shrews-studies · 8 months ago
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Rating/reviewing my Russian lit compulsory readings (Part 1)
We by Yevgeny Zamyatin (Евгений Замятин - Мы) 8.5/10
I had a lot of fun with this one!!! I was actually surprised by how much it pulled me in and how much I enjoyed it, I finished it in two days and I usually read really slow. If you like 1984 by Orwell, this was what inspired it so you can expect something very similar in vibe and themes. There's racism in the descriptions of one character and it really irked me so that's what made my rating drop a bit.
Red Cavalry by Isaac Babel (Исаак Бабель - Конармия) 6/10
It was not bad but not to my tastes, it's a short story collection and some of them I liked, some I didn't enjoy as much. It's quite gruesome at parts in the "realities of war" kinda way so if you don't take those topics well, I don't recommend.
The master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov (Михаил Булгаков - Мастер и Маргарита) 9.5/10
I loved it!!! I know it's a big classic and I actually read it many years ago and now that it's required for class I only leafed through it again, but still it's among my faves. It's suspenseful, the story and the characters are all great, overall just such a good read. Not giving a 10 only bc I rarely give a perfect rating to anything vsjdgskgdjd
Invitation to a Beheading by Vladimir Nabokov (Владимир Набоков - Приглашение на казнь) 8.5/10
I read this back in high school too but it was really fun to freshen up my memories about it, it's quite a condensed and hard read if you ask me, as it's very surreal and philosophical, but it's very good! If I had to describe it in one expression, it would be fever dream.
Liompa by Yury Olesha (Юрий Олеша - Лиомпа) 7.5/10
It's just one short story but I decided I'd rate anything longer than two pages so here we go. It was fun and I really liked the atmosphere of it, it gave peace of home (other than the obvious theme of dying gdksgskdhjs).
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samuel-de-champagne-problems · 11 months ago
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Grad school Spencer in his little white coat and glasses getting his chem PhD and he just spills everything and goes 🫠 because he sees English lit major reader walking by from the lap window.
because I will die on the hill that this actually happened.
hiiiii 💕
like 23 year old phd candidate spencer in his white lab coat is everything to me and i took some liberties so bear with me :)
spencer reid x female reader
So he’s working in his lab doing something sciencey and smart
He’s already a phd in math and engineering which makes him something a myth in his departments
Part of his program makes him work as a TA for a chemistry course which is how he meets you
You’re a Literature major and Sociology minor and in his Chemistry class. It’s filled with many students, but Spencer wouldn’t need an eidetic memory to remember you
He never found the courage to talk to you, thinking that you’ve probably already have a boyfriend on a count for how pretty and smart you are.
Every Tuesday and Thursday he sees you walk by his lab. He forces himself to not recognize the pattern, but it’s impossible when you’re so magnetic to look at and think about and patterns are so recognizable to his brain. And out of risk of you thinking he’s a stalker, he decides it’s safer if he ignores you walk by
What Spencer doesn’t realize is that you’ve also noticed his pattern of being in the lab the same days you’re in the Sociology wing.
One day he’s busy his lab, and he can see you through the big picture window. He feels his hands grip the beaker and his grateful that the chemical liquids he’s working with today are something as simple as water
As he gazes through the big window he watches you walk with a big stack books in you arms
He walks to the sink, needing an extra 30mLs of water in his beaker, but as his does he accidentally trips over a stool and crashes to the floor
He jumps up, and sees you look at him in horror. Which wasn’t the way he planned on you looking at him (he forced the thoughts of the various ways you could look at him from his mind)
Suddenly you rush into the lab and just as Spencer tries to stammer about maintaining proper hygiene protocols in the lab, your hands are gripping his wrist
“You’re bleeding” you say, and Spencer watches as you maintain steady, tight pressure on his open wound to stop the bleeding
“I didn’t realize” Spencer says with a stained smile. He’s planned on how he’d approach you over and over again in his mind ever since he saw you in the Chemistry class he TA’ed last semester “I was preoccupied”
“It’s alright, Doctor Reid. You’re not going to need stitches or anything. But let me put some bandaging on it.”
Spencer gulps, as he tries to remember how to breathe. All he can focus on is how your hair frames your face perfectly and how your perfume smells like earl grey tea and honey and apples
“You can call me Spencer, Y/N” He whispers, listening to as you practically drag him by the wrist to the first aid kit
“You know my name?” You ask, a look or wonder and amusement washes over your face
Spencer jerks his head back not in pain nor in discomfort, but rather in confusion. “Of course I do, why wouldn’t I know your name. You’re Y/N.”
You lick your bottom lip as a small smile plays on the corner of your mouth. “there were a lot of students in your class last semester. I’m not very good at chemistry. Nor do I have a particularly memorable face.”
Spencer raised his eyebrows in disbelief. You gently placed a bandage on his cut. “You did very well in the class. And as for your face, it’s very memorable. More than memorable, honestly. It’s gorgeous—oh, no I didn’t—I don’t intend to be forward…”
“I think you got a memorable face too, Doc” You say, smiling as you sit knee to knee on the lab stools
“It’s Spencer,” He says, blushing as he nudged his hand forward to just barely touch yours
You stand, smiling as you do so, “Doc suits you. You’re kinda a legend and you’re really cute when you flush like that when I call you Doc”
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purinfelix · 10 months ago
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by midnight ⋆⭒˚。⋆⊹₊ ⋆
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pairing: carlos sainz x reader summary: you find yourself at one of the hottest parties on campus, eager to land a kiss before New Year strikes to avoid bad luck warnings: none w/c: 2.3k
a/n: i can't believe this is my first proper carlos fic even tho he's my fav driver - also is this a uni au ?? college au ?? sort of idk ... anw hope you all enjoy this and i wish you all a happy new year !! <333
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As you stood in the corner of the dimly lit room, with no company other than the half-empty glass of red wine you’d been cradling for the past hour, you were beginning to question what you were doing at this New Year’s Eve party in the first place.
Of course, your mind was quick to point to the obvious reason - you had come because your friend asked you to. Because she had burst into your dorm room about a week ago with a sparkle in her eye and an invite to a party hosted by what she referred to as ‘high profile university elites’, which you understood as ‘popular kids who were yet to realise they’d already peaked in high school’. Nonetheless, her eagerness and incessant begging had somehow convinced you to trail along with her to the party and the numerous shopping trips preceding it.
You had to admit, there was a tiny part of you that was excited about it. You enjoyed going out and the occasional dance session but after an extremely stressful university semester you weren’t sure you could handle any more chaos or drama. But it was something different, something interesting - something to look forward to in the break routine your life had become. Especially since your friend seemed very insistent on the possibility of you meeting some new “hot singles”, and whilst the dig at your uneventful love life didn’t go unnoticed you let it slip considering it wasn’t entirely untrue.
Maybe it was this possibility that had urged you to tag along with her, despite not knowing any of the hosts or people she had listed out. However, if it weren’t for her constant reassurance that she would be at your side the entire night, you probably wouldn’t be standing at the front door of whatever unlucky house had been chosen to host the event, so dressed up you felt a little silly. Your hands trembled slightly at your sides and you felt stupid at how nervous you were. But, as the door opened for you by a boy who looked like he had already had too much to drink from his crooked tie, you swallowed your nerves and reminded yourself that even if you knew no on else, you had your friend to lean on.
At least, until a mere hour had passed into the party and she was nowhere to be found. She had told you she was going to go introduce herself to some other people and that she’d be back to meet you in the corner where she had left you. And the last you saw of her she had been standing a little too close to a guy you vaguely recognised from one of your marketing lectures, and hand ultimately decided best to leave her to enjoy herself - even if that meant awkwardly taking up space, biding your time, and avoiding eye contact with anyone.
Your friend had discussed at length, and much to your dismay, about how this wasn’t just any old New Year’s Eve party like one thrown at a frat house. Rather this was one organised by your university’s wealthiest, most popular, most talented students - which had been one of your biggest turn-offs from it initially. And as you leant against the corner of some vintage-looking wallpaper, you couldn’t help but observe the atmosphere that reeked of elitism, snobbery and daughter laughter. People around you chattered away without cares in the world, donning clothes that surely came from stores you weren’t wealthy enough to know of. Others danced in the centre of the dimly lit room, some moving with elegance and others waved their arms around, drunk on a mixture of whatever expensive bottles their peers had brought.
But, to your surprise, there was something - or rather someone - that managed to catch your eyes from the other side of the room. It was what seemed like the only other person not involved in some sort of conversation, dance circle, or the lips of whatever partner they had brought. And it seemed he had noticed you too by the way his deep brown eyes had locked onto yours, even in the shadowy lighting from where he sat on the cough. He was handsome, there was certainly no denying it, especially not when the eye contact and the slight quirk of his lips alone were enough to make your heart rate quicken. You took a shaky sip from your glass, watching as he ran a large hand through his dark hair that was styled in a way you could only describe as ‘princely’, the gold cufflinks on his shirt sleeve flashing as he did.
He’s way out of your league and your tax bracket, you remind yourself. But there’s something about the way this handsome stranger is looking at you that makes you feel compelled to him. Almost like he’s cast an invisible string around your waist and is slowly pulling you towards him. A grandfather clock in the corner tells you there’s less than half an hour until midnight and the strike of New Year’s, and until you can get out of here without missing too much. Half an hour to work up the courage to go up to him, talk to him, to do anything other than stand her paralysed under his intense, yet insanely attractive, gaze.
Your feet unstick themselves and go to take a step in his direction, until your friend appears suddenly around the corner, her hand already on your wrist. She’s talking to you about some people you “just have to meet”, half dragging you with her to the kitchen. But your eyes are still stuck on him, and he watches you go with an expression that’s equal parts amused and disappointed that your charged staring competition didn’t last longer.
You find yourself in a circle with three other people, forcing a smile on your face and trying your best to act as if you care while your friend introduces you to them. One’s an engineering major, the other in medicine, and the last you can’t even bother to remember, your brain busied with plans on how to get back to the lounge, and the handsome stranger. You nod incessantly as your new company drones on about final exams and papers, eager to have the conversation done with you.
“Well, seems like there’s not much time left until midnight,” one of them says, which catches your attention, and your friend laughs along.
“And you know what they say about a New Year’s kiss, hm?” she chimes in, “that failing to lock lips with anyone after the countdown will bring in a whole new year of loneliness!” She nudges your arm and you swallow the urge to make some excuse, settling on rolling your eyes with a resigned smile.
“You found the lucky guy yet?” the engineering major says, looking directly at you with a suggestive sort of look.
As if summoned by the question, you spot something out of the corner of your eye. A familiar tuft of dark hair snakes its way around the kitchen hallway - it’s him. Now that the two of you are standing you truly get a sense of how tall he is, and you can definitely see that the dark suit he’s wearing is doing his figure justice. He moves quickly, purposefully, as he pours himself another drink and is already making his way out of the kitchen. Though, not before looking back and shooting you a quick smile. The sight renders you incapable of speech and basic function, as you go to take a sip of your own drink and instead spill your glass’ remains onto your dress.
Your little circle erupts into groans and worried cries, your friend trying her best to laugh off the total fool you’ve made of yourself in front of them. Luckily though, it seems the handsome stranger didn’t stay long enough to witness your little accident, so you don’t mind too much as your friend ushers you off to one of the bathrooms, pushing past bodies that move along to the pulsing music. Your head throbs as your friend shoves you in and shuts the door behind her.
“I can’t believe you,” she sighs, grabbing handfuls of toilet paper and throwing them at you as you sit on the closed toilet seat, “that was so embarrassing, and you’ve completely ruined the dress we spent ages picking at.”
You clearly couldn’t care less as you dab at the large stain on your dress with indifference, as she paces back and forth and waves her hands around to express her frustration.
“It’s really not that big of a deal, they all seemed like assholes anyways,” you mutter. Your quip seems to calm her down as she takes a seat on the bathtub rim. She takes a moment to glance at her phone in her hand before letting out a tired sigh.
“And now there’s less than three minutes until midnight and neither of us is getting a New Year’s kiss.”
“There’s nothing keeping you in here with me, you know,” you say, a smile in your voice as you watch her expression turn hopeful.
“You really wouldn’t mind?”
“I mean, I don’t really want to spend New Year’s Eve alone but I don’t want you to as well, I think I’ll manage.”
She lets out a squeal, pulling you in for a quick hug whilst being careful not to get any of the red wine you’ve spilled on your dress onto hers.
“I’ll meet you outside in half an hour,” is the last thing she says to you before turning and leaving the bathroom to rejoin the crowd that’s formed to count down the seconds until midnight. It’s almost funny that you’re alone once more, only now with a gigantic red stain and under the harsh white light of this lavishly decorated bathroom. Sitting back against the toilet, you close your eyes and try your best to enjoy this moment of peace, and ignore the fact that this may just signal another year of loneliness - as your friend mentioned. You can hear the partygoers outside getting ready, pulling out tiny confetti canons and ushering others into the lounge.
“10!”
“9!”
Suddenly, the door opens and you jerk up to scold your unwelcome intruder. That is until you notice it’s him, the handsome stranger. He looks equally surprised to see you until you realise he probably wasn’t expecting anyone to be sitting alone in the bathroom during the countdown to New Year’s. Your throat is dry but you still manage to croak out some form of a response.
“What are you doing here?”
“I could ask you the same thing,” he says, and you notice he’s almost panting. You gesture to the stain on your dress with an expression that says “duh”.
“Oh, right, well I just wanted to get away from all the chaos and loudness, you know.”
“8!” The crowd outside keeps going, and they seem to be getting louder.
“You didn’t find any lucky girl to kiss when midnight struck?” you say, trying your best to make light of how insanely awkward this interaction is. He rubs the back of his neck and looks down at his feet shyly.
“Well I did, she was standing in the corner of the room all alone,” he takes a couple of steps towards you and his voice is sheepishly quiet.
“7!”
