#When all of my hopes and dreams come true

[navybrat817]

Hold You Tight: Part 2

Pairing: Club Owner!Bucky Barnes x Female Reader

Fic Summary: The owner of The 107th wants you to be his girl whether you like it or not.

Chapter Summary: You're anxious before your date.

Chapter Word Count: Over 3.1k

Chapter Warnings: DARK AU, stalking, coercion, threats (not against reader), creepy and unhinged behavior, flashback, possessiveness, Bucky Barnes (he's a warning, okay?), more warnings to come.

A/N: More Hold You Tight! Hope you lovelies enjoy and thank you for the feedback so far! Bucky edit by the beautiful @nixakimbo. ❤️ Beta read by the lovely @whisperlullaby , but any and all mistakes are my own. Divider by the talented @firefly-graphics . Please follow @navybrat817-sideblog for new fics and notifications. Comments, reblogs, feedback are loved and appreciated!

You loved working at the flower shop. Putting together beautiful arrangements and bringing joy to others made you happy. But today, the morning after that stranger showed up in your home, you weren’t fully alert as you went about your tasks. The air around you felt different, thicker. Flipping through the order book, you attempted to look busy instead of walking around in a haze.

Whenever you began to focus, your mind would drift back to Bucky Barnes and your upcoming date. You hadn’t told Addison or anyone else about it because what could you tell them? How could you explain your situation?

You hadn’t even slept in your own bed thanks to that man.

You weren’t sure how long you stayed seated on the couch once Bucky left your place. You’d have to move eventually, but you were replaying what happened in your head like a song on repeat and tried to make sense of it. A man broke into your home, but didn’t steal anything. Held you in his lap, but didn’t violate you.

No, that last part wasn’t true. That was exactly what he did. He violated your safety. And demanded a date with you.

You jerked when your phone dinged, but your heart only pounded faster when you saw a message from a new contact.

Bucky.

“I wish I could’ve stayed the night, but I’ll dream about you and count down the minutes until our date. Don’t forget about your gifts.”

He knew the date was on because how could you say no?

Your stomach dropped as you glanced down the hall. Wiping the remaining tears away, you got to your feet and cautiously made your way toward your bedroom. You weren’t expecting anyone to be there, but who knew what he did while you were at work? And what if he came back?

Would you scream for help or call the police?

“Just go in,” you whispered.

Pushing the door open with a shaky hand and flipping on the light, everything looked normal as you looked around and approached the bed. Everything except the garment and gift bag in the middle of it. They taunted you, daring you to look inside. At the very least, to read the small card on top of the bag.

You caught a small whiff of the cologne he wore as you picked it up and read the single statement.

“This is just the beginning, doll.”

The card slipped from your shaky hand. It would’ve been romantic under normal circumstances. You looked inside the gift bag next, but it did nothing to calm your nerves. Not only was it your favorite perfume as he stated, but it was the largest size available.

You unzipped the garment bag after and gasped at the sight of the dress. It was from a designer you admired, but could never afford. Simple yet beautiful in design, you had to stop yourself from running your hand over the fabric. Yes, it was a beautiful dress and it was just the right size.

But it came with strings attached.

“How?”

You half expected to see a blinking light when your eyes darted to the corners of your bedroom, but everything still looked ordinary. Nothing looked out of place. It didn’t stop your skin from crawling at the thought of him watching you. Because how did he know your size and the kind of perfume you liked? That you liked having a glass of wine when you took a bath? The password to your phone?

How did he know anything about you?

That was perhaps one of the most terrifying aspects about your ordeal: He was clearly powerful and connected, yet you didn’t know exactly what he was capable of or how far he’d go.

It took you a minute to type back a message to him. “Thank you for the gifts.”

A response came back almost immediately. Was he waiting by his phone for you? “Like I said, it’s just the beginning. I have another gift waiting for you, but you’ll have to wait until tomorrow for that one. It’s a surprise.”

You suddenly didn’t like surprises.

Could you accept gifts wrapped in pretty bows if it meant keeping those you cared about safe? Would you be a living doll to satisfy whatever craving he had that led him to you? At the very least, you’d have to play along for one night to try and get some answers.

“I’m sure it’ll be a nice surprise. Good night.” You sent, hoping he’d get the hint and leave you be.

“Sweet dreams.”

Grabbing a blanket, you made your way back to the living room and curled up in your oversized chair. There wouldn’t be any sweet dreams. Not tonight. Not with the way your mind raced.

Because who the hell was Bucky Barnes and why did he want you?

The bell over the door rang, pulling you from your thoughts and reminding you that you had a job to do. You blinked as a tall man with golden hair and bright blue eyes walked in. A new customer from what you gathered, and an intimidating one at that. You didn’t realize you were holding your breath until you exhaled once he smiled in your direction.

“Hi,” you said, closing your book. “How can I help you?”

“I’m here to get some flowers for my girl,” he replied, the deep timbre gentle yet commanding. “No special occasion or anything. I just want to surprise her.”

A smile touched your lips. “That’s one of the best reasons to get someone flowers,” you said. You liked to imagine your future husband would get you flowers just because he felt like it. “Does she have a favorite?”

“Tulips,” he answered without hesitation. “Any color as long as they’re tulips.”

You stepped around the corner and led him to the premade arrangements. “We have this multicolored bouquet that she may like. Brightens the room and has an uplifting aroma.”

The gentleman reached out to touch one of the petals before he nodded. “She’ll love them,” he said more to himself than to you.

He sounded like a man in love.

“I’m sure she will,” you agreed, carefully carrying it to the counter so you could ring it up. Your skin prickled when you felt his eyes on you, but you told yourself to relax. This guy wasn’t like Bucky. You were paranoid after last night and he was likely watching just to make sure you didn’t drop the bouquet. “Will this be all for you?”

“Which one is your favorite?”

“My favorite?” You repeated as he waited for your response. The question surprised you, but you nodded to one of the recent arrangements you made. “It’s hard to choose a favorite, but I like stargazer lilies.”

You sometimes brought arrangements home for yourself since you couldn’t remember the last time anyone got you flowers.

“I’ll take those, too,” he said, going to get the vase himself. “I really appreciate your help.”

“It was nothing,” you smiled, ringing up the order. “And you made my job very easy, so thank you.”

“Your partner must feel very lucky to have you,” he said before you paused.

Biting your tongue, you stopped yourself from correcting him. You didn’t have a partner. A possible stalker? Yes.

His brows furrowed as he quietly paid. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have assumed.”

You shook your head and put your best customer service smile back on your face. “No apologies. I actually have a first date tonight. Maybe he’s the one,” you told him, the words tasting like ash in your mouth. “I hope your girl enjoys her flowers.”

He smiled back as he took the bouquets and receipt. “Me, too,” he said, something sparkling in his eye when he added, “Good luck on your date.”

The blonde left without another word, leaving you to grip the counter and wonder how the hell you were going to get through your evening.

You stood in front of your bedroom mirror hours later, admiring yourself in the dress. It fit you well. Beautifully, as much as you didn’t want to admit it. You spritzed yourself with the perfume too. Might as well use it since Bucky was likely expecting it.

The scent should’ve brought a smile to your face instead of tears to your eyes.

“Hey! Still on for hanging out tomorrow?” Addison messaged you as you checked the time on your phone.

You blinked the tears away and realized you hadn’t messaged her once today. You were afraid to. If you mentioned Bucky, it would tempt you to spill what happened since you hardly kept anything from your best friend. And if you told her what happened…

Bucky would know.

With a shudder, you messaged her back. “Yep! See you then.”

The tension in your body skyrocketed when your doorbell rang at 7pm, right down to the second. “Be right there!” You called, shoving your phone in your clutch before you took one last look in the mirror. What did it matter if you looked good or not? It was a forced date.

You exhaled as you opened the door and froze when you saw Bucky standing on the other side. You foolishly thought he wouldn’t show, but luck wasn’t on your side. The sharp, dark suit he wore and air of confidence he carried had your heart pounding in your chest. The glove covering his left hand somehow worked with the suit.

“Fuck,” he breathed, his gaze sweeping over you. Why did he look at you like you were something to be desired? “You are so beautiful.”

Butterflies filled your stomach despite your fear. If only he had approached you and asked you out like a normal guy. “Thanks,” you whispered, locking the door once you were in the hall.

Did he have your spare key or did he find a way to get a copy?

“I wore this suit to match your dress,” he said, giving you an expectant look.

The guy was actually fishing for a compliment. “And you look very handsome,” you said, a smile lighting up his face.

“Thanks.” He held his arm out, satisfaction filling his eyes when you took it. “I’m glad you said ’yes’ to this date.”

“I’m sure you would’ve found a way to convince me if I didn’t,” you told him, reminding yourself that accepting this kept your loved ones safe and sound.

“I would have,” he agreed, keeping you close as he led you outside to where a luxury car was waiting. The car likely cost more than what you made in a year. “But you saved me the trouble by agreeing like the good, smart girl I know you are.”

You didn’t thank him for the “compliment”.

Bucky didn’t wait for the driver to open the door, grabbing the handle and helping you inside himself. You slid across the seat and tried to keep your dress from riding up as he got in beside you. He didn’t allow you any breathing room as the glass partition went up and the car took off. You were alone with him.

He could do whatever he wanted.

“You can sit in my lap if you’d like,” he said to break the silence. “It’s nice and comfortable.”

“No thanks,” you said, glancing ahead at the glass when he took your hand. You’d been in his lap the night before and that was more than enough. “Doesn’t seem safe.”

“You can sit here after dinner then,” he suggested, smirking when you glanced out of the corner of your eye.

Your stomach turned at that. He mentioned it took everything in him not to drag you to bed. You believed him. How long would he hold out before he tried to make a move?

“Sorry I didn’t text you today. I didn’t want to bother or overwhelm you while you were working,” he continued, kissing each of your knuckles as you stared straight ahead again. “At least not right away.”

“How considerate of you,” you muttered.

He chuckled and pressed another kiss to your hand before he held it in his lap. You stiffened and for a moment you thought he’d put your palm to his crotch. You weren’t sure what to expect from him.

“Look. I want tonight to be good for both of us. I’m sure you have a lot of questions and I’ll do my best to give you answers,” he said, tucking a bit of hair behind his ear as he addressed the elephant in the room. “I know a lot about you, but I imagine you don’t know much about me.”

“No, I don’t,” you admitted. As tempted as you were to look up his name, you refrained and couldn’t put your finger on why. “If I ask you questions, will you lie to me?”

“I have no reason to lie.” He brought a gloved hand to your cheek and forced you to meet his gaze. Even in the dark of the car, you could see the want in his eyes. “I want you to trust me.”

Trust the man with zero respect for boundaries? Could you do that? “Addison’s bachelorette party was a month ago. Was that really the first time you saw me?”

“It was. Everything changed when I saw you,” he replied, moving his hand from your face down to your neck. Like he just had to touch you. “Though it didn’t take a month to track you down, it did give me time to do my research and find out everything I could about you. Where you live, where you work, your interests, your routine. I like to be thorough.”

You turned your head away when it began to spin, trying to understand how he sounded so casual in his admittance to stalking you. You also couldn’t keep looking into those blue eyes. They would drown you.

What you wanted to ask was if he was watching you in your home. But trapped in that small space with him, what if his answer freaked you out more? He said he wouldn’t hurt you, but would he keep that promise?

The question that came out instead was, “And you just decided during that time that you wanted me?”

Your eyes shut as his lips touched your ear. “I wanted you the moment I saw you,” he whispered, making you shiver at the feel of his breath. “And the more I learned about you, the more you pulled me in. I’m just a moth drawn to your flame. And you’re exactly who I want by my side.”

His words washed over you, wearing you down like a stone sinking in the water. It was too much. Too intense. “Where are we going?”

“Mmm. Our date.” You exhaled when his fingers brushed along your arm. “I thought about renting out a restaurant or taking you away to an island for our first date. Something intimate and private. Then I thought, what’s more intimate and private than my penthouse?”

“Your penthouse?” You asked, opening your eyes.

“Yeah, my home,” he smiled, either not noticing or caring when your eyes rounded. “It’s the best spot in town, of course. Can’t beat the view. And we don’t need any eavesdroppers now, do we?”

Your heart sank as you reached for your phone. People would at least be able to see you in a public place, but his home? That was like going into the heart of a lion’s den. It would be so easy to message Addison or Dana and ask for some sort of help without giving too many details. You could-

Bucky took the phone from your hand and tucked it in his jacket pocket. “You won’t need that tonight,” he stated, something in his calm tone telling you not to argue. “I have a chef preparing dinner and a dessert and I selected a nice bottle of wine for us to share. I also want to give you a tour after the meal since it’s going to be your home sooner or later.”

You choked on your next breath. “It’s what?”

“We’re here,” he smiled, terror gripping you when the car stopped in an underground parking garage. “You can ask me more questions inside.”

“Bucky, did you say this is going to be my home?” You pressed as he helped you out, having to rush to keep up with him as he pulled you to an elevator.

You hoped that wasn’t the gift he wanted to surprise you with tonight.

“Not right away, but yes. My place is a bit safer than yours and it’s close to my club and your shop. A win-win,” he said, scanning a key card before the doors opened. “Don’t look so surprised. Most couples live together.”

You refrained from telling him that you weren’t a couple. “I think that’s moving a bit too fast,” you said, your voice cracking as he pulled you inside, keeping you right beside him even though there was plenty of space to be apart. “This is only our first date,” you added, not wanting to upset him.

“That’s why I said it wouldn’t be right away,” he teased, pressing the button for the top floor as his other hand rubbed your hip. “But soon.”

You kept your breathing under control as the elevator climbed higher. The man had your future mapped out and you had only known him for a day. Was this some sick, elaborate game that he was playing to scare the hell out of you? Or had he convinced himself that this was romantic?

“I hope you like it,” he said softly as you stepped out together and walked toward a man who stood by the door. He was just as large as Bucky, but didn’t dare make eye contact with you as he opened the door and let you in.

The spacious entrance opened up to a large living space with high ceilings and marble floors. It was admittedly gorgeous and you hadn’t seen the rest of the place yet. But that wasn’t what caught your attention. It was the flowers in the middle of the table a few feet in front of you.

The coy smile on Bucky’s face made your blood freeze when you faced him. “Those are your favorite, aren’t they?” He asked.

They weren’t just your favorite flowers.

It was the same arrangement of stargazer lilies you sold to the blonde gentleman earlier today.

“I told you, doll. I know everything about you,” he began as the clutch fell from your hand and the door shut with a heavy thud. “And I have eyes and ears everywhere.”

