looking back, I think how embarrassing it probably was, but I was so happy and proud of myself in the moment. Two more years later, US Tour 5 came through Nashville, and I got to go and stagedoor for the first time. I wore a tail I made and one of the actresses told me I had a perfect Bombalurina tail twirl. For all those years, I worked Cats into school projects, I drew nothing else. My mom put up with it for so long, and I still thank her to this day.

And then I went into middle school. New school, new students, and I started getting bullied for it. I found other musicals I didn't get bullied for- Phantom, Wicked, and Sweeney- to latch onto, and I kinda put Cats in the back of my head. I still loved it, but my hyperfixation had waned thanks to mean kids, and other than occasionally watching the 1998 movie, I didn't think much of it for years.

But the US Tour 6 announced a date in Nashville. I hadn't seen the show in eight years, and I wasn't about to miss it. I had already started taking an interest in cosplay, but I'd never made a costume like that. I remembered admiring the CCDB as a kid though, and I told myself I was totally capable of making my own, just to go see the show in costume. And I did.

And the cast were SO sweet, and I started finding Cats fans on Instagram. I thought I could do better on the costume, so when the show stopped in Chattanooga a couple months later... I did it again.

The pandemic hit and I lost my job. Immediately I started getting work making Cats cosplays for others, and I haven't stopped since. And when the show resumed, I made an overnight trip to Memphis to dress up again!

And then, I saved until I could finally go see the Royal Caribbean production (front row all three performances), and got to cosplay on the cruise and get a picture on stage with the cast! This was absolutely everything to me, especially seeing the original choreography as opposed to the revival. I definitely cried. (I'm in the middle bottom row!)

I've gotten to make some costume pieces for three regional productions of Cats, in the Dominican Republic, Atlanta Georgia, and most recently Georgetown Texas. I've won some local cosplay contest with my costumes, too! And I'm lucky enough to own a few original pieces- though I've had to part with some too.

My love for this show has spanned just over 17 years now. I adore the story, the costumes, the choreography, the sets, and the characters. It's part of how I learned I am autistic. It's given me confidence I didn't know I could find. And every time I get to see it live, I feel like I'm where I belong. The fandom has felt quiet. And I'm not sure if that's just because I don't know where I fit in? So here's hoping I can find my tribe.

Favorite productions: Original Broadway, Moscow, and Mexico 2013/2018

Favorite Cats: Jemima/Sillabub, Bombalurina, Demeter, Munkustrap, Tumblebrutus, Jellylorum

Favorite songs: Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats, The Song of the Jellicles and the Jellicle Ball, Macavity

Favorite cats to cosplay: Etcetera and Victoria

[angy-grrr]

btw, im not waiting a whole week just to see izu///ocha confession, and tbh I dont think hori would spend that energy in it -he didnt before after all. I just think a platonic interpretation opens up the possibilities for closing more arcs -for example, the whole control your heart, the future of heroes and villains, etc.

Doing a confession would actually be too abrupt in my opinion, considering she is here crying over Himiko, this isnt about him and loving him.

EDIT:

btw this doesnt mean im dropping bnha. Im just saying I dont think it makes sense to wait two weeks for a confession of a ship that has not that much development in the first place -and this isnt about time spent with them. Its about emotional investment. Ochako and Himiko dont have the spotlight that much when thinking about all the manga chapters and arcs, however it got a loyal fanbase because the times they are together they are impactful. We didnt even know she was this invested in Toga in those ways, like the lovely smile and liking it ever since she saw it for the first time, until she said it. After only two chapters, they felt like a very beautiful and tragic ship because they care for the other in ways incomparable with others, and their dynamic feels extremely romantic. In another hand, izu//ocha doesnt have that feeling at all even if they have more panels together -there were many ways to connect them in a relevant way, but their moments arent as emotionally charged.

When Ochako jumped to defend Izuku for example; it could have been like that but instead we have her thinking about who saves heroes when focusing on him -this isnt emotional for them together-, and when she talks about smiles, her mind jumps to Himiko crying -this is personal and emotional at the same time. If we had her thinking "who will save villains" for Himiko, it would come out as way less romantic for canon; and if we had her thinking randomly about Izuku like she did at the beginning, with drawings of her face with an embarrassing expression or starting accepting it, it would be more romantic*

Its not that they have nothing in common, or dont care about each other in a meaningful way, its just that Hori decided to focus on other relationships instead of them together. The togachako confrontation in comparison shows us how he can focus on mainly the pair without forgetting about other important characters or feelings -she thought about him, and confessed she fell in love with him, yet it hit me way harder when she remembered her sad smile.

They just are... casual? It doesnt get me invested in them because none of their moments are intimate, I think (I mean Himiko and Ochako feel way closer than Izuku and Ochako even when they share goals and have cute moments, maybe bc some of the themes that hori seemed to introduce in the beginning for them got dropped after Katsuki was chosen to remain as a supportive pillar for Izuku. I hope the phrasing comes out as I intended!)

*I guess the closer to this would be her wishing him to give his best when she was at the helicopter, but personally I dont count it as random because everyone was feeling the same -and Iida is the link to this, narratively speaking. It wasn't her in the helicopter in a different scene with nobody else discussing these topics, neither it was Izuku thinking of this aspect of her on his own. So it doesnt come off as impactful.

[letteredlettered]

Hi Im sure you answered this already but i sadly cant find it: how did end up shipping or rather writing drarry fics?

I've actually been asked quite a few times why I ship H/D. I never answer, because it's complicated and long and I have an essay on the subject, so I'll answer the 'how' question without addressing the 'why'.

Once upon a time, the internet was becoming a thing that people used regularly. The news kept talking about how the youths of the day were "surfing the 'net" and this was going to be the new normal. As usual, I could not identify with the 'youths of the day,' even though I was one. What could possibly be of interest to me on the internet? Reading books was far better than talking to other people. Then one day in my senior year of high school it dawned on me that you could possibly talk to other people about books, something I had never done before, as I didn't know anyone but my parents and brothers who ever read for fun, and my parents and brothers did not like to read things like Jane Austen. What if there were people on the 'net who liked Jane Austen??? Seemed fake, but I gave it a try.

The first Jane Austen website I found was Republic of Pemberley, which hosted something they called "Bits of Ivory." Through the "Ramble" board on Republic of Pemberley, I found out that there were "Bits of Ivory" elsewhere. It was called fanfic and hosted on fanfic.net.

Almost all of it that I was introduced to was Harry Potter fic, as HP was the megafandom of the time, and my Sense and Sensibility friend was obsessed with Snape, mainly because of Alan Rickman. I was also obsessed with Snape, though I must say that even though I had been obsessed with Alan Rickman since 1995, I never did like his casting as Snape and still don't. Anyway, I ended up getting interested in Snape/Hermione fic, and continued to be interested on and off for over the next five years.

I should pause at this moment to say that I had been writing fanfic since the fourth grade. I didn't know it was called fic. I didn't know other people did it. It never occurred to me to share it. When I found "Bits of Ivory" it actually took me a while to process that the stories there were in a similar vein to the stories I had been writing all my life, stories based on fiction by other people. It was just so wild to me that anyone would share that stuff, as though other people would want to read the different endings that they came up with, the self-inserts and the cross-overs they came up with.

I should also take this moment to say that I didn't really have slash ships. I was aware that slash existed, and I thought it was great. Sirius/Remus was a background ship everywhere at the time, and even though I didn't really see it in canon and wasn't terribly interested in it, I thought it was a nice thing. And when I started getting into X-Men through Wolverine/Rogue, it seemed obvious to me that Professor X and Magneto had a past sexual relationship. I, in fact, had an original story that I'd started writing in eleventh grade that had similar tension between two male characters, and the idea that they were in love and unable to have sex about it explained so much. And I wrote more original stories in college that were gay.

I think my problem was that the canons I was consuming were quite straight, and while I wasn't obsessed with writing canon-compliant fics, I was (and still am, to some extent) obsessed with writing characters who were true to canon. At the time sexuality seemed some kind of immutable thing to me that was deeply a part of who a character was. Also, sex to me was very Other; it meant something really deep and serious about you that obliterated other things you were. For instance, I was frustrated with all the Frodo/Sam porn, because I felt it obliterated their beautiful friendship and made their relationship about sex and being gay rather than the deep pure bond of friendship. So I was maybe kind of homophobic and confused.

Then I fell in love with Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and while that canon has a lot of heteronormativity, it not only has a character who thought she was straight who realizes she's gay, it also has vampires who have lived for centuries and who have broken every kind of social norm that exists. It seemed silly to me to assume that Spike or Angel were straight, which is how I began shipping Spike/Angel, which is how I got absolutely obsessed with slash. It was so liberating to write porn where the power dynamic wasn't influenced by centuries of patriarchy! It was so liberating to write porn where I didn't have to think about my own anatomy or gender or position in a sexual dynamic! It was so liberating to write porn with a bunch of dicks!

Having discovered slash, I turned back to ye olde faithful fandom, which had ten billion fics about everything. I'm not sure I even tried Sirius/Remus, because I was still so uninterested in it, but now I read all the Snape slash, the majority of which seemed to be Harry/Snape. The thing is, I don't ship Harry/Snape. It can be very hot! But while the porn is fine and some of the stories are fun, these are not two people that I want to live happily ever after. I just think that the power dynamic between them, the history they have, and the personalities they are do not make me want to imagine them as a couple with a happy marriage who occasionally have the friends over for games of Quidditch and Exploding Snap. And while I like queer complicated, angsty stories, I also like a happy ending in a semi-heteronormative sense, especially for Harry Potter, who really seems to want one. So, I started looking for other Harry Potter slash.

I knew that Harry/Draco was a juggernaut pairing, but I just hated Draco Malfoy so much. I honestly could not stand him. I used to go about saying that I hated him not only as a person (like, I also hated Snape as a person; he's a dick, and he's cruel to children! But he's a great character) but as a character. I just didn't like the function he played in the narrative. I like big, dramatic rivalries and evil vs good; meanwhile, Draco Malfoy is a little worm. So I kept thinking about reading HP slash, but resisting.

Then, one day, I was sleeping on the couch, and woke up suddenly with the idea that Draco Malfoy could be reformed. He could be sorry for all the shitty things he's done! He could be really apologetic! He could be really trying to make up for his past, and Harry could find this truly beautiful, and they could have sex about it!

Surprisingly, it was hard to find fic about this. For some reason, in most of the fic, it was Harry having to earn Malfoy's approval, instead of the other way around, which I found absolutely bonkers. But I eventually found Eclipse, by Mijan, which was just what I wanted. Then I was obsessed and was reading every Harry/Draco fic I could find.

Eventually, I even read the ones in which Harry was a cad and Draco Malfoy was a perfect snowflake who never did anything wrong. And then I started finding fics that really emphasized that Draco had a very different point of view of what happened, which showed that he really had no way to understand who Harry was, or what Harry had been through. In these fics, Harry had to do some work to understand Draco, which is what really sold me on the pairing. I still want fics in which Draco has to do a lot of heavy lifting to address his past and deal with the hurt he has caused and the violence of his previously genocidal outlook, but I love it when Harry, too, has to adjust. After saving the world and losing most people he loves and protecting the innocent and doing his exhausted little best to be honest and righteous and true, Harry Potter still has to do work, again, to overcome his past and find a peaceful life. And that's what made me start writing Harry/Draco, the end.

[reidingandwriting]

Speak Now (Hotch’s Version)

Chapter One: Enchanted

“All I can say is it was enchanting to meet you”

Word Count: ~1000 words

Pairing: Aaron Hotchner x Reader

Warnings: None I think? This chapter is pure fluff :)

Next chapter

A/N: Hello hello! This is the start of my Eras Tour fanfic series, and we are starting with the album Speak Now featuring Aaron Hotchner! Every chapter in this series will follow a song from Taylor Swift’s album being featured to tell a story of a relationship. I am super excited for this series! If you have any characters you’d like to tie to future albums, please let me know! Some series may feature canon couples, some may feature ships, some may be reader-inserts, so I hope at least one part of the series clicks with you 💜 This chapter is a shorter one, sorry!

Another FBI banquet. A perfect way to spend one of the only days off you got, you huffed as you took a sip of your champagne. You stood by your colleagues, surrounded by the same boring conversation, and you forced laughter and faked smiles where appropriate. Rehearsed answers fell from your lips as your gaze shifted across the room, and you paused when your eyes met dark brown ones.

There was an air of familiarity around the man and you watched as his expression molded into one similar to how you felt. Subtle, but a faint hint of questioning in his eyes. You were surprised as he started to cross the room, and you found yourself walking over to meet him before you realized you were. “Have we met before?” You blurted and his brows furrowed, and you were quick to continue talking. “I’m sorry. You just seem really familiar, like I’ve seen you before.”

“I’ve been to a few of these,” he said before he stuck his hand out. You took his hand in your own and shook it. “Aaron Hotchner.” You introduced yourself before letting go of his hand. Hotchner, Hotchner…

“From the BAU, right?” You asked and Hotchner nodded. “From Sex Crimes, myself.” You nodded over to your colleagues, where your absence was not noticed. “They don’t know it yet, but my transfer was just approved this afternoon.” You took another sip of champagne as Hotchner’s brows raised ever so slightly.

“A transfer? Any reason you wanted to leave?” Hotchner started to edge away from the crowd and you followed suit.

“I love the work I did, don’t get me wrong. I just… felt like my time there has reached its end. I’d been eyeing transferring for a while, and when the opportunity made itself known, I went for it. I didn’t think I’d get it, to be honest,” you admitted, “but somehow I did.”

“Congratulations on the transfer. Where are you transferring, if I may ask?”

“And ruin my mysterious appeal?” You teased and were pleasantly surprised to get a smile and a huff of laughter from Hotchner. “But I want to keep it under wraps for a little longer. It just feels… surreal. Like if I say it out loud, I’ll wake up from the dream and lose it all.” Hotchner nodded in what seemed like understanding, and the two of you continued to talk for what felt like ages but seconds at the same time. You had no idea how much time had passed until the crowd started to dissipate, the largest group remaining consisting of some agents not-so-subtlety watching Hotchner. One immediately caught your attention, her outfit a bit flashier and brighter than everyone else’s. Like a ray of sunshine between the sea of blacks and blues.

