#also run on sentence alert

[remus-poopin]

In a modern muggle au James and Sirius would be one of those left leaning debate bro-esque streamers who spend their time yelling at bigots online but then says some real off the wall shit after talking incessantly for a couple of hours during a stream because they don’t want to actually investigate/interrogate their own prejudices and learned biases/behaviors because they think just because they identify as progressives they therefore can do no wrong.

[hypewinter]

Hal bent down as the little girl approached him. Even then, he still managed to tower over her with how small she was.

"Hey there little lady," he said. "Anything I can help you with this fine evening?"

The little girl looked at him anxiously, fiddling with her hands. Ok so not a nervous fan. Hal immediately switched to serious mode, scanning the crowd for anyone who could be her parents. He didn't see anyone running up to the two of them or even so much as keeping a watchful eye from a distance.

"Is something the matter?" Hal questioned, making sure to keep his voice even and calm.

The girl continued fidgeting, her big blue eyes scanning from side to side. Finally she spoke. "You wiff da space po-eece yes? Not da am-ear-ree-ca one?"

Hal smiled at the girl. "Yes, I'm with the space police." Honestly that was oversimplifying the Corps a little but he had long since gotten to citizens calling him a space cop.

The girl offered up a small nervous smile of her own. "So you won't tell da gov-ment what I tell you wight?"

Hal was on high alert now. Just what was this little girl trying to tell him? "I won't tell. I promise," he said after a second.

The girl broke into a big smile at this. "Really? Dis way den." She started tugging Hal along and he began to follow.

"Where exactly are we going?" he asked.

"You see," was all she replied.

Hal was led down a couple different alleyways and was beginning to think he was walking into a trap when they reached an abandoned building. The girl dashed in and up the old rusted stairs, with Hal following closely behind her.

If this really is a trap, I'll never hear the end of it from Batman, he thought morbidly as he cleared the last step. Instead of finding himself facing an ambush however, he saw a boy curled up on an old mattress. The girl was already by his side as Hal approached.

"Don wowee Danny, I got help. Like I said I would," he caught the little girl whispering as he knelt down next to the boy. He had to have been older than the girl. Three years older maybe? Yet he was still so small. Hal took sight of his condition. He was in pain. That much was certain by his little face scrunched up in agony and his quiet moans. He was also sweating profusely. His raven black hair sticking to his forehead. Fever maybe?

Hal continued his observations as he scanned down the boy's body until he got to his stomach. The boy was clutching it and Hal could make out blood bleeding through from underneath. Oh no.

He quickly yet carefully removed the boy's arm to get a better look at the wound. The kid let out a groan as his arm was peeled away. Hal couldn't help but thank Oa for all his training that helped prevent him from letting out a gasp.

The boy's chest was covered in blood. Dark red mixed with flecks of green soaked through his shirt and there were bandages that had been amateurishly tied around the wound.

"How did this happen?" Hal asked, turning back to the girl. He did his best to keep his tone as gentle as possible.

Her smile was gone now, and her eyes welled up with tears. "He pwotected me," she said. "Dey wanted to huwrt us. Dey shot at us. Danny pwotected me."

Anger boiled within Hal. Who would shoot at these children? They were only little kids. If what the girl had said earlier was anything to go off of, the answer had something to do with the government. He would have to take care of that later though. For now, this boy needed medical attention.

"Let's get Danny to a hospital," Hal said resolutely, as he got up.

"No!" the little girl screeched. "No has-pee-tail. Too dan-er-us!"

"But he needs-" Hal started but then he met the girl's eyes. There was abject fear in them. As if going to the hospital would be a death sentence for both children. Where else were they supposed to go though? The boy- Danny needed medical attention stat. That much was certain.

Hal paused. There was one place. He sighed. Batman was going to kill him for this.

"Okay okay. No hospital. But what about space?"

"Space?" the girl repeated.

Hal nodded.

The little girl smiled. "Danny lobes space!"

"Well then. That's perfect."

Hal constructed a new bed for the boy, carefully easing him onto it before putting a protective dome around both children. The little girl giggled as he lifted them up. He then turned to the wall where he created a giant hammer to knock it down. Then they were off. Flying higher and higher, towards the atmosphere. As the Watchtower got closer in sight, Hal couldn't help but groan. Taking civilians to the Watchtower? Oh yeah, Batman was definitely going to kill him.

[serpentandlily]

Hi!!! Could you do fluffy Rhys x reader where whenever she around Rhys, she can just relax and turn her mind off? Like she doesn’t have to be alert for everything and Rhys is more than happy because he likes how she trusts him enough to just relax and let down her walls around him.

Hopefully that makes sense I just woke up and my brain is not fully working right now lol🫡

Hope your doing well💜💜

This was such a cute idea! This is more of a drabble but I hope you like it!

Head in the Clouds:

Rhys x Reader Drabble

+++

“Where’s your coat?”

You smiled at Rhys, your mate and husband, as you bounded down the stairs in your house two at a time. His violet eyes looked back at you, shining with adoration and love, causing your heart to jump in your chest.

“My what?” You breathed out, coming to a stop in front of him. His lips twitched as he looked down at you.

“Your coat, darling,” he repeated. “It’s snowing outside.”

Your gaze shifted to the window by the door, now remembering that it was and had been snowing outside the past few days—the first sign of winter.

“Oh,” you said, sheepishly. “I forgot it upstairs.”

Rhys chuckled before grabbing a coat off the rack near the door, a coat he kept there because he knew his mate was oftentimes a bit forgetful when she was around him. But it never bothered him. He liked taking care of you.

It was a sign of trust, one he didn’t take for granted. He knew how hard you worked and he loved that about you, but he also loved this side of you. The side that could just relax around him.

“Come here,” Rhys said, holding out the coat for you. He helped you slip your arms through it before tugging it on you. “One more thing.”

He grabbed a small snow hat, one with a little puff ball on top. He pulled it over your head before flicking the little puff ball with a smile. You wrinkled your nose at him causing another small chuckle to leave his lips.

Rhys brushed your hair over your shoulders before pressing a kiss to your forehead. “Now you’re all ready. Shall we?”

He opened the door for you, smacking you on the butt as you passed him making you yelp. You shot him an amused glare but let him take your hand in his as he guided you towards the city streets.

"Did you eat breakfast this morning?"

Your eyes widened, suddenly feeling the hunger growling in your stomach. Normally you had breakfast with Rhys but this morning he had been stuck in a meeting with some local traders. You looked up at him, shaking your head.

"No, I forgot," you muttered, cheeks red.

You couldn’t help it. Whenever you were home and around Rhys, it was like your brain shut off. You knew Rhys would take care of you and you liked being taken care of for once. Your normal job usually caused you a lot of stress and it was nice to let someone else take charge, especially if that someone was your mate.

Rhys shook his head with a soft smile. "What are we going to do with you?" His tone was light, teasing. "Well, let's go get you something to eat. Can't have you running around the city on an empty stomach, can we, darling?"

You let Rhys take you to a small bakery near your house, one of your favorite places to go for pastries. You skipped inside, eyes scanning the display cases that housed all the delicious looking food, from fruit tarts to coffee cakes and other finger foods. You were too busy absentmindedly meandering down the small bakery to notice that the worker had asked what you wanted. You vaguely heard Rhys and the worker talking to each other, but paid them no mind.

A few minutes later, Rhys grabbed onto your elbow, catching your attention. "Let's go, darling."

Your brows furrowed as he escorted you outside, the bell over the door ringing as you exited the shop. "But we didn't get anything—"

Rhys held out a little white paper bag, cutting you off. You let out a soft, "Oh!", before grabbing it from him and opening it up to peer inside. "A glowberry tart! My—"

"Favorite," Rhys finished your sentence causing you to smile up at him. "I know, darling."

"Thank you, Rhys," you sang out, eagerly grabbing the small pastry and taking a small bite.

"Of course, my love," Rhys said, kissing the side of your head as he pulled you close to him with an arm around your waist. “Now, I believe we have some people to buy gifts for.”

You happily let Rhys escort you further into the city, eager to spend the rest of the day with him.

[musaslullaby]

Showing my fears

Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris, George Russell and Carlos Sainz x fem reader

Summary: The drivers face your fears

Warning: nothing only fluff.

Masterlist

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Charles Leclerc

I loved winter; it was probably my favorite season. I adored the frost forming on the windows, staying at home under a wool blanket, watching a TV series with a hot chocolate in my hands, snuggled in Charles' sweet embrace.

But I also love race days, where you’re surrounded by fans who care about you and all your friends. It's a different kind of warmth from what Charles gives me, but I couldn’t give up either.

It seemed like a pretty calm day. As always on race days, my boyfriend accompanied Leo and me to the paddock. There was a light breeze, but no sign of rain or, worse, storms. Or at least, so I thought.

I was nervously biting my nails: Charles was fighting with Piastri for second place. I noticed Leo, curled up in my arms, starting to fidget.

“What’s wrong, darling?” I whispered, petting the little dog to calm him. A loud thunderclap tore through the sky, and the hand stroking his soft fur froze immediately.

My hands began to tremble, and my eyes widened. Adrenaline rushed through me, and soon the shaking spread through my entire body, making Leo even more alert as he began barking insistently.

Arthur quickly turned toward us, and in a swift movement, I felt his warm hand on my shoulder and his body heat surrounding me.

“Y/N, it's okay, I'll take you to the drivers' room,” he whispered softly, trying to calm me down.

I weakly nodded. Walking was difficult; my legs felt heavy, and my heart was pounding. I saw all the journalists' cameras pointed at me, and my vision blurred from panic.

Arthur sat me down on the couch. “I’ll bring you some water; in the meantime, put on the headphones, okay?” he asked, looking me directly in the eyes. With a slight movement, I reached for the headphones and turned on the classical music. By chance, the soft sound of a piano played, one I instantly recognized: I knew those notes by heart. I had heard them so many times at home, they were Charles’ songs.

Leo stretched out beside me on the couch, and I ran my hand through his fur, feeling his warmth reassure me. I closed my eyes and completely lost myself in the music, which drowned out the thunder.

I was immensely grateful for Arthur’s quick thinking; without him, I don’t know what I would have done.

After what felt like an eternity, I felt someone pulling me close, and my cheek pressed against something. When I looked up, I saw Charles gazing at me with his green eyes full of love.

“How are you, mon amour?” he asked, placing a sweet kiss on my forehead.

“B-better,” I whispered faintly, as I buried my face in the crook of his neck.

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Lando Norris

“Hi guys,” Lando greeted with a smile, as the chat filled with comments and hellos. “Today we’ve got this little monster with us,” he joked, poking my poor cheek with his index finger.

Suppressing a sincere laugh, I turned to him and lightly smacked his head with my lemon tea bottle.

“Hey, watch it, don’t flatten my hair!” he whined, running his hands through his curls several times to give them back their volume.

“You’re lucky you still have them, the way you treat them every day!” I said, pretending to be annoyed, turning my full attention to the chat. “Yes, Carlos Sainz is a bad influence on him,” I whispered, answering a comment.

“You’re just jealous of my perfect curls,” the boy laughed, raising an eyebrow. His expression was so funny that I burst into laughter.

Suddenly, Lando went pale, and his face turned incredibly serious. My laughter slowly faded as I asked, “You’re not offended, right? Because if I hurt your feelings, I’m really sorry, I didn’t mean to—” I couldn’t finish the sentence because Lando pointed behind me. Slowly, I turned, and on the white wall of the room, among his precious helmets, was a giant spider.

A strangled squeak escaped me as I jumped into the boy’s arms.

“You’re going to take it out, right?” I asked anxiously, wrapping my arms around his neck in what was probably a death grip.

“Not a chance,” he whispered, clutching my sides, also visibly terrified of that abnormally large, many-legged spider, black as coal, with those tiny eyes that looked ready to jump on you at any moment.

“Please, do something!” I said, continuing to stare at the creature, which was calmly walking among the helmet collection.

Reluctantly, we stood up from the chair and grabbed pieces of paper and a transparent glass.

“Lando, on my count of three, you trap it, and then we take it to the balcony,” I whispered from behind him, so that if the spider bit or moved, it would be Lando who was at risk. I know, I’m a fantastic girlfriend.

“One.” The boy took a deep breath to calm his nerves.

“Two.” Lando got into position, holding the glass and the piece of paper just right.

“Three.” In one quick motion, Lando trapped the spider and ran towards the balcony, shuddering as if he had a thousand little legs crawling all over him. He quickly opened the sliding door and released the spider outside, slamming the door shut behind him.

“Gross,” he spat with a disgusted face, squirming like he was doing an especially wild dance, still feeling the sensation of tiny legs crawling over him.

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Oscar Piastri

It was a day like any other. Oscar had asked me to meet him in the drivers’ room because he needed some advice. It was probably something related to the race, or maybe he just needed some reassurance.

When I arrived at the door, I knocked, feeling the cold under my knuckles, but there was no answer.

“Oscar, it’s me, can I come in?” I asked, pressing my ear against the surface to catch any sound coming from the other side, but nothing—everything was silent.

Worry started creeping in with a thousand doubts: maybe he wasn’t feeling well, or worse, something had happened.

“Oscar, I’m coming in,” I said, trying to sound firm and decisive, but the only thing that came out was a hesitant whisper.

When I turned the metal handle, the room was partially dark, but I didn’t notice at first. Maybe Oscar hadn’t arrived yet, or perhaps he wanted to surprise me. As soon as I took a few steps into the room, the door clicked shut behind me, eliminating the last source of light.

My breath caught in my throat: I had been afraid of the dark since I was little, and Oscar knew that. Quickly, I walked toward the door and grabbed the handle, pushing and pulling violently, but nothing happened.

I started knocking incessantly on the cold, anonymous surface. “Please, let me out,” I said with a desperate voice, fearing that something or someone might emerge from the darkness surrounding me.

Luckily, after a short while, I heard two male voices talking outside the door, followed by a loud click: the door finally opened again. In front of me were the two McLaren drivers. Without thinking, I threw myself into Oscar’s arms, and he held me tightly.

“I told you it was a terrible idea,” Oscar whispered to his friend while tracing comforting circles on my back.

“You’re both jerks,” I said with a pout, mostly directed at Lando, but without pulling away from the calming, safe warmth of my boyfriend. I could stay in that position forever.

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Carlos Sainz

Today, of all days, was the one that every child dreads: going to the dentist. Only I wasn’t a child anymore; I’m now considered a grown, healthy adult.

