#and here we are with this drabble lol

[hanafubukki]

Malleus thinks you’re cute like this.

With your nose red from sneezing into your napkins throughout the day.

“Stop laughing at me.”

He bit back the tug at his lips.

“I’m doing no such thing.”

“Yes, you are. I can see that sm-” your sneeze stopped you from completing your sentence.

Heh.

Adorable.

As if you read his mind, you sent him a glare.

It made you look like a skittish kitten.

Like the ones that followed Silver around as a child. Scared of his large form but always stuck close to the little one’s side, constantly eyeing him.

“Keep being smug and I’ll ask Lilia about those times you burned his hair.”

A pause.

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“Try me.”

The banter continued into the night.

You tucked in your bed with a dragon guarding your bedside.

[redbleedingrose]

Azriel x Reader x Cassian Drabble 

Uhhhhhh….

NSFW 18+

Congrats @whisperingmidnights on 1k 🥰

A shriek of pleasure leaves my swollen lips that have been biten and kissed for nearly three quarters of an hour by the two males now who tower over me, my mind in an utter haze, my vision blurring as my eyes gloss over with tears of ecstasy that roll down my cheeks as darkness incarnate impales me with his cock, shadows swirling around him in a frenzy as his heady, choked grunts escape him uncontrollably. His scarred hands grip at my shaking, plush thighs, holding them spread apart as he pounds into me, droplets of his sweat trickling from his ink black hairline down to the side of his beautiful face. Azriel looks wholly enraptured, his throbbing cock being milked by the consistent clamping of my gummy walls, trying to keep him inside. His hazel irises that were once locked on mine in reassurance flutter down to my bouncing breasts and the Illyrian warrior that is leaned over and switching back and forth between each tit, suckling on them while fisting his cock, moaning and whining into my peaked flesh. Cassian focuses on my right tit, biting harshly down on the pebbled nipple, soothing away the sharp tinge with a soft lap of his warm tongue over it. His broad hand fits over my left breast, squeezing it at the same pace and force he squeezes his cock. I can’t control myself, I can’t make up where to place my hands. I can’t focus on anything. One of my fists clenches at the eggshell sheets that are becoming soaked with our juices, the noise of the harsh slapping of Azriel’s balls against the base of my slick coated sex and Cass’ quick stroking of his rock hard cock filling the room in a filthy song. My other hand runs down the length of the general’s back, pausing at the apex of his thin, battle-scarred wings. It is instinct that has me running my pad of my forefinger down the bone of his wing before tracing the pulsing vein covered in the thin leather. Cassian roars against my tit, head burying into my collar as his warm, milky cum spurts out of him in ropes, spilling all over the side of my waist. Azriel’s thumb brushes over my swollen clit as Cass pants into me, instantly triggers my own release. I come with what sounds like a shaky gasp, unable to catch my breath as the spymaster rails and ruts into my spasming cunt. Another roll and grind of his hips has me spilling over into another climax before my first could complete, and my vision nearly whites out when Azriel follows my second release with his first, his warm cum spilling into me and leaking out as he eases me through the waves of rapture. He collapses down next to me, pulling my sore body into his chest while Cass paws over to cuddle into me from behind. My shaky hand weakly grabs at the comforter, yanking it over our bodies before the three of us pass out from the night of euphoria. 

I DIDNT know how to finish this so sorry about that

I’m a filthy whore

[sunstruck-artist]

I decided to write a thing for mermay because why not lol

Small disclaimer- I've never participated in mermay before- so bear with me if this isn't the best

Sailor Songs

A traitor. Thats what you are, in the eyes of your town and your crew. You are a sailor, living in a small conservative town by the oceanside. You have always been a “black sheep” among the people here, but this is where the line is drawn. You did the unthinkable. You befriended two sirens.

Well, they weren't sirens, not really.. but the town can't tell the difference between siren and mermaid. Either way, you befriended the depths of the sea. Thats bad.

You walk along the beach, blocking sound of the whispers to the best of your ability as you head into the cove you found months ago. The place you met them.

You sit on a rock, tracing patterns in the water and humming to yourself. Eventually, that humming turns to singing. A habit you have that always seems to soothe you.

Sun, of course, is the first to surface and listen to your song. Your staurozoa jellyfish companion has always been the more social of the two, the first you befriended before you could make his brother trust you.

“Your voice sounds lovely, Sea bunny~”

Sea bunny. A type of sea slug that, you have to admit, is VERY adorable. You have no idea why they started calling you that, but you're not complaining.

You smile. “Thank you, Sunny~ Is Moon down there too?”

As if on cue, Moon rises, floating upside down in the water with his fins on full display. A glaucus marginatus, he said he was. You have no idea how him and Sun are related if they're two completely different species, but you don't dare to ask. You chalk it up to found family.

Moon's eyes narrow slightly. “You look bothered. Are they all talking again?”

You sigh. Damn these two for being able to read you like a book. “Yeah.. Yeah, they are.. Its just getting annoying at this point.”

Sun frowns. “They don't get it, do they?”

Moon grumbles. “They never will… That is how they are.”

Sun gives Moon a sharp look, and Moon rolls his eyes. You remember this little disagreement of theirs- Moon doesn't trust or like humans in the slightest, meanwhile Sun is fascinated by them and tries to see the good they can be. You are the first human they can agree on thats “one of the good ones”.

Moon looks up at you. “...Tell us, Sea bunny. Why do you stay in this town?”

You press your lips into a thin line. In truth, you don't know why you bother to stay anymore.. Lack of funds? The fear of starting completely new somewhere you've never been? Whatever it is, its kept you here since you were sixteen. No use in leaving now, right?

Well, these two never seem to think so. They're always trying to convince you to leave, to live in the depths with them. Of course, they don't understand that its literally impossible. You've tried to explain it before.. but you're convinced it just went through one ear and out the other.

You're snapped from your thoughts as a cool, wet feeling touches your hands. When you look down, you see Sun in front of you, his hands wrapped in seaweed so he can't sting you with his touch.

“You know, Treasure.. Our offer is always open~”

Treasure.. They've never called you treasure before.. Your cheeks feel warm.

You sigh. “You two know I can't..”