“You’ve got some admirers,” you said and Hotchner rolled his eyes lightheartedly.

“That would be my team. Meddling children, all of them.”

“They’re lucky to have you, from my judgment.” You smiled. “I unfortunately should let you go, tend to your children. And I have a busy day tomorrow, finalizing papers and saying my goodbyes.”

“Good luck with everything, Y/L/N,” Hotchner said and you exchanged your goodbyes. You started to walk away, then paused for a moment before you called out his name.

“I’ve got a feeling we’ll be seeing each other again soon.” You winked as you walked off, missing the contemplative look on his face. As you walked back to your car, you couldn’t help feeling like a school-aged kid with a playground crush. Aaron Hotchner. You didn’t know much about the man, just the basics of his department and what you learned while speaking to him tonight, but you couldn’t believe your luck to have met him. Cheeks flushed, you got into your car and drove home, smiling the entire drive.

-

A week had passed since the Annual Banquet and you paced the floor of your apartment, talking to your best friend.

“You don’t understand, you didn’t get to meet him. There’s no way he’s available,” you told your friend who sighed from their spot on the couch. “I can’t believe I’m this obsessed with a man I met once. It’s pathetic, isn’t it? Wait, don’t answer that.”

“You’ve wanted to be in the BAU since your, what, second year in the FBI? In a way, you looked up to him. You wanted to be in his position. And then you got to meet him, and you’ve always had a tendency of taking small things and running with them.” You scowled before you fell back against the couch, groaning.

“Aaron fucking Hotchner.” You said and your friend laughed. “What I would give for him to just be on my doorstep, like ‘Hey, I know we’ve only met once and only spoke at a work event, but meeting you was the best part of my night.”

“Enchanting sounds better,” your friend corrected. “He was enchanted to meet you. Who knows? Maybe this is the start of the story, not the end. And besides, you’ll see him again soon.”

“Not soon enough.”

Aaron Hotchner

Aaron Hotchner

Hotchner

Hotchner

Aaron.

You walked into the Quantico building a few days later, early Monday morning. You had greatly overestimated your commute and how long your meeting with the Section Chief would take, and you stood outside the bullpen, occasionally talking to the Section Chief to settle your nerves. The elevator dinged and you admittedly flinched at the sudden noise.

“Agent Hotchner,” Section Chief Strauss spoke and you lowered your gaze, suddenly finding the flooring very interesting until you felt a hand on your shoulder. “Meet your newest agent.”

Hour gaze slowly traveled up to meet familiar brown eyes, a flash of recognition in them before Hotchner stuck his hand out for you. “I told you we’d see each other again, Agent Hotchner.” You tried to get a read of Hotchner’s face, unable to pick up any disappointment but not seeing any real contentment either. For just a second, it was so fast you may have imagined it, a small smile graced Hotchner’s face and you took his hand in your own.

“You were right. Nice to see you again, Agent Y/L/N. Welcome to the team.”

[sanjoongie]

ℑ 𝔠𝔞𝔫 𝔣𝔦𝔵 𝔶𝔬𝔲

🖤Third Flower chosen for The Language of Flowers event held by @cultofdionysusnet

🖤Prompt Chosen: black lily {love, curse}

🖤Pairing: Crazy Evil Genius! Yunho x Cyborg Naga! Reader (f)

🖤Genre: smut with plot!

🖤Trope: coworkers to lovers

🖤Au: sci-fi, cyborg, evil genius, hybrid

🖤Rating: 18+, MDNI

🖤Warnings: cybernetic enhancements without consent!, Yunho is genuinely off his rocker, mentions of murder, accidental dismemberment, explosions, death ⚠Kinks~ sub! yunho, dom! reader, fingering, oral (f)

🖤Word Count: 2,549

🖤Summary: when a devastating accident in the engine room destroys your body, a scientist offers his abilities to repair you... he sees a beauty, you see a beast. His love is truly a cursed one

🖤Author's Note: a thank you must go to @stardragongalaxy for getting an idea from Coachella Yunho, brainstorming it with me, and then gifting me said idea. you are the most generous soul I know

🖤divider by @cafekitsune

You walked through the garden of the ship Treasure, running your hands over the lush leaves and smelling the open flowers. You had done everything you could to fix the ship but it had taken on too much damage. So you moved to a vantage point, the beautiful five pane sealed dome of the gardens, to view the ship’s brilliant explosion.

The last thing you remembered was the sound of the quantum engines, your babies, whining into their death sequence. You wanted to keep your eyes open, to witness their brilliant demise but the light was just too bright for you. Still, if you couldn't save them, at least you could be with them for their last moments.

You thought you were going to die, but as it turned out, the doctor on board when the accident had happened dabbled in cybernetics. You had been introduced to him in passing, when he ate lunch with the Captain and the crew. He was an odd sort, extremely tall but dressed to the nines. He inquired about the engines with a learned twinkle in his eye. Odd, but not harmful. Or so you thought.

“Ah, my goddess awakes.”

You struggled to open your eyes as your consciousness came back to you. “Wh-what happened?”

“You were in an accident,” the soft voice cooed at you. “But luckily I was able to put you all back together again.”

“Back…together?” What did that even mean?

You were finally able to battle away the fog in your mind, you were met with inquisitive brown eyes. “I made some improvements. I couldn't help myself. Your situation was unique. But I’m sure you’ll find them glorious.”

You attempted to move your arms but they felt sluggish to respond to you. Then, whip-quick, they moved. You couldn't comprehend what was before you. You turned your ‘hands’ back and forth in front of you. It was like you had on rose gold scale gloves up past your elbows. The metallic material shimmered in the light. But instead of fingers you had talons.

“You lost both your arms,” the doctor said cheerfully. “Now, if you are trapped in the underbelly of the ship, you’ll be able to get away quickly!”

You moved to sit up higher in the cot you were on but squeezed too hard. Metal squealed in protest and your mouth dropped in shock. 

The doctor, you struggled to remember his name upon introduction, brought his forefinger and thumb to his chin in thought. “It’ll probably take you a while to adjust to your newfound strength. Much better if you remain with me in the lab.”

The cot, having lost its support, collapsed and you fell to the side. The blankets that had been covering your legs, ripped off in your descent and you were met with an even bigger shock. You no longer had any legs; you now had a rose gold tail to match your new arms.

“What the fuck?!” You shouted in astonishment.

“Ah, yes.” The doctor walked over to where you had fallen. “You lost your legs in the blast as well. Quite gruesome.” His long fingers traced the scales, starting where your calf would have been. “But with this thick, strong tail, you will be so much faster. Nothing will ever be able to destroy you again.”

His fingers continued to move up your tail, up to where your knee would be. He peeked through his fringe, almost boyish like, but his eyes gleamed fever-bright. He was odd, even in this almost intimate moment. “Do you like it?”

You frowned, hard. “I don’t… why…? This is all so…”

“Wait! I know you’ll love this!” The doctor rushed away to grab a hand mirror and was by your side in an instant. “Smile for me, my goddess.”

You bared your teeth and didn’t recognize yourself. You had two long fangs. The further you opened your jaw, the more it elongated, just like a snake. 

“I’m a monster,” You whimpered to your reflection.

“No!” The doctor protested. “There is venom in your fangs, which you activate with pressing your tongue to the back of the fangs. You can protect yourself, be strong! Nothing will be able to get to you now! You’re a goddess among mortals.”

You ripped the mirror from his hands and threw it against the wall. Instead of smashing it, it simply thunked into the wall with the strength you threw it with. 

The doctor watched in awe and then his eyes shone with adoration. “See what gifts you have! You’ll accept them eventually, just you watch. But for now, I think, a nap is in order.”

The other hand, the one that hadn't been admiring your tail earlier, sported a finger like contraption, almost similar to your talons. Before you could register what was happening, he pricked the side of your neck and you felt your limbs and head grow heavy. 

“There there, my love,” the doctor hummed. “Sleep a dreamless sleep. It will all be better when you wake up.” 

The doctor’s name was Jeong Yunho. He refused to let you call him Doctor Jeong. 

“We’ve been through so much together,” he would say, sighing happily. “Just call me Yunho.”

As much as you wanted to kill the doctor for all the modifications that you most certainly did not agree to, your levelheadedness realized that would not be prudent. He was the man that created you and you were certain that if he died, and something went wrong with your modifications, that there would not be a second doctor specializing in cybernetics to fix you.

So you endure your rehabilitation with the lovesick doctor. For that was surely what he was. There wasn’t a moment that went by that he wasn’t sporting heart eyes at you. He spoke to you in tones that belied adoration and care. He wouldn’t stop talking about his wonderful enhancements. And he most definitely would not stop referring to you as his goddess or his love.

The fair doctor was crazy. He was a genius, but he was crazy. You weren’t sure what kind of world he was living in but it was most definitely not reality. Because in what reality would a half human half snake be seen as an improvement?

You remained inside the med bay slash laboratory that Yunho resided in. You were in no hurry to encounter any other human. 

Which resulted in you being bombarded by Yunho. The more he praised you, the more you despised what you looked like. Each time he referred to you as his goddess only added a block upon block of resentment towards him. 

Then finally you snapped.

You had become apt with your new body. You knew how to move your tail to move at a viper’s pace. You wrapped your talons around Yunho’s upper arms and slammed him into the wall. Your fangs were on his neck. 

Then you were completely thrown off when Yunho moaned, “Please, end me, my goddess.”

Your tongue was pressing against the activator for your venom but you couldn't find it in you to do it. Yunho was… somehow getting off on this and that was not what you wanted when you finally killed him. 

You let him go and he slowly sunk to the floor, a look of bewilderment on his face. “What? Why won’t you kill me, my love?”

“Why would I give you pleasure?” You snarled, whipping your tail in anger. It hit this table and knocked over that set of beakers but Yunho didn’t wince from the destruction.

Yunho looked up at you with puppy dog eyes, mouth slightly parted. “You would end me! Your fangs pressed to my jugular, pumping them full of poison and vengeance. You would be using everything I’ve gifted you!”

“It is not a gift, Yunho, it is a curse!” You howled. 

Yunho scrambled to get up as you went on a full rampage. If you couldn't lash out at the genius doctor who was quite insane, then you still needed to pour out your rage. You wrecked the entirety of the lab. Whatever Yunho was working on, several projects or one, it was all gone. He watched you destroy it all. 

And when you were done, breathing hard, unknown chemicals dripping from your talons, a glare of hatred aimed at Yunho, he approached you. He treated you like a caged tiger, cautiously tiptoeing through the chaos to get closer to you.

“You are practically indestructible now, my goddess. You are powerful which only adds to your engineer brain. And more so, you are beautiful in your new form. Why can you not accept that?”

“Because who can love someone who is monstrous like me in this form?” You yelled. Your soul felt torn apart. “You have condemned me, doctor.”

Yunho shook his head fervently. “No. No, you are wrong. I love you.” Yunho pounded his fist to his chest to emphasize his point.

You turned away from him, unable to view what was on his face. “You love the madness you created, not me.”

Yunho, with the hand that had two fingers covered with the same guard that he had used to inject you with an anesthetic when you first woke, gently turned your head back towards him. “No. You are wrong once again. I made you in an image that is beautiful and strong. I am in love with you, who remained in the most dangerous of places in order to save the engine from blowing and perhaps killing others. I am in love with you, my goddess.”

You scoffed at the mad doctor, “Ridiculous.” You retained your disbelief.

“Shall I show you?” Yunho offered softly.

“How?” You barked.

Yunho pressed his lips to yours, practically trembling. Whether he was scared or excited, you weren't entirely too sure but you remained still as his kisses moved from the corner of your mouth, along your jaw and down your neck.

“What are you doing?” You demanded, your talons curling into your scaled palms.

“Worshipping your body like the goddess you are,” Yunho murmured against your skin.

Yunho unbuttoned the short sleeve dress you wore and it fluttered down your body, catching at your hips. He cupped one breast tenderly, his plump lips wrapping around the other nipple. He suckled and licked the nipple as his fingerguard’s sharp edge played along the areola of your other breast. You cried out at the soft and hard worship of your body, the dual stimulation making you wet.

Yunho altered his mouth to your other breast, wriggling his unadorned hand down the front of your dress, to brush the pads of his fingers along your slit. Your tail ended high on your thigh, allowing access to your cunt still. The doctor gasped in delight when he found your slick gushing from between what remained of your legs. 

You opened your mouth to snarl at Yunho but he was too eager to give you more pleasure. Two fingers pushed into your cunt with ease and you groaned as Yunho stretched you out. Embarrassing wet noises could be heard from the both of you as he thrusted his long fingers into you.

“I will do this every day for as long as you demand, to prove my love for you,” Yunho whined.

He began to hump your leg eagerly, in tandem with the thrusting of his fingers. You could feel how hard he was against your hip. He was desperate for all of you.

“Yunho, wait.” 

You pushed him back with one hand, only to see Yunho’s eyebrows furrowed, like you had taken away a very yummy treat from him. But his fingers stilled inside you, much like the eager, good pup he was portraying right now. 

“Can I taste you? Bring you to climax with my tongue? Oh please let me do that. I don’t need anything else but that, and then I will die a happy man,” Yunho begged.

You were truly struck with how much this man was simpering for you. It was clear the need he had to please you was strong. It was clear that his lust for you thrummed through every muscle in his body right now. It shocked you to your core, but then again, this man made you into the monster you were. Perhaps he did make you in an image that was beautiful to him.

So you slithered to a lab bench nearby with purpose. You pushed your dress down your hips and leaned over the chaos you had wrought. “Show me,” You said throatily.