Zero chill, lovelies. What's the surprise he has for you? How will this date go? And did you like the appearance from the man in the shop? Love and thanks for reading! ❤️

Masterlist ⚓ Bucky Barnes Masterlist ⚓ Ko-Fi

[didalexiabreakupwitholgayet]

mariona's statement during her press conference. (it's so emotional 🥹)

"good afternoon. first of all, thank you all so much for being here. before starting the press conference i would like to make a short summary of what it has been for me. being part of the club of my life. those of you who know me know that my first football memories are all related to barça. the first blaugrana shirt, ronaldinho's first boots, the first trips with the family to visit camp nou, the first matches on TV, those of barça. looking back, i realize how lucky i was that my father instilled this in me from a very young age, which means loving a club and admiring the colours. and how lucky to be able to say out loud that i have always been, am and will always be a culer.

"when i was 18 years old and had the option to come here, the decision was made on my own. i still remember that day and what o heard that girl who had grown up being a barça fan, the one who screamed and jumped when they scored goals and the one who cried and got angry when they lost, she had before her the opportunity of her life to wear the blaugrana shirt, but this time an official one with her name on it. and this dream, when it came true the first moment i set foot in the ciutat esportiva, was wonderful. after ten years i leave feeling even culer than i was before, if that is possible and we feel privileged to have been part of the best team in the world.

"the truth is that i couldn't describe in words what barça means to me, and that's why you can imagine how difficult it was to make the decision to leave. barça is my life and barça has changed my life. that is why i wanted to take advantage of this moment to dedicate a few words to those who have been part of this path in the first place, the president and the board of directors. you have made all this possible with a firm and real commitment to women's football and to us. without you this story would be totally different. you have given us the tools to develop as professionals and you have given me the best gift of being able to play at camp nou, my family, my mother and my brother, my godmother, my aunts and uncles cousins you have followed me every step of the way and have always shown me your unconditional support. i know you've enjoyed this stage as much as i have and you've been a huge part of it all.

to you, dad, who was the one who took me up and down when i played in amateur fields. i wouldn't know how to explain to you that i have managed to win three champions leagues with your beloved barça and play in front of a camp nou. i wish i didn't have to leave so early because i know you would have enjoyed it more than anything. but what has marked ends and for every title raised i promise you that you have been there, because this has always been our dream and that is why i hope that, wherever you are right now, you will be very proud of me.

to my friends for loving me and helping me and always being by my side, to the technical staff, i thought you were crazy about football, but yours is worth studying. you have made me love this sport even more and you have passed on your passion to me. no one had ever told me about bases and squares, chains or body orientation. i am the player i am today because of you. you have taught me so much and made me believe in myself. i hope that despite the training tantrums, you are aware of how much i respect and admire you. and i would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the trust you have placed in me, along with the other members of the coaching staff and club workers. you are many and very important. your work is more invisible, but do you know that you are essential to us.

to the press and the fans. thank you for embracing us and pushing us as you have. and finally, to the most important ones, to my colleagues. sharing this adventure with you has been the best part. no one but us can imagine the effort we have put in, nor the sacrifice we have made to get to where we are. we all know it has not been easy, but it has been worth it because we are a unique team. you have made me proud to be part of this historic group, and not only for all the sporting achievements, but for all the social impact we have achieved and the image we have given to the whole world. It's not just wins, but how we won. that's why i can only thank you for making me enjoy football and for making me a better player. we will miss you very much. but i will always follow closely and celebrate your successes as my own. i wish you the best and hopefully football or life will offer us a reunion. i would also like to make a special mention to Xavi Llorens for giving me the opportunity to come here and marc for making such a farewell possible, they are always in good tune, despite the difficulty and pressure of the last few months. with my hand on my heart. i just have to thank you again. i am proud and happy to be a part of this great family. visca el barça now and forever."

[harrysgal]

I DIG YOUR CINEMA (4)

harry styles x yn aspiring filmmaker — social media AU

I am actually a little bit nervous about this part, so I hope you enjoy it.

About the smau: yn starts posting videos on youtube and is trying to build a career as a filmmaker. Things are going pretty well for her and she starts getting more attention when she creates content about shows she goes to. She’s also a fan of Harry’s music and some of his fans start getting suspicious when his team starts interacting with her.

Disclaimer: The story it’s set in 2021 and it will follow their relationship through the LOT leg in the US. Since this is nothing but fiction, I will be following some of the real timeline but also adding my own stuff. On top of that, I won’t be basing myself on Harry’s actual posts.

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PART 3 — DENVER // MASTERLIST

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I DIG YOUR CINEMA (PART 4) — THE VIDEO

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liked by bestfriend, anthonypham, mollyjane_x and 59,302 others 

yourinstagram im sorry its taken me so long to show up. i thought time would give me the ability to find some words to say, but as it turns out im much better at telling things through a camera than through a pen (or a keyboard, in this case). when i posted my first video on youtube, all i wanted was to find myself again after finally getting free from a relationship that drained the fun out of me. making movies is something that ive always been passionate about, so i thought — why not? three months later, when i posted my first video at a concert, all i wanted was to tell the story of a woman who, after raising two kids and giving everything she had to make everyone around her happy and safe, finally had the opportunity to make one of her most “innocent” dreams (seeing shania twain) come true. fast forward to this week, as i post my latest video all i want is to tell the story of a man who has the entire world in the palm of his hand and yet lives his life as if he’s merely another ordinary soul on earth. what happens now, and what you do with this story (or with any other ive already told), its not up to me anymore. 

that all being said, thank you harry for trusting me with this story. it wasn’t mine to tell, but you allowed me to do it anyway and i’ll always be grateful for that. so, again, thank you. 

ok i will stop typing now. 

actually, im just gonna add that i hope you all enjoy this video as much as i do (but if you don’t, thats fair, and i’ll accept it just as much) 

ok, now im done :) 

view all 11,073 comments

lookitsnyoh 👑👑👑👑👑 harryfan9 this was so much more than we’ve asked for 🙏🙏🙏 user1 its been almost 24 hours since you posted this video and im still 😲!! YOU’RE INCREDIBLE  user5 absolutely amazing! unexpected, captivating, touching… 10/10! yourbrother Kinda sucks that I don’t even feel like teasing you this time. I’m just proud.

↳ sisterinlaw Printed and framed already. ↳ yourinstagram … i dont even know what to say right now ↳ yourinstagram ＠sisterinlaw i’ll need a copy of that pls 

harryfan your mind is so brilliant im so in love with this and i know i speak for the entire fandom when i say: THANK YOU 😭

↳ harryfan5 no really bc we’re so used to getting practically nothing that she coulve just done anything and we would’ve still died… and yet she gave us THIS?  ↳ harryfan7 yn deserves the best in life period ↳ harryfan54 c’mon… it’s not THAT good

harrystyles 😲 so this was my story you were telling? 

↳ yourinstagram i kept my side of the promise, didnt i? you were supposed to keep yours ↳ harrystyles fair enough. you’re welcome x  ↳ yourinstagram 😌😌😌😌😌 ↳ yourinstagram thank you ↳ harrystyles you’re welcome x ↳ harryfan25 OMFGDSGFUAGFBH ↳ harryfan11 ＠yourinstagram ＠harrystyles sorry guys do you want us to leave you two alone?  ↳ harryfan51 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭  ↳ harryfan17 wdym you kept your side of the promise??? what did you promise????? what is it?????

harryfan10 pls we need more harry content already  user7 Don’t go missing again, we miss you here! 

Sep 9, 2021 •

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liked by yourinstagram, bestfriend, jefezoff and 5,187,031 others

harrystyles I’m honored to say ＠yourinstagram has turned the beginning of this new chapter into a lovely short-movie, one you can watch right now on her youtube channel. 

Thank you Yn for being so caring and respectful about everything and everyone involved in this project. To watch this idea turn into reality has been nothing but inspiring. 

Welcome to the team, it’s too late to back out now. x

view all 203,557 comments

bestfriend this moment is all mine. 20+ years of friendship are FINALLY paying off. 

↳ user3 you’re so unserious i love it fgajdujn ↳ yourinstagram im doing it just for you <3

harryfan5 noooooo I can’t do this my heart can’t take it pls stop 😭😭 harryfan23 I CANT BELIEVE YNS FIRSTS WORDS TO HIM WERE SHUT THE FUCK UP HAHAHAHAHA  annetwist What a wonderful job you’ve done dear ＠yourinstagram 🥰

↳ yourinstagram ❤️ ↳ harryfan54 🙄

harryfan66 who are you and what have you done to the real harry? 🧐

↳ harryfan14 for real tho lmao  ↳ harryfan74 yup. ive been saying it: another strategy just to get a random famous on harrys back. as usual.

harryfan9 NOT HARRY EXPOSING THE FIRST TIME THEY TALKED????

↳ harryfan3 and the fact that HE texted her first???  ↳ harryfan9 pls!!! molly gave me your nUmBeR 🤪🤪

harryfan15 oh you’re so sick for this AHDUAJHDJ  yourinstagram THOSE messages? REALLY???

↳ harrystyles I’ve been explicitly forbidden to post a picture with you so I had to improvise.  ↳ yourinstagram ok but did you also have to conveniently leave my next message out of it? ↳ harrystyles Yes x. 

Sep 9, 2021 •

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PART 5: FROM SAN ANTONIO

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[ladykailitha]

Sweet Home Indiana Part 6

@anne-bennett-cosplayer I hope this is enough time to recover from that last line. It's technically been 3 business days.

That last line was mean, and I'm sorry. So for being so mean, here's Claudia Henderson with some very tough love for Eddie.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

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Eddie had done some serious groveling that night. He didn’t know how he could make up for all the hell he’d put Steve through. How does one even begin to make up for a decade worth of shitty behavior?

Especially since it was clear that the one thing that would make it all worth it was if Eddie came back to Steve and he couldn’t do that. Not to Chrissy. Not when she needed him the most.

He did the only thing he could think of and talk to the people who still cared about Steve. He started with Claudia Henderson. Even though she wasn’t Steve’s birth mother, she was more his mom then that shrew ever was.

She gathered him into a hug when he showed up on her doorstep.

“I was wondering when your shadow would darken my doorway,” Claudia said, as she lead the way to the kitchen.

Eddie winced at the harsh words even if they gently given. He looked around the small house, Dustin’s mark stamped on every corner even though he had moved out long ago. But more surprisingly was Steve’s touch had found its way into the decor. And not just his photos on the wall either.

It was in the Pacers blanket on the loveseat, the baseball bat by the front door, the bright yellow pillows on the sofa. Steve was loved here and god did that make Eddie’s heart ache.

He sat down at his usual spot at the counter and watched as she bustled around the kitchen getting him cookies and glass of milk.

“Why are you even here, Eddie?” she asked in that tough but loving way she always had. “You broke his heart and then threw it away.”

Eddie took bite of the cookie to give him time to formulate an answer. “Because I know I fucked up, okay? But the only way I can see to fix it is to come back to him and I can’t do that. I can’t tell you why, just know she’s in trouble and this is the only option we have.”

Claudia let out a long sigh and leaned on the counter. “You always did know the right things to say.”

“Not when it comes to him,” he scoffed, staring down at his milk like it would give him the answers. “I keep making it worse.”

She hummed her agreement. “That’s certainly true. But I think that was more about you trying to protect your heart from getting hurt, only you ended up hurting his instead.”

Eddie just dunked his cookie without comment, because he knew she was right. It was never about Steve. It was about all the people who hated him, who strung him along until they had their fun, about his mom dying and his dad leaving, about the band deciding they just didn’t want to do it anymore.

He loved being a tattoo artist, but that wasn’t the dream.

“What would you do or tell Dusty if it was him you’d come to see after a decade apart?” Claudia asked, looking up at him.

Eddie sat back in the stool and sighed. “How much I missed him and then I would try to spend as much time with him as possible.”

“There you have it,” she said. She straightened up and knocked on the counter twice. “The bakery is closed Fridays and the carnival is in town. Why don’t you take him and get to know who he is now, all right?”

He rubbed his face and sighed again. “Yeah, if he’ll even go with me. He probably already has a hot date lined up, though.”

Claudia shook her head. “At least not that he’s told me, anyway. In fact he was lamenting that he was thinking about not going because Robin had a date, but he didn’t and he didn’t want to third wheel it.”

That was so like Steve. Instead of finding someone to go with him, like a friend or something, he would just not go. Tell them to have fun without him.

“I guess the worse that could happen is have him curse me out and hang up,” Eddie said with wry smile. “And considering I’ve already had the pleasure once, a second time isn’t going to change much.”

She lifted her chin. “Well go on, then. If you think he’s going to cuss you out, call him. I want to see this.”

Eddie stuck his tongue out at her like a petulant child. But did as he was told.

“Hey, Eds,” Steve greeted, picking up the phone almost immediately.

His heart stuttered in his chest at the old nickname. “Hey, Stevie. I hear the carnival was in town this week and wanted to see if you want to go.”

“With you? Or with a group or whatever?” Steve asked, his voice pitching a little higher than normal.

“Just me,” Eddie confirmed. “When would be good for you?” He looked up at Claudia who had the smuggest grin on her face. He stuck his tongue out at her again.

“Oh, I–um...” he stammered. “Well, I was thinking of opening the shop on Friday even though I don’t usually because I was closed on Sunday.”

Eddie winced. He had a pretty good idea why Steve’s shop was closed on Sunday. Steve had called to bitch him out on Saturday evening when the special courier delivered the annulment papers. Something the law firm had paid for so they wouldn’t lose their best legal assistant.

“But sure, I could use a proper day off for a change,” Steve was saying when Eddie’s brain finally came back on. “How about two o’clock?”

“That’d be great,” he said a small, fond smile on his face. “I can’t wait. I haven’t been to a proper carnival in years.”

“Perks of living in a small town, I guess,” Steve replied.

Eddie started playing with his hair. “One of the few. Can’t say I’m a fan of the homophobia.”

Steve laughed, bright and sweet. “Yeah, okay. You got me there. Look I’ve got to go, Robin’s giving me the stink eye and I really should get back to work.”

“Yeah,” Eddie said. “I talk to you later.” He hung up and refused to look Claudia in the eye. He knew what he was going to see anyway. Her arms crossed over her chest and a triumphant smile on her face.

“I don’t believe I heard any cursing on that call,” she said dryly. He looked up at her and he as right about everything about how she was looking at him, only with the addition of a raised eyebrow.

“Yeah well,” Eddie said, rolling his eyes. “He always was a stubborn bastard and having to prove me wrong.”

Claudia’s face crumpled a bit. Because yes, Eddie had done a lot of harm to their relationship, Steve wasn’t exactly blameless in the whole ordeal. Because Max’s situation aside, Eddie was right that ‘the kids’ had families and parents of their own. That they had people who would look out for them. And if Steve hadn’t stepped up in Max’s case, she sure as hell would have. The awkwardness between Max and Dustin be damned.

If Steve had loved Eddie as much as he claimed, he wouldn’t have tried to force the metalhead to chose between his friends and his husband.

“He is that,” she admitted gently. “I’m sorry things didn’t work out between you two. You were always a better person when you were together, than when you were apart. And yes, he’s struggled a lot since you left, but looking at you now, I can see that the years haven’t been kind to you either.”

Eddie huffed. “That’s what Uncle Wayne said. That I lost my sparkle or whatever.”