Sun frowns. “But why? You're clearly not happy here! We could make you MUCH happier!”

You take a deep breath, giving Sun a patient smile. “I don't have gills like you or Moon, Sunny. I can't breathe underwater, I'll drown.”

Moon hums. “Steal a boat and live there”

You blink. Then blink again.

“...Moon, I'm not stealing a boat. That wouldn't work anyways, resources would be scarce- and what if theres a storm? My ship could sink and I could drown.”

Sun and Moon both deflate, going quiet. You're convinced they know its impossible for you to stay with them outside of the cove, but they don't want to admit it.

You give the two a sad smile. “If I could, believe me, I would go with you two in a heartbeat.”

Sun and Moon look at eachother, sighing. Moon is the one to speak. “We know.. But we hate seeing you stuck in this place..”

You chuckle. “I hate it too. But hey, any bad catches in the net get tossed out. And to everyone here, I'm the worst catch they've ever gotten~”

The two are silent for a while, before Sun finally speaks up. “Promise us you'll get yourself out of here one day? They aren't good to you, Treasure, you can't stay any longer.”

You smile. “I promise..”

You stay with your friends until nightfall, when you eventually head back home. You hum to yourself as you walk along the oceanside, staring out into the sea.. and you can swear you hear two voices singing back.

You smile. One day..

[mushroompollution]

Part 1: Bargaining

Finally, the day of negotiations had come.

Leo had suggested meeting in Reim Lunettes' office, an offer which had been met with surprise. This was an unofficial conversation, without the knowledge or approval of Pandora's other directors. Leo and his compatriots wouldn't be able to stroll right in through the front door and halls of the organization.

And they wouldn't need to. Leo still had the coordinates saved from the tea party and his attempts to snoop around for any information on Humpty Dumpty so long ago.

And so, at the appointed time, Leo appears in a flash and a burst of black feathers, a dramatic touch meant to mislead the reality of his teleporting trick. With him are Vincent, Echo, and Lottie, who had asked to come along after revealing her previous interactions with the Mad Hatter.

Waiting for them are Sharon, Break, Oz, Alice, and Gilbert. Elliot had been excluded, with Break declaring him too biased and too emotional, and Leo concerned for his safety.

As expected, the Baskervilles immediately find themselves caught inside a magic binding circle drawn upon the floor. "no hard feelings, it's an understandable precaution," Leo chirps. Not that it would matter. Though the circle froze their feet in place and prevented them from using their Chains, it couldn't account for the otherworldly technology in Leo's pocket should they need to escape.

Despite the unwelcome greeting, their meeting goes well.... For the most part.

Break admits for the first time what the Will of the Abyss's wish actually was: to be destroyed. Both parties begin to realize their goals are in alliance.

So why are they enemies?

They agree to work together, instead of fighting each other. No one quite notices the way Vincent's eyes narrow at Break in disgust.

The Sealing Stone is a matter of contention, however. Leo's desire for peace and clearing his clan's name come off earnest enough. But when pressed about the Baskervilles' mission, their reluctant leader has few answers.

How do you plan to actually kill the Will of the Abyss?

Or even reach her chambers, at the very bottom of the Abyss?

Was the Tragedy a consequence of the previous Glen's attempts to do the same?

Will it happen again?

Are his intentions as pure as his vessel's?

Questions all met with one common answer,

"i won't know until the Stone is broken and i can ask him plainly."

"do we have to ask him?" Oz wonders. "between all of us, we should be able to do it on our own, right?"

"If the Tragedy was caused by his last attempt, then he'll probably know how to prevent it from happening again," Lottie argues. "Don't you feel like something is coming? Like we don't have time to waste with trial and error and experiments, when we could just consult him instead?"

Leo tries to assure them he believes he'll retain his own personality. But he can't promise it. And for Break and Oz, that seems to be an issue. Leo spills his theories that the Tragedy wasn't the vicious plot the lone survivor had described.

"that's why we need to break the Stone and learn the truth from the memories of the so-called mastermind himself," Leo presses.

"But those are just theories," Break maintains.

"And why would Jack lie?" Oz asks.

"but that means putting the world in danger if you're wrong," Oz argues. "besides, Jack promised to show me the truth himself. even if I... really don't want to see that ever again......"

"and i'm offering to witness those atrocities myself in order to understand them," Leo asserts, those starry eyes fixed on the blond with an intense stare.

The debate draws on and on, both sides making their points. Finally, Break calls them all to silence just as tensions seem to flare.

Whether they break the Stone or not can be settled in their next meeting. After all, they still need to decide what to do about Pandora.

As important as he is, Break is not the sole voice of the organization. Their mission would go against all of Pandora's goals. It's why he had kept the truth from even Sharon and Reim for so long, worried he would be killed if his true intentions got out.

That said, with all this new information, he's confident he and Sharon can sway Duchess Rainsworth. "But that Idiot Hair Barma is a wild card." Leo and Vincent share a glance at that. Oz easily offers to convince his uncle.

But they won't likely be able to overrule Pandora's directors without a completely unanimous vote from the Dukedoms.

And Vanessa... "well, she's never really liked me," Leo admits. "if i can bring Elliot in, he might be able to change her mind, but i know she still blames me for everything that happened."

It's a start, at least. Break and Sharon agree to meet the Duchess as soon as possible. She'll know what to do, whether to proceed on their own or handle things through proper channels.

They can meet again tomorrow to decide the next step.

In the meantime, however, their conference is adjourned, and everyone begins to go their separate ways.

Break and Sharon stay behind inside the office to discuss. Leo sends Lottie to the others lurking nearby, then he and Vincent meet Oz and his friends outside the organization's headquarters. It's been so long since Leo's seen any of them. Maybe they can meet Elliot and get some lunch. As friends, not just enemies under ceasefire.

Gilbert and Vincent walk on ahead, speaking casually for the first time in what must be years. Gilbert apologizes for assuming the worst about his brother. Though the words turn his stomach, Vincent just smiles and assures him, "I did it for you though, brother.♡"

Alice runs off in the direction of a nearby food truck, following the smell of delicious meat.

Oz hangs back with him as Leo takes a moment to text Elliot.