“She sounds like a loner,” you retort and he lets out a dry laugh. You’re trying to play it cool and act as if you’re not dying to just kiss him already, because you know that’d be too forward, especially for someone like you at a party like this.
“Well, I thought she was beautiful, at least until she got dragged away by her friend.”
“6!”
“Really?”
“Yeah, but then I saw her later in the kitchen talking to some guys and figured she’d be more interested in them.”
“5!”
“I’m sure they were boring,” you decide to play along with his game.
“Really?”
“Yeah, and I’m sure she would’ve much rather been talking to you instead of them, and hearing her friend talk about how if she didn’t kiss someone by midnight she’d have to deal with another year of being single,” this catches his attention, his eyebrow quirking up alongside a smirk spreading across his face.
“Really?”
“4!”
“Yep, until she spilled a bunch of wine on this dress she bought and ended up in the bathroom trying to clean it off.”
“3!”
”Sounds unfortunate.” He’s towering over you now, looking down at you with a softness in his eyes and a playfulness in his tone.
“Extremely.”
“2!”
You finally find the strength to stand up too, and almost immediately his hand finds its way around a strand of your hair, twirling it absent-mindedly. It moves to your cheek, then your chin, which he cups softly so that he can look into your eyes properly. You feel on fire underneath his touch. At this distance, he’s breathtaking. His eyes are almost enchanting and you feel tiny underneath their gaze, swallowing a lump nervously. He watches you intently, eyes flickering between his own and your lips - it’s clear what he’s thinking.
“1!”
The crowd outside erupts into cheers and the popping of confetti canons, but you’ve forgotten about them immediately as his lips crash into yours with a passion you realise haven’t experienced in a while. It’s not forceful though, it’s too perfect to be anything else. His hands snake around your body and support you - almost lifting you up into him, and you let him, your body turned to jelly under his touch. All the night’s eye contact, the silent messaging, the tension, has been squeezed into this single kiss and it just about knocks you off of your feet. Finally though, your lips separate, and you feel so dazed you can hardly form words.
“Carlos,” he says heavily.
“Huh?” you mumble, mind still processing.
“My name, my name is Carlos.”
“Oh, right, Happy New Year Carlos.”
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captainsophiestark · 1 year ago
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The Reunion Scene
Westley x Reader
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Masterlist - Join My Taglist!
Written for Fictober 2023!
Fandom: The Princess Bride
Day 10 Prompt: "It's alright, I'm here now."
Summary: Westley and his love reunite after she shoves him off a cliff, before realizing who he was of course.
Word Count: 1,070
Category: Fluff
A/N: I'm reading the Princess Bride novel and apparently "The Reunion Scene" in the book between Westley and Buttercup is a bit of a running gag (the wikipedia article can give a quick walk through for anyone curious), so I decided to write it! In the book, it's described as a three page scene, which is about the length of this. For anyone unaware of the wild lore behind the novel, I highly recommend a Wikipedia deep dive, it's very entertaining
Tagging @auroracalisto as my fellow Princess Bride fan :) Hope you're having an amazing first semester teaching!!
Putting work into an AI program without permission is illegal. You do not have my permission. Do not do it.
I planted both hands against the chest of the man before me and shoved with all my strength, sending him careening over the cliff's edge. He'd killed my dearest love, and now returned to mock me, to dare imply I hadn't loved Westley. Whatever happened to me, I couldn't stand this man a minute longer. I shoved him of the cliff, listening to whatever he screamed as he tumbled to the ground below.
"As... you... wish..."
My heart stopped in my chest at the words of my love coming from the mouth of the Dread Pirate Roberts, tumbling down from the cliff I'd just shoved him off of. My Westley, alive, and falling. It couldn't be possible, but it was.
"Westley!" I cried, immediately rushing to follow him down the cliff. I tried to keep my feet under me, and I made it some of the way before gravity caught up to me and sent me tumbling, head over heels. I landed at the bottom, right next to Westley, who still wore his mask. Our eyes locked, and despite the lingering pain from my fall, I surged forward and ripped the mask from his face.
Staring back at me, by some miracle, was Westley. My farm boy. He looked different, older, stronger, and a little of the soft innocence had gone, but he was here. Not dead, like I'd thought him to be for the last three years. Alive, and now, with me.
"Oh, Westley!" My heart sang as I flung my arms around his neck. Without a second's hesitation, he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me to him. I moved to kiss him, but to my surprise, he pulled back.
"Won't your betrothed take issue with you kissing another man?"
"Humperdinck? Westley, I've already told you, I don't love him-"
"And yet you agreed to marry him. There was not a moment these past years I didn't think of you. But you agreed to give up on me, on love."
Now it was my turn to pull back a little. My brow furrowed, but Westley's expression didn't soften as his piercing blue-gray eyes surveyed me.
"Westley, I thought you dead," I said plainly, still a little shocked at his reaction. "Not a day has gone by that I didn't think of you, to mourn you. My heart was ripped out of my chest the day news came of your death, and I've had to live every day since dealing with the loss of my love.
"And besides that, Westley, I didn't seek the prince out. He found me, and proposed, since he was looking for a wife and found me beautiful. He knows and accepts that there's no love in our union, and he made it very clear that refusing a request from the crown prince would result in death. Death I would gladly accept, if I had ever thought there was any chance of you returning to me from the dead."
A cold fire lit behind Westley's eyes at my words, and when he spoke again, his voice was dangerously low and quiet.
"He's forcing you to marry him?"
I shrugged. "There are worse fates than being Queen, Westley. But none of that matters, not now that I know you live. Nothing matters at all anymore, Westley, so long as we are together."
He sighed, pulling me to him again, resting his forehead against mine. I brought my hand up to his chest, resting it there so I could feel his heartbeat and reassure myself that this was real. Westley was truly here.
"It's alright, I'm here now," he said, reading my mind as his hand came up to gently stroke my cheek. "My ship waits for us not far from here. It's not going to be easy for us... we'll have to go through the fire swamp..."
"We'll make it through," I said, running my hand through the hair at the base of his neck now. I smiled at him, all the love in my heart glowing through. "We'll make it through anything together."
"Then we haven't any time to waste. We must move quickly."
"Wait!"
Westley froze, halfway up from our position on the hill, but he sank back down at my outburst. His eyes never left mine once. His eyebrow quirked slightly in silent question, and I didn't wait to give him his answer.
I rushed forward, kissing Westley hard, like I'd wished for a chance to do every day for the past three years. He immediately returned the kiss, pulling me into his arms and holding me so close to his chest I could feel our hearts beating in sync.
There have been five kisses in the history of the world deemed so passionate, so perfect and full of love, above and beyond anything else that's ever happened. I was no expert on it, but in that moment, I knew this one blew every other kiss before it away.
Neither one of us wanted to pull away, but finally, Westley did. He kept staring into my eyes, gravity trying to pull us back to each other, but with a grimace of regret he leaned further back.
"We really need to keep moving. If we're to stay ahead of your pig fiancé, we have no time to waste."
"Just promise me a million more moments like this, for the rest of our lives."
Westley smiled. "As you wish."
I beamed as Westley pulled me to my feet, and the two of us began heading through the ravine we'd tumbled into and towards the Fire Swamp, hand in hand.
No doubt, the challenges ahead would be dire and terrible beyond imagining. But I knew confidently that we would survive them. My Westley was still in the world, and even better, he was with me. There was no other ending but for the two of us to be happily together.
****************
Everything Taglist: @rosecentury
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strawberry-cowmilk · 1 year ago
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failed exams
-> asmo x mc (platonic or romantic)
-> asmo comforts mc after recieving some upsetting news
mc's gender is not mentioned, not proof read
content warnings: stress due to school stuff, crying
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'Oh nooo, Mc! I lost my shoe somewhere.' Asmo sighed dramatically while rolling over onto his back on the bed next to you. You showed him the Cinderella movie last night and now he's obsessed with 'hiding' one of his shoes and having you put it back on him. He keeps staring at you with his amber eyes until you start looking for the shoe. You laughed a little before getting ready to go find the shoe he always hides under the bed, but your ddd pinged with an incoming email at that exact moment. You got a slight glimpse at the lit up screen, and your heart sank.
'Asmo hold on I got an email from RAD.' you explained. You've never recieved an email from the school before, and Asmo too could sense something was going on. He sat up straight on the bed and read the email with you.
Dear Mc,
We regret to inform you the results you scored on the last exam period were not sufficient enough to be classified as passing grades. We cannot enroll you in further courses as long as you have not passed your classes from your last semester.
However, we wish to give you a chance to retake these exams. These retake exams will take place in two weeks. We advice you to carefully revise the contents of your lectures and books.
We wish you luck with your studies.
Sincerely, RAD team
While you stared blankly at your screen, trying to process what you just read, you could hear Mammon yelling 'damn it' from the living room, Levi laughing very loudly, followed by what sounds like an angry Lucifer chasing Mammon who's escaped the house (save poor mammon). 'Oh! I remember!' Asmo suddenly broke the silence after a while of silence. 'At the last meeting, Diavolo said they'd send an email to those who failed three or more exams.' Your heart dropped again. Seriously? you failed at least three out of the five exams? At least you're not alone in it. Still, you were fighting tears.
The look of pure horror on your face was enough to make Asmo gently embrace you. 'Hey, listen..' he spoke gently, trying to make you feel more at ease. 'Hon, I probably failed some exams too, it's okay, and you can retake them so that's good news, right?' You sought comfort in his hug, carefully pressing yourself closer to him. 'I know it's just.. I worked so hard.' there was a slight crack in your voice and that was when the tears started. Asmo immediately dried your tears with his sleeve. 'It's okay, I'm sure Satan will be happy to tutor you.' he reassured you. 'Just make sure to show up at the right time.' the demon chuckled a little before continuing his story. 'One time Satan was supposed to tutor me but I went shopping instead and ignored all his 'where are you' texts. Guess what that evil guy did.' You smiled a little at Asmo's attempt to cheer you up, which he in turn immediately noticed. 'He went into my bathroom and dissolved all my expensive bath bombs in the sink! I was so mad I almost destroyed half of this house!' You let out a faint laugh. 'Is that why you installed a lock on your bathroom door?' Asmo nodded. 'Yeah! So no crazy blond brother of mine can go inside to bring destruction upon it again.' he slightly released his grip on you when he noticed you were less upset now. He completely forgot about the shoe he hid under the bed as he kissed you on the cheek.
'Hm, anyways, I know you'll do well next time. I believe in you, Mc.'
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bittersweetarts · 1 year ago
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How to Disappear - Chapter 4
Soldier Boy (The Boys) x OC
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Word count: 3132 words
Summary: Eden Reid can't help her curiosity, and Soldier Boy can't help but take advantage of that curiosity.
WARNINGS: Swearing, minor violence
Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - AO3 Page
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Chapter 4: Talk
“Good morning princess. Tea or coffee?”
Eden’s body was sore, and her neck and arms ached. The room was cold, like a freezing cold you could feel in your bones, and as Eden’s vision returned and sharpened, she found herself in an unwell-lit, vacant windowless room, and stood in front of her were two figures; an average-looking curly-haired Joe, and the large, dark-haired, bearded man who had attacked her in her home.
Immediately Eden tried to stand, adrenaline now coursing through her veins, but she found herself restrained, with one of her hands handcuffed to a pipe behind her. This would not be a problem, but as she kept roughly pulling, trying to break out of the cuffs or to break the pipe, her wrist started to hurt, and after thrashing about for too long, Eden noticed that her strength was missing. An annoying foreign accent, feigning friendliness, brought Eden’s attention back to the men in front of her.
“I’m guessing neither tea nor coffee.” Eden ignored him, continuing her futile efforts to break free.
“Careful not to hurt yourself, love. You’ve got more than yourself to think about now.”
“What the fuck have you done to me?”
Eden’s tone was filled with venom, angry that her powers were gone. As she spoke, she stared up to the pair, and she noticed how the lankier man was nervous in comparison to the foreign one, and she intended to take advantage of this.
“Nothing permanent, don’t worry. Just a little concoction to keep you at bay, but we aren’t going to hurt you, as long as you don’t give us a reason to.”
“Well, you’re doing a fucking fantastic job, assholes.”
As Eden sarcastically responded she raised her handcuffed hand, which were already tender. Eden now noticed that she wasn’t wearing the office clothes she remembered putting on last, but a black sweatsuit set that she had gotten cheap from Target the previous winter.
Kidnapped, stripped and drugged – what else have they done to me? Eden thought panicked.
Realizing the dire situation she was in, Eden quickly switched up her attitude, and instead of thrashing about, she pulled up her knees and placed her head on them, looking up at the two men, face flushed, letting her eyes water from the very real fear she was feeling now.
“I’m sorry, I don’t mean it. Please, just let me go. I don’t know what you want, but you don’t seem like bad men. I don’t have much, but I’ll withdraw everything from my account, you can have it all, I won’t say a single word to anyone. Please, just let me go.”
Eden’s voice cracked as she finished, choking down a sob.
Eden was scared, and if there was one lesson she learned from the Supe conflict resolution course that she took for one semester in college, it’s that she needed to gain the sympathy of her kidnappers, and she needed to capitalize off of her fear to do so. Unfortunately for her, in contrast with the lankier guy, the dark-haired man in charge was not fooled by her theatrics, and clapped as he spoke.
“I can see why he fancied you, love. You are a real damsel, a lady like Vivien Leigh, and the face for it too. Sadly, we’re not in Hollywood.”
“We aren’t going to hurt you Eden, we’re really not the bad guys – ”
Eden was waiting for the smaller man to speak, and immediately turned to him, with her brown hair falling on her face.
“So please then, just let me go.” Eden pleaded directly to her target, who she stared at with rounded eyes.
“Hughie, the pamphlets.”
The dark-haired man ignored Eden’s pleas, and turned spoke to the other man with a definitive tone. Apprehensively ‘Hughie’, took a bag that was on the table next to them – Eden’s bag. The young girl’s stomach turned as she saw him rummage and pull out some familiar papers.