Yunho was on his knees within a millisecond, face pushed into your pussy. He sloppily lapped at it, tongue exploring all of the flesh available to him. He sucked on your inner lips. He circled your clit with the tip of his tongue. He used his hands to push back the plush flesh of your ass so that he could tongue-fuck you. You weren’t entirely sure how Yunho was managing to breathe, if you were being honest, but you were too caught up in the pleasure blossoming in your lower stomach.

Your talons flexed into the stainless steel lab counter, making the metal screech in protest. You could feel rather than hear Yunho chuckle into your cunt. Still, he didn’t stop until you cried out with an orgasm, and even then, he lapped up every drop of your slick. You panted against the lab bench, trying to absorb what exactly just happened.

You pushed yourself up and caught Yunho wiping his face of your wetness and licking every bit of it instead of wiping it away. This man was something else. 

“I don’t understand you,” You admitted, frowning at the doctor.

Yunho beamed up at you, innocent in his filthy actions. “What’s there to understand? I saved you. I recreated you in a powerful image that only supports your beauty. And I crave to taste every inch of you on my tongue.”

You shuddered, somewhat delicately. Your tail, also in response to Yunho’s words, curled itself into a spiral at the base of where it was supporting you. Yunho watched with apt interest, probably noting your natural reactions. 

Yunho stood up, his hard on painfully obvious against his slacks, yet he made no overtures to fix his situation. Instead he asked, “Have I proven myself to you, my love?”

“I suppose I believe you,” You said grudgingly. 

Yunho clapped his hands once. “Then it’s settled. We shall rule the galaxy. With my schemes, and your power and beauty, none will be able to stand against us.”

“You can’t just decide these things on your own!” You protested.

Yunho’s eyes swirled with insanity, a maniac grin pulling his lips up garishly. “Do you not despise the world for what it’s done to you? Do you not want to take it out on the world? While I lavish you with adoration and attention?”

That made you pause. Hadn't it felt good to lash out? To receive Yunho’s love? You felt like you could not argue with his points.

Yunho offered you his arm and you found yourself taking it. Whatever lay before you, be it destruction and madness, you found yourself looking forward to your future. And your mad doctor’s schemes too.

[goddessofmischief]

      QUESTION...? - YOUNG SHANKS X READER

A/N: this is part of this series, which requests are open for! These fics are all one-shots, so they can be read separately.

If he was being honest, Shanks had thought about that kiss many times. The first kiss, his and yours.

It had never since been repeated. It had never since ever been mentioned, so repeating was certainly off the table. He had many kisses since, with many others, but none the same, and none quite as real.

Through it all, he had remained your closest friend. He, you, and Buggy had remained on Roger's crew, contented to stay on and learn for the time being. But tides had been changing as of late, Shanks knew. Roger had warned him of it himself.

He wondered where you might end up, if things fell apart, if their little family were to be separated. It was impossible to imagine you alone, but he was sure you were capable of it. You had never really needed him or Buggy.

...You certainly didn't need Buggy, at least.

Some nights, when he was being really honest, he imagined sailing away with you. Just you. Sure, he'd find a crew someday, but he wanted a couple years to see what life was like without one.

But that dream had died today, as today was the day he was introduced to your new boyfriend, Dracule Mihawk.

Shanks had a cursory knowledge of Mihawk that was far more extensive than he cared to admit. While the boys were only one year apart in age, Mihawk's extensive accomplishments far outranked Shanks'. Mihawk was already one of the world's greatest swordsmen.

How could he compete with that?

To be fair, Shanks was no slouch with a sword. It was hardly an insecurity of his. He was certainly one of the best, but he wasn't one of the greatest. And this shouldn't have mattered so much, anyway: It's not like you were in love with Dracule Mihawk entirely based on his sword skills.

No, you loved him for a thousand other reasons, all of which became dreadfully apparent to Shanks the moment Mihawk set foot on their ship.

He was polite, almost to a fault. He was cutting when it came off as clever. He had an utterly inescapable stare that made Shanks understand the meaning of the nickname 'Hawk-Eyes.' He was not a man, he was a force of nature, and Shanks felt terribly small beside him.

"So... what's your job?" Buggy asked. The three of them were seated in the dining room, waiting for dinner to begin.

"Gun for hire," Mihawk said calmly. "But only for the best."

"And... what's your intentions with Y/N?"

Mihawk stared him down. Shanks felt very grateful that Buggy had asked first.

"To marry her, of course."

Shanks almost choked on his drink.

Marriage? Really? That's what this was? It was too soon, it wasn't fair. He hadn't had time to do anything, he hadn't had time to even consider the full depth of his feelings for you. Mihawk was going to take you away, and he would never see you again.

"Marriage?" Shanks asked, trying to assume a jesting tone. "Isn't that a bit... sudden?"

"Well, yes," said Mihawk. "But I'm sure there's no one better for me, and I would hate to lose her."

"Ah... I understand what you mean." He understood it all too well.

You entered the dining room, and Mihawk rose to greet you. Shanks stood up, too, whacking Buggy on the shoulder to get him to stand.

You looked beautiful... of course... and completely in love. He didn't know someone else's joy could cause him so much suffering.

Mihawk handed you a drink - the rim was covered in dried flowers, he'd forgotten you liked them so much - and the liquid was a violet color.

"You remembered," you whispered to Mihawk with affection, and he merely smiled. Coward. If you'd spoken like that to him he would have had the ring out already.

The four of you turned to face the door again, as a sound like thunder echoed from the outside-

But Shanks knew it was only his adopted father's footsteps.

"Mihawk, is it?" said Gol. D. Roger appraisingly, looking the boy up and down.

"Yes, sir, it is."

"What do you do to survive, Mihawk?"

"Whatever I like."

Shanks wasn't quite sure how Roger felt about this answer - please hate it - until Roger began laughing uproariously.

Damn it.

Was this how mutiny felt? It seemed like it was one, sitting at that table, watching all those happy people conspire over futures he wouldn't be part of. He felt like a ghost, like he'd already died, like everything was too little, too late. He didn't blame you - how could he? you had done nothing wrong - but still, his heart broke a little every time he saw you reach for Mihawk's hand.

"It was a nice dinner," you later said to Shanks, standing at the edge of the ship, while Mihawk and Roger sat stoically in silence inside. "Thanks for being there."

You held a cigarette, and he watched as you exhaled smoke across the water.

"Give it," he said, half-jokingly, and he took a puff as well. You stared at him.

"What?"

"Nothing," you responded, holding your hand out and taking the cigarette back. But it wasn't nothing. The truth of it was that him standing there, tall as ever, with his dumb little necklace and dumb loose, white shirt... it made you remember how you'd felt for him during that kiss, years ago, all those feelings you'd tried to bury since.

Mihawk made sense. He was honorable, undeniably handsome, and clever. And it wasn't that Shanks wasn't these things - it was that Shanks had expectations set for him you couldn't possibly hope to live up to, and couldn't imagine following after.

He would be King of the Pirates. He would find the One Piece. You never doubted any of it. Everything Roger declared would someday become truth. This much was certain.

Could you handle that? It felt too much to bear, too big a weight to carry. Your love for Shanks - that's what it was, it was love - came second to Roger's aspirations for him and things the world needed him to do. He was a great man, he would do great things. And you had no place in any of it.

"You're lost in thought, it seems," Shanks prompted. You smile.

"Just thinking about Mihawk," you responded.

"You know, he... he told us he wants to marry you."

Your cheeks flushed red.

"I know," you spoke casually, even though you hadn't known. "He wants us to travel together, before he settles somewhere."

"But not now, right?"

"Maybe now."

"It can't be now!" Shanks said. "With everything going on? The World Government at our backs and Roger's health-"

"What do you know about that?"

"More than you know."

"I know quite a bit," you responded. "I'm the one who diagnosed him."

"Oh," said Shanks, trying not to let on how worried he was. "How long has he got?"

"A year. Maybe less." You puffed on the cigarette again. "He's said he wants to see us all happy, before he goes."

"That's not what this is about, is it? Please tell me that's not what this is about."

That was what this was about.

"You can't marry Mihawk just to make Roger happy! That's not what he wants!"

"How do you know what he wants?"

"He wants you to have adventures! He wants you to be one of the greatest pirates ever! He wants us..." Shanks became very quiet. "He wants us to stick together."

You held your breath. What you were about to say would disrupt all your lives: yours, Shanks, Buggy's.

"The Roger Pirates are disbanding next week, Shanks," you said. "I'm the only one who knows. Me and Rayleigh, and Roger. That's it."

Shanks stepped back, almost unable to comprehend what you'd just said.

"Oh," he said, unexpectedly somber. "And what happens then?"

"Then we go our separate ways," you said. "And Roger is going to turn himself in."

"To the World Government?"

"It's the only way. Or so he's said. I believe him."

Shanks sank down over the side of the railing, gripping the sides to keep himself from falling off. You watched him with concern.

"Can I ask you a question?" he spoke, softly.

You shrugged.

"Shoot."

He raised himself up far enough to make eye contact with you.

"Do you ever think about it?"

"What?"

"Us."

"...Oh," you said. "Us."

Behind you, Shanks paled, already waving off your answer.

"...It was just a question."

"I think of you all the time," you said, trying to avoid the full implications of such a question. "You're one of my best friends."

Shanks stared you down, leaning against the edge of the ship.

"That is not what I mean," said Shanks. "I think that you know."

You did know.

Before you could stop yourself, you reached out and placed your hands on his shoulders. He looked at you, unblinkingly.

"I can't," you enunciated, staring at his shoes before meeting his gaze. "I can't let there be an us."

"But there could be."

You needed to end this now.

Still clutching his shoulders, you bent your head past his face, lips brushing against his ear.

You knew you held his heart in your hands. You knew you were about to crush it.

"I need a man," you spoke carefully, "And you are still just a boy."

taglist: @sordidmusings@foggyturtleknightangel@twinklesnake@toertchen@96jnie@lunanight1021

[fabuloustrash05]

A Character First, A Love Interest Second: RaMona Did It Right!

((A TMNT 2012 RaMona Analysis))

Something I feel we as a fandom don’t give Raph enough credit for is how he’s the only brother to NOT have a “love at first sight” trope with his love interest Mona Lisa, and I feel that says a lot about his character and relationship with her, not only that, but it saves Mona’s character.

How you may ask? A lot of people don’t seem to realize this, but I love how when Mona Lisa is first introduced she’s not immediately established to be a love interest unlike the other girls. Mona is given some time to be her own character and show off a bit of her personality. For the other girls, there introduction is through the Turtles POV, established as a love interest FIRST then her own character/personality is shown later. This is made clear just from each Turtles reaction when first meeting their love interest. We are introduced to the female character through the “love at first sight” moment!

Donnie

Leo (I hate that I’m using this as an example this but this help prove my point)

Mikey

Edit: I timed it to see how long the girls intros were before they were established as a love interest. Here’s the LINK

I wanna clarify before people start assuming, no, I’m NOT saying that the other 2012 girls have no personality. They do, it just bothers me how they were introduced. Them being the love interest seemed more important to establish to the writers then her own character first.

Meanwhile for Mona Lisa; she’s introduced to the audience NOT the Turtles. This gives her a chance to establish her character/personality first then show her as a love interest later!

We learn just from her introduction scene and even her moment when confronting the Turtles that she is: strong willed, prideful (she’s proud of being the warrior she is and takes her battle’s seriously), stubborn (fight first, ask questions NEVER, like Raph), honorable, loyal (we learn she’s a lieutenant and respects and highly looks to her Commander), and even a bit short tempered (again, like Raph).

Her and Raph even get to speak to each other and have a little banter of threats before romance between them starts to blossom. There is no love at first sight. Unlike the other Turtles who immediately fall in love with the girl just from looking at her and thinking she’s pretty. Their feelings for each other took more time.

Raph did not fall for her looks like his brothers, he fell in love with the person Mona is. Physical attraction (I believe) is very important in a relationship and Raph does show and admits he does in fact find Mona attractive (Ex: calling her a beautiful work of art) but her looks is not what caught his attention. It was her personality, her spirit and capabilities as a warrior! I saw someone mentions this in another post once, but on rare occasions do we get to hear the other Turtles explain exactly WHY they like their love interests other then that they found the girl pretty (Yes, Donnie admits he thinks April is “cool” and Leo says Karai’s “fun” but that’s not enough!), meanwhile for Raph from the very beginning he has his list of reasons ready as to WHY he likes Mona! And he has no shame to admit it proudly!

And throughout the rest of their relationship, we see more of those reasons unfold. We see Raph and even Mona show more reasons as to why they love each other so much. And unlike the others ships, we actually get to see them act and be a couple! They flirt with each other, embrace and hold hands, make out, write love letters to each other, etc. The reason they worked so well is because as I said we get to see them be a couple, but also because Mona got to established herself as a character first before being Raph’s girlfriend.

Many of us can agree that TMNT 2012 failed greatly in the romance department, but they at least did one couple right with the relationship of Raphael and Mona Lisa. So I thank them for that <3

[vampyrekat]

cant believe i forgot about maleficent and her emo boytoy omg thank you for cleansing the timeline🫶

I am so pleased to bless the timeline with a fine vintage ship, come join me in savoring it. I checked out the novelization on a whim (commuting) and I was like, oh right! I forgot this movie and specifically this ship was made in a lab for my brain. So now I've rewatched the film and I'm lost in the sauce.

I love that Maleficent/Diaval is the story of two people accidentally raising a baby into a teenager together and the whole time Maleficent is oblivious (not her fault! she has bigger things going on!) while Diaval is like "that's my wife, she's terrifying. i love her. <3" Even when Aurora meets them properly as a 15 year old, Maleficent is Going Through It™ while Diaval is just so hype to finally introduce himself to his child.