Claudia came around the corner and wrapped her arms around him. He hugged her back tight.

“Your uncle is right, sweetie,” she murmured into his hair. “We only want you to be happy and it doesn’t feel like you are. You say you’re getting married, but where’s the bounce in your step and the smile that won’t stop? Like when you and Steve had come back from a week vacation married if only in the state of Massachusetts.”

He let out a shuddering breath and then another. Soon he was just sobbing. Crying like he couldn’t stop.

Eddie had never wanted to hurt Steve and he was sure Steve felt the same about him.

She soothed him with whispered assurances and stroking his hair. Soon enough he had slowed to a hiccuping sniffle and Claudia stepped back so she could look him in the eyes.

“I have a pretty good idea what’s really going on,” she said firmly. “And you’re being really sweet, but before you do something you regret, spend time in town. Take a look at the things that have changed and all the ones that haven’t. Then decide if it’s still the right thing to do.”

He gulped. He had no doubt that she had figured it out. She was Claudia Fucking Henderson, of course she did.

“You won’t tell anyone,” Eddie asked, tears threatening to spill again, “will you?”

She shook her head. “No, your secret is safe with me. I won’t make things harder on you then they need to be.”

She hugged him again and Eddie felt like he was home for the first time in over five years.

****

“Just where are you taking me, old man?” Eddie teased. He had met his uncle for lunch after being emotionally rung out at the Henderson place.

“You need a pick me up,” Wayne said, “and I need my afternoon brownie. Come along.”

Eddie came to an abrupt stop. “Um...I’ll wait out here, then.”

Wayne looked up at the shop’s sign and then back at him. “Look, son, you’re going to have to face him eventually. Especially with you going to carnival together and all.”

Eddie dug his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket and followed Wayne dutifully into the bakery.

“Hey Mr. Munson!” Steve greeted cheerfully. “You here for your usual?”

“How many times do I have to tell you to call me ‘Wayne’?” he asked with a chuckle, walking up the to counter.

Steve blushed and hung his head. “I guess I’m just old fashioned.” He cleared his throat and straightened up. “So what can I get you and your shadow today?”

Wayne reared his head back and then looked over his shoulder to see Eddie hanging back, but sticking as close to him as possible.

“That’ll be two monsters, one of your apple fritters, and a half dozen of your snickerdoodles,” he said shaking his head. Then he turned to Eddie. “And what do you want?”

Eddie’s eyes nearly burst out of his head. Steve and Wayne laughed.

“I suppose I should have said ‘what else do you want?’” Wayne clarified.

Eddie blushed and peered around Wayne’s shoulder to look into the case. “A peanut butter madness, please.”

Steve’s face lit up with delight. “These are the ones Jeff’s mom was slandering with having them stale. They are so much better warm out of the oven. In fact, here!” He grabbed it out of the case and wandered to the back.

He came out a few moments later. Eddie nearly melted from the tantalizing scent of warm brownie filled the air.

“What did you do?” Eddie cried as he reached out with grabby hands.

Steve handed it to him. “Careful, it’s hot. I microwaved it for thirty seconds. Should be perfect now.”

Eddie cautious bite and moaned as soon as the peanut butter hit his mouth. He savored every bit of that first bite. “Fuck, Stevie. These should be a sin.”

Steve smiled and then got to work on the rest of Wayne’s order as Eddie devoured every inch of that brownie.

“How long are you in town for, Eds?” he asked as he handed over the boxes to Wayne.

Eddie grabbed a paper napkin from the dispenser by the register and wiped off his hands and mouth of the gooey remains.

“I’ve got to back by Monday,” he said, a tad mournfully. He never thought he’d miss this place after spending so long running from it. The town. Not the bakery. Though he had spent a lot of his time running from its owner, too.

Steve’s own smile faltered a bit too. “Not even a whole week, huh? I guess there really is no rest for the wicked.”

They chatted for a bit before more customers came in and Steve had to get back to work. Eddie and Wayne walked out of the shop laden with goodies. Steve had divided them up for Eddie and Wayne separately. Wayne handed Eddie his box.

“Now was that so terrible?” he asked with big grin.

“No.”

Because it really wasn’t. In fact it was kinda nice just chatting with Steve.

Leaving was looking more and more bleak with each passing moment.

****

1- @rozzieroos @itsall-taken @redfreckledwolf @ravenfrog @zerokrox-blog

2- @gregre369 ​@a-little-unsteddie @chaosgremlinmunson @messrs-weasley @goodolefashionedloverboi

3- @val-from-lawrence @carlyv @wonderland-girl143-blog @vecnuthy @irregular-child

4- @bookbinderbitch @bookworm0690 @anne-bennett-cosplayer @yikes-a-bee @awkwardgravity1

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6- @useless-nb-bisexual @disrespectedgoatman @counting-dollars-counting-stars @tinyplanet95

7- @blackpanzy @amazing-spiderkeys @oldpinghai @raisedbylibrarians @kultiras

8- @swimmingbirdrunningrock @steddie-as-they-go @captain--low @micheledawn1975 @thespaceantwhowrites

9- @mac-attack19 @blondie1006

[heavenangelly]

My opinions on what this community has come to

I know that I don’t really make posts anymore, and that’s simply because I have said what’s needed to be said. I’ve answered asks but end up turning them off after a few days. This is because the answer will always be the same regardless of ur circumstance. Assume and persist.

But I also feel like along the way, people have forgotten what the LAW OF ASSUMPTION actually is. People have become lazy and undisciplined and because they can’t manifest their desires they attack bloggers on anon mode and make unnecessary drama. Calling people names, making bloggers deactivate, framing them as bad people, etc. the list goes on and I’m actually so appalled by this community sometimes. And I don’t mean this in a superior way, but us bloggers are fucking helping you. We are teaching you a law so that you can get your dream life and in return we get hate, people calling us names, trauma dumping, sending asks upon asks saying the exact same fucking thing and the worst of all, people never applying. If all bloggers deactivate and all that’s left of the community is you hateful learners and undisciplined learners, the law will die with us. What the actual fuck is wrong with some of you? You will attack everyone but yourselves for YOUR mistakes. Do you want your desires or not? I don’t care what you circumstances are, because they never mattered. Log off of tumblr and apply the law instead of complaining so goddamn much. It’s no one’s fault but your own. And that may be a harsh pill to swallow, but it’s the truth. You are your saviour but you’re also your villain. It just depends on who you want to be. Your lack of belief in yourself is no one else’s problem but your own. Do some fucking shadow work or something or I don’t know, ACTUALLY APPLY THE LAW?

And back to what the law of assumption actually is, it’s whatever you assume to be true is true. And one of the things you absolutely have to do is persist. It’s not optional. It’s not an opinion. You need to persist if you want to be different. Assuming + persisting = success.

What is an assumption? Something you accept without proof. You don’t wait, you don’t hope for your assumption to be correct, you accept and it is shown in your reality. That is LAW.

you should be assuming its in imagination while leaving the 3d alone since it will always change to match who you are being in imagination…always. persist in the assumption that its done, because it literally is. you never needed physical evidence especially since imagination is what produces the physical evidence in the first place - etherealkissed88

Affirmations, scripting, vaunting, void, etc are all METHODS. They are METHODS that help you feel fulfilled in the facts it’s ALREADY yours.

This is no shade to any blogger who is an affirm and persist blogger, and not to bring back old drama with states and affirmations, but as an assume and persist blogger, what you guys are teaching can be wrong. You NEED to be fulfilled. You NEED to have changed self in order to get a change in your reality. Robotic affirming is something that along the process you eventually feel fulfilled from, but as someone who has tried it, I hated it. It felt like I was going in loops and loops and I NEVER felt fulfilled. And it certainly never manifested. And if it works for you, that’s great. I’m not saying stop. But if it doesn’t fulfil you, states/assuming will.

How I found states/tumblr

I remember I always used to use subliminals but lacked faith and would assume that some of them didn’t work and I eventually got tired of using them. I would legit sleep with earphones and hope for the best. I remember how I wished there was a way to use my energy to manifest. And that’s when I found tumblr and then found states. I literally found a way to do that and was so grateful.

And states are NOT a method. They are being. A mood. You can tell what state you’re in by the thoughts you get. Thoughts/affirmations come from your state. If you are in a state of lack, you will naturally get thoughts about how you can never manifest, your desires aren’t here, etc. States are endless and infinite and you can enter any state you like just by making a decision to enter it and choosing to stay there.

I’ve been in this community for a few years now and have seen many popular blogs leave their mark, and get their dream lives, and then leave. And that’s actually good for them. They actually fucking applied. And sometimes after their success stories were posted, angry entitled anons wanted proof or called them liars. You people are impossible to please.

You can either believe in the law of assumption or not. Either way, it’s a law. But don’t make it anyone else’s problem but your own.

My advice to the learners and bloggers of this community.

I think that the learners of this community need to actually apply now and to stop complaining. And bloggers need to put their foot down and stop trying to please everyone. As you bloggers gain popularity, you will gain haters. Do not give them energy. And DO NOT water down the law. Do not accommodate lazy learners by saying they don’t have to feel fulfilled, just consistent. WRONG. You have to feel fulfilled to be different. You cannot expect change without having changed. It’s like waiting for a plant to grow but you haven’t watered it. How the fuck will it grow?

End

I may get hate for this, I may get people agreeing with me, but I don’t not like what this community has become. YES this is YOUR reality and you decide but there is a core foundation you need to start on and needs to be exercised regardless of what you assume. Please do not let the law become something different than what it actually is.

Please do not make this community like law of attraction. This community was meant to be a safe space for everyone, please do not ruin it.

I don’t know if I’ll leave or anything, but I’m so thankful for all my mutuals and followers. You guys mean the world to me and to all the silent learners that have applied or even struggle to but never give up, I believe in you. You can do this. Anyone can. The law is easy. You just have to believe.

I hope this post has gave you guys some insight and brought you back to the roots of the law again.

[mindfulstudyquest]

i have a question: why do you keep sabotaging yourself? why is it that as soon as you think something is just out of your reach you do everything you can to get in your own way? why is it that as soon as things seem to be going right, you plant your feet and sit on the ground with your legs crossed?

you're not fucking lucky. you worked for it, you sweated, and you cried, and you sacrificed so much to reach the level of knowledge and skill you have now.

have you worked so hard only to say "how lucky"? no, damn it, i won't let you. you may not be a genius, you may not be the best in the world, but do you fucking think anyone could do what you did? do you think anyone could get to where you are? do you believe that anyone has the possibilities that you have?

put this in your head, you are not unexpressed potential, you are exceptional and with your hard work you can achieve unimaginable things. stop wasting your dreams just because they seem too big for the drawer.

edit : in italian we say "dream in the drawer" when we refer to a hope that is unlikely to come true, but not impossible.

ex. my dream in the drawer is to become a famous singer all over the world

(just in case you didn't understand the last sentence)

[selkiewife]

Rhaenyra and Aemma

I think it's interesting we see this exchange from Alicent and Rhaenyra:

ALICENT: You're worried your father is about to overshadow you with a son. RHAENYRA: I only worry for my mother. I hope for my father that he gets a son. As long as I can recall, it's all he's wanted.

And then in the next scene we hear from Aemma:

AEMMA: Rhaenyra has already declared that she is to have a sister. VISERYS: Really? AEMMA: She even named her. VISERYS: Dare I ask? AEMMA: Visenya. She chose a dragon's egg for the cradle that she said reminded her of Vhagar.

At first I thought that Rhaenyra was hiding her true desire from Alicent for us to hear the truth from her mother. And if it were just that- no shade AT ALL. I mean, why not have ambition? Why not want to be heir? Why not want to rule?

But I do think that Rhaenyra's emotions about being heir are more related to being loved and being valued by her parents. Her entire life she has not been enough- she has seen her mother go through all of these tragic stillbirths as a child and of course she would come to the conclusion that her mother's pain and her father's insistence on a son means that she is not enough. So there is already some resentment about the idea of a brother. But I don't think it's so much that, as Alicent says, she is frightened of the son overshadowing her. It is more that she is hurt that the pursuit of a male heir has been overshadowing her for her entire life.

I do believe her when she said that she hopes her father gets a son though- even though it hurts her, she would be happy for him I think. And it would be a relief that this painful pursuit of a male heir would be over for her mother. But then why does she declare that she is to have a sister?

I think that maybe it is to make Aemma feel less stressed honestly. We see how upset Aemma is when she talks to Viserys about the pressure she is under to produce a male heir:

AEMMA: The tourney to celebrate the firstborn son that we presently do not have. You do understand nothing will cause the babe to grow a cock if it does not already possess one?

And then after he tells her his dream again:

AEMMA: Born wearing a crown? Gods spare me, birth is unpleasant enough as it is. This is the last time, Viserys. I've lost one babe in the cradle, had two stillbirths, and two pregnancies ended well before their term. That's five in twice as many years. I know it is my duty to provide you an heir, and I'm sorry if I have failed you in that. I am. But I've mourned all the dead children I can.

This is so heartbreaking. Aemma is under so much pressure and has dealt with so much grief- and feels as though she failed Viserys and the realm. And so I think that Rhaenyra is trying to boost her mother's spirits and telling her that it will be wonderful if the baby turns out to be a girl. It goes deeper, I think, than Rhaenyra not wanting a boy to overshadow her. As I mentioned before, the quest for a boy has already overshadowed he and it is not as though she will be heir (or so she believes) even if the baby is a girl. Daemon is currently heir and I am sure Rhaenyra doesn't think that will change. I think she is telling her mom she is hoping for a girl so that her mother does not feel like she failed if the baby is a girl. I think she is acting out excitement and anticipation for a girl because she feels like she didn't have that for her own birth. She probably thinks that her birth was a disappointment for her father and her mother. Should the baby happen to be a sister this time, she doesn't want the her to come into the world as a disappointment like she did. She wants her sister to come into the world wanted and valued.

I think it makes sense that Rhaenyra would do this because we can see Rhaenyra's concern for her mother in their first (and last!) exchange:

RHAENYRA: Did you sleep? AEMMA: I slept. RHAENYRA: How long? AEMMA: I don't need mothering, Rhaenyra. RHAENYRA: Well, here you are, surrounded by attendants, all focused on the babe. Someone has to attend to you. AEMMA: You will lie in this bed soon enough, Rhaenyra. This discomfort is how we serve the realm.

It's interesting that Aemma says "I don't need mothering," because her own mother, Daella Targaryen, died in childbirth (they don’t mention it in the show but it is in Fire and Blood.) So she would have grown up without mothering. It also struck me that while Aemma tries to mother Rhaenyra by giving her practical advice about “the order of things” for a woman in their world, Rhaenyra’s style of “mothering” Aemma is to point out how important she is and to ensure that she is being taken care of- and prioritizing her above the baby. It’s sad because Rhaenyra is essentially mothering her own mother in the way she wishes she was mothered. Rhaenyra wants to live in a world where, as Arya Stark said, “The woman is important too!” And it’s a glimpse of how she would have mothered her own stillborn daughter, Princess Visenya, or supported a sister if one had been born to her parents.