“Stop, who do you think you are? What right do you have to do any of this?” Eden pleaded again.
“I’m Butcher, this here is Hughie. Fabulous, we’re all introduced. Now, how about we tell you what we know about you, and you can fill in the blanks. Your birth name is Eden Michelle Reid, twenty-five years old, blood type B, Capricorn, so you’ll be turning twenty-six soon, happy early birthday.”
The man paused for a moment, as though waiting for a response, but Eden said nothing, and stared with hatred at him.
“Clever girl, got into Godolkin University despite having not very extraordinary super abilities. You were never going to be in The Seven, that’s for sure. The charts say super strength, but it’s not the strongest, at least based on your assessment reports. That’s maybe why you dropped out, and ended up living in some random city in Jersey, working as a receptionist and not making very much. But it’s an honest life, and I can respect you for that.”
Eden looked up at the man, her face frowning. The man turned back to the table, picking up a file with papers, and taking them out to show Eden as he continued speaking. The first paper showed CCTV pictures of a dressed-down Soldier Boy, driving her Mazda, its car plate number clear as day.
“… what we cannot figure out is how Soldier Boy came into the picture. You’re a woman who lives a relatively remote, no social media presence for the past five years. Your manager thinks you’re shy, your co-worker considers you a bitch, the doctors at your clinic praise you, meanwhile it feels like practically no one else knows you. So, love, how did such a lone wolf meet Soldier Boy?”
Feeling the violation of her privacy, with a clenched jaw, Eden answered.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t play dumb, love. It’s not a good look on you.”
The man then took the papers from Hughie, and dropped them onto the ground near Eden, one-by-one, pictures of Eden from the past weeks, at her workplace, arms wrapped around Felix, their last kiss, pregnancy advice pamphlets, and her results. Eden felt sick, and the only reason she wasn’t throwing up was because she had physically nothing in her stomach.
“Congratulations by the way, a miraculous conception given the IUD. This ain’t the baby shower you imagined, but desperate times call for desperate measures.”
“And we’re trying to save people.” Hughie blurted out, as though he were searching what to say, and evidently said the wrong thing, based on the look the other man gave him.
“That’s what you’re doing? Saving people by stalking, attacking, kidnapping and drugging a pregnant woman?” Eden said spitefully, chin up in defiance.
“Well, love, we won’t have to do any of that if you listen. We only need one thing from you, and then you can be on your merry way. We don’t need to harm you – in fact,” Butcher declared. “… if you promise not to hurt us, we’ll uncuff you, after you do one little thing for us.”
“You’ll remove this?” Eden suspiciously asked, eyes narrowed.
“Consider it a gesture of good faith. We can’t let you go right now, hope you understand, but if all goes well, you’ll be out of here in no time.” Butcher answered in a lighter tone, while Hughie looked at Eden with guilty, pleading eyes.
Eden weighed her options, but her current physical predicament was uncomfortable, and if she was going to be here for some time, might as well reduce the miserable-ity she has to endure. Defeatedly, she responded.
“What do you want?”
With a smile, Butcher answered, whipping out a phone from the pocket of his jeans. Eden’s phone.
“Nothing crazy. Just a little phone call to one of America’s favorite historic heroes.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Eden flawlessly lied between her teeth, but it fooled no one.
“Eden darling, here we were being honest with one another.”
“We were there when he called you …”
Hughie interrupted, going on his knees and sorting through the papers in front of Eden. If she had wanted to, Eden could have grabbed him by the hair, made him bleed, but she didn’t. Instead, she watched as he sorted through the documents and photographs, before pulling out photographs of her on the phone, on the night that Soldier Boy called her. Eden had felt eyes on her that night, and other others, but she dismissed it for paranoia. She felt like slapping herself for doing so.
“… and intercepted the call, we heard it all. Please don’t make me play the recording.” Hughie finished, with apologetic eyes
Eden felt overwhelmed and had to lean against the wall to stabilize herself. Even though it was the Butcher-man that was not as nice to her, something about Hughie made her feel vulnerable, maybe because unlike the bearded-man, Eden could tell that Hughie was good.
“But it’s not his.” Eden said meekly, as though she were trying to convince not the two other men, but herself.
“Ah, yes, Felix, the new boyfriend. See love, I don’t care if you are carrying his baby, or your little boyfriend’s, or if it’s the spawn of Satan.”
Eden ignored the bearded man, and continued, looking only at Hughie.
“Felix is going to notice I’m gone, we see each other every day, and he’s got family in the force. The clinic will notice I’m missing, I always tell them when I take a day off. Please Hughie, just let me go now and I won’t breathe a word about this to anyone.” The pleading didn’t work though, as Hughie looked to the ground, avoiding Eden’s stare.
“Do you really think we wouldn’t tie loose ends? Your boyfriend already thinks that you’re driving back home – that’s a two day drive, mind you – and we’ve texted him that you need space. You’ve also taken a sabbatical leave from work, resignation email sent last night, and your car – which is shitty by the way – is also parked elsewhere now, for safe-keeping of course. Are we missing anything?”
As Butcher finished, he seemed pleased with himself and the work that evidently his team (a larger one than just the two of them, Eden deduced) made. Eden, on the other hand, felt defeated, and meanly spoke up to him, chin tilted upwards in temerity.
“You’re just like him, you know? You and Soldier Boy.”
“We’re nothing alike, love.”
“You’re selfish and use people to get what you want. I’m surprised you guys aren’t friends.”
A knowing look flashes before Butcher’s eyes whilst Hughie’s eyes widen, and that was enough to confirm Eden’s suspicions that they all, at the very least, knew each other from before.
“Frankly, your opinions don’t matter to me, princess.” The large man paused for a moment, before coming closer to Eden, putting her phone between them.
“I’m calling now, it’ll be on speaker phone, so use your voice.” As the dark-haired man unlocked Eden’s phone and began swiping on it, Butcher quickly spoke again.
“And maybe don’t mention your boyfriend – Benny Boy’s of the jealous kind, and Felix isn’t a Supe. Understand what I’m getting at.”
Eden didn’t get an opportunity to respond, because as Butcher finished, the phone, on speaker, began to ring, and rang only once before it was answered, and a deep voice echoed through.
“Morning doll, what do I owe the pleasure.”
From the other side, Eden could hear TV noise in the background. It was silent for a heartbeat, and the tension in the room was palpable. Butcher cleared his throat, kneeling over even closer and bringing the phone nearer to Eden; the brunette nervously spoke up on impulse.
“Ben.”
“Eden, what’s wrong?”
“Ah, fantastic, you guys are on a first name basis. This hopefully makes things faster for us. Eden love, will you tell him, or should I?” Butcher didn’t give Eden much of an opportunity to decide. “Oh, I can’t keep the secret any longer ¬– Eden is pregnant, and guess who’s the daddy?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Soldier Boy’s tone drastically shifted, cold and calculated now, like how it was the night he woke up in the cabin. Eden forgot that he spoke like, and she felt like she was having an out-of-body experience, observing the moment like an audience watches a stage.
“Well, if you don’t know, then I guess Eden here probably got knocked up by someone else. My mistake, I’m only human after all. We’ll have to dispose of her though, since she’s of no use.” Butcher declared, and Eden sensed no lie in his speech.
“You’re bluffing, you guys don’t hurt innocents, not when it’s unnecessary.” Soldier Boy responded, his voice sounding like he was speaking through clenched teeth. Butcher however found delight in this and answered almost joyfully.
“But Eden here is not innocent from where I’m standing. She’s a Supe for one, and she’s also helped you, a far cry from a regular old civilian. And who knows what she gets up to in her spare time.” Successfully baited, Soldier Boy immediately reacted, threatening in his usual hostile cadence.
“Don’t fucking touch her, don’t even fucking look at her. A single fucking scratch on Eden, and I’ll make sure to painfully kill not only each and every one of you, but also your entire families. Goldilocks’ mom, I’ll skin her, and I’ll do the same to your entire crew. But your wife’s boy, my bad, your ex-wife’s boy, will be the first name on my list.”
Soldier Boy’s tone was venomous, but rather than being frightened, Eden found herself even more detached from herself, stunned completely.
“Listen here, Ben. There is no place on this Earth from Homelander two-point-O. If you do as I say though, I may just let Eden go unscathed. What do you say, granny-fucker?”
The phone was silent, and Eden thought that maybe Soldier Boy decided to hang-up and leave Butcher to do as he threatened. As Eden watched him, she realized that the lanky man, Hughie, was gone, but she hadn’t even noticed him leave.
Was it because Butcher was telling the truth, and he intended to murder her if Soldier Boy didn’t agree to his demands. The thought of dying the death she was imagining made Eden’s eyes uncontrollably water, and tears started streaming continuously as her sinuses became congested. And the dark-haired man before her noticed this immediately.
“Eden love, don’t cry. Tears aren’t good for the baby.” Butcher loudly pronounced, entirely calculated, and from the other line, Soldier Boy’s voice returned, filled with colorful swearing.
“Fuck you, bastard – are you fucking deaf? A fucking imbecile, that’s what you are. Cheer her the fuck up, and if you make her fucking upset again, I’ll shove a gun so far up your asshole that when I pull the trigger, you’ll explode like a fucking pinata.”
Butcher only rolled his eyes, before responding.
“Sure thing Benny, but you see, I don’t give a fuck. Do whatever you want, but if you don’t do as I say, then Eden here will soon be returning to her namesake, I promise you.”
Still detached, Eden thought maybe she vaguely heard Soldier Boy repeatedly swear some more, even more loudly this time. Fuck, fuck, fuck.
“Calm down Ben, you can have your Eden back, you just need to do one thing for me, just one job.” Butcher spoke over the ex-American hero, until he became quiet.
“All we’ve got to do, is take out congresswoman Neuman.”
“The brown bitch on TV? I’ll get it done on my own. Just fucking let Eden go.”
“It’s not that simple. She’s the head popper.”
“The head-what?”
“The head popper, the moment she sees you, it’s game over, distance doesn’t matter. She’ll burst your old wrinkly brain before you think another thought, just like how you burst your pimples as a teen, and she can do it to anyone.”
“I’d be stupid to help you then, not to mention that you stabbed me in the back.” Soldier Boy’s voice echoed through the room. Eden, still detached from herself, was staring wide-eyed at the ground.
“You think Eden’s baby will ever be safe? The baby is half you, and it’s only a matter of time before people, including Neuman, find out and target it. These people have no fucking moral qualms about killing babies, they’ve killed and ruined countless already, and babies are easier to manage than adults.”
As Butcher responded, he started to kneel over closer to Eden, and stared at her with a burning gaze.
“… and I’ll throw in a final treat. After this is over, I’ll let you kill me.” Soldier Boy laughed before responding, and his laughter bounced off the walls, a perfect manly laugh for the supposedly perfect man
“And the others?”
“Consider it a temporary truce, which ends as soon as the job is done, and our interests are no longer aligned.” The bearded-man responded, and Eden could feel his musky breath on her skin. The room is silent for a few moments, before Soldier Boy’s answer echoes in the room
“Fine. But I get Eden back, immediately.”
“I can arrange for that; we’ll be working together after all.” Butcher responded obligingly with a smirk, and Soldier Boy ignored him.
“Pass the fucking phone to Eden, right now.”
Eden was still sat speechless and hallow, staring wide-eyed at the ground, and as Butcher brought the phone closer to Eden, the only thing Soldier Boy could hear was her shallow breathing. Butcher let out a humorless chuckle before responding.
“The Mis'ess doesn’t seem to want to talk to you. Oh well, you’ll have plenty of time to catch up. Tomorrow, three pm, world's largest frying pan, North Carolina. Alone.”
Not giving Soldier Boy time to respond, Butcher hung up and threw the phone across the room, shattering it into fragmented bits, before stepping closer to Eden and unlocking the cuffs. Eden was vacant as this happened though, and as soon as her hand was free, it dropped to the side.
“Sorry ‘bout the phone, love. We’ll get you a replacement.” Eden didn’t respond, and Butcher let out an exasperated sigh.
“There’s breakfast and a magazine on the table, and you can rest on the sofa. When you need the loo, give a shout. There’s someone outside.”
Eden still stared at the ground, and despite Butcher’s cold-heartedness, he still felt pity for her, and leaned down, hoping she’d turn to face him.
“Chin up, mama. You’ve gotta stay strong and look after yourself, because there’s two of you now.”
Eden still sat motionless, and giving up, Butcher walked out the room, picking the fragments of the broken phone on his way out.
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Author's Note: I've got a busy week ahead of me, so please bare with me if the next update takes some time
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– Chapter 5 (WIP)
60 notes · View notes
pearlywritings · 2 years ago
Text
Let us take this pain and shed it away
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synopsis: The text you recieve from your husband makes you restless, worried of what could possibly happen for the man to be so terse in his message and who that ‘fourth person’ he is talking about can possibly be. As it turns out it is someone very dear to both of you, someone who is in a desperate need of comfort.
pairing and characters: Zhongli x fem!reader, Xiao (the Rex-Lapis family), Hu Tao.
tw: hurt/comfort, modern AU, University AU, established relationship
word count: 5.4k+ words
a/n: was listening to Continued Story by Hitomi Kuroishi while writing. The fitting song in my opinion.
Also a part of my University modern AU with history professor Zhongli
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Just one more hour you thought, straightening in your chair and flexing your shoulders, just one more hour and you could go home.
Work was quite slow today and you weren't even that tired, eyes scanning through another document as you gave your body some light exercising. A pain in the neck and back was honestly such a pain in another place, and while you did love Zhongli's strong fingers massaging your tense muscles after a couple of long days at work, you didn't want to abuse his kindness too often, so you were really pondering over the question: should you ask him for one today or not.