Pictured above: moments that really did a number on me. He raised this kid and now he gets to finally meet her properly and they're both so delighted by it while Maleficent watches from the corner like }:-(

I really feel like the most beautiful and unique part of it is the genuine backtalk; Diaval might start out subservient and he certainly maintains that position but as time goes on he proves himself perfectly willing to correct or backtalk Maleficent. He basically functions as a reminder of her heart and moral compass while she is recovering from her hurt (and subsequent revenge bender) and it's delightful to watch because you rarely see a position where a male character is so open and honest while the woman gets to have the delicious redemption arc. Maleficent is going through an enemies-to-godfamily relationship arc with Aurora while Diaval is patiently waiting for her to realize he's got heart eyes (AND for her to realize she does actually love Aurora, that's another great element, he realizes this LONG before Maleficent does and tries to gently nudge her over to that revelation). But also this:

He really said "I am just pretending to be afraid of you; I know you won't hurt me even if you push me around" and he was right. What a lovely thing to be playing out as the B or maybe C-plot. There's enough insane drama happening, it's nice that there's something a little lighter and more steady in the background of the story.

Another thing I was musing on through the book and film -- as much as I adore found family and platonic love, it's nice to see a story where a victim of what is clearly coded as sexual assault and is at least intimate partner violence finds love again. I know Maleficent & Diaval isn't technically 'canon', but again, the film was juggling enough relationship arcs with Maleficent & Aurora and Maleficent & Stefan. It's okay, in my eyes, for the romance element to be subtext, when it's clearly still important and given some narrative space and weight.

I had a more coherent thought but finally found a gif of just this moment (thank you, @raainstorms, you spoil us all) so instead you get this. I love it. Maleficent really said "go defend our kid who I haven't realized yet is our kid" and Diaval said "understood". Never proposed but nevertheless they've been married for years.

"Who fell first vs. who fell harder" is defunct. "Which one is the evil minion who adopted the baby on sight and who is the Evil Empress who had to slowly realize they love the baby" is the vintage yardstick everything else has to measure up to. I will read 100,000 fanfics of Maleficent only belatedly realizing that somewhere in the process of acquiring her goddaughter she also acquired a husband. Maybe she acquired the husband first, she certainly does not know. Diaval understands this and is okay with it, Aurora probably doesn't understand in the slightest how her godmother did not pick up on anything.

And the sequel! I realized after reading some other posts that I did NOT remember the sequel correctly because my memories are "fairy genocide and also Diaval and Maleficent are co-parenting". Apparently somewhere in there Maleficent is shoved into a love triangle with two men who are not her long-term boytoy/coparent/external moral compass, which is ridiculous, because the film ends with them attending their daughter's wedding in matching outfits.

If Maleficent 3 (boo hiss at Disney, make something new, cowards) isn't about Aurora parent trapping them I am going to riot in the street.

TL;DR: My roommate described maleval as this post and I have not been able to shake it from my mind because it really, really fits:

[sabo-has-my-heart]

(hi! same previous anon!) May I request ace taking you to meet his mother for the first time? She’d definitely love you to pieces and prob show you ace’s baby pics (much to his embarrassment) but he’s glad that they’re bonding😊

This one almost got away from me, I had so much fun writing it. since you said 'still alive' I'm keeping it closer to the canon universe but with his mom in it (sort of... ish).

Warnings: fluff, naked baby Ace, GN!Reader

Word Count: 1810

     Ace grinned as he sped across the waves, holding you in his arms, safe from the fire that roared at his feet, sending his striker flying over the waters. He was taking you somewhere particularly special tonight. The two of you had been dating for a little while now and the ship was close enough that he could see her again, so he wanted to introduce you to her. You were the light of his life, the person of his dreams, everything he’d ever wanted in a person. She was the other light of his life, the woman who raised him and loved him unconditionally, the one who always comforted him and had even had the heart to take in his brothers. He visited her as often as he could, but the life of a pirate didn’t always make for frequent, planned, or routine visits. Still, this was the woman who fell in love with Roger, the king of the pirates, she understood better than anybody how the pirate life was. Hell, she encouraged it. Urging him to go out to sea when he was still young enough to be uncertain about it, when he was worried about leaving his mother to deal with his little brother, or worse, leaving her alone. When he apologized for not visiting more often, she’d simply smiled and kissed his forehead, telling him she was just happy to know he was alive. After Pops had taken him in, he’d apologized for a lot of things, but she’d just laughed and smiled like she always did. She was always so happy just to see him and hear that he was doing well. You were the same. When he worried that the pirate life would put you in danger, you just laughed it off and said you wouldn’t even be at sea if you were worried about safety. The number of times you’d waved off forgotten dates, missed meetings, or the one time he missed your birthday because he was holed up in the infirmary. The smile on your face, the light in your eyes that day, it was almost as if he was looking at his mother’s spirit in a different body. That same happiness, that same love that made his heart soar, made his heart ache from how hard it pounded for you. All either of you wanted was his happiness. Reaching the island, Ace smiled, holding you tighter as his striker sped up a little, his excitement urging him on. It didn’t take long for Ace to bring you to his mother’s home, a small, quaint little house, the smell of something delicious wafting from inside. The boy didn’t even bother knocking, opening the door, his eyes glowing like a kid on christmas morning as he looked around. 

     “Mom? I’m here!” he called, turning into a ball of sunshine and energy the moment a blond woman rounded the corner. Ace had her in a bear hug the moment he laid eyes on her, the woman laughing as she wrapped her arms around him.

     “Ace, sweetie, it’s so good to see you again!” she said as Ace attempted to hug the life out of her. 

     “It’s good to see you too, mom! I’m sorry I don’t visit more often.” he said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck, only to perk up suddenly, “Oh! This is the person I wanted you to meet! Y/n, this is my mom!” Ace said excitedly, hurrying over to you and putting his hands on your shoulders as he pushed you towards his mother. You couldn’t help the small laugh that escaped your lips, holding a hand out to the woman.

     “Nice to meet you, I'm Y/n.” you said with a sunny smile. Ace’s mom smiled and laughed slightly.

     “No need to be so formal, dear.” she said with a smile, pulling you into a hug. You couldn’t help the warmth that blossomed in your chest as you wrapped your arms around her. It was clear where Ace had gotten his warmth from. His smile might be thanks to his brothers, but his warmth was very clearly his mother’s. Pulling away, you couldn’t help but smile as Ace started telling his mother what he’d been up to and how he’d met you, a fond look in her eyes as she remembered her own love and her own young romance. 

     “So they’ve been told about all your embarrassing moments on board Whitebeard’s ship, but have they been told about the soft side of that angry little boy?” his mother asked, poking his bare stomach, making him squirm away from her, his smile dropping as he looked at his mother warily. 

     “I don’t know what you mean, they’ve already seen my softer side, I’m soft with them all the time. Just ask Marco or Thatch, they keep telling me that I’m giving them cavities.” Ace said, giving his mother a confused and slightly concerned glance. His mother gave a mischievous smile as she took your hand and pulled you into the living room.

     “Oh but they haven’t seen this side of you!” the woman said happily as she pulled some books out from a cupboard, Ace going a little pale, his excited, happy demeanor turning to one of embarrassment.

     “I-I’m sure that’s not necessary. I mean, it’s just me when I was young, so what.” Ace said, hoping to come off as nonchalant. He couldn’t make a big deal out of it, you’d get curious, but he really didn’t want you to do exactly what you were doing now as you grinned and sat next to his mother, the both of you pouring over the old baby pictures.

     “Oh, this is us in our old home on Dawn Island. I moved there for a while after Ace was born for safety. After Luffy left, though, I wanted to return here. Oh, oh! This is Ace on his first birthday! Look at his cute face! Oh, and here’s after I tried giving him a tiny piece of cake! He made such a mess!” she gushed, pointing to the various photos, her mind replaying each memory. 

     “You were such a cutie.” you said, giving Ace a teasing wink, the boy blushing as he stuffed his hands in his pockets and scoffed like he was upset.

     “Y-you didn’t have to pull out the baby pictures.” he ‘grumbled’ as he headed for the kitchen to see what his mother had made. Whatever it was, it smelled delicious and it gave him an excuse to get out of the embarrassing moment, though he was quickly spinning around, eyes wide at the next words out of his mother’s mouth.

     “This was one time when I tried to give him a bath, he hated being in the water when he was little, look at that little pout!” she said, fawning over the tiny black haired boy in the pictures.

     “Mom! Are… are you showing them pictures of me in the bath?!” Ace cried out, his cheeks turning cherry red.

     “Look at what a cute little butt he had.” you said, staring into his eyes with every word, the smile on your face just as mischievous as his mother’s. Ace groaned as he ‘fled’ to the kitchen, grabbing the food his mother had made. Despite his protests, hearing the two of you continue to go over old pictures made him feel like he was on cloud 9, like everything in life was perfect. You were getting along, even if she was showing you embarrassing old photos, his mother clearly loved you already. Then again, with how much he’d told her about you, it was like she’d known you for months already, talking with you like she would with an old friend. It was a while later that you both entered the kitchen, his mother laughing when she saw that he’d already eaten most of the dinner she’d been cooking.

"As hungry as ever, my little pirate prince.” she said affectionately, kissing the top of his head, making him blush and duck his head in embarrassment.

     “Oh come on! You already showed her baby pictures, do you really have to start in on the ‘pirate prince’ thing?” he ‘whined’ as you chuckled.

     “No need to start on it, I already saw ‘pirate prince Ace’s first treasure’.” you said with a grin, referencing one of the pictures his mother had shown you. Ace’s head hit the table as he groaned. He remembered the picture, he was 3 and he’d found a way into his mother’s garden. His clothes had gotten snagged on the fence as he’d wiggled in, leaving a 3 year old Ace naked among the hibiscus flowers. He’d pulled up most of the flowers by the time his mother found him. In the picture he sat on the ground, staring up behind him at his mother who’d just put a flower crown on him. In his lap was a small lunch box filled with squished and crumpled hibiscus flowers, his ‘treasure’. He remembered the garden quite well. They were yellow, orange, and red hibiscus’s and in the morning light with the dew still fresh, they glittered like real treasure. As much as his mother loved the garden, she hadn’t been mad at him, she couldn’t be, not when he looked so cute, trying to run away with his lunch box full of flowers, still naked and screaming that it was his treasure and she couldn’t have any. The two of you laughed as you sat down and started eating what remained of dinner. Thankfully, his mother had spent years cooking for 3 very hungry little boys so she’d made plenty as the two of you continued to bond over the dark haired boy as he tried to sink further into the table as if, by some miracle, it would swallow him whole and let him leave the embarrassing moment. Not that he actually wanted to, it was nice hearing you two get along, it made him feel warm, warmer than even his devil fruit normally made him. 

     By the end of the night, his mother was wrapping you up in another hug.

     “You need to come by again as soon as you get the chance! I’d love to see you and Ace again.” she said sweetly, a loving look in her eyes as she looked at her son.

     “Of course! I promise, we’ll come visit whenever we’re in the area.” you said with a similar smile, the two of you giving each other one last hug before waving goodbye, heading back towards Whitebeard’s ship. Once more in his arms as he sped across the waves, you couldn’t help but smile as you snuggled into his hold, he felt as warm to you as always. Likewise, you felt warm to him as well, as warm as his mother.

[jade-green-butterfly]

I'm jumping more onto the Poppy Playtime bandwagon, especially since the Smiling Critters were introduced for Chapter 3 ^.^✨ I really liked the look of them, along with their cartoon teaser that Mob Entertainment released - adorable with a creepy turn at the end 🫣 I really like the look of all the critters but the one I took a shine to the most, was the cheery ray of sunshine (literally😁) and leader - DogDay~🐶☀️I just love his personality and how positive he is, no matter what he and the others get up to in the cartoon >w< Which has inspired me to create a Smiling Critter of my own - so without further ado...meet DeerDelight~!🦌🦋 DeerDelight lives for drama and poetry. Being the most expressive of the critters, she is passionate in her words and believes with the right moves, you can soar on the wings of a butterfly. But performing arts isn't the only thing DeerDelight has her heart set on - DogDay. Eeeyup, you all heard right~😜I am shipping her with DogDay (y'all can't stop me, jk~)💘I can see their relationship inspired by Zipp & Blossom from the 1986 cartoon, The Bluffers (raise ya hand if anyone remembers that show✋🏻I sure do!) Hamtaro x Bijou, Bambi x Faline with a dash of Jack x Sally and Kermit x Miss. Piggy😚 As you can see above, DeerDelight fell for DogDay the moment she laid eyes on him, and has been deeply in love with him ever since~💓 She would do anything for him, believing how magnificent her ray of sunshine is in all he does (her words, not mine🤭) as she looks up to him like the other critters do~ Some of the critters find this funny or cute, or even romantic - especially to Bobby Bearhug~ DogDay is sort of aware of DeerDelight's romantic feelings for him, although he can be a bit sheepish about it now and again, wondering why DeerDelight is quite clingy and very expressive around him (along with her poems and secret love letters about him💌) but he does like her all the same and gradually warms up to her over time. Meaning there is a possibility he'll finally return her feelings one day~🌹(As DeerDelight truly hopes, only time will tell~😉) You'll usually find DeerDelight hanging out with CraftyCorn, since their both artistic critters as they express their passions and sometimes, CraftyCorn likes to draw DeerDelight posing dramatically on her favourite drama couch (inspired by Rarity's own) that DeerDelight likes to use when times get dramatic (and sometimes lets the others sit on it too) Although she can be dramatic most of the time, DeerDelight is a warm and friendly critter to be around with~😌 Wow...😗I wrote more than I planned to!😆Still, hope you all like, my lovelies and enjoy!😊👍🏻🫂Also, DogDay and DeerDelight's ship name will be... ...

🐶☀️~Vanilla💛💕🧡Nutmeg~🦋🦌 *~Reblogs are also deeply appreciated as well, so please do reblog as well as like! Thank-you kindly!~*

DogDay (c) Poppy Playtime/Mob Entertainment DeerDelight (c) @jade-green-butterfly (Me~!)

[m-jelly]

Tea for two - Chapter 5

Pairing: Post-war Levi x Fem!Reader

Tags and warnings: Canon world, post-war, injured Levi, scarred Levi, romance, falling in love, fluff, angst, emotional pain, emotional Levi, foreplay, handjob.