"it's nice to think we might actually be able to resolve things without fighting for once," Oz remarks.

Leo smiles in agreement. "see, i told the others i wouldn't have to kill you," he giggles playfully. Oz's laugh isn't quite as comfortable. "i want to believe things are going to be okay. that even after i'm fully Glen, we'll still be able to work together. i don't want any more suffering, for any of us."

"yeah. I'd like that too," Oz agrees. A brief, content silence falls between them as Leo taps a message on his phone. A crisp, late winter breeze blows through the plaza, grey clouds rolling in overhead.

And then Oz offers a handshake.

Leo smiles, reaching out to return the gesture.

But their hands never meet.

There's the sound of metal as a sharpened chain flies through the air from the shadows.

A sickening burst of blood.

And suddenly, everything falls apart.

[its-aftg]

Seth and Riko...

OG post that inspired this

Imagine that Seth, you know, didn't get fucking murdered in book 1.

That first banquet where the Ravens have joined the Foxes district...just imagine that when Jean calls out to Neil and makes him come into the locker room to meet up with Riko that it's not just Matt that comes looking for him but also Seth. They're roommates and Seth will be damned if anyone intimidates the other striker on their lineup (other than him of course).

When Riko tells Neil he will speak to Kevin and have him explain, that he will not tolerate the disrespect, Seth sees red. Matt goes to push Neil out of the room and moves back in to have Seth's back. Seth turns to Riko, eyes angry. "You might not tolerate the disrespect but I don't fucking tolerate you pulling people away to have secret chats in locker rooms." Seth bodies up into Riko's face, quick to move like he does on the court, coiled and ready to throw hands.

"Shoo, Nathanial and I are talking." He motions to Jean to get Neil back in.

And well, that was the wrong thing to say. Seth smirks before pulling back a fist and connecting with Riko's jaw. He never cared if it was during Exy or if it was off the court, Seth was always hot tempered and ready to go, a blessing and a curse he thought. Riko didn't stand much chance against the other striker, while Seth's job was to be fast and score, he was a wall when it came to fighting. Plenty of practice on the Fox line for the everyday brawl. He towered over Riko and easily bodied him down to the ground in front of the locker, it only took a few strikes to take him down. He let out a small laugh at the shock Riko let show on his face - no Jean to protect him as Matt held him back near the door - "Leave my team alone or next time I won't go easy on you." Seth spit on him as he turned to the door to leave with Matt and Neil in tow, looking back as Jean went over to help Riko off the ground.

When they met eyes he just smiled and walked away.

--

The next time they met on the court. Since Seth and Riko played the same position they didn't get nearly enough time fighting as Seth would like. In the time between the banquet and the match both Kevin and Neil had come clean on what was really going on with the Moriyama's. Seth wasn't all too happy with them., and wasn't happy with them trying to make Neil and Kevin's life harder -that was his job.

Seth and Kevin were up when Riko was on, Matt and Nicky on as backliners. Matt was more than ready to follow along with whatever he needed to do to destroy Riko, already tasked with being the one to cover him. Seth watched the way Matt repeatedly made it harder and harder for Riko to get the upper hand, months of training with Kevin had made Matt so much better at being the Foxes biggest backliner. He smiled under his helmet as he watched Riko's repeated frustrating as Matt blocked his route, stole the ball, and passed to either himself or Kevin.

During the last half Riko darted down his side of the court, looking like he was running for his life and making Seth think of Neil when he first arrived at Palmetto. He knew it was his chance to confront him head on and and raced the 10 yards over to him. He checked him before Riko could pass the ball away and managed to scoop it up when Riko lost it. instead of trying to run with it he spotted Kevin with an opening and immediately bounced it out of his racquet towards him.

Riko hissed at him after the wall turned red with the alert of a goal scored. "Piece of shit," Riko spit at him.

"Not what your mom was saying last night!" He laughed as he flipped Riko off and went back into the next play as the Raven dealer chucked the ball down the court.

He watched with trained eyes, preparing to steal the ball where he could. Zane saw Riko mostly open and passed back to him from half court, both Seth and Matt descended on him faster than he expected, both aware that the team had to pass to Riko frequently to keep Riko happy as their king. Matt smashed into him from behind as Seth yanked at his racquet to flip the ball out. Riko didn't stand a chance against the two 6 foot plus men, both ready to use their size to their advantage. Seth popped the ball out of his net and in an unexpected move passed it behind him to Matt to deal with.

The game played on behind them as Seth stepped a few feet away from where Riko had fallen on the floor, racquet loose in his hands as he watched the ball soar to the Raven's side of the court.

"I should have killed you and your scaredy-cat when I had the chance," Riko sneered.

Seth raised an eyebrow in question at him, observing the way his gaze tracked to Neil bouncing his leg on the bench at the Foxes side.

"Oh, you think you coulda got the better of us?" Seth brought his racquet up over his shoulders, the look of a casual conversation as the ball was still in play around them. He shifted his weight to one leg as he watched Riko plant his feet in effort to stand back up.

"I don't think- I know."

Seth laughed as he threw his racquet to the ground. "Yeah, I don't think so mother fucker," he said as he threaded a hand through Riko's hair, pulled him up with only that as the grounding point to Riko's full height. Seth bent down to meet Riko eye to eye before his other hand wrapped around Riko's throat to lift him up completely off his feet. Attention was drawn to them as a whistle blew and red cards were thrown on the play. Seth didn't stop, lifting Riko well over his head, laughing more as his hands clawed at the one at his neck, mouth open trying to take a full breath into his lungs. He squeezed tighter, feeling tendons shift under his grip even through the guard. When he felt satisfied by Riko's fear he slammed him against the plexiglass wall to their left, let him slide down as he released his hold just as his other hand balled into a fist to start relentlessly pummeling into his side as the other came down to catch him on the side of the head.

The Foxes didn't move to stop him, except one. Kevin came up and roughly grabbed at his elbow.

"Gordon! Forget him, " Kevin met his eyes and held his racquet out to him. "Time to get them where it really hurts." A rare feral Kevin smile was on display and Seth was only able to take his racquet back, clack theirs together before running off with a shit-eating grin, ready to play Exy with his favorite striker in NCAA.