[waterdeep-weavemoss]

Home

@iamwalkingdead1 @lanafofana @boufsy @aryancunin @lewdisescariot

@orangekittyenergy @netherese0rb @vespaer77 @theletteraesc @sorceresssundries I swear I tried to keep him in line. Oh well... enjoy. Gale x F!Tav, teeny bit of spice.

'So what's the wish he'll make it come true...' - Miracle Aligner, The Last Shadow Puppets

He was pacing, one hand raking through his hair, the other clamped between his teeth as he gnawed at his fingers anxiously. His gaze was fixed on his booted feet, brow furrowed. ‘Gale, things will be fine.’ Tav watched in amusement as he went back and forth until he finally stopped before her and looked up, meeting her gaze. Her stomach swooped just as it had all that time ago when she realised the man she’d rescued was handsome in exactly the way that made her knees go a little wobbly; he removed his hand from his mouth, straightened his spine a little and summoned a twinkle back to his eye. ‘Of course they will,’ he said lowly. ‘You’re only meeting my mother, after all.’ ‘Is she truly that formidable?’ Tav cocked her head, brows drawing together. ‘You act like she’ll eat me alive or something.’ ‘Don’t be silly,’ he said. ‘She’ll love you.’ ‘Then why are you so nervous?’ He blinked slowly, a habit he’d picked up from Tara no doubt. ‘Oh, nothing.’ With that, he finally swept up to the front door, rapping his knuckles smartly against it. Turning and grinning at her, he gestured Tav forward and grabbed her hand. Mere moments later, the door swung open of its own accord and Gale pulled them inside, kicking it shut. ‘You better not be abusing that door again, child!’ came a voice from the top of the stairs. ‘Oh of course not mother! Wouldn’t dream of it.’ Gale smirked impishly down at Tav, who felt a little like she oughtn’t be here. ‘Relax,’ he murmured, nudging her with his shoulder. After what felt like an eternity, a woman floated into view. She descended the spiral stairs gracefully, stopped and narrowed her eyes before pulling her son into a crushing hug. Far from flailing like Tav expected him to, he hugged her back just as fiercely and kissed her on both cheeks. ‘Hi, Mum.’

‘It’s been too long, son,’ she murmured into his chest.

‘I know,’ he said, his voice catching a little. ‘I’m sorry.’

‘And who’s this?’ she said as they broke apart, eyeing Tav critically.

‘I’m Tav,’ she said quickly, holding out a hand for the older woman to shake. She didn’t know why she did it; nerves or a momentary lapse in social judgement perhaps, but she didn’t expect to be pulled into a hug too. ‘Good to meet you,’ she said shyly when she was let go.

‘Tav, this is my mother, Morena Dekarios. And she-‘

‘He doesn’t shut up about you, you know.’

‘Mother!’ Gale’s ears went pink. ‘That’s-‘

‘And you’ve been chewing your fingers again. I hope this girl has domesticated you somewhat.’ Tav blushed. ‘Come, I imagine you’re both starving. It’s such a long journey from Baldur’s Gate.’ Off she went, drawing them forward in her wake. Now that Tav was feeling a little less nervous, she noted the mosaicked floor in shades of pearl and pale blue with the occasional shock of gold, the fineries of the ebony staircase as it twisted upwards, the cascades of wisteria and devil’s ivy.

‘This place is beautiful,’ she whispered.

‘Hmm.’ Gale squeezed her hand. ‘Gods, I can’t wait to just be alone with you.’ He gave her a sly little smile and went on, the perfect picture of composure. Tav wondered if there was a bat trapped in her throat, fighting to get out.

‘Come in, make yourself at home,’ said Morena, pulling Tav from Gale’s grasp and fussing over her. ‘Good gods, you’re a rake girl. Don’t tell me he hasn’t been cooking for you.’

‘I assure you I have,’ said Gale, a tiny edge in his voice. ‘In fact I volunteered to be camp cook immediately. It’s not my fault she runs headlong into trouble without proper nourishment.’

Tav shot him a venomous look. Oh, I’ll get you back for that, she thought. ‘I had a lot on my mind,’ she said instead. ‘And, well… in it. I admit food was the last thing I was thinking of, I was a little preoccupied with saving the world.’

‘Well, now you can think about food,’ said Morena firmly. ‘I assume you’ll be staying for a while?’

‘Oh, a few weeks at least,’ said Gale breezily. ‘Don’t you worry. I’ll take over the cooking, I promise. It’s been such a long time we’ve been without the comforts of home.’ They sat down together, sharing plates of delicious roasted meats and fish, vegetables cooked to perfection, crusty bread and good olive oil.

‘Good,’ said Morena, satisfied. ‘Can’t have you gallivanting off on another adventure so soon leaving me to worry.’ She paused, sucked her bottom lip into her mouth in thought and then said, ‘and that bitch goddess, is she gone?’

Tav burst out laughing as Gale’s mouth fell open. It was a rare treat to see him so wrong-footed. ‘Well… yes, as it happens,’ he said, recovering. ‘I had no idea you thought of her like that.’

‘She took my son from me,’ Morena growled. Tav was suddenly struck by their similarity. ‘I tried, Gale. But she would not hear my prayers, would not take her claws from you. So what did it?’

‘The Crown of Karsus,’ he said, going on to explain everything. ‘And love, I suppose.’ He leaned over to kiss Tav sweetly on the cheek. ‘Tav gave me something to live for.’

Morena’s deep brown eyes flashed with hurt, but she cleared her throat and then it was gone again. ‘Good. Now, my darling boy, I have plenty to be going on with, why don’t you get settled? I have a meeting at the academy in a few, and then down to the Sea Ward to stop by the Temple of Beauty. You behave while I’m gone, you hear?’

‘Of course,’ said Gale lightly, surreptitiously running his knuckles up Tav’s spine. She suppressed a shiver. In moments the two of them were alone as Morena swept from her home, out into the vastness of the City of Splendours.

‘Well, she’s lovely,’ tried Tav. She stood up, gesturing to all the empty plates. ‘You wash I’ll dry?’ She wanted to be helpful, to pleasantly surprise her potential mother-in-law when she returned, but Gale’s smirk was nothing short of devilish as he reached out a hand and caught her by the waist.

‘I don’t think so,’ he said, pulling her into his lap and pressing his lips to her neck. ‘Will you not indulge my sweet tooth?’

‘Damn it, Gale-‘

‘Hmm?’  He hummed against her skin, sending delicious shivers through her. ‘Say the word and I’ll let you go. Promise.’

‘She said she hoped I’d domesticated you,’ she admonished. It was only half-hearted. She felt his teeth as he grinned against her skin. ‘Clearly I failed.’

‘You never even tried,’ he shot back, grasping the back of her neck, deft fingers kneading at her tense muscles. His other hand drifted to her hip. ‘Still haven’t heard a ‘no’, love.’

‘I certainly did.’ She pouted, squealing as he drew her lip into his mouth and bit gently. ‘Oi!’

‘Use your words.’

‘I don’t want you to stop,’ she said. ‘But I’m also getting you back for that comment earlier. What do you mean me going headlong into danger? What about you?’

‘I’ve made no secret of it,’ he said lightly. ‘How thrilling danger can be.’ He dug his fingers into her hip to pull her attention back as she rolled her eyes. ‘Don’t even think about it,’ he said sharply. ‘You can’t pretend to be the goody two shoes, Tav. You’re not so boring as all that, even if you do pretend you’ve never sinned in your life.’

‘I do not,’ she said indignantly, flushing pink. ‘And you’d do well to remember that, Gale Dekarios.’

‘Gods,’ he rasped. ‘Say my name again.’

‘If I do, will you promise to behave? At least help me do the dishes, Gale.’

He shook his head and crushed their lips together. ‘Oh, come on,’ he purred. ‘Live a little. She won’t be back for a few hours yet…’

[dreamingofep]

Sinned Awakening pt. 31🩸

An AU Elvis fic

(Vampire!Elvis/ Vampire Austin! Elvis x reader)

Fandom: Elvis - Elvis (2022)

Prompt: Getting promoted to be Elvis full time housekeeper, you realize the man holds secrets beyond belief and your undeniable attraction makes you tear the unknown. [Fem!Reader]

TW: Cussing, tension, SMUT!!! , some fluff if you squint, teasing, Dom/sub stuff

Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 9.8k

A/N: Well, here we are. We’ve arrived at the end of their journey. 🥺 This was such a wild ride and the most fun I have ever had writing. Thank you to everyone that loved this fic from the very beginning or picked it up one night out of pure curiosity and couldn’t get enough of Vampire Elvis.😏 It means so much to me that you all loved this story as much as I do. It makes my heart so happy when I get tagged in post with him looking damn good in his vampire outfits. The man just couldn’t hide his true nature hehe.

This isn’t the last you’ll hear from these two. I already know I’ll come back to write little blurbs for them because I love them so much 🤭 I hope you enjoy this last part though! I know it took me a while but that was because I had a spicy scene idea and just had to add it in here. This bedroom scene was not supposed to be this long but here we are. Hope you enjoy!

If you'd like to start from the beginning, start here or Ao3! hope you enjoy and message and comment what you think.

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When you walk, through a storm

Hold your head up high

And don’t 

Be afraid

Of the dark…

Oh that heavenly voice, you could recognize it from anywhere. Where was it coming from? Was it your imagination? Was it beckoning you to come to the other side? 

Your eyes flutter open slowly, taking in a sharp breath. You feel soft silk sheets underneath your hands and instantly sit up. You didn’t know where you were at first. You rub your eyes a bit, getting them to focus on the environment around you. You look at your arms and feel a soft satin pajama top hang loosely on your frame. It smelled like someone had worn this already. Or someone was lying next to you while you were lying here, waiting for you to get up. 

The black curtains on the walls blocked the sunlight from getting into the room. The scent in here was divine, so intoxicatingly good you didn’t want to leave it. 

At the end of a storm

There's a golden sky

And the sweet silver song of a lark

It then hits you; you’re back in the penthouse in Vegas. How did you get here? So much was unclear about how much time had passed. You remember fighting with Raphael, then looking into Elvis’ beautiful eyes. 

The song continues to crescendo;

Walk on through the wind

Walk on through the rain

For your dreams be tossed and blown

You were so drawn to that voice that rang out so flawlessly and pure. Getting up from the bed, you tread carefully to the door. The sound of the piano rings louder as you swing the door open.

Walk on, walk on

With hope in your heart

And you'll never walk alone-

Oh, there he is. Elvis. The one that makes your heart flutter a million miles an hour. He was wearing black slacks and a blazer, his chest bare other than a blue scarf that hung around his neck. He was just stunning in every way, it was like seeing him for the very first time. The most simple of outfits had him sparkling with a light from within. He stops the song abruptly to look at you. You can hear him take a sharp breath in and his eyes light up when they see you. 

“Baby,” he breathes. 

You can’t help but smile when you hear him call you that. You never thought you’d hear him say that to you ever again. You were so happy he was here and didn’t leave you on your own. 

You walk over to him, looking at his beautiful eyes glazed over with tears. He doesn’t seem real. How can one man be this beautiful on the inside and out? You reach your hand out to touch his face. It was soft and warm, each detail on his face was something the Greek gods probably sculpted. His eyes flutter closed when he feels your skin on his. A low rumble forms in his chest and he puts his hand on yours, bringing it to his lips. 

Heat consumes your body. Those lips are pure perfection when you feel them on you. He stares up at you with wonder, “How do you feel?” He asks softly. 

“Great,” you whisper. The events in the garden flood your head and you don’t remember how you got here... Something about being here was so comforting though. Everything about this place was warm and inviting to you, just how you felt when you first walked in here. 

He doesn’t know what to say right away and takes your hand in his, squeezing it gently. 

“I’m so glad you’re okay,” he says softly, looking at you with adoration. You weren’t exactly sure where he was coming from. The last time you remember, he didn’t care about you anymore. But your brain screamed for him to love you. It wouldn’t shut up.

Let him love you! You love him so much!

Deep down you knew he still loved you in some way. You don’t say anything back to him. His face washes over with sadness and gets up from the piano bench. 

“Hold on baby,” he says quietly. He walks over to the front door. He’s only gone a few seconds and comes back to bring another man into the room. 

He was the one that was at the airport with you a few days ago. Jerry, how could you forget his name. 

Jerry sees you and courtly smiles. He looked almost relieved to see you here.

“Hey y/n,” he says softly. 

Elvis looks at him apprehensively, taking a deep breath before speaking. 

“Okay, go ahead,” Elvis tells him. 

You look at both of them confused, not understanding what he’s talking about. Jerry walks into the room a bit more, nervously looking at you. He takes a deep breath before speaking, “I’m keeping my promise y/n. I'm sorry you got hurt,” he says, pausing briefly, “remember everything. Remember everything you told me to make you forget.” He says matter of factly.

In a blink, all your memories come flooding in. It was like looking at a magic mirror, each memory passing by and getting re-embedded in your mind. You remember the plan to distract Raphael, how you coerced Jerry to help you forget everything so your cover wouldn’t be blown. Most importantly, you remembered the love you and Elvis had. It was blinding and intense, just like him. It makes your heart beat wildly and you try to keep it together. You stumble back a bit, the back of your knees hitting the piano bench making you sit down.

You remember every single moment you had together so crystal clear. Every single longing stare, every kiss, every embrace. 

Everything. 

You felt your heart soar, so full of love and joy. It was exactly what was missing inside you. That hollowness you had been walking around with before was the worst thing you had ever felt. Now, all of that ceased to exist. 

You looked back up at Jerry and laughed a little bit, more out of nervousness. 

“Thank you,” you tell him relieved. 

He sighs a breath of relief too, thankful you were okay and back to normal. 

“Thank God, this was the scariest seventy-two hours of my life,” he says panicked, looking back at Elvis. 

“I know I’m sorry. But thank you for helping me. Thank you for sneaking in that dagger. That saved my life,” you say gratefully.

Elvis looks like he’s overcome with emotion, looking at you with awe and amazement. He walks further into the room to get closer to you, not paying any attention to Jerry. 

“Thanks, Jerry. Please get out now,” he says nonchalantly pushing past him, still staring at you with amazement. You nod at him and smile, silently thanking him. He understands the gesture and Jerry gives you another smile, shutting the door quietly behind him. 

Elvis sinks to his knees in front of you, getting in between your legs and wrapping his arms around your waist. He stifles his tears, rubbing circles on your back, gently caressing you. You are overcome with emotion too and wrap your arms around Elvis, relieved to have him here. He hugs you tight, pressing his forehead against your chest, sighing as he feels your body against him.

“Oh God,” he says low. 

His fingers tangle in your hair and you look down at him, lifting his chin up for a kiss. You melt in his arms and that kiss is sending you straight to heaven. You thought you were never going to feel those beautiful plush lips again. Oh, how you missed them. How perfect they felt on you. They were warm and soft, just as you remembered. You squeeze him tighter, trying to get closer and devour him. Both of you were needy, wanting to touch and kiss every inch of each other. 