Speaking of Zhongli… This husband of yours had been exceptionally quiet today - you knew he had his phone with him (oh his tendency to leave it at home sometimes, forgetting to get it from recharging) and usually he'd message you something on his bigger breaks - but today your phone buzzed just once - when you both arrived to work and notified each other about doing so safely.
Well, he was a very busy professor, it honestly could be anything: a meeting, extra time taken from breaks to explain some more if students asked for it and so on… maybe even all at once!
Suppressing a rising groan you reached for the phone to make a work-related call, when the device vibrated suddenly. The name of your beloved appeared on the screen along with a picture of him with Xiao and Ganyu from the last time she came to visit during the University break of hers.
But a message from him, finally!
You didn't wait long to unlock your screen and tap the chat with him. At first your face lit up with joy. Though upon reading just the beginning of his message it changed to confusion, until you reached the end of it and pure concern overtook your features.
"I'll be home later. I know it's my turn, but please, be so kind as to get Xiao from his evening classes and cook dinner for four people. I'll explain everything once we arrive.
Love you."
Now that was strange. You reread the message a few more times, even waited a couple of minutes, hoping to get one more message, that'd bring the light upon the situation at least a little bit. But nothing.
Wrecking your brain back and forth in attempts to predict the possible reason behind the message you, nevertheless, typed back an "of course, dear. Be safe, see you later. Love you too", before putting the phone back on your working table. Then picking it up back again, almost having forgotten there were calls to make. You wouldn't question your husband and think about all of it much until he came home and explained everything. After all, you trusted him and something told you patience was the best you could do at the moment.
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Two and a half hours later you were standing in the kitchen, stirring the vegetables in a pan and glancing at your phone occasionally, only to see no new messages every time you checked. Four people, four people… No, your daughter couldn't be the one, you knew your husband, if it was a surprise there'd be some sort of slip because of Zhongli's excitement, but there was clearly none. Not to mention it is the middle of her semester. Oh, but what if something bad happened and that's why she arrived?? Oof…
"Mom?" Suddenly a voice brought you back from a worrying brooding that overtook your mind, so engrossed in thoughts that you almost burnt the vegetables. Turning off the stove and then around you spotted your eight-year old son in the doorway.
"Yes, dear?" You hummed, moving the pan to another hob. The boy walked into the kitchen, ember eyes trained on your hands and, only when you reached for the towel to wipe them clean, moved his gaze to your face.
"I did my homework. Where is dad? He was supposed to come home an hour ago."
Oh yes, you'd like to know the answer to that question yourself. Glancing at the phone again gave you nothing and you sighed. You had no idea when Zhongli was going to arrive home, and honestly the uncertainty started to slowly kill you, but you didn't want it to put the same pressure on Xiao. So you opted for gently petting his hair to praise him for finishing his tasks so fast.
"Dad is going to be soon, baby. But if you are hungry, I can feed you now, I have everything almost ready."
Your son lowered his gaze for a moment thinking, but the loud rumbling of his stomach the next moment was a dead give away.
"Go wash your hands, I'll serve you your portion."
You didn't miss the small embarrassed pout on the boy's face before he scurried away to the bathroom. Oh baby, you smiled softly, turning to the cabinet to grab some plates, there was nothing wrong with that.
Ten minutes later the boy was stuffing his cheeks with dinner, swinging his legs and telling you about his day at school. Everything felt normal, and you almost convinced yourself there was no piece missing, despite an empty chair at the table. Xiao's soft voice, muffled by food, enveloped your senses like a small blanket, and you put your chin on a fist, a fond look not leaving your eyes, watching your son, who resembled his father so much with soft brown locks and liquid gold eyes, that curiously stared back at you.
"Mom, why aren't you eating?"
"Huh?" You snapped out of the daze and dropped your gaze to your plate that, indeed, was barely touched and slowly getting cold.
"Just spaced out a little, sorry, baby. You were saying?" You offered a smile, encouraging him to resume the retelling of today's event. Though you could clearly tell there was doubt written all over his face - he was always a sensitive baby - he did not comment anyhow on your strange behavior and just carried on.
This time you stayed more focused and Xiao's words even managed to pull your attention from the ever silent device, resting on the table just mere inches away from you. There was even an occasional giggle passing your lips whenever your boy mentioned something hilarious, or your eyes widened a little in wonder if he spoke of something new he learnt.Yes, everything finally became quite peaceful. Until it wasn’t.
You heard the doorbell ring and the sound echoed off the walls in a suddenly silent kitchen, and just like that all worries came back at you. The pace of the heart quickened, pumping blood with intensity, though you tried to keep yourself under control. You almost missed Xiao calling for you and asking if you were alright.
No you weren't. Not until you knew what was going on and the anticipation was gnawing at your mind at the moment.
"I am fine, baby," of course you couldn't admit it to him, standing up and giving the boy your best smile. "I'll go check if it's daddy. Go on with your food."
You saw how his arm flinched in a clear attempt to move to follow you, but yet stopping himself before his whole body was set in motion. A frown on his face though was evident now and molten gold in eyes turned sharp; he could clearly tell that something got you worked up and the nature of it wasn't necessarily good.
Before he changed his mind about staying in his seat, you bent down to place a quick peck to his cheek and just as fast you were out of the kitchen.
Behind the front door there was almost no sound, which made your stomach flip. Hesitant to peak in a peephole, you opted to take a deep breath and ask, as calmly as you could.
"Who's there?” 
A beat of silence and the heart drumming in your ears was deafening, beating against the ribcage like a crazy, freedom-thirsty bird. Another second ticked, and it became unbearable, nerve-wrecking, you chewed on your lips, fingers twitching, a thought of just yanking the door open flicking in your brain.
God, say something-
"It’s me, darling." 
Everything stopped. The sounds, the movements, the thoughts. The only thing registering was a smooth and so dearly familiar voice of your husband that made your whole body slump in relief, as if a huge weight was taken from your shoulders. 
“But I must warn you I have a guest here with m-”
Not giving him a chance to finish, you swiftly unlock the door and swing it open, letting the light from the hall illuminate two figures - one bigger and one smaller. Zhongli pursed his lips shut, when he saw a worried expression on your face, that soon became puzzled, as you finally realized who the fourth person the man was talking about was.
Hu Tao.
A vivacious girl in her early twenties, whom you treated like a dear niece ever since Zhongli first introduced her to you as the daughter of his old friends. She occasionally came by to hang out with Ganyu, even though the two sometimes finished their playdate with whining and complaining, because Ganyu was tired and wanted to nap and Hu Tao had way too much energy and mischief in her body to rest. She became an even more special guest after her parents passed away in a car accident around the time both her and your daughter were finishing middle and starting high school. Zhongli volunteered to help her grandpa look after her instantly and you supported that decision with all your might, always happy to see the girl in your house and providing her with comfort whenever she needed.
And by the look of it, today was just the case.
Brightly colored eyes didn’t hold the same gleam they usually did, and the way she was holding onto your husband’s coat draped around her shoulders told you of the stress she was under.
Yet nevertheless she tried to force a smile upon meeting your gaze.
"Hey, Mrs Rex-Lapis," her voice sounded so small, but she even gave you her usual wave of a hand, though it came out so meekly, your heart clenched in pain.
"Sweety,” softly you stepped forward and gently enveloped her in a hug, it felt crucial to do so, “It’s just Y/N or auntie for you. We've talked about it so many times, no need to be so formal with me, alright?”
All she did was nodding against your shoulder. Zhongli carefully guided you two inside, not wanting to break this embrace just yet, and slowly closed and locked the door behind. Just as carefully he peeled his coat off of her trembling frame - how didn’t you notice that? - and hung it in a wardrobe, along with his scarf and hat.
Then his palm found its place on her back, soothingly rubbing up and down, comforting her for something you weren’t aware of. He didn’t forget to kiss your cheek, murmuring a small “hello” against your skin, redirecting his eyes to the girl almost immediately. 
“Why don’t you go and wash your hands, dear? We’ll have some food heated for you, okay?”
Just like the first time she didn’t utter a word, only nodding, and the action seemed so lifeless to you, lacking the usual spark, a quick jerk of her chin she used to communicate ‘positive’. 
Now everything felt like slow motion. She drew herself from you reluctantly, lowering her eyes. Not even bending she used her feet to kick the shoes off and then quite literally dragged them to where your bathroom was down the hall. Only when she closed the door and water started running, you turned to Zhongli, staring at him and pointing your finger to the direction Hu Tao disappeared in with a raised brow.
“Well?”
“Love, I know I worried you and I am sorry,” sighing he bent to put the shoes neatly on the carpet, adding his own a second after, “but the moment I got the news I was just as worried as you are. Her grandfather was hospitalized.”
Your eyes widened and a hand flew to your mouth to muffle a horrified gasp, the scolding you had for him just at the tip of your tongue long forgotten and nonexistent.
“No… No, please, don’t tell me-”
“Nothing life-threatening yet, but they said he’d be in the hospital for a couple of weeks, so they could monitor his condition,” you let out a relieved exhale at that, taking a hold of Zhongli's hand when he reached to comfort you. “But Hu Tao didn’t want to leave the hospital either, so they had to call her emergency contact - me - and ask to convince her to go home. I even let my students go earlier, so I didn’t get in a traffic jam on my way there, I had to be there fast. I managed to persuade her to go with me and stay with us for these two weeks. I couldn’t let her go home, alone, in a state like that, I just couldn’t.”
“You did an absolutely right thing Zhongli,” you quickly reassured him, taking his second hand in yours, squeezing both. “Of course she can stay as long as she needs. I promise to do my best to take care of her.”
“I know you will, love,” the corners of his mouth lifted and adoration swirled in the gold of his eyes. “I count on your help. Words can’t describe how grateful I am for you always being here for her just as much as you are for our kids.”
“Don’t mention it, she is important to me after all. But speaking of our kids - go and greet Xiao, he’s been dying to finally see you today.”
“But Hu Tao-”
“Will be looked after. I am on it. Now go before our boy comes here himself.”
The man finally gave you a full smile and a proper kiss on your lips, squeezing your hands back, before letting go of them and hurrying to the kitchen.
You, on the other hand, approached the bathroom. Back pressed to the wall, you patiently waited, listening to the water running and the girl shuffling around, until all sounds came to a stop.
"Um… What towel can I use?" It seemed she heard you coming and knew you were standing outside.
"Yellow one, sweety," some more shuffling before the lock clicked open and Hu Tao emerged from the bathroom, having her knitted cardigan hanging off of her arm. Bare slumped shoulders only made the misery of her state more prominent. Caramel red eyes glanced at you briefly, before staring at the floor intently, as if she wanted to burn a hole in your parquet. In general she looked like she didn't know what to do with herself, so you decided to take the matter in your own hands.
"Hey, butterfly," you said softly, carefully placing just the tips of your fingers on her shoulder, to make sure she wouldn't flinch, "how about we go and get you some dinner? I bet you are hungry. How does it sound?"
"Sounds good," she quietly murmurs, sniffling and bringing a hand to rub at her eye, metal bracelets clinking melodically on her wrist. "Is Xiao there?"
"He is, but he won't ask questions, I promise," and you hoped your husband had warned him no to.
"Okay… okay," she nodded, more to herself, than to you, and allowed you to gently lead her to the kitchen with a full palm resting on her shoulder. Passing the hall, Hu Tao quickly glanced at the key hooks and stopped briefly to hang the cardigan on a free one. Then she paused in hesitation, sleeve caught between her fingers, as if contemplating should she really leave it there or she’d better take it to cover herself. The moment of doubt was short though, and she quickly let go of the browny red article of clothing. You saw everything, but didn’t comment anyhow, smiling at her, when she returned to your side and resumed your way.
When you stepped into the kitchen two pairs of golden eyes darted in your direction - one concerned and the other silently empathetic. This was enough to know Xiao was aware your guest wasn't in the right state to answer questions. Nevertheless he waved at her in greeting to which she did the same, mustering a small smile for the boy that was gone the moment she turned her head to look at Zhongli, who, instead of going to change, was busy with heating up food for Hu Tao and himself. You set the girl at the table and sat next to her, positioning your chair closely to hers. 
You observed how she straightened in her seat, squaring her shoulders and keeping her head high and gaze directed forward. Maybe this display, put out more for Xiao than for anyone else, could play out as convincing, but you weren’t fooled, not with the way her slim fingers, adorned with many rings, were tightly clasped under the table, turning white immediately from the intensity of her grip. Wordlessly, you reached to them, enveloping this lock of hands with your warm palm and keeping it there, as Zhongli put down the plates for himself and your guest, excusing himself just for a moment to finally change, and Xiao hopped off of his chair and started moving it closer to the sink, volunteering to wash the dishes.
Only when the man returned did Hu Tao bring her hands back to view and took the chopsticks.
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With plates and mugs dried and placed in the cupboard, you closed the doors and placed the chair in its original place. Next step was to grab your wallet and give your son some shiny jingling reward for helping with chores, which you quickly proceeded to do. Your little wonder’s eyes twinkled happily and he scurried to his room to add it to his personal savings.
Zhongli watched you with a half-finished cup of tea in his hand, leaning to the countertop. He didn’t want to leave Hu Tao’s side at the time like that, but he also understood his duty as a father and, honestly, he missed Xiao the whole day. His face expression was screaming controversy, and you caught his gaze, upon coming back to the kitchen from putting the wallet away.
“You've done a lot already bringing her here, darling. Go spend some time with Xiao. You can join us later, I got it,” you pulled the cup from his grip and put it in the sink - the tea was cold at that point anyway. “We’ll be in the living room cuddling, text me if Xiao would want to join us too, alright?”
“Alright,” he nodded, pressing a short peck to your lips, pouring his gratitude through the small gesture. Then he once again looked at the girl, who seemed to be deep in thought, hardly hearing your interaction.