Riko wouldn't finish out that game, he'd have to have been hauled off with some moderately severe injuries for only being in an altercation with one other man.

The Foxes would win.

Seth wouldn't regret what he did, after all, he's just a Fox with an attitude problem.

[player1064]

kate for someone reason thinking jamie is homophobic not sure why or how but she does (sara has me obsessed with the idea that they can’t stand each other now lol) and then him introducing her to gary and she’s like 🤯 ft. micah in the corner like you didn’t know he never shuts up about him???

god Kate and Jamie literally CANNOT STAND EACH OTHER!!! I'm OBSESSED with that dynamic tbh!!!!!!! As always. this one is much longer than intended...

Also, don't need to have read it but this is technically intended to tie in to my fic Happy wife, happy life (but tldr Jamie regularly calls Gary his wife partly to keep their relationship under wraps but mostly bc. he finds it funny to call Gary his wife.)

---

“Obviously we’re done for the season right before pride month kicks off,” one of the CBS producers is saying, eyes darting over something on an iPad. “And since you four have been pretty popular we were thinking of including you in some of those ad campaigns, so if I could just get some dates off of all of you –”

“No,” Jamie says immediately.

All three of his colleagues snap their heads up to him, but only Kate looks at him coolly and says “no?”

Micah, because he’s Micah, chuckles and slaps Jamie in the shoulder, trying to diffuse some of the new tension in the air. “Not like you to turn down extra cash, Carra.”

Jamie rolls his eyes, pretends not to notice the way Kate’s eyes are burning into him. “Check my contract. Wish I could, honest,” he says to the producer, feeling very very glad that he had a clause added to his contract specifically so that he doesn’t have to take part in things like this, “But it just wouldn’t be do-able. You lot ‘ave fun, though, with yer rainbows and yer glitter.”

Kate just looks at him incredulously. “This is one thing you decide to take a stand on, mister ‘I don’t care about politics’?”

Rainbows just don’t really suit Jamie, is the thing. Nor does the extra scrutiny that comes from wearing rainbows.

Doesn’t really matter to him what Kate thinks of him, though, so he just shrugs and continues packing up his stuff for the day.

*

“Jamie – Jamie, I finally got onto Raya, can you have a look at my profile?”

Jamie looks up at Micah with a frown. “What the fuck is a Raya?”

“It’s a dating app,” Kate says from her end of the desk, in that unimpressed tone of hers that makes Jamie wonder why she’s bothering to insert herself into the conversation at all.

“An exclusive dating app,” Micah corrects, wiggling his phone in front of Jamie.

“Weren’t you already seeing someone?” asks Jamie, but he accepts the phone with a sigh and puts his glasses on. “I don’t – I’ve never used one of these things, what am I meant to be lookin’ at?”

Micah shrugs. “Didn’t work out,” he says breezily. “How have you never used a dating app, you’ve not been married that long. And look at yourself, you can’t tell me you weren’t a player before Mrs Carra came along.”

Jamie had got around a bit, in his playing days. Not much, mind, because he’d had to be careful, but he’d done alright. Unfortunately – and this is not something he’ll ever admit to anyone, even under duress – any thoughts of that had gone out the window the moment he’d walked onto the Sky campus after retiring.

“You’re right,” he says with a wink, “look at me. As if I’d need an app to find myself a bird. Why’d you want me to look at this, I’m not exactly your target audience. ‘less there’s somethin’ you’re not tellin’ us,” he adds, elbowing Micah and waggling his eyebrows.

Kate looks on unimpressed as the two of them double over in laughter. “Not that any of us would have a problem if you were, right Jamie?” she says haughtily.

Jamie catches Micah’s eye and has to fight back another bout of laughter. “Dunno,” he says, “I can think of one or two problems I’d ‘ave if Big Meeks here suddenly tried hittin’ on me.”

Micah bursts out laughing again, his hand clapping to Jamie’s forearm, and Jamie can’t help but join in – it’s infectious, okay?

“God,” Micah says, wiping a tear from his eye, “can you imagine how your missus would react. I’d never be able to work in television again.”

“Nah, she’d prob’ly send you a fruit basket, thank you for taking me off ‘er hands.”

Kate clears her throat and the two of them sober immediately at the sight of her raised eyebrow. “Maybe cool it with the outdated banter,” she says, “or do I need to remind you boys that you’re not in a dressing room anymore?”

She storms off, he heels click-clicking away as Jamie and Micah look at each other and try (and fail) not to start laughing again.  

*

“You didn’t want to bring your wife to the end of season party, then?” Kate asks politely, looking slowly around the room.

“Huh?” Jamie says eloquently, because he’s had a couple of glasses of prosecco and he’s not thinking as quickly as he usually might. “Oh, the missus. Yeah, she’s here but  – I dunno, she’s a bit shy, like. You didn’t invite Malik?”

Kate rolls her eyes, the way she always does when Jamie mentions her boyfriend. “Well, he lives in America. So.”

“Carra,” an annoying voice calls from just behind him, “Carra, come over ‘n meet Schmeichel? I’ve not seen ‘im in years, d’you know, I think I’d forgot how tall he was.”

Jamie puts a hand on the small of Gary’s back to keep him from bouncing around too much (the man is such a lightweight, it’s embarrassing), and says “I’ve already met Peter, you dolt. I work with ‘im, remember?”

Gary squints at him for a second. “You drag me all the way down to London, and then y’can’t even be bothered to –” he finally seems to realise that Jamie had been talking to someone, because he quickly shakes his head around a bit and holds a hand out to Kate with a smile. “You’re Kate, right? I love what you do on the show, honest, I’m always sayin’ people need to be meaner to James here.”

Jamie thinks he sees Kate blush a bit, like she hadn’t realised anyone else had noticed her dislike of Jamie, but she takes Gary’s offered hand anyway. “And of course you’re the famous Gary Neville, I’ve heard a lot about you,” she greets. “But aren't you still with Sky? What brings you to our little operation here?”

“Scopin’ out the competition,” he says with a wink, then turns back to Jamie. “Carra – Peter?”