You were left breathless with the way he was kissing you. He let out these soft little whimpers as he kissed you deeper and deeper. He clung onto your body like he was fearful you were going to fly away. You can feel his heartbeat rattle against your chest, overcome with love for you. 

He gently breaks away from you, looking into your eyes and smiling. 

“You’re okay,” he say relieved, “oh my God you’re okay!” He says going in for another kiss. You chuckle when he kisses you, “Yes, I’m great. Never better.”

“You’re absolutely insane oh God-, I was worried sick baby. Please-, don’t ever leave me again. I was an absolute wreck without you,” he whimpers into your chest. 

You hold him, trying to soothe him in any way you can. 

“I know, I’m so so sorry.” You say regretfully. “But I had to leave when I did, you see? He was going to come here and attack you that day I left. He had this whole plan devised,” you tell him scared, reliving those terrifying thoughts. “If I left a second later it would have been for nothing and I would have been too late.”

“I know, I know. It’s okay honey. I’m not upset. I was at first of course, you knew how I’d get, but I knew you could do it. You are stronger than I could have ever imagined,” he tells you, pausing to smile at you. “You saved me, baby. Thank you, I can never repay you for that.”

He reaches up to give you another tender kiss. His words make your heart soar, filling up with love and butterflies for him. 

“If it meant saving you, I would never hesitate to do it again.” You whimper. “I knew you still loved me, even though I was compelled to forget that, that’s what kept me going. I knew you loved me still.” You explain.

“Of course baby, of course I do. I could feel your sorrow the longer you were there. It was so much different than last time. I knew you still could feel our connection but tried to ignore it,” he explains.

“Yeah, I couldn’t figure out what it was, but I now know I could never forget our love,” you say teary-eyed. He nods his head and kisses you once again, his needy eyes making you weak in his arms.

“Wait, is it done? Is it over with Raphael?” You asked concerned, squeezing his arms tightly. 

“Yes, honey. We never have to worry about him again. You did the most brave and courageous thing. You remember what you did right? You stabbed him in the heart with the dagger and ended him for good. I helped with the rest but you did it. I knew you were strong enough,” he tells you, smiling sweetly. 

You remember everything so clearly and shiver. The way the dagger felt when it pierced his back and the sound he made when it went through his heart. You are just thankful it’s done and you never have to worry about a crazed vampire trying to kill you or Elvis. 

Fear paralyzes you when you think of one other person who hated you enough to cause you harm. 

“And what about Daniel?” You ask him nervously. 

“He’s gone for good too, don’t you worry. I’ll never let anything bad happen to you again baby,” he coos, squeezing you tight against him. You savor how he feels, never wanting to let go of him. 

“I won’t either,” you promise. 

“You feel perfectly fine?” He asks. You can sense he’s a bit uncomfortable, not able to get out what is on his mind. “Raphael… he didn’t do anything else to you? He didn’t touch you in any way…” he says uncomfortably. 

You see what he’s getting at and squeeze his bicep, “No, he didn’t do anything like that. I’m fine now, I swear. I don’t feel any pain.” You reassure him. He nods his head and squeezes you tightly. “Are you okay? Your ankle… I heard that awful sound,” you tremble. 

“Completely healed honey,” he smiles. You are thankful that you both are in perfect health, no ailments hurting you anymore. No, wait…

You get up quickly to push past him and go to the bedroom. You had to see if the scars were still on your body. It was going to be terrifying to get a glimpse of those horrendous scars but you had to look. You move the collar of the pajamas and hold your breath. You finally peek at your reflection and stare wide-eyed at yourself. Your skin was flawless again. Not a glimmer of scarring stained your skin. It was perfect and glowing again. And you knew this time, it was forever true. Raphael didn’t have a claim on you and couldn’t try to take you away from Elvis again. 

Elvis walks up behind you and leans your body against his. You unbutton the first few buttons of the top to inspect the rest of your body. Not a single nick or scratch on you. Elvis wraps his hands around your waist, gently squeezing your soft flesh. He places a kiss on the crook of your neck. 

“So beautiful as always,” he coos quietly. His gruff voice gives you chills up and down your body as you smile at him in the reflection. 

You watch as his hands crinkle up the silk top up. 

“There’s just one spot I couldn’t heal…” he says as he lifts the top higher revealing your ribs. “The dagger is too damaging to our skin.” A thin pale scar running vertically lay there. It was on the lower part of your ribs and you look at it inquisitively. Your fingertips gently graze it, feeling how smooth your skin is over it. It doesn’t hurt and you look over the rest of your naked body in the mirror and are thankful that all your scars were gone. 

“It’s okay baby. I’m alive. That’s all that matters,” you say turning around to face him. “This is nothing compared to what I had before.”

His face looked worried as he squeezed your hands gently in his. “I loved you no matter how you looked, baby. I didn’t find you any less attractive with those scars. No one could tear me away from you, I swear.”

“I know, I believe you, thank you for loving me so wholly,” you whisper. 

He leans down for another kiss, fire consuming your thoughts. Finally, for the first time, you felt completely his. You couldn’t tear yourself away even if you tried. There wasn’t a worry in your mind anymore. All you cared about was you and him. 

You whimper into his mouth, his lips and his body feeling too good against yours. You can feel the smirk forming on his face, enjoying all of this too. 

He pulls away, letting your forehead touch his. 

“I’m never letting you out of my sight ever again, you know that right?” He teases. You hum amused, “Yes, I figured that was going to happen once I devised this plan,” you giggle, “I’m more than okay with that. I missed you so much.”

“Me too honey.” His voice trembles a bit when he says this. 

He picks you up and you instinctively wrap your legs around his hips. He carries you to the bed, gently setting you down on the end of it. He peppers soft kisses on your cheeks and neck, melting into him. You wanted him to take you, right here, right now. You could feel how much he wanted you, there was no denying that. You wanted to beg him for things you’re too embarrassed to admit. Your hands sneak into his jacket, feeling those lovely soft chest hairs that reside there. 

He pauses briefly, a hint of mischief glimmering in his eyes. 

“What’s wrong?” You ask him, squeezing his hand that’s on your thigh, wanting him to move it higher. 

“I wanted to show you something,” he murmurs. You look expectantly at him, wondering what he’s talking about. 

“Okay, what is it?” You ask. 

“There’s one thing I haven’t exactly been honest about,” he chuckles. Your eyebrows furrow, not understanding what he’s insinuating. 

“What are you talking about?”

“I’ve never shown you what I really look like. Under all this facade, you’ve never seen the real me,” he quips. 

You can’t help but giggle, “I’d love to see you like that. You’re handsome no matter what.” He smiles at you and takes off his jacket. 

“Hold on,” he murmurs. 

You watch as he walks to the closet to hang it up, showing his beautiful toned back. You swear this man did not have a bad side to him. 

A few moments pass, anxiously waiting for him to come back. You walk to the window, opening the curtains to let the sun in. The light comes pouring in and you gaze up on the city below. It was so quiet from up here, but if you focused, it was livelier than ever. This city never failed to amaze you. The warmth of the sun simmered on your skin and you didn’t mind it. It made you feel real. 

“Baby?” Elvis’ voice says gently behind you. 

You turn around and smile at what you find. 

The most stunning man was in front of you. His eyes were ocean blue, pulling you in and making you swim in them. His hair and sideburns were shorter, showcasing his beautiful clean face. His pouty lips were the same and looked as good as ever. He looked so young, so bright, and the way he was looking at you was soft and full of innocence. He nervously twisted his rings back and forth, waiting for you to say something to him.

But you were too distracted to say what you were thinking. Could you fall anymore in love with him? You could have sworn the answer was no but it seems like he found another way to make you fall for him. The sunlight shining in made him glow like a beautiful angel. You’re almost certain he fell straight out of heaven and was made just for you. You didn’t deserve such a perfect man. The world didn’t deserve him. 

He put on a black silk button-up and it was a bit baggy on him. He was so slender yet exuded strength. He didn’t falter his intense gaze. Lord, those eyes were so beautiful and made you want to do anything he asked of you. 

You walk up to him, taking in his entire presence. 

“You’re so handsome,” you whisper, taking his face in your hands. He felt the same, the same beautifully sculpted face with not a flaw on it. 

He hums delighted, “thank you, mama,” he says low, placing a kiss on your forehead. 

“Do you feel any different?” You ask him. He chuckles softly as he places his hands on your hips. 

“No I don’t baby, the only thing I notice different is how I look in the mirror,” he smirks. “Do you like me this way?”

“Of course I do. I love you no matter what,” you say reaching up for a kiss.

He pulls you in, needing you closer. You can feel his heart hammer away, nerves and love rattling in his chest. His lips kiss you like he’s been dying for you. You squeeze at his biceps, not wanting to let him go, and desperately need his lips on your body. 

He pauses briefly, struggling for breath, “God, I missed you. I missed you so much,” he tells you. 

“Mhmm, I missed you too baby,” you hum. He goes back for another kiss, groaning softly as he feels your body. 

You tear off his shirt, needing to feel his skin. You unbutton the rest of your top too and your hands roam his soft, sculpted back. 

“I missed you. Fuck, please don’t leave me ever again,” he pleads. He deepens the kiss, slipping his tongue in your mouth and groaning when he does so. You can’t help but moan too, needing him more than you realize. 

“Never. Never again, I promise,” you groan into his mouth. 

His touches become more intense and your body starts to feel on fire. His fingers find your clit, groaning when he discovers how dripping wet you are for him. You gasp at the friction, needing him to satisfy your every last desire. 

“Mama,” he whimpers. 

“What baby,” you whisper, your thumb grazing his bottom lip. 

“I need you. I need you so much,” he tells you. 

“What do you need hmm?” You say breathless. 

“I-I-I just need y-you baby,” he groans. 

“Show me. Show me on your knees.” You tell him. His eyes grow soft and he starts leaving kisses down your neck, nipping softly there. You sigh at the feeling of his lips on you, making you more ravenous for him. He starts to kneel down in front of you, continuing to kiss every square inch of your body. 

He pauses when he gets to your core, looking up at you with pleading eyes. 

“I need to take care of you,” he whimpers, his thumb grazing the top of your mound. Your body tingles from his touch and those electric blue eyes have you in dire need of his attention. 

“Please take care of me,” you plead. 

He smiles and nods his head at you, placing your leg on his shoulder and rubbing his thumb through your folds. Your slick seeps out of you, wanting him to fulfill his promise of taking care of you. He teases, creating the most delicious friction on your clit and your entrance. You sigh at the sensations, tangling your fingers in his soft hair. 

You can feel his breath on your body, making you tremble with need. 

“Fuck,” he groans, “so wet for me.”

“Yes, all for you baby,” you gasp out as he rubs your sensitive bundle of nerves in more concentrated circles. He groans deeply before swiping his tongue through your folds. You gasp, loving how he feels on you. You rock your hips onto his mouth and he moans pleased by your actions.

“Fuck baby,” you sigh.

He suckles on your clit as a low moan came from the back of his throat, making your eyes roll back in your head. He knew exactly what to do to make you fall apart instantly. His hands squeeze tighter on your thighs, his heat consuming you. You cling onto his soft tresses and look down at how focused his face is buried between your legs. He flashes his beautiful eyes at you, making you moan.

“Elvis,” you cry. He stops briefly, biting his lip softly as he looks up at you innocently.

“Yes baby,” he says hushed, rubbing his fingers through your folds again. You curse his name, unable to think clearly with his hands on you like this. You then feel his finger slowly enter your weeping core. He pumps it in and out of you slowly, watching his finger get covered in your slick then looking back up at you innocently.

“What baby? What is it?” He asks sweetly, twisting his finger deeper inside of you.

“I need you-, please keep using your mouth too,” you whimper.

He listens and puts his mouth back on you, lapping and suckling at your clit again. You could feel yourself fall apart the longer he used his mouth on you. Your core ached with need and he could sense it. He looks up at you as he slips in another long, slender finger inside you, watching your reaction. Your mouth falls open and you squeeze around his digits.

“Oh God yes,” you groan.

He hums delighted with his mouth on you and groans too. God, he felt so good, he was making you lose all control and you wanted him to keep doing just that. You weren’t going to last very long with the way he kept looking up at you with those luring, dangerous eyes. Even with his younger appearance, he was dangerous and knew he wouldn’t stop until he got what he wanted. He thrusts his finger into you faster, curling them deep inside you making you want to cry to the heavens. They hit that sensitive spot inside you that could make you cum on his command. 

He takes his mouth off of you, too enthralled watching you reach peak pleasure.

“You like that baby? You like my fingers stuffed inside you?” He asks softly.

“Yes, please don’t stop baby,” you whimper.

He doesn’t move right away, instead, he gives a devilish little look at you. That’s when you feel another finger get stuffed inside you, stretching you to the brink. You gasp and feel your legs almost give out. He has a tight enough grip on your waist to still you. He moves slowly and doesn’t leave your gaze.

“Is that okay honey? Does that feel good?” He asks.

You nod your head, “yes honey- oh please-, you’re going to make me come,” you beg. He pumps his fingers deeper inside you, smirking as he watches your hips move with him. Each movement got you closer and closer to the sun.

“Fuck yes, baby. Look at me when you come though. Let me see you,” he begs. 

You stare helplessly at him and rock your hips onto his hand.

“That’s it, baby, let me feel you,” he encourages.

You look into his eyes and crumble instantly, feeling your walls squeeze around him and pleasure skyrockets through you. Your body trembles with need and feels dizzy in the haze of ecstasy. You hold onto his shoulder, crying for him to keep going. 

“Yes mama, so good.” He praises. 

The sound of his low, gravely voice has you reeling and weaker than ever before. Your climax kept building and he wasn’t stopping until you had your fill. You slowly took your leg off of his shoulder and couldn’t stand any longer. You gently sink to your knees too and you’re at eye level with him. 

His chest heaves and looks at you with innocence. 

“Did I do good mama?” He asks softly. 

“God-, yes. Yes, you did very good,” you say pretty breathlessly. 

He gently takes his fingers out of you, making you gasp from the loss of him. You go to kiss him with intense passion and feel how wet his face is from devouring you. Your hands snake down to his upper thigh and feel his hard cock laying down his leg. He groans and stops kissing you, looking up at you needy. You look down at his length, rubbing your fingers up and down it. 

“Do you need somethin’, baby?” You ask innocently, looking up into this oceanic blues. 

He looks down at what your hand is doing and looks back up at you to speak. 

“Oh mama please,” he groans. 

“Please what?” You say. 

“Please keep touching me,” he begs. 

You take your hand off of him and nod your head. 

“Take your pants off for me then,” you tell him. 

You don’t know what it is, but he’s total putty in your hands right now. You’re pretty sure he’d do anything you ask him to. 

