#a simple set but i wanted to contribute to the event!!!

[jangman-wol]

@kdramaspace + @userdramas YEAR IN REVIEW 2022 | Masterclass in Acting

♡ favourite kdrama performances of 2022 ♡

☆ PARK EUN BIN as WOO YOUNG WOO & KANG KI YOUNG as JUNG MYUNG SEOK in EXTRAORDINARY ATTORNEY WOO ☆ LEE YOO MI as LEE NA YUN & LEE EUN SAEM as PARK MI JIN in ALL OF US ARE DEAD ☆ KWAK DONG YEON as LEE SANG SHIK in GAUS ELECTRONICS ☆ KIM TAE RI as NA HEE DO in TWENTY-FIVE TWENTY-ONE ☆ KIM SEJEONG as SHIN HA RI in A BUSINESS PROPOSAL

[cloudwisp]

✮ sylus x wife!reader

contents: fluff, suggestive. arranged marriage au. hints of slow burn. you like playing hard to get and he loves calling you his wife. 1.4k wc.

꒰ note ᰔ I had to deposit my messy thoughts somewhere and this headcanon post was the result.

part two here. ꒱

⭒ Arranged marriage with Sylus where he prefers to call it a “strategic partnership” as a means of appearances to flaunt that he has it all—an empire, riches, strength, influence and now a darling wife who waits for him at home. You’re not so much as a random choice, Sylus had been watching you from afar for a while and in exchange for his protection in the N109 zone he strikes a deal with you to play a simple role. You have every reason to be wary of him and know to keep your wits about yourself, but even you acknowledge that your chances are better with him. Though, if you asked him how he was so certain you’d agree to his proposal he’d admit that he wasn’t but he knew you’d consider it if he had an advantage over you.

⭒ He sets his terms and conditions—you reside in his humble abode, wedding ring always worn on your finger, and attend events with him as a pretty accessory on his arm to contribute to his image. But he’ll never admit that he actually enjoys your company at business functions that often feel dull to him. You are more than welcome to spend your days as you please so long you don’t cause him trouble, and that also means you have his black card privileges to spoil yourself rotten. Of course, he accommodates most requests you may have like sleeping in separate rooms if that’s what you wish (and redecorating because his furnishing decisions are quite bleak).

⭒ Luke and Kieran can sense that their boss feels something for you despite his nonchalance toward this little arrangement. It starts off small, it always does—Sylus takes note of your morning and night routine, your picky eating habits and has the chef make adjustments to your preference, how he sees you out in the gardens and come back with spring tulips to brighten the space and the next week he already replaced the slowly withering flowers with fresh ones. The twins whisper among themselves that he’s often less annoyed and irritated when you’re around, and their boss wouldn’t go through the trouble of being considerate unless he cares for you. It’s almost exciting for them both to witness a budding romance unfold before their very eyes and they do offer a helping hand here and there to keep things interesting.

⭒ Sylus thinks it’s adorable how you keep trying to resist him and that’s precisely the reason he loves seeking you out just to watch your resolve crumble under his touch. He finds you in the kitchen preparing a snack and cages you from behind with his hands planted on either side of you against the counter. “Hey kitten, I thought I’d find you in here.” You feel his hot breath down your neck as he pushes your hair aside just enough to lay a soft kiss on your shoulder. He chuckles when you comment that he’s being awfully touchy with you, and he purposely moves closer so that his chest is pressing against your back. “Perhaps I just can’t keep my hands to myself where you’re involved. Besides, you’re my wife now. I think I have the right to touch you whenever I like.”

⭒ You remind him that you’re his wife in title only, but that doesn’t discourage his flirtation and teasing as he allows you to nudge past him. He follows you into the common area and takes a seat on the couch, spreading his legs wide and taking up a lot of space. His gaze is settled on you as he pats his thigh and his lips curl into a smirk. “Come here, wife.” You naturally scoff meanwhile you place the plate of seasonal fruits on the side table and situate yourself closest to the armrest, taking a bite into a juicy red strawberry as you ignore his piercing stare.

⭒ For someone who always gets what he wants, Sylus isn’t used to being defied like this. And had it been anyone else his patience would wear dangerously thin, but he supposes that you’re a special exception because he seems to enjoy the chase and claiming its reward. With one small gesture, he drags you across the couch by a gravitational pull and you squeal when the swirling red easily turn and maneuver you so you’re forced to straddle him and your hands prop on his shoulders for support. “There, much better. Comfy? This is the best seat in the house.” His gaze locks with yours, and he thinks you huffing and frowning at him is simply cute. He firmly grabs your wrist with the bitten strawberry in your hand and lifts it to his mouth for a sweet taste.

⭒ “No fair… using your Evol against me like this.” You grumble under your breath as you gently trail your thumb from his chin to the corner of his mouth where the strawberry juices began to spill. Then an impulsive thought takes over and you pinch his cheek between your fingers, creating a sticky mess on his face. “I hope you’re enjoying yourself. That’s for treating me like a sack of potatoes.” He chuckles once more, his hand falling on your hip and he gives you a light squeeze. “Oh, I do have every intention of fully enjoying my wife tonight.” And by that, he means taking you out for a joyride on his motorbike and feeling your arms wrapped around him tightly as the engine roars through the streets under the night sky and sinking moon. Sylus would never engage in any intimate acts you weren’t ready for, but he loves seeing you fluster at his suggestive remarks.

⭒ As the weeks cross over into months, you never imagined that you’d be spending so much time with Sylus outside of your agreed terms. He’s everywhere in every waking moment of your life even when he’s not there physically. You’re learning new things about him each day and you (begrudgingly) like being around him—even when he can sometimes be a playful bully toward you. When he’s gone for long stretches of time to deal with negotiations and other important matters in the N109 zone, you can feel your heart yearning for him but you’d never say that you miss him out loud when you think he's still toying with you. But with the way he cares for you like you’re both in a real and genuine relationship, it’s hard to know his true intentions and keep your feelings buried deep inside your chest for long.

⭒ You accidentally confirm that Sylus does harbor romantic feelings for you when you carelessly bring up your replacement in a lighthearted joke. You’ve never seen his face falter so quickly at your words as he averts his gaze for a moment to collect himself—a hint of vulnerability in his crimson hues. “I wouldn’t have found a new wife.” He shakes his head and tells you, his voice a little rougher than before. You don’t know what to say, but you manage a soft “No?” that reaches his ears. “No. I wouldn’t have been able to replace you, kitten. You’re it for me. The only one. No one could fill the void you’d leave behind.”

⭒ You and Sylus have kissed before, but this is the first time you’re initiating it. As you brush your lips against his, there’s a softness you never noticed. His hand slips around the small of your back and he pulls you close against him, returning your kiss with the same tenderness as though savoring the taste of you. You lean back after a moment, your palm meeting his cheek in a sweet embrace. “You know, I'm still getting used to the idea that I’ve fallen for you.” You can see him returning back to normal when he offers you a cocky smirk. “And yet here you are. In my arms, with your lips on mine. I think you’re not being entirely honest, my beautiful wife.” Sylus has waited a long time to hear those words from you but you don’t need to know that right now.

[masterjedilenawrites]

Take Me Out

Bad Batch x Reader Exchange 2024

Crosshair x fem!reader | 4.7k words

Content: drinking, light angst, introspection, fluff, light humor, crushes, relationships, friendship, mentions of war and death, weapons (practice setting)

Prompts: "What am I even looking for?" - "I don't know" & "Sometimes I think some work on your communication skills wouldn't be such a bad idea."

My gift is for the event host - @ghostofskywalker! I was so excited to draw your name and I really hope you enjoy the fic. You put so much work and care into hosting these events for the fandom, it really is appreciated 🤗

I've actually had this story concept in mind for quite a while. I love that pretty much all of your prompts/wish-list items were able to fit in! We've got some platonic Hunter, romantic Crosshair, a little angst, a bit of fluff... Perfect!

Oh, and to keep things spoiler free (on my blog and for the event), this takes place before Order 66 and Omega.

Please go check out the @cloneficgiftexchange blog for all the other contributions to this great event! Fics are being posted all throughout today (4/13/24). Spread the love for fandom writers/creators by reblogging!

Vandor-3. Clone training facility: recreation sector. Winter.

You sat slumped over the bar, a drink cradled in your arms. You took lazy sips at the liquid, long past its effervescence, in between chewing on the straw. You could smell the evidence of your waning hygiene, being curled in on yourself like this. It disgusted you but not enough to do anything beyond self loathing. To say you were miserable was an understatement.

"Morning, Captain. A bit early for a drink, isn't it?"

The husky voice of the bar's newcomer was unmistakeable in who it belonged to. There were clones abound on this small moon, hundreds of identical-sounding men. But every once in a while you had the pleasure of hearing the one that was different.

You sluggishly swiveled your head and gave Sergeant Hunter a mock salute. He leaned against the bar beside you, seemingly torn between being amused and concerned by what he was seeing.

"Back so soon?" you asked, ignoring his own question. Though your speech wasn't slurred, your voice still betrayed some of the numbness you were working to surround yourself in. Which helped your friend make up his mind on how to feel.

"Easy mission," Hunter shrugged off the topic. "You okay? Did something happen?"

"No," you sighed and forced yourself to sit upright. Best to appear more in control and not give him reason to drag you to the med bay. "That's the problem. Nothing's happened."

Hunter frowned and slid onto the barstool next to you. You caught a whiff of soap as he did, a harsh contrast to your own odor that made you even more upset.

"I don't understand."

Your hands cupped around your glass, condensation pooling around your fingers, and you stared at the melting ice wishing to be as frozen and unfeeling.

"I don't understand, either," you whispered. "Why I'm still so... alone."

"Ah." Hunter placed a sympathetic hand on your shoulder. "That's right, you had that date you were going on. Another dud, then?"

You nodded, still refusing to look away from the ice cubes.

He hummed in thought. Your poor friend. How many times had he now had to come up with some sort of reassuring comment after another one of your failed attempts to find love? At least you were grateful you had such a friend, though. Where others would have made you feel guilty for admitting to loneliness, would have insisted they were company enough and all you had to do was ask for it, it's as simple as that, how dare you feel lonely when you aren't actually alone... Hunter was the one who always saw through to what you really meant. You were not what the other wanted, but you were both wanting, craving that kind of deep, romantic connection that seemed to allude you both. For Hunter, it was obviously his schedule that got in his way. For you... well, that was the mystery.

"You have to keep looking," was the sentiment Hunter settled on this time. He rubbed at your shoulder a bit, as if trying to smooth out your misery.

You huffed. His attempts to comfort were sweet, but not enough. You couldn't help but protest. "But with everyone I meet, I just find out what I don't want. What am I even looking for?"

"I don't know," Hunter shook his head sadly. "I don't know if anyone knows until they find it."

You groaned and slumped back forward, facepalming the bar top and wishing you could sink right into it. Sink down, down, down until you disappeared completely.

"Sorry, Cap," Hunter's now muffled voice attempted to chuckle, lighten the mood. "If I could track down your soul mate, I would. You know I would."

That comment was sweet enough. You forced yourself to stop sinking, lift yourself up again, and face your friend properly.

"I know. And I appreciate that. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be such a bummer today. It's just... it's been getting harder, is all."

He nodded and you nodded back and nothing further needed to be understood on the matter.

"Were you needing something from me?" you changed the subject. "Or did you come to day drink as well?"

"Ha, ha." Hunter started to get up. "Yeah no, I just wanted to let you know we were back for a few rotations, see if you'd have some time to finally come out and meet the boys."

You lifted up your glass and shook it a bit. "You're too late, I'm afraid. If I'd known you'd be back so soon, I wouldn't have started on this journey of self destruction."

Hunter titled his head at you, some of that trademark concern still showing. "This isn't going to be an all week thing, is it?"

You shrugged. Truthfully, you had no idea what to do with yourself. Making decisions even a day in advance seemed like too big of a commitment in your fragile state.

"I'd rather not meet any more new people right now, if it's all the same to you."

"I wouldn't consider them new. You've heard enough stories about each other by now. It's starting to get weird that you're not meeting, quite frankly."

You wanted to laugh, but the thought of introductions, stiff pleasantries, awkward small talk... It reminded you of every first date that never turned into a second, every dating app chat thread that went nowhere, every high hope you watched turn into disappointment. Even with a group like Hunter's brothers, the Bad Batch, with a reputation of being unconventional, who you'd only be making friends with just like you had with Hunter and every other clone on this moon... it was still too much for you to stomach.

"Sorry, maybe next time."

Hunter frowned, but he didn't overstep. "Suit yourself. Door's still open though. You know where to find us."

He made to walk out but paused to turn back to you for a moment.

"And hey, don't lose hope. We'll find our people soon enough. In the meantime, take care of yourself, alright?"

You waited until the bar doors closed behind him to let your tears fall.

* * *

Vandor-3. Woodland outskirts. Spring.

You were here. Finally.

You weren't able to pinpoint exactly where the turning point occurred, between crying yourself to sleep every night and being able to wake up with a smile on your face. A small one, of course, but a smile nonetheless. You weren't even sure it was something that had happened overnight. Slowly, eventually, the frost over your heart melted, the shadows in your thoughts grew thinner and lighter. Without even realizing you were drawing back the curtains and dusting off the shelves and each day being a little more open than you were the day before.

Your loneliness still existed. It came and went in waves, so while still devastating at times, you were at least afforded with periods of relief. Periods where you could smile again, find fulfillment in your work, and even dare to allow yourself to dream again. And not to mention taking more regular showers. It was always the little things that made the biggest difference, wasn't it?

And now here you were, standing in the early morning sun out in one of the training fields, the Havoc Marauder silhouetted against the sunrise as you shook hands with its crew in a meeting long overdue.

Hunter's stories had done the boys justice. Wrecker was just as larger than life as you'd pictured, aptly choosing to push past your outstretched hand and go in for a bone-crushing hug instead. Tech, who you'd come to know as the brains of the batch, only spared a second to be properly introduced before returning to fidget with some gadget. Echo was all politeness and disciplined respect, with his scomp-salute and ma'ams. And Crosshair... well, he was still on the ship asleep, which you supposed fit with the few facts you knew about him, too.

Hunter beamed beside them, clearly happy you had finally made the effort to meet his squad. His family, really. As a Captain overseeing drill training for the GAR, you knew better than anyone the close bonds these clones formed even before they stepped foot on a battlefield. This meant a lot to him, you being here. You felt awful for postponing so many times.

Once introductions were out of the way, and some pleasant conversation had passed, you eventually ventured out to the part of the training field that actually housed elements for training - your excuse for coming out here to meet everyone. A munitions crate full of shiny new blasters was carried between you and Wrecker while Hunter ran ahead to set up some targets. Tech and Echo went back to the ship to work on repairs.

"Aaaaugh. Only blasters?" Wrecker lamented upon opening the crate.

