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hellsideangel · 2 months

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YES ANOTHER SPOILER ALERT WISH FILM AND OTHER REFERENCES CUZ I GO ON A LONG WINDED TANGENT. ITS LONG. IF UR READING ITS UR FAULT. U COULD JUST STOP READING. UR WELCOME.

So I recently watched wish and at first I was like meh cuz all the new Disney animation films have the same vibe. Felt like a mix between Moana encanto and Raya? Is it Raya? Forgotten the name of the other one. The songs were good but it didn't really stand out to me much. But I did really like the concept mainly because it tied together Disney really nicely. Like if I worked for Disney this would be the last ever film to make to tie everything together "the magic of Disney" or so to speak.

Cuz the premise is around wishes and that when you wish upon a star your dreams will come true hence the ending song which was quite a cute end scene and was totally what I was thinking throughout the film so glad they put it in. Now I also know alot of conspirast people trying to link every film and story together and I'm all for a good conspiracy however, the stories themselves are meant to be separate roles but within the Disney message. So for me it feels like a reach to say all the references to other films from wish is because wish is the pilot film for every Disney film. Cuz it's definitely purposefully referencing the films to celebrate the 100th film. And we know conolocally that alot of Disney films are actually from darker tales like grim brothers or 101 night etc and are remade into something more light hearted with a positive message of magic and dreams. So ya defo a stretch.

But I do like imagining these correlations and it spurred this overwhelming desire for Disney to do more villain or at least context backstory related films to fill in the gaps in which they reference. For instance, the trapped in a mirror thing. If this was for viewers to assume that the evil queens mirror had a sorcerer whose consumed by a book (even if it wasn't wishs villain to be exact more like foreshadowing U know) then why isn't there a film about this sorcerer and their backstory in being trapped in the mirror or from being a slave to their power?

If a star chooses people to be fairy god mothers and their powers are hard to control, why isn't there a backstory on a fairy godmother and how they came to be. Just turning up and never being explained later is a little unfulfilling. Plus I'd like to know why e.g. Cinderella: shed choose to help just Cinderella go to the ball instead of any other lady? Is it because Cinderella was the only one who wished hard enough? Or were there other fairy godmothers who were summoned and the other people who were at the ball were actually people just like Cinderella. There's been speculation about the glass slipper that if it fits exactly how did she loose it in the first place? Maybe someone else from another fairy godmother also had to run and lost their shoe. And Cinderella's just ceased to be cuz magic. Speaking off why didn't the slippers disappear? Was it intentional? Was it all manipulated?

Have you ever watched once upon a crime? They did a pretty good job at filling in weird blanks in an interesting way. Or have you watched once upon a time? Again they would show all sides of the same fairy tale story to the point where all the stories link by the people who play a part in it. What Disney is inherently missing is the fact they made something interesting but failed to continue on for those interested.

Like take wish for example. I absolutely loved some of the characterisations. Absouloutley love how star just kinda did what they wanted especially the mustache yarn thing. Another one of them being the vain villain. And it got me interested because to me alot of the character felt very Disney you know all happy do lally and unrealistic. But the villain felt very real. The hint of trauma that something had happened to his family, it's his duty to prevent it from happening again, he made a safe city, he saved everyone. So it's only natural he gets pissed of and feels like everyone sees him as a tool to exploit or that he isn't being appreciated. His methods definitely need adjusting and his inability to listen to another side of the story without feeling like it U with me or against me you know. His full on insecurity that if Ur opposed me it must mean Ur attacking me. It makes him a very real and human toxic character which I just love. Not that I love or condone his toxicity in itself, but I love the way it was depicted this time around. Like every real toxic person he's real easy to trigger and very cut and dry thinking. The vanity part still felt very Disney that oh he's a villain so he has to be self obsessed and vain about his looks. But we will make him sooo insecure about everything else lol. I saw alot of anxiety and PTSD in it. Anyways without the book I wouldn't see how he could take away people's dreams, but with the book it can be explained as being blinded or whatever so the book kinda works.

I am interested in what happened. What triggered this desire to 'protect' lol and what is this book? Where did he get it? How did he know it was bad? Why does he keep it?

I don't want an explanation, or just a villains perspective. I just want to see more of the depths of this character and more of the context. This can be done through villains perspective or even though a different characters perspective entirely.

But Disney doesn't do this. Instead they hear people like the villains so we should make a villain based film and try and explain everything or change things for more equality even though it's an obvious change that now draws attention to the past films prejudice that U didn't notice before. Anyways an example would be maleficent. I actual like maleficent despite all these negativities because it was an attempt at something more. I got to see a different story or side that changed everything. But relating to the base movie sleeping beauty, it just didn't hold up. And in a way I prefer it wasn't just a copy from the villains side cuz that would be boring, u'd know everything.

But it wasn't exactly fulfilling for my curiosities. In sleeping beauty I was curious about why she wanted to curse the child and not the parents when it seemed obvious there was some type of drama with the parents. And why so convulooted? Prick finger on a spinning wheel and die. And then why alter it? Why allow her to survive for true loves kiss? Is this a hint? Showing some type of love betrayal? Why was she not invited? Then uve got the 2 or 3 fairies. They have magic. Why couldn't they do anything? Why just raise the kid and change the colour of her clothes? I get they might've given up magic to go into hiding so they aren't caught but if think they'd try and do something like attack or protect or find her true love through magic? There's 3 of them they could've split and tried different things. Such a minute role they played when I'm sure they have the capacity to do more? And since they have fairies magic must be concolical to this world. Isn't there anyone else the king or queen could've called upon?

Then there's prince Phillip. I think he was bethroved to aurora when she was a baby. Ik Ew. But like why was Phillip where aurora was? They made it seem coincidental but was it a set up in hope he'd break the spell? Or was this the plan all along to force her into her betrayed marriage? They also fall in love way too easily. I'm guessing it's probably because it's the first man she'd seen or the first person who tried to be romantic with her who knows. Maybe just Disney being 🤢Disney.

Anyways back to my point. Now look at maleficent. I really enjoyed seeing the raven actually be a person maleficent uses. I would've never thought of that since pets in Disney are the norm. But hey side note-wpuldnt it be cool if Phillip was actually maleficients ravern? So like she put in a I'm not so evil clause I'll let U off if she finds a lover. But she knows she's bethroved so she knows they will pick phillip. So she makes Phillip her pet ravern. Would be kinda cool. Anyways back on track. Also they introduced this idea of fairy racism if U know what I mean. So maybe if U go to sleeping beauty, maybe they denied her marriage into royalty due to her being a fairy. And it does seem like they keep fairies like maids. But in maleficent they explain that the king and her fall in love as kids but distance since he wants to be king. It showed that royalty wants to inade the moors which is like magic land. Showing this war between magic and humans. Which isn't explained either as to why but racism is always a why U know fear of difference. To be king he had to 'kill' maleficent. So he cut her wings instead. Pretty fucked up and kind of explains it. It's why I quite like this film. But it still doesn't flow. Because if Stefan loved her why did he hurt her instead of try and unite magic and humans kind? If he hates magical beings so much, why does he have 3 fairy almost like maids to help secure his child and willingly help?

Now about the major change being that instead of the curse being lifted by Phillips kiss it's done by maleficent. I hated this bit since it felt like they were proving the same point as frozens kiss. We already get the point. I do like the fact true love can come in the form of family instead of lover though but it felt unneeded to the story as a whole. For me it would've been more exciting if Phillip kissed her it didn't work and maleficent laughed. Stefan be crying why. And shed be like U should know as well as I, true love doesn't exist. Instead they had a heartwarming I love U kiss. I do actually like this twist of malefiencint and the daughter forming a familial bond. That it's not the kids fault for who her father is and having her hesitate. But anyways my point is that maleficent still didn't satisfy the CURIOUSITY of sleeping beauty. It did bring the raven and revelation she's a fairy and the prejudice as something new to the table. That's what sold it tbh. But that's about it. It's better to be thought of as a spin off than a continuation of the base film.

Like take wish again. If they just make a film showing a dark magic wizard taking people's wishes from them and killing his family. And the villain from wish sneaks into this wizards domain and learns from his books magic he gets caught fam gets drained of wishes, villain of wish drains the wizard of his wish in a major showdown then he vacates everyone saying promise Ur wishes to me I'll protect them away from people like him. If I don't have them it can be taken. Even this is a pretty generous idea to think Disney would have but this would be unfulfilling. Because it's too explanatory. The reason he's evil is because people stole wishes from his family due to their selfish wish of never having any of their own or because they could or whatever. So he needed power to take wishes store and keep them safe. Or like is someone wish was to murder and so he stores wishes to make sure a bad wish can never be obtained or whatever. It's too simple. Life and films are messy complicated with back stories and characterisations and different connections and flows between each thing that impacts another.

To have such a simple he's evil because of this isn't enough. It needs to be this is what he chose. These are the reasons that drove him here. Also the love story between him and his queen would be interesting to note. For example something fulfilling could be that when of age and U have a wish magic happens. People studied the fenominom and sorcerers were born. There were different groups and different classes within each group. Some groups resorted to control thinking that wishes and magic needed to be controlled to avoid catastrophe. Others focused on freedom that everyone deserves to have a wish fulfilled. The wish villain was part of the light-hearted Disney wish fulfilment sect. His family was proud of his affinity for magic. Another sect came and went rogue taking wishes from others to obtain power. The wish fulfilment and control sects worked together to inprison the rogues. Their books were stored (intro into bad book). Curious our wish villain wanted to read the books friends with one of the control sects. Told don't warned horror. Tried to burn it but fought back flew into the prison and ate one of the rogues. Sealed and told not to open or attack. Wish villain met a woman fell in love. Showed her how his sect grants wishes. Whilst there accidentally witness one of the higher ups granting wishes secretly. Darker wishes being granted like the ability to turn whatever you touch to gold. Saw a human turned gold. They scream or whatever and get caught. They run villain wish hold them off whilst lover runs. So obvs lover don't see this bit. Argues U stole my books, my experiment they were never to be used this way. Meanwhile his control friend is watching and listening. U believe it too don't you. All wishes should be fulfilled! There should be no limit! Why didn't U come to me with the material. Would've saved the journey from having to steal it myself. It was to fulfil a wish for riches and fame. When I realised what it actually did I knew it was wrong. This wasn't what they meant. And we fulfilled that wish. This wasn't meant for you. And now Ur using it to hurt people. Well this is my wish, shouldn't my wish be fulfilled. Control friend joins. This is why I say control is the way. It's ok I can take it from here. Before control could do anything or wish villain could say anything his friend turns to gold. Why do this? Because I want to. Because I desire to. This is my dream in life. We are all selfish you know, we all are willing to do anything and everything to make our wishes come true. I guess the question is, how far are you willing to go? He throws the book sealed int he box that was meant to be back at the prison. Wish villain shouts no and vanishes using his power. He asks his lover to runaway with him. Tells of friends death. And his dream to protect people by protecting their dreams. But inside his fortress he still kept the book. He never wants to use it. But he still hears the words how far are you willing to go? He makes a kingdom. But the people are selfish. They want his magical displays. He travels outside to bring food to the city without flagging any enemies. The people don't know. But they ask for more. He catches thieves in his kingdom. You know humanity being humanity not everyones good. People want their wishes granted and more and more. He establishes a rule of control. It's not the people's fault if I can just control them to bend to my will then everything is safe. Anyways went really off on a tangent now debating whether I should post.