In this chapter: You meet the remaining scouts and the two kids Levi took under his wing for a bit. You have a picnic together and enjoy some time together. You and Levi have a moment in his bedroom. You shower him in love and touch him as he touches your chest. You finish the day with some time in the sea.

AO3 Link

Part 6

The sea breeze drifted through your hair and dress as you waited patiently for the ship to dock. Gabi, Flaco and the remaining scouts Levi had cared for were arriving together to spend time, catch up and have a few things to eat and drink. Nerves were firing through you because this was the closest you got to Levi introducing you to his family. First impressions were important and you were going to do your best to get them to like you.

“LEVIIII!”

Levi waved to Gabi hanging off the railing and Falco trying to pull her back. “Tch, damn kids.”

You smiled a little. “She’s energetic.”

“She is.” He let out a long sigh. “She’s not bad.”

You gulped hard. “I hope they like me.”

“They will.”

You shifted on your feet. “So, it’s Gabi, Falco, Connie, Jean, Mikasa, Armin, Annie and Reiner?”

He rubbed your back. “You got it.”

“Annie and Armin are a couple.”

“Yes.”

You gulped again. “And Annie was the female titan.”

“Yes.”

You gazed at Levi. “Are you going to be okay?”

He released a long sigh. “I won’t stop a man in love.”

“You’re a good man, but she put you through so much pain.” You kissed his cheek. “You shouldn’t punish yourself.”

He looked at you. “I can do it because I have you here.”

You bumped against him. “you’re cute.”

“I love you.”

You kissed him. “Love you too.” You looked down at Bo wearing his best collar. “They like dogs, right?”

Levi chuckled. “They’ll love Bo.”

“Hope so.”

Gabi ran off the boat and towards Levi. “Levi!” She hugged him tightly. “You’re out of your chair!”

Levi smiled. “Yeah. Tch, you’re loud.”

“Sorry.” She giggled. “It’s good to see you.”

Falco jogged over and panted. “Sorry, Levi.”

Levi smiled. “I don’t mind. Was the journey okay?”

“It was good. We’re trying to build up a friendship with Armin and the others. One day at a time.”

“Well, at least you’re trying.”

Reiner walked over and clenched up a little at seeing the man who stabbed him through the neck long ago. “Captain.”

Levi nodded. “Reiner.” He pulled his gaze away and smiled at the others. “Welcome, Armin, Mikasa, Connie, Jean and…Annie…” He gazed at Armin and could still see the sparkle of hope in his eyes. “Glad you could make it. You here to stay for a while?”

Armin nodded. “We miss Paradis and it is rough going backwards and forwards a lot for political reasons.”

“You’re doing great. I am proud of you.”

“Thank you.” Armin blushed a little. “I just want to help.”

Jean gazed at you with a little blush on his cheeks. “Hi.”

You smiled brightly. “Hello!”

Levi noticed and pulled you over to him. “This wonderful lady that Jean has noticed is very important to me.” He softly said your name. “She’s my everything.”

Connie laughed. “Our Captain has a girlfriend!”

Mikasa’s eyes widened. “Huh, interesting.”

You smiled and bowed to them. “Lovely to meet you all.”

“How did you meet?”

You looked at Levi. “Levi hired me to work at his shop and over the months together we fell for each other.”

Gabi gasped. “That’s romantic.”

You petted Bo’s head. “This is Bo. He’s a friendly smart dog.”

Levi cleared his throat. “He helps me out. He guides me often.”

Jean reached over and petted Bo. “He’s cute.”

Levi introduced everyone to you. “Shall we get going? My girlfriend has made a wonderful lunch for us all.” He winked at you. “Lead the way.”

You grinned. “Okay!”

Levi walked over to the group. "Listen here, you little shits, this is my last order ever. You treat that goddess of a woman there with fucking respect or I'll rip your spines out. She's my world. Got it?"

Armin smiled. “We understand.”

Falco welled up a little. “We’re happy for you.”

Levi blushed a little. “Thanks. Let’s get moving. I don’t want to keep my love waiting.” He limped a little fast to catch up with you.

Mikasa hummed. “I never would have thought the grumpy Captain would have a girlfriend.”

Annie glanced over. “He might be holding her hostage.”

Armin laughed nervously. “Annie, they’re in love.”

Jean put his hands in his pockets. “I think it’s great. Means there is hope for us all.”

Reiner’s eyes widened. “Maybe I should talk to Historia.”

Connie groaned. “Give up on her. She has a lover and a kid.”

Levi slipped inside his home and watched you hurry around. “Darling, do you need help?”

You smiled at him as you moved around. “I’m okay.”

“Darling.”

You walked over to him and kissed him. “It’s all okay. You should lead your friends to the garden. I have lots of blankets all setup and a chair for you.”

He let out a long sigh. “Thank you. I’ll go herd the group.”

You hummed a laugh. “Wonderful. I’ll be out in a bit.”

Levi held your hips and kissed you. “I love you.”

“Love you always.”

He released you and limped outside and unlocked the side gate. “Tch, oi! You lot! Over here.” He stepped to the side and sighed as they all came in. “Take your shoes off before you lie down on the blankets. Also, be polite and eat everything that is given to you.”

You walked out with a tray and a smile. “I have lemonade and I made too much food. I’ll bring everything out. I hope you’re hungry.”

Armin walked over to you and took the tray. “We’re starving. Thank you.”

You released the tray and smiled. “Thank you. I’ll get the rest.”

Connie jumped to his feet. “I’ll help.”

Jean got up as well. “I’ll help, you might end up hurting yourself.”

You hummed a laugh. “I don’t mind the help.” You turned and walked to the door. “I have three more trays of things to bring out.”

Connie ran over. “Coming!”

Jean strolled over. “Happy to help.”

You hummed a laugh as you set up the trays. “Connie, could you take the ones with savoury things on and Jean could you take this one with baked breads? I’ll take in the sweets.”

“Did you make all this?”

You nodded. “Yes.”

“It looks incredible.” He smiled at you. “You’re very talented.”

You giggled. “Thank you so much.”

Jean flinched when he heard a growl. He turned around to see Levi. “Captain.”

Levi gave him a deadpan look. “Chatting up my girlfriend, huh?”

“I-I was just complimenting her.”

You smiled. “Boys? Could you take all of that out? I need to talk to Levi.”

Levi nibbled his lip. “Darling.”

You put your tray down and walked up to Levi. “Grumpy.” You cupped his face. “I love you.”

He whined. “I know you do and I love you as well.” He sighed. “It’s just, he’s young and handsome.”

“He’s much younger than me, too young. Plus, I didn’t even notice his looks.”

“Okay…”

You hugged Levi tightly. “You’re so cute sometimes.” You pulled back and smiled. “Let’s go spend time with your friends, or should I call them your adopted kids.”

Levi chuckled. “Sounds about right.”

You picked up the tray. “Let’s go.”

He limped with you and walked out into the nice sun and enjoyed how lively it was outside. He smiled softly as you seemed to get on well with everyone. His heart raced as you took a mother-like role with them all. He knew that he was going to have the perfect life with you.

Levi held the shorts in his hands as he whined a little. He was happy to do the swimming therapy and he didn’t care that the scouts were still around and they were going to join in the beach date, he was just worried about you seeing how bad the scars were on his leg. He hung his head a little in shame. He wanted you so badly to keep loving him, but he didn’t think this scar made him loveable.

“Levi?”

Levi looked up at you and admired your swim costume, the one-piece looked incredible on your figure. “You look beautiful.”

“Thank you.” You walked closer to him. “Are you worried about something?”

“My leg doesn’t look the best.”

You knelt in front of him and placed your hands on his thighs. “I love you, Levi. You’re perfect to me.”

He smiled at you. “I love you.”

You leaned up and kissed him. “Let me help you change.”

“O-Okay.”

You shuffled on your knees and stopped between his legs. You slowly unbuttoned his shirt. “I worry about my body too. I know I shouldn’t compare, but it is hard.”

He smiled. “I like that I don’t feel alone. I like that we share the same feelings and emotions.”

You hummed a laugh. “I’m happy we have each other as well.”

He watched you closely. “I have marks on me from the old gear we used.”

“I have marks on me as well. Stretch marks mainly.”

“Beautiful stripes.”

You blushed. “Thank you.” You opened his shirt and gasped at seeing his muscles and a very light dusting of black chest hair on his pecs and a tempting treasure trail. “Fuck…” You reached over and lightly touched his chest. “So warm and soft.”

Levi whined a little and said your name. “You feel nice.”

You looked up at him. “You’re so handsome.”

He gasped and shivered when your fingers trailed down his abs. He moaned your name. “I love you.”

You leaned up and kissed him as you ran both your hands over his body. “I love you too.” You kissed along his jawline to his neck. “I love you so much.”

Levi moaned as you bit and sucked on his neck. He shivered as he felt a sensation inside him that he’d never felt before with anyone except you, pure arousal. Levi hadn’t really thought about sex before, but his head was flooded with thoughts of making love to you. He wanted to hear you pant and moan his name. He wanted to fill you and explore you. He wanted to get to know every single inch of you.

Levi grabbed your upper arms. “Ah, w-wait.”

“Something wrong?”

He shifted a little. “I uh…”

You noticed him glance down before looking away. “Do you have an erection?”

He nodded shyly. “I do.”

“That’s okay. That happens when you like someone.” You reached for his belt and played with it. “I have a suggestion, but only if you’re comfortable.”

“S-Sure.”

“I’ll touch you so you get used to intimacy and you can touch a part of me.”

He gulped hard. “I’d love that.”

You got up and walked to the door. You locked it and approached Levi. “Can you sit against the headboard?”

Levi shifted on the bed and sat up against the headboard as you asked. He purred as you crawled closer to him and straddled him. He shivered as you sat on his thighs. “You’re beautiful.”

“Thank you.”

“So, getting used to touch and intimacy, right?”

You nodded and reached up. “I’ll introduce you to my breasts and I’ll touch your umm dick.” You undid his belt. “That okay?”

He nodded. “Y-Yes. Ah, what if I don’t look good…”

“You’ll look amazing.” You pulled his zip down and pushed your hand into his boxers. “Ah.” You pulled Levi’s erection out and marvelled at how it looked. He was just above average length but his thickness was impressive. You tilted your head as you studied his blood-filled tip and then the veins that wrapped around his shaft and pulsed with each beat of his heart. “Pretty.”

Levi blushed. “Wh-what?”

You looked up at him. “You have a pretty cock.”

“Mm…thank you.” He blushed harder. He grunted when you moved your hand on him a little. “You f-feel nice.”

You released Levi. “Oh, for you.” You reached up to the top of your swim costume. You pulled it down and shifted your breasts out. You looked up to see Levi’s eyes were wide as he gazed at them. “You can touch them.”

He reached up with shaky hands. “I umm…”

You took his hands and placed them on your breasts. “Gentle with your touch. Massage a bit.”

Levi gripped your breasts and admired how parts were spilling between his fingers. “So soft, warm, squishy and plump.” He moved his thumb over your nipples making you shiver. “These sensitive?”

You moaned a little. “Yes.”

Levi smiled at you. “I’m glad I can make you feel good.”

You wrapped your hand around Levi’s cock and started moving your hand up and down on him. You panted and moaned as he massaged your breasts. You leaned closer and kissed Levi softly at first as your feelings were soft and delicate, but passion started to burn. Your teeth tugged on his bottom lip making Levi growl. You smiled a little at him before opening your mouth and accepting his tongue into your mouth.

Levi was in heaven as you touched his cock. He had touched himself before, but it was so rare that he did. Whenever he got a hard-on he would just touch himself to get it over with and relieve himself. He gripped your breasts a bit tighter as he moaned in delight. He couldn’t believe how incredible it felt to be touched by you. Your hand was so warm and your scent was wrapping him up tightly and made him feel so loved.

Levi was so madly and deeply in love with you. He bucked a little against your hand as he squeezed your breasts. He pulled from your lips as he panted and moaned your name. He tapped his forehead against yours and moaned your name again. He tilted his head and kissed your neck. He ragged his lips up and down your neck and felt so much pleasure in being with you. He dragged his tongue up your neck as he let his instincts take over. He opened his mouth and bit your neck a little to make sure there would be a mark to prove you were his. He sucked your neck right after biting.

You moaned in pleasure at Levi sucking on your neck. You couldn’t believe how delicate Levi was being. His bites were dominating but controlled. He was showing you all the passion and love he had for you in just a small and intimate moment. He moaned a little as precum leaked from his tip. He was going to say something about it being dirty but you kept moving your hand and rubbing your thumb over his tip.

Levi pulled back from your neck and leaned his head back as he panted and moaned in pleasure. “F-Fuck.”

“This feel good?”

He nodded and whimpered. “I love it.” He grunted at your touch. “I think I’m going to cum.”

“Cum for me.”

He huffed and mewled. “I don’t w-want to get you m-messy.”

“It’s okay, I’ll clean it.” You kissed him over and over. “Cum for me. Enjoy yourself.”

He grunted and thrust into your hand. “I love you.”

You smiled at him. “Love you too.”

He massaged and gripped your breasts. “You’re so wonderful and perfect.” He shivered in delight. “Shit.” He threw his head back as his chest rose and fell heavily. “A-ah.” He looked at you with hooded eyes and moaned your name. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Levi.”

Levi moaned as he came at your sweet words. “Ngh, ah, ha, ha, mmm.” He bucked against your hand as his cum covered his pecs and abs. “Fuck.”

You pulled back and admired Levi with a light frosting on his body. “You look incredible.”

“Th-thank you.”

You kissed him and purred in delight. “I’ll clean you up, wait here.”

“Y-Yes.”

You climbed off the bed and hurried to the bathroom. You cleaned your hands and tucked your breasts away. You grabbed a wet cloth and hurried back to Levi. “Let’s get you cleaned up, handsome.”

Levi smiled as he watched you. “Thank you.”

You hummed a laugh. “You’re so handsome and cute.”

“Thank you.”

You nuzzled your nose against his. “How do you feel?”