"Sorry, more budget cuts. This was all I could scrounge up for you guys."

Hunter was much more excited by the new weapons, though Wrecker still picked one up to try out. You held one as well but only used it to demonstrate different techniques. Just because you were good at training didn't mean you were the best at actually fighting.

The three of you picked off the various bottles, pots, and pans that Hunter had set up amongst the tree branches at the edge of the field for a short while. And on more than one occasion you found yourself pausing to breathe in the air and remind yourself that life was good. Maybe not how you wanted it, but it was still good and you'd need to continue to work on appreciating what you had.

After about an hour, there were only three bottles and a pan left, all proving tricky targets due to distance and angle. Hunter had even tried slinging a few knives to no avail.

"Okay I'm calling it," Wrecker announced with a huff. "One more missed shot and I'm blowing them up."

"I'll take that bet."

A new voice, one you'd never heard before, carried across the field. It was delicate and drawling and confident. Hunter chuckled and Wrecker rolled his eyes. And you... you had no idea that everything was about to change.

It was like he was moving in slow motion. Your surroundings blurred as the lanky figure caught the corner of your eye, your heart rate slowing as you turned and took him in. One confident step planted firmly in front of the other as he inched across the field. A sniper rifle perched on his shoulder. A toothpick between pursed lips. An eye surrounded by a reticle and narrowed in determination. He didn't even spare you a glance, and thank the gods, because if he had, you were sure your heart would've stopped beating altogether.

He squared off as soon as he reached the marks, bringing his rile forward to aim in a swift and careful motion. His head rested against the shaft, his tattooed eye squinted through the scope. You imagined him taking this stance a thousand times in his short life. It looked as natural a position as curling up on a couch might look for you.

You couldn't look away, not wanting to miss a single second of whatever this mesmerizing man was about to do. He was still for a moment, impressively so. You realized you were holding your breath as you watched, not wanting even your exhale to interfere with his process.

And then he fired. Once, twice, threefourfive times. Bang, bang, bang. Each in a different direction but no less precise than the one before. The first ricocheted off the pan and hit the green bottle, just as the second hit the red bottle. The three-shot volley was aimed at the branch the bottles sat on, causing it to crack and dangle even closer to the ground. And just when you thought the show couldn't be more over the top, the sniper swiveled his rifle toward the sky at a passing bird, clipped its wing with a shot, and then whipped out a pistol from his hip and fired at the remaining blue bottle just before the branch snapped and fell to the ground.

A few seconds later, the bird tumbled on top of the pile of shattered glass and splintered wood.

"Aaaand training is now over," said Hunter with a nod of his head. He raised his voice as he called out to his brother. "You'd better clean that shit up!"

The sniper flipped him the bird before sauntering off to clean up.

"Uh, you alright?"

Hunter paused in his own packing of gear to give you a concerned look. You were still staring after the newcomer, undoubtedly the lone Batcher you had yet to meet. Crosshair. Your brain had short-circuited with what you had witnessed him do, yes. But it was more than that. There was something about him. Something intriguing and attractive. Different than anyone you had ever known, and yet, somehow feeling so real and comfortable at the same time.

After a few waves of your friend's hand in your face, you snapped back.

"That," you breathed.

Hunter cocked a confused eyebrow.

"That is what I'm looking for."

* * *

Vandor-3. Clone training facility: recreation sector. Summer.

You were insanely busy. Separatist activity was ramping up in almost every corner of the galaxy and the GAR was responding to each new threat with full force. Rotations of new clone units were frequently arriving at the facility, one after another. You'd cycle them through a few trainings to get them certified on whatever was needed and then ship them right back out. And in between were all the additional tasks that needed to be taken care of. Piles of paperwork and coordinating schedules and ship inspections and updated security debriefings.

And yet through it all, you still had time to entertain the one thought that buzzed in the background of your mind: Crosshair. Every meeting, every meal, every training sim, first thing in the morning and last thing at night. He was there. Crosshair, Crosshair, Crosshair. On your mind, in your heart, driving you absolutely mad.

In the beginning you'd pretended it wasn't about him, specifically. You were simply happy to know what you wanted now, that you had a type and it existed. That was all. Hunter had turned up his nose, completely bewildered as to why that would be your type. You hadn't been able to give him much at the time; it would take you many rotations more to start describing the details of your newly discovered attraction.

But over time, it became harder to push aside the nagging thought that you hadn't found what you were looking for, but rather who. Specifically. Exactly. Why try to find someone like him when you already liked... him?

Oh there were plenty of ways you could answer that question, all of them self-deprecating and none of them productive. You could count on one hand now the number of times you had been in the same room as him, let alone interacted with him. The Batch may be frequenting the place more often as the war picked up, but not nearly as often as you needed to gauge whether someone like Crosshair would, could, or honestly even should be as interested in you as you were in him.

Today they were back on the grounds so Hunter could fill out some paperwork, and your heart had not stopped racing all morning. It was practically threatening to punch right out of your chest and run away. You weren't sure why, considering you'd probably only end up seeing Hunter this time. The rest of the Batch usually didn't venture into the facility unless they were staying overnight. But it seemed even knowing Crosshair was on the same planet as you got you worked up these days.

You carried Hunter's stack of paperwork with you now, intending to drop it off to him in between some meetings you had. As you hustled down the halls, you rehearsed a few ways you could subtly ask him how Crosshair was doing.

But as it turned out, you would have the opportunity to ask him yourself. If you could get over your frazzled shock at finding him in the rec room instead of Hunter.

The room was conveniently empty, making the silence between you that much more potent. Crosshair was standing awkwardly to the side, just behind one of the battered sofas, as if he had already been confused about what he should be doing before you pushed through the door. He stared at you and you stared at him and the moment only lasted for a few seconds but it felt like an eternity.

"Oh, um. Hi. Crosshair." You averted your gaze, despite having prayed the past several nights that you could see his face again soon. "I was... expecting Hunter."

That didn't sound right. You hoped he didn't take that to mean that you'd prefer if Hunter was here now. Obviously you didn't.

"He stepped out," Crosshair responded in that cool, even tone of his. Your eyes couldn't help but snap back to his as he talked. You wanted him to say more but he never did.

"Oh, okay. I just had some paperwork to give him."

Crosshair only hummed at first. You shuffled your feet a bit, debating whether you should make an attempt at small talk, try to coax more out of him, maybe even hint that you were interested in him. The thought terrified you, but not as much as the thought of being alone. You couldn't complain about that if you continued to let these opportunities pass by without at least trying to make a connection.

You shifted your weight again, intending to keep your feet planted so you wouldn't make a run for it, and Crosshair uttered your name hurriedly.

"Wait," he said. He'd thought you were leaving. You widened your eyes at him, waiting to hear what he'd wanted to tell you first. He seemed to hesitate before finally saying, "I was wondering if you knew what soup they were serving today?"

"Oh. Uh, potato, I think."

"How boring."

You smirked. "I know, right? They could at least serve it with some hot sauce."

Crosshair hummed.

The silence settled back in, though now you felt better about things. You'd practically had a conversation. Learned a little more about each other. It was a good start. 

Your commlink suddenly beeped at your side and you blanched, remembering the meeting you were supposed to be heading to.

"I uh, I've got to go. It was nice talking to you."

It pained you to cut off your moment with him so quickly, but alas you were left with no choice. You shuffled back out into the corridor, though you only made it a few steps before realizing you still had Hunter's paperwork and could just leave it with Crosshair.

The rec room had an old school door that swung in and out on hinges. It was slightly ajar from when you passed through, and already in the few seconds since something was happening on the other side of it. You could hear more voices.

"...the kriff was that?" First, the deep tones of Hunter, equal parts annoyed and weary.

"That wasn't the plan." Then, the resolute voice of Echo, backing him up.

"What?" Crosshair bit back at them.

"You were supposed to ask her out," Hunter clarified.

"No, that was not the plan," Crosshair countered. "I needed to lay some groundwork first."

"You call that groundwork? You were talking about soup."

"And she agreed. No one ever agrees with me on the soup around here."

"What a special connection," Echo said.

Hunter sighed so hard you swore you could feel the breeze through the doorway. "You know, sometimes I think some work on your communication skills wouldn't be such a bad idea."

"What?"

"Never mind. Do what you like. Keep pushing away anyone who tries to love you and see where that gets you. Just know that it's exhausting, watching the two of you dance around each other like this."

"And kind of pathetic," added Echo.

You were against the wall by the door, holding in your breath for so long you were about to pass out. Or maybe it was the euphoria of knowing Crosshair was interested that made your head sway. Regardless, you had mere moments to make a move or let the opportunity pass. You dug into your pocket, fished out a pen, and scribbled a note on the top page of paperwork. Was it professional? Absolutely not. But the GAR would get over it. You left the papers by the door, making sure your note was turned to face it.

There's better soups on Coruscant. Let's go out sometime.

* * *

Vandor-3. Woodland outskirts. Autumn.

You were alone, standing in the middle of the training field, the early setting sun behind you casting a dim shadow across the remains of your latest training exercise. A chill was just starting to set in, causing you to tug at your jacket and pull it around you a bit tighter. You liked these moments, rare as they were recently. A quiet time to yourself. Not even to think, but simply to be. Present and comfortable. And you.

The wind picked up and sang through the taller blades of grass as a ship approached for landing. Your moment was over, but a new happiness settled in its place. Minutes later, the Havoc Marauder was opening its hatch and spitting out its soldiers.

"Captain," Hunter gave you a two-finger salute as he passed by.

"Sergeant," you returned with a smile.

Echo was close behind, giving you a respectful nod. Wrecker hauled a munitions crate in one hand and hit you up for a high five with the other. Tech was oblivious as he hunched over a data pad.

They filed by, one after the other, headed straight for the barracks, and what you hoped were the showers. They all knew not to linger, that you'd catch up with them later. This was your time with Crosshair.

The sniper was leaning up against the hatch opening, arms folded across a plastoid chest and a toothpick lazily perched between slightly curled lips. He took you in for a moment and you could feel yourself glowing in response to his soft gaze.

"Showing those clankers who's boss, I see," he said as he made his way down the gangway. He nodded his head toward the mess of scrap metal behind you.

You gave a half shrug. "My reaction time is getting better, but I still can't get the angles right with those pucks."

Crosshair inched up to you, gently resting his hands on either side of your waist. "Have you been doing the breathing exercises like I showed you?"

You nodded. Your hands instinctually came up to his run along his arms until they found the crook of his elbows, the only place not barring your touch by armor.

"And using the laser sight?"

You nodded a little slower and Crosshair tsked.

"I want to be good without it. Like you." You added a little extra honey to your words so he wouldn't reprimand you too much. It had been an adjustment for the two of you at first, he stepping into a training role and you stepping back to receive instruction for once. Thankfully the frustrations seemed to diminish the more your relationship progressed.

"You have to be patient," he said, giving your waist a slight squeeze to accentuate his point. "You aren't like the regs you train. You're building your skills, taking care of yourself."

You hummed, more in thought than agreement. "Will I ever have to use these skills someday, do you think? Is it really getting that bad out there?"

You tried not to think about how many soldiers you had trained only to be sent to a battlefield to die. How many of the shinies you were drilling right now would likely be killed soon. How many more would be brought in to take their place. You'd thought you'd known what you were getting yourself into with this job. But the relentless cycle of it all was getting to you more and more, especially as the Republic continued to be challenged in larger scales and higher stakes. It never seemed to end.

"It's hard to say," Crosshair responded. "We have to prepare for the worst."

You hated that answer, but you wouldn't let him see it. Not yet. Your fears and your displeasures, anger and sorrow, were things yet to be fully explored in this new relationship. All in due time. So you simply smiled, plucked the toothpick out of his mouth and tossed it aside. 

"And hope for the best, right?"

He smiled back, or at least moved his mouth in the direction of a smile, as much as you could usually get from the reserved man. "Yes, of course."

He leaned forward and rested his forehead against yours. You both closed your eyes and breathed each other in. There was warmth in his embrace. A promise in the steady hands he held you with. Vulnerability in the skin that gently touched yours. To have someone this close, someone who was still more stranger than friend, though no less beloved, was what you had always wanted. And for once, what you wanted was just as lovely and fulfilling as you'd hoped. No catch. No deals. No unintended consequences. Just you and him and happiness.

All too soon he pulled away. His hand sought yours as he turned in the direction of the barracks. The longer you stayed behind, the worse the teasing from the others would be. They were only respectful of your relationship to a point, and after that it was fair game for a laugh. So you willingly followed.

"Crosshair?"

"Hm?"

"I was thinking about Hunter...."

The sniper glanced at you suspiciously.

"Well, you know he and I have been friends for a while. And he's confided a few things in me before. About what he wants. Or thinks he wants. He's changed his mind a few times on the specifics. But all in the same gist."

"Where are you going with this?"

"I don't know, I just feel like I owe him for helping me get through a tough time. And if it weren't for him, I wouldn't have ever met you. So--"

Crosshair cut you off with a groan. "If you're trying to get me to play matchmaker..."

"It would get some of the attention off of us," you quickly offered. "If Hunter had someone he was bringing around, too. Or even just interested in."

Crosshair frowned in thought. "There was a bartender on Scarif he kept checking out..."

You grinned and squeezed his hand affectionately. "See? Just keep an eye out and nudge him a bit. Who knows what could happen."

You could tell he was trying not to roll his eyes for your sake. Instead he squeezed your hand in return. "Or you could come with us and nudge him yourself?"

Your walking slowed, right as you were about to cross the facility boundary line. You would have to let go of his hand once you crossed it, keep a professional distance, share your company with others. And once the Batch's business here concluded, then you would have to let him go and watch him disappear into the sky with all the prayers you could possibly send with him. And then you would be on your own. Waiting, waiting, always waiting. And maybe he would return, and maybe he wouldn't.

And heaven forbid you would ever end up alone again.

"Or you can stay," he said. The quietness of his voice betrayed what he really meant, what he really wanted. 

And you knew what you wanted, too. Without you realizing, it was getting easier and easier for you to define your desires. And not only that, but to pursue them, too. To know your happiness was worth the risk of disappointment. It was clear to you now that you were not only worthy, but also capable. The man standing before you, holding your hand, gazing at you like nothing else mattered, was proof enough.

And so you said, "Take me with you."

Every Character Tag: @dangerousstrawberrypie, @justanothersadperson93, @arctrooper69, @sleepycreativewriter, @techie-bear, @theroguesully, @cw80831, @cdblake1565

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[itsmeatballworld]

| just a dream |

summary | Bucky and reader are neighbors in Brooklyn. When reader has a spicy dream about the broody man, it sets off a series of events that ignites something in both of them.

pairing | bucky barnes x f!reader

wc | 6k [pls I got carried away]

warnings | smut & fluff babes so 18+ ONLY. Cursing, oral sex (f! receiving), fingering, p in v (no condom mentioned but pls wrap it up irl), lots of praise kink, handjob, cock warming (if you squint). If a one-shot could be a slow-burn romance, here it is.

a/n | set during tfatws. I posted this on my ao3 account originally, so here it is on my tumblr account!