“Promise me she’ll be fine,” he whispered and you sighed. Of course you’d make everything to assure it. With years going by you grew to love and care for Hu Tao just as much as you did for your older daughter. Your heart ached just as much seeing sadness overtaking her features, and it pained the same way it did whenever you saw the expression on Ganyu’s face, no matter what the cause was. Even if both were almost grown up women, you still couldn't worry for them any less.
And you knew that the girl had a special place in your husband's kind heart.
“She will,” you said firmly, determination radiating from your eyes and Zhongli for a second almost lost himself to falling in love with you over again. You had to push him a little in the doorway direction, to remind him he was needed somewhere else at the moment.
With your husband gone from the kitchen, you hummed softly, drawing Hu Tao’s attention.
“Hey, butterfly,” gaze filled with melancholy shifted to you, “let’s get you to the living room.”
A silent question and confusion flashed behind her eyes, to which you offered her a smile, and then an extended hand.
“To cuddle, my dear.”
“To cuddle…” She repeated like a parrot, absentmindedly sliding her palm into yours and forcing her body to cooperate and stand up. She was putting her trust into you while showing no resistance, and you were sure not to fail her.
“Mhm, there you go,” encouragement poured from your lips, washing over her in calming waves, making the girl take a deep breath. She grimaced a little, as the take proved to be too much for her lungs in an almost painful way, so she hurried to exhale. Your heart clenched again. If only some of this pain could be taken away, if only you could take and shed it away.
But you were no deity and could only do as much as bringing her to the couch, gently setting her there and brushing her bangs away.
“Let’s untie these,” you didn’t wait for her response, carefully twisting the hair tie off of one of her ponytails and letting her long brown locks cascade down her face. Soon the twin tail was released as well, and you busied yourself with running fingers near the roots, to soothe her and brush the tangles a little bit. You didn’t see the girl’s face, but her back against your legs became more relaxed.
"Now ready to cuddle?" 
Hu Tao thought of how amazing you were, sounding cheerful, despite being so obviously worried for her, touching her gently and delicately, helping her further on the couch and into your warm embrace with a duvet being dragged over your bodies. How precise you were in your movements, bringing her close, yet giving all the freedom to get into a comfortable position, which the girl didn't hesitate to choose. One arm tightly wrapped around your middle and the other fisting the material of her own shirt, with head tilted down and long hair obscuring half of the face.
"Is this okay?" You were so considerate and kind it almost hurt, but in a good, most joy-bringing way.
Her eyes stung and she quietly sniffled, hoping you didn't notice. Even if you did - you did not seem to show, letting her have her moment of trying to not start the waterworks. She knew she could be vulnerable with you and Zhongli and she had washed her makeup before dinner, but it wasn't that.
No. She just knew, if she let herself go now…
...the dam would be broken and no human would fix it for hours.
Yet, she desperately wanted for those painful intrusive thoughts to go away, mind and body exhausted, worn out with worry and the feeling of hopelessness. Images of white still dancing before her eyes - white walls, white coats of nurses and doctors, whose words she couldn’t decipher with all that white noise filling her ears after hearing the news… And the pale, almost white face of her grandpa.
No, no, she must not think of it.
You shivered when suddenly she curled even more into your body, fingers letting go of her shirt and then clinging to yours, crumpling it.
"...is this okay with you?" Your heart sank in your stomach. Did that shiver make her think you were uncomfortable? Of course, you weren’t, it’s just that her voice sounded so quiet and broken… almost shattering your own resolve.
"Sure it is, butterfly, I love cuddling with you, it is totally okay," you hurried to reassure, wrapping your arms around her frame to prove your words. So secure, Hu Tao felt so protected by a simple touch, by you... She barely managed to force the emotional choke back down her throat, tightening the hold on the front of your shirt.
"No, that's… not what I was asking about…" murmuring she turned her face to the side, muffling the words against the sofa cushions, yet you heard them.
"Want to talk about it?" Your hand is back in her hair, delicately cupping the back of her head, fingertips gently scratching the scalp. A shaky sigh and a quiet cough - exhaling into a solid object wasn't the best idea. The girl was silent, barely showing her face, so you leaned forward, putting your chin on top of her head, holding her impossibly close.
“Just don’t suffocate yourself, dear,” you reminded her and in a second felt her head turning, facing your collarbones and properly breathing. “Good, good… We can just stay like this, it’s okay if you don’t want to talk, I got you.”
You heard a tiny sniffle and a ragged breath. Comfortingly you started humming, rocking your tangled bodies as much as the lying position allowed.
Hu Tao’s eyes stung more unbearably than before, so she squeezed them shut tightly, pressing her forehead to your collarbones. A full sob wrecked her throat, but she still was trying to hold on what crumbs were still left of her self-control, but gods was that hard. Not when she felt so safe next to you, not when your voice, so sweet and soothing, plucked at the strings of her soul, not when you were so willing to be here for her, when you had absolutely no obligation to be there for her…
Just like her loving grandpa.
Oh no.
The tears welled in her eyes, escaping and running down her rosy cheeks, facade ruined completely. Wailing cries muffled against her fist, still holding onto your shirt, didn’t sound less heart-wrenching. The dam was broken.
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The headache was killing her. Her throat burnt and eyes felt like they were going to roll out of her sockets. Everything felt slightly painful, with body having been stuck in one position for so long - she didn’t think she’d be able to move even a muscle.
There were still arms tightly wrapped around her, cradling her head in a warm palm, and she still heard the same soft and loving voice, now talking to another, equally dear one.
“She is worn out… we need to take her to bed.”
“Ganyu room?”
“Yeah… She’d need privacy.”
“Agreed.”
“She looks really tired… You think you could carry her?”
“Of course, let me just-” Hu Tao heard the footsteps of a person coming to the other side of the sofa - her side. Your arms carefully unwrapped from around her and rolled her body to lay on the back. Then two other arms - much stronger ones - slide under her knees and shoulder blades, effortlessly lifting her from the couch. “Here we go.”
Only then did she open her eyes. Everything was blurry and it was hard to see with lights dimmed, but even so the liquid gold staring down at her was unmistakable. She blinked a few times, sighing and cringing a little from how raspy it sounded. Palm fisted and came to rub at her eyes, ears picking on the sound of shuffling - of you getting yourself off of the piece of furniture where the whole outburst happened and where you spent two hours holding her close and comforting the poor girl the best ways you could. The memory of what happened was a saddening one, but Hu Tao was actually glad for taking all of it out of her system. She didn’t want to think what it would be like, if she was all alone.
“Dear,” but the smooth deep voice of the man who vowed to be her guardian instead of her deceased parents reminded her that she was not indeed alone, “I’ll get you to the bathroom so you can wash your face, and then to rest for the night, okay?”
“Okay, sounds like a plan” your face lit up when she did not simply nod, but voiced her answer, exhaling in relief. You watched as she carefully wrapped her arms around Zhongli’s neck to make holding her more comfortable for him, and thought that she’d be alright.
“While you two are at it, I’ll go and put the new sheets and stuff.”
Hu Tao turned in your direction, just as you were ready to head out, and cleared her throat.
“Thank you.”
Halting in your steps, you faced her and, seeing the gratitude reflecting in her eyes - the eyes where a small spark was flickering once again, smiled.
“Always, butterfly.”
She watched you disappear in the hallway and her heart swelled with unspoken emotion. She was so damn lucky to find a family in you two. Was that what Ganyu felt when you adopted her, and she started living a proper life as the daughter of the Rex-Lapis couple? Probably it was.
She kept silent and to herself all the way to the bathroom, where Zhongli put her down on the tiled floor carefully. Assured she was firmly standing on her feet, he let her do her thing, promising to come back with slippers for her - something he had forgotten to give at her arrival.
Rings and bracelets clinked against the edge of the bathtub, where she placed them to not be in a way, leaving just one spare hairtie she always had on her. Rolling it further up her wrist, she reached for the faucet. 
Cool water helped to clear her mind and wash the dried tear trails from her cheeks, and a moment later a very tired, but not as miserable as it used to be, face appeared in the mirror above the sink. Already red eyes were bloodshot, but, she supposed, it wasn’t that bad, it’s not like she was going to a beauty contest in ten minutes. The small joke even made her chuckle softly, rubbing at her cheek and then bending down to blow her nose.
Zhongli was back in ten minutes and knocked politely, just as she was half-done with twisting the strands of her long hair in one braid.
“Almost done, uncle Li. Come in,” the doorknob turned and the door opened slightly, just enough to squeeze the slippers inside and leave them there.
“No, no, take your time. I’ll wait outside.”
And wait he did. When Hu Tao stepped out of the bathroom, tapping the hilarious spider-like big slippers, the man was there, switching the lights off the moment the girl closed the door. Now let me tell about those slippers - you once bought them for your husband as a joke for Halloween, which, upon seeing during one of her visits, the girl fell in love with and always asked to wear when being over. It’s not like Zhongli had something against it, in all honesty, they were hideous to him. He loved you with his whole heart, but they were hideous and uncomfortable. 
However he had to admit, his gaze softened when she lifted one of her feet and jerked it, making the spider legs jump up and down. Oh, she really loved them.
“Here’s a box you can store your accessories in,” he offered her a small plastic container with a lid - simple, but quite enough to have all her rings and bracelets stored. She literally dumped those inside, and Zhongli closed the lid, handing it to her.
“Thanks, Uncle Li,” the first smile after the crying fit grazed her lips, and Zhongli mentally kissed all over your face, for being there for her.
“Uncle Li?” oh, speak of the devil. You joined them with a pile of bedding you took off the bed in your arms. “What happened to “Lincle”?”
“My love…” your husband’s brows shot up at the mention of the nickname Hu Tao once came up with. Cause combining “Li” and “Uncle” this way was faster and easier to pronounce.
“Come on, dear, that was cute,” you giggled and glanced at Hu Tao. “He thought it was cute too.”
“Did not.”
“Sure did.”
“Y/n-”
Listening to your meaningless, soon-to-be-turned affectionate bickering and seeing how a barely noticeable blush crept onto the esteemed University’s professor’s cheeks, Hu Tao shook her head with a soft smile. She was definitely in good hands.
And she vowed to herself that she wouldn’t let depressing thoughts corrupt her mind anymore, she would show gratitude to this family by doing so, since that’s what made them so worried. She’d have so many great stories to tell her grandpa when he got better, and he would. 
She was sure of that.
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straightupsickfics · 10 months ago
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Teacher Anon 💛 💛 💛 💛 💛 💛 omfg my friend!!! Happy 2024! I hope it's off to a great start...
It's only Tuesday...
Ugh.
So how about something with our favorite pirates in their modern Ed is very protective of his hubby in his black cat "imma hover over you" mode. I freaking lost my voice due to a non illness and I'm like how am I teaching tomorrow!?! So like me as an educator...Stede must also suffer a lost voice as a professor 🙃
ahh happy new year, friend! i hope you're feeling better today and did not have to talk tooo much! <3 some sad, soggy stede for you...
***
Stede’s car is a sheet of ice. 
After the world’s longest day, Stede has finally, finally reached his car, and it’s absolutely encased in ice. It’d been raining all day, he’d known that, of course. What he hadn’t realized was how cold it'd gotten, leaving him helpless, gloveless, and scraper-less when it came time to get in his car. 
He wants to cry.
More than that, he wants to scream. Except he can’t, because he hasn’t had a voice since sometime yesterday afternoon, thanks to whatever horrible virus he managed to pick up right at the start of the semester. 
He thinks about calling Ed, but aside from rasping pitifully into the phone, even that feels impossible.  Instead, he takes a picture of his car, adds a few crying emojis and hits send. It’s about all his bone-tired brain can handle at the moment, and Ed will get it.
Ed always gets it. Gets him. 
The thought makes his eyes well up all over again as he heads back to his office to wait for his husband to rescue him. 
Stuffed with books, covered in prints, and full to bursting with a small, plush sofa, and many, many ocean creatures, Stede’s office is extremely cozy, which is a small comfort in times like these. He drops dramatically into his desk chair, thinks about grading some of the papers he has waiting for him, wilts a little, then drags himself over to the small sofa in the corner. 
Better. 
Then, miracle of miracles, his phone buzzes in his hand. 
Edward 💜: Oh, fuck. On my way 😘
Stede: Have I mentioned how much I love you?
Edward 💜: Not today. Frankly, I’m feeling a little neglected, babe
Stede: I love you. x 1,000
Edward 💜: Hmmm, needs a few more 0s I think… 
Edward 💜: Okay, love you, driving now, be there soon!!
With Ed on his way and all his students gone for the day, Stede lets himself droop across his sofa, his eyes falling shut before he can even register how heavy they’ve felt these last few hours. He’s moments from falling asleep when Ed’s voice startles him upright. 
“Aww, Stede,” Ed says. “Y’look fucking shattered, sweetheart.” His voice is so soft and sympathetic that Stede isn’t even surprised when his eyes fill with tears in earnest this time. Ed looks perfect in his black puffy coat, not ridiculous the way he should, the way everyone else looks. His hair is flecked through with rain drops, and he’s looking at Stede like he’d pick him up and carry him to the car if he thought Stede would let him. 
At this rate, Stede thinks, he’d have a hard time even protesting. 
“Hi,” Stede tries to say, but his throat is scraped raw, and he knows he’s barely audible, having wasted the last of his voice on his American Lit seminar this afternoon. A waste, as half the class had been on their phones, and the rest had the kind of zombie-eque, dead-eyed stares that made him wonder why he even bothered. 
How many weeks until spring break?
“Come here,” Ed says, making his way to Stede and offering him a hand to help him up. He pulls him right into a warm, tight hug, rubbing Stede’s back as they stand there wrapped up in each other. Stede would’ve stayed there for hours, face smushed right into Ed's coat... that is, if he could breathe. Between the worsening congestion and Ed’s thick coat, though, he doesn’t stand a chance. 
Stede lifts his head and blinks pathetically up at Ed, wondering how he’d gotten so lucky.