He stands up slowly, his fingers working his button and sliding down the zipper. He pulls his pants down until they fall around his ankles. You stare up at him and feel the pulse in your core begin to grow again. He was so beautiful, so sexy, not a thing was unattractive about this man. Your eyes get drawn to his length, precum dribbling out of his head. He was dying for your touch, you could feel it and you could hear his short shallow breaths waiting for your next instruction. 

“Touch yourself, show me how bad you want me,” you tease. He stares at you dumbfounded, not expecting such a demand. He looks down at his length, “mama. Please, please touch me,” he begs. 

You shake your head at him, “Not until you show me how bad you want me,” you tempt. 

He finally listens and nods his head. You watch as he lowers his hand to his shaft, rubbing the leaking precum on his tip. He bites his lip as he does this, reveling in the much-needed friction. He pulls his foreskin back, revealing his red tip. He pumps his hand along his length slowly, taking in the sight of you on your knees. You were weak looking up at him, biting your lip softly as you watched him. He was too luring, too attractive to think clearly but he waited on baited breath for your next instruction.

“That’s right baby, just like that. Does that feel good?” You beckon.

He nods his head at you, looking drunkenly at you.

“Yes, mama. But I want you to help me,” he quivers.

“I will baby, keep going,” you tell him standing up, wrapping your hand too close around his, helping him move more. His eyes grow wide as he looks down on you. His eyes were pleading for more, anything to help him feel good. 

You push him backward and he sits down when the back of his knees hit the bed. You sink to your knees again and get in between his spread legs. You gently pull his hand off of his length and put yours on it, pumping it slowly, and watch as his jaw falls open. Your other hand cups his balls and gently squeeze them before starting to suck on his cock. He lets out a guttural groan that makes your toes curl.

“Oh God baby,” he gasps.

You swirl your tongue around his head, making his hips buck up into your mouth more. You quickly take him out of your mouth and give him an accusatory look.

“You better hold still,” you command. He squirms a bit at your tone, his eyes still soft and needy.

“Baby I’m sorry. I-I’m just so sensitive. You feel too good to sit still,” he whimpers, lowering his eye contact like a scolded child.

“If you won’t sit still, then I won’t help you come. You don’t want that now do you?” You say with a smirk.

He quickly shakes his head no and adjusts himself on the bed, putting his hands on the sides of him. You smile at him and take his cock in your hand again, leading it to your mouth. You continue to suck only on the tip of him and he lets out a pent-up groan. He doesn’t move like he was told but you can tell he is dying for more. You move slowly, taking your time as you lick and suck more of his length into your mouth.

“Fuck you look so good with my cock in your mouth,” he groans. 

You look up at him and he looks blissfully fucked out of his mind. He was taking short, shallow breaths the more you sucked on him and the way his eyebrows were furrowed made him look so damn attractive. You couldn’t get enough of the sight before you. His naked body was absolute perfection and he was all yours. 

He was so focused on you and only you. The way he was cussing your name after you took another inch of him in your mouth had you clenching your thighs together. You weren’t the one who was supposed to be teased, it was him who needed to be played with. You pumped the rest of his length in your hand, getting him closer and closer to finishing. You try to take most of his length inside you until he hits the back of your throat, making you gag a bit. He loves it, making his hips buck up.

“Goddamn mama, ahh- you feel so good,” he slurs. You keep sucking on him like this, moving slowly and then taking more of his cock deep inside your throat.

All the while, your hand slithers down to your sensitive bud and gently rubs it. You’re ultra-sensitive and moan when you feel the slight friction you give yourself. He groans when he feels you moan with him in your mouth. Your fingers spread the wetness he’s created and want him all over again. He made you such a needy mess and you were sure he was so proud of himself for it. Elvis groans louder as you keep playing with yourself. 

“Baby, are you touching with yourself?” he whimpers. You don’t respond to him right away, you just keep rubbing your clit and moan slightly as you work yourself to climax too. The sound of your arousal being spread by your fingers answered his question and he squeezes your arm. He was dying having no control, you could sense it. He wanted to fuck you so bad but he knew he wasn’t going to get his way. The fact he couldn’t see you tease yourself was torture alone for him. But he doesn’t move and keeps letting you take his cock the way you wanted to.

“I-I need-, fuck honey please you’re killing me. I can’t hold on much longer,” he moans to you. 

You look up at him through wet eyelashes and your eyes plead for him. You want him to come apart in your mouth. Your tongue licks on the underside of his shaft and relax your mouth, letting his cock hit the back of your throat. His hips stutter into you and he grips onto your hair tightly, letting his warm, thick seed coat your mouth. You groan with him, loving the sounds he’s making. 

“Oh yes mama, yes. Takin’ my cock so damn good,” he whimpers. His voice makes your core clench around nothing and your arousal only spills out of you more. Nothing gets you more turned on than the sound of him praising you. You move your head up and down his cock and let him move his hips a bit to help you take more of him.

His cock pulses a few more times and he slowly loosens the grip he has on your hair. You start to take his length out of your mouth, being careful to not spill any of him. You sit back on your heels to look up at him. He looks drunk on you and his chest still heaves a bit. You make sure you have his full attention when you’re about to swallow his load. You watch his pleading blue eyes look into yours and he nods his head. You swallow a few times, taking in all of him. You’re left a bit breathless as the ache in your core only throbs worse.

He reaches his hand out for you and quickly pulls you up on his lap. The wetness in between your legs spreads onto his thigh and you squeal because of it. He doesn’t do anything about it right away though. He was still too much of a haze after what you just did to him. He was still so needy and needed your lips on his. He grabs your face and pulls you in for a kiss. It was intense and passionate, his tongue tangling with yours making you heave. It felt like he couldn’t get enough of you. You knew that to be a fact and felt smug about it.

He gently pulls away from you, brushing back the hair that has fallen on your face.

He smiles at you, “God you are too damn much,” he quips.

“I’m sorry that I caused you such suffering,” you tease.

“Oh, by all means, please make me feel like that more often,” he chuckles going in for another kiss. You try to calm and soothe each other but it’s too hard to do. He felt how needy you still were and you knew he wanted to take care of you.

But there wasn’t any rush, he wanted to take his time. He looks deeply into your eyes, staring like he just made a new discovery.

“What is it, baby?” You say softly, tracing his lips with your finger.

“I just love you, I love you so damn much. It just hit me I finally feel whole. There’s nothing I’m missing. I have everything I could ever want,” he coos.

His words hit you straight in the heart, love pounding away in your chest.

“I know me too. I’ve never felt like this.” You tremble. He smiles softly, kissing your forehead and laying you down on the bed. He lays on top of you, smothering you with kisses and gentle caresses as you both tremble with emotion.

“I’m here, I’m going to take care of you forever,” he says gently, placing a kiss on your cheek.

“Yes please,” you sigh.

“I’m going to love you forever,” he says into your neck, gently nipping there. You gasp at the sensation, your body pushing into his more.

“Yes please, Elvis.”

He covers your body in wet kisses all the way down to your toes. He makes his way back up to your face, admiring the woman before him.

“Always,” he coos, wrapping you in his arms. Taking you through the stars, just you and him, in this slice of heaven you’ve found yourself in.

*

August 1973

The hum of excited conversation and laughter fills the suite. You too were giddy with excitement for this party. Elvis just had his opening night at The Hilton for his summer engagement here. He was absolutely electric with his new set. He had those familiar nerves when he got up on stage. That left leg of his shaking to the beat of the song and looking damn good in a black jumpsuit. 

No matter how many times you see him perform, you will never be able to hide the huge smile you have and how red your cheeks turn when you watch him. He knows it too. He moves his hips a certain way and you can’t help but squirm in your seat. It was insinuating too much. 

You were brave enough to walk up to the stage and wait for a kiss from him. It stopped him dead in his tracks, staring at you with the most cheeky grin on his face. 

“Well hello honey. What can I do for you?” He teased, making the whole audience bust out laughing. 

You beckon him to come closer with just the motion of your finger. He slyly grins and laughs into the microphone. 

“You want a kiss baby is that whatcha want? My wife wants a kiss, ladies and gentlemen.” He announces boisterously. The entire place bursts out into applause and he kneels in front of you at the edge of the stage. He drops the microphone at his feet and you reach on your tippy toes to kiss him. 

You kiss him with passion flowing through your veins. He grabs onto your face with both of his hands, a big smile forming on his face. You hold his face too, sighing as you kiss those lips. You pull away from him and he kisses your cheek, pausing by your ear. 

“Naughty, naughty girl,” he whispers, sending a tingle straight to your core. You just smile sweetly at him and wink, but he knows what effect he’s left on you. 

He picks up the microphone again, shaking his head, “lord have mercy,” he mumbles breathlessly, “Sorry everyone I’m losin’ control up here.” He jokes, making the crowd roar in more laughter. 

You check your outfit one more time in the mirror before joining the party. You went out shopping to buy something extra nice for his opening night party. You went for a sparkly black fringed tank top that had a little v-cut that showed the top of your breasts. It was cropped and showed your midriff a little with the matching fringe skirt that came to your mid-thighs. You wore your black boots that came to your mid-thighs. You felt pretty with your hair curled and your cheeks rosy with blush. You sparkled every time you moved. The finishing touch was the TLC necklace that Elvis gave you. It sparkled so easily with all the diamonds encrusted on it. It rested between your breasts, drawing attention to that area. You didn’t care about possible eyes staring at you. This was Elvis’ party and you only wanted to look nice for him. 

You mingle with the guests, everyone being sweet and cordial to you. Anna spots you in the crowd and is so happy to see you. It had been a few weeks since you saw each other and always had so much to catch up on. She visited you often at Graceland this summer. It was so nice to have a friend like her. She got used to your new life being a vampire. It didn’t freak her out as much as it used to and wasn’t afraid of anything you told her. 

Things had never been better with you and Elvis. You didn’t know you could be so happy and fulfilled with someone. He took off most of the summer months to be with you. You were spoiled beyond belief and he couldn’t stay away from you. He wasn’t lying when he said he was never going to let you out of his sight. After everything was done here in Vegas with Raphael, you both returned to Graceland. It was so beautiful and peaceful. He taught you how to ride a horse and you both would ride around the property for hours just talking. When you weren’t doing that, you were locked in his bedroom doing unspeakable things to each other. You were going to miss having his attention on you twenty-four hours a day. But he takes any performance seriously and was very focused on this new engagement. He has this newfound confidence about him and it showed on stage. He was just getting better with ‘age.’

You both find a seat by the window and catch up on everything you can. Your mind does wander to where Elvis might be but you’re sure he’s being a good host and mingling with his guests. 

As you continue to talk to Anna, a shiver runs down your spine. You snap your attention to the crowd of people standing around you both. On the other side of the room, Elvis’ luring eyes find yours. Oh lord, the way he was looking at you… it made you feel on fire. You knew what that look meant. You had gotten this look many, many times before. His eyes burned into your body, need and lust flowing through him. You couldn’t look much longer at him or the heat in between your legs would consume you. He was standing against the wall so casually but you knew he was dying for your attention. His appearance wasn’t that of a twenty-four-year-old, no, he looked like he was more in his thirties, looking as good as ever to anyone who laid eyes on him. His sideburns were longer and his hair looked fluffy and quaffed. 

He makes a come hither motion with his index finger and that’s all it takes for you to break away from your conversation with Anna. You walk through the sea of people, getting wide-eyed looks and whispers of how nice you look. You don’t pay attention to what they’re saying, you cannot tear your eyes away from his heated gaze. You get close enough to see what he’s wearing. He wore black leather pants and a leather jacket with nothing on underneath.

Jesus. You were weak. 

He was living, breathing, sex looking like this. You weren’t going to last a second being so close to him. He eyes you up and down, staring at you like prey. He pulls you into his arms quickly and holds you close. 

“Goddamn baby look at you,” he mumbles drunkenly. You just smirk at him and look at him closer. 

“And look at you. Looking quite nice in that leather,” you quip, running your fingers in his thick hair. He keeps staring at you, not caring how lewd those looks were. 

“I need you to know… you are making every single man in here, human or vampire, absolutely ravenous for you,” he growls in your ear, nipping softly on your ear lobe. He pushes your body firmly against his, feeling his hardening length push into your tummy. You take in a sharp breath, not giving in to him just yet.

“Oh, how terrible. I’m so sorry I’m so distracting for you,” you tease. 

“Is this the new outfit you bought yourself?” He asks. 

“Yes, it is. I don’t have to ask if you like it,” you quip cheekily. 

He smirks at you and nods his head, “Mhmm. I hate it. I hate how much it makes me want to flip up that short skirt and fuck you senseless right now.” He says hotly as he grabs a handful of your ass. You stare at him wide-eyed and feel the blood rush to your core. God, you couldn’t help but want him. It just became such an easy thing with him. One look from him and you’d find yourself shredding the clothes off his body and begging for his attention. 

“Elvis, there’s people watching,” you hiss. 

“I don’t care, let them watch,” he grumbles, squeezing you tighter and going in for a kiss. 

You melt into him, kissing him fervently. He pauses and pulls you around the corner. The little half bath is right there by the front door and he quickly pulls you in it, locking the door behind him. 

“What do you think you’re doing?” You say, trying not to giggle. He walks forward, pinning you to the wall, his hand above your head and his other on your waist. His gaze was intense and the mood in here was the same. You couldn’t breathe the way he was looking at you.

“What am I doing? Giving you exactly what you want,” he groans, nipping at your neck.

Damn him. You couldn’t hide anything from him and it was true. You wanted him to fuck you senseless right here right now.

Your heart gallops wildly and sigh into all of his touches. He doesn’t tease you for long, he doesn’t have the patience for that tonight. He turns you around quickly and bends you over at the waist, bringing your hips back to line up with his. You brace yourself on the sink and look back at him. He lifts up your skirt, exposing your lace panties to him. He lets out a pleased hum when he admires what you’re wearing.

“So pretty,” he smirks. You feel him tear at the thin delicate fabric with his fingers and your core becomes exposed to him. You knew you were embarrassingly wet already, the pulse in between your legs kept growing the longer you stood here. Elvis starts to unbutton the rest of his jacket, opening it up completely to expose his torso. 

“Here’s what I want you to do baby,” he hums. You hear the sound of his zipper clicking down and the heavy thud of his pants when they hit the floor. “I need you to watch yourself in the mirror. Look how pretty you are when you take my entire cock,” he coos, moving your head forward to the mirror. You stare at him wide-eyed in the reflection, in complete shock of his request. You wouldn’t be able to take this. It was torture. The last time he made you watch yourself in the mirror, you had never been more of a mess.

“Oh God, baby,” you whimper. You feel his tip tease at your entrance, gathering the slick that’s seeping out of you. “I can’t.”

“Yes you can honey, you’ll love it,” he teases. 

You can’t make any more excuses because he plunges his entire cock inside of you, making you cry out for him. Your jaw falls slack and your eyebrows furrow together as you feel him fill you completely.