Minors DNI, 18+ ONLY [again, 18+ only] Minors, Do Not Interact.

dividers by @/firefly-graphics 

The shimmer of moonlight illuminated the small space in an ethereal glow. Below the bedroom window, a messy bed was littered with pillows. Pictures hung on the walls to hide imperfections laced throughout the simple paint color. 

And you were standing among the wreckage of clothes stripped off your body one piece at a time.

Your hand played with the fabric of your panties, watching the tall masculine figure waiting in the darkness for your next move.

You flicked your tongue. “Your turn. Jeans first.” 

On command, a pair of jeans landed at your feet as proof of his contribution to the clothing pile. 

“Now the shirt,” you said. A hum escaped your lips as you unhooked your bra. You waited until his shirt, now crumpled in a ball, fell to the floor. 

He was nearby, hidden by the darkest part of the room where moonlight failed to highlight his handsome features. 

“Lie back,” his sultry voice demanded.

Bare legs brushed the edge of your bed as you pout your lips. “What’s in it for me, Sergeant?” 

He stepped closer to your scantily dressed body, as only your underwear remained. “Lie back and find out.” 

A grin plays at your lips before you tossed yourself down, burying yourself in the silky sheets. 

Through the dark, it was hard to see him but it was clear he had you in a trance. 

The bed creaked under his weight as he moved closer. “Can I touch you?” 

“Yes,” you mewled, nearly squirming from the never-ending tightness in your lower belly.

You needed him. Wanted him. 

Callous hands gripped your ankles. “Can I taste you?” 

Your breathy voice sputtered out ‘yes’. 

Instantly, his head lowered into the only sliver of moonlight over the bed. His blue eyes were the first thing you always were drawn to. Bright and clear like the sky on a spring morning. But woven throughout were waves of steel, silver, like a shadow trying to dull his brightness. Chiseled jaw with stubble. Short brown hair that clipped perfectly around his face. 

“Bucky!” Bucky Barnes, your neighbor who just moved into the complex, was the only person you wanted in this world.

Those blue eyes drop to your body. 

“Bucky.” 

Fingers trailed up to the band of your panties and within seconds they were gone. “Impatient as always,” his sweet laugh seemed to take on a hint of something hot, something feral. 

“Mhm.” 

His head dipped between your legs. “Baby,” Bucky gripped your thighs as his tongue slid across the softest, most inner part of your skin. “I’m gonna make you feel good. Just like that,” he coaxed as your knees spread to allow him complete access. 

“That’s my girl.” 

Your head dropped back against the bed at the sheer sound of his raspy, honey dipped voice – You snapped your eyes open. 

Sweat pooled at the back of your neck. Sheets tangled between your legs, twisting around into a woven knot. Your hands fell to the thumping rhythm in your chest. 

“Fuck, fuck…” you cursed between pants of air. Like the world was crashing down on your chest, you couldn't breathe. 

Bucky. Bucky. It felt so real. His skin on yours. His touch. His tongue. “What the fuck?” 

Bucky Barnes, your neighbor, who you talk to in passing since he moved in. He was very attractive, you couldn’t deny that. And now you’re having sex dreams about him. 

He was quiet and removed, most likely because of who he used to be: the Winter Soldier.

People whispered about him in the complex, sharing secrets on the elevator. I heard he’s killed thousands of people. I heard he worked for Hydra and is still working for them. 

You ignored their stupid comments, knowing damn well he wasn’t the Winter Soldier anymore. When those blue eyes looked at you it was clear that he was a wounded shell of a man trying to find himself in a new world, not some soulless machine. 

And those vibrant eyes carried into your dream. A dream that felt too real. 

You wobbled off the bed, which was easy considering you were inches from falling. Padding to the bathroom you jumped into a luke-warm shower. The more you scrubbed and washed the thoughts away the more you could feel him on your skin. Under your skin. In every inch of your mind. 

He was like a drug, lingering in your system. A drug you didn’t expect to be so potent. It’s just Bucky. He’s just some guy you met from across the hall. He’s a nice guy.

Maybe it was because you helped him not too long ago when he moved in as a “welcome to the neighborhood” greeting. Since then, you both have done little things for each other.

For one, you brought him muffins because he’d mention quickly how he likes blueberry sweets. It was a simple thing that offered no reciprocation. But then, he brought you a bunch of Japanese sweets that were out of this world amazing. And the little things kept on happening. Now, you chat in the halls and you look forward to it everyday.

Shit, maybe you were kind of crushing on Bucky Barnes. 

“UGH!” a frustrated yelp escaped your lips. The tile wall became a post to rest your wildly spinning head. 

No, this dream – these feelings – they were all just in your mind. Right?

He replayed the scene in his mind. Over and over, he circled back through the hazy nightmare. Blood. Bullets. Knives. He killed people, he knew it was him in those memories. It was his finger pulling the trigger, and yet it was like someone else did it. 

It wasn’t really him. It was what they made him to be. A monster. 

“—still having nightmares?” 

The question cut through his dissociative moment, but like a statue he kept still. His eyes focused on the corner where the tile met the molding. 

“James,” the woman pestered, “I asked you a question. Are you still having nightmares?” 

“No.” Bucky Barnes tipped his head back, staring up at the blank white ceiling above him. 

“James. I can’t help if you’re not being truthful with me.” 

He didn’t respond. He knew there wasn’t any way he’d get out of these mandatory therapy sessions. The longer he sat here, the less sanity Bucky could maintain. 

“Okay,” his therapist sighed wistfully, “no nightmares?” Her eyes burned into him. “Fine. Then let’s move on. Have you talked to anyone recently? Sam? That neighbor across the hall?” 

His eyes snapped towards the mid-aged woman. “My neighbor?” 

“Now don’t play dumb.” 

“I’m not—” 

“The neighbor who helped you.” He stared blankly at the therapist. She sighed, scribbling something in her notebook. “She fixed your radio—” 

“Gramophone.” 

Her pen moved as her eyes circled him, curiously. “A what?” 

“You know, a gramophone. A record player.”

The woman hummed and Bucky clenched his fist. He started to silently plot how he could escape the questions he was currently under fire for. He didn't want to talk about the nicest woman from across the hall. The kindest stranger with the most beautiful eyes he’d ever seen. He’d like to keep it to himself. 

“Well. This woman who fixed your gramophone is the same woman you mentioned,” she scanned the paper before wildly circling something, “knocking at your door with…muffins.”

He paused, contemplating her words. He’d be lying if he said he hasn't thought about his neighbor on more than a few occasions now. 

On the elevator, he’d nod when she said ‘good morning’. Another time, she knocked to tell him about the roofing construction in the complex that would start early in the morning. It was sweet of her to tell him, but Bucky never had the nerve to say he never slept so the noise never bothers him. 

She’s the one with the sweetest smile and pleasant conversation. He couldn't help but like her a bit more each day they interacted. Just last week, he walked with her up to their complex from the street. 

Although Bucky told that to his therapist, what he didn't say was how he knocked on her door with homemade dorayaki. It was a gift from his friend Yori but he wanted to share something sweet with the kindest woman he knows. 

But none of that would leave the confines of his mind. Instead, a snide smile seemed to match his tone. Bucky sighed, “boy did I say all that?” 

“James.” 

“Doc.” 

She groaned, clicking the pen again. The look on her face was something Bucky was used to now. The woeful stares and patronizing expression were a part of coming back from being the monster they made him into. The weapon of a man Hydra used at their disposal until he was no longer necessary–until he wasn’t a puppet anymore. 

“James, did you ever think of trying to make friends? It’s healthy to have people in your life.” 

He didn’t respond. Instead, Bucky focused on his black leather gloved hands folded neatly in his lap. The only person he wants to talk to is his neighbor.

Maybe the doc was right. Maybe he should be friends with her.

“Look, why don’t we start fresh next session,” the therapist sighed as the notebook dropped onto the side table. “Hopefully you’ll be more open and honest.” 

Bucky sighed, his tongue flicked over his teeth. “Sure, doc.”

The text message was very clear: be there in ten minutes. That was two hours ago. Either your date had a series of terrible events happen or he stood you up. You checked the clock again. 8:12pm. 

It was dark outside now and you could barely see past the street lamps on either side of the road. Tonight was the first of many real dates in a long time. Whatever the reasoning, whether it was no guy was good enough or you were just too terrified to put yourself back out there, you agreed to go out with the guy from work. He seemed nice enough. 

But your kindness was running short. He was late. Very, very late. 

Now it’s 8:16pm. 

Heels tapped impatiently as you sat in the lobby of your building. 

“Miss?” A deep voice called out from across the room. The night concierge peered over the desk. Coffee in hand, he raised his mug. “Sure you don’t want some?” 

“No, but thank you.” Your smile dipped. These past few hours you’ve been sitting downstairs with the sweetest concierge named Joe asking if you needed anything. He nearly handed off the homemade pupusas he had in his lunch bag after an hour of waiting. 

You sighed, tapping the screen until you reread his message again. Ten minutes. You typed out a quick response, again, hoping he’d at least –

The screen flashed to a new text. 

Your Date: Shit I forgot. Sorry. Rain check?

The screen went dark. Anger and sadness swirled through your body and there was no distinction between them. You were furious — and rightfully so. He forgot? He was acting as if he misplaced his car keys or left a sweatshirt at his friend's house. 

You stood up, mind racing, blinded by swirling emotions and – something hard bumped into you. You stumbled, grasping at emptiness until a strong arm grabbed ahold of you. 

“You okay?” Staring down at you, Bucky Barnes gawked. 

Those steel eyes froze you. “I’m fine…” 

He nodded, slowly helping you back up to your feet. You flattened your outfit into place as Bucky handed off your phone. “Thanks.” 

“Miss,” Joe called out. “Any luck?” The concierge tapped at his wristwatch. “If he was my son, I’d yell at him for keeping you waiting.” 

Bucky didn’t move from his spot near you. 

“Um,” you cleared your throat. “He’s not coming.” 

Joe slapped the desk, spinning in his chair. “Now that’s some grade A bullshit!” 

“It’s fine. I’ve got a pint of chocolate ice cream in the freezer calling my name.” You turned slightly to Bucky, staring anywhere but his eyes. The same eyes you dreamt about the other night. So instead, you fixated on his hands. The same hands you fantasized about touching you. His chest. The same chiseled and bulky body you’ve caressed in your dream— 

“Do you wanna go get some dinner?” 

Your face scrunched in response. “What?” 

“I was just thinking about eating at this diner down the block.”

“With me? You want to go out to eat with... me?”

“I’m asking, aren't I?”

“You’re talkative tonight,” you chuckled.

There was a spark in those mysterious eyes. Maybe it was because he asked you out or maybe it was because you were actually going to say yes.

“I’d love to.”

One month later.

Bucky ducked down. 

“Right there, no on the left–” 

“My left?” 

“Yes,” you laughed. He reached lower until you nodded with approval. You clasped your hands together as he brought the next round of vinyls over. 

The small office in your apartment was converted into a book/music room where you housed everything in messy but surprisingly organized stacks. Rows and rows of bookshelves kept your things lined neat enough to tell the difference between albums and novels. A dresser sat across the shelves topped with the record player and lots of random things you owned. Opposite that was a small loveseat you dragged back to the apartment from a flea market. 

It has been a month since your dinner dates started. Neither of you said they were real “dates”, but both of you secretly felt like it.

Every Friday night (and a few Saturdays too), Bucky knocks on your door and walks you to a restaurant. A cute little Italian bistro or a modern Thai restaurant in the midst of old school Brooklyn. Then, it was back to your place for music, movies, and pure enjoyment of another person’s company. 

Each night has been more exciting than the last. And somehow in the midst of dinners and getting to know this solitary man, you felt it.

That spark.

It sounded stupid but it was real – that feeling you get when you fall in love. The butterflies and tingling when talking to him. The way he smiled made you melt. The goofy laughs and excited conversations about his obsessions. You were head-over-heels, mind numbingly in love, with Bucky Barnes.

And those feelings were getting harder to ignore. 

“Listen to this one,” you dropped the record player’s arm down. “You’re gonna love it.”

A soft melody echoed through the space and he nodded his head in approval. “Told you. It's a good album.” 

“Yeah, but I never heard of them.” He leaned against the dresser. 

“Never?” 

“No,” his eyes flickered from you to the album. The Bee Gees. His gloves were removed, piled on top of the mahogany colored wood. Stacks of vinyls towered over the old-school record player you owned. 

“Here, this is one of my favorites.” You yanked a record out from the stack and handed it to Bucky. “Take it home with you, listen to it, then tell me what you think.” 

His brows furrowed. “Why not now?” 

“It’s getting late, I don't want to bore you all night.”

“You’d never bore me,” Bucky said as he twisted the record. “I like being with you.”

Instead of focusing on him and those hands, and what he just said, you dove through the next pile of records.

/-/

When you looked away, he grazed his eyes down your body. He was infatuated with you. The way you moved, the way you smiled. Everything you did had Bucky’s eyes locked on you. It made him feel like he was going crazy. Maybe he was going crazy. He’s never felt so attracted to someone like this before. When he asked you to dinner, he chalked it up to trying to be friends. But that wasn't it. He liked you. He liked you but was too afraid to make a real move. 

So asking you to dinner after being stood up seemed like the easiest way to ask you out without putting himself out there. And every Friday for just over a month has been heaven and hell. He was ecstatic to take you out. To make you smile. To hear your laugh. 

But he was in hell—a hell centered around his paranoia. He doesn't want to lose you if he tells you how he feels. 

Shit. It was getting harder to ignore his feelings for you. 

Some time passed and you both wound up on the couch. Conversations came and went. They were silly topics and some things more personal. He let out a slow exhale. “I don't get it.” 

You sat up. “Get what?” 

“I don’t understand why you’re so nice to me. I know you know who I am… or who I was. I just can't understand how someone so kind and smart and–”

“I know a good person when I see one. Maybe it’s hard for you to see that you’re not a bad person. You’ve done bad things, most people have. But that soldier isn't the man who’s in front of me listening to music.” Your hand gently brushed his vibranium fingers exposed past the henley sleeve. “The past doesn't always have to define who you are today. If you know the bad stuff, understand the horrible things you've done, and you grow from it? You’re a better person than the rest of us, Bucky.” 

He didn’t move or speak. He just watched you as if your next move would be the one to level him down to nothing but ‘the real him’.

The real him—when he was just a dumb kid from Brooklyn heading out to fight for a war he knew little about. You saw him for who he was: wounded and broken, but not irreversibly damaged. You could see him for who he wanted to be and Bucky wasn’t ever going to let that go. 