I’d love to say this fear is innate, but that would be a lie. It all started when I was seven years old and had to have a baby tooth removed. I had never been to the dentist before, and you could say I was quite curious, like any child. While my parents talked with the doctor, I wandered around the room and found some instruments attached to a strange machine. Naturally, I reached out to touch them, and of course, I cut myself on the metal. The dentist was mortified, and my parents told me to be more careful.

I know what happened was just a pure accident, but that event, combined with the scary stories the other kids told—probably exaggerated—developed into a fear that refuses to go away.

Carlos held my hand tightly as I nervously bit my nails, my leg trembling slightly, unable to stay still from the tension.

“Miss Y/N Y/L/N, please follow me,” said the dentist.

Through clenched teeth, in a whisper, I said, “I don’t want to go.”

Carlos looked at me with a reassuring smile and eyes full of understanding. “I know, mi amor, but it’s just a checkup, nothing’s going to happen to you.”

“Will you come with me?” I asked, pulling him up from the couch with me, and hand in hand, we headed to the “torture chamber.”

Throughout the visit, I couldn’t stop thinking about how the dentist could make a mistake and leave me without teeth, but every time I looked at my boyfriend, my fears eased. Just losing myself in his brown eyes was enough to understand that everything would be fine.

“All done,” the dentist said seriously. I’m always amazed at how this man never smiles.

As soon as I got off the chair, I immediately reached for Carlos’ hand, feeling his warmth.

“So, how did it go?” he asked with a sincere smile as we walked out of the clinic.

“He didn’t smile once,” I said, still a little stunned by the experience.

Carlos laughed at my statement and squeezed my hand even tighter.

[sky-scribbles]

There are a lot of things to love about the SSV Normandy. It’s a symbol of cooperation between two species historically at odds. It’s a miracle of engineering, a technological masterpiece that could alter every pattern of space warfare. Its crew is the highest calibre that the Alliance has to offer, bolstered by multispecies allies: an emblem of flying hope.

It also has far, far too many flashing lights. Everywhere.

One hand pressed to the wall to keep himself steady, the other pressed against his forehead as if that’s going to do any good, Kaidan shuffles down the hall toward the med bay. Every light panel and display interface feels like a laser drill boring directly through his eyes, sounds reverberate against the inside of his skull, and his sense of balance is a distant, pleasant memory. Kaidan sucks in a tight breath between his teeth. It’s going to be okay. He can do this. He’s done it before.

He drags himself the last few feet, and the med bay doors slide open. Kaidan opens up his omni-tool – god, why are those so bright, too? – and does what he’s done a hundred times, scanning the medical interface so that the med system logs him. Doctor Chakwas isn’t here, which means she’s on her rest shift, but that’s fine. The med system will alert her if there’s a problem.  

Kaidan, turns, so ready to collapse into the nearest med bed – except he can’t. Because there’s someone already in it.

‘Oh,’ he says. ‘Hey, Tali.’

‘Hey, Lieutenant.’ She still seems shy about using his first name. Maybe it’s a habit from being raised on board ships, or maybe she’s just not sure if she’s allowed. ‘Are you okay?’

‘I will be once the pain meds kick in.’ Kaidan makes it to the next bed along and finally, finally lies down and shuts his eyes. ‘Doctor Chakwas is just… pretty strict about me coming here whenever a migraine kicks in. Just in case it’s a sign of something going wrong with my implant.’

Through the fog of everything hurts, it finally surfaces in his brain that Tali in the med bay is… that’s bad, right? ‘What about you? Are you, you know –?’

Okay, he’s not sure how to finish that sentence. There’s probably not a polite way to say hey, are you here because you’ve picked up a fatal illness?

He cracks one eye open, just enough to see her looking glumly at him. He’s not sure how he can tell that she’s glum when all he can see is her eyes, but yeah. She’s glum. ‘You know how I took a hit on Feros?’

‘Yeah.’

‘And how I disinfected it, and used my patch kit on the suit breach, and told Shepard I was fine?’

‘Yeah.’

‘I was not fine.’ She slumps down miserably. ‘My throat is full of painful slime, my sinuses are on fire, and my halesh –’ Okay, that’s obviously some piece of quarian anatomy – ‘is more gummed up than I can describe.’

Kaidan shuts his eyes again. ‘Well, my skull feels like it’s slowly contracting and crushing my brain, so… I sort of feel you.’

She laughs weakly. ‘I should have run an extra med scan once I got back to the Normandy. I just – I wanted to help with the engine maintenance today. And there’s this combat drone design I’m working on. And now…’ There’s a sound of movement; Kaidan gets the impression that she’s gesturing at the med bay in angry helplessness.

‘I feel that too.’ And he does. He really does. This isn’t the worst migraine he’s ever had – he can actually hold a conversation, which some days would be beyond him. But it’s… it’s not great. And he had things to do. Ash was running a drill and wanted him to look over her plans. He had a cleaning shift at fourteen hours. Shepard wanted to talk strategy for Noveria.  And yes, he knows he has a right to take time off for a medical issue. He knows he’s no use to Ash or Shepard or anyone when he can’t even walk in a straight line. But knowing that doesn’t quite get rid of the squirm in his belly, the one that feels like letting people down.

Tali’s quiet for a minute, aside from the ever-present, barely-audible hum of her suit systems, and the occasional sniff from behind her helmet. Then she says, unexpectedly, ‘I’m just… I’m so tired. You know what I mean?’

Kaidan’s head throbs. He swallows. ‘Oh, yeah.’

The constant vigilance. Always having to be careful about where he goes – is this room too bright? Is this one too loud? – in case something triggers another bad spell. Taking hits to the head in a fight that anyone else could just shrug off, but that for him mean another trip to the med bay to make sure his implant isn’t damaged. Trying to do his job and suddenly finding, no, he can’t, because his body has decided that today’s the day he just doesn’t get to function.

Tali… she must go through the same awful deal, just in a different flavour. Always being careful, so careful. Someone else’s minor injury being her okay, let’s get a med check to make sure I won’t die. It’s not the same, of course: Kaidan can eat food without filtering it, touch people without protective layers, see people’s faces without a tinted mask. Still… there’s a tone in her voice that he knows from his own.

There’s a heavy silence. Then Tali says, ‘You know what’s really stupid? I left my datapad in my cabin, so I can’t even watch vids.’

Kaidan smiles. He’s seen her down in Engineering, a few times, hands flying around over the machinery, rocking back and forth on her heels. Idleness obviously doesn’t suit her. ‘You can borrow mine, if you like.’

‘Really?’ Her voice is already brighter. ‘I mean – won’t the noise will make you feel worse?’

‘Nah, I’ll be good.’ He’s not just saying it; there’s a blissful numbness creeping through his head which means that his meds are finally getting to work. He fishes the datapad from his pocket, taps in his passcode, and hands it over. ‘What kind of vids do you like?’

Her whole being perks up – tone, body, everything. ‘Oh, all of them.Any genre, any species. I mean… asari vids can be a bit long. I mean, they’re made by people who can spend a decade making a vid and a whole day watching it. Turians… their vids can be a bit depressing. There’s a lot of ‘this war ended with almost everyone dead, but one turian is still standing, so it’s a victory!”

‘What about quarians? What kinds of stories do your people tell?’

A small laugh echoes inside the helmet. ‘Quarian vids are pretty limited by environment. We don’t have a lot of varied sets to work with. So we tell the best long-running dramas. There’s one ship in the Flotilla that’s been hosting the same series for over eighty standard years now. Following the crew as they change over time, that sort of thing.’ She taps the base of her helmet. ‘It’s pretty good, but… I think if you watched it, you’d think there were a lot more explosions, murders and shipwide romantic entanglements in the Flotilla than there actually are.’

‘Human dramas are like that too.’

Tali laughs. ‘Quarian dramas make human dramas look relaxed.’

Kaidan finds he’s actually able to grin. ‘So what do human vids tell you about us?’

Her helmet tilts as she considers. ‘That you’re very individualistic. I mean, not every human culture. But you put a lot of focus onto characters and personal journeys.’ She scrolls down the datapad screen – looking through vid lists, presumably – then stops. It’s hard to tell, but Kaidan thinks she might be frowning. ‘I did notice… in a lot of human media, the biotics are…’

Another insistent pulse of pain through his temples. Kaidan sighs. ‘Crazy extremists?’

‘Yes. Do you… do you mind if I ask why that is?’

‘No, it’s fine.’ Kaidan turns onto his back and stares up at the dim ceiling. ‘A lot of the early generation of biotics, the ones who got the same implants as me… let’s just say I got off lightly. Most ended up with much more serious medical conditions. And when people found out about the side effects of the L2 implants, the media got the bit between its teeth and –’ Yeah, no, that wasn’t going to translate. ‘Sorry. Human saying. They got a certain impression, and they ran with it.’

Tali’s quiet for several seconds. Kaidan twists his head to face her, and sees the pale eyes behind the mask giving him a long, steady look.

‘I’m sorry,’ she says. And then, after a moment, ‘They tell lies about us, too.’

Kaidan holds her gaze, and feels terribly, achingly sad. ‘Yeah,’ he says. ‘I bet they do.’

 The way people look at Tali as she walks through the Presidium… it’s familiar. Not quite the same. There’s a note of scorn in the looks they give to Tali – but there’s suspicion, too, and that’s something he knows. All the times back on Earth, after he got back from Jump Zero, when he shook someone’s hand or opened a door, and their eyes found the implants. They way they stared at him like he was a loaded gun. All the documents he had to fill out to do anything, the knowledge that any government he lived under would always be hovering a few steps away, keeping tabs, making sure.

Remembering Rahna – remembering that obvious, instinctive fear in her eyes – is an old memory now, the kind that’s a faded scar. But he remembers the shock of it, back when he was seventeen. When no one had looked at him like that before, and it was dizzying and new and felt like a hole in his gut.

He bets Tali has that hole in her gut all the time.

Kaidan pushes himself up a little – which makes his brain spin, but he manages it – and gives Tali a smile. ‘Well. Let’s look for something that gets us both right.’

‘Definitely.’ She flicks through the options for a minute more, then pauses. ‘Have you ever seen Fleet and Flotilla?’

‘I think I’ve heard of it.’ There’s a faint memory of seeing an ad for it, maybe, and thinking it was the kind of thing he’d have loved as a kid. Space exploration. Justice. Love. ‘The… war romance, right?’

‘Yes!’ Tali’s legs bounce. ‘It’s – keelah, it’s so good, it’s – it’s about this girl, Shalei, who’s on her pilgrimage. And she’s interested in the geth, because she’s got this dream of finding a way to defeat them and take back the Homeworld, right? And when she finds something, she goes to the Citadel for help, but no one will listen except this one turian called Bellicus –’

‘Hold up. Wasn’t that… exactly what you were doing when we met you? Minus the turian, I mean.’

Tali ducks her head, suddenly shy. ‘I… I really, really like the vid.’

No kidding. Kaidan smiles. ‘So let’s watch it.’

His head still feels like a bombsite, and when he thinks about all the things he wants to be doing for his crew and isn’t, the rest of him hurts too. But maybe he’s still doing something for his crew, sitting in the med bay with his sick squadmate – his sick friend – and sharing her favourite vid with her. Maybe he’s doing something for him, too. He doesn’t do that too often.

Tali props the datapad up on the table between their beds, her whole body one big smile. ‘You’re going to love this,’ she promises, and presses play.

[shybluebirdninja]

Abyss of Time

Summary: In a dystopian future where mutants are hunted, Logan, a 170-year-old warrior, meets Y/n, a 25-year-old human who helps mutants escape persecution. Drawn to her bravery, Logan becomes increasingly possessive as their bond deepens, especially when Y/n’s dedication to her cause puts her in danger. Tensions rise as Y/n grows close to another mutant in their group, testing Logan’s control and their relationship. The story comes into the complexities of love and survival in a world where danger lurks at every turn, and Logan’s possessiveness might be the only thing keeping Y/n alive.

Pairing: Logan Howlett x Female human-reader Warning: None

The city was a maze of shadows and ruins, a twisted labyrinth where only the desperate dared to tread. Once a symbol of progress and civilization, it had crumbled under the weight of fear and hatred. The streets, once bustling with life, were now desolate, haunted by the echoes of a war that had left no corner untouched.

Y/n darted through the narrow alleyways, her breath coming in sharp bursts as she led a small group of mutants through the darkness. Her heart pounded in her chest, not from fear, but from the adrenaline that had become as familiar to her as breathing. This was her life now—running, hiding, fighting to protect those who couldn’t protect themselves. And she wouldn’t have it any other way.

The group of mutants following her was a mix of ages and abilities, each one marked by the telltale signs of their genetic differences. In this world, those differences were a death sentence. The government had declared war on mutants, branding them as a threat to humanity, and had unleashed the Sentinels—soulless machines programmed to hunt and kill without mercy.

Y/n had lost count of how many mutants she had helped over the years. She didn’t do it for recognition or reward. She did it because it was right, because someone had to stand against the madness that had consumed the world. And because, deep down, she believed that mutants had as much right to live as anyone else.

As they approached an abandoned warehouse, Y/n slowed her pace, signaling for the group to stop. The warehouse was one of the many safe houses scattered throughout the city, hidden in plain sight among the ruins. It wasn’t much—just four walls and a roof—but it offered temporary refuge from the relentless hunt.

Y/n pushed open the rusted door and stepped inside, her senses on high alert. The interior was dark, lit only by the faint glow of a few battery-operated lamps. She scanned the room, her eyes adjusting to the dim light, and froze when she saw a figure standing in the corner, half-hidden in the shadows.

Logan.

His presence filled the room, an unspoken threat to anyone who dared to cross him. Y/n had heard of him long before they met—stories of a man who had lived for over a century, who had fought in wars that were now the stuff of legend. But nothing could have prepared her for the reality of him. Logan was a force of nature, all raw power and barely contained rage, and yet, there was something about him that drew her in, something she couldn’t quite define.

“What are you doing here?” Y/n asked, her voice steady despite the tension thrumming in the air.

Logan stepped into the light, his eyes locking onto hers with an intensity that made her heart skip a beat. “Heard you were takin’ a risky route tonight. Thought you could use some backup.”

Y/n bristled at his tone, at the implication that she couldn’t handle herself. “I’ve been doing this long before you showed up. I don’t need your help.”

Logan’s gaze darkened, his jaw tightening. “Yeah, and you’ve been lucky so far. But luck runs out, kid.”

The endearment, meant to be a casual remark, stung more than Y/n cared to admit. She wasn’t a child, and she resented being treated like one. But she also knew better than to argue with Logan when he was in this mood. Instead, she turned to the group of mutants behind her, their eyes wide with fear and exhaustion.