“I said no! I’ll talk to him later, stop badgerin’ me.”

“Did you two travel down from Manchester together?” asks Kate, “You know, Jamie seems so invested in my relationship but none of us have ever met his wife, do you know where she’s got to?”

“Ah, his fuckin’ wife,” Gary mutters, smirking up at Jamie. Jamie winks in reply and slips his hand down a bit to pinch him on the arse.

Micah comes over, his tuxedo strained against his biceps, and he pulls Gary away from Jamie to throw an arm around his shoulder in a half-hug.

(Gary squirms a bit at the unexpected contact, but he still gives Micah a friendly pat on the chest.)

“Big Nev! It’s been ages, man – Jamie told us you were coming, but he’s promised that before and not delivered.”

“Been pretty busy, up in Manchester,” Gary says with a shrug, carefully extracting himself from under Micah’s arm and returning to Jamie’s side. “But I’m obliged to do the plus one thing at least two –” (“Three,” Jamie corrects,) “—fine, three times a year, and I figure there’re worse places to be.”

“Aw, you love it really,” Micah says. “I’ve always kind of wondered what it’s like to be a WAG.”

Gary rolls his eyes. “It’s a thankless job, to be fair.” He pokes Jamie in the bicep and adds “I’m going back to talk t' Peter, you miserable old twat. Honest, I’m always talkin' to Scousers fer you.”

“I already know –” Jamie starts to protest, but Gary’s already wandered off. “Ugh. Sorry about ‘im. You can’t take Mancs anywhere, can ya?”

The two Mancs he’s talking to look at him, unimpressed.

“He seemed nice,” Kate says carefully.

“He’s not,” Jamie replies.

*

“Good summer?” Micah asks, their first show back after the break.

“Brilliant,” Jamie replies with a grin. “It were my turn to choose the destination, so –”

“Ibiza?”

He nods. “Ibiza. The house was done just in time, too.”

“You know, I can’t really imagine Gary in Ibiza.”

“Oh, he hates it. Complained the whole time, but he does that wherever we go.”

He becomes aware that Kate is watching them from across the desk, not trying to hide that she’s listening to their conversation with curiosity. Jamie nods to her, all polite like. “Hows about you, Kate, good summer?”

“It was fine, I –” she shakes her head. “Sorry, you’re saying you go on holiday with Gary Neville?”

Micah scoffs. “Who else would he go with?” he asks, and Jamie points to him in agreement.

“I dunno, his wife?”

Jamie blinks.

He thought he’d got all this out the way, dragging Gary along to the party a couple of months ago. Apparently not.

“Gary is my wife,” he says, then suddenly feels very stupid saying that to someone who’s not already in on the joke, so he corrects to “my husband, I mean. Obviously he’s not – he’s a man. Obviously.”

Kate’s eyes are wide, unblinking. She looks between Jamie and Micah, lips pressed together while her brain seems to be buffering.

“You’re married to a man?” she says eventually. “But you’re not gay, I mean – you’re –”

Jamie, who last time he checked definitely was gay, raises an eyebrow, amused. “I’m what?”

“You’re a footballer,” she attempts, and oh, this is far too easy.

“Bit ‘omophobic, that, sayin’ footballers can’t be gay,” he replies, holding back a smirk.

“Oh shut up, you know what I – you’re a lad! You’re always with the banter, and the…”

Thierry wanders over, freshly brewed cup of tea in hand. “What have you two done this time?” he asks, looking pointedly at Jamie and Micah.

Jamie raises his hands to protest his innocence.

“Thierry,” Kate asks, reaching a hand out towards him, “did you know Jamie’s married to a man?”

Thierry rolls his eyes. “Ugh, fucking Neville,” he replies, and goes to sit down.

[queer-omens-in-the-archives]

Nocturne (7/7)

The last instalment in our series of 7 Matt/Mello/Near drabbles written for @dnrarepairweek! Thank you empress for organising the event, it was a blast <3 :3 Prompt: new world.

Near is awake while Matt and Mello sleep.

Rarepair: Matt/Mello/Near Other tags: Post-Canon, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alive Matt | Mail Jeevas & Mello | Mihael Keehl, Melancholy, Fluff

[read on AO3 or below] [series on AO3]

Nestled between Mello and Matt, both unlike him sharing the slow breaths of sleep, Near tests their names in the safety of his own mind.

Mihael. Mail.

He hasn’t dared speak either aloud yet. It is too soon; Kira has been dead for years.

He waits, not patiently, until he stops wondering how long what they have will last.

He cannot stop tonight.

Tonight… tonight is for breathing, for watching how beautifully light from the streetlamps plays on Mello’s hair, for feeling the reassuring weight of Matt’s arm heavy across his belly.

Tonight, Nate is grateful for what he has.

[luvuomi]

goodness i have never felt so seen by a character .. i think im going to enjoy this show a lot ^w^

[sisterdivinium]

All her life had she been selfish, placing her needs and whims above all else; all her life had she defied an institution whose entire foundation was built upon the branches of a tree whose fruit was forbidden for its flavour of knowledge.

Still could Jillian not force her to stay — she barely recalled how she had gotten her into her bed to begin with.

Come morning, she always relinquished Suzanne to her habit, to her prayers; she would watch her don the veil Jillian herself had pulled off and rush out for service.

And, somehow, selfless, she let her.

[clowningaroundmars]

miles g fic first draft is DONE. 30k words in case y'all wanted to know 😪

all i have to do now is just edit it andddd uh hopefully its up on ao3 before long!! :)

[nyhne]

.

[rainbow-flavoured-skittles]

incompete drabble from the we're all dead here au that will probably never be finished. I was going to add a lot more but lost motivation and my wip list is kinda full right now so :/

~

Lloyd was a strange child. That was a fact of life. Nobody was quite sure how exactly he was strange, but he simply was. The sky was blue, the ocean was salty, Lloyd was a strange child. 

Lloyd himself knew this as well. He did not enjoy talking to his peers at school, instead wandering around on his own during recess and looking at things that caught his interest, such as a particularly large beetle, or a bright red maple leaf, or the little ants that marched along the pavement. The teachers would look at him and tell him to go make some friends, to which he would say “no thanks,”and walk away.