“You’re something else,” he murmured your name like it was a prayer on his tongue. 

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” 

He lifted the vinyl. “Well I should head home. I’ll play this tonight,” he smiled softly.

/-/

That smile – Oh. Oh. You felt a rush of nerves and excitement through your body. 

“Thank you. Tonight was fun.” 

“I had a lot of fun too.” He was warming up to you. Or you were warming up to the cold, grumpy ex-Winter Soldier. 

He gave you one last smile but you were too in your head to realize. You liked him. You really, really liked him. Bucky was already out in the living room when you called for him. “Next Friday?” 

You wanted to do this again. More than Fridays. Many times. For dinner. Drinks. Anything. He sparked something in you that couldn't be put into words. Something unknown. Unfamiliar. Exciting. You wanted, no, needed more. 

He poked his head through the doorway. That light smile plastered across his face, warming his tense features. “Next Friday.”

One week later.

You polished off the last handful of popcorn. Bucky slumped against your shoulder as he tapped his fingers on his jean-covered knee.

“Okay you were right. I really hated that movie,” he turned to you with a dreamy expression.

“If you liked the Hobbit that much when it came out–”

“When it came out in 1937 it was a masterpiece.” He rested deeper into the couch as the credits rolled and it brought you back to the streaming platform’s screen. “Now that was poorly executed.”

Bucky could ramble on and on about his love for fantasy and science fiction and you would happily sit through every second of it.

“We should watch Princess Bride next.”

Resting blue eyes flicker to your face. “Game on,” he murmured with a grin.

“Need another drink?” You stood up and moved towards the kitchenette.

“Nah, I’m fine. Thanks.” He kept that sweet smile for most of the night. So you played vinyl after vinyl while making cookies. Then movie after movie. At two in the morning, you were wide awake and no matter what excuse you used, tonight was the best night in a long time. Barnes was a surprising man under all that stoic exterior. He was flirty. Goofy. A bit of a nerd. He was more than who he thought he was before.

“You’re staring.” Bucky stood to meet you. The lip of his shirt dropped over his exposed muscular mid drift, but not before you caught a glance at his defined abs.

You nearly choked when you remembered the abs you dreamt about the other week and how eerily similar they were. “I was just thinking about how late it was.” You turned and shut the fridge. “Maybe we should go to bed.”

We.

“Yeah, you’re right. We should go to bed.” He didn’t correct you either. A wave of excitement and nerves bundled inside.

“I’ll set up the couch in the office if that’s okay?”

“Fine with me,” he stretched again.

Carefully, you stepped into the book infested room to fix the cushions. “I had a lot of fun.”

“Me too.”

“Next Friday?”

He nodded, “next Friday.”

“Feel free to leave a note on my door if you need to switch out a vinyl.”

“A note? Like a love note?”

The flirty side that you’ve seen of Bucky was back. He was in this trance, watching you. He was mesmerizing but you continued fixing his bed. You moved towards the dresser in the room, opening the top drawer for blankets.

“No, but I wouldn’t mind,” you whispered.

“You wouldn’t?”

You shook your head. “I’d write back but don't expect anything poetic.”

“Well then.” Bucky leaned in, “guess I’ve got some writing to do.”

“Guess so.”

He was so close to you. If it weren't for his shirt, you’d be staring at his abs again. “What would you say?” Your voice was so quiet.

“Hm?”

“In the note.”

“My love note?”

“Yeah.”

He kept that piercing yet warming gaze on you. “I’d say that you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met. You’re the kindest person to ever walk into my life. You look at me and I can’t help staring back. I’d say…you’re amazing. And that I’d be an idiot not to tell you. I’d be even more of an idiot not to show you how I feel.”

Those butterflies returned with a sense of urgency. Hot, twisting excitement buried deep in your belly as his rasping voice sucked you in. It wasn’t a matter of how you would tell him how you feel. It was a matter of when. And this was it.

“How would you show me?”

He stepped in close. “Show you how I feel…” he pondered the question. Searching his mind, Bucky seemed to be in a swirling pit of emotions in front of you. “If I was the old me, before everything, I would take you out to dinner.”

“Check,” you grinned. “Next.”

“Well, then walk you home.”

“Bucky, this sounds like any old Friday–”

“And I’d kiss you.” He was so close yet not close enough. You needed him. The dresser’s edge dug into your back as he stepped towards you again. “I’d kiss you softly so I could savor each second.”

Something hot and urging was burning through you. Then, his hand brushed against your wrist. “Is this okay?”

“Touching me?” Your voice felt heavy.

“Yeah. Touching you.”

Your breathing was rapid and deep, each inhale bringing you one second closer to smashing your lips on his. “Yes.” You were breathless. Then his arm brushed your hip.

“And then…what would happen?”

A wolfish grin crossed Bucky’s face. “Honey, we’d barely make it to the bedroom.”

Warmth rushed to your belly to the core of your body. You wanted to be held by Bucky. Kissed. Licked. Fucked. One more touch and you were sure there wouldn't be anything stopping you. And you were desperate for him.

“Touch me again,” you whispered. The wooden dresser dug into your back but the pain was so faint compared to the toe curling feeling Bucky gave you.

He loomed over you. Skin and vibranium trailed up your jeans until he clamped down on your waist.

“I’m a bit rusty,” Bucky whispered. “But I wanna make you feel good. Tell me if this is okay.”

You feverishly nodded, tugging at the henley he wore. “I want you. I need you.”

Those bright blue eyes darkened as something primal took over. His hips pin onto yours as his knee slides between your legs. You hitch a breath as he leaned into the movement. His tongue dragged across his bottom lip like he was thinking about his next move–contemplating his options.

“That so?” His mouth hovered above yours. Tentatively, Bucky squeezed your waist as his warm breath trailed down your cheeks.

You whined and inched closer until you kissed him. It was soft, just like he said. His lips danced with yours while those hands migrated up to your neck. He circled the delicate skin at your clavicle, tracing it back and forth.

Savoring every morsel of his kiss, you leaned in with a whimpering sigh.

He moaned in reply and twisted his fingers into the back of your hair. He pulled and angled himself so you were pressed more into him rather than the dresser.

“You’re… rusty?” you gasp between kisses.

“I used to be pretty good at this part.”

“Mhm,” you slid your hands down his chest. “I’ll say.”

Within seconds, you were straddling Bucky as he carried you down the hallway. He was strong. Never did you doubt the ex-winter soldier to carry you across your apartment. The man was multitalented.

He kissed you again, tugging on your soft lips with each step to the bedroom. You slide your hips down a little with the hopes of relieving the already budding ache. But it was his bulge that halted your movement.

Bucky pulled back, “shit. You feel that? You feel how hard you make me?”

A mewling moan escaped your lips and you pushed down onto his cock. “So fucking hard.”

He growled when you rutted against him. “Oh, God.”

You liked the way he quivered under your body as if your touch made him desperate to relieve his own ache. His arms pulled you closer, “Christ, I'm not gonna hold out much longer with you doing that to me.”

The bedroom door opened and closed with a quiet thump. His hand was firm on your ass while the other wrapped around your waist as he maneuvers through the pitch-black room.

You nudged against his stiff cock again. “Please.”

Without hesitating, he lowered you to the bed. Bucky dropped to his knees as your pants and underwear were tugged down instantly. It was all his pent-up excitement fueling this sleep deprived man.

As he made a move for your top, you pressed your hands against his chest.

Your tongue flicked between your lips. “Slow down, now it’s your turn. Shirt.”

He grinned, tossing the henley to the floor with your clothes. You pushed him back to admire his chiseled body. But you also couldn't help but stare at the scars. The vibranium.

Bucky moved with you on the bed and nestled between your legs. Any clothes left were tossed over the side, forgotten.

He kneeled above you, heavy eyes scanning your body. Every inch.

“Fuck,” he murmured. “You’re beautiful.” He dipped low, nestling himself fully between your opened legs. “I’m gonna make you feel so good.”

Tentative movements of his hands explored your body. His mouth drags hot, open-mouthed kisses up your inner thighs. Then, that mouth was on your pussy. Gentle and unsure, Bucky started to figure out what you liked. Understanding what wasn’t comfortable. But eventually, he had a handle on it.

He picked up on the way you twisted and pressed down. Sensing your love for his movements, he continued. Your hands gripped the short brown hair on his head. You gasped, “Bucky please.”

He rolled his tongue then flattened it, twisting and stimulating your sensitive clit. His vibranium hand slowly trailed up until it reached your breast. He squeezed as Bucky continued the same pattern over and over. Inching you closer to the inescapable height of your orgasm.

You whined, “oh. Oh, yes.”

“So good. Just like that,” his finger slipped inside. Then another. You bucked up as he curled and fucked you with his thick fingers. “You’re so tight,” he moaned into your pussy between licks. “Come on baby. Just like that.”

“Please,” your hand tugged his hair again. But he wasn’t relenting. Bucky’s fingers continued their rhythmic pattern in and out as his tongue lapped your clit. You cried out, “Fuck, baby—”

He rocked his hips into the mattress. You knew he was still so hard. The image of his hard cock and the feeling of him between your legs sent you over the edge. The throbbing sensation of your orgasm hit you like a train. You cried out, bucking under his weight. It was hot and fast, but you could still feel another orgasm begging for release once again.

His mouth slipped away from your throbbing pussy as he dragged his devilish tongue up your stomach.

To your happy surprise, his thick fingers stayed inside you. Slowly moving in and out as if he could feel your second orgasm building up quickly. His lips trailed to each of your breasts. He nipped at the sensitive skin before finally kissing you.

A breathy gasp escaped your lips. He was relentless with those fingers of his. He grinned, pinning himself against you. His hard cock pressed down on your stomach.

“Bucky.” Your hands traveled down. You squeezed.

Bucky’s eyes rolled back as a gasping moan left his lips. You squeezed again, rubbing up and down his cock already slick with his own pre-cum. “I can help you feel good too.”

He dropped his head, “but I’m not done with you yet.”

“I want to make you feel good too.” You squeezed his cock again. He nearly toppled over. “You deserve it.”

He moaned in response. “Yes, keep goin’ baby. Touch me.” His words were as hot as the room.

In that instance, he moved his thumb back over your clit. His fingers continued to thrust in and out. You grasp his cock again, watching the blue of his eyes deepen. You pumped him, but the stimulation was getting to you.

“S-shit,” you withered. “Fuck, I need you. I knew it the moment–” you gasp as his fingers curl up. “I-I knew it when we went out the first night.”

Breathless, Bucky propped himself up higher. His eyes roamed your body and how determined you were to make him cum with you. “Mm, that’s my girl, getting off at the thoughts of the first date we went on.”

“You looked so g-good.” You mewled, feeling the pinnacle of your orgasm again.

Bucky groaned as you flickered your thumb back over his tip. “What do you need?” It was a statement, a demand, not a question. He knew exactly what you needed. What you wanted.

“I need you.” His mouth found yours as he seamlessly screwed you with his fingers. The moment he brushed over your sore and aching clit for the last time, the spasm rocked over you. Waves of heat rolled over your body.

“Yes, oh, god yes!” It was earth-shattering but you needed more. It was obvious he needed more.

“Inside,” your hand continued to thrust his throbbing cock. He moaned as you squeezed his shaft, rubbing your thumb up the tip. He was not going to last much longer. “Inside me. Now.”

Those blue eyes widened and you opened your legs wider. Grabbing a small pillow from the bed, Bucky nudged it under your hips. He moved slowly as he aligned himself. His tip nudged at your opening.

Fuck, he was huge. No matter how many orgasms you had, his aching cock was bigger than you’ve ever taken.

“Tell me to stop if it hurts.”

He moved in, gently stretching your already relaxing muscles. You gasped as he pushed in a bit deeper.

Those blue eyes shot up to you, “I should stop–”

“No.” You lifted your hips and he slid deeper. You tossed your head back. “Keep going.”

You exhaled as he sunk down to the base of his cock. He pressed into you, leaning above by his elbow. The motions were slow and steady at first as Bucky found a solid rhythm again. You dug your nails into his back as he thrusted deeper. Harder. Faster. He was fucking you so deep, so good.

Bucky kissed you. His vibranium fingers found your clit once more. The sensations were too much to bear.

You cried out in pleasure as he groaned into your neck. Harder. Faster.

A third orgasm wrecked your body. The sensation of his cock slamming into you with the rub of his vibranium thumb on your clit sent chills down your spine. Twisting and writhing under his touch nearly had Bucky spilling over. He bared down on you, feeling every inch of your pussy tighten and throb. You mewled, “oh god yes. Fuck yes.”

When you were finished, he was close behind. It was like he waited for you. Hoping to please you first like he insisted the moment he kissed you.

Bucky slammed into you again and came with a breathy groan. “I knew you could take it,” he grunted, spilling inside as he leaned down to press his sweaty chest against your breasts.

“That’s it,” he moans. “S-so good to me. Take it.”

It was all too much. His body against yours, the feeling of him inside you. You were folding at his touch. With one final rut, he was finished.

Against the bed, Bucky collapsed into you. Both bodies were covered in sweat, panting like it had been the most intensive work out of your lives. He kissed your lips, not bothered to pull out.

He liked how he was still throbbing inside you.

“Wow.” He murmured your name, “That was…you’re amazing.” He brushed your cheek. “Was that okay?”

“Y-you’re kidding, right?” Your chest bounces as you laugh. It wasn’t intentional, but you couldn’t contain yourself.

Bucky lifted enough to see your smiling face and glossed over eyes. You looked drunk on him.

“What?”

“How the fuck are you rusty?”

His tight lips turned into a wide grin as he joined in on the laughter. “We made it to the bedroom at least,” he hovered above your body.

“Barely.”

You smiled. He kissed you. Pressed together, slick with sweat, you held each other tightly.

Sunlight danced across the bedroom leaving a rosy glow everywhere. You stretched, remembering the feeling of his skin pressed against your body.

Remembering last night. 

His kisses were hauntingly beautiful. Each time his lips brushed yours, it felt like parts of you were placed back where they belong. Like pieces of yourself had been missing for years and he was putting you back together. You’d never be able to forget the way he felt, the way he tasted.

His kiss would linger on your skin even after tonight because you knew that he was more than just a dream.

He was your reality.

Almost on cue, a strong arm draped across your waist and tugged you backwards.

“Morning,” Bucky yawned.

“Mm, morning. Want some breakfast?” You spot the time on your cell phone wedged onto the nightstand. “Or I guess brunch? I can make waffles.”

His fingers trailed the length of your body and you rolled over until his sturdy chest pressed to your front. “Waffles?” 

“Mmhm,” you nestled close. “Only if you want.”

Bucky refused to pull away. Every morsel of his being was tied to you, right here, right now. He smiled. “I do.”

“Perfect,” you grinned.