“Wait here,” she instructed them before turning back to Logan. “We’ll rest here for a bit, then move on.”

Logan nodded, his expression softening just a fraction. “I’ll keep watch.”

Y/n didn’t bother to respond. She knew Logan well enough to understand that he would do what he wanted, regardless of what she said. As she moved to help the mutants settle in, she couldn’t shake the feeling that tonight was different, that something was lurking just out of sight, waiting to strike.

Time passed in tense silence, the only sounds the occasional rustle of movement or the distant hum of a Sentinel patrol. Y/n tried to rest, but her mind wouldn’t stop racing. She kept replaying Logan’s words in her head, the way he had looked at her, as if he was trying to protect her from something she couldn’t see.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a soft voice at her side. “Y/n?”

She turned to see one of the younger mutants, a boy no older than sixteen, standing next to her. His eyes were wide with worry, his hands trembling as he clutched a worn blanket around his shoulders.

“Are we safe here?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Y/n forced a smile, trying to reassure him even though she wasn’t entirely sure herself. “For now, yes. We’ll move again soon, just to be safe.”

The boy nodded, but the fear in his eyes didn’t fade. Y/n placed a hand on his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Stay close to me, okay? I won’t let anything happen to you.”

The boy nodded again, his grip on the blanket tightening. Y/n watched as he returned to the others, huddling close to an older mutant who put a protective arm around him. The sight tugged at her heart. These people had lost so much—family, friends, homes—and yet they still found the strength to keep going. It was a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, mutant or not.

Logan’s voice broke through her thoughts. “You’re good with them.”

Y/n glanced over at him, surprised by the softness in his tone. He was leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, his gaze fixed on her.

“They trust you,” he continued, his expression unreadable. “That’s not an easy thing to earn these days.”

Y/n shrugged, uncomfortable with the praise. “They don’t have much of a choice. It’s either trust me or risk getting caught.”

Logan pushed off the wall and walked over to her, his presence as overwhelming as ever. “It’s more than that, and you know it.”

Y/n looked up at him, her heart skipping another beat at the intensity in his gaze. She had never been good at reading Logan, never quite sure what was going on behind those eyes. But right now, she could see something she hadn’t noticed before—something that made her pulse quicken.

Logan reached out, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. The gesture was so unexpected, so out of character, that Y/n froze, unsure of how to react.

“You’re brave, Y/n,” he said quietly, his voice rough with something she couldn’t name. “But bravery can get you killed if you’re not careful.”

Y/n swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. “I know the risks.”

Logan’s hand lingered for a moment before he dropped it to his side. “I’m not talkin’ about them. I’m talkin’ about you.”

Y/n’s breath hitched at the words, at the implication behind them. She had always known that Logan was protective, that he had a tendency to take on more than he should. But this felt different. This felt personal.

Before she could respond, a noise outside the warehouse caught their attention. Logan’s head snapped up, his senses immediately on high alert. Y/n tensed, her heart pounding in her chest as she strained to hear what had set him off.

The door to the warehouse creaked open, and Y/n’s breath caught in her throat as a figure stepped inside. For a split second, she feared it was a Sentinel, that their hiding place had been discovered. But then she recognized the newcomer and let out a sigh of relief.

It was Jake, a mutant they had picked up a few weeks ago. He was young, not much older than Y/n, with a cocky grin and a swagger that belied the horrors he had seen. Y/n had grown fond of him, his easy smile and unshakable optimism a rare comfort in a world gone mad.

“Jake,” Y/n breathed, her relief evident in her voice. “You scared the hell out of me.”

Jake grinned, his eyes twinkling with mischief. “Sorry, didn’t mean to. Thought I’d check on you guys, see if you needed any help.”

Logan’s expression darkened at the sight of Jake, his posture tensing. Y/n noticed the change immediately, a knot of unease forming in her stomach.

“We’re fine,” Logan said curtly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Jake raised an eyebrow at Logan’s response but didn’t back down. “Just thought I’d offer. No harm in that, right?”

Y/n stepped between them, sensing the rising tension. “It’s okay, Jake. We’re just getting ready to move out. You can come with us if you want.”

Jake’s grin widened. “Sure thing. Lead the way, boss.”

Logan’s eyes flashed with something dark and dangerous, but he said nothing as Y/n led the group out of the warehouse. The streets were eerily quiet, the city shrouded in an unnatural silence that set Y/n’s nerves on edge. She kept a close watch on their surroundings, every sense on high alert as they made their way through the shadows.

Logan fell into step beside her, his presence a comforting weight at her side. But she could feel the tension radiating off him, the barely contained anger that simmered just beneath the surface.

As they walked, Y/n couldn’t shake the feeling that something was about to happen, that the fragile peace they had managed to maintain was about to shatter. She glanced over at Logan, searching his face for some sign of what he was thinking, but his expression was unreadable.

“Logan,” she began, but he cut her off with a sharp look.

“Stay close,” he growled, his voice low and dangerous. “And keep an eye on him.”

Y/n followed his gaze and saw Jake a few paces ahead, his posture relaxed, seemingly unaware of the danger around them. She frowned, confused by Logan’s sudden hostility.

“Logan, what’s going on?” she asked, her voice tinged with concern.

Logan’s jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing as he watched Jake. “Just do as I say, Y/n.”

Y/n opened her mouth to argue, but something in Logan’s tone made her stop. She nodded, falling silent as they continued through the city, the tension between them thick enough to cut with a knife.

It wasn’t until they reached another safe house, this one a dilapidated apartment building on the outskirts of the city, that Y/n finally had a chance to confront Logan. The others had gone inside to rest, leaving them alone in the dimly lit hallway.

“What the hell is your problem?” Y/n demanded, her voice low but fierce. “Why are you acting like this?”

Logan’s eyes flicked to the door where the others had gone, then back to Y/n. “You need to be careful with him.”

“With Jake?” Y/n asked, incredulous. “Why? He’s been nothing but helpful.”

Logan’s expression darkened, his possessive nature rearing its head. “He’s getting too close to you.”

Y/n blinked, taken aback by the accusation. “Too close? Logan, he’s a friend. That’s it.”

Logan stepped closer, his towering presence making Y/n’s heart race. “He’s a distraction, Y/n. And distractions can get you killed.”

Y/ne’s anger flared at his words, at the way he was trying to control her. “You don’t get to decide who I’m friends with, Logan. You don’t get to dictate who I care about.”

Logan’s hand shot out, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her closer. His eyes were blazing with a mix of anger and something else—something that made Y/n’s breath catch in her throat.

“I’m trying to keep you safe,” he growled, his voice rough with emotion. “You have no idea what’s out there, what could happen if you let your guard down.”

Y/n wrenched her arm free, her eyes flashing with defiance. “I don’t need you to protect me, Logan. I’ve been doing just fine on my own.”

Logan’s expression softened for a brief moment, a flicker of something like regret passing through his eyes. “You’re brave, Y/n. But bravery can be a double-edged sword.”

Y/n stared at him, her heart pounding in her chest. She wanted to argue, to push him away, but she couldn’t ignore the truth in his words. She had seen too many people die because they had been too brave, too willing to take risks. And yet, she couldn’t let fear control her, couldn’t let Logan’s possessiveness dictate her life.

Before she could say anything else, the sound of footsteps echoed down the hallway, breaking the tense silence. Y/n turned to see Jake approaching, his easy grin in place, completely unaware of the storm brewing between her and Logan.

“Hey, everything okay?” Jake asked, his eyes flicking between the two of them.

Y/n forced a smile, trying to keep the tension from showing on her face. “Yeah, everything’s fine. Just talking strategy.”

Jake nodded, seemingly satisfied with the answer. “Cool. Just wanted to check in before we head out again.”

Logan’s eyes narrowed, his posture tensing as Jake turned to leave. Y/n could feel the anger radiating off him, the jealousy that was so obvious it practically crackled in the air.

Once Jake was out of earshot, Y/n turned back to Logan, her voice low and firm. “You need to stop this, Logan. Jake is not a threat.”

Logan’s jaw clenched, his eyes hard. “He’s more of a threat than you realize.”

Y/n shook her head, frustration boiling over. “This isn’t about Jake. This is about you not being able to control everything around you.”

Logan didn’t respond, his silence only fueling Y/n’s anger. She took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm of emotions swirling inside her.

“I can take care of myself,” she said quietly, her voice trembling slightly. “You don’t have to do it for me.”

Logan’s eyes softened, a flicker of pain crossing his face. “I know you can, Y/n. But I can’t help it.”

Y/n stared at him, her heart aching at the vulnerability in his voice. She had never seen Logan like this, so raw and exposed. It was as if the walls he had built around himself were crumbling, leaving him defenseless against the emotions he had tried so hard to suppress.

Without thinking, Y/n reached out, her hand resting on his chest. She could feel the steady beat of his heart beneath her palm, the warmth of his skin seeping into her own.

“Logan,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “I don’t want to lose you.”

Logan’s hand covered hers, his touch gentle despite the storm raging inside him. “You won’t. Not if I have anything to say about it.”

Y/n’s breath caught in her throat at the intensity of his words, the promise that lay beneath them. She had always known that Logan was dangerous, that he was capable of doing terrible things in the name of survival. But this was different. This was about something deeper, something that scared her more than any Sentinel ever could. Before she could say anything else, Logan leaned down, his lips brushing against her forehead in a gesture that was both tender and possessive. Y/n’s heart fluttered at the contact, her emotions a tangled mess of fear and longing.

“I won’t let anything happen to you,” Logan murmured, his voice rough with emotion. “Even if it means keeping you away from everyone else.”

Y/n closed her eyes, the weight of his words settling over her like a heavy blanket. She knew that Logan’s protectiveness came from a place of love, that he cared for her more deeply than he would ever admit. But she also knew that his possessiveness could be dangerous, that it could drive a wedge between them if she wasn’t careful.

When Logan finally pulled away, Y/n felt the loss of his warmth like a physical blow. She opened her eyes to find him watching her, his expression torn between desire and something darker.

“We should go,” Logan said, his voice strained. “The others are waiting.”

Y/n nodded, her heart heavy with the knowledge that their relationship had just crossed a line that couldn’t be uncrossed. As they made their way back to the group, she couldn’t shake the feeling that everything was about to change, that the fragile bond they had built was about to be tested in ways they couldn’t possibly imagine.

--------------------

The journey to the next safe house was tense, the silence between Y/n and Logan growing heavier with each passing moment. Jake tried to make conversation a few times, but the mood was too dark, the unspoken tension too palpable for any lighthearted banter to cut through.

When they finally reached their destination, a rundown building that had once been a school, Y/n was relieved to see that the other mutants were already inside, safe and sound. But the relief was short-lived. The moment they stepped through the door, they were met with the sight of another mutant standing in the center of the room, his presence radiating a power that made the air hum with electricity.

Y/n recognized him instantly—Erik, a mutant with the ability to control metal. He was a legend among their kind, both revered and feared for his abilities and his ruthless determination to protect mutantkind at all costs.

“Erik,” Y/n greeted him, her voice wary. “What are you doing here?”

Erik’s gaze swept over the group, his expression unreadable. “I heard you were in need of assistance.”

Y/n ’s heart sank at the words, at the implications behind them. Erik’s help always came with a price, one that Y/n wasn’t sure she was willing to pay.

“We’re managing,” she said carefully, glancing at Logan for support.

Logan’s expression was unreadable, but Y/n could sense the tension in him, the way his muscles were coiled, ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice.

Erik’s gaze flicked to Logan, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “You’ve made an interesting choice of allies, Y/n.”

Y/n ’s heart skipped a beat at the subtle jab, at the way Erik’s eyes seemed to gleam with something that sent a shiver down her spine.

“Logan’s been a great help,” Y/n said, her voice steady despite the fear gnawing at her insides.

Erik’s smile widened, but there was no warmth in it. “I’m sure he has. But his methods... they’re not always in line with what’s best for our kind.”

Logan’s jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing into dangerous slits. Y/n could feel the anger radiating off him, the barely contained rage that was so close to the surface.

“We’re doing what we can to survive,” Y/n interjected quickly, trying to diffuse the situation before it escalated. “That’s all that matters right now.”

Erik’s gaze shifted back to her, his smile fading into something more serious. “Survival is important, yes. But so is our future, Y/n . And sometimes, to secure that future, we have to make sacrifices.”

Y/n’s stomach churned at the words, at the implications behind them. She knew that Erik was right in some ways, that their survival depended on making tough decisions. But she also knew that Logan wouldn’t take kindly to any suggestion that involved putting her or anyone else at risk.

“I’m not interested in making sacrifices,” Logan growled, his voice low and threatening. “Especially not when it comes to Y/n.”

Erik’s eyes gleamed with a cold amusement. “And there it is—the possessiveness of the Wolverine. It’s almost... predictable.”

Y/n’s heart pounded in her chest as she glanced between the two men, the tension in the room reaching a fever pitch. She knew that if something wasn’t done to diffuse the situation, things could get out of hand quickly.

“Erik, we appreciate your concern,” Y/n said, stepping forward and placing a hand on Logan’s arm, trying to calm him down. “But we’re handling things in our own way. Logan’s methods might be unorthodox, but they work. And right now, that’s all that matters.”

Y/n’s gaze lingered on her for a long moment, as if weighing her words. Finally, he nodded, though his expression remained guarded. “Very well, Y/n . But remember—sometimes the only way to truly survive is to let go of the things that hold us back.”

With that, Erik turned and walked out of the room, leaving Y/n and Logan alone in the thick silence that followed his departure. Y/n let out a breath she didn’t realize she had been holding, her hand still resting on Logan’s arm.

“Are you okay?” she asked quietly, looking up at him.

Logan’s expression softened as he looked down at her, some of the anger fading from his eyes. “I’m fine, Y/n. But we need to be careful. Erik’s not someone to be trusted.”

Y/n nodded, though she couldn’t shake the feeling that Erik’s words had struck a chord with Logan. There was a darkness in his eyes, a shadow that hadn’t been there before, and it made her worry about what the future held for them.

As they rejoined the others, Y/n couldn’t help but feel that things were about to get a lot more complicated. The fragile peace they had managed to maintain was hanging by a thread, and she had a feeling that it wouldn’t take much to tear it apart.

And as she glanced at Logan, she knew that the possessiveness he felt for her, the fierce protectiveness that drove him, could either be their salvation—or their undoing.

[jmdbjk]

Mental gymnastics...

I am flipping out. That's all. Just my brain doing cartwheels and whatever those things are called where you flip between those high bars and let go for a breathless second and then grab onto reality again. Or this...

Too much Olympics these past few weeks I guess... anyway.

WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT! I may or may not mention scenes in detail and their outcomes during these long rambling messy posts beginning with the next sentence.

Before I get into it... kudos to the staff for keeping up with these two and for suffering many extremely anxious moments as Jimin and Jungkook drove themselves through NYC, as Jungkook and then both Jimin and Jungkook rode the motorcycle through traffic, and the few heart stopping moments when JK flipped his kayak over and then they took off down the river alone before staff caught up with them. Not to mention probably looking up the nearest ER/urgent care facility in case Jimin got too dehydrated from his bout with the stomach bug.

Seriously though, their lives and global headlines had to flash before their eyes when JK disappeared underwater under that kayak... so big applause for the staff/production crew for not shitting THEIR pants thirteen times too.

So here are some of my thoughts. I'll begin with the first episode...

Episode 1:

In the opening scene, I'm assuming this is Antoya Korean BBQ restaurant. They were talking about JK's sore throat and that he had to visit a medical facility. Jimin kept on about it. It seemed like JK's "stop babying me" attitude bubbled up a little bit. Let them be them. As you can see, JK adjusted Jimin's beanie so he could see his eyes. They were fine.

Pause and reflect: they didn't know what to expect with this idea of a travel show. The moment above happened on Thursday evening, July 13. Both of them were working. Jimin was still working on his concepts, photos, MV and whatnot, planning to finish everything for Muse in the coming months. Jungkook had a full schedule for promoting Seven which was dropping the next day. He had to get up early for Good Morning America concert in the park.

I'm stating all this for point of reference. Nothing is static. JK was in work mode: he had a performance the next day and also not feeling well himself. Jimin had been on a plane for 14 hours. Just keep these things in mind before jumping to conclusions.

In the next scene (the next day) back at the hotel after JK's done with his performance and when he's packing to go on this trip he's all in and ready to go. Hurry up Jimin!

Jimin asked him how the live performance went. As we know, the GMA live performance was mostly rained out. Before the storm came through, they quickly pre-recorded the performances before it would have been time for the live broadcast and then shut it down. Jungkook had to be driven quickly to the studio to be interviewed to fill the leftover time in the program that more of his live performance would have taken up.

Hearing Jungkook say "this isn't my first rodeo" was never going to be on any bingo card in my lifetime.

I don't know what he was scribbling on that iPad but it looked geometric. He was focused. Maybe it was something for the next week's performance, maybe it was a sketch for music show staging, trying to recreate that flower archway they saw at Antoya the night before? maybe he was doodling in Canva... we don't know.

Me either, Jimin... (this was the first of all the hilarious gems that begin to shower down on us).

They are both known to be perfectionists when it comes to their work. And we know they've also both performed when feeling less than 100% on that stage. Jungkook realized there were circumstances beyond his control and he took it in stride.

FYI, in New York City, they stayed at the Loews Regency on E. 61st Street in Manhattan. It is between Madison Ave. and Park Avenue and not far from Central Park. Swanky. The suite looks like the 2-bedroom "Park Avenue Suite" and runs $2100 a night... gasp. Yes, its the same suite where JK did his live after his rained upon GMA appearance. During this live he mentioned being poked with needles, IV's and shots in the butt as well as teasing us with what would become Are You Sure:

No, I don't think Jimin stayed in this suite with JK. Jimin's room had a smaller bathroom and a shower curtain instead of a glass shower door. Staff with camera woke him up.

To be that beautiful when rolling out of bed... anyway, I digress...

It truly was unplanned and spontaneous as if they were doing this with the idea of "let's try it and see if it can be viable." Even Jimin wasn't sure if any of this could be aired.

Once they got in the Jeep they started to find their groove. Being alone, just them, was what they needed. They could focus on what was ahead of them. The driving moments were some of the best for me.

We eventually learn that Jimin wasn't feeling well and I'm certain this is what Jungkook was telling Yoongi during that episode of Suchwita, along with the elbowing in the nose.

Seems like Jimin's stomach trouble started when they were at the first restaurant, the burger place. The bathroom visits continued at the brewery and into the evening at the campsite.

Jimin had some sort of stomach bug that kept him on the toilet a lot and he ran a little bit of a temp. I am sad that he wasn't feeling 100% when they were on the yacht the next day but he still seemed to enjoy it enough to find the humor in his situation. He was a real trooper.

It sure didn't stop him from eating. My man was very brave in that regard. Me... no way I'd be stuffing my face with a big greasy burger when at any moment I might need to make a run for the toilet.

They get back on the road and these are the moments that I wait for:

After arguing in satoori about who is the worst driver between them, they start shopping at Dick's.

And get recognized...

After shopping excursion at Dick's, they finally head to High Nine Brewery...

Jimin's first sample wasn't to his taste (again). His taste buds were probably a little off since he had the stomach thing going on... but JK's eyebrows say that his sample was pretty good.

They finally settle on a hard seltzer and a pale ale and relax for a little bit. Jungkook is still wondering what would make good subject matter to film. They are truly making it up as they go...

Jimin proceeds to explain and an interaction happens and I am not sure what to think about it:

I am going to end this post here because they are now on their way to the kayaks and that segment deserves its own post and I have too many screen shots of it to fit in this post.

[These are all my own opinions about what I am seeing and hearing them say and from what I am observing from the video. It's ok if your opinion is different from mine.]

[lovesickonmybed]

teaching you a lesson in the worst kind of way | 18+

masterlist | info about palestine | donate to gaza

pairing | boss!ellie x reader

synopsis | you show up late for work once again and ellie decides another lecture just won’t do. 

warnings |  18+ MDNI!! wedgies, degradation, humiliation, panty sniffing, cunt busting, borderline footjob kind of??, a little bit of pantyhose fetish, dom!ellie, sub!reader, unbalanced power dynamics, lots and lots of dirty talk, oral sex reader!receiving.

word count | 3354

a/n | i used this fic as an excuse to explore a new kink i’ve been into. it might be a little much for some people so if anything in the warnings sounds unappealing please keep scrolling. this was also partially inspired by an audio i found on soundgasm, which you can listen to here. i urge you to not buy any of the last of us games, including the remaster as the creator, neil druckmann is a zionist. the second game is based off of the israeli occupation in palestine and you can learn more about that here.

You didn’t mean to make a habit out of being late but your shitbox car has made a habit out of deciding not to start on your busiest work days. You try to start it up again but once again it sputters pathetically and shows no signs of starting, you scream and grasp the steering wheel in frustration. “God fucking dammit! Ellie is gonna kill me…” You groan, swinging the door open and walk to your apartment lobby to call an Uber. You’re lucky enough to get one in under 5 minutes and spend the whole ride praying there won’t be much traffic, but unfortunately for you the universe is cruel and there’s an insane amount of traffic that makes you even more late than you already would be. You make a quick call to Ellie’s secretary to let her know you’ll be late and brace yourself for how much shit you’ll be in once you arrive. 

The last time you were late you got a 30 minute lecture from Ellie, a write up, and fingernail indents in your thighs thanks to your anxious habits. Ellie wasn’t a mean or a bad boss, but once you pissed her off she made it clear that you’d have to go the extra mile to get back in her good graces. Bringing Ellie her Dutch Bros order a few times a week definitely helped you out, but after your car giving out for the 3rd time in 6th months, you’re not sure if electric berry lemonades could save your ass this time. 

Your Uber pulls up outside your office building and you thank your driver for the ride and head inside quickly, looking down for a second to leave 5 stars and a good tip. You make your way to Ellie’s office as quickly as you can and thank the universe that she’s speaking with her secretary when you arrive. 

Ellie is looking down at her secretary's computer screen, running her finger underneath the sentence she’s reading, mumbling the words aloud to herself. Ellie’s secretary nudges her to alert her to your presence. She looks up and narrows her eyes, leaning down to whisper something to her secretary. She nods her head in the direction of her office and you follow her inside, playing with the hair tie on your wrist to calm your nerves. Ellie holds the door open for you and you take a moment to admire her outfit, a pinstripe suit with the buttons on her blazer undone to show off her silky black button down that’s tucked into the pants. This is one of the rare days where she’s chosen to wear heels instead of her usual oxfords. You sit down in the comfy chair in front of her desk as she sits in her chair behind her desk.

“Late again, I really thought our last talk would’ve gotten through to you,” Ellie says, shaking her head with disappointment. You sigh, looking down at your lap with embarrassment. You take a second to try and choose the best way to respond, you’ve already pissed her off enough by being almost 30 minutes late, you really can’t afford to push your luck any further.

“I’m so sorry, I know I’ve been late already a few times this quarter. I’ve been having a lot of car trouble, I’ve been waiting on my tax return to get it fixed, I can’t really afford it at the moment…” You explain, feeling yourself get hot with embarrassment as you start to pick at your pantyhose cover thighs. 

“We can discuss your car later, we’ll help you figure something out. But for now, I want to address your outfit. That skirt you’re wearing is too short, I’m gonna give you a warning for now but if you wear it again you’re getting another write up.” 

“You’re joking right? My high school had a stricter dress code than we do and I wore this all the time. There’s no way it’s too short!” You’re pissed off now, it feels like Ellie is just trying to find something to punish you for at this point.

“Well this isn’t a high school and I don’t care if you wore it then, it’s inappropriate and I need you to not wear it again. You’re lucky I’m not sending you home to change,” Ellie says, narrowing her eyes.

“I wish it was high school, at least they’d give me something else to wear!” Your frustration from how the morning has gone so far is getting to you and you snap a little bit.

“You know what? Get up,” Ellie commands, getting up out of her chair and standing over you.

“What?” You’re incredibly confused by what Ellie has planned for you for your little outburst, if you’re getting written up for insubordination you don’t know why you have to stand.

“I said get. Up.” Oh, she’s not fucking with you.

You slowly rise to your feet in confusion, furrowing your brows and looking around the room. Ellie gets out from behind her desk and steps towards you, grabbing you by your shoulders and spinning you around so that you’re facing away from her. “You know, if this was high school, I don’t think you’d like me very much. I’m sure you were a little loser, a little nerd maybe, back then. Probably got picked on and teased by girls like me, hm? Girls like me would punish girls like you for talking back with a good old fashioned wedgie.” Ellie grabs the waist of your skirt, pulling it back and reaching a hand inside your skirt. She slowly grabs the waistbands of your pantyhose and panties and yanks them up quickly, sending you stumbling forward onto your toes in an attempt to escape the searing pain she’s sent up your ass. She laughs as you reach back to try and tug them out of your hands, it just motivates her to pull harder. “Stop taking it like a little bitch, we both know you had your panties yanked every day of your miserable high school life.”

You cry out in pain as she bends you over her desk and pulls even harder. You grasp at the wood as you feel your feet lift off the ground as she pulls, it sends the fabric of your panties between your folds and you bite your lip to hold back a whimper. Oddly enough the sensation between your folds gets you wet and whiny. “Do you wish it was high school now? I could always throw in a swirly if this isn’t enough for you!”

“Let me go! This isn’t okay!” You yell, trying to force yourself up. Ellie slams you back down onto her desk with no problem and pulls even harder, your pantyhose ripping in the process. You haven’t felt this humiliated in years. Ellie pulls your skirt up for a better view of your wedgied ass. 

“God these are practically disappearing inside you…” She mumbles to herself, fighting the urge to spread your cheeks for a better look at just how deep your wedgie really is. You manage to kick Ellie off of you and you feel the air get knocked out of your lungs as you hit the desk and tumble to the ground. You back yourself up against the desk and catch your breath, Ellie lets you, watching you and smiling as she plans her next move. “Don’t move an inch,” she commands.

You look up at her with fearful eyes. Your black skirt is bunched up around your waist, your ripped pantyhose and pretty white panties are stuffed deep between your folds. Ellie admires the view she has of your legs spread open, she smiles and nudges your inner thigh with her foot, pointing it towards your cunt. “Do I work you so hard you don’t have time to shave? Shame that such a pretty pussy is all covered up with that hair. I wonder how that pussy wedgie would feel if you had shaved, do you think it would hurt worse?”

You gulp and nod, not sure if she really wants you to answer her. “Y-Yeah, it probably would…” You answer meekly. Your eyes follow Ellies foot as she trails it up your inner thigh. She tests the waters, pressing the sole of her shoe against your cunt. She looks down at you and carefully analyzes your expressions.

“When you go home tonight I want you to shave, I want you to really feel it when you get that pretty little cunt flossed. Got it?” Ellie’s tone is demanding, she’s not asking you to, she’s telling you to. “You wanna be a good little employee right? Wanna follow my orders? Then do it.” Who are you to disobey her?

“Yes ma’am.” Ellie smiles down at you as you agree to follow her orders. You feel her shoe press harder against your cunt and against all better judgment you lift your hips and press yourself into the sole of her shoe, wincing at the slight pain and eyes rolling back at the pleasurable feeling. 

Ellies lets out a breathy laugh, “You like this? What are you, a little pain slut? God, who would’ve guessed my little glorified coffee runner gets off on getting her cunt wrecked.” Ellie draws her foot back like she’s about to kick you, leaning forward on one foot, placing her hand on her desk to stabilize herself. She looks down at you and tilts her head to the side, “Are you wet? Your panties are plugging you up, it’s hard to tell. Maybe I need to kick ‘em loose so I can see for myself, hm?” Ellie draws her leg back further, getting herself ready. She smirks down at you before delivering a light kick to your stuffed cunt. You gasp loudly, falling forward, throwing your arm forward to stop yourself from falling on your face. Your eyes well up with tears and you let out a guttural moan, this is a pain you’ve never felt before. It has you clawing at the carpet and leaking hot tears. But, your eyes aren’t the only thing leaking. Somehow, someway, the pain from the kick has quickly melted into pleasure. You can feel your clit twitch as you lay propped up on the floor, squeaking softly, your hips jumping up off the floor.

Ellie looks at you with a shit eating grin, reveling in your pathetic display. “Lay back against the desk and let me see if they got any looser,” she commands. She knows it’s impossible for her to kick them loose, she just wants a good view of your pathetic puffy cunt. You prop yourself back up against the desk and spread your legs for her, she gets down on her knees and crawls forward to you. She lays herself down on the floor and grabs your thighs, spreading them further apart. She shoves her face between your thighs, carefully inspecting your cunt. You can feel her breath on your thighs and against your clothed cunt, it makes you whine like a little bitch. 