On this day, a lovely August afternoon, Lloyd was running through the park away from his cousin Morro, who had been given the task of watching him for a few hours.

“You’ll never catch me!” Lloyd yelled. He ran past an old lady walking her dog, nearly knocking her over in the process, and slammed into a bench.

“Whoah, kid, you okay?” A voice asked. Oops, Lloyd thought. He must have bumped into some innocent person who’d been sitting on the bench. 

“Sorry, sir,” Lloyd said. His head was still spinning from his fall.

Silence, and then some strangled noises. “You can see me?” 

“Huh?” Lloyd looked up at the person. He was older than Lloyd, at least high school age, with spiky brown hair and freckled skin. There were large, angry red marks on his face that resembled burns. And he was transparent and glowing. That was strange.

“Why are you glowing?” Lloyd blurted. Then he regretted it. It was probably rude to ask that sort of question — what if it was a sensitive topic?

The boy laughed. “Because I do,” he said mischievously.

“Are you a ghost?” 

“Yes.”

Lloyd’s eyes widened. “Really?”

“What else would be bright green and glowy?”

“A glow stick?”

The boy hummed. “I’m not sure what a glow stick is, but sure.”

“They’re sticks,” Lloyd told him seriously. “You crack them and then they glow. They come in lots of different colours too.”

“Sounds interesting,” the boy said.

“What’s your name?” Lloyd extended a hand. “Mine is Lloyd.”

The boy smirked. “Kai,” he said.

“Your name is Kai?”

“Yes.”

“That’s a cool name,” Lloyd declared. He had never heard that name before, but it suited this boy.

“LLOYD!” Morro came barrelling up to the two. It had taken him a surprisingly long amount of time to catch up. “You can’t just run off like that.”

“But I wanted to play tag,” Lloyd pouted. “And I made a friend! This is Kai,” he gestured to the older boy.

Morro frowned and looked at Lloyd. “There’s no one there.”

“No, he’s right there!” 

Morro looked over at the bench again. He could not see anything there. But children were known for having active imaginations, so he nodded and said, “well, say goodbye to Kai, then. We have to go home.”

“But I don’t wanna!” Lloyd exclaimed. When else was he going to meet another real, live ghost? Well, perhaps not live, exactly, but still a ghost.

“Listen to your brother, kid,” Kai said.

“He’s not my brother, he’s my cousin,” Lloyd told him.

“Cousin, then. Listen to your cousin, okay?”

“Can I see you again, though?” Lloyd looked at Kai hopefully.

“Sure.”

“Okay,” Lloyd said defeatedly. He grabbed Morro’s hand. “We can go, but only if we come back tomorrow.”

Morro sighed. “Fine.”

“Bye! See you tomorrow!” Lloyd waved at Kai. 

Kai waved back, and the next time Lloyd turned around he was gone.

[millenniumdueled]

The End of the World, Again: part 3

Yugi

Though he stands resolute, the Other Yugi feels his stomach drop as the knights are easily destroyed by the great serpent's attack.

If even their destined allies were useless then what was left?

The Leviathan doesnt give him time to consider his options.

Those tendrils wrap around his waist, pining his dominant arm to his side as they snatch him off his feet and drag him into the snake's body. What looked to be solid scales from so far below is amorphous up close, a body made of Darkness itself that threatens to absorb the three Duelists.

The Other Yugi freezes, only feeling himself sink further with every thrash or resistance. And he gasps.

Dartz isn't being dramatic.

He can hear them.

The muffled echoes of voices, familiar voices. Raphael. Mai. Weevil. And millions of others, all calling out, their words unclear but their voices distinct. He can hear them. He can feel them.

He can hear Joey shouting reassurance and encouragement to the souls, and his eyes go wide. Maybe! Maybe that's the key!

But as he opens his mouth to do the same, the viscous shadows overtake him. His words are cut short as he's dragged beneath the surface, into the belly of the snake.

No. No!! He was so close! He throws one hand out, fingers outstretched as he reaches for the light of day like a life preserver.

The last words he heard from Joey echo in his head, but how can he unite the souls now?

He can hear, feel their wailing all around, as if it's their tears and agony he's drowning in now. Their words muffled, lost in a discordant symphony of suffering.

His fingers start to relax. He feels himself start to sink, slowly.

"other me!!"" above the sea of suffering, he hears the familiar warmth of his Partner's voice, clear as a bell inside his heart. "you can't give up now, cmon!!"

"But how...?"

"if you can hear everyone's grief, then they can hear our souls yell too."

The Other Yugi goes quiet for a second. Then that hand still held above the surface of the beast clenches a fist.

"Everyone!!!! He can't open his mouth to yell. But he can scream the words inside his heart, the same silent way he communicates with his precious Partner. Maybe, if they both call out, maybe if they're loud enough, their other precious friends can hear him too.

"Joey! Kaiba!! Mai!! Raphael!! Rex, Weevil, Valon.... Everyone!! Every single one of you!! Listen to me!!!"

"don't give up!!!!!" Yugi's voice echoes.

Joey

"AAUUGH!?" Oh, Joey does not like this, the tacky-gooey feeling encasing him as he's slowly absorbed into the Leviathan. But he doesn't stop fighting. Even though it hastens his sinking. Which is probably why he goes under first.

It's so cold.

It's so quiet. The others' voices are quickly fading. Is this really it?

Did they really lose?

Joey tries to struggle more, but it's so cold. He can't feel his fingers. Soon he can't move them, either, a deep numbness setting in. The wailing voices are reduced to whispers. He can't even make out who is who anymore. He can't see.

He can't move.

They failed.

He failed...

"Everyone!!!!"

Yugi...? Even if he can't gasp, all his attention snaps onto this new voice, ringing out clear as if his friend were standing right in front of him. He doesn't know how to answer, but he focuses. Right, how could he be thinking it's over? He's not dead yet! And there hasn't been a god yet strong enough to keep Joey Wheeler down!

He can't move. But he smiles. Even if he can't see them, both Yugis are here. *"You got it, bud!"*

Seto

Seto struggles against the tendrils to the very last, utterly offended by the groping, dragging force daring to touch him, to grab him and drag him into itself. Disgusting. His own thrashing and various shows of force against the ropes of darkness only make him sink faster, and before he realizes, Seto is already trapped up to his waist.