I mean, I doubt you all gonna read this all. And I ain't popular on here so should be fine to post? If U do read this the unlucky few, do let me know how to tailor future posts so I no longer feel permission to make posts as long and messy as I want and see the reality and issue of my ways. If not I will continue on. So please someone stop me 🙏

Also even this version is too explanatory Nd I kinda of went of one. I mean his backstory has to incorporate the thieves that stole his home and family. But I'd like to see the roots of his twisted ways. Above I kinda thought nativity and disillusion could be the roots. But idk. Maybe I want a villain whose just a villain. Like coraline. The other mother. Sure they explain through the cat that the other mother preys upon souls that offer up their eyes to her and takes the form of people's family they wish they had. But they don't explain why she preys upon people or why she chose to target families or whatever. They didn't have to. She was depicted as a hungry spider like monster. The reason she is the way she is is cuz Ur prey and she's playing with her food. The only curious thing was the hand thing at the end was hoping for a sequel if she could interest the real world or only take from her parallel one.

Anyways in this way the villain is still explained contextually, not fully and it's excepted as just evil. So for wish villain we'd want to see his vanity from youth and his love of power. To see what he'd sacrifice for this power. Also some type of explanation to how he reached the extremely of the book, and the book itself. And of course the thievery trauma incident which would be even better if it was the villains fault but he blames others in denial as if he were the victim adding to his toxic character of him being everything almost like a god and how he sees everyone as disrespectful.

Story writing is hard though so I do appreciate that it is tonight to meet the demand even I didn't like my version when trying to think of one less explainy more depth emotion backstory context you know. So points for effort. And who knows what ze future holds. But ye wish ... defo worked to Disney's brand. Felt like a brand film. Love the villain. Like the music. A little too familiar with other recent films but hey Disney can't be the old version. Want to see more potential especially since Ur mixing things up. Maybe some more queer stuff too but not just cut and paste in really odd and obviously done just to tick a box kinda mentality U know. Um ye plz stop me from making future posts. Plz do.

#spoilers.#spoiler wish #disney #fulfilment debate #long winded if ur reading its ur own fault u were warned it was long

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casspurrjoybell-33 · 5 months

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Taming Arrogance - Chapter 16

*Warning Adult Content*

The warmth of the evening staves off the nervous goosebumps attempting to climb up the length of my arms.

I stuff my hands into my denim pockets and force myself to take a deep breath.

The humidity is almost unbearable, it's like breathing in diluted, warm water.

The pressure of it feels heavy on my chest and I hastily exhale.

My stomach knots into a solid ball when headlights flash into the alley.

For a split second I have the unrealistic notion that it's Blake but then I remember that we're not at the front of the bar, he wouldn't know to find me here.

Cade's grey Prius comes to a stop beside me.

The windows are already rolled down and he gives me a confident smirk.

"Hey there, handsome," he purrs.

"How much?"

"More than you could afford."

Cade chuckles and licks his lips, the movement slow enough to catch my attention.

His tongue and lips seem to glisten against the lights of the city.

My mouth waters but I'm not sure why.

"Try me," Cade presses.

"Even if I had to dip into savings, I'm sure a night with you would make it worthwhile."

I roll my eyes and hop in the car, the man is impossible.

Cade pulls away from the curb and the two of us become lost into the sea of headlights filling the downtown streets of Miami with as much fervor as a Christmas tree.

"Fuck, is there always so much traffic?" I ask, still trying to rid the image of Cade's lips from my mind.

The blasting of car horns becomes frequent, an unspoken, yet very key piece, of the driving etiquette down here, apparently.

"Not during the week," Cade says with a shrug.

"But during the weekends? Yeah. You get used to it, though."

He relaxes into his seat and reaches over to rest his right hand on my thigh.

It's a casual touch, done with such confidence you'd think he did this on a daily basis, hell maybe he does.

I stare at his hand, frowning at his masculine fingers as they curl around my leg.

The feel of him touching me isn't exactly wanted but to my surprise, it doesn't bother me either.

Cade rubs his thumb against my outer thigh.

I focus on the touch and a tingling sensation shoots up my leg and into my groin.

Instead of pushing him away, I let him keep his hand where it is, again, not sure why.

I huff and stare out the unrolled window, a few women pass along the sidewalk.

Their clothes are skin tight, the entirety of their 'assets' hanging out for the world to see.

"Which one do you like?" Cade asks, following my gaze to the eye candy.

"I'd need to see them up close. Their bodies look decent from here. If any of them wanted it to be anything more than doggy style though, they better have a face to match it."

Cade barks out a laugh and shakes his head.

"You're a shallow prick, you know that?"

"So I've been told."

"I can see why Blake has his work cut out for him."

Speaking of which, I push away Cade's hand and dig into my pocket to pull out my phone.

Four unread texts and two missed calls.

Blake Benson: I'm here. Where are you?

Blake Benson: Answer me, Callum.

Blake Benson: I'm coming inside.

Blake Benson: One of the bartenders said they saw you leave out the back. If you left with that Cade character.

'I shudder... he knows.'

As I continue to stare at the texts, another phone call comes through.

Blake's number dances across the screen.

My breathing becomes shallow wondering what he would say if I answered the phone right now.

Cade glances over and grins.

"Want me to answer?"

I stare at my phone, unable to do anything but focus on Blake's name permanently etched across my screen.

"I don't think you should."

Cade waves off my worry and snatches the cell-phone from my hand and swipes the green button before pressing it to his ear.

"Hello?"

Pause.

"I'm sorry, who is this?" Cade chuckles at the ridiculousness of his own joke.

I can barely hear Blake's voice on the other end but his serious tone is unmistakable.

Cade clutches the phone closer to his ear and his smile slips.

"What? No. He wanted to leave," he explains to the unheard voice.

"I just thought..."

Silence.

Cade blanches and the sudden change in his demeanor coats the palms of my hands with sweat.

What is Blake saying to him?

Cade mumbles something into the phone and then he's silent again.

His lips downturn into a frown and he looks away from me.

"Yeah, I understand. He'll be there."

He disconnects the call and shoves the phone back into my hand.

The car behind us honks once.

Cade snaps to attention and puts on his blinker, doing his best to maneuver his car into the turning lane.

"What'd he say?" I ask, trying to keep my voice steady.

Cade shrugs.

"Needs you back at the hotel. Work-related issue came up, apparently."

"Yeah, right."

Tension is the only thing I feel as Cade drives me back to my hotel.

Neither of us speaks a word until we are just a block away.

He shakes his head and licks his lips.

"Well that certainly didn't tip the scales in his favor," Cade says with a dry laugh.

"Whether he's into you or not, I'm no longer on his side."

I raise a brow and he tentatively puts his hand back on my leg, this time it doesn't feel like a joke.

He sidles up to the curb of the hotel and puts the car into park.

The two of us sit there, my phone still clutched in my hands and Cade's touch still lingering on my thigh.

He turns to me, his eyes studying my every feature, tthe heat of his gaze is unsettling, reminding me of Blake but in a different way.

My stomach tightens and suddenly the Floridian heat feels suffocating.

"It doesn't matter if you're on his side or not," I respond with a straight face.

"I already told you. I'm not gay..." Cade's lips crash against mine.

I freeze, my eyes widening with surprise.

Cade's expression is relaxed, his eyes are closed, his long lashes splayed across the tips of his high and masculine cheeks.

He brings his hand up to my face, cupping my jaw to tilt my lips closer to his and then I close my eyes.

His lips are warm and supple, unlike Blake's rough stubble, Cade's jaw is smooth and soft.

It feels different but still good, he kisses me gently, his lips working against mine with delicate precision.

I tilt my head back and it's enough of an invitation for Cade to slip his tongue into my mouth.

Our kiss deepens, tongues dancing deeper and rougher against each other.

My cell-phone buzzes and I break away from Cade and catch my breath.

Another missed call from Blake.

"Shit," I mumble.

"I got to go."

The kiss with Cade is so different than I expected.

He's the second dude I've kissed in less than 48 hours.

What the fuck is wrong with me?

The seductive bartender stares back at me with hopeful eyes.

"I want to see you again," he insists.

"Please."

I shake my head.

"Our flight's tomorrow morning."

"I'll come by later tonight," he tries again.

"Blake would fuckin' shit a brick."

Cade pulls a slip of paper from his dashboard and pulls a pen from the glove compartment.

His fingers feverishly write down his phone number.

He holds it between his fingers and stares at me.

"Text me," he requests.

"Anytime. I'll answer."

I grab the paper from his hand and stare at it.

"Why?"

Cade's shoulders relax and an easy smile finds its way back onto his lips.

"Why not?"

Blake's name starts flashing across my phone again.

I stuff the piece of paper into my pocket and fling open the car door.

Cade gives me a slight nod and I rush inside the hotel, not bothering to breathe until I reach the elevator.

I smash my finger against the top-most button for the penthouse suite.

Each floor passes slower than the last.

My fingers twitch at my sides when the elevator dings.

Is Blake waiting right outside these doors?

What will he do when he sees me?

Once again I find myself holding my breath as the doors open.

I expect Blake's face to be there but it's not.

Instead I'm greeted with silence, just the soft glow of the T.V. lighting the vast, dark room.

The couch is empty and my eyes scour the living room until settling on the man of the hour.

Blake leans against the window.

He stares outside, his posture deceivingly relaxed but his shoulders rigid.

I take a step into the room, glancing around for any traces of that fag-tard Phil.

The silence of the room is unsettling.

Step by step I cross through the living room, slowly closing the distance between Blake and me.

He can't know what I'm thinking and he definitely can't know the way he's making me feel.

I clear my throat and stand beside him, leaving enough space for us not to touch.

"Cade said there was some work related emergency?"

Silence.

I swallow and glance up at Blake.

He doesn't look at me.

His eyes are fixated out the window, his jaw working itself tighter and tighter.

I follow his gaze and my eyes land on a grey Prius, the very one I got out of only minutes ago.

'Fuck. FUCK.'