“Pretty pussy getting plugged up just like it should…” She mumbles, running her finger along your stuffed slit. You throw your head back against the wood and whine, your hips bucking slightly at the feeling. Ellie smirks, knowing she’s got you right where she wants you. “Poor baby, probably haven’t been touched in so long…bet whatever pathetic toy you’ve got in your bedside drawer gets a lot of use, hm?” She grabs the fabric of your panties, slowly pulling it out of you as you whine in pain. You didn’t think it would be possible for it to hurt worse taking your wedgie out than it did actually getting wedgied but somehow it does.

Ellie leans forward and nudges her nose against your clothed clit causing you to yelp and dig your nails into the soft meat of your thigh. “So sensitive, I’m shocked you didn’t cum from just your wedgie alone…” She stands up and motions for you to do the same, you feel a bit weak as you do, using the desk to support yourself as you stand. You lean back against the desk, your skirt still bunched up over your waist, the stiff fabric staying in place. Ellie admires the view she has of your soaked and stretched out panties, the way she looks at you makes you melt. You know you shouldn’t be so wet after what she just did but something deep down in you wants her to do it again. 

“Can I…can I taste you? I know you probably taste so fucking good…please let me make you feel good,” Ellie pleads, walking closer to you before dropping to her knees in front of you. She removes her blazer quickly, tossing the pinstriped fabric behind her. You hop up on the desk, spreading your legs, as you watch her push the sleeves up on her button down shirt. “Tell me I can taste you honey, need to hear you say it…”

You look down at her, biting your lip softly. You enjoy watching her plead like that, for once you’re in control. “You can taste me, baby. Gotta make me cum, gotta make it up to my poor little cunt after what you did to her. Make it good.”

Ellie smirks up at you, looking as smug as ever with a shit eating grin. She hooks her arms under your thighs and pulls you closer to her, “I’ll make it the best you’ve ever had.” She grabs hold on your waistband and begins to pull down your underwear, stuffing them into the pocket of her pants as she removes the fabric from your body. She leans forward and you lift your legs over her arms, resting them on her shoulders. Her face is barely an inch from your cunt and you throw your head back to look at the ceiling to try and get yourself to relax. You bite your lip to hold back a whine as you feel Ellie breathing against your naked cunt, you can practically feel the smirk radiating off of her, she knows the effect she has on you and she’s proud of it. You gasp as you feel her begin to kiss your inner thighs, she moves closer and closer to your cunt before she takes your redden clit into her mouth and sucks. Your hand shoots down to her head and you grip her hair at the root as your eyes widen, you haven’t had anyone eat you out for a very long time.

She smiles and slowly pulls away from your cunt, your legs still resting over her shoulders. “You react like a fucking virgin, y’know that? I’m shocked you didn’t cum just from that,” she chuckles cockily. You roll your eyes at her and tug at her auburn locks, causing her to wince in pain. “You little bitch, I can bust that cunt of yours again y’know?” You let go of her hair and lean back on your palms. Ellie leans forward and continues, licking a stripe up your slit and using her tongue to play with your clit. This time you don’t allow yourself to hold back, you moan in pleasure. Ellie smiles and continues on, repeating the motion as you squirm beneath her, licking at your clit every now and then.

“Ellie how the fuck did you get so good at this?” You whine, your eyebrows furrowing as you start to softly grind against her face, using her hair as an anchor. You ease up on her hair so she can pull away to answer, “I was really popular in college,” she jokes, before immediately diving right back in. 

Your hips buck up in pleasure as she goes back to sucking your clit, sending waves of pleasure through your body. You grip her hair even tighter and grind your cunt against her face, borderline riding it at this point. She lets you use her as she uses her tongue to massage your clit while she sucks on it. She widens her mouth to suck your cunt as well and that’s all it takes to send you over the edge. Your hips leave the table and you pull her hair with all your might as you spasm underneath her, moaning out her name, your legs tightening around her head involuntarily as you practically fold in on yourself. She lets you come down from your high, drinking you up enthusiastically, letting you make a mess all over her face. When you manage to come down you let your legs fall open and Ellie finally is able to get some air. You lay back and admire her flushed face, the lower half of it is covered in your slick and it’s a sight you’d pay to see again. 

You let your legs dangle off the desk, feeling like they’re made of jelly as both you and Ellie recover. Your cheeks heat up as you watch Ellie wipe the slick from her face with your underwear, giving them a sniff before she tucks them back in her pocket. She gets up from the ground and walks around her desk, sitting down in her chair and cradling your head. “You’re so fuckin pretty, you were so good for me,” she says, smiling down at you, stroking your cheek lovingly. 

“Where did you learn to eat pussy like that, I’m so serious?” You ask, giggling to yourself when her cheeks turn red and she looks up at the ceiling. 

“I told you! I was very popular in college!” She laughs and brushes some of your hair out of your face. You can see a bit of slick still on her chin and you’d be lying if you said you didn’t love it.

“How am I supposed to work after that? My legs feel like jelly, my cunt is pretty sore, and you stole my panties and destroyed them.”

Ellie chuckles, “I guess I could give you the day off…or maybe just assign you to work with me all day while I help you figure out what to do about your car situation.” 

You groan, you had completely forgotten about your car, “Shit. I doubt there’s anything I can do, I swear she’s done for this time!” You had a lot of memories in your car, a lot of them involved screaming to I Don’t Care by Fall Out Boy before going into work. 

“I’ll help you figure it out, pretty girl. It’s the least I could do after dress coding you over some bullshit and wrecking your cunt,” Ellie says. 

“Oh so you admit the dress coding was bullshit!” You exclaim, sitting up and hopping off the desk, pulling your skirt back down and smoothing it out. You sit down in the chair you had sat in earlier when she had called you in and look at Ellie with your arms crossed in annoyance.

Ellie rolls her eyes and huffs, “Of course it was bullshit, but hey I needed a reason to keep you in here longer. You have no idea how long I’ve been wanting to fuck you, it’s been so hard to try and be professional with you around.” You take a minute to wrap your head around what Ellie just said.

“You what?” You’re shocked she’d admit to it.

“I’m not sure why, but after we had that work event at the arcade with the karaoke room I’ve been thinking about you. Maybe it was seeing you in casual clothes or seeing you sing your heart out to Sugar, We’re Goin Down but something about you that night just awakened something in me. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you, it was driving me crazy,” Ellie confesses. You sit across from her and your jaw is practically on the floor.

“So you really like me? You didn’t just want to fuck me, right?” You ask once you’ve regained the ability to speak. 

“Yeah, I really fucking like you,” she smirks.

“HR is gonna have a field day with us…”

[mxyirin]

Yandere!Gaara

warnings: yandere!gaara, younger!gaara, older!reader, female!reader, non-confirmed age gap but not the illegal kind, normal yandere themes, pronouns used are she/her, unreliable narrative so reader is referred as '[name]' or you

― 𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐏 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐒

▸ There was one thing Gaara thought that he liked among the darkness.

▸It happened to be [Name], the daughter of the owner of the local florist in Suna. 

▸To the little redhead, [Name] had been light when he was shunned by everyone, even his own family, who were scared of him.

▸She was the reason he lived.

▸Offeriong him sweet candies secretly whenever she could or offering to teach him about the flowers in the shop.

▸When her parents decided to travel the world when [Name] was old enough, she took over the shop.

▸At the same time he became the Kazekage.

▸Gaara continued to woo her so that he could win her affection.

▸He didn't succeed until the tailed beast was separated from him, making him more rational.

▸Without the beast, his obsession grew but didn't leak that would make [Name] run away from him.

▸Gaara and [Name], would be forever together.

You stepped on the hard tiles of your shared home as softly as possible to not alert a certain redhead.

Only to open the door to your bedroom to see Gaara with his arms crossed.

His sea-green eyes seemed too intense as they gazed upon you, making you cringe and step back.

"Where were you?" Gaara asked, his tone was calm but underneath that facade was a possessive man who didn't want you to stay away from him. 

"You left without telling me." His tone tune accusatory making you gulp as your mind raced to what you could say to him.

"I just wanted some... some fresh air." Your voice turned timid as you finished the sentence making those cold green eyes soften to a degree.

"You know how dangerous the world is right?" When you nod, he continues: "Don't go without informing or I won't be able to protect you."

He wanted to have some ninjas guard you from the shadows but betrayal was easy, especially among humans, he thought about how his friend Naruto had summoning frogs and thought he should also do the same.

"You wanted fresh air right, let's go." Gaara dragged your body into his arms and held you close.

The relationship was nice in the beginning, you felt flattered that such a high-ranked man wanted you.

Soon, you realised that the rose too had its thorns.

You were isolated and while you were introverted in nature, it didn't mean you absolutely disliked every human interaction.

There were some people you liked but in the end, even they drifted apart because of Gaara who used all the tactics so you could only rely on him.

With everyone running away in fear, your flower shop was forced to be closed making you rely on Gaara even more now that he had the power in the monetary terms as well.

There was no space for you, you thought to yourself.

Then a hand gripped your wrist tightly making you wince.

"Who are you thinking about?" The dark undertone in Gaara's voice made you shiver and he tightened the grip on your wrist.

"No one." You replied trying to get back your wrist which was now hurting.

"Really?" 

Seeing you nod, Gaara loosened the grip on your hand and you could see the skin become bruised under the harsh grip.

The redhead clicked his tone as he gently brushed his fingers on the dark bruise on your wrist

"See, how will you live without me?"

He loved you too much, he could not let you go.

Gaara would never let you go.

character: gaara anime name: naruto requested: dinxx_vii

a/n: i was originally gonna write manipulative reader again but i felt i need to write something different this time.

[balloonboyismyson]

I have been thinking a lot about RUIN lately and the reasons for why some things are true. The biggest thing that has been bugging my mind is how are Freddy and Monty still active? All of the animatronics are messed up, but the two are special cases.

Yes- they are both extremely wrecked, however, I am focused on 2 major issues: Freddy, his head, and Monty, his legs. Or, well, their lack-there-of. Both of them are missing key components to operate.

Talking about Freddy first, in Security Breach we see in both the Princess Quest Ending as well as immediately before to the initial Parts 'n' Service repair minigame that he is fully functional as just a head.

This tells us that his AI, battery [as seen in the Van Ending], voice box and all other essential parts of him are located there. Because of this, we can make the assumption that Prototype Freddy has none of these. Without his head, Freddy should be completely out of order.

Moving onto Monty, we see in his Decommissioning Scene that he gets broken in half, losing his legs. Since he is still able to move around at first glance, he seems more-or-less functionable.

However, we know that the animatronics charge via the Charging Stations located around the Pizzaplex. From what we see, it appears they charge through their soles.

Without his legs, it is quite literally almost impossible for him to charge. Freddy can at least charge through his ears, but Monty has no appendages showing from his head. His hair is not metal [like Roxy's], and unfortunately, it can be assumed it is nonconductive. Without a charging source, he will eventually lose power and stop working.

From looking at the damage, abandoned construction and graffiti, my guess is that RUIN comes out at least one year after Security Breach. By this time, there is no doubt that the animatronics have needed to charge. Since there is running water, it can be assumed that there is also electricity.

So, since it is completely improbable that Freddy and Monty could still be active, why are they? My conclusion is that the Virus is stored in their mechanisms, not their internal systems. Freddy states in the True Ending of Security Breach that he is able to hear his friends in turmoil, meaning their AIs are not affected by the Virus.

This is why I believe Monty is so rabid in RUIN. His AI is most likely hibernating from lack of charge, so right now his body only has the Virus moving him around. This is why he only growls and never speaks, as well as why he has no self-preservation and will slam into walls left and right- he has no AI active to articulate sentences or to alert him to things outside of his directive.

[stargirlrchive]

ocean eyes: chapter six ✩ jake sully

masterlist ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ ocean eyes masterlist

summary: widow!jake sully x female!reader, 10 year age-gap. jake is lowkey sunshine <3 reader is grumpy! arranged marriage/marriage of convenience + wc - 3,843

comments: hi babies, chapter six! dramaaaaa, i love her! also if there are like a million bijillion run on sentences, no there isn't! okay byeeee hope you all love her just as much as i do! <3

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Jake had asked you to join his family for one more meal before the celebration with the clan. Nerves bubbled in your chest as Ronal fixed you up, braiding a few beads and shells into your hair. “Why are you so nervous? You said you’ve had dinner with them before.”

Your fingers began to fidget with your loin cloth, “Yes but-things are different now, Ronal. Not that I did not care before but I really hope his children like me.”

Your lips tugged down into a small frown as the thought of Jake’s children disliking you swirled your mind, “I’m sure that will not be an issue, syulang. Just-be yourself!”

You huffed out a breath as she tapped on your shoulder, “All done.”

You stood up, throwing a final look at Ronal before you walked out of the marui. Your steps were slow, taking your time to make it to Jake’s home. Things were different this time around, so many things left unsaid between the two of you but he had cracked the wall you had formed around your heart. Shattering the idea that you were happy alone, and it only completely disintegrated into ash when you made peace with your sister. But there were so many things changing and you couldn’t help but want to slow everything down.

Missing the comfort that had come with the loneliness, no one to disappoint you, and no one to disappoint.

Your thoughts were cut short as you picked up on the familiar voices of Jake’s children, heart pounding rapidly the closer you got.

“You think she will like it, sempul?”

Jake was watching Tuk fuss over a necklace she had made you, the small girl had dedicated so much time into the gift and Jake couldn’t help but smile at her, patting her hair lightly, “She will love it, Tuktirey.”

As you peaked your head into the entrance you instantly began to feel overwhelmed, watching Jake and his children interact. The way they all laughed together, and busied themself with each other. It was not that you disliked kids, it was more so that you did not know what your place was in this dynamic.

You had gotten to know his children, they were all kind and dedicated, but you would be stepping into the role of their fathers mate, things could turn ugly so quickly. Everything felt so complicated and you felt the urge to run. Run far away and make up some excuse as to why you did not make it. You stumbled back, ready to disappear in the darkness that had enveloped the reefs but the movement alerted Jake.

His smile faltered a bit as he noticed the odd look on your face, you looked like you were going to be sick. He called your name and all you did was blink at him a few times. You looked behind you, still contemplating if you could run away and Jake noticed your apprehension, standing quickly to make his way to you.

His hand instantly cupped your face when he was near enough, pushing the two of you away from the eyes of his children, “Hey-hey what’s wrong?”

Jake’s face was pinched up in confusion, growing desperate at your silence. “I-”

A shaky breath left you, trying your hardest not to melt into his hold. His fingers were rubbing across your jaw, his other hand had fallen to your hips to steady you, “I’m nervous.”

Jake let out a laugh, all breathy and it caused your ears to flutter, “Do not laugh at me.”

Your face pinched up in annoyance but he could still see your uneasiness. Fidgeting in his hold as the arm on your hip moved down to the base of your tail, patting lightly and it caused your face to heat up, “Nothing for you to be nervous about, the kids really like you.”