“Ohmygod,” you whimper looking at yourself. You try to adjust to his size, you were tight around him and he groans when he feels this

“Mmm, sucha good girl,” he praises as he starts to thrust in and out of you. Your breathing becomes uneven and you hold on tightly to the sink. Each thrust made you wetter and easier to take all of him but it was still so intense. He wasn’t going to make love to you slow and tenderly, no, not tonight. He was going to fuck you just like he said he would.

“Look how pretty you are baby,” he praises, smoothing your hair off your face. You nod your head and press your lips together, not wanting to let out the loud groans you normally would.

His hips drive into you, and the sound of his skin slapping against yours fills the small bathroom. You continue to watch yourself, unable to handle much more of this. He makes these pleased, groans when he takes you hard and fast. You let your head fall down as he fucks you harder. He doesn’t like that though. All he asked you to do was watch yourself and you can’t even do that. You feel his hand gather your hair and he pulls your head up swiftly. He pulls out of you and leaves you moaning for him to be back inside of you. 

You look up at him in the reflection, groaning in agony.

“What did I say, baby? What did Daddy say,” He says low, his tone stern and powerful. 

You hesitantly make eye contact with him in the mirror, his presence too overwhelming. 

“Daddy said to watch myself get fucked,” you whimper. His tip teases your over-sensitive entrance making you squirm. He swiftly spanks your ass briefly, making you freeze.

“Mhmm, hold still mama,” he instructs.

“Yes, Daddy."

He thrusts his hips into you slowly, nodding his head at you.

“That’s right baby, just like that. Sucha good girl, keep watching yourself. Look at how much you like my cock inside of you.” He says as he thrusts his cock deeper, making your jaw drop. He was right of course, he felt so damn good and couldn’t get enough. Each movement he made has you rolling your eyes back. He had you right where he wanted you and the sounds of his grunts had your core flutter. You can’t help but glance at how he looks right now.

Dear god, he looks so good. You feel physically weak with the way he’s looking at you. The way his eyes have that heavy droop to them makes him somehow more attractive. The way the leather jacket hung off his body so effortlessly and how he bit his lip as he fucked you harder. He was loving every second of this by the sounds of it. It was as if he deprived of you. You had to tear your eyes away from the distractingly gorgeous man behind you or you were afraid he was going to stop.

Your eyes move back to your own reflection and you press your lips together, moaning softly as he fills you to the hilt. He gently grabs your hand and pulls it to the front of your body. Your fingertips find your swollen folds and how dripping wet you are. You gasp at the sensation and stare at him helplessly. 

“Touch yourself, baby girl. You feel how wet you are around me? You feel so damn good,” he growls in your ear as he thrusts slowly into you. The sound of how wet you are grows louder each time he moves and makes you want to die right here and now. You nod your head in the mirror and touch yourself, gathering the slick that’s there and rubbing your clit. Your breathing hitches the more you touch yourself, making you want to come apart quicker. 

The coil in your belly tightens the longer you do this and the way Elvis is moving inside you only makes it worse. You look at your current state in the mirror and looking a complete mess. Your eyes were pleading silently for him to make you come and your legs began to feel weak. 

“Daddy?” You whimper. 

“What is it, baby?” He grunts through his teeth. 

“I need to come. Please make me come,” you beg. 

His lips firm into a sly grin as he pounds into you, bringing you closer to the edge. 

“No, not yet baby. You can come when I am close,” he teases. 

You cry out in frustration, not sure you can hold on any longer. He watches how you were silently obeying him whether you like it or not. He looks at you with a luring gaze, watching his favorite meal squirm away under him. 

“Or…” he says low, “you can beg for it,” he says low, grinding his hips into you. 

Your brain feels scrambled and you don’t have it in you to fight him or anything he says. You nod your head at him in the reflection and gasp for breath. 

“Please Daddy, oh please,” you cry. 

He cocks his head a bit when he looks at you, taking his length out of you swiftly. You cry for him, not expecting him to do that. 

“You’re going to have to do a lot better than that sweetheart,” he says devilishly. You push your hips back and just need him to touch you again. You look at him in the mirror helplessly, aching for any kind of help. 

“Daddy, please. Please I need you!” You cry loudly. 

“What do you need baby?” He asks. 

“I need your cock baby. Please fuck me like you said you would,” you beg. 

He quickly makes you stand up and turn around. His eyes look like they’re on fire, so turned on and full of power. He lifts you up and has you wrap your legs around his waist as he pushes you up against the wall. You grunt when you feel the wall hit your back and he swiftly plunges his cock inside you again. You wrap your arms around his neck and hold onto him. You cry out for him once more and stare directly into his heated eyes. 

“Oh Daddy,” you gasp. 

He has a pleased smirk on his face as he fucks you harder and makes it impossible to think clearly. His hands squeeze onto your thighs tightly and moans your name as he gets closer to finishing. 

“All mine baby, mine,” he growls. 

“Yes, yes I’m yours, baby,” you gasp as he snaps his hips into you. 

“Good girl. Come with me. I want to see you come,” he demands. 

You nod your head at him fervently, silently thanking him because you wouldn’t be able to hold on much longer. A few more thrusts inside of you and your pleasure skyrockets, holding onto him for dear life. Your core squeezes around him and look at him as he’s about to finish too. His eyes squeeze together and he groans loudly when he finishes inside of you. It was all too much and you absolutely loved it. You both are breathless and clutching onto one another. 

He covers your neck in kisses and starts to nip ravenously. You could feel how much he needed you, how he squeezed you tighter to keep you up against the wall. Your skin gets pricked with goosebumps the longer he nips and sucks on your neck. You lift his head up and want to look into his eyes. His fangs were descended and he bit the inside of his cheek as he looked at you. He was so hungry and needy. 

“Bite me,” you whimper.

He makes a low groan and goes straight for your neck, biting into it carefully. He takes his time drinking your blood, softly whimpering as he swallows. Your eyes can’t help but look at the sight in the mirror. Your bodies are still intertwined and your face has pleasure written all over it. His large hands consume your flesh as he feeds from you. His hair is now messy and has fallen on his forehead. The sight was quite erotic and you couldn’t help but like it. 

Mine, your brain screams. 

He gently takes his fangs out of you and looks at you softly. It wasn’t the same man a few minutes ago that was dominating and possessive. He wanted comfort and love now. He gently pulls himself out of you and sets you on the ground, holding you to his chest. He runs his hands through your hair and kisses your head tenderly. 

“Did you like that Daddy?” You ask innocently. He smirks at you, chuckling softly, “yes. I liked it a lot,” he says as he places a kiss on your lips. “Do you remember the first time we were in here together? When you first started?” He asks with a laugh. 

How could you forget! It was the next day after you two first started fucking each other and you were doing everything in your power to not succumb to his seductive nature. It clearly did not work. 

“Yes, how could I forget,” you say cheekily. 

“Well, I uhh… what we just did… that’s exactly what I wanted to do to you that day. I just wasn’t sure if you wanted it like that,” he says smugly. 

You can’t help but look at him dumbfounded, not believing that he was thinking such things so early on. 

You playfully hit him on the arm, “Elvis! My God you’re too much! You would have put me in a coma! My poor human heart couldn’t have handled that,” you tease. 

He can’t help but laugh and bring you to his chest again. 

“You’re the one that’s too much. But I wouldn’t want it any other way,” he teases, pulling your skirt back down. 

“You look so damn good tonight baby. I don’t know how I’m gonna stop myself from touchin’ ya,” he teases. 

“I’m sure you’ll manage,” you quip, “But… if you need me, you know where to find me…” you say, giving him a little wink as you reach for the door handle.

He stops you abruptly, pulling you back in close. He gives you this look, a similar one he gave you when he first saw you walk in those suite doors. 

Pure love and awe.

“I love you, more than you’ll ever know,” he coos, his lips inches away from yours.

“I love you too, baby. Remind me how much you do as often as you want,” you say sweetly, kissing his perfect lips.

“Always… it’s what I was made to do.”

*

*

*

Tagging:

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@everythingelvispresley @chasingwildflowers @idontwanttoputanything. @ohjustpeachy_

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[that-ari-blogger]

"Do you want to know a secret?" (The Portal)

I think that the rules of writing are overblown.

Don’t get me wrong, there are things you should and shouldn’t do when telling a story, but those are more guidelines than actual rules.

Case and point, She-Ra is a story predicated on repetition, which shouldn’t be as entertaining as it is. The “bad ending” is effectively another season, which is a unique premise, and a threat that the story absolutely delivers on multiple times.

But, to me at least, the story is enthralling, and keeps me coming back to it. It works, not despite its repetition, but because of it.

Although, that isn’t exactly true. I’ve described the story as cyclical before, but it isn’t entirely. It’s a spiral, because the cycle of abuse is an innately unstable dynamic, and will only end in tragedy if it isn’t broken.

If you don’t want to take my word for this, I give you the season 3 finale, The Portal, which spells out the series’ thesis in about as blunt of a way as is possible.

Let me explain.

SPOILERS AHEAD: (She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, Watchmen, Batman: The Killing Joke, Superman: For The Man Who Has Everything, Justice League Unlimited)

I grew up reading Alan Moore comics, and if you don’t know who that is, I both pity you and envy you. Alan Moore is one of the most misrepresented writers of the modern age, and its entirely his own fault.

Moore is known for writing V For Vendetta, The Killing Joke, and Watchmen, all of which have a distinctly grim tone. He is one of those writers who seems to care more about the story he is telling than how much people enjoy it, and so he usually has a point to make.

Unfortunately, we end up with the Cyber Punk dilemma, in which Alan Moore’s genuinely unrivalled literary talent leads to people really enjoying his stories, which means they unintentionally miss the actual themes of those stories. In the case of Watchmen, this led to people seeing the gore and the violence and the depression and trying to replicate that.

This is where we get The Boys from, shallow sadness and spectacle. If that’s your thing, go for it, but it isn’t mine.

But I bring up Moore in a discussion of She-Ra for a reason, and that is the relentless hope inherent in his writing. In Moore’s stories, hope prevails every single time, with the only exception being extremely subjective. The Killing Joke focuses on the idea that everyone is one bad day away from becoming evil, and that gets proven wrong. Watchmen is about how small humans are and how annihilation changes people, yet the characters are able to find joy and an escape from their trauma, and show kindness to each other even when the sky almost literally falls on their heads.

The Boys isn’t very good as an adaptation of Moore’s themes (In my opinion). If you want one that actually understands the source material, watch The Incredibles, or Justice League Unlimited, or She-Ra and the Princesses of Power.

I have praised She-Ra for its animation and pacing, as well as its overarching story, but I think its greatest strength is its humanity. Characters in She-Ra are incredibly fragile, psychologically, and yet they are incredibly resilient.

Catra and Adora’s development gets methodically and efficiently destroyed by Shadow Weaver, and yet Adora becomes a hero and Catra… well, we’ll see how that works out in later seasons.

One of my favourite Moore stories is a superman story from 1985 called For The Man Who Has Everything. This was adapted into an episode of Justice League Unlimited, but I prefer the comic.

The story follows Superman being forced to live out his greatest desire. It doesn’t sound that bad, but the point is that he is kept happy and therefore out of the picture while villains can do villain things. It’s very much a story from its time, and I love it.

Interestingly, however, Superman’s dream takes him back to Krypton, where he isn’t Superman, and he is happy. He has a wife, and a son, and he never lost anything. He can spend time with his parents.

Even with the shenanigans that ensue (because this is a comic), his time in this dream is fun, and relaxing. Until he works out he’s dreaming, and has to let it go. Superman gets the choice of happiness, or duty, and he takes duty.

The scene in which he says goodbye to his “son”, who does not exist and therefore does not matter, is heartbreaking, and if I ever do comic reviews, I’m talking about this one first.

I now turn your gaze to queen Angella, from whose perspective this story is being told.

The episode actually does a bit of a bait and switch with the point of view, convincing its audience that it is about either Glimmer or Bow, and it kind of is, but not entirely.

Angella has everything she could possibly want, her daughter, her husband, her city. There is no war, there is nothing. Everything is perfect.

“This is perfect, my love, but it’s not real. I remember now. I miss you so much, but Glimmer needs my help, and I can’t stay with nothing but memories. Goodbye Micah”

Does this ring any bells?

I want to point out that this is still Catra’s hallucination, the thing that she wants. So why does she want Angella and Glimmer to be happy?

Catra wants Adora, and arguably loves her, but in an extremely dysfunctional way that says "if I can't have her, nobody can". She is petty, and fully the villain in this episode.

So, the way that she gets Adora to be hers is by ensuring that the people who accepted her would have no space for her in their lives. Why would Glimmer want to spend time with Adora? She has her father. Why would Angella accept Adora? She has her family.

What Catra doesn’t understand is that love isn’t transactional, and that these people are genuinely kind and accepting.

There's the idea of "what you are in the dark." The concept of what a person does when there are no consequences. Characters in this episode keep getting moments like this, when they know that they are fading from existence, and are given moments to show their true colours. Entrapta chooses to be grateful, Bow chooses to be reassuring, and Glimmer chooses to be emotional.

The thing that breaks people out of Catra’s reality is the unexpected. Its Catra’s lack of understanding of people that leads to those people being themselves and instinctively breaking free.

Case and point, Angella and Glimmer help Adora, and because this world was completely unprepared for that minour act of kindness, it can’t keep them contained.

Now, I know what scene you are expecting me to talk about, so I’m going to make you wait, and talk about Catra instead.

Catra is the villain of this episode. If it wasn’t for this being set in her mind, she would have zero nuance. By which I mean, everything about her as a character here is done externally, the way she acts makes her seem like a generic, abusive partner.

Because let me be clear about Catra’s actions here. This is abuse, and it is treated as such by the story. The show doesn’t make apologies for her in this episode, or try to justify it here. Subtlety be damned here, Catra is abusive.

And so, I will read her this way, for this episode. We have seen the nuance leading up to this moment, and we will see a redemption arc. But this is Catra at her lowest, and so I will put aside the past and future to examine the present and the present only. Catra is abusive.

There are two ways you could read this drop in subtlety. One, there are parts of this character that you aren’t seeing, left blank. This episode is presenting you with a character and not showing you the whole thing. Or two, this is a character who has been broken by the story, almost as if parts of her have been removed or lost. Catra is now a fragment of her former self.

I wonder if any of this is reflected in her character design.

“If you hadn’t gotten captured, your sword wouldn’t have opened the portal. If you hadn’t gotten the sword and been the world’s worst She-Ra, none of this would have happened. Admit it Adora, the world would still be standing if you had never come through that portal in the first place.”

This hurts Adora because it’s true. Ok that’s unfair, and inaccurate, but it’s not entirely wrong, and that’s the kicker.

Catra isn’t making this up, she’s just leaving out important details. Because of course, if Adora hadn’t been captured, things would have worked out better, but who was it that captured her? Who was it that made the choice to pull the switch? Who was it that destroyed the world out of spite?

Catra blames Adora for her own actions, and that is, once again, abuse. Which is why it’s so satisfying when Adora stands up for herself.

“I didn’t make you pull the switch. I didn’t make you do anything. I didn’t break the world. But I am gonna fix it.”