Did he see it? Did he see us?

I desperately try to change the subject.

"Where's Phil?"

"Gone," his voice is hard and quiet, a silent threat that makes me shiver.

"Did he have a work related emergency too?" I say it as a joke but my voice breaks at the end of it.

Blake squints, still refusing to turn my way.

"I told him he needed to leave."

The moment of tension and fear subsides temporarily.

A sliver of unexplainable hope blooms in my chest.

Blake turns to me then.

His eyes are ablaze with a fury I expected to see but not with this intensity.

My mouth flounders open and then closes.

"Why?" I finally ask to fill the silence.

Blake tilts his head to the side.

"Phil and I... we're... our relationship is over."

'Over,' I mentally echo his words in disbelief. Did they end because of me?

'No, I quickly decide. There's no way. So what the hell happened over dinner?'

"Damn. That sucks," I respond pathetically.

"Hmm," Blake hums in his throat and turns back to look out the window.

A beat of silence passes between us.

He glances at me from the corner of his eye and the ice in his voice freezes me in place.

"But tell me, Callum. Is he a better kisser than I am?"

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kammartinez · 1 year

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By Chris Vognar

Publisher’s Weekly recently reported that book sales for the first half of the year are down once again, continuing a trend that has accelerated since the pandemic.

As usual, I seem to be out of step. After a few years of joining the Kindle cult, I am back to my old bibliophile ways of buying more books than I will possibly have time to read. I do this not just out of compulsion, but aspiration (and, more practically, for research on various writing assignments). When I go to a great bookstore, which, to me, is like a cathedral, I feel the need to tithe. Some might call me a book hoarder.

I once read that buying books represents the illusion of buying the time needed to read them. That sounds about right. But these personal inclinations usually stem from a personal story. Here is mine. It takes a few turns.

I grew up around books, which is one of the few good things I can say about how I grew up. I remember opening my parents’ dusty hardcover of James Joyce’s “Finnegan’s Wake” and thinking: How do people read this? (OK, so I still think that about “Finnegan’s Wake.”) I remember my mom’s rows of paperback Dorothy Sayers mystery novels. Even then, I could sense the magic contained within two covers, and I carried that sense of magic into adulthood.

In a former life, in another city, I had hundreds of books in the house. They lined shelves, and they sat in unruly stacks. Then, suddenly, that old life ended. My life partner, Kate, got sick and died. I lost my job, and, to some extent, my mind. I was sort of exiled to another city, Houston, with most of my old Dallas life, including the books, left in storage, where they remain. I started packing lightly and adhering to minimalism. Hence the Kindle, which I had sworn off for years as a not tangible enough reading experience. I fell into a rather spartan existence.

But something happened a few months back. I’m not exactly sure what it was, but I can trace the steps. I made my maiden voyage to Ikea, a story in itself, and I bought a bookcase, which had a strange domesticating effect on what I still think of as my temporary lodging in a friend’s townhouse. I figured I needed to fill that bookcase. And I slowly returned to the pleasure of holding a book, reading a book, and, yes, buying a book.

Since my work is to write about books, I have some form of excuse. But there’s more to it than that. I remembered how much I love books as physical objects: their smell, their feel, the sensory reading experience they offer. I like getting them in the mail. I am interminably curious, and unrealistically ambitious. It’s a dangerous combination. I’ll be watching an Elia Kazan movie and suddenly I’ll remember that Richard Schickel wrote an acclaimed biography of the great director, whose legacy was tarnished when he named names during the Hollywood blacklist. I don’t own that biography. One thing leads to another. Again and again.

The books get in the way sometimes. They pile up on the arm of the chair where I sit to watch TV. They take up the space on my ottoman where my feet are supposed to go. The stacks of galleys I receive as a book reviewer have taken over a whole table, organized by publication month.

On the table, at the moment, is the Penguin Classics edition of Dickens’ “Bleak House,” which I’ve always wanted to read. There’s Haynes Johnson’s ’90s postmortem “Divided We Fall,” because I’ve been tinkering with the idea of writing a book about the decade. There’s Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin’s “American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer,” because the movie is coming out soon and I might write something about it. There’s Mel Watkins’ “On the Real Side: A History of African American Comedy From Slavery to Chris Rock,” because it’s a great overview of one of my favorite subjects.

In buying books, I’m feeding the delusion that I will get to them all. Because, from my cockeyed perspective, it’s the noble thing to do. And perhaps it takes me back to better times. Yes, book sales are down. But I’m once again doing my part to right the ship.

#books #reading

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kamreadsandrecs · 1 year

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By Chris Vognar

Publisher’s Weekly recently reported that book sales for the first half of the year are down once again, continuing a trend that has accelerated since the pandemic.

#books #reading

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sunflowerghostvol06 · 2 years

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Alpha Harry Styles - Omega Louis Tomlinson (2)

A taste of desire by casualluhl

Summary:

“As forward as I have been with you this evening, I am also aware this dinner party isn’t the place to conduct business.” Mr. Tomlinson chuckles quietly to himself, shooting a subtle glance across the table towards their hostess. “And besides, I am sure our hostess would be horribly disappointed to learn that we went away this evening with a business agreement and not a mating one.”

Harry, who had been sipping his wine, coughs harshly at this. He splutters, unaccustomed to such blatant statements about mating.

Mr. Tomlinson continues to laugh quietly, clearly pleased at Harry’s reaction.

“Mrs. Humphreys promised that there was an alpha attending the dinner tonight that I would certainly get on well with,” Mr. Tomlinson continues, voice teasing. “She assured me that we would have much in common since we both work with mills.” Mr. Tomlinson glances at Harry, eyes flashing with mirth. “Little did she know that would be where our mutual interests began and ended.”

Or, a Victorian ABO where Harry is the owner of the most successful cotton mill in Manchester, and Louis is an opinionated social activist about to disrupt Harry’s world.

Words: 104,414 Chapters: 5/5

Call out my name by frenchkiss

Summary:

Apparently, it's bad PR to fall in love with the omega you hired to help you through your rut.

Harry Styles begs to differ.

A soulmate AU where two lovers find each other entierly by accident, featuring photoshoots, Gucci suits, too many takeaways, having sex and feeling sad, an alpha who feels lost, and the omega that finds him. It shouldn't be this easy, but it is.

Words: 101,505 Chapters: 2/2

You've got a higher power, you're once in any lifetime by BoosBabycakes

Summary:

Giving up and letting them think they're right were never valid options in Louis Tomlinson's mind.

In a society full of prejudices, finding a family and being accepted, also seemed like an unrealistic utopia.

Louis sets out to do what no other of his kind ever has before and in doing so, he finds love, friendship and more about himself than he thought he would.

Words: 113,444 Chapters: 14/14

Make it up as we go along by lululawrence

Summary:

“I don’t think I’m coming back this time.” Louis knew that didn’t answer Zayn's question, but it kind of did at the same time. “I don’t think I can keep doing this.”

“Why’s this time different?” Zayn asked quietly.

"I’m just. So tired, Zee. So fucking tired.”

By all accounts, roommates and best friends Harry, Zayn, and Niall are living the dream. Alpha Harry is a successful architect with a beautiful and successful journalist omega in Louis. Alpha Niall is a fairly successful actor who is about to embark on a production of Hamlet in Europe and has no trouble keeping his bed warm at night. Beta Zayn might not be so lucky in love as the other three, but he is one of the most sought after artists in New York City. Life is going pretty well for all of them, but underneath the surface none of them are truly happy.

When a baby is left on their doorstep, their lives become the definition of chaos...but maybe that is exactly what they need to see what has been right in front of them all along.

Words: 52,297 Chapters: 7/7

Breathe me in, breathe me out by lunarheslwt

Summary:

Louis was just passing the autumn collection, when an unfamiliar but addicting scent tickled his nose. Cinnamon. He turned as he realised something.

He felt calm. Relaxed.

The permanent agitation that he carried was melting away the more he breathed in the scent, as faint as it was. Consumed by the crazed desire to seek out the specific candle, Louis began picking up candles and sniffing them madly, when a deep voice piped up, startling him.

“Uh, sir, we don’t allow candle fetishists in here.”

Louis froze mid sniff in mortification. Willing himself to not blush, he turned, a retort at the tip of his tongue. Except, it died in his throat as he took in the man before him.

“I uh,” Louis blurted out accidentally, temporarily rendered speechless by the frankly unfairly beautiful man before him. Only at the man’s grin widening did he regain his wits.

“You’re gonna kink shame me?”

Or, Louis is drawn into a quaint candle shop in his desire to find ways to soothe himself while struggling with touch depri. It takes him two more run-ins and with the lovely alpha sales assistant, and a drop, to figure out the source of the scent that imprints upon him and calms his omega. Idiots to lovers

Words: 14,263 Chapters: 4/4

All this devotion by princelouisau

Summary:

He takes a deep breath. “So this party?” he says, eyes firmly on the road. “I’ll do it, if you want.”

“What?” Louis says, voice quiet beside him.

“I’ll come to your sister's party. It’s going to look weird if I don’t now, right? Like, she’ll wonder what happened.”

“I guess, yeah. You don’t have to though, I get that it’s weird. Pretending to be my alpha, my boyfriend,” the omega says, not understanding what Harry is just now fully realising for the first time.

He wants to be that. More than anything.

or, Louis is Harry’s work wife. The already blurry lines of their friendship are smudged further when they get caught up in a web of lies.

Words: 38,047 Chapters: 1/1

We've got nothing to hide by lovelarry10

Summary:

“Talk to me, Lou.”

“I can’t,” Louis mumbled, knowing he genuinely couldn’t say it. He couldn’t admit to what he was doing. “Don’t ask me to say it, because I can’t.”

“Then… I’ll try and guess. You’ve… got some stuff of Harry’s. Something of his to make it smell like him?”

Louis just nodded, eyes fixated on the floor. This was humiliating, but he knew Zayn wouldn’t stop until he found out what was going on.

“Okay. Like… a blanket, or a comforter or something?”

“Kind of…”

Omega Louis has a secret nest. Alpha Harry keeps losing his clothes.

Words: 43,811 Chapters: 1/1

Pretty in pink by lovelarry10

Summary:

Love? Can I come in?”

Harry sniffed and shook his head before he realised Louis couldn’t see him. “No. Go home, Lou. Please.”

“I’m not leaving,” the Omega insisted, his voice full of concern. “And I’m not judging either. Just… talk to me, Haz.”

Harry briefly considered changing or at least ripping everything off and greeting Louis in his boxers before he realised that might actually be worse, that Louis had seen him dressed up and there was no need to hide anymore. He meekly shuffled over to the door and pulled it open before he backed away, refusing to meet Louis’ eyes.