His pink tinted lips pressed against your temple as his vibranium arm tucked you under his body. Rolling over, he hovered above you. “I happen to make the best cup of coffee in Brooklyn.”

“Well, it just so happens that I love coffee.” You leaned into his embrace as his lips met your eager mouth.

Neither of you moved from bed.

And it was perfect.

-xx-

-xx-

a/n 2.0 | thanks for indulging in my chaos <3

[ryuua]

After the Curtain Call

!4.2 ARCHON QUEST MAJOR(?) SPOILERS!

Furina has found herself indulging in more simple pleasures lately — one of which includes drowning in your comfort and attention. However, today takes a different turn than usual.

🌢 Furina x gn!reader

🌢 Genre: Fluff, comfort(?)

🌢 Warnings: 4.2 ARCHON QUEST MAJOR(?) SPOILERS, Furina might be OOC, may not be canon to lore or what happened after the 4.2 archon quest since I haven't done Furina's story quest yet, not entirely proofread

A/N: As mentioned in the warning since I haven't done Furina's story quest yet, I don't actually know what happened after the events of the 4.2 archon quest. Although I did have a f!reader in mind, it's mostly gender-neutral so anyone and all can enjoy :D The reader's origins are kept as vague as possible so their identity in Teyvat and how they came to know Furina and whatnot are up to your imagination BUT it's set that you're Furina's significant other and you know about the deeper plot line. Anyway I've become such a Furina enthusiast I had to write this love live laugh Furina

"Furina..."

"Huh? Who's that..?"

"Furina..."

"..Ah!"

Hey eyes widened, the déjà vu settling uncomfortably inside her yet she calmed at the sight of the caller.

"...Y/N.. did I fall asleep..?"

Furina asked groggily, reaching her hands to rub her eyes and to her surprise, it was wet.

"Oh.. was I..?"

"Mm, you were out for quite a while. What were you dreaming of?"

They glided their finger from her cheek to her eyes, gently wiping away the tears that formed during her slumber. Their warmth spread out onto her face, replacing the cold droplets that stained it before. It was comforting to say the least, and Furina wanted to bury herself in this feeling forever.

"Dream? I was dreaming of..."

(Thank you— all you've done— this moment—)

"—Furina?"

"..Sorry, did I space out?"

Furina's vision slowly came back into focus, giving them a tired smile and in return, received a worried one.

"Haha, it's alright. Do continue where you left off, you'll feel better once you let it out."

"Hm? What do you mean?"

Y/N stared at her solemnly, though their smile still there. Furina sat herself up and turned her curious gaze towards them. Once again, their hands moved to cup her face in them, shifting closer to Furina as they pressed a small kiss to the side of her eye where she finally felt it. Was she crying? Pulling away, they chuckled at her realization

"You were crying."

"Eh.. Is that so? ...This must be an overflow of Hydro from my person."

A stare down accompanied by a long silence followed before both of them bursted into a fit of laughter.

"Really now? As expected of the great Furina. Only one such as she could store so much Hydro in them to the point it'd overflow."

Their giggles continued to surround the quaint room they were in and as time would go on, so would the moment. They soon found themselves staring into the other again until Y/N ultimately broke the silence.

"Hey.. you're not the Hydro Archon anymore, okay? You don't have to carry your burdens by yourself. You could always tell me... or even Neuvillette! I'm sure he'd be more than happy for you to waltz into his doors unannounced, just as you once did."

"My dear, what are you implying!"

"Hehe, it's nothing. But.. seriously. I'm sure... Focalors wouldn't want you to be stuck in the past as well."

Furina's eyes widen. Now fully able to feel the tears falling down her face like a waterfall. Her façade slowly cracked, revealing her inner troubles deep down one by one as she buried her head into the crook of Y/N's neck. She sobbed endlessly, her hands clinging to their clothes with desperation as if they would leave her. Images flash through her mind: when she worked tirelessly to contribute to saving Fontaine, when she was found guilty and thought all hope was lost, when everyone had turned their backs to her upon the truth. All of them were still weighing in the back of her mind all this time, but she had deceived herself into thinking she left everything in the past, to the past.

"You're not alone anymore, Furina. I'll always be here for you."

That's right. Furina was no longer alone, now she could — and she would — rely on other people for her problems. Rely on Y/N.

"And I wish nothing but for you to be happy, Furina. Hush now, love."

Their voice made her feel like she was floating, slowly carrying her away from a deep, dark void into a world of only comfort and happiness. Their words swayed her back and forth gently and lulled her into slumber, one that was full of bliss, one where both of them would be in, one that made her the happiest.

With a final kiss to her forehead, they whispered lovingly to Furina.

"Let's live happily from now on," (—live happily—)

"As you once wished." (—Just as I wished we could—)

Oml I finished it. This was done over the course of a week or two so I'm starting to not really like how it turned out but OH WELL I'LL WRITE ABT GOING ON A DATE WITH HER NEXT MAYBE JUST SIMPLE WHOLESOME OUTING STUFF Thank you for readinggg

[uniquepeanutcreatorfire]

Hazbin Hotel vs. The Purge

Today, I'm going to examine and analyze HH's annual extermination by comparing it to another fictional event that I feel is similar in terms of ethical dilemma or morality, the annual purge in The Purge movie franchise. For those who haven't seen the movies, the purge is a 12-hour annual event where all crimes are legal.

Let's start with the purge and what's known about it:

Cause(s): Multiple wars led to an economic collapse and rising social unrest.

Rules: Here's a screenshot-

Outcome(s):  As a result, crime and unemployment rates plummeted to 1% and there's a strong economy. It's seen as a way for people to release their violent tendencies and aggression.

Implication(s): Lower, working classes are specifically targeted as they don't have the protection that upper classes can afford during the purges.

Sounds simple enough (there's more to it, if you don't want to watch all the movies, here's a link to the trilogy explained).

Now moving on to the annual extermination in HH.

Cause(s): This is confusing. The pilot initially presented that the exterminations were due to overpopulation in Hell. However, the actual show doesn't show any hints that the population is rapidly increasing, or overpopulation is causing any issues in Hell. The first episode stated that Heaven started exterminations to ensure sinners never rise against them. I don't see how that's possible since there aren't accessible ways to Heaven from Hell. Lucifer, a former angel, had to get permission from Heaven to get a temporary portal for Charlie so how do you think sinners are going to get up there to be a threat in the first place? Also, I wanted to point out that Charlie's plan to send sinners to Heaven only makes sense if overpopulation was actually a problem. Since there isn't anywhere else to place sinners other than the Pride ring. However, the narrative suggest otherwise.

Rules: It's not clear what the rules are for annual exterminations other than the exorcists can't kill the royal family or hellborns. Is it on a set date and time? Do exorcists go inside buildings? We see that the exterminations take place outside. This begs the question why don't sinners just hide and barricade themselves to avoid getting killed? There could be news broadcast reminding sinners of an upcoming extermination so they can be prepared.

Outcome(s): It's not clear how the exterminations affect Hell's society since the show never gives a glimpse of that. If overpopulation is an issue, it doesn't seem to help at all. Sinners don't seem to care and go on about their business. Let's not explore those who may have lost friends or loved ones. There are also the overlords who lose souls.... poor them, I guess. We can't forget the most important thing...... it's makes Charlie sad.

Implication(s): Heaven apparently never thought this would build hatred towards them, very smart. This is why Adam ended up dead. I want to bring up Lilith being the one who empowered sinners. Since she's been removed from the equation for seven years, what's the point in Heaven doing exterminations anymore? The only message I get from it is "genocide bad". But why is genocide bad in the context of the Hellaverse? There have been killings in HB/HH that are considered no big deals (including humans the imps kill on Earth that contribute to HH's problem further). There's also the black market for angelic weapons that's never brought up. I'm just not invested in the sinners as a whole to care.

Conclusion: The extermination is an interesting concept that can be explore in many aspects like The Purge. It's just not much thought went into it which makes it less compelling.

[solisaureus]

how do you write a fic and make it like

long?

ok actually i did give a brief workshop in a fandom server on this once. Here’s the sparknotes:

Stage 1: brainstorming

- decide the topic of your story. write down the idea that sparked your inspiration and start there. this is your core concept from which everything else arises. write down everything that you come up with when thinking about your story, even if you don’t end up incorporating it.

- if you don’t have ideas, most of my fic ideas arise when talking about my fav characters with friends who also love them.

- pin down a few essential aspects of your core concept. is it an AU or canon compliant? ship vs gen? is it going to focus on an overarching plot or a particular character’s personal journey? what ao3 rating do you expect it to be? what trope tags do you think you’ll add?

- make a pinterest board and a playlist for your fic concept. i’m serious this helps you solidify the tone, setting, and mood of your story and can provide more inspiration

Stage 2: outlining

- now that you know what your fic is gonna be about, it’s time to break down the story and make it a complete narrative. Your outline can be as detailed or as bare bones as you want. some writers don’t make an outline at all, but i cannot even begin to comprehend their power, and if you’ve never written a long work before i highly recommend starting with an outline.

- the two most important things to keep in mind during this stage are PACING and STRUCTURE. Characterization is secondary in this stage but still important. Now is the time to establish the setting and the major plot beats.

- decide the narrator, point of view, and tense during this stage

- if you’re stuck for ideas, here’s a cheat for pacing — come up with just 3 things: a goal, a time limit, and stakes. What does your protagonist want to accomplish, how long do they have to do it, and what are the consequences if they don’t achieve it in the time limit? Character A is in love with Character B and wants to be with them (goal), but Character B is moving away at the end of the summer (time limit). Character B risks rejection, and losing their friendship with Character A (stakes). Boom, you already have the skeleton of a story. Try to identify these elements in your favorite stories, it helps you practice this and can give you ideas for your own story. Frodo has to deliver the Ring to Mt. Doom (goal) before Sauron’s armies overwhelm Gondor (time limit) or else the world will fall into shadow (stakes). Obviously, this is just one plot formula among a wide variety and there’s no one right way to write a story, but it can get you started.

- Another way you can start is by detailing some exposition events, some rising actions, a climax, and resolution. If you already have a climactic scene in mind, you just need to figure out how your characters get there and what they do afterwards.

- once your outline is done, you should have a general feel for how long the project will be

Stage 3: drafting

- now it’s time to write the damn thing. sounds simple but it’s not

- practice getting into Da Writing Zone. when it’s time for me to get serious, I have a few video game soundtracks i’ll put on through my noise cancelling headphones, i’ll make myself some tea, and i’ll light a candle. i have basically conditioned myself to write when i hear the journey soundtrack or when i smell my pomegranate candle.

- Each scene that you write should serve a purpose in the overall narrative. I personally determine whether each scene contributes to at least one of the following: worldbuilding, progressing the plot, or characterization. a good scene will accomplish two or even all three.

- consider the voice, whether you’re writing from first or third person. are you telling the story with stern reverence, poetic wonder, snarky indifference? consistency in voice strengthens the story.

- keep suspense in mind, too. you dont want the protagonist to know everything right away — be intentional about what information they learn and when. what the protagonist knows and what the reader knows can differ, too — this is the source of dramatic irony. or you can keep the reader ignorant and have them discover plot elements at the same time as your protag. the intrigue!

- take your time. pace yourself. writing is hard and you don’t have a deadline when it comes to fanfiction. if you’re in a rut, something that i do is that i force myself to write 200 words — if i do that and i’m still not feeling it, i stop there and try again in a few days, but a lot of the time i just keep writing once i get past that hurdle of just starting.

- beginnings are always hard. keep in mind that this is just your draft — whatever you write doesn’t have to be the final version. just start at a point that seems interesting to you.

- as a general rule of thumb, if you’re bored writing something, it’ll be boring to read, too. you may tell yourself that you HAVE to write this dry section about worldbuilding or write how the characters get from one place to another, but do you really? how much would it affect the story if you skipped that? can you approach it another way, or work it in in another scene?

stage 4: editing

- kill your darlings. if something you wrote is out of place or unnecessary for the story, but you like it anyway, get rid of it. save it in another document for outtakes, but don’t give into the idea that a section is valuable just because you spent time on it.

- having a second set of eyes on your draft is a game changer. if you can get a friend (ideally another writer) to beta read your draft and make comments, it can make a huge difference. i always like to thank my beta readers when i post a fic because i appreciate their input so much!

- now is a good time to decide whether you want to post chapters as you write them or write everything first and post it all at once (or on a posting schedule). there are benefits and drawbacks to both but you know yourself best!

- once you are happy with your draft, post it! :)

stage 5: stamina

- writing is hard, and writing a long fic is really hard. even if you’re super passionate about a project when you start it, you will probably lose steam at some point depending on how long it is. at times you will be discouraged and unmotivated. it helps to have a friend who has volunteered to be your designated hype man for this fic. i like to have at least one person who i KNOW is awaiting my next chapter.

- the fact that you don’t get paid for writing fic means you have to balance your writing time with your life and responsibilities. you might have to take a hiatus. coming back to the project after a while can be hard — this is where those pinterest boards and playlists you made back in stage 1 come in. they help get you back into the groove of the story when you’ve lost inspiration!

- when all else fails, try reading books or fanfiction. it counts as writing. words in > words out. bonus points if you journal/leave ao3 comments about things you noticed and enjoyed about it (or, if you didn’t like something, what about it left you dissatisfied. don’t write this in an ao3 comment though keep it to yourself), it genuinely helps you get better at writing. like it makes writing easier

- believe in yourself!!! believe in me who believes in you!!!!

[male1971]

Shelley Duvall and Paul Simon dated from 1976 to 1978.

They met in New York when Shelley was there to film Woody Allen’s Annie Hall.

After Annie Hall wrapped, she quickly went back to Hollywood to get her things and then moved into Paul’s place in New York. They lived together for 2.5 years at his duplex penthouse overlooking Central Park.

“I’d always wanted to move to New York, from the first time I came here. And then I guess Paul was an extra added attraction, a New Yorker boyfriend.” (Shelley Duvall on moving in with Paul – Interview Magazine, September 1977)

Shelley has said that she and Paul clicked right away and “I loved his smile and the fact that he’s very smart.” (Daily News, 1977)

Ultimately it was The Shining that brought them apart. Shelley Duvall and Paul Simon split up as she was getting ready to leave to start filming. This breakup contributed to some of the stress she felt while on set.

"The day before I left for London we decided to part. I knew I'd be away some time, but in any event our relationship wouldn't have lasted. The chemistry was just wrong between us. It wasn't right from the beginning, but it took us time to find out.” (LA Times, 1980)

Shelley introduced Paul to Carrie Fisher, whom he later dated and married.

They met at the LA Critics Award in 1977, the same night Shelley won Best Actress and Star Wars was honored.