Your ears twitched, and your tail began to swish lazily, “Really?”

“Mhm.”

Jake’s fingers moved to your arm, fingers barely gliding over your skin, causing your cheeks to warm up again. You finally met his eyes and were shocked with the way he was watching you. Rooted to your spot as his eyes reflected against the moonlight, they reminded you of bright stars.

“You okay now?”

Your eyes jumped down to his lips for a brief second, nodding your head as Jake smiled at you, catching the way your shoulders eased up and the nervousness in your eyes melted away to something sweet.

He didn’t even hesitate as he leaned down, pressing a quick kiss to your lips. He pulled away and let his hand fall to your wrist, pulling you into his marui. You were greeted with smiles from all of his kids, Lo’ak, Neteyam, and Kiri had also picked up on your nervousness. Doing their best to just keep busy with what they were already doing, helping set up for the six of you to eat.

They did in fact like you, enjoyed the way their father seemed to breathe easier, enjoyed the way you were able to keep up with them and encourage them to relax, and just be children. They decided you were a good addition.

Tuk was absolutely obsessed with you, always trailing close by when you were around them, and tonight was no different. The young girl ran to greet you and pulled you from her father. Talking your ear off about the ilu she had finally learned to ride, going on and on about her favorite animals in the sea. Jake let her do so, watching the way you interacted with his youngest as he helped his oldest three set up.

Tuk whispered something quietly and it caused you to laugh and look over at Jake. His eyebrows raised as you kept laughing, “Tuk?”

The young girl turned to look at her father, sending him the smile she reserved for when she was in trouble, “Come help set up?”

Tuk only nodded excitedly, running away from you and happy to help her older siblings. Jake made his way to you, “What was that about? Hm?”

Jake’s voice was dripping with amusement, it caused another laugh to rip from your throat, “She told me I do not have to eat the food if I do not like it.”

Jake’s brows scrunched up, he spent hours making this meal for the six of you, “Why would she think you would not like it?”

Your hand fell to your lips, trying your hardest not to laugh and it caused Jake’s eyes to narrow in on you, “Because-you made it.”

Jake’s mouth dropped slightly, mildly offended as he had spent such a long time preparing everything, “I am sure I will like it, Jake. I am not picky.”

You were fighting the smile trying to make its way onto your face, “I just hope I do not end up sick.”

“Hey!-”

That caused the laugh to rip from your throat, shaking your head, “I am only teasing!”

Kiri was watching the two of you closely, smiling lightly before she called out that everything was ready.

A few hours had passed and Tuk’s eyes were heavy with sleep, fighting her hardest to stay awake, “Tuk, you want to give her the gift?”

The girl perked up, standing up quickly as she grabbed something and hid it behind her hands. She stood behind you, “Close your eyes.”

You did as told, feeling her slip something onto your collarbones, it was a necklace. “Open!”

You instantly looked down and were met with a pretty single string necklace, small shells and beads all coordinated perfectly and you smiled at her, “I love it Tuk! Thank you.”

She laughed and shyly made her way to Jake, “Time for bed, Tuk.”

She didn’t even protest, only nodding her head as she made her way to where Kiri was already sleeping. “I should go already.”

Jake stood up with you, slipping his fingers into yours as he pulled you out of his home, “Jake, you do not have to walk me back.”

“Want to.”

Your tail swished behind you gently, smiling as he pulled you closer to him, your shoulders pressed to his as he pulled you along. “Are you ready for tomorrow?”

You clamped down on your bottom lip, nervously waiting for his response, “Are you?”

“I asked first.”

Jake only laughed, shaking his head as he stopped beside your marui. “Yes, I am.”

The hand that was not holding your wrist fell to your neck, pulling you closer to him, “Me too.”

Jake smiled down at you, his fangs peeking out slightly as he scanned over your face. His face dipped down, your lips meeting his as he pulled you in closer. Nipping gently at your bottom lip, your lips parted for him. His tongue was lazily moving across yours, mind fuzzy as his hands fell to your hips. Gripping lightly to pull you flush against him.

You were not used to this, not used to these genuine displays of affection and as much as you enjoyed it, you feared what getting used to it might cost you.

You pulled away, needing to catch your breath and Jake’s forehead fell against yours, “You make it so hard for me to leave you.”

You shook your head, pressing your lips to his once more, “You make it hard. Why-why do you kiss me like that?”

Jake brows furrowed together, “Like how?”

“Like you mean it.”

Jake was trying to understand what was leaving your mouth, why would you even question it? Because of course he fucking meant it, “I do mean it.”

Your heart was hammering in your chest, “I meant it the first time I kissed you, and all the times in between.”

You let out a deep breath, unable to stop the way your chest warmed at his words. You didn’t know what to say, only pulling him in again to press another kiss to his lips.

You think he understood what you were trying to say, that you meant it too. Clinging onto him as he kissed you harder with more determination, the two of you seemingly unable to keep your hands to yourself.

The lack of oxygen made your mind hazy, you only jolted away from him at the sound of someone clearing their throat. Tonowari was staring at the two of you, brows raised, “See the two of you are getting along.”

Jake cleared his throat, stepping away from you as his face colored in embarrassment.

“Tonowari-”

“No need to apologize, JakeSully. Next time just-go somewhere more private. Yes?”

He did not wait for the two of you to respond, stepping back into his marui. Your hand swatted Jake’s chest, and he grunted quietly. “You need to keep your hands to yourself.”

“Me?! You were the one that just attacked me.”

You laughed quietly, moving farther from him as you walked towards the entrance of your marui, “See you tomorrow.”

You only hummed quietly, Jake’s eyes fixated on the sway of your hips, “Bye!”

You laughed at how loud his voice was, and Jake felt the unbelievable giddiness swarm his chest at the sound, walking back to his marui with the biggest grin on his face.

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You had not seen Jake since the night prior, being pulled in every direction as the clan prepared for the feast. Even now you felt your mind hazy at the chaos in the marui, Tsireya and Ronal were working together to get you ready. Ronal had been braiding your hair while Tsireya incorporated pearls wherever she thought it looked best. You took a deep breath to try and settle the nerves in your stomach, adjusting the beautiful top Ronal had made for you.

“You look beautiful, syulang. Stop fidgeting.”

You grumbled out in annoyance, “I’m trying.”

It was dark out and even from the inside of your marui you could hear the music and loud singing. Tsireya squirmed with excitement as she roughly shook your shoulders, “I am so excited!”

You clamped down on your bottom lip as you tried to fight the smile that was making its way to your face, you were too. “Okay, we are done tsmuke. Ready?”

You only nodded your head as you stood, unable to find your voice as Tsireya began to pull you out of your home. The closer you got to the beach, the louder the pounding of the music hit your ears, same with how roughly your heart was pounding in your chest.

This felt scarier than anything you had ever done, hands clammy the deeper Tsireya dragged you around. As normal, every Na’vi greeted you properly, sending you smiles and greeting you properly. You had always been so loved by the clan, and rumors had begun to spread of your impending nuptials, though no one knew with whom. But to say they were excited was an understatement, everyone had pulled out their finest pieces of clothing, the fisherman had gathered piles and piles of fish, same with the woman who had gone all out with decorations and their picking of fruits and vegetables. It was a huge ordeal, Na’vi from neighboring islands had even made their way over. It was a lot. And you would be lying if you said your heart did not warm at the fact that this was for you.

Your eyes scanned through the sea of Na’vi, looking for the azure skin you had begun to grow accustomed to. You felt your face warm up as you made eye contact with Jake, he sent you a smile and your ears fluttered gently as you sent him one back. When you were a few feet away your motions were stilled as someone lodged themself between you and Tsireya. Your face scrunched up in annoyance as your hands dropped your niece’s. Your eyes locked onto broad shoulders, teal blue and toned as they towered over you. “Hello.”

You felt your spine tense up as Ro’han’s voice filled your ears. There was a shit-eating smirk on his features, moving to block your view from your family who was in front of you. “What do you want?”

He tsked quietly, “Where are your manners?”

Your arms crossed over your chest, annoyance causing you to boil from the inside out. “Move.”

“I heard there are congratulations in order. You are to mate, no?”

You said nothing, heart hammering roughly in your chest as his face flitted to one of sheer cockiness, his head dipping down to whisper to you quietly, “Does he know his future mate was mine first?”

Your throat clenched as he laughed, moving himself away from you. His head dipping down as his fingers reached to his forehead, signaling you goodbye. You felt frozen, like the breath was sucked out of you as your legs felt heavy. Unable to move as you struggled to catch your breath.

Jake had been watching you the whole way, only being shielded from you as the Metkayina warrior he knew as Ro’han stepped in front of you. He did not think much of it, truth be told he was just anxious to have you by his side. But concern filled his body as he noticed how tense you were as Ro’han walked away from you.

His face scrunched up as he noticed how alert Ronal was, walking quickly and pulling you closer to her as she spoke to you quietly. Her arms were rubbing at your sides, trying to comfort you as she pulled you in.

“Sister, what did he say to you?”

Your head just shook, unable to stop the way your throat burned, “I will kill him!”

Ronal had moved from you, it forced you to snap out of the inner turmoil you were having, “No-no! Ronal!”

You pulled at her forearm to keep her in place, her eyes were blazing in anger, wide and frantic. “Tsmuke-just ignore it. I am fine, he is just a skxawng.”

Ronal’s anger only dimmed when she noticed the frown on your face, the need to comfort you over powering anything else as she gripped onto your wrist, pulling you with her towards Tonowari.

Anger blazing through your older sister as she practically stomped towards him. Her ears pinned back as she barked out, “I do not like him, Wari!”

Tonowari looked at you with trepidation, cringing slightly as he noticed how agitated Ronal was, “Who, yawne?”

“Ro’han! Eywa-I could pluck his eyes out myself!”

You stifled a laugh as Ronal lightly swatted Tonowari’s arms away. He was trying to comfort her despite his confusion. “I need air-I am growing so frustrated!”

She stalked off, walking away from the two of you and towards the less crowded area of Na’vi.

Tonowari sighed quietly as he turned to look at you, trying to figure out why his mate was so upset. “Has she always been that scary when angry?”

Tonowari laughed, he laughed so hard his stomach ached and it only intensified when your eyes widened at the sound that left his mouth, “You should see how you are when you're angry.”

Your face colored in embarrassment, “The two of you are so-stubborn.”

It caused a smile to crack on your face as he teased you, “I mean, she did raise me. Is it really that much of a surprise?”

Tonowari was so pleased at the fact that the two of you had begun to mend your relationship. He had always seen you as a sister, sometimes even as a daughter, he had known you since you were a young girl. Always trailing after Ronal. “So, what is actually the matter with Ronal?”

Your shoulders shrugged, “From what I understood she really dislikes Ro’han.”

Tonowari gave you a look, a laugh rippled from your throat and you shook your head, “He-he hurt me, broke something in me that I refused to acknowledge was broken until-well, now. Ronal only recently found out, and Eywa he just always finds a way to get under my skin.”

Your heart clenched as you looked around, catching the Metkayina warrior’s eye as he made a toasting motion in your direction. Furthering your annoyance.

Tonowari caught the gesture, “Do you need me to remind him of his place?”

Your face scrunched up in confusion, shaking your head, “I would not want to cause any more problems than I already have for you, Tonowari.”

“I never liked him, his ego is far too big.”

The confession only caused your mouth to drop, “He has been by your side for the past seven years, what do you mean you do not like him?”

His shoulders shrugged, “I had caught on to the fact the two of you were seeing each other. I thought it would please Ronal if she knew he was a dedicated warrior.”

Your chest warmed, and your lip wobbled as you looked at him. It hit you then how much he cared for you, and your sister, and it caused guilt to grip at your throat. A part of you had always blamed him for Ronal leaving, but all he had ever done was look after the two of you.

Tonowari’s face scrunched up in discomfort as he noticed the tears pooling at your eyes, awkwardly patting you on the arm, “Are you alright?”

You nodded your head, letting out a watery laugh as you blinked the tears away, “Thank you, for everything.”

A look of understanding overtook his features, all he did was send you an awkward smile and a curt nod of his head, leaving you in search of Ronal.

Jake wasted no time in making his way to you, not wanting for you to be whisked away by someone else. “Are you alright?”

You jumped lightly at the sound of his voice, only nodding at him as you greedily let your eyes rake all over him. You refrained from pulling him into you, after the incident with Roh’an all you wanted was to feel his arms on any part of you, the warmth of his skin on yours. “M’fine.”

Your eyes reflected so beautifully against the fire and Jake couldn’t help the smile that made its way onto his face, mumbling quietly, “Txampay nari.” Ocean eyes.

Your face warmed up at his words, ears pinning back slightly as he moved closer to you, his head dipping down to press a light kiss to your temple.

Tonowari had pulled Ronal back to where you were, and she couldn’t help but watch the two of you interact. She had not been witness to just how wrapped up the two of you were. Practically dancing around each other and it caused her eyes to water a bit.

She was so proud of you, always had been and although she knew you could do it yourself, she was happy there was someone who was going to protect you. As Tonowari made his way towards the center of the celebration, the music stopped, along with the chatter. “As you all know, Ronal and I enjoy throwing celebrations. It’s good for the spirit.”

He was answered by a loud ring of hoorahs, and lifting of their wooden chalice. “While we still aim for that, this one in particular is special. As two of our own have been called upon by Eywa to mate.”

There was another ring of cheers, “Tanhì and JakeSully!”

Jake’s fingers tangled with yours, smiling down at you as the cheering got so loud your ears rang. The way he was looking at you, you’d swear you were the only other Na’vi there with him. “As in our tradition, if anyone here opposes the union, speak now.”

No smart Na’vi would willingly fight against the will of the Tsahik and Olo’eyktan, so the clan was quiet. Jake’s tail swishing behind him the more he watched you. “Very wel-”

“I oppose it! He is of demon-blood! Not worthy of a woman of the Metkayina.”

Had it been anyone else you might have believed they were firm in their words. But it was Ro’han, his voice boomed across the quiet beach. Jake’s face scrunching up in annoyance, your heart beating rapidly as you squeezed his hand tightly.

Your throat felt so dry to the point it burned, anger and fear coursing through your whole body as Tonowari turned to look at Jake, eyebrows raising slightly asking him if he wished to continue with this. He had two options, decline Ro’han and in turn decline you, or fight. Fear gripped at your chest so tightly it ached, fearful that he’d say no and you would once again be left to pick up the pieces of your shattered heart, all alone. You refused to look at him, like that would stop the inevitable.