To the Omega’s credit, he walked straight over to Harry and wrapped his arms around him from behind, resting his cheek between Harry’s shoulder blades.

“This top feels nice. Soft. I see why you like it,” Louis said quietly from behind him.

*****

Alpha Harry loves to secretly dress up and be pretty. He loves his feminine side, even if it’s not typical of an Alpha. But when Omega Louis finds out, it might just the start of something even more beautiful for them both...

Words: 18,857 Chapters: 1/1

Nothing better (your skin on mine) by lovelarry10

Summary:

"So I think there was a muddle up…”

“Oh?”

“At the airport. I’ve got your case?”

It was worded like a question, but just then, Harry was certain. This voice belonged to the omega who’d taken his case. The omega whose clothes were currently in his apartment, affecting him every moment he walked near them. This Louis person… he was the one driving Harry crazy with his scent.

“Yes. Yes, I think you do.”

“Sooooo, you want it back?”

Harry nodded before realising the omega couldn’t see him through the phone. “I rather think I do, Louis.”

✯¸.•´*¨`*•✿ ✿•*`¨*`•.¸✯

Omega Louis and Alpha Harry have never met.

Ending up in Australia at the same time was a coincidence.

Ending up with each other's cases was fate.

Falling in love was destiny.

Words: 43,006 Chapters: 8/8

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capricores · 4 years

Text

FOURTH HOUSE: childhood observations (by mode)

* i focused more on the rougher manifestations of these placements in this post! i will make a positive manifestations version of these placements soon. also note your whole chart will influence this, and especially the individual sign of your fourth house (and planets located in the fourth), i am just grouping by mode for ease. also this is entirely based off my own research, interpretations, experiences, etc.

✨ mutable (pisces, gemini, sagittarius, virgo) fourth houses often experience childhoods in which one or both parents (or guardians) were absent. it may not be physically, it’s also often having emotionally detached and/or distant parents/guardians. mutable fourth houses usually had childhoods in which they had to learn to care for themselves and be independent at young ages; which is why as adults they generally have no problem living on their own, caring for themselves, making their own home & adjusting to change wherever they go (especially true if they also have a mutable moon and/or venus). unfortunately they also often struggle with emotional processing and expression in adulthood due to the emotional or physical unavailability of their family. it often even manifests as an attraction to toxic partners/friends who provide nothing emotionally/only drain them.

they are also likely to experience childhoods that involved a lot of moving around (cities or countries, schools, etc), which is why many mutable fourth house individuals feel as if they don’t truly have a “home”, and feel comfortable moving around freely in adulthood, and don’t have an immense need to stay stagnant in one physical place for too long (this will apply more to sagittarius and pisces). however this can also manifest in a more stressful way, feeling as if they “lost’ their childhood, or have no home nor stable place to go to when they are overwhelmed and in need of comfort. they must spend a lot of time and effort learning where they can find comfort, and how to build their own safe spaces.

the child’s intelligence was likely placed on the forefront during childhood, especially if the individual has gemini/virgo in the fourth. college/university may have been especially pressured for sagittarius fourth house individuals. you may have had a childhood in which you were encouraged to share your thoughts, ideas, opinions, etc freely and were praised for such. but on the other hand, you may have been forced down a certain path (school-wise), and had far too much stress put on you throughout childhood regarding your grades and perceived intelligence.

mutable fourth houses tend to come from “odd” situations; and usually quite unstable home environments. i’ve personally noticed mutable fourth houses are the least likely to want to talk about their past, family, childhood; because they’re sometimes ashamed of the “strangeness” of their past and the uncontrollable things that occurred in their childhood, because of their parents/family/etc.

✨ cardinal (libra, cancer, capricorn, aries) fourth houses tend to have parents/families that were over-involved in their lives; often controlling. i find that they likely had parents that put ridiculous amounts of pressure and responsibility on them from a young age. these placements didn’t get much time to be an actual child, as it’s likely they weren’t shielded from the harshness and rough realities of the world/others like they should have been. due to this, cardinal fourth house individuals tend to know exactly what they want for themselves in the future; specifically in terms of their home life, and future relationships; they usually end up developing unmatchable work ethic and boundaries as adults. however, they have to learn to embrace, accept and express their inner child; otherwise they will drown themselves in stress.

capricorn and aries fourth houses specifically were likely to experience a lot of strictness/control, and an authoritarian, sometimes aggressive, nature in their homes. they may have felt a lot of tension in their home growing up, and as if their parents/guardians were pushing them too hard in everything they did; trying to piece together their lives for them and leaving them with no say. their may have even been a lot of fighting between family members in their homes, or passive aggression, if this placement manifests harshly. this is why they tend to grow up fiercely individual and with a refusal to let anyone ever tell them what to do. they can easily hold their own regardless of the situations they’re placed in as adults.

cancer and libra fourth houses i’ve noticed had perfectionism and high standards placed extremely hard on them from a young age, especially from mother figures. although i find them the most likely of all the fourth house signs to be “babied” throughout childhood, i’ve also noticed this babying being turned into too much focus on this child. to the point where the child has so many expectations, high standards, etc., to meet due to the unrealistic projections and pressures from their parents. cancer and libra fourth houses often experience their parents trying to force certain futures onto them, that they themselves weren’t able to achieve/fulfill. in certain manifestations, this fourth house placement actually makes it so the cancer/libra fourth house individual has to be the parent to their own parents/siblings/etc. they may be overly forgiving, nurturing, and giving to their family (this will be heightened if venus or neptune are in the fourth as well).

cardinal fourth houses likely had a very perfectionist home environment and childhood, as i mentioned, and may have even been heavily pressured about their appearance, and how they come off to the public and represent their family. “image” was of huge importance throughout their past, and may have led to them being insecure adults or adults who are far too hard on themselves. it’s possible their parents had a picture perfect home/seemingly very peaceful home to the public/outsiders, that was actually a disaster/toxic environment behind the scenes. negative cardinal home environments can also leave individuals scared to initiate things and act on their own/without a push, despite this initiation being in their nature; since they were so used to being pushed by family members in various directions.

✨ fixed (leo, scorpio, taurus, aquarius) fourth houses can have their childhoods/pasts summed up in one word: intense. in true fixed fashion, their home environments were likely very strong: whether that strong is a good or bad word, depends on the manifestation of the placement. fixed signs, much like cardinals, likely experienced very controlling and sometimes aggressive (more likely for scorpio/leo) environments in the home. regardless of the sign, the parents/guardians were likely very stubborn, pushy and may have not allowed the child to have their own independent thoughts, goals, desires, ideas, etc. due to this, fourth house in a fixed sign individuals usually grow up to have very unshakable goals and opinions, and are able to hold their own in very serious and tough situations (such as loss, heartbreak, confrontation, etc). these individuals also sometimes must provide financially for themselves (and even their family) at a young age, because their family is unable to do so for them. it’s common for these fourth houses to get jobs at younger ages than most people around them generally would. i’ve also found those with fixed fourth houses (esp taurus/scorpio) had family members who tried to control and manipulate them via money/material items/finances; OR who tried to manipulate money out of them.

scorpio and aquarius fourth house placements specifically go through a lot of change and transformation during their childhood. they tend to experience immensely unstable home environments; due to the influence of uranus and pluto. it’s likely something major and traumatic may have even happened during childhood, that essentially changed their life forever (of course depending on other placements and just, life in general). they may have been the types to move around a lot during childhood, or have a lot of sudden swings in their life. the swings may have been smaller things, such as their parents/guardians being very moody, changing jobs a lot, etc; or larger things, such as famliy members losing jobs/income, sudden death, divorce of parents, etc. scorpio and aquarius fourth house individuals tend to, like mutable placements, end up “raising themselves” and/or feeling very alone and detached as a child; and as an adult (they really have to work on “building their own family” via friendships/etc).

similar to libra and cancer mentioned above, leo and taurus fourth house placements are likely raised with intense ideals and expectations from their parents; and are driven to a constant state of achieving unattainable perfection. this can result in becoming adults with huge insecurities that are far too hard on themselves. their home life throughout childhood is usually quite abundant (this abundance isn’t always good, however), or they have parents/family members with very material/money-focused mindsets. they may have frequently experienced their parents putting their careers, image, belongings, etc., before their own child(ren), leaving them feeling quite abandoned or unloved. this is why these individuals often go on to seek validation/love from others in the future for their self-esteem, especially if they have strong leo personal placements. leo and taurus fourth houses likely had huge pressure from their family to make something significant out of themselves. not necessarily a pressure to just do well in school, but to do something huge; such as become famous/widely-known, obtain scholarships/the highest grades, get a super “distinguished” or high-paying job, etc.

#astrology #mine #fourth house #ic #m:sp #ofc your other placements will alter this!! and planets in fourth #and there's so many different manifestations for these placements #and they absolutely alter by individual sign. but i enjoy grouping together by mode #i will make a more in depth post on specific signs eventually #i could rant abt the fourth house ALL day #i think i've studied fourth house more than anything else throughout my years of being into astro #if u can relate to this pls tell me i love the ego boost and validation FJLDKJFD

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usergreenpixel · 3 years

Text

Frev prompts, Part 3! Enjoy!

13. A young female protagonist is desperate for a job to support her family and is hired by an older woman named Charlotte, who lives a rather reclusive and secretive life.

Slowly, Charlotte and the young girl bond over their mutual feelings of loneliness and loss of close family. The two become unlikely yet close friends.

Such close friends that when Charlotte gets arrested and the memoirs she is writing get stolen, the young girl decides to launch an investigation to find the memoirs and clear her friend’s name, only to find out that her friend isn’t quite as ordinary and simple as she seems to be.

14. A noblewoman fakes her death and flees to Paris while disguised as a man in order to escape a corrupt and abusive fiancé who is only interested in her money and is much older than her.

In Paris, while living under a fake identity, the heroine quickly becomes acutely aware of multiple issues plaguing the country and joins a certain political club in order to attempt to make France a better place.

But as things in the city begin escalating and the situation becomes more complicated, it gets harder and harder for the noblewoman to keep her true identity a secret.

How long will she be able to keep the charade up?

15. The protagonist makes a mistake and instead of saving their imprisoned brother they end up busting out one of the revolutionaries who are now deemed outlaws.

The protagonist still wants to help their brother while the revolutionary wants to save his friends, so the two team up and plan a good old prison break, ready to achieve their goals at any cost.

16. The protagonist, who has just lost their family during the massacres in Lyon, travels to Paris in hopes to report the atrocities to the Committee of Public Safety and bring the men responsible for the bloodbath to justice.

Unfortunately, the cruel men are not exactly eager to let a witness get away and send their goons to catch and silence the escaping youth before they can reach Paris.

Will the protagonist outwit their pursuers in this twisted “cat and mouse” chase?