Hope is relentless.

But I also want to point out the claiming of agency here. Catra was weirdly insightful at the start of her monologue.

“It's always the same with you, Adora. ‘I have to do this. Oh, we have to do that.’”

Adora’s word choice is a flaw. I looked back at the past few seasons and did a word search through the scripts. I don’t think Adora uses the word “want” more than once at all up to this point.

Essentially, Catra sees things, but extrapolates exactly the wrong message from it. It’s almost as if she’s only seeing half of the world, like her vision is impaired or incomplete somehow.

I wonder if that is reflected in her character design.

In any case, Adora frequently says that she “has to” do things. “Need” is also something she says a lot, and this has the effect of making her an extremely passive character in her own story.

Like I said, this is a moment of agency, but the entire story is a story about that agency. The characters are making choices to either get out of or go along with the downward spiral that the tragic form has set out for them. Catra made the choice to follow, but Adora didn’t. Adora’s word choice makes her look like she has made no choice, but a lack of action is still a decision.

So here, when Adora declares she is “gonna fix it", she takes her agency and decides to walk in a different direction.

This reminds me of an earlier episode, that being Promise.

Hey, look at that action. Looks familiar, right?

This is the only episode I found where Adora says she wants something, although her actual wording is “I never wanted to leave you” when talking to Catra. Go figure.

The moment in question was the episode’s namesake.

“It doesn't matter what they do to us, you know? You look out for me, and I look out for you. Nothing really bad can happen as long as we have each other.” “You promise?” “I promise.”

Agency. Adora is making a decision to stay with Catra and protect her. She is knowingly choosing to do something.

It’s telling that the two most prominent times Adora has done this have been to protect people. It’s almost as if she wants to be useful, or helpful, or protective. Almost as if she wants to be wanted. It would seem Adora is just as addicted to the highs of Shadow Weaver’s programming as Catra, she just has a better support group.

Although this isn’t a full victory, she doesn’t want to save the world, she is just going to, – we still  still don’t know what Adora wants – this is a partial success. Hold onto that idea, it will come back later.

“Do you want to know a secret? I am a coward. I've always been the queen who stays behind. Micah was the brave one. And then Glimmer, oh, Glimmer. So much like her father. And once again I stayed behind, letting her make the hard choices, letting her be brave for me. I told myself I was being responsible, but, Adora, I was just scared. And then I met you. You inspired us. You inspired me. Not because it was your destiny, but because you never let fear stop you. And now I choose to be brave.”

Queen Angella is voiced by Reshma Shetty. She doesn’t get much praise, but for this monologue, I think she deserves so much more than she got.

In my fourth post about She-Ra, I discussed Adora’s ability to inspire and linked her to Batman, something I stand by to this day.

In universe, She-Ra isn’t important because she’s a warrior. She exists as a leader, to protect people and pull them into a greater tomorrow. She shines a light for others to follow.

That is what happens in The Portal, Adora succeeds not by fighting the enemy, but by being herself. She only becomes She-Ra to destroy the portal at the end. To save Etheria, the giant sword lady isn’t important.

I mentioned earlier that humans are fragile and resilient at the same time, and I give you Angella as evidence for that claim. Here is someone who has lost her husband, and makes decisions based on that fear and trauma. But when push comes to shove, the fear is secondary.

Reality falling apart lets directors get away with true nonsense. Micah's staff has no reason to be here, other than the fact that it makes a phenomenal metaphor for Angella's trauma. But that's all you need.

Jon Pertwee was the third doctor, and while he isn’t nearly as iconic or influential as some of his predecessors and successors, he did deliver the line that defined the whole series.

“Courage isn't just a matter of not being frightened, you know. It's being afraid and doing what you have to do anyway.”

I started my discussion of this season by claiming that this is the season in which the characters put a dent the tragic cycle, and I have mentioned several times that the cycle of abuse is unstable. So, here is my thesis.

Catra’s arc fails, not in a story sense, but in a personal one. The idea that every character has a single story arc is something is a specific bugbear of mine, and Catra is kind of my case and point for that. She has a redemption arc up to this point, and she ends up as a villain. Then the story continues and she has to start again and decide where to go next. She has no choice but to move in a different direction from here.

But she tasted redemption already. The crimson wastes gave her a taste of what she is missing, and it offered her an out. It gave her a choice, she made one, and consequences were served. I can’t help but imagine that for the entirety of the next season, she is considering running off to the wastes again.

That idea of consequences comes back with Adora, who makes a good decision, and is rewarded for it. Or rather, she makes a decision to actually do something. Adora becomes an active character, and that is what starts to break the cycle. Because now the motion is halted, and the puppets are pulling the strings.

But, this isn’t a complete victory. Angella is lost, Entrapta and Micah are still gone, none of the villains actually get defeated. For an episode with lasting consequences, not much actually happened.

This episode is big on the fact that this is all a dream, which should destroy the engagement. But it doesn’t. In reality, it preserves the status quo physically, but lets all the characters spontaneously experience character development. The victory of this season is that growth, but it came at a cost.

But I want to briefly talk about that final shot, before I go, because this is how you introduce a villain. Sure, the voice acting is impeccable, and the cinematography gives an air of mystery and menace to this threat, but the showstopper is the reveal that this villain can destroy a moon with ease.

You see a fleet of ships, there was no battle here, just a villain showing off for nobody but himself. He gets interrupted by the plot, and he’s busy DESTROYING A MOON.

Horde Prime is f***ing terrifying.

This scene is in this episode too. It's meant to show how reality is falling apart, but I actually have a reading of why it's here. I think Catra wanted to preserve who Adora was, hence why she is the source of all the paradoxes. But Catra doesn't understand that Mara's legacy and Razz's teaching are a big part of Adora.

Final Thoughts

I’m going to talk about the implications for later seasons for a moment here, so if you’re avoiding spoilers, now you know.

I think Catra being the villain here makes her redemption so much more compelling, because she actually needs it. There is a difference between this and, for example, Hunter from The Owl House, who doesn’t really need redemption because he hasn’t done anything wrong.

Catra here has very much done wrong and is evil as defined by the show. But the show’s message is that anyone can change, and that the cycle of abuse isn’t set in stone.

So, Catra will redeem herself, and she will struggle, and fall back, and try again. Forgive her or not, the redemption is the effort to be better.

Next week (or whenever the next post is released, I have a terrible work schedule), I will be discussing The Coronation, so stick around if that interests you.

Previous - Next

[dyns33]

In the stars and the Book

So people wanted a new Dream of the Endless story for today. I hope you will like it !

It was rare for Destiny to give advice.

For several good reasons, which his family understood well, even if they were sometimes annoyed or disappointed that he did not break the rules to help them in difficult times.

His interventions were never really his doing, but permitted by his Book, if not obligatory.

More than any other member of the Endless, Destiny was fully and entirely his function. He loved his siblings though.

He always showed a small, almost imperceptible smile when he had the opportunity to help his family, who always listened attentively.

This time, Dream was the lucky one who received a call from Destiny's gallery.

Of course he was going to answer, it was part of his responsibilities. He'd had some problems since the Magnus had captured him, freed himself, gotten his tools back, rebuilt his kingdom, and ever since he'd felt a little empty.

His brother's call could be excellent news, or the start of new troubles. But he was going to answer anyway.

As always, Destiny greeted him quickly, not leaving his book and not clearly answering his questions. This was not what was supposed to happen.

Then, when Dream was calmer, he finally looked at him.

“Y/N.”

"The witch ? What about her ?"

“You will know happiness, true happiness, until your end, after she gives you a kiss.”

Morpheus remained stoic as he knew how to do so well, despite the storm that was brewing within him. The people of the Dreaming must have been totally panicked, even if they were used to their creator being quite upset after an encounter with any Endless other than Death.

“Goodbye, little brother.” was the last thing Destiny said, already turning his back on him, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

His relationship with Y/N ​​had always been complicated. They had almost killed each other the first time they spoke. A real disaster. But she was still young, while he had yet to learn patience and empathy.

No doubt he was also too romantic, since he no longer even remembered the reason for their argument, but only her eyes full of passion, her hand on his cheek when she had the audacity to slap him, her perfume when she had vanished into thin air, vowing never to see him again.

They had seen each other again, several times, without ever doing it on purpose, as if fate was doing everything for them to end up together.

Over time, their exchanges had become more cordial, almost friendly. Dream had to recognize that Lucienne, Hob, his sister, many people had helped him a lot to realize the value of this little witch, who had also helped him on many occasions.

Yet he never thought he would feel love for Y/N. Admiration, affection, a need to protect her, but love ? Dream had often been in love. At least he thought he was.

It was true that each of his relationships had ended like shooting stars, passing very quickly, before burning and disappearing into nothingness.

His big brother had just revealed to him the secret of a certain, infinite happiness, a happiness that he seemed to deserve against all expectations, he who had ended up thinking that he was made to remain alone. There was no reason to hesitate.

Y/N clearly had some hesitations.

Despite his many advances, he still didn't seem to know that it was not proper for mortals to appear in a living room uninvited or unannounced.

First misstep, because it was not by scaring his sweetheart that he was going to succeed in seducing her. The poor thing even asked him what she had done, convinced that he was coming to punish her.

“I’m not here for ill reasons.” he tried to reassure her. "I needed to see you. It's been a long time, I forgot how beautiful you were, χαρα μου."

"… Is everything okay ? You need a spell and you're hoping it'll be for free ? You know, I heard what happened to you. It's not pity at all, but maybe I can lower my prices for you this time."

"Your concern touches me. But I don't need anything except you. I think we could be happy together."

"Wow. Okay, you're dying."

He was going to have to use all his wooing skills to get her to kiss him.

Certainly he could have kissed her, here, right away, but his brother had been clear. It was she who had to give him this liberating kiss.

Even though Dream was now sure of his feelings, Y/N probably needed a little more time. She hadn't received Destiny's advice.

Despite all his many improvements since his release, patience had never been Dream's strong point. Yet he was literally the expectation, the hope, all the ideas, the stories, the fantasies of humanity. Not getting the promised happiness right away shouldn't have bothered him so much.

Plus, beginnings were always the most exciting part. Observe Y/N responding positively to his advances, his compliments, his gifts. However, she remained suspicious, expecting a game or a disguised exchange of good behavior.

The witch set traps for him, to reveal his true intentions. The master of nightmares found this charming and amusing at first. Then Morpheus was a little hurt and exasperated that she didn't seem as infatuated with him as he was with her.

"… You say you love me ?"

"Indeed."

"Since when ? The last time we parted, I stole several of your books and you threatened to hang me. Fortunately your librarian likes me. I returned the books to her by the way. I don't t think we can be together, we'll end up tearing each other's heads off."

"It has to happen though. Destiny said we were meant to be together."

"… What ?"

The news did not please the little witch at all. She was making fun of him, but she wasn't necessarily having a bad time. Their arguments had become like a form of dance, a nuptial ritual.

Why did he always have to ruin everything ? He, the prince of stories, really had a problem with his choice of words.

He tried to hold her back, explaining that what his brother said had to happen, it wasn't his fault.

Seeing the tears in her eyes silenced him. The last thing he wanted to be hurt her, this vision pierced his heart.

"I can't believe I could be so stupid."

"You don't understand… We can be happy, together. Love each other."

"No. I loved you. And I thought maybe you loved me too, finally. But you're here out of obligation, like always. I never want to see you again ! I'm serious this time !"

There was no spell in the world that could hide a being thinking of Dream of the Endless. Those who thought always ended up dreaming, entering his kingdom.

Yet he left her sleep in peace, the rare times Y/N closed her eyes, trembling every night at the idea of ​​finding him in her dreams.

He wondered if she was right. If he only chased after her because his brother had put him on this path, and not by choice. By feeling. It was true that he hadn't asked himself the question before Destiny called him, and he had rushed straight to the front of his happiness.

Now that he was fully taking the time to think about it, knowing that the witch had loved him in silence all this time, that he had hurt her, that she deserved better than that, he thought that he had undoubtedly always loved her more than the others.

He loved her so much that he kept his distance, because everyone he wanted ended up leaving him, suffering, or dying. And he didn't want that for her, never for her. His tender Y/N, brave, intelligent, lively little witch. Who treated him normally, standing up to him without fear, making him see his missteps.

A whole week passed, before he showed up at her place, this time knocking on the door and waiting for it to open.

He raised his hand in a peace sign as soon as their eyes met, making no move to try and enter.

"χαρα μου… I'm sorry. For my behavior, and for my presence here, when you clearly expressed your hatred for me. But I owed you this apology, and as punishment, I agree not to see you again. Thus, I condemn myself to never knowing happiness, which I do not deserve after all. My brother did not say that you could not be happy with another. Just know that I loved every moment spent with you, and I will cherish them until the end. If it wasn't happiness, it looked like it."

"… Is this a ruse to get me to fall under your spell again ?"

"No. I still find it hard to believe that you could have loved a being such as myself. I don't think I would have ever imagined it, even in my wildest creations. My brother must have known, he who knows all."

"Hob says you're a sweet fool, full of pride, but with just as much kindness, fear and humanity deep down."

“I will have to think about visiting my dear friend very soon.” Dream said while keeping a stoic face.

This made Y/N laugh. Her magnificent laugh, accompanied by a smile that she gave him too rarely. He would populate the nights of many dreamers tonight.

But for now, Morpheus wondered if he was awake, seeing her continue to smile at him, placing her hand on his cheek. They had never touched each other like this, not once, since their first meeting.

"Don't sulk, it wasn't a criticism. I knew I could only love you when he assured me that you weren't as terrible as you showed yourself. A facade, necessary because of your status."

“I’m not sulking, I’m not…”

The kiss was quick. Morpheus would remember it until his sister took the whole universe with her. Those lips on his. All this love, for him, all this time, contained in a simple kiss.

He remained as still as a marble statue, which made her smile again. Then Y/N kissed him on the cheek this time, whispering that they could go to the New Inn for a drink, before closing the door.

"… Boss ?"

“Yes Matthew ?”

"You've been here for three hours, people on the street are starting to notice you. Are you going to stay long ?"

“Until my love came out and we went to the New Inn for a drink.”

"Yeah, I don't know if your brother helped you or not, but if the witch finds it cute and not creepy, that will be proof that you two are indeed meant to be together."

Y/N found this both creepy and adorable. The poor raven returned to the Dreaming with a sigh to announce the great news, although the bright sky was not unwelcome.

It was very often a magnificent weather in the future, and until the end.

[cappiecat]

.

[lanternlightss]

if we ever get nameless bard’s model, i really, really hope at one point we get him framed in the lighting like this (a call back to him surrounded by light in the boy and whirlwind? put upon a pedestal? or the bard, a guiding light from past...)

[halfhappyhooligan]

having lunch with mom today !!!!🍎🥪🥤

[ereborne]

Song of the Day: May 5

"I Hope It Rains" by Jana Kramer

[pensivespacepirate]

AM I IN FUCKING ESKEW AGAIN