“Made that soup you like, that hot Italian thing? Should feel nice on your throat, even if you can’t taste it,” Ed tells him, dropping a kiss to the tip of Stede’s nose. "Then we'll get in bed, yeah? Fucking 7:00 pm bedtime. Don't let anyone tell you different Stedey, that's living the dream."
“Thank you,” Stede manages. He tucks himself back into Ed’s chest for another long minute. He can’t wait to be home, and warm, and out of his work clothes. Stede had longed for exactly that all day. But now, standing here, Ed wrapped around him, murmuring promises about soup and tea and ocean documentaries, Stede feels close enough to home; what’s another few minutes?
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loveackermannn · 2 years ago
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Can u maybe do a college au levi x reader where they're super close friends with feelings for one another. And there's this project they have to work on and reader is struggling. She's never really been good with grades and she's barely passing her classes.
She gets super frustrated and starts pulling all nighters for a whole week to get the project done. She starts skipping meals and isn't hanging out with Levi as much anymore. Saying that he's super worried is an understatement. Hes never seen you like this.
One night while you were working on ur project, he got up and off of the top bunk and walked up to your desk (you both share a room). He began slowly massaging ur shoulders, telling you to go to sleep already.
After a lot of bickering back and forth, you agreed. You both cuddled against each other and fell asleep. It was the best sleep hes had in a long time.
Have a nice day♡♡
☰ MORE THAN ENOUGH.ೃ࿐𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐢 𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐱 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫
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It wasn't supposed to get this bad – It wasn't.
While you did expect the late nights to bleed into the early hours of the morning considering how much you decided to dedicate your time for the final semester project, you didn't think it would be difficult. But fuck, was it draining you to the absolute core. On top of that, it didn't calm the fact that you were on the edge of final grades as you couldn't manage past a C+. You were trying your best, you really were.
And one person could very well see that on the sideline.
"Hey."
You instinctively jolted at the husk of the voice you could only recognize as your best friend who held nothing but earnest and concern. He rested his head in the palm of his hand as he peeked from the top bunk of your shared bed, comfortably dressed in sweats and a plain shirt. He'd been eyeing you from a distance, not wanting to disrupt the groove you had going on for a few hours – but that was the issue. You had been glued at your desk for god knows how long and he can't even recall the last time you actually sat down for a meal with him.
Visibly, he seemed cross with you for completely neglecting your needs.. and admittedly, him too. You spare him a glance once your attention was directed away from the damned laptop that Levi internally despised for keeping you up so many nights in a row – Childish it may seem, but all he wanted was for you to take a break.
"What is it, Levi? I really need to finish this project or I won't pass the class. You already know how my grades are looking right now, I cant afford-"
Suddenly, you felt the sheets ruffle from above as he began to make his way down the ladder and over to your desk. Your eyes finally met his for the first time in a while and from what he could tell, your undereyes darkened with each day and night that passed – It was almost as bad as his.
His features softened only for you while two fingers hooked underneath your chin, forcing your gaze upwards to him.
"When was the last time you slept?"
"I don't.. know," you shrug, wanting to look away in shame for knowing well that you hadn't been taking care of yourself the way that you should have. But, he kept your head trained exactly where he wanted. He narrowed his eyes to you and decided to press on more – with such gentleness, of course.
"Hm. You know it's not good for you to be doing this. I understand you have a lot to do, but cramming all of it in a number of days isn't healthy. You could've just asked me to help you, you don't have to go through this alone."
You knew he had you. There wasn't much you could say nor object – the papers and assignments on your desk were long forgotten the moment he spoke out to you. His palm traced down to your shoulder as you couldn't do anything but merely give into his careful touch.
"Turn around, I'll ease up your neck and shoulders. Is that okay?"
"Of course."
Your body faced back to your now dimly lit computer and you soon came to realize how strained your eyes felt to any sort of brightness. So, you opted for closing your eyes entirely as Levi worked out the tender knots and muscles that have built up over the past week. It felt so good to finally relax like this.
"Damn, you're tense. All 'cause of that fucking laptop.."
You groaned in response while he continued his ministrations on your back and neck, to which he softly smiled to himself – You deserved to rest.
"I want to pass though, Levi..."
At that, it caused him to raise a brow at you questionably, wondering why you put so much pressure on yourself when you've been doing the most these past few months to achieve your goal. "You are passing. I don't understand why you're so fixated on your grades when you're not even failing."
You took a breath, "You don't get it. I want to get better grades than last semester. Or else.."
He paused for a moment, turning you back around to face him directly and his hands continued to rest on your shoulders as he waited patiently for you to finish.
"Or else what?"
"I'll be a failure..."
Oh that did it for him.
Immediately, your face met the hardened surface of his chest while his arms wrapped around you tightly – safe, warm and secure. It's what you've craved for a really long time.
"Listen to me closely, yeah?" He feels you nod against him which gave him the cue to continue, "You're not a failure, you hear me? No matter what those shitty grades come out to be, it doesn't and will never define who you are. Your hard work has already proven how determined you are and you're not giving yourself as much credit as you should be. You're too hard on yourself. Let me take care of you for now, okay doll? You can rest for a while, you've done more than enough and I'm so damn proud of you."
It was rare for Levi to ever console someone like this, but only for you would he ever keep you safe within the home of his arms whenever things get rough or even when it had been a long day for the both of you. You missed this and every word that he spoke, rang through your ears with nothing but the truth.
You felt bitter tears prick at the corners of your eyes as he only embraced you tighter, not daring to let go in the slightest. Your own arms finally lifted from your sides, coming to wrap around his waist to further secure you into him. Soft sobs were muffled into the fabric of his shirt, but he made no move to let you cry anywhere else.
"I'm sorry.. I just got too carried away and I haven't been communicating with you and-"
He pulls away to cradle your face in the calloused, but gentle palms of his hands, wiping away the streams of tears that trailed down your face, "Shh shh, it's okay doll. You're okay, just take deep breaths for me. In and out.."
Everything was always going to be okay with him.
Wordlessly, he tugged you along into the living room where the two fo you shared many movie nights and midnight talks – a space of comfort that felt familiar. Levi laid down first, then opened his arms as an invitation for you to finally settle down on him.
You wasted no time in making yourself comfortable on his chest, finding a spot on the crook of his neck to rest your head. His hands met the small of your back with his fingers threading through the delicate strands of your hair. While you felt your eyes come to a close, Levi's lips brushed against your forehead and his hand reached up to smooth your hair back as he quietly whispered, "I've got you. I always will."
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draguta · 2 years ago
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.fairytale of new york | four.
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pairing: professor!bucky x fem!reader
summary: a semester in new york. a handsome man in a bar. whiskey neat. to the lighthouse. christmas lights. this is the tale of a whirlwind romance. a forbidden fairytale. college au.
chapter word count: 4937
warnings: smut, 18+, minors dni, unprotected sex, oral (male recieving) age gap (reader 19, bucky 34), student/teacher relationship
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Y/N
October rolled around quickly, the weather becoming colder and the nights becoming longer and darker than before. Less than a week had passed since your rendezvous with Bucky in the university library, and it was all you had been able to think about. You had never done something so scandalous before, something so risky. It was that which terrified you, how you could’ve been caught at any moment, yet that was also the thing that thrilled you more than anything else.
The next day you had been cuddled up under the covers in your room with Wanda and Yelena watching some sappy romance movie when your phone screen had lit up. Wanda passed it to you without even looking at it, and as soon as you saw the message you were thankful that she hadn’t.
Bucky (Prof. Barnes) Can’t stop thinking about yesterday and last night. The bed feels empty without you.
You were certain that had you not turned the lights off for the movie, both Yelena and Wanda would have seen the blush that rose up on your cheeks, likely the same red as Wanda’s pyjamas. They did, however, catch the smile that crept up your cheeks to kiss the corners of your eyes, and that was something that they wouldn’t let go.
“Will you just tell us what’s got you so happy already?” Wanda asked, leaning forward to pause the movie. “Because you haven’t stopped grinning since breakfast.”
“I actually think this grin is bigger than before even,” Yelena interjected, rolling over and using her arm as a pillow as they both stared at you expectantly.
“It’s nothing, really,” you lied, trying to straighten your face, but failing entirely.
“Yes, I was correct. Much bigger.” It was an off-hand comment, perhaps meant as a joke if you knew Yelena well enough, but the truth was that she was right. Ever since leaving the library the night before and sliding into the passenger seat of Bucky’s car, his hand planted firmly on your thigh the entire drive through the city, The Neighbourhood playing softly through the speakers, you hadn’t been able to stop smiling. That text was simply a reminder of how happy you really were.
Of course, it was complicated. He wasn’t your boyfriend, there was no possible chance of that happening, and he certainly wasn’t the type that you could take home to meet your parents over Christmas break or gush about to your friends. But he was still yours, even if only in the shadows. You wanted to know everything about him, you thought about him all of the time, and now it seemed he felt the same way. It wasn’t love, it was lust with passion but also a hint of affection. It was sex and fucking, with quiet moments of him playing with your hair as you fell asleep on his chest listening to his heartbeat.
It wasn’t something that could last, but you would enjoy every second of it whilst you had it.
“Is this about that boy?” Wanda asked, raising an eyebrow expectantly, as if she already knew the answer. “Did you see him again?”
Whilst you had told your friends about the conversation that you’d had with Bucky back in his office all those weeks ago, you hadn’t explicitly told them that it was Bucky, or what had happened after the conversation. It wasn’t that you didn’t want to tell them, explain everything to them from the moment that you had walked into that bar on the very first night, but you knew that you couldn’t - it was too much of a risk, not for you, but for him.
“Yeah, I did see him again,” you replied, hoping that they wouldn’t ask too many questions. You were wrong of course - you really should’ve known better from them.
“What?” Yelena asked, dragging the word out as she sat up to look at you properly. With the two of them looking at you like that you felt almost as if you were on trial, about to be sentenced for a crime that they didn’t even know you’d committed. They didn’t know the extent that your sins went, and they wouldn’t if you had anything to say about it.
“Yeah, yesterday in the library,” you explained, giggling slightly as you thought back to the ruckus that you and Bucky had created between the bookshelves. “He helped me with my analysis, and then…”
You paused for a moment, wondering if you should tell them what had happened after that, finally deciding that they might as well know some of the details if they weren’t party to knowing who they were about.
“Then?” Wanda urged, flapping her hands in a motion to suggest she wanted you to continue.
“Then we slept together,” you finally blurted out, almost as if it were a confession that you were ashamed of, when in truth, you could never be ashamed of Bucky.
“You did what?” Wanda squealed, and Yelena nodded approvingly.
“I told you, fucking to get it out of your system works every time. I’m proud that you took him home,” she said, clearly content that you had taken her advice.
“Well…” you mumbled, catching Yelena’s attention who glared at you with a raised eyebrow. “I didn’t exactly take him home at first.”
“What do you mean?” Wanda asked, clearly not piecing together what Yelena already had based on her shocked expression. “You said you slept with him.”
“Well, yes, I did go home with him eventually,” you said slowly. “But did you know that there are some parts of the library, especially upstairs, that are basically abandoned?”
“No you didn’t!”
“Yeah, we did,” you chuckled to yourself. Your two friends laid back down in bed, one on either side of you, their expressions the perfect picture of astonishment.
“When are we going to get to meet this mystery boy then?” Wanda asked, wiggling her eyebrows. You simply shrugged.
“I don’t know, maybe I’ll bring him over one day,” you lied as you leaned forward and clicked play on the movie again.
A few moments later a knock at your bedroom door caught your attention and the three of you looked up to find MJ hovering awkwardly in the doorway.
“Shuri wanted me to let you guys know that we’re apparently having a party tonight,” she mumbled, her face stoic. “Not that I really want a party, but apparently it’s been decided.”
Yelena was clearly excited by this prospect, although you weren’t as enthused. You had really wanted a relaxed evening, and perhaps there was a small sliver of hope that Bucky would text again asking you back to his place that night. A party was the last thing on your mind.
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Bucky (Prof. Barnes) I’m sorry I can’t see you tonight doll. I’ve gotta go to some student faculty fundraiser. Tomorrow?
You couldn’t help but feel disappointed that you weren’t going to be able to see Bucky that night, but with the loud music raging on and the drinks flowing it was easy to distract yourself. A game of spin the bottle was being played on the living room floor, whilst Yelena was hooking up with some girl she’d met five minutes ago in the kitchen. MJ curled up in a chair with a vodka and orange soda, clearly waiting for the entire debacle to be over with, whilst Kate and Wanda made everyone drinks at what they were calling the ‘drinks station’ even though it was simply the coffee table in the lounge pushed against the wall with every bottle of alcohol they could find sitting on top next to 101 red plastic cups. Of course Liz and her posse had joined; the more time you spent in a class with them, the more they annoyed you, and you weren’t sure how you had ever contemplated being friends with them in the first place. She, like her friends, were sat front and centre of the party discussing the presents that her daddy had bought her for her birthday last week, all expensive, all unnecessary.
You on the other hand were perched on the couch simply taking in everything around you. The music was blasting from the speakers so loud that you were certain you’d get a complaint from the student union in the morning, but no one seemed to care. Everyone was having fun.
MJ had introduced you to her boyfriend Peter and his best friend Ned who were studying Physics, and had inadvertently turned your hallway into a meeting place for anyone willing to discuss Star Wars with them. A girl named Karli had introduced herself, immediately rushing into a conversation about politics with another girl named Monica, one which you had quickly excused yourself from to find your spot on the couch. It was chaotic, but in the best way; your first college party.
Two hands landed harshly on your shoulders causing you to jump, startled, turning around to find Yelena and the girl that she’d found for the night.
“I heard something!” She grinned, throwing herself over the back of the couch and motioning for the girl to join us. “I heard Shuri has planned an insane prank!”
“Really?” You asked, raising an eyebrow as you took a sip of your beer, now warm and flat. “What might that be?”