As the others hear them, Seto thinks he hears someone specific, as well: "Alister?" He punches another tendril off of his arm, even as the others wrap onto other pieces of him that aren't fighting back. "Damnit! This can't be the darkness in every sacrificed soul- unless that darkness is being empowered somehow?!"

Dartz deigns to answer him, toying with his food in its final moments before it joins him and his God.

"Oh, yes, Seto; no matter how much anyone refuses to acknowledge it, as long as someone has fears, or anxiety, or anger, any scrap of darkness in their hearts will rekindle and grow inside of them until it consumes them! They were already lost to it- you are already lost to it, Seto Kaiba, Yugi Muto, Katsuya Jonouchi! There is no use in tiring yourselves out before the end, for resistance is useless against the tide of the world's dark hearts."

Joey fights that idea in his usual brash way, his low-class vernacular making his shouts almost comical when contrasted with their situation. It doesn't really help, either. Seto can't turn his head to see Yugi anymore, once Joey is sucked into the beast. With his last free breath, Seto calls to the soul he recognizes in the mix. "Alister- you're really giving up now, after everything?" He wanted to say something to Yugi, but doesn't have the chance before the cold darkness overcomes him and snuffs out the lights.

The voices are actually a little quieter inside, more a murmured cacophony than specific voices in a crowd of conversation. It's almost comforting, in a way- like background noise that would help one fall asleep. But Yugi's bright will cuts through.

It's all Seto can do to hold on to the last ounces of his strength, bolstered by his rival's urging. You had better have a solution to this...! In the dark, his fists clench.

Yugi

At first, the Yugi's cries seem to go unanswered, seemingly swallowed and silenced by the crushing Darkness. The Pharaoh feels his heart start to sink again. But then there's his bright and hopeful Partner, crying out again for everyone.

And this time, another voice penetrates the oppressive shadows. He swears it's Joey.

And then another. Kaiba?

The Other Yugi keeps that fist clenched above the surface of their shadowy prison.

"Don't think about the Darkness in your hearts. Don't think about the pain, or the lonliness!!" the Other Yugi demands.

"remember the happiest memories of your lives!!! everyone!! there might be darkness in our hearts, but there's light in every soul too!!!! every person whose ever made you smile or laugh!!! every sunrise! your favorite food, your favorite book or movie--"

"Focus on that light!!! It's impossible to get rid of every shadow in your heart... But even the smallest glimmer of light is enough to weaken the Darkness that surrounds you!!!"

"you can do it!! i believe in every single one of you!!! we can still win, we can still escape!!! think of all the lives and souls we can save still!!!! but we have to do it together!!!!!"

The Other Yugi swears the shadows don't feel so cold now.

Seto

Golden lights begin floating up, out of the darkness, toward the Yugis and into their Duel Disk. Each is the light in one person's soul, like lanterns of hope, illuminating their struggle and offering what power they have to give in assisting their would-be hero. Even Seto gives Yugi his strength before it can be consumed, practically swooping toward him and disappearing into his Deck.

They seem to be empowering something.

Yugi can feel it...

The God Cards! Their powers are returning to them, thanks to the light of so many hearts!

Dartz feels something amiss. His control over the situation, over his Leviathan, is slipping. He feels like he drank something carbonated that didn't agree with him.

Dark Magician Girl, still rallying the Duel Monsters against the Dark God, can see what's happening and tells them all to lend their strength to her Master, too! Thousands more glowing spheres flow into Yugi's Deck.

Joey

Focus on the happy memories...? Of course. To fight the darkness in the Leviathan, is to fight the darkness in their hearts. And that's to use light.

Joey puts every last bit of concentration on it. Relives Yugi getting standing up for him, days spent with his sister, Mai giving him the card he needed to fight in the finals at Duelist Kingdom... Moving out of his father's. Sneaking into Yugi's hospital room so they could chat after the fire. The noogies, play fights, teasing. Their first kiss. And their first kiss. And second, and third.

Take every last bit of strength and light he has, use it to fight.

Yugi

The dissonant wails and cries of the suffering souls quiets down in waves. Admittedly, the Yugis had expected the voices to grow clearer, and the two go silent in return, nervous.

But there's no doubt about it. The cold, clammy embrace of the Darkness that surrounds him is warmer now.

The Other Yugi's eyes go wide as, one by one, gold lights streak their way through the viscous body of the Leviathan. Each one shoots up, up, up and out of the Darkness, breaking free of the surface to land inside the DuelDisk clasped to his fist held aloft.

He hears Joey's voice. Kaiba's. Mai's. Raphael's, Valon's, Alister's. Maybe a million more he cannot name, all putting their faith, their light, their trust in him. He hears the voice of the Dark Magician Girl. Of the Legendary Knights. Of every monster on their side.

Beams of bright, golden light pierce the scales of the great Leviathan.

The Other Yugi struggles against the strength and weight of the sperpent's amorphous body, against the Darkness of humanity that tries so hard to drown him. He doesn't need to get his head above the surface, he just needs enough strength to break his right hand through.

"Please!!! Give me your strength!!!!!!" he begs as he strains his fingers, just enough to draw

three

more

cards

It's like a bomb goes off.

The golden light makes the sky go black around it, the great snake disappearing into the contrast.

The three Chosen Duelists hit the ground of Atlantis with meaty *thuds*.

It takes a second or two for the Other Yugi to get his bearings, to open his eyes and push himself up from the cold ground. But as he blinks the dark spots away from his vision, he gasps at the sight overhead.

The great beast Leviathan still looms, but the scales that cover its body stand out, protruding like a pinecone. Blown out from the inside. It heaves its labored breaths as it stares down the enemies hovering across from it now.

The three gods, Obelisk, Slifer, and the Winged Dragon of Ra.

"That's impossible--!!" he hears Dartz shout.

But the Pharaoh wastes no time with such bewilderment. He orders the gods to attack.

The injured snake tries to flee, darting up into the clouds. But the gods follow on its tail.