But Jake was not willing to lose you, not in the slightest. And the man was never one to back down from a challenge. Jake only gave Tonowari a curt nod, his tail swishing harshly behind him. “Very well then. Prepare the Tsurak!”

🏷️; @mashiromochi @midhito @neteyamforlife @adaiasafira @ambria @sillyfreakfanparty​ @fanboyluvr​ @jakescumdump​ @itscheybaby​ @iwanttohitmyself​ @janeety​ @im-in-a-pansexual-panik​ @lemonmoonmochi​ @dazedshoon​ @randxmthxughts​ @drinking-tea-and-be-obsessed​ @wekiamo​ @iwanttogohomeandtakeanap​ @theroyalbrownbarbie​ @1ntefly​ @nyylovestowrite​ @rianapntn @crazy4books1​ @jakesullylongjuicyshlong​ @kikookii​ @ducks118​ @bucky12345 @elegantkidfansoul​ @bold-writing​ @1-800-fandomsdestroyedme​ @graysonmalik2550​ @milequaritchsslut​ @23victoria​ @kamcrazy123​ @annamarieisbae​ @k----a27s​ @tojigirl​ @lynbubble​ @outspokenmatters​ @thehoneymushroomhealer​​ @tsamiaxo​​ @esposadomd​​ @ok-boke​​ @figlia-della-luna​​ @sparrows-corner​​ @zoexme​​ @alexandra-001​​

[hencheri]

your hendery step-brother fic was so 🤗😋😋. lets think simlar to yangs, i mean like imagine him as your step-brother, who sneaks in your room every night to get his work done! also he likes to call you 'mama' (idk it felt very yangyang thing to me)

what about sneaking into the shower..? (and i could see him saying 'mama' but as a joke lol)

18+. mdni.

warning: stepcest.

.

stepbro!yangyang who hears the shower running, eyes shooting up from the screen of his laptop, immediately getting thoughts he surely shouldn't act on. but yangyang always gets what he wants and he couldn't care less about the consequences of his actions.

and the fact that you're his big sister doesn't hold him back a second from sneaking into the bathroom.

the mirror fogged up from the hot temperature of the water, shower curtains pulled all the way, hiding your nude body from yangyang, but not for so long.

he hears a bottle cap opening and closing, smelling the sweet strawberry scent of your shampoo that he always gets a sniff of whenever you pass by him in the house. oh, he can't wait to join in with you.

he rapidly sheds his clothes off one by one, falling on top of yours on the floor.

the touch of his cold fingertips on your hips startle you, gasping out in surprise. you glimpse down at the hands holding you, noticing dark and white nail polish, colours that your stepbrother picked out for you to put on his nails.

he pulls you back against his chest, his lips finding home in the crook of your neck, leaving wet trails down to your shoulder.

"yangyang, what are you-"

but you never finish your sentence as you moan out loud, feeling the tip of his hard cock prodding at your entrance, pulling your legs apart with his foot.

he knows you're not as innocent as you appear to be. he sees your lingering looks, your dirty smiles, your touchy hands that always accidentally brush over one specific sensitive part of his body.

so your surprise doesn't alert him at all, he knows it's fake because you were hoping for him to hop in the shower with you.

and now that he finally did, you relish in the way his girth pushes into your pussy, stretching you out wide and well.

"holy fuck," yangyang curses in your ear, teeth sinking into his bottom lip. "you dirty bitch, how dare you let me use you like this? huh?" he sounds angry, but he isn't. he loves you, loves how you squeeze his cock desperately and how you were just waiting for this to happen.

you cry both in pleasure and pain, laying your hands on yangyang's hands that are tightly holding your hips, pounding into you hard and fast.

he's never been mean to you, maybe because he likes being the cute and kind little brother, but all this frustration that built up over the years, unable to show you his love anywhere else than in the confines of your bedrooms, makes him want to punish you, to shame you for letting him be indecent to you.

"is this how you let other guys fuck you?" he asks, "you let them take you from behind like a whore?" he grips a handful of your hair, turning your head around to he can get a glimpse at your beautiful, pleading eyes.

"n-no, only you," you croak out, streams of water dripping over your face and supple breasts, rolling over your puffy nipples.

"only who?"

"you, yangyang," you moan his name, one powerful thrust making you lose your balance and lean your hands on the wall of the shower in front of you.

"that's right, baby," yangyang growls, watching your asscheeks clap against the skin of his thighs. "your brother is the only one you should let use your dirty pussy like this."

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Amazon Alexa is a graduate of the Darth Vader MBA

Next Tuesday (Oct 31) at 10hPT, the Internet Archive is livestreaming my presentation on my recent book, The Internet Con.

If you own an Alexa, you might enjoy its integration with IFTTT, an easy scripting environment that lets you create your own little voice-controlled apps, like "start my Roomba" or "close the garage door." If so, tough shit, Amazon just nuked IFTTT for Alexa:

https://www.theverge.com/2023/10/25/23931463/ifttt-amazon-alexa-applets-ending-support-integration-automation

Amazon can do this because the Alexa's operating system sits behind a cryptographic lock, and any tool that bypasses that lock is a felony under Section 1201 of the DMCA, punishable by a 5-year prison sentence and a $500,000 fine. That means that it's literally a crime to provide a rival OS that lets users retain functionality that Amazon no longer supports.

This is the proverbial gun on the mantelpiece, a moral hazard and invitation to mischief that tempts Amazon executives to run a bait-and-switch con where they sell you a gadget with five features and then remotely kill-switch two of them. This is prime directive of the Darth Vader MBA: "I am altering the deal. Pray I don't alter it any further."

So many companies got their business-plan at the Darth Vader MBA. The ability to revoke features after the fact means that companies can fuck around, but never find out. Apple sold millions of tracks via iTunes with the promise of letting you stream them to any other device you owned. After a couple years of this, the company caught some heat from the record labels, so they just pushed an update that killed the feature:

https://memex.craphound.com/2004/10/30/apple-to-ipod-owners-eat-shit-and-die-updated/

That gun on the mantelpiece went off all the way back in 2004 and it turns out it was a starter-pistol. Pretty soon, everyone was getting in on the act. If you find an alert on your printer screen demanding that you install a "security update" there's a damned good chance that the "update" is designed to block you from using third-party ink cartridges in a printer that you (sorta) own:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/11/ink-stained-wretches-battle-soul-digital-freedom-taking-place-inside-your-printer

Selling your Tesla? Have fun being poor. The upgrades you spent thousands of dollars on go up in a puff of smoke the minute you trade the car into the dealer, annihilating the resale value of your car at the speed of light:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/10/23/how-to-fix-cars-by-breaking-felony-contempt-of-business-model/

Telsa has to detect the ownership transfer first. But once a product is sufficiently cloud-based, they can destroy your property from a distance without any warning or intervention on your part. That's what Adobe did last year, when it literally stole the colors from your Photoshop files, in history's SaaSiest heist caper:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/10/28/fade-to-black/#trust-the-process

And yet, when we hear about remote killswitches in the news, it's most often as part of a PR blitz for their virtues. Russia's invasion of Ukraine kicked off a new genre of these PR pieces, celebrating the fact that a John Deere dealership was able to remotely brick looted tractors that had been removed to Chechnya:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/05/08/about-those-kill-switched-ukrainian-tractors/

Today, Deere's PR minions are pitching search-and-replace versions of this story about Israeli tractors that Hamas is said to have looted, which were also remotely bricked.

But the main use of this remote killswitch isn't confounding war-looters: it's preventing farmers from fixing their own tractors without paying rent to John Deere. An even bigger omission from this narrative is the fact that John Deere is objectively Very Bad At Security, which means that the world's fleet of critical agricultural equipment is one breach away from being rendered permanently inert:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/04/23/reputation-laundry/#deere-john

There are plenty of good and honorable people working at big companies, from Adobe to Apple to Deere to Tesla to Amazon. But those people have to convince their colleagues that they should do the right thing. Those debates weigh the expected gains from scammy, immoral behavior against the expected costs.

Without DMCA 1201, Amazon would have to worry that their decision to revoke IFTTT functionality would motivate customers to seek out alternative software for their Alexas. This is a big deal: once a customer learns how to de-Amazon their Alexa, Amazon might never recapture that customer. Such a switch wouldn't have to come from a scrappy startup or a hacker's DIY solution, either. Take away DMCA 1201 and Walmart could step up, offering an alternative Alexa software stack that let you switch your purchases away from Amazon.

Money talks, bullshit walks. In any boardroom argument about whether to shift value away from customers to the company, a credible argument about how the company will suffer a net loss as a result has a better chance of prevailing than an argument that's just about the ethics of such a course of action:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/07/28/microincentives-and-enshittification/

Inevitably, these killswitches are pitched as a paternalistic tool for protecting customers. An HP rep once told me that they push deceptive security updates to brick third-party ink cartridges so that printer owners aren't tricked into printing out cherished family photos with ink that fades over time. Apple insists that its ability to push iOS updates that revoke functionality is about keeping mobile users safe – not monopolizing repair:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/22/vin-locking/#thought-differently

John Deere's killswitches protect you from looters. Adobe's killswitches let them add valuable functionality to their products. Tesla? Well, Tesla at least is refreshingly honest: "We have a killswitch because fuck you, that's why."

These excuses ring hollow because they conspicuously omit the possibility that you could have the benefits without the harms. Like, your tractor could come with a killswitch that you could bypass, meaning you could brick it at a distance, and still fix it yourself. Same with your phone. Software updates that take away functionality you want can be mitigated with the ability to roll back those updates – and by giving users the ability to apply part of a patch, but not the whole patch.

Cloud computing and software as a service are a choice. "Local first" computing is possible, and desirable:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/08/03/there-is-no-cloud/#only-other-peoples-computers

The cheapest rhetorical trick of the tech sector is the "indivisibility gambit" – the idea that these prix-fixe menus could never be served a la carte. Wanna talk to your friends online? Sorry there's just no way to help you do that without spying on you:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/11/08/divisibility/#technognosticism

One important argument over smart-speakers was poisoned by this false dichotomy: the debate about accessibility and IoT gadgets. Every IoT privacy or revocation scandal would provoke blanket statements from technically savvy people like, "No one should ever use one of these." The replies would then swiftly follow: "That's an ableist statement: I rely on my automation because I have a disability and I would otherwise be reliant on a caregiver or have to go without."

But the excluded middle here is: "No one should use one of these because they are killswitched. This is especially bad when a smart speaker is an assistive technology, because those applications are too important to leave up to the whims of giant companies that might brick them or revoke their features due to their own commercial imperatives, callousness, or financial straits."

Like the problem with the "bionic eyes" that Second Sight bricked wasn't that they helped visually impaired people see – it was that they couldn't be operated without the company's ongoing support and consent:

https://spectrum.ieee.org/bionic-eye-obsolete

It's perfectly possible to imagine a bionic eye whose software can be maintained by third parties, whose parts and schematics are widely available. The challenge of making this assistive technology fail gracefully isn't technical – it's commercial.

We're meant to believe that no bionic eye company could survive unless they devise their assistive technology such that it fails catastrophically if the business goes under. But it turns out that a bionic eye company can't survive even if they are allowed to do this.

Even if you believe Milton Friedman's Big Lie that a company is legally obligated to "maximize shareholder value," not even Friedman says that you are legally obligated to maximize companies' shareholder value. The fact that a company can make more money by defrauding you by revoking or bricking the things you buy from them doesn't oblige you to stand up for their right to do this.

Indeed, all of this conduct is arguably illegal, under Section 5 of the FTC Act, which prohibits "unfair and deceptive business practices":

https://pluralistic.net/2023/01/10/the-courage-to-govern/#whos-in-charge

"No one should ever use a smart speaker" lacks nuance. "Anyone who uses a smart speaker should be insulated from unilateral revocations by the manufacturer, both through legal restrictions that bind the manufacturer, and legal rights that empower others to modify our devices to help us," is a much better formulation.

It's only in the land of the Darth Vader MBA that the deal is "take it or leave it." In a good world, we should be able to take the parts that work, and throw away the parts that don't.

(Image: Stock Catalog/https://www.quotecatalog.com, Sam Howzit; CC BY 2.0; modified)

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/10/26/hit-with-a-brick/#graceful-failure

[kararisa]

darling, starling

— 16. wine-stained lips — ✦ (wc: 0.9k)

Dandelion wine is a delicacy in the heart of Mondstadt, renowned as not only the best-seller of the region’s finest Dawn Winery but also as Venti’s favorite wine. The golden-colored drink has a flavor similar to mead, adorned with a subtle undertone of honeyed sweetness. While you’ve had the pleasure of sharing a glass or two with friends, you’ve never downed a full bottle.

Though that notion certainly changed today.

It’s a scene you're familiar with: dimmed lights, faint music, you and Scaramouche on the couch, sipping on glass after glass of wine. You were talking to him about... something. Was it the wine or the concert? It was something stupid, you know that much, because Scaramouche simply sneered at your comment and drank more of his wine.

The first night Scaramouche graced Inazuma with his presence after years away was spent here in this very living room. You and your friends had downed glass after glass, catching up after an eventful dinner.

Now, nine months have passed since he came back. It’s just you and him here. All alone.

Not that it’s a bad thing, at least in your book. The conversation isn’t boring, being able to flow much more smoothly with the help of the wine. And the skinship isn’t half-bad either. His hand has been resting on your knee for a bit, and your side has been pressed close to his for however long the two of you have been seated on this sofa.

It’s just the two of you here. There isn’t a need to keep up appearances.

"So, Scaramouche," you make your hand into a fist like you're holding a microphone. "How does it feel to be dating the Zenith?" 

"No comment."

You pout, "The crowd's not gonna like that; you're not giving them anything to latch on to." 

"Then I say that it's none of their business."

After a moment, you shrug, "Better than nothing I guess."

The two of you were bound to be hounded by reporters eventually, so you've taken to shooting him question after question in the guise of a journalist looking for some juicy gossip. 

His answers could use some work, you could say that much. 

"Our sources say you were at Windborne's concert tonight. What can you say about their music?" you hold out your invisible mic.

"It was alright."

You're getting annoyed at his clipped responses. "Don't lie, you enjoyed their concert," you swirl your glass before taking a sip. "I saw you smiling when I was on stage." 

"Again, I was only there because of you," he retorts. "You perform really well when you're in front of a crowd. Like you belong there." 

You likely would have blushed even more if the wine hadn't run its course, "Stop trying to butter me up. You're already dating me."

“We’re not even dating. And I’m only telling the truth — you were born for the stage,” he murmurs the next part so softly that you almost miss it. ”I like seeing you perform.”