He blushed a little. “I feel great. I’ve never…that was a first for me. I mean, I have touched myself in the past but I didn’t think of anyone.” He watched you tuck him away. “I really liked it. Loved it. However, you didn’t feel good.”

“I did. You touched me so nicely.”

He reached over and touched your boob. “I’m glad, but still.”

You wrapped your arms around Levi’s neck and kissed him. “How about next time I show you how to touch me?”

He smiled and nodded. “I want that. I want to be good in bed. I know we’ll lead up to sex, but I need to get to know your body.”

“I’ll help you get to know every inch of me.”

He growled a little. “I’m looking forward to it.”

You picked up his shorts. “Ready to change?”

He nodded. “Yes.”

You helped him take his shirt off and paused a moment. “Do you want me to help with your trousers?”

“Please. My leg aches a bit.”

You pulled his belt off and undid his trousers. You helped Levi out of his trousers and then his boxers. You stood up and gazed at Levi standing naked before you. Your heart raced in your chest as you admired his handsome body. “You look incredible.”

He smiled a little. “Even my leg?”

You looked at the large scars on his left leg. “Yes.” You knelt in front of him and covered his leg in kisses. “You’re wonderful.”

Levi blushed when you looked up at him. He looked away and groaned. “Tch, looking at me like that and kissing my leg…”

You giggled and shifted his legs and pulled his shorts up. “They okay?”

He looked back at you and nodded. “Comfy.”

You kissed him and smiled. “Good.”

He wrapped his arms around you and held you close. “I adore you.”

You hugged him back. “Me too. You’re my everything.”

Levi cupped your face and kissed you. “I feel relaxed because of your touch. Thank you.” He kissed you again and sighed through his nose. He tugged on your bottom lip with his teeth and moaned in delight. “I want to be with you always.”

“I promise we will be.”

He held you. “I don’t want to go out there to swim. I just want to hold you here.”

You hummed a laugh. “I want that too, but you have to get your exercise in for your leg.”

He pouted. “Yeah…”

You held his hand and pulled him along. “Come on.” You led him to the door and unlocked it. “Plus, those lovely kids are waiting for you.”

He blushed a little. “You’re right.”

You hummed a laugh. “We can do it.”

He nodded. “Yes.”

“Do you need your cane?”

He shook his head. “I need you, that’s all.”

“So cute.” You pulled him against you and walked with him down the hall of his sweet cottage and outside. You followed the path and saw the scouts playing with Bo on the beach. “What a lovely thing to see.”

Levi chuckled. “Yeah, it’s wonderful.” He gulped hard. “We’ll get this when we have kids, right?”

“Right.” You kissed Levi’s cheek. “I look forward to those days.”

He gripped you a little and stopped in his tracks. “I umm…I don’t know about this.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I…I’m okay with you seeing me…but…these lot.”

You stood between the scouts and Levi. “We can be away from them.”

He hummed and hugged you. “I guess.”

“Are you worried that they’ll pity you?”

He nodded. “Yeah. I hate it when people pity me.”

You sighed. “I can’t say how they will act, react or feel. All I can say is, I think you are wonderful and these kids have known you for a long time. All of those kids have their own scars. They care about you, about us. It’ll be okay.”

Levi nodded. “You’re right. It’ll be okay.”

You winked at him and then pulled him down to the beach. You got into the water a bit before turning around and facing Levi. You held his hands and walked backwards. “Bit at a time.”

He whined a bit as he walked into the water. “Bit at a time.”

You kissed his hands. “We’ll have a bath together after this.”

He gazed at you. “Together? You’ll be sharing the bath with me?”

“If you want me to.”

He smiled softly. “I want that.”

You kissed his hands. “Wonderful. It’ll be nice.”

He gasped as the water hit his upper thighs. “Mm.”

“Do you want to stop for a moment?”

He shook his head. “N-No, I’ve got this.”

“You’re doing great.” You smiled softly. “Just perfect. I’m proud of you.”

He smiled at you. “Thank you.” He walked closer to you and pressed his body against yours. “You’re warm.”

You hummed a laugh. “Thank you.” You pulled him further into the water and started swimming backwards. “How does it feel?”

“Nice. This water is different from normal water. The salt in it helps me float a little.”

“Is it easier on your joints?”

“Yes.” He smiled at you. “Thank you.”

You lowered yourself down in the water. “Can you swim?”

“Yes.” He shifted in the water and chuckled. “It’s a lot easier. We should do this more often.”

You giggled. “Yes.”

Levi swam after you but you kept swimming away. “Get back here.”

You laughed. “You just have to catch me.”

He growled. “I will get you.”

You swam a distance away and waited for him. “If you swim to me, I’ll give you a kiss and a cuddle.”

Levi swam fast towards you and dove into your arms. “Easy.”

You hugged him tightly. “Perfect.”

He crashed his lips against yours and sighed. “I’ll always catch you. You’ll never leave me.”

You giggled. “I never will leave you. You’re all mine.”

“I love that.” He sighed. “I love you.”

[owlseeyoulaterpal]

Like Real People Do, Chapter 9.5

Gale Dekarios x Named! Tav x Astarion Ancunín

Chapter Synopsis: Astarion has a nice, simple plan and Seraphina's kindness is introducing an unexpected complication.

Chapter One. Chapter Two. Chapter Three. Chapter Four. Chapter Four and a Half. Chapter Five. Chapter Six. Chapter Seven. Chapter Eight. Chapter Nine.

Read on ao3.

Word Count: 4.7k

Notes: We're so back. Took a little break and I'm back to yapping about these 3 idiots. Here's a chapter from Astarion's POV.

Learn more about my Tav, Seraphina.

Chapter Nine and a Half: Carry Me Slowly, My Sunlight

Astarion’s chest ached.

But he hadn’t been injured. 

He felt like he couldn’t breathe.

Even though he had no need to breathe anymore.

He laid on his side staring at the source of his pain. She was asleep next to him. He watched as her chest, covered in devilish ridges and his own bite marks, gently rose and fell. His eyes followed up to her slender neck, the left side covered in a deep red tattoo of a rose with a new scar from the assassination attempt stretching over the art. He felt a surge of anger and pride as he remembered ending the life of two of the assassins sent to kill her.

Her sharp jawline, her plump and thick lips that were always painted a deep crimson, her wide nose, her sharp cheekbones, the freckles that scattered across her red skin like stars, the scar that stretched from under her right eye to the bridge of her nose and the other barely visible scar on her lower lip, and the jewelry that carefully decorated her eyebrow, nose, and pointed ears. 

Astarion’s eyes followed the curve of her horns, ending in points that he dodged easily when he bent down to bite or kiss her neck because, at this point, he knew her body and could navigate it with his eyes closed. The silky-smooth texture of her thick black and red hair was familiar to Astarion. He loved tangling his fingers in it, whether it was while pressing her lips against his in a bloody kiss after feeding from her, while Seraphina took his hard length into her mouth, or as he was thrusting into her. As he took in her form, Astarion felt the sharp pang of that ache in his chest again. Looking at her felt like looking into the sun – bright, gorgeous, overwhelming, and yet he still wanted to bask in her glow.

Seraphina was a beautiful, painful, all-too-kind problem.

When he saw her the first time, he was trapped in a pod on the nautiloid ship and had only seen the back of her head. When he saw her for the second time, walking through the ship wreckage with a half-elf and a human in tow, he faked being in danger and she actually fell for it. When he drew a dagger on her to try and get answers out of her about what she and the mind flayers had done to him, she didn’t turn to anger.

“Whoa! No need to pull out any knives!” The tiefling said with a laugh, as if having a dagger pressed to her throat was a regular occurrence for her.

“If you use that dagger, I will have to incinerate you,” said the human she had walked over with.

“And risk burning your friend? I doubt it,” Astarion hissed. In that moment as he turned to speak to the man, the tiefling rolled away from him. 

“Put the knife away and maybe we can help each other,” the tiefling said, holding up her hands as if she was trying to calm a wild animal.

She was surprisingly patient and forgiving. She even asked him to join the ragtag group of survivors that she was collecting like coins. Astarion wasn’t special on that front – moments later Seraphina accepted a hostile gith into their ranks. Seraphina had a naïve optimism to her that made her all too trusting which Astarion considered could be quite useful aspects of her personality.

It was only days later that Astarion realized he needed to be special to Seraphina for the sake of his survival. When hunger came to him, along with the desire to see if he could disobey Cazador’s rules, Astarion crept over to Seraphina’s tent to feed. When she woke up, she wasn’t mad or fearful. A bit annoyed on account of him attempting to bite without her permission, but surprisingly understanding.

“I’ve kept much more dangerous company,” she said with a shrug.

Astarion chose not to question her on that. How was it possible for him to care about that when Seraphina was now lying back down and presenting her beautiful neck to him? When he bit her, his senses were flooded. Her saccharine scent of vanilla and an undercurrent of citrus. The taste of her blood was intoxicating. Cazador kept him from this? Seraphina’s blood tasted sweeter than any wine, filled with the sharp, fiery tang of her magic. Astarion let her blood coat his tongue like honey, and he would’ve gulped until she was drained dry until she stopped him.

All it took was one drop of Seraphina’s lifeblood to make Astarion nearly feral for her. He had to force himself to focus on the words she said when she stood next to him, her scent drawing him closer. He knew right away when she had been injured in battle and, in a flash, he was by her side. There was the instance when, while wandering near an abandoned crypt, raiders attacked their party. They were swiftly dealt with, mostly because Astarion could smell Seraphina’s delicious blood from across the courtyard. His eyes focused in on the slash that ran across her forearm as he walked over to her.

“Nice work,” Seraphina panted to him as she dug through the pockets of one of the bodies.

“I’d say the same to you, but you’ve had a bit of a spill, darling,” Astarion helped her to her feet and grabbed her arm. “I hope you won’t mind my distaste for waste.”

Seraphina opened her mouth to reply and quickly shut it as Astarion lifted her arm to his lips and licked the wound, groaning in satisfaction at the incredibly tantalizing taste of her. He watched her eyes widen and, in her blood, he could taste it – Seraphina’s arousal. And that was when the idea came to him. There were a few things that were quite certain. She was the leader of their group, chose who joined or stayed, and spoke for them as they navigated this disgusting wilderness. She was foolish and went out of her way to help others, including willingly offering her blood to him. And she was attracted to him, or at least the idea of him as a vampire. 

Seducing Seraphina would be easy. As Astarion mulled over his plan, a memory of a specific night, buried within his memories of thousands of other nights, came to the front of his mind. This little adventure wasn’t his first time seeing Seraphina. He had seen her before – dozens of times possibly – in the bars and taverns of Baldur’s Gate. He had nearly approached her quite a few times, but she was never alone. She was always in a huge group, someone handsome or beautiful with an arm around her shoulders or a hand attached to her hip. 

“Have you always kept your hair short, Seraphina?” Astarion asked.

“No. I actually used to let it grow pretty long. Ugh, a few years ago I had these horrible bangs for a while. I can’t believe anyone let me walk around like that,” Seraphina laughed. He remembered those bangs.

It had to have been nearly three years ago. There was the one time when she had separated from the rest of her group, no one hanging off her, in the Blushing Mermaid. She sauntered over to the bar, her raven black hair bouncing against the middle of her back, the sway of her hips drawing the stare of several others. He wasn’t going to let a pretty thing like her be taken home by anyone else in here, especially not Petras. Astarion cleared his throat and approached the bar. She was trying to catch the attention of the bartender, but she was short and couldn’t be seen behind the crowd.

“I hope you aren’t paying for your own drinks tonight,” he said, sliding in next to her. The tiefling turned and looked up at him. She looked open and curious at first, but with an eyebrow raise and a smirk, she immediately became flirtatious.

“I have been so far unless someone plans on changing that,” she replied. 

“How does a bottle of Fire Wine sound?”

“Hmm…I’d prefer a Suzailian Sweet,” she noted. Astarion hummed in agreement.

“Exquisite taste, my dear,” Astarion smiled as he pushed his way towards the bar. He reached his hand out for her and, as she took it, he pulled her through the crowd and close to him. He placed his gold on the counter and waited.

“Is this home for you or are you just passing through and enjoying the city’s bustling nightlife?”

“You have to ask if Baldur’s Gate is my home? Gods, my accent really must be changing,” she laughed.

Astarion pushed the coin over to the bartender and requested the Suzailian.

“What is your name, dear?” he asked, turning back to her with his well-rehearsed seductive expression.

“Maybe I’ll tell you after we finish this bottle,” she said.

“That bottle better get here quickly then,” Astarion took her hand again and he kept her gaze as he kissed the back of her hand, the contact lasting just a second too long. “Well met, stranger.”

The bottle arrived and Astarion picked it up along with two goblets.

“Grab my arm, darling. Don’t want you getting lost in this crowd,” Astarion whispered. The tiefling bit her lip and gently grabbed the crook of Astarion’s arm. He led them away from the main rooms and over to one of the smaller, less crowded rooms of the tavern. The less witnesses, the better. 

Astarion didn’t expect to spend longer than an hour seducing the tiefling. He would do the basic pleasantries, eventually pivoting to overt flirtation as he and his target drank a bottle of wine, before following through on getting them to follow him to their death in Szarr Palace. However, this woman wasn’t following the script.

The bottle was now empty, and the woman took the last sip of her goblet. Astarion’s eyes fell to the drops of wine that lingered on her plush red lips. He stood and walked over to her chair, slotting himself between her legs. 

“May I have a taste?” he murmured. She nodded. 

Astarion lifted her chin, and he gingerly licked her bottom lip before kissing her. She sighed and his tongue entered, licking and stroking, tasting all the wine they had shared. Her hands gripped his shoulders as Astarion’s hands fell to her hips, squeezing the thick flesh. He pulled her closer, making her release an adorable squeak into his mouth as their hips met. 

She pulled away with a gasp.

“Surely you don’t want to just stay here all night. I’m going to a party later and I can’t think of better company,” he purred, one of his hands moving to stroke her thigh.

“Mhmm. And what about after the party?”