17. An exchange student who is currently studying in France is desperate to make new friends. A group of rather reckless kids agree to become friends with the protagonist, but only on the condition that they spend a night in a supposedly haunted French Revolution-themed museum.

When the protagonist enters the museum, strange things begin to happen (ghosts, time travel, living statues or something else) and now they have to figure out the reason why that is the case. That and try to make it out in one piece, of course.

18. As unrealistic as that sounds, a simple wish made upon a star transports the protagonist into the era of the French Revolution where they decide to change history and make sure that the “evil” Robespierre never comes to the power that he supposedly ended up having.

But when the protagonist and Robespierre are coincidentally captured by the same people and have no choice but to cooperate if they wish to be free again, the protagonist begins to wonder if messing with history is really such a good idea.

Maybe, just maybe, history is indeed written by the victors and Robespierre is not all that bad.

19. A seemingly ordinary widow who is living in the countryside and raising her children by herself hides a revolutionary in her house so the Thermidorians don’t get to him.

Now the entire family must conceal the fact that he is alive and do everything they can to save his life and eventually get him to safety.

It won’t be easy but then again, when has doing the right thing been easy?

As the revolutionary spends time in hiding, assembling whoever he can still count on to rebel against the traitors, he finds himself forming an increasingly close bond with the family that has rescued him and little does said family know that the presence of the revolutionary in their house is about to change their lives in a way that nobody could have ever foreseen.

20. On the day of their graduation, the protagonist receives a present from their new stepmother, an owner of a fairly small local antique shop.

The present in question? A pair of old-fashioned glasses with green lenses to help with the protagonist’s vision problems. The protagonist likes the color green and antique things so they are overjoyed to get such a unique gift.

Unfortunately, upon receiving the glasses, the protagonist notices disturbing things happen to them - nightmares, memories that clearly aren’t theirs since they are about the French Revolution, mysteriously familiar voices in their head...None of it makes sense.

Unable to get rid of these symptoms via therapy nor medications, the protagonist resolves to crack this case and find out the exact reason why they have all the strange symptoms by taking a gap year trip to France and visiting the places to which the voices guide them.

Who knows, perhaps this investigation can even help the protagonist find out the true reason behind the strange phantom pain in their jaw and their seemingly irrational fear of blades.

Only one way to know for sure.

#french revolution #writing prompts #creative writing #frev #french history #writing #charlotte robespierre #maximilien robespierre

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poptod · 3 years

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Pull the Stars Out of the Sky (And Gift Them to Me), pt. 2 (Ahkmenrah x Reader)

Description: The more you learn about why he’s keeping you there, the less you want to be there. Yet, there are parts of you that are becoming more comfortable in his presence.

Notes: I was a little worried, rereading the first part, that ahk being that affectionate was unrealistic for human behavior, but then this dude did exactly that to me n holy shit. okay. now i have a basis for my writing WC: 5.7k

As dusk began to claim the land, the thick scent of cooking meat and boiling beer began to drift from the city, a mouthwatering combination that quickly reminded you of your own hunger. The Pharaoh wasn't starving you purposefully––or at least you didn't think he was––but he had left you tied to his bed with no chance of escape. Your stomach bubbled as you stared out at the distant city, past the river and to the mirage of a horizon.

You tried to swallow, but your tongue cracked against the roof of your mouth. It had been a while now since you'd had anything to drink. As much as you hated it, you would have to ask Ahk for something to drink and eat when he came back.

Tugging at the restraints only worsened the burn around your wrists, your soft skin chafing against rough rope. Again you tried to swallow, muscles moving around nothing as you did, aching from misuse. You weren't sure if you should await his return with excitement or dread––yes, his return may herald food and water, but you were more at his mercy than ever before. Merely the fact that he knew of your existence set you on edge.

Outside the locked room, murmuring voices passed by, muted words accompanied by soft footfalls. You watched the door expectantly, but no latch clicked and no one entered.

A couple more groups passed by in the same manner before you stopped looking to the door. Instead you tried to focus on the city––if you squinted hard enough, you could see the moving heads of the market crowd thinning in the coming evening. How far away their life seemed and how you longed for it as never before. Very rarely did you ever take to idolizing or wanting things, as material possessions didn't ever interest you, and you were perfectly happy with the way your life was proceeding. Not anymore, of course. You wanted nothing more than an out for this. Terror didn't quite describe it––more of a quiet dread.

The click of the door caught your attention and you whirled around, eyes wide as they met the unfortunately familiar eyes of the Pharaoh. You hated to use his name. Too personal. He adored you, though––used your name often, smiled when he saw you.

"It's good to see you safe," he said as he approached you, a large and ornate tray in his hand. Once he reached the bed he knelt on it, setting the tray aside as he leaned in, pressing a kiss to your forehead.

"What's that?" You asked, motioning with your chin towards the tray. He brought it back to his side, pulling off the clay lid to reveal a wealth of fruit, bread, and wine. As if on cue your stomach growled, sparking a small chuckle from him.

"I realized you haven't gotten much to eat or drink since you've been here, so I thought you might enjoy it," he said, leaning forward further to untie your hands from the bed.

The moment he announced it was for you, you reached for one of the rolls and bit into it. Unlike much of the food you had during your life, it was soft, practically melting in your mouth as you chewed on the sweet flavor. It was, in a way, somewhat similar to what you imagined clouds would taste like.

He, in his naturally unsettling nature, watched you as you ate but did not partake in his gift. Halfway through the three plums you wondered if perhaps he had poisoned it, but considering how overprotective he was you didn’t consider it likely. If anything he would drug you into submission, and while that wasn't favorable outcome, it was a more lenient fate than poison.

"What kind of work did you do before you came here?" He asked. Your chewing gradually slowed as you looked to him, once again reluctant to inform him on yourself. But you swallowed, took a breath, and spoke.

"Small jobs," you said. "Favor for favors."

"Come now, I'm sure there's more to it than that. I'd like to learn about you," he said softer, as though his past cruel actions had not left blisters on your skin. You looked at him in contempt, let it simmer around him before you reluctantly continued.

"I travelled around a lot. People would ask me to do these favors for them––hunt the creatures taking their children, fix their roofs, crawl down the well to get the dead birds out, and in return I would have a meal and a bed for a little bit. Just a day or two. Didn't want to stay longer than that anyway," you said, trying to concentrate more on your food and less on his stare.

"How many towns have you stopped in?"

"I never counted," you said.

"Then how long have you been doing this for?"

"About as long as I can remember. Why are you keeping me here?"

He paused, taken back for a moment at your straightforward question.

"I told you, you're safer –"

"No," you interrupted him. "Why – why do you feel the need to keep me safe? You don't know me and I have been anything but kind."

This time he paused for longer, truly debated his words before he spoke them, and only answered when you raised your eyebrows expectantly.

"It's not like me," he finally said, deep and almost curt as his voice cracked. "My officials have been giving me strange looks for it, actually. I freed my slaves but kept you here... of course they'd have questions."

He looked down at his fidgeting fingers, trying to swallow through the lump in his throat.

"I don't know why, but..." he turned back to you, eyes meeting yours as he raised his hand to cup your face. You stayed stock still, trying not to give a single thing away. "... I want.. to keep you. There's something about your presence, the way you carry yourself, that draws me to you. In a way you remind me of a lot of the spark I.. I lost, sort of. It's not your responsibility to make me feel better, I want you to know that. I just have a deep appreciation for your presence. I feel as though I might get better when I see you."

That was, undeniably, one of the strangest things you'd ever heard about yourself. You could barely process what he was saying, an ineptitude of yours that only grew when he touched you.

"Do not steal my freedom for your own benefit," you whispered, just barely verging on fully speaking.

"I know," he said, and the guilt was clear on his face. Not that it mattered––no matter how guilty he felt or how wrong he knew his actions were, it meant nothing without the actions to back it up.

The silence that built up between you was broken not by sound but by movement. Ahk reached for one of the tiger rolls, sticky with the sweetness of sun-dried dates, and held it up for you. Confusion took you for a moment, quickly followed by hesitation as you realized he was trying to feed you. Himself.

Fucking –

You took a deep breath, calming the enraged thoughts in your head before you gingerly opened your mouth. Gently you bit into it. The bread of it squished, filling your mouth with a sweet, thick taste of honey, dates, and nuts. You chewed slowly before you swallowed.

"You're strange," you said.

"You're not the first to tell me that," he said with a grin. You smiled back, curt and polite and meaningless, but he still seemed to enjoy it.

"How long will you keep me here?" You asked, but with the quiet volume your voice cracked in the middle of your sentence.

"In my room? Or in the palace?"

"Both."

"Well," he glanced to the side uncertainly, "in my room until I am assured you won't run away, and in the palace... um, you shan't need to leave the palace without me. So I suppose you leaving the palace would coincide with when I do, or when you ask me. I'm perfectly happy to take the time to take you outside every now and then."

"So... never," you said, crossing your arms.

"Oh, don't be upset now," he said softly, leaning closer to you as his hand came to rest on your cheek. He led you to meet his eye. "You'll be alright. I know it seems like a lot, but you get used to it eventually. I speak from experience."

While curiosity did seize you for a moment, it dissipated at the sight of his wandering hands. As his thumb began to stroke your cheek, the other drew up your thigh, up your chest before it landed on the sensitive skin of your neck. He looked at you, tried to hold your eye as he touched you but you didn't dare look up. Instead, you stared at the edge of the bed, wondering what ideas he had in store for this evening.

"You are beautiful," he murmured, taking in every inch of your complexion. "Has anyone ever told you that?"

"I don't really talk to people," you answered quietly.

"Why not?"

"Never really interested me," you said.

"Then you're an opposite of me," he said with a growing smile. "I adore learning about others, about myself... and I think it'll be quite the adventure getting to know you, as well."

Not if I can help it, you thought, but you refrained from speaking the truth. Instead you nodded vaguely, still withholding eye contact.

"Are you tired?" He asked, tilting his head to the side.

"A little," you said through a hoarse voice.

"Finish the food you want," he said, pushing the tray a little closer to you. "Then we can sleep. I've had a long day, so I'm tired myself."

He's had a long day? You thought. Try attempting to escape a kidnapper and then failing ten feet. And being tied to a bed for several hours, you added on at the end, bitterness tainting your thoughts.

There was nothing you could do now––not with him in the room, not so late into the night. As much as you loathed to return to the position of the previous evening, you let Ahk move you as he pleased, accepting a more gentle touch over the forceful movements that appeared in your disobedience's wake. The sheets rustled for a good minute or two before he found a comfortable position, arms encircled tight around your waist with his face buried in your hair.