You choose not to acknowledge the fact that you heard that last sentence, opting instead to drain the remnants of your glass. Its nectarine sweetness gives you comfort, a fleeting refuge from the tension in the air. With your glass now empty, you slowly swiveled to face Scaramouche, your heart racing, and your senses on high alert.

He was already looking right at you, seemingly closer than he was just a moment ago. HIs usually neat hair was now disheveled, a subtle blush graced his cheeks, and gods were his eyes always this pretty?

You lean closer to him, purely to take a closer look at his pretty face and most definitely not for any other reasons. The red eyeliner he usually wears is smudged at the wing, his hand that was once on your knee is now resting on your arm. You're still holding your empty wine glass, spinning it in your fingers while Scaramouche inches impossibly closer. Is the warmth spreading across your body coming from where he's touching you or have you had just one glass too many?

Honesty, you can't bring yourself to care with the way he looks at you. Maybe that's the real source of the heat.

“It’s just you and me here,” you drag your fingertips across his collarbone, a teasing trail that lingers on his shoulder. “No need to get so close.”

“Give it a rest,” he mumbles, voice slurring slightly. “Like you said, it’s just us. So shut up.”

“Make me.”

He leans in closer, ever closer, and presses his wine-stained lips onto yours. Time still as your hand, which was once wrapped around your wine glass, lets it slip from your fingers. You hear a soft thud as it finds its place on your carpet, but your attention is somewhere else entirely.

His hands, soft and warm, find their way to your waist and pull you closer. The taste of wine and the scent of his cologne threaten to intoxicate you further.

You tilt your head, deepening the kiss. A soft, breathless sigh escapes you, and you feel one of his hands moving to the small of your back, sending shivers down your spine. You grip his shoulder tighter in an attempt to anchor yourself while the rapid beating of your own heart echoes in your ears.

Scaramouche breaks away from the kiss for a moment to catch his breath. And you see nothing but want and need and desire in his eyes. He kisses you over and over again, each one more desperate than the last.

It’s just the two of you here — you let the world fall away as you start to run your fingers through his hair, a soft groan escaping him as you do this. Nothing else could matter in this moment.

And you’d kiss him all night if he’d let you.

✧— previous — masterlist — next —✧

summary: nothing more than a mistake made in the heat of the moment. that's all it is, and that's how it should be. but perhaps there's more than meets the eye

taglist — currently OPEN:

@aestherin @unsterblich-prinz @yourstrulykore @krnzysh @syriiina @yumiaur @featuredtofu @kodzusmiles @meigalaxy @fangygf @motherscrustytoenailclippings @samyayaya @hiimera @beriiov @e0nssadrift @dazaisboner @nillajhayne @chluuvr @nillajhayne @deffenferofjustice @romyoia @xiaomainlmao @hotgirlshit5 @potabletable @letthewindlead @esuz @toriiee @kclremin @angelkazusstuff @phoenix-eclipses @sakiimeo @mayuumine @lilybythevalley @only-cherry-blossom @keiiqq @what-just-happened-huh @n3r0-1417 @haunts-gh0st @layla240 @mamafly @duckyyyx @certified-shrimp @kgogoma @xtobefreex @mechanicalbeat1 @meidnightrain @nordicbananas @feiherp @erzarq @nnasv

[loves0phelia]

Hi! Can I request a Zach Maclaren one shot? Him and reader are college friends. Zach invited them to go skiing with his family. But due to sudden invitation there's only one bed. Fluff (no smut pls)

One Bed

Summery: The request

Words: 1.5k

Warnings: grammar mistakes

A/N: Thank you xxx feel free to request whenever you want!

The chime of the bell above the door signals the entrance of a customer entering the coffee shop you worked at. Typically, your days were intense and you stayed alert to any new customer not to lose track but today it's slow and tranquil, so you don't feel the need to run immediately to the customer.

You're slowly cleaning the table to remove any crumbs left and the dirty cups of coffee, you thought you would leave the person to think about the order for a second but a pair of hands gripped your waist.  “Boo!” A loud scream escaped your attacker's mouth in an attempt to startle you. Your heart leaped, and your body instinctively flinched.  You quickly pushed away and jumped, what felt like feet away. "Zachary MacLaren, what the hell is wrong with you!" Your angry voice echoed off the walls of the shop as you yelled his full name. “Zachary?” He holds his stomach while bending over, laughing uncontrollably. “I hate you, you know that?” A small smile tugged at the corner of your lips despite you desperately trying to show your anger. “Hate me? I think you meant love” He smirked and playfully draped his arm around your shoulder. You giggled before pushing away from his embrace. “What do you want to order, Zach?” You made your way around the counter where the register was. “Nothing, I just wanted to make sure you were still coming to the ski trip” Gently, he placed his elbow on the counter and leaned down to press his chin against his hand while smiling up at you. “Of course, I'm coming, I'm not gonna miss the opportunity to see you fall on your ass” After your sentence Zach fake gasped. “I'll let you know that I'm an impeccable snowboarder. If someone falls it's gonna be you.” He starts to walk backward to the door of your workplace. “We’ll see about that Zach” “I'll come pick you up at your dorm room Friday after class alright?” You nodded before saying your goodbyes. “Wipe that smile off your face, girl,” Your boss' voice cut through the air, and you felt the heat rise to your cheeks. You hadn't realized the effect Zach had on you. You couldn't wait to spend the week with him and his family. … Friday, during class you weren't paying attention. All you could think about was your excitement for the upcoming trip a few hours later. When Zach came knocking on your dorm door as he had promised two days prior, you were already prepared. Your suitcase was filled with your essentials and you were ready to go.  You both made your way to his house where the rest of his family was. He just needed to come get you and you would all be on your paths to the beautiful house next to the ski mountains. He opened the door and you were met with chaos. His mom and dad were running around with last-minute tasks and his sister was looking for snacks in the pantry for the road. There was also a boy around Avery's age sitting on the kitchen island with a BattleToad backpack. “Hey Malix, what are you doing here?” Zach asked him. “He's coming with us! isn't that awesome? Mom said I could bring a friend this year since you always bring Y/N” His younger sister answered for the boy and your cheeks flushed at her innocent comment about you. You and Zach were indeed glued to the hip, always following each other wherever you went “Since Avery is too young to sleep with a boy,” His mom interjected and his sister made a gagging sound, “I figured you and Y/n could share the second master bedroom while the kids take the separate rooms” The air in your lungs left your body as if you were hit by a train. You and Zach sharing a room? “Oh yeah that's fine” He answered casually with not one hint of hesitation in his voice. Throughout the entire ride to the chalet, you were pressed against him. His legs, much longer than yours, needed more space which made the both of you closer than ever.  When you finally arrived at your destination you felt the air enter your lungs as if you hadn't taken a single breath since your departure. You along with the rest of his family entered the house, It was still just as pretty as the preceding years. It was massive and spacious. But also rustic with a touch of modern. You would kill to own a place like this one in the future "You coming?" Zach was already halfway up the circular stairs, his and your suitcase in hand. You nodded hastily and rushed to catch up with him.

He pushed open the two wooden doors revealing the bedroom you would both sleep in tonight and the rest of the week.

The room was spectacular, the queen-sized bed was filled with cozy pillows and soft blankets, and there was a fireplace in front of it as well as a TV, The big windows allowed the sun to shine brightly and make the room warmer. 

“Are you sure this isn't your parent's room?” you asked with your voice a little bit trembly, you felt nervous, happy, shy?

“Oh, I'm sure” His lips turned into a big grin and he unexpectedly dropped your bags and ran into the bed. He jumped and landed with a loud “Oof” before snuggling inside the blankets.

“This is so much better than the crappy single beds!” he laughed. “Come on!” He motioned you to copy his previous actions and you couldn't help yourself. You ran and landed beside him, making you both giggle.

“Zach let's go skiing!” Avery barged into the room and yelled excitedly.

“Now? We just got here” he sat up prompting himself on his elbows.

“Pleasee I really want to show the mountains to Malix” She begged her brother.

“Alright” he agreed and she screamed in victory rushing downstairs to announce the news to her friend.

“Do you want to come with us?” He asks as he stands up from the criminally comfy bed.

"Of course," you nodded. In a swift motion, he grabbed your hand, pulling you up from the bed. You stumbled, landing face to face, chest to chest with him. For a moment, you both locked eyes before quickly jumping apart.

"Sorry," he chuckled nervously. All you could do was tuck a strand of hair behind your ear and dismiss him with a shy smile.

After a long evening snowboarding, you all returned home to find a warm meal prepared by his parents. The dinner was lively, filled with discussion and laughter.

And later that night, you cozied up in bed, content and warm.

“Hey, I made us some hot cocoa” You accepted the mug he handed you with a “thank you”, and took a sip. The chocolate taste was heavenly on your tongue.

You and Zach chose a movie on Netflix and watched it until you were both tired. You turned off the lights, extinguished the fire, and lay down together. You were facing his back and as if he read your mind he turned to face you. Even in the dark, you could see him looking at you.

“I'm sorry about earlier, I didn't want to make you uncomfortable.” He said calmly which made you shake your head disapprovingly.

“You didn't make me uncomfortable, Zach just nervous…”

“I'm so sorry I didn't mean to, really I just wanted to help you get up. I should have been more soft instead of pulling you like that, It was dumb of me-” he rambled and you cut him off.

“Not nervous in a bad way” you sighed desperately.

“No?” he asked confused.

"I… I like you, and I like being close to you, but it makes me a little nervous," you admitted, your voice trembling. When you were met with silence embarrassment flooded over you like a wave. Quickly, you hid beneath the blankets, wishing you could disappear from the face of the earth.

“Hey” His hands searched for your face in the blankets but failed.”Come back” 

You slowly pulled the blanket away from your face, meeting his eyes once again. His warm hand gently rested on your cheek, offering a comforting touch.

“I thought you would never say it” Confusion filled you.

"Wait, what?" you asked, expecting an answer. Instead, his response was his lips pressing gently against yours.

As confused as you were, you kissed him back, which only made him press deeper. His hand slid to the back of your neck, taking your breath away.

His soft lips detached from yours and you took a small breath.

"I knew you liked me," he said, a cocky yet happy smile gracing his lips.

“What-!” His lips once again connected with yours to shush you.

“I like you too though” His smile grew against your lips and your heart grew in size. Turns out sharing a bed was the best thing that could happen to you and Zach.

[sunsetsimon]

i have a secret. (request)

simon 'ghost' riley x reader

mentions of the club, cheating, angsty with happy ending

okay so this is way longer than a drabble but i just sat down and this came out so who's complaining???? also im so proud i literally wrote this in less than an hour and a half omg - sun

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he arrives in your town late at night. his mission had ended earlier than expected and he decided to come surprise you with a visit, knowing you’d have no clue. it's past one in the morning, the lights off in your house. simon figures you're asleep as you stopped replying to his texts a few hours prior. he pulls the spare key out from the flower pot near your front door, digging it from the 2 inches of dirt you made sure to cover it with.

unlocking the door, it's eerily quiet, something in simon's gut telling him to be on alert. reaching under his hoodie, he unholsters his gun tucked into his pants, gripping it tight in his hands as he surveys the house. the small dim light on the stove illuminates the kitchen, and he sets his bag on the table.

his steps are silent as he checks every room, coming to the realization that no one was there, even you. simon was confused, wondering where you'd be this late without letting him know your plans. anxiety pools in his stomach, wondering if you were doing something you would keep from him.

you're just finishing up your shift, collecting all of your belongings and changing into your normal sweats and sweatshirt. security escorts you to your car, just as a safety measure. bidding your goodbye's, you shut the door and start your car. your phone vibrates, a text from simon:

"what are you up to, love?" - simon, 1:32am

feeling guilty, you toss your phone onto the passenger seat, choosing to respond once you get home. your relationship with simon had only been official for a few months and he'd been out of the country for most of the time. it didn't feel right to keep things from him, but you worried that telling the truth about your night job would push him away.

once you arrive home, you sit in your car for a minute before replying to simon:

"sorry si, i fell asleep on the couch again. going to bed now, text you when i'm up xx" - you, 1:45am

heading inside, you drop your bags on the couch, slipping off your shoes and heading to get ready for your shower. you push open the cracked bedroom door, turning on the light as you walk inside. you jump with a yelp when you see simon seated in the chair in the corner, his head resting on his propped up arm, phone in his other hand.

"fell asleep on the couch, huh?" he asks, voice low, laced with something like anger.

"when did you get here?" you ask, extremely confused on what he's doing in the corner of your room at 2 in the morning.

his blond eyebrows furrow, face twisting in displeasure at your obvious deflection, "i asked you a question." simon leans forward, body seeming to grow with intimidation, making you feel small and cornered. the words slip from your tongue, a proper sentence failing to form and explain your whereabouts.

"were you out with someone?" he asks, noting your eye makeup and styled hair. simon can feel his heart breaking in his chest with your silence, trying to come up with an answer. he shakes his head, clearing his throat as he walks past you, grabbing his bag from the kitchen table.

"wait!" you cry, running after him and grabbing onto his arm but he snatches it away. "simon, listen i can explain."

though he wants to run, leave you here and never speak to you again, he stays. his chest burns, squeezing tight with hurt, never imagining you'd do anything to hurt him. simon wasn't one to catch feelings or have a committed relationship.

"i have a night job at the club, jimmy's. i didn't want to tell you because i wasn't sure how you'd take it," you explain, holding onto his wrist as if that'd stop him from moving.

"you're a bartender?"

"a dancer. a stripper..." you trail off, cheeks burning with shame. you're met with silence, his brown eyes distant as he stares at the ground, brain failing to process what you just confessed. an erotic dancer? that was definitely not on the list of things simon guessed you were doing.

"and you've been at this for how long..? as work?"

"i started a little after we started dating, when you were gone for those three weeks. it's good money, and i'm good at it-" you explain, grabbing your bag from the couch to reveal it to him. unzipping it, the bag is filled with all different bills, "i made this tonight."

"dunno what t'say," simon finally says, shaking his head in disbelief.

"are you mad at me?"

"not that you dance. but you still lied to me, i wouldn't do that to you. we're partners, y'can tell me anything."

"i'm sorry si," you say. he reaches for you, pulling you into his embrace.

his body is warm and he smells like a new cologne, holding you against his chest before pulling back, his large hands cupping your face, "don't lie t'me again, got it?"

and you nod eagerly, "i promise."

"now why don't you show me some of these dances you've been keeping from me," simon offers, kissing your puffy lips from his hands squishing your face. you huff against him and he chuckles, giving you one last wet kiss, just to tease you even more.