“I introduced them, at the party afterward. I could see there was an attraction there, but if Carrie hadn't come along, somebody else would have. This may sound surprising, but Paul and I are better friends than we were lovers.” (Shelley on Paul & Carrie – Cosmopolitan, 1981)

Shelley and Paul were just never meant to be although Shelley cast him as Simple Simon in her 1990 movie Mother Goose.

[tua-masked-author]

🌺 📻 Summer remix ‘24 📻 🌺

Hello masqueraders! We are back again for another round of TMA in June (8th-29th). This round, to celebrate the end of TUA, we want to appreciate the contributions of this fandom, so its time to REMIX!

🎭 What is a remix?

A remix is a fanwork of a fanwork!! There are a lot of different interpretations, but to keep things simple we are taking the broadest possible definition. A remix could be a scene written from another character’s pov, a story where the roles have been swapped, or the answer to the question “what if [this] had happened instead?” It could be an illustration of a scene in a fic, or a full blown comic, or a recreation of a drawing with a different mood in another style and setting. It could be fanfic of an artist’s drawing or fanart of an author’s story.

Basically it's a chance to show love and pay homage to another fan work by creating a new complimentary fan work!

🌺 You can find a more in-depth definition of a remix here. 🌺

The fanwork you are inspired by could be any TUA fanwork; fanfic and fanart of course, but also a tumblr post about an au that you are particularly fond of, a fansong; even a gifset with a strong concept or a meta essay you were grabbed by. We’re appreciating ALL fanworks here!

🎭 Do I have to do a remix?

As always the theme is optional; you don't have to do a remix. However, we strongly encourage everyone to give it a shot! We want to look back on all the great fanworks this fandom has to offer and appreciate the fans who have made our community!

🎭 But how do I know if the author/artist will be okay with it?

In place of a prompt sheet this round, we are letting people submit their fanworks to be remixed! (If you aren’t sure you’d like to participate, no worries! The submission form carries no expectation that you draw or write for the event.)

🌺 You can find the link to submit your works here. 🌺

🌺 and here are the works submitted for remixing! 🌺

Additionally, lots of authors will include permission statements on their AO3 profiles, so if you already have a fic in mind it would be worth checking for one. Alternatively, you can contact the author or artist and ask!

🎭 This is still the Masked Author though, right?

Yes! As always, when the posting period arrives (which we will announce in a more in depth rules post soon) you will post to the event collection that will anonymize your work, and afterwards there will be a period where you all put on your detective hats and try to solve who’s who. And if YOUR work gets remixed, then you’ll be getting an anonymous treat and get to try to suss out who gave it to you!

[this-is-z-art-blog]

[ID: digital drawing of a simple stylized dark blue hanukkah menorah with a full set of green candles lit with green flames. Light green text above the menorah reads 'Eight Ecto Nights'. and below 'One week away!'

Eight Ecto Nights begins Thursday December 7th, the first night of Hanukkah!

Event tag: #eight ecto nights 2023

Some FAQs: When is the event taking place? Thursday December 7 - Thursday December 14 Do I have to be Jewish to participate? No, all are welcome! If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out to me. Want to know how a menorah is lit? Curious about Hanukkah games and songs? Worried about how to handle a topic? My askbox and dms are open

Can the event be collaborative or does it have to be individual? Collaboration is totally welcome! Work as a team for some nights, all of them, or work on your own. However you want to participate, everything you make counts for every person who’s part of it

What mediums are accepted? Anything you want to make! Art, sculpture, music, writing, photography, fabric crafts, etc

Do I have to participate in all eight days? If you participate in all eight days, you’ll receive a small art or fic as a prize, but any level of participation is encouraged! Only have the time or energy to participate in a few, or just one? Your contribution is still wonderfully welcome

Does it count if I've started my piece for the day but didn't finish it? Your work doesn’t have to be finished day-of, just by the end of the holiday. That means there will be a short grace period, as the event goes through the 14th but Hanukkah technically goes until the 15th (Jewish days begin at sundown and end at nightfall), so you have a bit of catch up time! If you’re nearly done but feel you won’t quite make it and do intend to finish, message me

See the event announcement for full rules, and here for a quick write-up of the holiday

[suvidrache]

spring event number 4. Picnic date with Hawks

Spring Dates

age in bio when interacting. minors do not interact.

Word Count: 634 | Read it on AO3 | Masterlist | Tag List

Keigo couldn't recall the last time he had gone on a picnic. In fact, he didn't think that he had ever been to a picnic. He rubbed the back of his head in a nervous gesture as he looked at you.

“How do they work?”

“It's easy. All we do is pack food, find a place, and sit at it.” 

“Anything else?”

“Nope, not usually. If it's just the two of us, we could sit and enjoy the weather, talk, or play games.”

He nodded. He was slightly nervous about it. He wasn't sure why. Maybe it was the spring air. The spring did things to him.

He followed you into the kitchen, and he looked into the cabinets, looking for what he could contribute to the basket you had set on the counter. You began making sandwiches while he continued to look for things. He wasn't exactly sure what he was looking for, but he wanted to help out the best that he could.

“Could you grab the chips, please?” You asked him as he stayed by the cabinet. He looked at the chips, looking at the various ones that you had in storage. He didn't know what you wanted. He didn't want to mess up. He couldn't bring them all; that would be ridiculous. He looked at the ones that he might want. He grabbed your favorite ones and your second favorite ones. He took all three bags over to you, and you packed them away in the bag. It was that simple.

“Thank you, babe.” You said with a smile, and you kissed his cheek.

He smiled back. He would have breathed a sigh of relief, but he didn't want you to know that he was nervous. He smiled back.

“You're welcome.”

He realized that while you were packing away sandwiches, you hadn't packed away any drinks.

“Hey, should we pack cold drinks?” He asked as he moved to stand beside the fridge.

“We could, but I don't know if they would keep well, depending on how long we're out there.” You said as you took your stuff to the sink and began to wash the dirty dishes that you had.

Keigo nodded and grabbed a lunchbox. He put an icepack inside of it and grabbed some water, some soda, and some of the favorite drinks that you both liked. He zipped the lunchbox shut and handed it to you.

“It shouldn't get too hot like that.” He said, rubbing the back of his head.

“Thank you. That's a good idea.” You said with a smile.

“I think we got everything packed. Are you ready to head out?”

“Yes, where are we headed?”

“I think one of the parks nearby; that way we can look at the flowers and nature.”

“Alright.” He said with a smile as he looked at you. He suddenly remembered the basket and grabbed it before you had the chance to.

He carried it with him as he followed after you. You didn't have to worry about it weighing too much for him. He reassured you that it was fine; he didn't mind. He would rather carry it so that you didn't get hurt and wouldn't be tired. It was only a short walk before you both arrived at your destination. Keigo set the basket down and pulled out the blanket. He struggled at first to try to grab one side and lay it out. You grabbed the other side and helped him.

Once the blanket was laid out, the basket was set in the middle, and you picked one side and Keigo picked the other. The basket sat in between you both. You pulled out two sandwiches and handed one to him. He took it and began eating it.

“This is good; thank you.”

“You're welcome.”

© SUVIDRACHE — do not copy, translate, modify, or plagiarize my work. reblogs are appreciated!

Tag List: @eli-chris, @dahlias-love, @ssbptigers, @lazyboikat

[robo-milky]

MANIA Con (TWST Fan Event):

MANIA, Twisted Wonderland’s biggest manga and anime convention, reaches out to Night Raven College to host their annual winter con. Blinded by greed and the prospective good publicity NRC may get (and to look hip), Crowley happily agrees to let MANIA use his school as a venue (not without taking a hefty cut of profits of course). Since Crowley didn’t know much about comics, animated media, and games— who else would be better to act as a director, NRC representative, and emcee than Idia Shroud, a proud otaku and dorm leader himself? Having overheard all of this and not wanting a good con to go to waste, Cloche, volunteers to take Idia’s position.

• Faux SSRs and SR cards with vignettes to go along with them

• You may contribute and expand the event with your own OCs or adding unused characters (asks/fanart/writing/all forms accepted)

• Ambitious and most likely delayed until summer

VS

What Happens Next? (Interactive Event) :

Follow and shape Cloche’ day in NRC. I start out with an interaction/prompt and you, the audience, will decide whatever comes next! All comments and tags will be inserted into a ballot and RNG will decide after a certain time period!

• All outcomes chosen will be drawn (Not HQ)

• Anyone can contribute with a simple comment/tag. All OCs and Characters welcome. (please keep it TWST related or characters I’d know-)

• Faster Responses and Faster to Set Up

Note: Whichever event that doesn’t get chosen will be saved for the next milestone.

[masterjedilenawrites]

All I Want for Christmas

Clone x Reader Life Day Exchange 2023

My gift is for the lovely @anxiouspineapple99! Hope you enjoy, and have a wonderful Christmas! 🎁❤️💚

Please go check out the @cloneficgiftexchange blog for all the other contributions to this great event! Fics are being posted all throughout today (12/16). Spread the love for fandom writers/creators by reblogging!

Fives x fem!reader | 2.8k words

Content: fluff, Christmas themes, snuggling for warmth, confessions, friends to lovers

Prompts: "Keep doing that and you'll end up on the naughty list." & "All I want for Christmas is you."

It was a crisp and windy night, though you wouldn't feel the effects of the cold right away. Your eagerness for the evening's activities would fill you with enough warmth for a short while, as would the enjoyable company of your best friend, Fives.

You were surrounded by many friends and clones, a group of you who tried as often as possible to celebrate the year's holidays together. This year, not everyone would be on planet when Christmas Day came around, but you'd all managed to find a night earlier in the month to come together and exchange gifts, share good food, and, as you were about to do now, walk around the neighborhoods to admire the lights.

And while you loved all your friends dearly, it was Fives who you'd been most eager to see. You felt closest to him the most. You seemed to understand each other so well, falling into step right where you'd last left off, as if he hadn't been gone for the past several months. As if there hadn't been whispers that his unit had fallen under attack and may not be coming home this time, leaving you numb with worry. As if you hadn't realized you were in love with him when you heard he would come back after all, safe and sound.

"What the hell is that?" he laughed beside you as you passed by a house that seemed to be quite normal.

"What's what?" You gazed around but could only see the standard set up of dazzling lights and festive lawn ornaments.

Fives wrapped an arm around your shoulders and pointed to two reindeer decorations... that were stacked rather suggestively on top of one another. "That."

You could only momentarily process how close he was, how warm you felt being held like that, before you fell into sync with his laughter. It was a pretty funny thing to come across, especially as Fives began to muse whether the owners of the house set it up that way on purpose or if they were pranked. Either scenario was humorous. He then insisted on taking a photo of you with the indecent display in the background.

Though your laughter over the reindeer had warmed you up, the moment you two spent over it caused you to fall behind the rest of the group. You could no longer see them on the street, nor could you hear their lively sounds of chatter.

"They must have turned that corner up there," Fives said as you two started walking again. He was no longer holding you but was walking alongside you a little closer than before. Or, at least that's what it felt like. Maybe you were just imagining it.

There was a little bit of silence as you passed by the next brightly lit house and admired it. But Fives wasn't one to keep quiet for too long.

"So, what do you want for Christmas?" he asked.

You forced your gaze away from the pretty lights to look at him, noting a flush in his cheeks but deciding it must be the wind.

"What do you mean?"

He chuckled a little. "What do you mean? It's a simple question. What's on your wishlist this year?"

"I just thought... never mind," you shrugged, having thought he wanted to know what to get you, which of course was silly since your group was doing a white elephant exchange this year. "Um, I don't know. There really isn't anything I want, to be honest."

Fives knocked his shoulder into yours, accompanied by a dramatic gasp. "You don't want aaaa-nything? Impossible."

You just smiled and shook your head. "Yeah, not really."

"So you're good? You're perfectly content? Everything in your life is amazing and you're in need of nothing more?"

Of course the answer to his questions was a lot more complicated than the simple "Yep" you responded with. You were content in this moment, walking alongside your best friend, enjoying the festivities of the season in his company. But before this moment, you hadn't really been happy. You'd been worried sick by his absence, impatient to see him again, doubting that he'd be as thrilled to see you. You'd been nothing short of lovesick and you had no idea how to admit such a thing to him now.

"I don't buy it," he said, bumping playfully against you again. "There has to be something."

You finally came up to the corner you assumed your friends had turned down. You took it without thought, knowing it would loop back around to your friend's house. A house that was starting to sound really appealing given that a chill was settling back in.

"Clothes?" Fives asked.

"Huh?"

"Like a nice scarf or a dress or something?" Oh, you realized he was still trying to figure out your Christmas wish list. "Or fuzzy socks?"

"I have plenty of fuzzy socks," you said. And with that thought, you realized your toes were getting rather cold, despite being wrapped in thick socks and boots. That then led to you recognize just how cold you were all over: your nose, your hands, your knees....

"Okay, then how about jewelry? Girls always like jewelry, right?"

You rolled your eyes as you dug your hands deeper into your pockets, searching for warmth. "I don't really need any more jewelry."

You weren't paying much attention to the lights anymore, instead picking up the pace so you could get back to the warmth of your friend's house sooner. Fives didn't seem to care about the lights, either. He was still trying to figure out your supposed Christmas wishlist.

"What about a box of chocolates?"

"I buy enough chocolate as it is."

"A candle?"

"Pretty sure half of the white elephant gifts in there are candles."

"Hm... You like games right?"

"I have enough games."

"Nonsense, you can never have too many games."

"Well, when your friends aren't around to play them with you, you can."

Fives was silent. You looked over to find he was watching you with a sort of sadness in his eyes. No, not sadness... guilt.

"I'm sorry," he said after a beat. "I wish I was around more..."

"No, no," you were quick to jump in, not wanting him to feel that way at all. "It's fine. It is what it is. We all know that."

Fives nodded but didn't seem convinced. He looked away, stared straight ahead, as you passed by the last house and arrived at your friend's. The change of course up to the porch seemed to snap him out of his mindlessness and bring him back into better spirits.

"A puppy!" he declared as you approached the door. Both of you were stomping your shoes against the wood of the porch to dislodge any dirt you'd picked up along the way. "No one in the entire galaxy could say no to a puppy."

You huffed out a laugh of defeat. "Okay, sure, I'll take a puppy for Christmas."

He laughed with you as you opened the front door. You expected a wall of warmth to hit you, accompanied by smells of food and chatter of friends. Instead you were met with dim lights, silence, and a cold that almost rivaled the frigid air you'd just walked in from.

"What the..." Fives joined your confusion in the entry hall, and then snapped his fingers as he realized something. "Kix said he knew someone in this neighborhood. They all must have gone there. We beat them back."

You vaguely recalled passing by a house with loud voices from inside, surely including voices from your friends, but you were too busy trying to warm your hands now to dwell on it further. Fives placed a gentle hand on your back as he scooted past you and down the hall toward the thermostat. He messed with it a bit as you shuffled into the little den off the entry. You were reluctant to remove your coat and scarf when it was still so cold.