It wasn't a position you were particularly comfortable with, and you certainly didn't enjoy it, but the panic that had so fiercely seized you no longer plagued your sleepy mind. Discomfort, sure, but not panic. He would not hurt you. He would not force you into anything but staying with him, and while that fate may have been an unpleasant one that you'd rather not endure, it was better than the cruelties he could legally unleash upon you. And, you supposed, he wasn't horrendous looking. With his eyes fluttered shut and soft breaths leaving him, he was quite serene.

Almost... pretty.

You shifted back down into the position he pulled you into, settling your back against his chest. Once there he tucked you under his chin, arms tightening ever so slightly, before a long sigh was followed by satisfied silence.

You took a deep breath. Rose. Rather exotic. The only reason you could identify it, was because the you'd only smelled it one other time.

Wind brought you to stir, a brisk chillness that grew goosebumps on your skin. You grumbled unpleasantly, curling back into the one source of heat you had; another's body. It took less than a second for you to realize exactly where you were––cradled in the arms of the Pharaoh. Continued consciousness brought about another realization, as well. He was petting your hair. Again.

Opening your eyes, you found a decent amount of light in the room, and turned to find the morning sky.

"Morning," he mumbled, but made no effort to move. You struggled for a moment before giving in with a huff.

"Can I get up?"

"May you get up. And no," he shifted closer to you, "just a minute longer."

True to his word he soon released you, though still didn't make any attempt to get himself out of bed. He stayed sprawled on the mattress till the cool breeze became too much to comfortably bear. At that point he curled up, wrapping himself up in the sheets you left.

"Ugh," he groaned, "is Naguib here?"

"No," you said, eyes flickering to the door for a split second.

"Naguib??" He said, this time much louder, and scuttering came from behind the large doors.

"My King," Naguib acknowledged, gently shutting the door behind him.

"Why, in the name of Amun, is it so cold today," he asked gruffly, though entirely unmenacing.

"Piye says a wind from the eastern lands will be coming in for the next several days," Naguib said.

You watched from your seat against the wall as Naguib opened an expansive wardrobe, flicking through the various clothing till he found what satisfied him. "It's far too cold, I live here for warm weather," Ahk continued to complain thoughtlessly, burying his face in his pillow.

"You live here because you can't rule a nation from an oasis," Naguib said, flipping a long skirt in the air to rid it of wrinkles.

"Speaking of the kingdom," Ahk said as he rolled off the bed and onto the floor, "how's it doing this morning?"

"You have court this morning on –"

"The embalmers from Thebes?"

Naguib nodded.

"God damn it," Ahk mumbled. "Why can't we ever have those meetings in the afternoon? Why is it always in the morning I have to hear about the rotting bodies?"

"Don't ask me, Sir. You planned the court hearing," Naguib said, helping the Pharaoh to his feet and promptly dressing him in his robes.

While the servant fit the beaded collar over Ahkmenrah's shoulders, he glanced to you, to your little space in the corner where a rug had been set. Chill bit at your fingers, forcing you to hide them between your thighs, though even those were beginning to turn cold. Egypt was the furthest north you'd ever been.

"My King, if I might make a suggestion?" Naguib asked quietly, straightening out the long cape. Ahk nodded, and he continued. "Maybe take your.. um, Amoke, with you? It's going to be pretty cold all day and you haven't got any blankets or curtains."

"Hmm?" Ahk said as he turned back, first to Naguib, before his eyes flickered over to your huddled form. Though you felt his eyes on you, you did not look up.

The two of them muttered amongst themselves for a little while longer before Ahkmenrah was fully prepared for the morning. Only then did the Pharaoh approach you, offering his hand for you to take. He gave his reasoning clearly––today would be chilly, and being tied up to a bedpost probably wouldn't do your already-present wounds any good. You didn't truly want to spend the day with him, but there was very little argument when the only other option was shivering all day.

Torches lined the hallways you walked down, illuminating the corridors and their storytelling paintings. Some were familiar, ones that had caught your eye, while others escaped your waking memory.

"Tonight we shall be staying in a different room," Ahkmenrah declared, placing his hand on the small of your back as though he was leading you. "One more deep inside the palace, where we keep the fires."

"Where are we going now?" You asked, looking up at him.

"To court, unfortunately. But breakfast first."

You sat at a table the likes of which you'd never seen; dark, glazed wood that stretched down the entirety of a dining hall, whose end you could barely identify in the dawn's awakening. The Pharaoh sat at the head, and you to his left on the long end of the table. Upon being seated, two servants brought out several different trays, setting them out in front of Ahk. Each of them had their own theme-sort of food––fruit, meat, cheeses, breads, a cup of beer and a plate to set it on. He was quick to notice they brought no plate for you, and quietly requested one.

The two of you ate in relative silence for a couple minutes before Naguib joined, sliding in across from you. At first your eyes went wide––rarely had you ever heard of a servant joining the head of the table, but with one glance to the Pharaoh, your anxiousness dissipated. He didn't appear to mind. Slowly you turned back to eating, eyeing the two men every now and again.

What strange people, you thought.

When you were first told you would be attending court, your instant imagery of the room was the throne room––wide arches overlooking the city, confirming the ego of the chosen Pharaoh, who would always believe himself above the lives of those he ruled. Instead, as you stood at the tiny threshold of the court, high ceilings towered above you in spirals and painted stars, long pillars calling from the marble and pooling on the crystalline floor, where your reflection sat stunned below you. Already people lined the sides of the long hallway. At one end sat the raised floor of the throne, accompanied by a few smaller seats, and at the other end were large, wooden doors allowing the light of the sun to come spilling into the room.

Eyes trailed after the Pharaoh as he took his seat, and by proxy the attention of the public fell on you, the unnamed, poorly-dressed stranger in tow. Naguib came up behind you, whispering in your ear to stand at the side of the throne, and to remain behind it at all times. Without thought you obeyed; this would be a long day, and it was one of the less demeaning rules to follow.

As the court was called into session, more servants came out from behind the throne, carrying sticks of fire with which they lit the beacons placed on either side of the room. The doors soon shut to keep out the unnatural chill, leaving much but the throne in shadow.

Every now and again you glanced to Ahk. He practiced much of the image you'd come to fear––the confidence, the succinct use of words, without a smile so much as occurring to him in thought. When he looked to you, though, in tiny moments where eyes were more trained on criminal testimonies rather than the Pharaoh himself, a familiar warmth filled his expression, and he would gift you a tiny smile. Each time you inhaled sharply and turned away––holding eye contact was a little much for you today.

Murmurings in the crowd grew steadily louder till you finally recognized the extra voices as coming from outside. Your fingers clenched into fists, staring at the doors as Ahkmenrah conversed quietly with his advisors.

As you suspected, the doors swung open, a soldier entering with subordinates behind him. He grew nearer to the feet of the throne, soon gaining the Pharaoh's attention along with your recognition. You'd seen this man before––your breath caught in your throat when you realized it was the same soldier who locked you up, and he was glaring at you with a menacing glint in his eye.

"My King," he said, bowing before he mentioned anything else. "I am Thaabit, I oversee the shipping complex in northern Memphis. A few days ago we lost one of our inhabitants. We have been searching, and... we discovered they made it here."

Ahk raised a single brow, scanning the man intently.

"Are you referring to Amoke?" He finally asked after painfully stretched silence.

"Yes, the slave beside you," he said with a nod, turning to you.

"I am not a slave," you said firmly, but Ahk silenced you with a raise of his hand, turning dully back to Thaabit, who was still bowed on his knees.

"Did they commit any crime?"

"Trespassing, for one," Thaabit said. "Not even citizens of Egypt are allowed in the complex, and I believe Amoke is from Mali. And without a legal card for travel and trade."

Ahk took another minute to process the man's words while you sweated beside him, your bottom teeth grinding into your skull.

"What do you suggest I do then?"

"Return them to the complex, of course."

He laughed––the Pharaoh, stone-faced and cruel, belted out a laugh in front of the whole of court. Wide eyes stared at him from the crowd, as did yours.

"Amusing," he said. "I'm not doing that."

"But my King ––"

"Silence," the Pharaoh commanded, and the soldier readily obeyed. "Anyone else to accuse Amoke of wrongdoing, or attempt to harm them in any way, will be punished henceforth. I'll let you off with a warning, Thaabit, as you did not know of this rule––but do not ask after them again, or you will be the one being sent shackled to Punt."

You watched from your spot in the shadows, watched the soldiers' deteriorating will, crumbling from a once-tall chest to hunched shoulders and a twisted, nervous expression.

"Yes, my King. Thank you," he said, much softer than any of his other words, and left with his spear gripped tight in his fist. Breath once taken from you returned in a relieved sigh.

"Thank you," you mumbled, half-hoping he wouldn't hear.

"Of course, my dear," he said, though didn't turn to you. "Anything for your safety."

He remained in a quiet mood for the rest of the day. Throughout dinner you tried to gauge his thoughts, to dig into what was on his mind, but there was little you could do without speaking. He didn't seem in the right mindset for a conversation, and you didn't want to open your mouth anyway.

"I enjoy taking you places," he said out of nowhere as the two of you strolled down the halls. "It's... cathartic, to see you smile during a long day."

You couldn't recall ever smiling today, but you didn't mention it. Instead you let his words sit for a moment before asking a question.

"Where are we going now?"

"I have to overlook our honey trade for the evening, make sure the transport and storage goes according to plan. Usually I'd have Piye do this, but... well, they're overlooking a ceremony tonight."

The sun had, somehow, already set behind the low mountains of the horizon. It was one of those rare times where you were surprised by the time of day––most days, you were outside all the time, and could easily predict the time of sunset. Being cooped up in the palace led you to this confusion, and for you to shiver from the chill wind of evening.

Like most Egyptians occupying the city, you were dressed in very light clothes, gifted to you by the King in lieu of your dirty outfit. While he conversed with the honey farmers, you wrapped yourself up in your arms and scanned your surroundings.

You stayed close to the small, outside door leading into the cellar, the open arch followed by lowering steps. Here the ground was pure, soft sand, unoccupied by buildings or citizens. Though you couldn't see the Nile, palm trees and small bushes surrounded you in little groves. The only movement came from the farmers and the Pharaoh. Tall, clay vases sat in a special cart, piled on top of each other with large corks stuck in the top.

"Perfect," Ahk said, counting the golden rings in his hand. "Safe journey to you."

"Thank you, my King," the main farmer said with a bow. He made a sign to the others, and they began to lift the jars into the cellar with great, careful effort.

"Most Pharaohs had their honey grown and harvested near the palace, for convenience," Ahk said once he stood beside you, his voice quiet for only you to hear. "I've found that the best honey is a little ways down the river––it's worth the payment for the delivery. Do you like honey?"

"I've only tried it a few times, but yes," you said.