“We can indulge in each other ‘til the sun rises,” Astarion smirked. He heard her heart skip a beat and she gasped as he dipped his head to her neck, his lips gliding up her neck. She smelled delicious, this beautiful forbidden fruit.

A halfling turned the corner and marched into the room.

“Seraphina! You have got to stop running off like that. We’re heading out,” she said. The woman, Seraphina, nodded at the halfling, who gave Astarion a quick, analytical look before walking away.

Seraphina turned to Astarion and shrugged. 

“I wish I could, but duty calls,” she smiled. “Sorry she spoiled the fun of my name reveal.” She stood from her chair, slipping away from him. 

Astarion quickly grabbed her hand. 

“Come on now. What could be more exciting than drinking and dancing the night away at a castle?”

Astarion could see it in her bright amber eyes. He saw that glimmer in the eyes of everyone he brought back – the allure of partying with high society, free flowing food and wine. It was usually when that glint appeared that he knew he had been successful for the night. And then it was gone.

“You could always join me. I think my night may be a bit more interesting,” she replied.

“And what will your night include?”

She gave him a dazzling grin and he could hear her heart begin to beat faster as she replied.

“Adventure.”

Astarion couldn’t hide the sneer that crossed his face and the tiefling frowned.

“Maybe I’ll see you again sometime,” she leaned forward and kissed his cheek. “Have a fun night, stranger.”

Then she was gone. Astarion cursed under his breath. He took a shy half-elven boy back to Cazador’s palace instead. If Seraphina had any memory of that night, she didn’t mention it. If anything, she seemed to not remember him at all. But he had nearly seduced her once and he was determined to do it again. This time, it wasn’t for Cazador. It was for him and his safety.

Astarion decided to start planting the seeds when he could get Seraphina alone. The night that Astarion was determined to approach her, the wizard took up most of her time. He watched from the shadows as they sparred, patiently waiting for their awkward flirtation to end for the night. Gale was obviously taken with the tiefling, though he didn’t have the guts to follow through on bedding her, but Seraphina also seemed interested, which was a minor complication, but Astarion could work with it. The wizard made himself absent and Astarion pounced.

As expected, it took little work on his part. Seraphina melted under his flirtation and attention. He followed his usual scripts and waded through his revulsion when he led her into that clearing to sleep with her. All Astarion needed to do now was ensure he remained a priority over the rest of their party members – something that was easier said than done. Seraphina searched for infernal iron for Karlach, comforted Wyll as he adjusted to his new devilish appearance, tried to decipher and make peace with Shadowheart, learned as much as she could about githyanki culture to better connect with Lae’zel, and, most annoyingly, desperately scouted for magical items for Gale.

Seraphina’s growing bond with Gale was becoming bothersome. Today, Astarion struggled to hide his irritation as, while they infiltrated the goblin camp, the wizard and the sorcerer couldn’t seem to shut up.

Astarion stuck his tools into the lock of the metal door, and he groaned as he heard Seraphina giggle at something Gale shouted up to her from the floor below. 

“Sera, darling,” Astarion said over his shoulder. “A bit of guidance from Lady Luck, if you don’t mind?”

“Oh. Of course,” Seraphina stepped closer and waved two fingers over Astarion. “May Tymora’s luck twist your way.”

A blue aura surrounded Astarion as he picked the lock with a quiet click. He opened the door and approached the treasure chests before Seraphina suddenly grabbed his arm.

“Ah, ah. You know the rules,” she narrowed her eyes with a smirk and pointed her finger at Astarion.

“Darling, I opened the door for us. Surely, I get to pick what I want from the treasures that I gave us access to,” Astarion pouted and slightly tilted his head down to flutter his lashes at her. Seraphina’s lips twisted as she tried to hide her smile.

“Fine, but you need to bring me anything magical, in case it’s something that Gale can use.”

Astarion scoffed.

“We’re sacrificing perfectly good equipment for him,” he sniffed, opening a chest and pocketing a pouch of gold. “I don’t see any benefit to it.”

“I sacrifice my blood for you,” Seraphina replied. “What benefit does that have?”

Astarion stiffened before he relaxed and turned on the charm. He walked to Seraphina and lowered his lips to her ear.

“Keep me around and I will make every minute of bloodlessness worth your while,” he whispered.

As quickly as she fell for his advances, Seraphina also pushed back in unexpected ways. After she read the infernal scars on his back, it made sense to sleep with her again. She had given him something, so naturally Astarion owed her something. But she refused to bite.

“We both know you want something, so let me give it to you. Now, shall we go somewhere more private than this beach?”

“Maybe I just wanted to talk to you.”

Astarion laughed right away. The concept was so silly to him. He pressed another kiss to her neck before he lifted his head to look at her and the sincerity in Seraphina’s gaze made his skin crawl.

“You would rather talk?” he asked. His smile wilted. “Do you need to be enticed out to that clearing with me, darling? Surely, I haven’t fallen out of your favor.”

“No, you haven’t.” Seraphina replied as she gently played with his hair, her fingers leaving a trail of warmth everywhere she touched. It felt…nice. Pulling away from her and spending hours simply talking about pieces of their past, the books they enjoyed, and humorous hypotheticals all felt just as nice as it did foreign and unsettling. 

At some point, Seraphina simply stared up at the disappearing stars. As the night began to turn to dusk, the thought wandered into Astarion’s mind that he should mention they’ve met before. But that was risky. She would poke and prod, curious thing that she was, asking questions that he didn’t want to answer, and his responses could spoil his entire plan. 

Astarion was committed to his plan. That’s what he told himself when panic made his limbs move faster than his brain as he carried Seraphina’s burnt, limp body to Withers after their confrontation with the githyanki. He needed his protector alive. That’s all it was. He also needed her powerful which meant he had to ensure that Gale’s preposterous talk about ending her trial didn’t actually change Seraphina’s mind.

“Why would you ever turn down the opportunity to have such incredible power at your command? Don’t listen to him,” Astarion scoffed. “He’s already experienced what it’s like to be a Chosen. He shouldn’t keep that from you, but what else can be expected of a wizard?”

It was power that could be incredibly beneficial to Astarion. Having the Chosen of the goddess of luck and good fortune on his side almost sounded too good to be true. He wasn’t about to let the wizard squander that for him. 

But then the Black Fingers attacked. Seraphina hardly left Gale’s side in the days after. She was so focused on Gale that she hardly reacted when Lae’zel returned, having tracked them down after she failed to find the creche. She greeted the gith, told her to set up her things and they could pretend as if nothing happened, and she returned to Gale’s tent without another word.

Her odd behavior extended past Seraphina’s new protectiveness over Gale. Something was clearly wrong with Seraphina. Whatever it was, it was making her reckless and uncoordinated. Astarion had started going out of his way to keep her alive. He couldn’t afford to lose the person meant to protect him. That was how he justified the fear that gripped his heart whenever he saw a blow coming straight for the sorcerer.

Astarion didn’t know what it was yet, but things started making sense when they were in Grymforge. Among the lava, Seraphina shook like a leaf. Her eyes were as big and wide as a shield. She stumbled over her words and seemed terrified, as if she expected a being to emerge from the depths.

Astarion watched as Gale grabbed Seraphina’s hand and pulled her away from the rest of the party. He placed his hands on her shoulders and whatever words they exchanged seemed to calm her nerves. Astarion wasn’t fond of that development. Before the events of the last few days and Gale’s near-death experience, he had thought that Gale had securely been knocked off as a potential threat to his standing within Seraphina’s eyes, but the wizard’s monologues appeared to be keeping their leader in one piece, which was more than Astarion was capable of.

So he let his mind wander to put together the pieces. Lava and fire appeared to trigger these freezes of hers. She utilized her magic sparingly, leaning on a quarterstaff and cantrips. Seraphina had been burned alive after her wild magic surge when they were fighting the githyanki. She didn’t talk about her life in the tendays and months before the nautiloid. Most of her recollections were from at least a year ago. 

Hmm. Seraphina was particularly fierce about ensuring the safety of the tiefling refugees in the Grove. She always seemed to shut down when Karlach spoke of her time in Avernus. It felt like Astarion had all the pieces almost perfectly aligned, but he needed Seraphina to push them into place.

That night, Astarion sought her out. Seraphina kneeled on the outskirts of camp in the middle of a small enclave. She was lit up by the glow of the native mushrooms, casting her back in purple, green, and yellow light. As he kneeled next to her, he saw that her eyes were closed. Her hands were clasped and Astarion knew she was clutching her Tymoran coin. Being able to see her face in the strange light, he was taken aback by how stunning she was. But he wanted answers and he didn’t need to be distracted.

He didn’t waste time.

“When we were all on that mind flayer ship, it went into Avernus,” Astarion said. “That wasn’t your first time there, was it?”

A beat.

She slowly opened her eyes, but her gaze remained straight, gazing out into the darkness.

“No,” Seraphina replied.

“When was the first time?” he asked.

She breathed in slowly through her nose and she slightly parted her lips to exhale.

“Not too long before I met you.”

“What happened?”

Seraphina laughed, but there was no humor in it. It was hollow and bitter. Completely unlike her. It unsettled Astarion.

“I was doing one of my – what do you call them? – hero acts,” she said.

“Yes, you find it impossible to resist those.”

“No. I can’t. I had plenty of chances to go home. Or start a new life entirely. I didn’t. I didn’t and then it was too late to turn around.”

Astarion looked down and saw that her hands were clutched around her coin so tightly that she was slightly shaking. Astarion lifted his hand and placed it over hers, squeezing. It happened so quickly that he surprised himself, but it felt…necessary to comfort her.

Once again, his mind ruminated over all his memories that he’d made with her in the last few tendays. Were there any other hints? What was she doing in Avernus? 

Seraphina turned her head and, as her eyes met his, Astarion felt as if the rest of the world had disappeared.

“Can I show you something?” she asked.

Astarion nodded. He felt her tadpole open up to him. He accepted.

And then he saw it. Seraphina was on horseback, traveling with a rather odd-looking group of adventurers and a few children. They were approaching a large city. The sun was shining brightly. No…there were two suns. Seraphina had laughed at something when, suddenly, one of the beautiful, golden suns turned an inescapable, terrifying black. It became a void.

Astarion could feel the way that the hairs on Seraphina’s neck stood up in the moment, how her tail stiffened, and her heart raced. Then, the beautiful city that the void was now suspended over, began to lift. The entire city, ripped straight from the ground. A shiver of cold dread went down Astarion’s spine as the town was yanked into the void, disappearing.

Astarion blinked and he was back in front of Seraphina.

“You saw Elturel get dragged to the hells,” Astarion said breathlessly. It was dumb to state the obvious, but he was aghast.

“Yes,” Seraphina said. Tears streamed down her face as her eyes glazed over, as if she was recalling more memories. “And I helped bring it back to the Material Plane with those people you saw. It…it was the scariest experience of my life. I shouldn’t have survived any of it. I thought that would be enough for Tymora to end my trial. It wasn’t.”

Astarion stayed quiet.

“I went home for a little while afterwards, but it felt odd being back in the city after everything. So I took another job. I can’t even remember what it was now, but all I know is that it put me back on the road, back in chaos again. I was in Yartar for that contract when the nautiloid grabbed me.”

Seraphina ceased clutching her coin and let it rest in the palm of her hand, staring at it. Her face twisted in frustration and sadness before she pocketed it with one hand, her other one holding Astarion’s.

“Even now, after all this, nothing I’ve done, nothing that I’ve risked or lost has been enough for Tymora,” she continued. “It seems she would like to see I and the people around me dead before she is satisfied.”

“You know, why rely on that power when there’s a cult right within our grasp?” Astarion asked. “Don’t limit yourself to what Tymora offers you.”

Seraphina laughed again, warmth returning to her voice.

“I’ll take control of a cult the same day that you stop enjoying murder,” she teased.

“We can’t bring the world to heel without a little killing, my sweet,” Astarion countered. “And don’t pretend as if you don’t enjoy it. I see that giddy look you get in your eyes when you know a situation is about to turn hostile.”

Seraphina smirked and turned her head to try to hide it only for Astarion to gently grab her chin and turn her to look back at him.

“My little hero. Determined to save everyone except for herself,” he mused, leaning in closer to her. “Champions like yourself deserve something every once in a while, no?”  

When Astarion led her to his tent, he kissed Seraphina until she was breathless. She pulled away, giggling, and Astarion couldn’t help his smile as he pressed his lips to her neck. Admittedly, he had started to enjoy that element of his plan – kissing her. There was something about the way that she smiled into almost every kiss. How soft her touch was as she caressed his cheek or carded her fingers through his hair. But he had to offer her more than kissing to keep her allyship.

As she moaned and writhed beneath him, she held his gaze, their breaths nearly in sync while he rocked into her. Seraphina’s orange eyes were lust-blown, pleading, and affectionate, and then playful as she giggled, pressing a kiss to his cheek. And he smiled, happy, as he captured her lips with his, and then he suddenly felt horrible. Astarion pulled away and dipped his face to her neck. The typical disgust from using his body like this was to be expected, but this feeling was different. 

That feeling sat inside him as she came undone beneath him, crying his name, and afterwards as they laid next to each other. She sweetly blinked up at him and asked if he was hungry. He relished in the sweetness of her blood and her character, her generosity, and her accepting nature. She didn’t deserve this. She deserved better than this ruse.

Seraphina was a beautiful, painful, all-too-kind problem.

Astarion caught himself staring at her again as their party stood in the dark, rumbling elevator that was taking them to the Shadow-cursed Lands. She must’ve felt his eyes on her because she turned. She smiled at him and Astarion once again felt like he was staring into the blinding light of the sun. He was almost thankful that she went back to talking to Gale immediately after, but almost just as quickly Astarion wanted to shove Gale out of the way so that he had her attention instead.

This was stupid and reckless. He could feel his plan crumbling as he fretted to try and hold it together, but it was all falling apart, slipping through his fingers like sand. The dread had to go away. It would go away. The guilt would go away. These…feelings would go away.

Surely.