"Hm," Fives frowned, joining you a few moments later. He flicked on a lamp on the table beside you. "Heat's not coming on. Something's broken."

"Can you fix it?" You tried not to let your teeth chatter.

"Yeah..." he trailed off and you followed his gaze to the fireplace on the opposite end of the room. His lips quirked, a sign he was going to get up to something. "Or... we could have ourselves a cozy little fire instead!" 

He shuffled around the sofa and started investigating the decorations on top of the mantle.

"What?" you asked as you stepped around the sofa as well.

"Ah ha!" He opened up what had looked to be merely a decoration of an old fashioned truck, but apparently doubled as storage for some matches. In no time, Fives had started a humble fire amongst the wood in the fireplace and was stepping back toward you.

"Take your coat off, get cozy!" he laughed in delight, sitting down on the sofa and patting the cushion next to him.

You reluctantly shrugged off your coat. You could feel little puffs of warm air from the fire but the room overall was still too cold to be comfortable. You let out an involuntary shiver as you joined Fives on the sofa.

"Uh oh," he teased, scooting closer. "Need to cuddle for warmth?"

You knew his offer was in jest, but you couldn't resist the thought, especially when your cheeks were already heating at an alarming rate just by sitting this close. Fuck it, you decided, and promptly slid your arms around his middle and pulled him close.

"Well okay then," he laughed in amusement, wrapping his own arms around you in return. He wasn't angry, which you took as encouragement and buried your frozen nose into the crook of his neck. You felt one of his hands come up to rest on the back of your head, keeping you in place for a wonderful, peaceful moment.

You warmed up fairly quickly, though your fingers still felt numb. Without thinking, you shifted a bit and slid your hands underneath Fives' shirt, seeking the warmth of his skin. His muscles tensed in response.

"Whoa there," he chuckled lowly. "Keep doing that and you'll end up on the naughty list."

The heat from the blush on your cheeks immediately shot through the rest of your body. You were mortified. Fives was your friend, what were you doing?

You detached yourself quickly and mumbled an apology. He was still laughing a bit so you joined in nervously, but not daring to meet his eyes. Not when you were this flustered. He relaxed back onto the sofa and draped an arm along the backside, just beside your head.

"So, um, what do you want for Christmas?" you asked, trying to get past your awkwardness and back to the easygoing state of your friendship, despite the ache deep within your chest that yearned for something more.

"Me? Oh, nothing much."

Now you looked over at him, balking. "Fives!" 

"What?" he grinned.

You swatted at him. "You just gave me shit for not wanting anything!"

"I said I didn't want much, not that I didn't want anything at all."

You huffed. "Okay, then what is this 'nothing much' that you want?"

His smile didn't completely disappear, just settled into something a little softer, more pensive. He cocked his head a bit as he looked at you, considering what to say.

"Would you be mad if I said that all I want for Christmas is you?"

You blinked at first, unable to come up with an other reaction. How could you? How could you process such a confession? Was it even a confession? Or was he just being cheeky?

You forced yourself to clear your throat. "Mad? Confused is more like it."

"Confused?" He smirked for only a second before settling back into that strange and soft look. "What's so confusing?"

"Uh... I mean..." you stammered through an awkward laugh. "What does that even mean? You want me... to do something? To... to... see me? You're seeing me right now..."

Your skin was still alight with a fire that seemed to burn brighter than the one in the fireplace. You were so flustered, and Fives was getting a real kick out of it.

"Calm down, cyare," he laughed, scooting a little closer and taking your hands into his. "I want you, as in, I want to... you know.. be with you."

He was starting to get a little shy himself, though you weren't really paying attention. Your heart was threatening to beat its way out of your chest, so you instead focused on the feeling of Fives' hands wrapped around yours. So warm, so firm. They grounded you just enough for his words to sink in. He wanted to be with you.

Now you felt like you were floating. That nasty knot that had settled into the pit of your stomach, back when you'd thought he wasn't coming home, was finally coming undone. Freeing you from its weight. Letting you soar with hope for a different kind of future with your best friend.

When you finally brought your eyes back up to meet Fives', you could finally see the blush in his own cheeks, the way his eyes searched yours for validation. He'd made himself vulnerable in a way he'd only ever been a handful of times with you. Like when he'd confessed how frustrated he was about the war, how angry it made him sometimes to think about it, how he secretly held dreams of one day escaping and living a normal life somewhere. You thought back to those conversations now, viewing them in a different light. You'd always wondered what his idea of normal was, if it included anyone else... anyone like you. And now you were starting to get an idea that it did.

"I'm sorry if this is sudden," he said quickly and quietly, filling in the silence you didn't mean to leave. "It's just... you know this last mission was... well, it didn't go very well. And it made me reevaluate my life. What I really want. And honestly, I couldn't stop thinking about you."

He gave a bashful smile and you returned it, easing his nerves just a little.

"I was really worried about you," you confessed, giving his hands a reassuring squeeze. "I didn't just want you to come back, I wanted you to come back to me. And I'm so glad you want the same."

You both laughed once more, though more out of relief than nervousness, and ended by resting your foreheads against each other. Fives then let go of your hands so he could bring his arms back around you and pull you close again. You let yourself rest against him with a contented sigh... and then bolted right back up as a thought occurred to you.

"Wait, you said you want me for Christmas?"

"Yeah..." Fives' eyes were wide with alarm.

"Just for Christmas? And that's it?"

The tension immediately left his shoulders as he realized what you were doing. He gave you a look and you used all your willpower to hold back your amusement.

"So when Christmas is all over, you'll be done with me?" you pushed on with the bit. "You won't want me anymore?"

"Ugh, cyare, please," Fives rolled his eyes and tried wrapping his arms around you again.

"I just want to be clear about this." Your voice was breaking, as was his own act to be annoyed. The two of you could never hold it together for very long.

"Of course I'll want you after Christmas is over," he said through a chuckle. "I'll want you for Valentine's and for your birthday and all the solstices..."

"So you only want me on holidays?"

"You're killing me here, you know," he grumbled into your shoulder.

You would've continued with your teasing, but just then the front door opened behind you, letting in your missing friends. Even if you and Fives had tried to act innocent, you wouldn't have been quick enough. Whatever they'd been talking about on their way in immediately changed into a chorus of gasps and cheers.

"Well it's about time!"

"Oh my god!"

"Finally!"

"I knew it!"

You snuggled closer to Fives, in part to hide your embarrassment, but also to escape the wisp of cold air your friends had let in with them. Fives laughed along with the commotion while holding you, and it felt like the most natural thing, being in his arms like this.

"For the record," he later whispered into your ear, when things had died down with your friends enough, "I want you every day for the rest of my life. If you'll have me."

You smiled into his chest and held him closer.

"Of course. You're all I want, too."

Every Character Tag: @dangerousstrawberrypie, @justanothersadperson93, @arctrooper69, @sleepycreativewriter, @techie-bear, @theroguesully

Clone Bois Tag: @kaijusplotch, @rebel-finn, @lucyysthings, @marvel-starwars-nerd, @nekotaetae, @severalseashellsbytheseashore, @lackofhonor, @flowered-bicycles, @foodmoneyandcats, @nahoney22

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[rifki16]

Tadaima, Okaeri Finale Episode Review

A very sweet strawberry fruit cupcake

I think this finale really sates my thirst for how to make a good finale for a Japanese BL work. The reason is simple; the finale really ties all of the questions and problems which have popped up throughout the series. I don’t think it was the best finale I’ve ever seen amongst Japanese BL works, however I would like to consider it as the best one in this year, so far.

Let’s kick off with the first theme:

Omegaverse Mechanics

I stand by my last episode’s essay that the Omegaverse mechanics which force a determinist sequence of events which lead to sex after an alpha senses an omega’s pheromone is harmful. I really don’t think that said representation is helpful for a society, frankly for a world, with very persistent and imbedded harmful rape perception and culture.

In this episode, we get more explanations as to how pheromones actually operate. When Yuuki was on a, fake, date with Matsuo-san, Matsuo-san explained the whole kerfuffle that Mochizuki-san and Hiromu had; Hiromu was affected by Mochizuki-san’s pheromones. He implied further that Mochizuki-san’s hormones were much stronger because Mochizuki-san had animosity against alphas. I don’t understand how that works either.

Fast forward several minutes, we were shown to Mochizuki-san coming to the park and he tried to explain his behavior from the other day. He claimed that he hadn’t been on the right medications; he was still figuring the dosage to control his pheromones. He added that his emotional state also contributed to the severity of his pheromones, for which he apologized. He apologized specifically for not controlling his hormones and thus causing pain to Hiro-san.

Setting aside the apology game, one thread from the last episode has been that the pheromone, the determinist stimulus, seems like a curse to humans in the omegaverse since even not acting on it, ignoring it, will also cause alphas to suffer. If we analyze this through media studies analysis, one can argue that it is admirable that Hiro-san controlled his hormones in the face of this determinist stimulus, this curse. The question then becomes: why doesn’t this universe create a medication which could ease the pain for the alphas who don’t act on their pheromones’ responses urges. Why does it fall solely on the omegas to curb their pheromones’ secretion?

I think the show wants to highlight more on the segregationist attitudes and prejudices lie within all of the characters. I don’t think that my complaint about the inner working of the omegaverse mechanics can be solved by this show or manga alone.

Secondly, the episode also told us about the mating mechanics. During the fake date of Yuuki and Matsuo-san, Matsuo-san told Yuuki that Hiromu and Masaki had doubts before they mated. Masaki at first offered to have an open relationship with Hiro-san since he’s an omega and Hiromu is an alpha. Hiro-san then, according to Matsuo-san, refused to tie Masaki down under those circumstances. I don’t know what happened afterwards, however, Masaki then agreed to be Hiro-san’s mate. Matsuo-san added that in between the time they became boyfriends, got married, and mated, the two alphas learned a lot about omegas, as if we need to applause them for doing the bare minimum in knowing more about their freaking husband and bestfriend’s husband.

I think Masaki’s worry was the fact that for omegas, if you mate, you mate for life. I assume that if you mate with an omega, and you die, your now, omega widow or widower cannot have a new mate. I still don’t understand what the urgencies are of needing to have a mate. Does it stop you from being sexually assaulted by an alpha if you’re an omega?

Matsuo-san didn’t properly explain Hiro-san’s worry. All he said was that: 1). Matsuo-san didn’t want an open relationship with Masaski, 2). Matsuo-san kept pressuring Hiro-san to mate already, because he was scared of something happening [to them] 3). They learned a lot about omega mechanics. What were Hiro-san’s worries in mating with Masaki? Was it just because of Masaki’s insecurities that they waited that long to mate? I don’t know.

This whole story about Masaki and Hiromu’s relationship was a recounting by Yuuki to Mochizuki-san when they were talking about the future of his relationship with the Fujiyoshis. After telling the whole story to Mochizuki-san, he then asked Yuuki, “you’re saying that his family understands, so it’s, okay?”. Yuuki then stood up and became angry by that statement. I don’t know why that conclusion was triggering for Yuuki. I think Mochizuki-san’s point was very typical of a segregationist, and something that I as a novice omegaverse observer frequently reads. However, Yuuki then said something very important, “…It’s about respect, Masaki and Hiromu always try to understand each other”. Based on that statement, I think it’s fair to say that Hiromu waited until Masaki was ready to mate, and then they mated. Maybe, that was how simple the sequence of events took place.

When Yuuki spotted Mochizuki-san and Michi-chan one town over, Yuuki tried to stop the evading Mochizuki-san by screaming that he’s a beta. Yuuki’s mum then said, “why are you shouting it out loud? It’s a personal information”. I laughed a little bit at that interaction.

The other important note from the meeting of Yuuki and Mochizuki-san at the out-of-town park was when Mochizuki-san said, “… but there are some issues only we can understand”. I think that was a very good stance by him. No matter how sympathetic or well-meaning Yuuki or Matsuo-san can be, they are still not omegas. They don’t have the same fears or bodily functions like omegas. Hence, I think the way that the show tries to present this ideological clash was quite good.

We were presented by how the mainstream perspectives on the supposed interactions between the secondary sex identities have been rooted in peoples’ minds which was shown by Mochizuki-san’s speech after the first time he met Matsuo-san. Mochizuki-san might have an experience of his own, we don’t know. Then, we were made to sympathize him further by knowing: 1). Omegas can’t have children easily when they fertilize with each other (how do they reproduce then? By the random birth lottery? Like what had happened to Masaki), 2). As a single omega parent with an omega child against this scary alpha-filled world, it seems like Mochizuki-san has several good points in protecting his child. Of course, I don’t defend him restricting Michi-chan from playing with Hikari.

The way that we slide back to the Fujiyoshis’ side is by bringing home all of the emotion-driven arguments. I have recited how Yuuki told Mochizuki-san that Hiromu is not some overbearing lust monster to his own husband, and he tries to actively understand his husband. Then, during the confrontation at the park, Masaki then reminded Mochizuki-san that he didn’t need to be the only person who has to protect Michi-chan, that he can trust Masaki and others. After that, the two boys’ pleas to Mochizuki-san made him to let Michi-chan play with Hikari again.

Masaki and Hiromu’s Relationship

Yes, I think I can safely say that these two are very supportive of each other. However, I just wanted to point out a little bit about how Hiro-san is always “the steady anchor” of the relationship. I’m very irritated by this characterization, because in heterosexual relationships, men are expected to be this unfazed, unemotional, steady-against-the-current person, whereas women are expected to be the emotional wishy-washy part of the relationship. I don’t think that it needs to be replicated here. Men are humans too. They have emotions, one way or another, men must acknowledge their emotions and work through it.

I also don’t think that this characterization, which Masaki brought up to Yuuki when he was just about to go to the park to potentially meet Mochizuki-san, is accurate. Masaki is a very brave omega man who had endured countless mockeries and struggles to finally have a stable home. Maybe Masaki said that about Hiro-san to Yuuki just to praise his husband – the old hyping up my spouse trope. However, I know that Masaki is not just some wishy-washy character.

Final Thoughts

All of the show’s biggest plotlines, be it from Masaki’s overthinking, Masaki’s fear of repeating bad coping mechanism, Yuuki’s low self-esteem problem, Hikari’s role within the family, Fujiyoshi-san’s perspectives on his own grandson’s co-father, and now Mochizuki-san’s omega worries, have been properly addressed. I’m so happy that even in the finale, everyone made a cameo, even Masaki’s cousin. I’m going to really miss this show. Go watch this finale yall, it’s so good.

Also, I ship Mochizuki-san with Yuuto or Shuuto so much lol.

[hetalia-club]

Stardew Mod Part 2: Jones House Hold- Canada (Matthew Jones)

Summary of Town & Buildings you should read this first if you haven't so you're not confused.