"Mmm, I think you'll like this then," he said, smiling.

It wasn't long until the many jars were placed in the cellar, and the farmers were set off back in the direction of home. Ahk led you by your shoulder down the steps, where the air grew cooler yet, and the scent of fermented wine hit you strong.

"I believe we have some extra rations of sweet cakes down here," he said, leaving your side to search the rows of jars and pots. You watched from afar.

"It isn't necessary t-"

"Oh well of course it isn't necessary," he grinned, "but it is nice, isn't it? If you have wealth, why not enjoy it from time to time?"

You hummed acknowledgement but weren't sure whether you agreed or disagreed with his statement. Nonetheless, he continued his search, only returning to you when he found a sealed jar of the hard cakes. He paused in front of you, chest to yours as he smiled softly down at you. Gentle pressure of his fingers on your bare arm nearly had you flinching away, but he kept you in place, scanning you like a prized belonging.

"If I have you," he murmured, brushing the hair out of your eyes, "why not enjoy you from time to time?"

You could almost feel yourself go pale, but the Pharaoh just beamed and kissed your forehead, leaving your personal space with that small prize.

"Come now, Amoke," he said, calling you over to where the large jugs of honey were stored.

He handed the two biscuits in his hands to you, kneeling to work at the oversized cork. As it twisted, a soft hissing sound began to come from it, and slowly but surely it popped out of the vase's neck. Once he set the cork aside, he reached for a long stirring stick and dipped it into the golden honey. It dripped down sweetly as he drew it out.

"Hold this," he said.

The two of you switched positions, with him now carrying the biscuits and you holding up the stick of honey. He held the cakes out, letting thin strands of honey pour onto the top of the bread, breaking into thinner rivers that dripped back into the pot.

Once he was satisfied, he held the cake up to your mouth, letting you gently bite in as the stick in your hand went limp. While you slowly chewed, he closed the jug and set away the stirstick.

"Good?" He asked, biting into his own cake.

"Very," you said after much deliberation. It was almost too sweet. You liked it quite a lot, but you didn't want to tell him that, just in case it would inflate his ego.

"There is a great many of dishes I think you'll enjoy. I doubt you'll have had any of them before, if what you say about your past is true," he said, leading you out of the cellar as you both finished with your biscuits.

You'd almost forgotten his earlier words, but they quickly came back to you when he took you to a different bedroom. True to his word––deep inside the palace, where a fire was already stoked, lighting the room with warm light that flickered and danced with the shadows. Drapes of purple and pink fell from the ceiling, their curves leading to the image of the sky goddess, Nut. The bed was dressed in gold and blood red colors, blankets and pillows overflowing the mattress, while burning incense hung from the middle of the canopy.

Ahk took your hand and led you deeper into the room, pulling you to the center while he closed the door behind you. A lock clicked, but unlike the previous times, you didn't jump. By now you must've already expected him to lock it.

"I want you to be perfectly honest with me," he said, still standing behind your back. You froze, your posture straight as you stared straight ahead. "I won't punish you."

That's comforting, you thought to yourself, bitterly.

"How did you find yourself in that complex? Were you looking for something?"

"Is that what's been bothering you all day?" You asked through a tight throat.

For a moment he was quiet, and your heart was seized with fear, until he chuckled low and soft.

"Perceptive little thing, aren't you?"

"S-sorry, sir," you stammered out.

"No need to apologize," he said, and the heat of his words brushed the back of your neck, followed by a tracing finger as he circled you to face you. "Now answer me."

You could barely breathe, conscious thought more out of your head than ever before. Piercing eyes settled upon your own, staring through the walls you built between yourself and the world, devastating your shaky facade of safety.

"I thought I recognized one of the captives," you said, barely audible above the fire. Though your eyes fell from his gaze, he continued to stare. "It was a girl I met when I was younger. I played with her for an afternoon, and... she was begging with your soldiers. I couldn't leave her there, even if she wasn’t the girl I met."

He remained silent, waiting for you to continue.

"She is going to be turned to a slave, isn't she?"

"I'm afraid so," he murmured, almost sorrowful. Almost. "How did you escape?"

"They aren't very smart, your guards. It wasn't hard. Just had to wear down the restraints and leave when they were sleeping," you said with a shrug.

"And how did you end up in my room?"

Now he asks, you thought, internally rolling your eyes.

"It's... a long story," you tried, but your avoidant nature was caught quickly by the Pharaoh.

"We have all night," he said, stepping closer yet. "Unless you want to retire to bed already."

One glance to the small bed and you froze––not yet. You weren't mentally prepared quite yet.

"I got mistaken for one of your servants and I was herded into the palace by a guard. I managed to split off from the group, but you have patrols in the hallway, so I hid in the first room I found," you answered.

"I'm glad you did, then," he said softly, raising your head by a finger beneath your chin. "You are... perfect. Intelligent, passionate... beautiful. I am overjoyed to have met you in this life."

"As opposed to another life?"

"Yes, well," he chuckled, "the sooner the better, right? Take a seat, dear."

His hands held yours as he led you to the fireplace, pulling you to the carpeted floor. Piles of pillows and blankets surrounded you, accompanied by the ferns of palm trees hanging above you from the ornately painted vases, one on either side of the fireplace. As he moved to take a seat, you expected him to sit beside you or across from you like a normal person. Instead he placed his knees on either side of your hips, trapping you beneath him as he reached for you, pulling his fingers from your hands to your jaw.

You shivered from his touch and he laughed––cupping your face as he lovingly brushed the hair from your face.

"Sensitive, are you?" He asked in a teasing manner, clearly delighted by your reactions. You on the other hand hated it, and blushed brightly.

"It's only because I don't like people touching me," you said, turning away from Ahk. He was having none of that; forced you to look him in the eye, lips ever so slightly parted as his gaze fell to your own lips.

"Unfortunate," he said, sure to keep quiet in the small space between you. "I think you have touched me once, but I enjoyed it very much. You have nice hands."

It was obvious he expected you to touch him, to give into his questionless request. But you didn't. You barely maintained eye contact and your hands remained rooted behind you. Subdued irritation tugged at his smile, and to satisfy his need that you wouldn't willingly gift, he dipped his face into your collar, nuzzling his nose beneath your jaw and wrapping himself so tightly around you there was no space at all between the two of you.

He stayed like that for a couple minutes. When it became clear to him that you would not return the affection, he adjusted himself further, wrapping his legs around your torso as well and pressing the side of his face to your own. Like this he could easily tilt his head and kiss your cheek, which he did do inbetween playing with your hair and breathing your scent in deep.

"Mmm," he hummed softly, "you are a wonder of the Gods."

You didn't have the space of mind to tell him you don't follow his religion.

He pulled away, his hand still resting on your cheek, and said, "I will do anything to protect you. Know that, alright? And I will do anything in my power to keep you happy."

"I am not a person whose affections can be won with gifts. I'm sorry," you said, stating a simple truth.

"No, I didn't think so. You didn't seem the type. But I will grow gardens in your name. I will commission art of anything you like, and it shall be painted on the walls of the city. I will make you a God in my peoples' eyes."

A god? Your expression must've given away your alarm, as he smiled and explained himself.

"They listen to my every word. If I should say the night is day and the day is night, so it will be written... and so will you be remembered," he murmured, words spoken against your lips as he dipped in to kiss you. "A God for all of time."

#ahkmenrah x reader #Ahkmenrah #Night at the Museum #rami malek #rami malek character #ahkmenrah x female reader #ahkmenrah x male reader

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vs-redemption · 4 years

Note

Ok so this one might be harder if you don’t game very often. But Dabi x reader who’s quirk is like a Witcher.

~🐱❤️

From Cindy: Hello 🐱Anon!! This turned out a bit more angsty than I intended, but I think it kind of fits with what I found while researching the Witcher.

⚠️Angst(?) and mentions of violence. Nothing descriptive but I’d rather be safe than sorry.⚠️

The Witcher (Dabi x Witcher!Reader)

It was a night just like any other for Dabi. Another night of skulking through the dark streets of the city, avoiding heroes and seeking out other criminals. His sapphire eyes scanned his surroundings slowly as he strained his ears for any hint that someone might be around.

Recruitment. That’s why he was out here every single night by himself. The league of villains needed allies, well, more like henchmen. Either way, Shigaraki couldn’t achieve his goals until they increased their numbers. And what better way for Dabi to make himself valuable to the team than to go out and rally together people to support the cause?

Liar. A wave of self-hatred crashed through him and he clenched his fists at his sides, disgusted by his own weakness. For years he’d been working toward one unshakable goal. Nothing else was supposed to matter. And everything would be fine if he were just out here searching for fellow bad guys that were worthy of bolstering Shigaraki’s power, but he wasn’t. He was out here searching for you.

He could try to use the false pretense that you’d make an extremely worthy addition to the team, but that was just another lie. As great as it would be to have someone with your skill set and abilities on his side, he knew deep down that you’d never accept. He’d never actually spoken to you, but something about the reports he’d seen about you told him that you weren’t the type to play nicely with others. He could tell because he was the same way. The only reason he’d joined the League was because it was beneficial for him. If you hadn’t reached out to team up with the ragtag group yet, chances are you were never going to.

“No! No! Please!”

The screams came from an alley a few streets over, but they only last a moment before going silent. Thankful for the distraction from his thoughts, Dabi made his way to find the source of the violence. Perhaps he’d get lucky and find someone to take back to Shigarai after all. He sucks in a breath when the person who comes walking casually out from the darkness is you, wiping blood off the long sword in your hands until the light from the streetlamps glistens off the razor sharp edge.

You seem to notice his presence immediately and look up to meet his gaze. Seeing the golden color of your eyes along with the catlike slits for pupils was more shocking in person, and your long white hair caught the moonlight and made you look even more ethereal. Dabi was normally one to keep his cool in almost any situation, but running into you had him standing transfixed. He’d played this very scene over and over in his head more times than he’d ever admit to, yet now when you were finally standing right in front of him, he was speechless.

“Dabi, from the League of Villains,” you address him neutrally while sheathing your sword.

He’d never heard your voice before now, but the sound of his name passing through your lips had his heart galloping inside his chest. Not only was your voice just as enchanting as the rest of you, but you knew who he was. It shouldn’t have been that much of a surprise, but the pathetic little crush he had on you clouded the more logical side of his brain and filled his head with delusions that you’d been just as desperate to cross paths with each other as he had.

“Kind of bold of you to put your weapon away in front of me,” Dabi says with his eyes sliding down your form to where your sword hung on your hip. The way you scoff at him in amusement should’ve offended him. He’d lost his temper and incinerated others for more trivial reasons before. But something about your attitude excited him. He liked getting this emotional response from you, even if it wasn’t exactly positive.