[siremasterlawrence]

The Private Harem

She is the most beautiful thing I have see since I started this long journey but luxury ship to that private island, apparently I am sharing it with this swinging couple who saw me earlier surprisingly cornering me for a chat. I do not swing so I did my best to dismiss myself from the conversation but she has a way of tracking me down and leaving me no choice but to sit and talk for a bit. I told her a bit about me which was a major mistake on my part because she fell deeply off after that and ran away.Annoyed I thought what I was wrong with me but anyway before I could go to sleep I had this weird sensation to go for a walk and get some cool air instead putting on my jacket and I must have wondered off because I was cornered by her once more accosting me by the wall. This time asking for my forgiveness about her reaction as she is coming to my side, she introduces me to her needy husband who has a thing for me apparently as well and they ask if I could put them under. He puts a cigarette to his mouth all the while maintaining contact with me as he retrieves his liter fluid, he lifts it pressing the tigger his fear melts away as he takes a drag leaving me disgusted but I decide to have a bit of fun with my built in rage.

“Hey Tyler! Why do you like to smoke? “

“It relaxes me, great distress here”

“Precisely! You can feel it now deep inside “

“The tingling pricking sensation in your nerves.”

“Instant release”

“Take another drag”

“There you go”

“Feels good”

“Every drag takes you deeper “

“As you do I what you to turn to her “

“Blow smoke in her face what “

“Wait! No…I”

“You like it? I want you to count to thirty and sleep”

“Yes! One”

“Fuck….thirty”

“Yyyyeeeesssss”

The next day I snap both Tyler and Bitsie back to reality as they come to their eyes betray them, face me completely at a loss for words taking in there surroundings far from the ship but they oh so much moreprivate a revelation. I agree to meet them after we back at my agreed spot but as I made my way their I am greeted by a strange guy a bit older than mr with a arrow in his hands pointing it at me till he realized I am guest, he freaks out putting it to his snide he apologizes to me but I am not in the mood and I refuse to hear it from him despite his efforts. Never the less the day passes by in to night my eyes begin to sleep closing in, my body falls back head first into the cushy soft and colorful pillowcases and then all went down straight to hell at the sound of heavy rapid knocks on my door as if someone a lunatic is trying to break in. I open the door to see him. The same guy with this apologetic look on his face, his expression was almost kind of pathetic I wanted to laugh but I was so infuriated. He studies my face in explosive intent hoping to see some sign of me being understanding about the situation, but I am beyond angry and not in the mood to have any discussions on the topic. He continues to press on even getting to a point where I can see he’s getting extremely tired but refusing to look away for me as to say we can be here all night and I sigh finally giving in and accepting. His lips being spread into a smile, showcasing his white teeth looking stunning as usual, but that definitely is to be well expected from his type of course as we all know. I know his eyes hit the corner of the room completely enamored by the burning of the candlelight stick calling him as his feet attempting to barely walk right in the moment of enlightenment I strike. My two slaves come in to the light taking his hands and lead him to a table with the light as his mind goes in to overdrive the door opens to reveal his partner Barry who is quickly injected.

“Who are you? Why did you do tthhiiss”

“Well being nosey is a no no”

“Besides you feel good”

“Oh right!”

“You like me”

“We met earlier “

“Hey! How are you ?”

“I am doing fine “

“Wonderful really “

“Perfect “

“What do you think?”

“I love you “

“Hey Stephen “

“You met Master Grant”

“I love Master”

“We both do”

“We had him first “

“So what? Go kick rocks”

The party event planners on the event are at my door immediately popping up upon me in my sights because with a bright smile he is walking in and placing his giant planner on the table spreading it out over the next hour or so. I watch in awe and amazement as he details the events unveiling my corporate take over of this island paradise in a matter of a day because I own them all for life now and I flip my back to him opening a Chester drawer to find a letter in bold gold and red letters. Handing it to him he stares at it strangely in in confusion he picks up a envelope opener to the back slowly undoing it as the back of it keels to the side and a load of purple dust blows our from the envelope instantly hits him head on. It is on impact as Jensen’s facial expression goes dim with a beautiful, silly and sexy as fuck smile covering his face while his body is letting go he relaxed his back slamming into the floor head first he floats in to a state of mindless. “Nighty night sleepy boi dream of me and serving me.” I whisper in to his ears. Across the street his co-event planner continues the work so deeply invested as he jumps up at the knock on the door and has no idea why he is receiving flowers but once it it handed to him book the gas seeps right to his nose boop he is out.

“Wonderful! Why don’t the two of you sleep “

“Sleep it away “

“Let ours wash you “

“Wash you of everything “

“Your independence “

“Your life “

“Your wants”

“Needs and desires”

“Personalities ”

“What makes you tick”

“Your essence “

“Who are you ?”

“Answer me”

“Who am I?”

“I don’t know “

“My slaves “

“Yes! My pleasure”

“My purpose “

The gym is wonderful be facility I created the blue prints, commissioned and paid for It houses all sports, gym and a sauna in new original ways.

Speaking of new looking at Brenton’s heavy breathing in our state of the art wild house set for camping he is lost and stranded till the day is over and he can’t be happier as he sweats his life and brains away in deep heat. The heat causing him to hallucinating him in a sea of pure imagination he seas me across the pond someone he would pass and never pay attention to come to his side in a ability to help him. His days are over dropping on to my are he succumbs to my will like the big piece clay he is, I will mold him till perfection with my every whim and desire for my own personal enjoyment and no one else can no how it is to occupy one’s mind.

Colton exits the sauna feeling rejuvenation in the midst he walks out much shorter, gay, younger and so hot for what’s to come and it will be magnificent.

“Ugh! I need to go home!”

“Are you sore?”

“How are you here?”

“I am everything and everything “

“Invading my privacy “

“So are everyone else”

“Stop laughing “

“Who’s laughing? You must be high”

“Not possible”

“Didn’t the steam smell odd”

“You drugged me”

“I did no such thing “

“I simply applied some changes”

“You are so in to me”

“No…I am…hot”

“Yeah you are “

“What ins flaming hell? I am yours bro”

“Mwahahahahaha…Correct Dumbass”

“So who did you co-opt all of this?”

“Oh detectives if you have to ask?”

“Asshole! I’ll kill you”

“Chill”

“So naive “

“Who is ?”

“You stepped in to my trap “

“Let the games begin”

“What is that liquid “

“Your rebirth “

“Nnnnooo”

“For Master”

The end

[lowkeyrobin]

okay i’ve been requesting this idea with other fandoms i’m in for a while and it’s not being done so i don’t know if they don’t want to write or or can’t figure out how to write it BUT…

you belong with me by t swift ♡ with our beloved freddie badlinu ♡

basically like reader got introduced to freddie by tommy and fell head over heels (definitely not me projecting /hj) but he just thinks of reader as a friend and eventually starts dating someone else yada yada i love this song

you don’t have to write it but i just love this idea (and song ♡)

-🦕 anon

OKG HI 🦕 ANON YES KF COURSE!! RJJSNSNSNS YESYESYES KM SO EXCITED FOR THIS, there's a lot of ts lyric references here bc I used the premise of ybwm but the feelings of her other songs iykwim; hopefully I did you justice with this and thank you SO MUCH for requesting Freddie bc I've been wanting to write for him again and I couldn't think of any good ideas LMFAO

BADLINU ; you belong with me

summary ; you're head over heels for Freddie, but he doesn't seem to feel the same way

warnings ; language

track ; you belong with me ; taylor swift

word count ; 1.5k

masterlist

The day you'd met Freddie through Tommy five years ago, you instantly fell head over heels. You didn't know exactly why, but there was no hiding your feelings anymore, it was so hopelessly obvious, even to Tommy.

The blonde, your best friend, tried to set you guys up here and there, alas, with no luck.

At first, you were convinced you were getting that usual feeling where you kind of fixate on your friend until it disappeared, until it never really did. You talked with him constantly, learned more about him, and learned about the music he liked and his hobbies.

He had an infectious smile that could light up the whole town and a giggle to make you fall to your knees as you felt something in your stomach become fuzzy with a tossing and turning motion. You wonder what it must be like to grow up that beautiful, with his hair falling into place like dominoes, his eyes like sinking ships on waters, so inviting you want to jump in.

Everybody wonders what it would be like to love him, like he was a walking masterpiece. Not many people see him like how you do, his little imperfections and beauties.

You couldn't stop him putting roots in your little dreamland, your house of stone and his ivy grows, covering you in himself. You thought of him at every waking moment, catching yourself doing it frequently when you didn't mean too. If you saw or heard something that reminded you of him, it'd send a wave of dopamine through your brain, infecting you with the disease of happiness with a smile.

You remember him taking a bus to your house in the middle of the night, needing your comfort since you were still awake at that hour, and also the only person he felt safe talking to about what he was upset about it. You were the person to make him laugh when he was about to cry, the one to understand him on deeper levels than most, the one to know his story and his dreams.

Your viewers and fans would often ship you two, drawing fanart, writing fanfiction, and spamming y/s/n in chat whenever you had one of those moments. You streamed together whenever you could, and made YouTube videos frequently featuring each other.

You sat on your balcony at night together sometimes, star gazing.

He says "Look up"

Your shoulders brushed. No proof, one touch, but you felt enough. Enough for you, at least.

He keeps a picture of you two in his office at home downtown. It hangs on the wall with many other pictures of him with his friends. You thought you felt it in the silence and in the way home, with the lights out watching movies. But you seemed to be wrong.

Why couldn't he see that you were right there? Had the thought ever crossed his mind that maybe you loved him so much that maybe he belonged with you? Why couldn't he see that you were the one to understand him, who'd been there all along?

He found a girl he liked, and started officially dating her a month or two ago. After that, you'd never lost hope that maybe he'd see you, but within all the losing more and more hope, Tommy was there for you. He didn't exactly know how to comfort you, but reassured you that it was normal to feel this way, and that you'd move on with time.

You seemed to be the only person to not find love, you felt like you were cursed to be alone forever and watch the one person you truly loved go and love someone else. You couldn't move on, everything reminded you of him, every forest themed candle at the market, every pebble on the seaside, every star in the sky.

You knew he was happy at least, but you just wished that something inside of him would see that you were right there.

Over time, you distanced yourself, though wanting to remain friends with him. You just couldn't seem to see him without his girlfriend, and it hurt. Everytime you remembered that there was no point in trying, it broke your heart even more. It became so bad to the point that it was unhealthy, leading you to send him a text before leaving for a little trip to America.

It read 'Stay beautiful'.

You sent it just before getting on the plane, ridding you of any worry of receiving a message during the long flights. You'd only told Tommy and Tubbo that you were leaving, considering you streamed with them frequently and would probably be the first to notice you disappearing.

You decided a little trip to Folley Beach, South Carolina would be your therapy. Four thousand dollars for a week stay in a solid three star condo wasn't going to work, though. You had some connections, however, getting you a cheaper condo considering it was only you, and you'd be spending a month or two. Six thousand was much better than the probably forty thousand you'd have to pay for that, thank God. Yeah, maybe using your save-up-money wasn't the best idea, but you needed it at the moment.

Your mental health had been declining for a while, and you felt stupid for being so dramatic about the situation with Freddie. But, a trip to the beach and the opportunity to experience things you never had and make some content out of it wasn't something you'd pass up on.

From trying bubble tea to the fresh, clean, oceanside air, it was like a daydream. You took so many photos and videos, sending them to some friends and saving them for a video.

Trying all the food was amazing, which you probably gained a solid ten pounds from. The long walks along the island, down the beach, and down the graffiti road to the other side of the beach were sweltering hot but therapeutic to you.

Once you returned to the UK, opening your front door, you're surprised to see Tommy, Freddie, Tubbo, and Becky in your house, cleaning up for you. Tommy had a spare key to your place, which is probably how you got in. You were confused, but got a little uncomfortable seeing Freddie, especially without his girlfriend on a Sunday afternoon. You'd been gone for two months with nearly no contact, maybe something changed.

You still had feelings for the red-haired boy, but you lost hope on him ever seeing how he felt about you during your trip. You'd gotten over it and you were on your path to just moving on.

"Hi" Tommy smiles, giving you a wave as he stands up, "Sorry, uh, we just came to clean for you since you've been gone for like, ever-"

"It's fine" You reply, "I mean, I could've just cleaned it myself, guys."

"Well, we came over for something else, but we thought you were coming back next Sunday, not this Sunday" Becky explains, looking to the boys for a nod or agreement, or an excuse since she already knew what your next question would be.

"Came for what?" You ask, setting your bags down on the floor, deciding they could wait.

"Uh-" The blonde begins before the shorter brunette speaks for him.

"We were gonna throw you a welcome home party"

"Oh"

Silence condemns you for a moment before you speak again.

"Well, uh, thanks. But, I'm gonna unpack" You pick up your belongings, taking them back to your bedroom, leaving them with a little wave.

Christ, that was so awkward. What's wrong with you? Since when had you gone cold to your friends?

The second you sat down, you felt the wave of regret. Freddie was the first to come in and ask if you were okay, though.

"Hey, are you okay? You're either tired and jetlagged or upset to, uh, probably see me, " He mumbles, running a hand through his hair. "And before you say anything, I was a dick for not seeing how you felt about me, and I was completely blind, and I'm so sorry. I don't know what to do at the moment, but I wanted to genuinely apologize, because I made you feel like you had to leave home because you were so uncomfortable because of me"

"Freddie..." You sigh, setting your electronics from your bag down on your bed, "It's fine. I didn't leave because of you, I left because I just needed a break from here, nothing is your fault. I'm on my path to moving on, so don't make it more awkward than it already is" You chuckle, sitting on the bed across from him as he stands in the doorway. "I swear, if you apologize one more time I will kick your ass"

Freddie smiles and nods, "Thank you. Are you sure this isn't going to ruin anything between us..? I don't wanna lose you as a friend"

"That's what I was asking you!" You giggle, "But yeah, unless you fuck up"

His eyes slightly widen, playing into the bit, "I won't, your majesty."

"Good"