(Note: all characters have had their personalities slightly altered to fit into the Stardew universe. I tried to keep them as true to their cannon selves as possible and giving them pizazz so they fit in with the rest of the world.)

Matthew breakdown: Matthew loves Grind ball & Nature. His roommate and brother is Alfred (America). He is friends with the bear who appears by the sewers and will mention feeding him in conversation and allude that you should to. He is shy and does not really want to talk to the player until you gain 2 hearts. Then his dialog will be more that a simple “…”. Matthew was raised by a rich family on a very productive ranch. He may say some tone deaf things every now and again but don’t fault him for it. therefore he has little concept of how money should be spent. He is drawn to nature and if he is not working he will be found outside enjoying himself even if it’s raining. He likes trees & anything to do with them. Matthew is friends with the bear who lives in the Secret woods. Who has now been recolored white. Matthew is very intune with nature and will say some cryptic things from time to time. But don’t think about it too hard. He’s just obsessed with bears and trees.

The Nursery- Matthew & Alfred’s house which doubles as a shop. On Tuesdays & Thursdays Matthew will man the counter at he and Alfred’s shop. On Matthew’s days the shop will operate as a tree nursery. He will sell tappers, maple syrup, pine, oak & maple seeds + a selection of fruit tree saplings.

Bakery Contribution- Matthew delivers his shipment of Sugar Pie to the bakery every Monday Morning. He will stay for about an hour and then head out to the river to stand awhile.

More under cut>>>

Birthday- Summer 1 Loves- Pancakes, Ginger Ale, Maple bar, Raw Salmon, & Sugar Pie Likes- All universal likes all forgeable food Neutrals- All universal neutrals and all raw fish Dislikes- All universal dislikes All varieties of cooked fish. Hates- Cave carrots, Moss Soup & Pale Broth & Universal hates Gift receiving lines - (Until you reach 2 hearts with him he will give no response but “…” To gifts regardless if he liked it or not. But with hate and loved gifts the <3 or dust icons will appear above is head) Loves- This is my favorite Thank you! Likes- This is great, thanks Neutrals- A gift? Dislike- Oh, You sure this was for me? Hate- Thanks, I hate it Birthday Gift Line- You remembered my birthday? I feel like everyone always forgets. Thank you!

Unique Festival Dialog: Egg Festival- Marnie didn’t even notice me this morning when I was watching her hide all the eggs. I can tell you where they are hidden if you want. Desert Festival- It’s really hot out here.I’m not built for this weather. Flower Dance- The air here smells sweet. Not as sweet as my nursery though. Ask to dance? If yes- I was planning on just being a wall flower. But of course I’ll dance with you.   If no- *Matthew turns his back to you seeming to be pretending like he didn’t hear you* Firework Festival (New Event)- My brother always acts like these fireworks are for him. He can be so conceded sometimes. Luau- Hello (Player). Oh what did I add? It’s a secret. I’ll give you a hint it’s sticky and sweet. Trout Derby- Don’t distract me right now. Dance Of The Moonlight Jellies- Alfred has been pouting all night. It’s hilarious. Stardew Valley Fair- (Has a stand with Alfred where they are selling dairy products and tree products). We’re totally going to win this year we’ve been stowing away our best products all year. Brew Fest (New Event)- What would make this cup of coffee even better is a stack of pancakes covered in maple syrup. Spirits Eve- Arthur gets really into this festival. He and that strange guy in the tower were setting it up all day. Festival Of Ice-  This is my favorite festival. I wonder what the prize is this year. Squidfest- Don’t distract me right now. Night Market- My brother makes me watch the mermaid show every year.Have you figured out the puzzle yet? Feast Of The Winter Star-  Another year completed. Winter is over and Spring is just around the corner. Just the thought of the pollen is already making my nose itchy. 

Friendship letters after befriending Matthew

2 Heart Letter: Sorry I was so cold to you before. It takes me a minute to warm up to new people. Hopefully this makes up for it. I’ll be sure to talk to you in town from now on. Letter contains maple syrup. 4 Heart letter: I saw you running around town the other day. I was going to say something to you but you seemed really busy. I stole this from my brother’s supplies. I’m sure he won’t miss it (hopefully you look in your mail box before this expires. Letter contains milk. 6 Heart Letter: We’ve become pretty close for not meeting too long ago don’t you think? You’ve become a really good friend to me. I wanted to share with you my top secret recipe. My dad’s Sugar Pie Recipe. (PS. Be sure not to overcook it. If you think it’s not done, it probably is!) Sugar Pie- 2 Maple Syrup 1 Wheat flour 1 Egg H+ 65 E+200 (Letter contains recipe for Sugar Pie) 8 Heart Letter: I’m so glad I get to call you my friend. People in down don’t talk to me much. I always feel invisible, well unless it’s my brother. But when you came everything changed. You brought me out of my shell and I’m grateful for that. Next time you are in Cindersnap Forest meet me in the Secret Woods, you’ve been there right? There is someone I want you to meet. (Letter has no gift and is an invite to Matthew’s 8 heart event)

Romance Dialog

Receiving a Bouquet- You…you’re sure? Wow okay, I would love to.

Mermaid Pendent- I thought you would never ask! I was starting to get worried. I’ll pay for the whole thing don’t even worry about it.

Married Life With Matthew Jones:

When married to Matthew his corner of the farm will be two maple trees with tappers on them. Occasional gifts from Matthew will be a bottle of Maple syrup. Three days after marrying Matthew you will get a letter in the mail from ‘In-laws’ with 10k gold congratulating you and apologizing for not being at the wedding. Matthew will still leave the house every Tuesday & Thursday to tend his shop. Due to the time it takes him to walk there he will warp there and back and cannot be followed. Matthew will hardly ever be home and continue his schedule as usual. Replacing his house with yours. He will still go visit his bear friend by the river and his brother from time to time. He will not become a husk of his former self. Matthew will have coded in ‘grumpy’ days where he will be grumpy and not feel like talking. He may say ‘my brother and I had an argument’ or ‘the bears are mad at me’ don’t worry too much about it and he’ll be back to his regular self by morning.

[muddyorbsblr]

a heart like yours outtake: she owns me

Masterlist

Placement: Before the events of the main story

Summary: Someone tries to make a move on Loki during a charity gala and he wordlessly calls for your help

Pairing: Loki x Reader

Warnings: none. this is pure fluff

Things to be aware of: idiots in love

Boisterous celebrations had never been Loki's preferred way to pass the time; however, Stark had insisted that the entire team be present for the annual charity gala in celebration of the ten years since the attack on New York. He had argued that perhaps it was best he be absent from this particular gala, given what they were celebrating and who had led the attack in question in the first place. It simply wasn't a good mix of circumstances.

Stark, however, was having none of it. "It would be the perfect display of a redemption arc if I've ever seen one," he commented. 

And that was why he was here now, in a forest green bespoke suit with gold lining, standing by the corner of the bar, letting the mingling commence around him but never truly contributing to any of the conversations, and sipping on a glass of tonic water. 

He looked around the room and felt a smile grow on his face as he caught sight of you, your smile illuminating the room as you effortlessly moved from person to person, speaking with each one with the familiarity he thought was reserved only for friends. And yet here you were extending that familiarity to near-strangers. 

It was fascinating to watch. Then again, to him, watching you was always fascinating. Even when you were doing something as simple as folding your clothes with your hair in a haphazard updo, you seemed the most bewitching woman in all the Nine Realms to him. But now? Dressed in a gown that touched the floor and seemed to flow like liquid as you moved? Set in a shade of green that almost perfectly matched his? 

You seemed as if the Norns made you exclusively for him. And he would love nothing more than to have you in his arm, engaged in conversation with you as if the two of you were the only people in the room. To him, you were the only two who would matter. 

His heart caught as you looked up towards the bar and locked eyes with him, giving him a sly smirk and pointing your chin subtly in the direction of the chair next to him. When he followed your gaze, he caught sight of a vaguely familiar face. She was attractive, that was for certain, in a classical way. Blonde hair cascading in waves down her shoulders, statuesque, ample curves, a face comparable to those dolls that Midgardian children enjoyed playing with. 

Too bad the only thing he could think to do as he looked at her was compare her to you, and classically beautiful as she was, she wasn’t what he wanted. His ability to desire another was taken from him permanently the moment he met you. 

"Hi there," she spoke, batting her eyelashes at him and leaning forward just enough to start showing her cleavage, a peculiar and misguided attempt to seduce her way into his bed, no doubt. "I'm Tricia. You're the god, right?"

He nodded. "That I am." 

"Wow. Well you definitely look the part," she giggled, sipping away at one of those fruity flavored drinks named after one of his fellow Avengers. From the smell, he recognized it as the drink named after his brother. Pity. Perhaps if she'd chosen the one named after you, he'd be more engaged in the conversation.

"So listen…if you ask me I think you're without a doubt the hottest one in your team, and…" She pressed herself against his side, leaning in close to his ear, making him less than comfortable. 

The only one I would ever give the privilege to be this close to me is Y/N, he thought to himself. 

"I suddenly have this urge to kneel," she tried to whisper seductively. 

He cleared his throat, loosening his tie slightly as the air got thinner with her flagrant offer. "Erm, madam, I apologize, but I'm afraid I am, as you Midgardians would call it, taken. By another." He pleaded to all the deities listening that you would look up at him and perhaps sense that he required your assistance to shrug this overly promiscuous woman off of him.

Funny how had it been just a few years prior, he would have gladly whisked her off for a tryst in the nearest empty room. Now? Now he would rather spend his days in deep conversation with you, watching you accomplish meager chores around the Tower with such grace. If you asked, he would even more than gladly assist you. 

You finally looked up towards him again and he threw you a look, pleading for your assistance. Recognition immediately dawned on your ethereal features, and you started striding your way over to him. He finally felt he could breathe again as you began your ascent on the staircase toward the bar. 

"Well then she's a damn fool because if I had you, I would never be stupid enough to leave you alone, where anyone could just…snatch you up."

"Oh my sun and stars, Tricia Lowell, I am such a fan of your music!" you gushed in her direction. "I've played your latest album every time I go for my morning run." You stepped fluidly into Loki's outstretched arm, not missing a single cue as you wrapped your arm around his waist and stretched out your other one towards the apparent musician. 

A tight smile turned her formerly fuller lips into a thin red line as she took your hand tentatively. "So good to meet a fan, and an Avenger no less! I'll uhh…leave you two be. Sorry if I might've stepped on your toes there, Y/N."

"I'm used to it," you fired back. "I should know better than to leave this one alone, really. Thanks for the reminder." 

When she made her way back to the party, you turned in his arm and looked into his eyes. "I'm guessing she made a quip about kneeling?" He groaned in response, making you laugh. Norns, he was addicted to your laugh. The trials he would willingly endure just to hear that for the rest of his days, maybe even be the one making you so elated. 

You made a motion to step out of his arm, making him hold on to you just a bit tighter. "Dance with me, darling."

"I didn't know you danced, Mischief," you teased as he proceeded to weave his fingers through yours.

"I spent centuries as a prince on Asgard, hundreds of banquets and balls not too dissimilar from this gathering. Save for the strange gyration ritual some of you mortals do, I can find my way through your more…traditional dances." 

He held your hand as you led him to the middle of the dance floor and a slow, romantic tune started playing through the sound system. He placed his free hand on your waist, splayed across your ribcage and part of your back, and you placed your hand on his shoulder as he led you in a simple waltz. 

It seemed as if the crowd dispersed as Loki twirled you across the dance floor, equally bright smiles on your faces as you felt the room dissolve into the background, your focus solely on matching each other step for step as the song went on about being so close to reaching that famous happy ending.

As the song ended, he wished he could prolong your inevitable departure from his hold. Just one more song , he pleaded. Don't move away just yet, Y/N, please. Almost as if you heard him, you moved so that both your arms were resting on his shoulders, joined loosely behind his neck, and he moved so that his hands were resting comfortably just above your hips. 

It was only when the tempo started picking up once more that he led you two away from the dance floor and back toward the bar, ordering another tonic water for himself. "You're not drinking?" you asked him.

He shook his head with a rueful smile, explaining, "I haven't the best track record when it comes to how my body reacts to liquor. I would prefer not to test my limits in such a public setting." 

"Ah, so you would test them in a private setting?" you retorted teasingly. There was such a glint of mischief in your eyes, it was all he could do not to pull you to him and kiss the smirk off your lips. 

"I would if I were with someone I trusted to not humiliate me should I do something…compromising." 

"So…Thor?" 

"Absolutely not," he nearly hissed. "He's likely to humiliate me by accident." That made you laugh again. "Someone like you." 

You pointed a finger toward you. "Me?" He simply nodded. "I'm honored, Mischief. I promise not to betray that trust." You placed your hand on his knee briefly and told him, "If you need rescuing from other drop dead gorgeous women making the moves on you, feel free to use your mind voodoo to send me a signal."

He was taken aback. You would allow him to intrude your thoughts this way? "I promise not to abuse this confidence, Y/N. Thank you." He reached for your hand when you made a motion to head back to the crowd. "Would it be selfish of me to ask you to continue keeping me company?" The tone he'd used with you was one so tender, almost as if he wanted his words to caress you in a way he only wished he could, that he barely recognized the words had even come from him. 

"Yes," you answered him with a playful smirk before a softness entered your eyes. "But I never really liked working the crowds anyway." He felt you start to lace your fingers through his. "So please. Ask me."

His words came out barely a whisper. "Stay with me, Y/N." 

A smile spread slowly across your face. "Gladly." You situated yourself on the seat next to him, flagging down the bartender. "Kyle. How many of those Avengers themed cocktails have you made tonight?"

"I honestly lost count after the first hundred, Y/N. Should I make you yours? I hear the men have been ordering that about as much as they order the Widow's."

You grimaced. "Nah. Make me Mischief's." The bartender had to consult a piece of paper to make the drink, but nevertheless, a few moments later, he presented you with a martini glass that held a shimmering gold concoction. When you took a sip, you remarked, "Hmm. Stark actually listened to me." 

"Pardon?" 

"Had he not this would've been green apple, and tasted like Jolly Ranchers, heaven help us. Here." You held your drink out to him. "Smell it." 

Lemons. Something that acutely reminded him of the little morsels he used to favor back in Asgard. He looked at you with bewilderment in his eyes. "How did you--?"

"You're not the only observant one in this team, Mischief." 

You took another sip of your drink and Loki felt his heart warm at your words, at the implications behind them. Not only did you advocate on his behalf during Stark's planning of this gala, but you knew him well enough to help in creating something that would trigger his fonder memories of home. 

And then it hit him. Home. The warm comfort of being somewhere where one felt safest. There were few places throughout the Nine Realms that he felt this comfort, and here, in the least likely of places, he realized that he'd found one more. Only it wasn't a place. It was a person.

You. You felt like home to him.

A/N: These two have me so soft and for what--

Taglist:

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