“Something about pretending to be The Dean and inviting one of the professors to the party,” she chuckled, pulling a joint from her pocket and lighting it up, taking a puff and passing it to the girl she was with. You squinted your eyes suspiciously, looking over at your best friend.
“Which one?” You asked, but she simply shrugged.
“No idea,” she replied. “Apparently they’re cute though.”
With that she turned back to the girl, taking the joint from her once again, planting a kiss on her lips, and you simply resigned yourself to a night watching others enjoy themselves, chugging beer on the couch alone.
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Bucky
Bucky stared down at his phone, looking at the email from Dean Fury, and then back up at the building that he’d found himself outside. The address was certainly correct, but the building that he’d found himself at didn’t exactly seem like the appropriate location for a student and faculty fundraiser. For a second he considered going home, or double checking with The Dean to make sure it was the correct place, but changed his mind; surely Dean Fury wouldn’t send him to the wrong place?
He made his way up the stairs and into the lobby. There were already people there, seemingly coming from the open elevator. He frowned as he watched them leave; they all seemed young, and very drunk. Slipping between the elevator doors, he clicked the button for the third floor, waiting as it moved upwards until finally the doors opened.
The hallway that he found himself on was small, with peeling wallpaper on either side, but that wasn’t what caught his attention. Instead, he was focused on the few drunk students that were hovering there, most clearly underage with plastic cups in their hands which, if he knew anything about students, definitely contained alcohol.
He pushed through to the door that said 3B, the apartment that he was told the event was being held, and let himself inside. The music was blaring, and there were people everywhere, but from what he could see, none of his co-workers, or even a single member of the faculty were present anywhere. It definitely seemed like a student rager. A cheer erupted as he slowly but surely walked further into the apartment, coming to a stop as all heads turned to him, and he was left standing in the hallway in complete and utter confusion, until he caught a pair of familiar eyes.
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Y/N
The room erupted into a cheer, every single head turning towards the door to the apartment. You clambered to get a good view at what they were looking at, gripping your beer tightly in your hand, but there were too many heads in the way. You saw Shuri rushing to whisper with Kate who burst out laughing, but you still didn’t understand the joke; was it the professor that Shuri had invited as a prank?
“Oh my gosh!” Yelena squealed as she pushed herself up onto her knees to peer over the other people.
“What?” You asked, frantically trying to see through the hoard of people, not wanting to be the only person to miss the joke. “Who is it?”
“It’s Professor Barnes!”
You froze, unsure if you had heard her correctly, a small ‘what?’ escaping from your lips as you followed suit and pushed yourself up onto your knees to crane over the heads of your fellow students.
That was when you saw him, standing in the hallway, confusion written across his handsome features. He looked formal, wearing a suit, his hair pulled back, no glasses instead presumably wearing contacts.
But there was only one thought that ran through your mind in that moment, and it wasn’t how good he looked.
Not him, you thought. Anyone but him. He doesn’t deserve this.
His eyes caught yours, and for a second everything around you seemed to slow, almost as if you were in a movie. The music and chatter from your peers downed out, your only focus now on him, on Bucky, on making sure that he was ok.
Without thinking you pushed yourself from the couch, squeezing through the crowd that was going back to their previous conversations, until you found yourself directly in front of him, his eyes trained on yours. Glancing over your shoulder to make sure no one was watching, you grabbed his wrist and pulled him towards the now empty kitchen.
When you were finally out of view of the other students, leaning around the corner to make sure no one was watching, you turned to him. His eyebrows were still knitted together in confusion, his hands awkwardly fidgeting at the ends of his suit jacket.
“Y/N, what the fuck is going on?” His voice was concerned, his eyes darting towards the lounge where your friends and guests were still getting drunk. All you could do was sigh.
“My roommate thought it would be a good prank,” you explained awkwardly, grabbing yourself another beer from the fridge before fishing the good whiskey from the top shelf. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know it would be you.”
Bucky leaned against the counter, running his hand through his hair as he watched you prepare drinks. “It’s ok,” he mumbled. “At least you’re here.”
You chuckled, handing him a drink, moving closer to him slowly, taking a swig of your beer. He glanced down into the cup, raising an eyebrow as he took a sip, smiling with a small chuckle as he realised what you’d made him.
“Whiskey neat?” He asked, placing the cup on the counter and pulling you close by your waist, looking down at you with affectionate eyes. “You remembered.”
“How could I forget your drink of choice?” You laughed, leaning upwards to catch his lips with yours. The kiss was tender, sweet, different to the kisses you’d shared before. He dragged your bottom lip through his teeth and you parted your lips, allowing him the access that he was asking for.
“Professor Barnes!” You heard Kate’s voice call from the lounge, and the two of you pulled apart, and you rushed to the other side of the kitchen as your roommate appeared at the counter. “Come play a game with us?”
Bucky glanced over at you, and you simply shrugged, leaving it open to him to decide whatever he wanted to do. He snorted, finishing off his whiskey in one go before turning to you completely.
“I’m here now, I might as well enjoy myself,” he chuckled. “But here’s the deal, no one can know I was here, and I’m going to need another whiskey.”
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The circle that partook in the game was small, but the crowd that was watching was much bigger. You awkwardly sat between Bucky and Kate as they decided what game they were going to play, twiddling your thumbs, waiting for the opportunity to somehow get the both of you out of the situation that you’d found yourselves in.
“What about ring of fire?” Wanda suggested, but Yelena was quick to shut it down.
“We don’t have any cards, dummy.”
“Truth or dare?” Kate suggested, but Shuri disagreed. Finally Yelena came up with the plan.
“Never have I ever.”
There was a moment of silence as everyone else slowly nodded, but you could sense the panic that Bucky was beginning to feel. He wasn’t a teenager, wasn’t a student, and whilst you didn’t know that much about his past, you were sure there were certain things that he didn’t want to divulge in front of a group of his students.
“‘Lena, come on,” you tried to argue. “Professor Barnes is here, can’t we play something a little more…grown up?”
But the others disagreed, and before you knew it the game was in full swing. It began with a rather boring question, “never have I ever drank vodka straight”, to which almost everyone in the circle drank besides MJ and Peter. But after that, the questions began to get juicier.
“Never have I ever had sex in a car.”
“Never have I ever had a threesome.”
“Never have I ever slept with a person 20 years older than me.”
You took little sips for every thing that you had done, and from the corner of your eye you caught Bucky doing the same, laughing at each option, seemingly having fun. It was a completely different Bucky to the one that you had seen before; this was casual Bucky, with no obligations, no worries, simply him and a drink at a party.
It was then that the big guns came out, with Wanda staring directly at you as she asked her next question, a mischievous glint in her eye. “Never have I ever had sex in a library.”
Your eyes widened in shock, making a mental note to scold her later as you angrily took a sip of your beer, now nearly empty. From the corner of your eyes you saw Bucky take a quick swig, trying desperately to hide it, but one glance at Yelena told you that she had seen it, a slight smirk on her face as she watched him. But the way she giggled with Wanda about how Kate had also drunk showed that she thought nothing of it. She hadn’t worked it out. It was her turn next.
“Professor Barnes, this one is for you,” she chuckled teasingly. You felt the lump building in your throat in anticipation of what your best friend was about to say. “Never have I ever slept with a student.”
Your mouth went dry, your heart beating three times faster than you were sure was healthy as you watched Bucky’s eyes widen in shock, clearly weighing up his options. He waited a moment until the others grew bored of waiting for his response, and quickly took a swig before the next question was asked, catching your eye with a slight smirk as he did so. He was playing a game with you, and he was enjoying it. You couldn’t help but smirk at him as he threw you a quick wink before turning back to the question that Ned was asking.
But just as relief flooded your system at having evaded being caught you turned to Yelena. She was sat upright, her face blank as she glanced between you and Bucky. And just like that, you could practically see the switch in her head snapping, the lightbulb glowing above her head as she finally worked it out, her mouth falling open in shock.
You didn’t know what to do, quickly rising to your feet and grabbing her by the arm, pulling her towards your room and closing the door behind you, turning to her quickly.
“Y-You and Professor Barnes?” She practically squealed until you shushed her, glancing over your shoulder at the door behind you, letting out a sigh.
“Yes,” you finally said, placing a hand on her shoulder as if to calm her own thoughts, when your own were flailing around without a life support. “Buck-Professor Barnes is the guy from the first night, the guy from the library who I went home with, he’s the one I’ve been sleeping with.”
Yelena was speechless, and you didn’t blame her. If she had told you that she was doing the same thing as you had been doing for the past month you would have been in the same boat.
“But please, Lena, you can’t tell anyone,” you said urgently. “It wasn’t supposed to be like this, and if anyone found out he could get fired, and even I could get expelled.”
Yelena’s face melted into calmness, a gentle smile curling at her lips. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. Don’t want my best friend to get expelled,” she chuckled. “But, you lucky girl.”
She glanced over your shoulder towards where the party roared outside. You hadn’t even heard the door open until she looked over, and as you turned you saw Bucky standing awkwardly in the doorway, one hand on the back of his neck, two fresh drinks in his hands. You looked back over to Yelena apologetically, but she simply laughed.
“I guess I’ll leave you two to it.” With that she made her way back out to the party, brushing past Bucky and closing the door behind her.
Bucky looked at you for a moment, before walking forward and handing you your beer. You thanked him, perching on the end of your bed, an action that he followed only moments later.
“So,” he said awkwardly. “I guess your friend knows now, right?”
“Her name is Yelena,” you smirked, looking up at him awkwardly. “And yeah, she does. I’m sorry.”
“No need to apologise,” he countered, brushing his hand down the front of his now unbuttoned suit jacket. “It’s not your fault. Sh-She won’t tell anyone though, right?”
“I mean, she promised that she wouldn’t,” you shrugged. “And I do trust her. She’s my best friend here. She’s actually in your class with me.”
He chuckled, his smile reaching to the corners of his eyes as he glanced down at the floor for a second before looking back up at you, his hand instinctively reaching for your thigh. “Oh, that I know. She’s the one that always doodles in the margins of any report she hands in.”
You laughed slightly before the pair of you fell into silence. After a swig or two of your drinks, staring into space together, completely comfortable in the quiet, he spoke again.
“Everyone seems to be leaving the party,” he said. “Guess it’s coming to an end.”
You smiled down at him, slipping your hand under his on your thigh, lacing your fingers with his, leaning forward to put your beer on the floor, shuffling back on your bed.
“You could stay here, you know?” You suggested quietly. “I could sneak you out in the morning.”
“You’ll be too hungover, doll,” he chuckled, turning to look at you.
“I won’t forget, I promise.”
He leaned down to place his cup on the floor by your beer, letting go of your hand only to shed himself of his jacket. “I’m going to hold you to that promise.”
And then he was on top of you, pushing you down towards the bed, his hands roaming your body, your hands in his hair, sliding further down, past his neck, down his chest, undoing every button as you went. When you reached the final button you pulled it open, and he quickly shrugged it off, your hands now able to roam over his muscles without a barrier between. He followed suit pulling you shirt over your head, practically ripping your bra from your body. Your hands pulled at the buckle of his belt, and he toyed with the button on your jeans. Soon, all clothes were discarded to the floor below.
He gripped at your hair suddenly, his fingertips pulling at the very roots, pulling you roughly to position you kneeling between his slightly open legs. His length was standing tall, ready for you, and you gulped in anticipation, your mouth watering, just as he looked down at you, waiting patiently.
“You know what to do.”
His hand didn’t move from your hair as you took his length in your hands, trying a few practice strokes which made him hiss as he threw his head back against the pillows, bucking up into your hand at the sensation. You leaned forward, and he gave just enough leeway with his grip in your hair to allow you to take his tip in your mouth. He was hot and heavy against your tongue, and you savoured the sensation. Based on the groan that he let out, he did too.
Almost painfully slowly for the both of you, you dipped your head downwards and back up, and then down again, each time taking just a little more of him, until finally you had taken as much as you could, able to feel him in the back of your throat. You pulled back, swirling your tongue across his tip before pushing back down again, gagging ever so slightly at his size. You began the job that he had given you properly, beginning to move more confidently, speeding up with every bob of your head. His hand guided you perfectly, occasionally pushing you too far and causing you to gag around him, something that made him groan loudly each time.
“Fuck,” he mumbled. “Feel so good, doll. Too good.”
He bucked upwards again when you pulled back, dragging your tongue up his entire length, palming his balls as you did so, and before long the two of you had found a rhythm that worked well for you, with you bobbing down at the same pace as he thrusted upwards. Drool fell down from the corner of your mouth, and tears began to pool at the corners of your eyes as he started the thrust harder, until eventually you simply held your mouth open wide enough for him, your tongue sticking out slightly, allowing him to use it as he pleased.
He glanced down towards you, cursing at the sight of you between his legs, mascara smudged, slick down your jaw, his precum dripping from between your lips. He pulled you back, up and away from him, pulling him towards him until you were straddling him, his lips connecting with yours hungrily. You were sure he could taste himself on your tongue, but he didn’t seem to mind as he lined himself up with you.
“Fuck, you’re so good doll,” he murmured between kisses. “Need to feel you, need you now.”
And you obliged, happily, allowing him to slide into you, moving down slowly and carefully until he was entirely inside you, filling you up with every inch. You both gasped at the sensation, this position giving both of you more pleasure than you’d felt before. It took you a moment to push past the pleasure that you were feeling, but finally you ground your hips against his, and the both of you cursed loudly. You repeated the action a few more times before planting your hands on his chest and testing the waters as you rose up and fell back down towards him.
In an instant he was sitting up, enveloping you in his arms as you rode him, each movement of your hips bringing a new wave of pleasure. Your eyes fell closed, your head falling back at the feeling, the feeling of being well and truly complete, as if he was the piece that was missing this entire time.
“Look at me,” he said firmly, his fingertips brushing against your chin to pull your gaze down to his. “I want to watch you, doll. Want to see everything.”