All the Other Yugi can do now is watch the sky.

Bursts of gold, red, blue, and black illuminate and darken the silhouettes overhead. And once again, the two find themselves focusing their concentration, their hopes, and wishes, and prayers as one.

The chaos overhead seems to go silent.

For a moment, they both hold their breath. Inside their shared heart, they take each other's hand.

This is it.

This is the moment of truth.

The fate of the entire world.

The clouds are blown apart.

But the Other Yugi plants his foot, narrows his eyes at the enormous snake and its unsightly growth. How can they be evenly matched? Even after all that damage the Leviathan had taken, being blown apart from inside?

He clenches his fist. "we can't give up now, we're so close!!" Yugi's voice resonates inside his heart.

The Other Half gasps.

Once more, the sky glistens with rainbow auroras. Without an army of monsters behind her now, the Dark Magician Girl appears again. She hovers in the air, not quite able to fly high enough to meet the gods. But she doesn't need to. And here, she goes unseen by the Leviathan as she readies her staff.

If the gods and snake were evenly matched, even the smallest push could tip the scales.

The Other Yugi can barely make out her form, so small and high above him. But he can see the pinpoint of pink light beading at the tip of her staff. It rapidly grows brighter, a small sun in the sky.

The tension between the two attacks starts to waver, pushing first toward the gods, then back at the Leviathan.

And that's when she fires her attack.

As the pink star bursts against the snake's black body, the Leviathan's attack fizzles out. The sky goes white, and the Other Yugi is knocked off his feet by the force, even so very far below.

It takes a moment for him to find his breath and the strength to lift his head. Every muscle of his body aches. There's still spots in his vision as Yugi blinks his eyes open to a blue sky, clear of any gods, snakes, or monsters. Only shimmering orbs of light that fall like a rainstorm of feathers from the heavens above.

"we did it..." he gasps breathlessly. "we won?!"

There's little time to get his bearings, though, as the ground beneath him starts to shake. As the buildings of an ancient city begin to crumble around him, Yugi gasps as he realizes.

With its god destroyed, the floating island is slowly beginning to fall from the sky.

Joey

Joey comes to just before he hits the ground. Not exactly the most fun thing in the world, but even that was better than the cold numbness in the Leviathan.

And speaking of the Leviathan, it looked... like it was dying. "ALRIGHT!!!" he hollers, before hopping back up to his feet. He cheers at the attack, but grows tense as the outcome grows uncertain. "C'mon... C'mon...!"

He doesn't see Dark Magician Girl, focused on the battle as he was. Joey barely has time to register this new pink beam, before everything explodes.

When he hears Yugi, he cracks an eye open. No gods. No Leviathan.

"We won! WE WON!!" Joey laughs in relief, all but lunging for the other two men with him. His hug attack is prevented, however, as he stumbles from the ground shakes. "Oh, shit, okay, time to go! Where was that portal again?"

(( thanks again to @redeyesandchilifries and @blueeyesking !!!!! ))

[wintaerbaer]

twds taehyung when was the first time you realised you like y/n

"That I liked her?" He smirks, scheming. "The day we met in the third grade. She was so excited to show me her pencil case, and seeing that energy come off of her, I knew I had to become her friend." A wide smile breaks out across his face, stretching from ear to ear. "The rest is history."

[patchwork-crow-writes]

53 - A Second Chance

(Elements of coercion)

Oh my sweet light, you must think I'm such a fool. And perhaps you are right, because who in their right mind could possibly agree to such a terrible arrangement...? Could this make-believe relationship really be worth paying that price?

And yet, when you are by my side, how easily it slips my mind! Oh, I could almost believe that no time has passed as we dance and converse and stand just-a-little-too-close and is that your hand upon my back drawing me nearer...?

But don't be upset at them, my light, when all they're doing is exactly what I told them to do - save the world, restore the balance. And if, in the course of our quest, opportunities should present themselves to... get closer... well, who are we to refuse? Isn't that what this is all about, after all, making better friends...?

And... who knows? Perhaps... you'll come around, and we can do this for real! I mean, it wasn't all that long ago, was it, that we were always together? A-and that was good, wasn't it? To have somebody made just for you, to not be alone anymore...? You think so too, don't you? D-don't you...?!

Oh, how can I make you understand just how much I've wanted - no, NEEDED this!? Just a little more time, to make you see what I see! My second chance stands now before me, and I shall NOT squander it! Just let me serve you - let me cherish you once again, and all will be right with the world!

And then... and then we'll be... we'll be...

______________________________

The Dark Menagerie No. 53

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[sysig]

What are some rare characters you love that you think people don’t draw or write about enough

Do Max and Dex count I love them and I feel like I'm approximately 80% of the Helix fandom rn lol

Doug Peterson and Russ Frushtick from Law Abiding Citizen - the fandom has gotten real quiet over time but I still love them so much ♥ There's a lot you can read into or leave silly with their dynamic, I still wholeheartedly recommend the emerge, transformed series as one of my favourite interpretations of Russ especially 💕

The Editor from Jazzpunk - he's just a silly little guy! It's honestly such a shame that he's only really in the last chapter, I would love to see him explored more, he's the worst ♪

Tatsumi Souichi from Koisuru Boukun - genuinely one of my all-time favourite characters, and The Only Good Tsundere as far as I'm concerned lol. I'm gonna write about him! I've got my fanfic and video essay sitting in my drafts, but like agh!! He's so interesting!!! So beautifully flawed - he's internally consistent which is my Favourite - and watching him grow and change while still being himself over literal years has been a truly unparalleled experience as a reader 💖

Luke Wigglebig and Florette from Pajama Sam: You Are What You Eat From Your Head To Your Feet - I joked before about being the only person on the internet who ships them but like, I'm pretty sure that's actually true lol. Even just more fanart of them by themselves would make me happy, they're so cute!! Especially Luke, his design is adorable

And then probably a more well-known one but I haven't been following his fandom popularity lately haha, Fai D. Flowrite from Tsubasa - him, Nova, and Watanuki move in and out of being my CLAMP faves, though Fai is probably the most complex of the three of them. And he's a trash man! A garbage fire of a wizard ♥ I love him