“There’s no reason for us to fight. Unlike the League, my only conflict is with the heroes, especially those deemed unworthy by Stain like the one I just took care of back there,” You state in a matter of fact tone while gesturing to the alleyway and then raising an eyebrow. “If you do attack me though, I am more than capable of defending myself without my blade.”

If there was any doubt about Dabi’s attraction to you before, it was gone now. The confidence in your own strength was one thing, but knowing that you were also a believer in the Hero Killer’s ideology made you so much more appealing. Unrealistic ideas began to form in his head of cutting ties with the League and joining forces with you.

“Move!” You suddenly grab his arm and yank him to the side. You make a strange gesture with your free hand that sent a strange wave of energy outward to blast back the hero Dabi had been too distracted to notice coming up behind him.

Your quirk wasn’t enough to give you much time to recover, so you unsheathe your sword and prepare to take down the second hero that rushed in from the opposite direction. Meanwhile, Dabi was making sure the first hero couldn’t retaliate by engulfing them in a wave of hot blue flames. Within seconds both heroes were laying on the ground, motionless.

“We make a pretty good team,” Dabi comments while trying to hide the way the burned skin on his hands smoked from using his flames. It had been a long time since he’d felt self-conscious about his burns, but you hardly gave him a second glance.

“I would’ve been long gone before they showed up if I hadn’t stopped to talk to you in the first place,” You point out critically and then shrug. “Oh well, I can’t complain if means fewer people running around making a mockery of what it means to be a real hero.” You pause for a moment to clean your sword off for the second time. “Well, see you around Dabi.” Without any hesitation, you turn and dash of, vanishing out of sight after turning into another random alley.

Dabi stands on the street for much longer than he should have afterwards, trying to wrap his mind around what had just happened. He’d finally talked to you. On top of that, he’d had the chance to show off and help you fight off two heroes. Nothing about the brief encounter had seemed to impress you at all though, which left Dabi feeling kind of empty and even more disgusted with himself and his infatuation. He knew he couldn’t remain out in the open while he wallowed in self-pity though. The heat and light from his flames had undoubtedly drawn even more attention to the area where he was, so he takes one more calming breath before forcing his thoughts back to his original objective and walking away.

#Dabi x reader #bnha x reader #mha x reader #Dabi #bnha #mha #Cindy's Writing

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kuroshitsuji-scenarios · 4 years

Note

“It’s been centuries since I felt like this, I’m not letting you go that easily.”/ for undertaker/ good you are safe! Mwah!

OHOOO, THIS ONE IS SO GOOD! I hope you enjoy the result! <3

Pairing: Undertaker x Reader

Words: 1,833

Prompt: 23. “It’s been centuries since I felt like this, I’m not letting you go that easily.”

[ taglist ] [ commissions ]

He was not the only the person you did not recognize during your relative’s funeral. There was so many people, after all, close family and friends but also faces you have never seen before and he certainly was one of them. Despite the gloomy atmosphere, it was impossible to not notice how he simply could not fit in the crowd, no matter that he was also dressed all in black, slightly bent over the freshly digged grave, mourning and silent.

Completely alone.

Perhaps it was his long, snow white hair or the unnaturally pale skin or maybe the scar crossing his handsome face—all those elements creating a picture perfect to catch your attention and cause you to think about it hours after the ceremony ended, giving you sleepless night. The stranger, whoever he was, seemed to be a ghost, now haunting your memory and making you wonder, who could that be? The longer you thought about it, the more uncertain you grew, sometimes wondering whether you truly saw him there or if he was just a passing shadow of the past, caught in the corner of your eye.

The fate, however, decided to end your misery in a way you would last expect it to—by giving you exactly what you wanted. Meeting the same, mysterious man in the middle of the city was something you would rather witness only in the films, the ones people considered as unrealistic and having plots which had no right to happen in the real world. Still, there was no mistake, it was him with the same eccentric appearance and the only difference being that now, he smiled when he clearly recognized you.

“It’s not the most common way to meet new people, I have to admit,” he chuckled after placing the cup of cappuccino back on the small plate and looked back at you. “If I only knew that my friend had such an adorable relatives, perhaps I would actually attend those family gatherings.”

“I can’t guarantee you that you’d meet me at any of them, I’m a rather busy person.”

“And not the life of the party, I assume?”

“Pretty much.” You shrugged. “Is it so obvious?”

“No, I’m just quite clever, if I can say so.”

The final conclusion after spending an afternoon with him in a coffee shop was that he was not only clever but also surprisingly charming. Undertaker, as he introduced himself right after giving you his real name and mentioning that he has never been fond of it, was truly like a gift from another world—he was a gentleman, well-mannered, polite and respectful, not to mention that his sense of humour seemed to fit yours just perfectly. The first wave of anxiety quickly faded away as he showed you that there is nothing to be shy about around him and even gave you an example or two on how he was not a social butterfly in his anecdotes.

The second and third meeting was surprisingly pleasant and each evening you came back home with stomach hurting from the amount of laugh, the blissful smile of your lips and the lovely tingling sensation in your heart.

On the fourth, he kissed you on the cheek as a goodbye, after walking you home to make sure that you were safe and sound, which was a very reasonable decision, since you were so lost in conversation, that you forgot about the passing time.

During the sixth, he confessed that he truly enjoyed your company and no matter the circumstances, he was glad to meet you.

On the tenth, Undertaker was showering you with heated kisses, the hunger on his tongue and the trembling in the fingers. He told you then, that he fell in love with you and he really did—he loved you just as much, as he always promised you to and there was never a hint of lie in his words, not when he was confessing his undying affection, nor swearing to spend the afterlife with you. Naturally, it could be an exaggeration, for he was always a little bit unpredictable with his love language, but in the end, you found out that everything he has ever said to you, was plain truth.

You would be the one worth considering a liar if you said that it did not flatter you. His feelings for you, how devoted he grew, how much he cared was the greatest compliment you could receive and a very clear signal that you deserved such a chivalrous man. It was a significant boost to your confidence, especially when you were walking together, arms locked and the conversations going so swiftly, as if he was created to be with you—the perfect, second half of one soul.

Soon, you started to wonder what could possibly go wrong, for the image seemed to be too perfect to be real.

Perhaps he was hiding some dangerous past, had debts or wife and children. Or maybe was he some kind of stalker who knew who you are long before you met. The possibilities were endless and when you asked him about some of your doubts, Undertaker not only explained why were they wrong but also gave you reliable proofs.

It was like a dream, the twisted one, where you were constantly waiting for something bad to happen but everyone around you kept dancing, blind and deaf for your intuition. You loved him equally fiercely as he did love you and that was the main reason why the possibility of some incident or secret slipping was running your blood cold. When it eventually did, you were beyond shocked to find out that no such thing ever appeared on your list, nor occurred in your mind.

Undertaker had to support his weight on the nearby wall, the other hand pressed firmly to his temple where the dark blood was gushing through his fingers and staining the collar of the dress-shirt. The wound you gave to him was not too deep, the place on his head and the amount of blood caused it to look like that, and at first you held your breath wondering if you accidentally killed him. The brass lamp suddenly grew heavier in your hands, the fingers painfully stiff when you were holding onto your temporary weapon as if your life depended on it.

And maybe it truly did.

“Stay back,” you ordered, your tone not sounding even half as confidently as you wanted. “Don’t come any closer.”

Undertaker looked at you from under his long, white eyelashes, the sight of his vivid green eyes causing the shivers to run down your spine. Still, you stood your ground, afraid to even blink just in case he would decide to jump on you and snap your neck.

“What’s the matter, poppet?” he muttered, slowly straightening his back and wiping the blood off his hand on the fabric of his trousers. There was a curve of the smile playing on his lips. “Didn’t you say that you wanted to spend the rest of your life with me barely few days ago?”

“I did and I’ve changed my mind. Now don’t move any closer.”

“Or what?” he hissed and the sudden step forward was enough to almost make you lose your balance.

Undertaker chuckled at the fear you were so desperately trying to hide beneath the mask of courage. It was slipping out from every corner, your eyes betraying the terror in your soul.

Oh, how long it has been since he has last seen it.

“Will you hit me again, my love?” He pointed at the lamp in your hands. “Don’t hesitate, just make sure to aim better next time, the single blow won’t be enough to knock me out… And actually, I doubt that you’d ever be able to do it.”

“Stay the fuck back!” you warned, growing more scared and desperate with every step he took. “If you thought that I won’t discover the truth you were dead wrong and now you expected me to pretend that nothing happened?”

“What a pitiful choice of words,” he giggled, genuinely amused. “No, I wasn’t hoping to hide it from you forever, I just wanted to wait for a while longer. You, humans, don’t handle it very well and you’re no exception.”

“What are you talking about?” Salty droplet of sweat rolled down your forehead and you fought the urge to wipe it off, knowing that the man in front of you could use it for his advantage. “Did you really thought that if you told me later about your little laboratory in the basement then I’d be more understanding?”

“You would.”

“Like hell I would!”

You were at the verge of crying, the frustration and panic growing inside of you with every passing second. Discovering the bloody passion of your fiancé was one thing, but facing him and fighting for your life when he tried to pull you down the stairs was something completely different. All you wanted right now, was to leave, to run as fast as you could and never see him again, just to be safe and away from him and his murderous tendencies.

Funny, suddenly you felt like in the film The Shining, except that your partner did not lose consciousness after you almost crushed his skull with the heavy lamp in an attempt to defend yourself. It was almost as if he did not feel any pain, as if the hits had no effect on him.

As if he was immortal.

Slowly, you stepped back, still eyeing him carefully, observing if he would try to stop you from leaving his house. Once again, he reminded you of a dark ghost, the freezing memory of the past, growing and expanding in the tiny living room like a plague. His beautiful, pure face was rotten inside, his mind twisted and the smile—the smile, you grew so fond of—has never been so terrifying.

Undertaker waited patiently until you could almost reach the doorknob behind your back, giving you just enough hope to see your features soften before he materialized right in front of you in a blink of an eye. Before you could react, he covered your mouth with his hand, nails digging in your cheeks, and with a swift movement threw the lamp across the room, too far for you to reach. Leaning down, he looked at you in the eyes with the same, loving gaze you remembered and your noses almost touched, the dried blood staining his cheek and neck appearing as almost black now.

“You don’t understand, my love,” he whispered and rested his forehead against yours, taking a deep breath and inhaling the scent of your fear before continuing. “I’ve never lied to you, not even for a second. My affection for you is real, it brought me closer to being alive than I’ve ever been. It’s been centuries since I felt like this, I’m not letting you go that easily.”

#kuroshitsuji #black butler #undertaker #undertaker x reader #scenarios #shinigami #queue

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