You whimpered, your bottom lip dragging between your teeth as you began to move faster, harsher, your eyes remaining trained on his. His hand fell down to the curve of your ass, squeezing at the flesh there as he helped to guide you in your movements.
“Mine.”
You weren’t sure you had heard it properly, your brows twitching between movements, but he repeated it, and this time you heard it clearly.
“Mine. You’re all mine. You belong to me, and no one else.”
“Y-Yes Bucky, all for you. Only you.”
The way that you finished together, your hands intertwining with each other, your foreheads pressed together, your eyes connected, trained on each other, felt more intimate than you ever thought possible. In that moment, you weren’t two people simply fucking, you were one, you were whole, together in this world.
Neither of you screamed when you finished, instead choosing to crash your lips together in a needy, longing kiss. Your body quivered above him, but he held you close as he finished inside you, supporting you, keeping you grounded even as you felt yourself floating away.
When you were both completely spent, having come down from your highs, you collapsed backwards into your bed, your breaths heavy, words eluding you, unsure how to even describe what you had just experienced together. He slid an arm out to you and pulled you towards him, planting a gentle kiss to your forehead.
“You’re incredible, Y/N.”
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| @eclecticpatrolroadlawyer | @moonlightreader649 |
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iambecomeabook · 11 months ago
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what it’s like majoring in creative writing
considering majoring in creative writing ? let me tell you about it to help you make a decision :)
hello ! i am a current creative writing major (sophomore, going to be a junior next semester) and am going to share a bit of what it’s like, in case you are considering majoring in it, as well !
disclaimer: programs may (and probably do) vary from school to school, so my experience is not going to be one size fits all. but, i think that it could give you a general idea of what to expect.
firstly, get ready to read and write. a lot. i’m not kidding. my school requires all creative writing (henceforth referred to as cw) majors to minor in literature, which i personally was already planning on doing. on top of reading for lit classes, your writing classes will also most likely require reading. in my workshop classes, i was often tasked with reading poems and short stories by both other students and established authors. (pro tip: add the short stories on goodreads, it’ll help you reach your goal real fast). you will also be doing a lot of writing. in my intro to cw course, i wrote four poems, a piece of flash fiction, and a short story. i also had to revise them for the final portfolio. in my intermediate fiction workshop, i wrote two short stories and a craft analysis essay, which i revised for the final portfolio. i also had to annotate and give notes on others’ stories. currently, i’m in a craft class where i have to write three short stories and a craft analysis essay, and an intermediate poetry class where i’ve had to write three poems every week (revise five of them from the first half of the semester and then another five for the last half, then create a final portfolio where you once again revise those previously revised poems). for lit classes, you will also have to write essays. if you’re an english major in general, you will be writing so. many. essays.
next up, you have to be able to take criticism. you will most likely be involved in a lot of workshops, meaning you will share your work with others, who will in turn give you commentary and criticism on it. you will do the same for others. sharing work can be vulnerable and scary, but it is extremely helpful, and you will benefit a lot from it ! everyone i’ve workshopped with so far has been very nice, so i wouldn’t worry too much about anyone being mean. remember, everyone else is just as nervous as you ! and also remember not to compare yourself to others ! it’s very hard, trust me, i really struggled with it last semester, but you have to learn to be confident in your skills ! workshops will either boost or tank that confidence lmao. but it all will serve to make you a better writer !
my university requires that all cw majors write a thesis in their last two semesters, which could be a poetry collection, short story collection, or a novel. in addition, you will also have to do a reading of some of your work. once again, this may not be the standard for all schools, but i feel like it’s important information.
my school also has a literary magazine that they publish at the end of the fall semester. it’s open to all undergrad english and cw students at my school, as well as artists. on my campus it’s also run by cw majors, and it’s required that you work on it during one of your fall semesters in order to graduate. i am actually getting my first ever publication next month through it ! i don’t know if every university does this the exact same way, but lots of them have their own literary magazines. these are a fantastic way to get published. if your university doesn’t have one, there are still plenty of undergrad lit mags, so i encourage you to research them !
the last major thing i can think of is community. my campus has a great community for writers. my university is fairly small, so you tend to end up in classes with a lot of the same people. you kind of just end up becoming at least surface-level friends with a lot of people simply from being in so many classes together :) my campus also has a creative writing club and an english honors society, both of which i’m a part of, and those have been great for making other writer friends ! writing can be very lonely, so having a community can be very encouraging ! it also helps to have ppl keep you accountable haha
^^ the aforementioned cw club also does readings twice a semester, which are volunteer based, but are good for getting in practice ! (and just for sharing your work in general)
that’s all i can think of at this moment, and i hope it was helpful ! feel free to ask any questions !!
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oigimi · 1 year ago
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. see you then .
. silvio x reader . 2k words . tw: depictions of attempted sxual assault (not from silvio) . college au .
I took a shot of tequila from my liquor cabinet and glanced over at the clock. 7:38. That meant Nokto and the others should’ve been coming at any moment. Awesome.
My first semester of senior year was shaping out to be the worst one yet. Desperately trying to secure an internship in this field was draining every last drop of life out of me. My minimum wage job left me a shell of a human being every single time I had to punch in my employee ID number. Maintaining good grades didn’t even seem to matter at this point - if it weren’t for the fact I needed my scholarship to carry me through this last semester. Goddamn it, Y/N. Just one more year. You’ve got this.
Fortunately for social life but unfortunately for my social battery, I’d been invited to a frat party without my knowledge. Some of my friends had decided I was “too miserable” lately and needed some fun, and so earlier that morning I’d gotten a text from my good friend Nokto informing me of my expected arrival at this congregation of testosterone and alcohol.
I mean, it couldn’t have been all bad. Maybe a night out was good for me. I would be under the protection of my lowkey obsessed friend Rio, and some time out of my messy apartment could prove beneficial.
‘We’re here!!! :D <3’
Thanks, Rio. I grabbed my bag, applied an extra layer of lip gloss for good measure, forced myself to grin in the mirror, and ran outside into Nokto’s car.
“Hey, Y/N! Wow, you look so cute tonight.”
“Thanks, Rio. I didn’t do too much different though.”
“Oh, well. You always look so pretty though so maybe that’s it.”
I chuckled and buckled my seatbelt. “Thanks. You’re too nice to me, I swear.”
“You two need to get a room together. I’m so sick of it.” Nokto started the car and headed down towards the party. “Can’t believe Rio over here is getting to Y/N before me.”
“That’s not what’s going on!”
“It could be!”
“Rio!” I flushed a little bit as Nokto burst out laughing. Rio had a pink dust to his face to accompany my own, but he kept his eye contact with me, which I broke with a swift glance out the window.
Silence hung in the car’s atmosphere for a little while, before Nokto decided to break it with, “You know, word on the street is that Silvio’s gonna be there tonight.”
“What?!” Rio and I both hissed, jerking our heads back forward. “He’s gonna be there?!”
“That’s what I’ve heard anyway. Y/N, didn’t you have a class with him? Or two? I don’t remember.”
I grumbled and leaned back in my seat. Suddenly the fun was over before it could even begin. My fists began to tremble at the very mention of the name of Silvio Ricci, a man whose ugly and annoying inner self eclipsed any possibility of his handsome face making me swoon. “Yes,” I muttered, “he was in a few of my business classes. And I hate him.”
“Damn, I can see that! Oh well. Just ignore him and it’ll be fine.”
“You don’t get it. It’s not about ignoring him. Just his very presence at this party is enough to ruin it.”
“I agree,” Rio growled. “Don’t worry, Y/N! Just stick with me the whole time!”
Unfortunately for my friend I could not reciprocate his enthusiasm; my mind became clouded with storms and gray, and I couldn’t get my thoughts off of Silvio. I imagined him in my classroom, speaking so matter-of-factly about the art of business, the words coming out of his soft-looking pink lips like he didn’t need to even think about it. He shut people down and asserted himself everywhere, and even picked fights with me a few times. Every time I’d propose a theory, he’d speak up and challenge me, and I could see the delight that lit up in his deep sapphire eyes when my brows furrowed. He got a kick out of asserting himself, quick remarks, and always getting what he wanted.
Silvio always wore designer clothes. He put on cherry-flavored chapstick at the start and end of every class, and of course his jewelry rang like bells every time he moved. He wasn’t just a man. He was a statement. Silvio Ricci was a testament to rich college boys who have life handed to them on a silver platter, while common people like me were getting our asses handed to us instead, by the general public, landlords, academia, and every high-power institution that reigned above us.
But goddamn it, did the gorgeous manifestation of the bourgeois have a distinctive cologne and perfectly-sculpted bone structure.
While I stewed in my own bitterness, Nokto parked the car and we made our way out to the house. We were hit with main house lights off, colorful LED lights on in all their mood-making glory, and the most generic of Spotify playlists serenading our night. I was a little taken aback by the amount of people around- men and women. People were already making themselves at home, decently drunk, and enjoying one another’s company the way college students are meant to.
Immediately Rio grabbed my hand and led me to the kitchen for a snack. We’d seen some familiar faces on the way there, they made good conversation partners, and before I knew it I was flooding my system with alcohol of every variety. Anything I could get my hands on I drank, even the peculiar jungle juice someone concocted in a cooler for us to try. What could I say? I loosened up a lot more with every sip, and I was even enjoying myself in a matter of time.
As the warm sting of the drinks began sweeter and sweeter, I stumbled out of the room and into another one for a few moments while Rio was chatting it up with someone else. Slumping on the couch, I stared off into space but found myself quickly jolted out of it by some unknown man who sat next to me.
“Hey.”
I turned my head and slurred something in response.
“What’s your name?”
“Y/N.”
“Cute name.” He smiled and gave me his name in return, but I could hardly make out what he was saying. “You here alone?”
“Noooo. My friends are… Uh…” I looked around for Nokto or Rio, or anyone else I’d been reunited with that night. “I don’t know where they are but they’re not here. But they are here. But they’re not.”
The man only seemed encouraged by my reply. “I see. Can’t believe they’d leave someone like you all alone here. They’re missing out.”
“Eh.” I tried to sit upright, but was gently pushed back down onto the couch. I tried to get a good look at his face, but the LED lights and dim room made it difficult to make out, especially coupled with my ever-blurring vision. “What are you doing?”
“Just be quiet.”
I laid with baited breath as I felt his hand on my side. I wanted to push him off, I wanted to yell for help, I wanted to get out of there as fast as I could but my body felt like a ton and I couldn’t even move my face the way I wanted to. My eyes closed as I braced myself for something I never thought would happen.
“Ay. Do you know this guy?”
“Eh-?!”
A hand yanked the assailant off of me, and pulled him close to the owner’s face. No way. I’d recognize that voice no matter how intoxicated I was.
“Y/N, answer me. Do you know this guy?”
I shifted my gaze to Silvio, who had an uncharacteristically furious expression. The man was pale and trying to get out of his grip, and I could feel the desperation in his face. But I just shook my head.
“I’ve never seen him before.”
“Figures.” Silvio threw the man to the ground and helped me up off the couch, leading me outside to the front porch, where the chilly night air hit my face like a ton of bricks. “Who the hell came with you? They just fuckin’ left you? Are you being serious?”
“It’s not that bad.”
“Not that bad-?!” Silvio turned his head to look at me, and his expression softened ever so slightly. My red face, weak body, and sleepy eyes must have gotten to him, because he just let out a sigh and put his hand around my shoulders. “You need to go home. I’m calling you a car,” he grumbled, taking out his phone.
I narrowed my eyes and crossed my arms. “Well, Mr. Spaghetti Rich-Ass. Why did you do that? And why are you sending me home? You hate my ass.” I leaned a little bit onto him, completely missing the pink dusting his cheeks.
“I wasn’t going to let that waste of space violate you. It just ain’t right. And I don’t hate you.”
“Whaaaat? You don’t hate me? So do you love me?” I teased, snickering a bit. “They’re opposites, you know.”
“Just because I don’t hate you doesn’t mean I love you! My god, you’re annoying. How can you be so damn happy after that just happened to you?”
I shrugged and wiped my face. “I don’t know. I guess… I don’t know.”
Silvio sighed again and wrapped his arm around me. “I’m riding with you and seeing to it you get inside your house. There’s creeps and weirdos all over these streets. Stay with me.”
This time, I couldn’t think of an answer. My thoughts swirled together like a hurricane, and so did my stomach and my chest. Was it the drinks? Was it the exhaustion? Was it being in Silvio’s arms after he’d just saved me from some greasy man at a party? Whatever the reason, I closed my eyes again and sniffled. Something in me began to spill out that I’d been bottling up for months, and it was coming out fast.
“Th-thank you. Thank you! I’m sorry f-for everything!”
“What the-?!” Silvio jumped back a bit, startled by my tears. “What are you cryin’ for? Weren’t you fine a minute ago?”
“No, I wasn’t. I wasn’t okay a minute ago or an hour ago or ever!” I cried a bit harder and this time, leaned over and hugged Silvio. “I want to go home. Please take me home, please, please, please…”
“I am. I will. I promise,” he grunted. Despite his tone, he wrapped his arms around me in a soft embrace, looking out into the black, unbusy street that would carry us into the night’s conclusion.
The next morning I woke up with the worst headache I’d ever had in my life, and stomach pains to match. I groaned and forced my tired body out of bed, starting on my routine. I opened my phone to… messages from Silvio?!
Suddenly the events of the previous night flooded my brain, reenacting themselves in vivid detail as I read ‘goodnight’ and ‘glad you got home safe’ messages from my friends. The godawful music, the attempted assault, and most importantly, the man who saved me and got me home safe.
I looked down at my message thread with Silvio, a newly created contact, with only one text from him.
‘Assuming you didn’t decide to leave your house, glad ya got home okay. I’m not letting that stupid shit happen to you ever again. I’m pickin’ you up tonight for dinner so be ready. Your choice, I don’t care.’
And despite how much I’d told myself I despised him, and how he was truly the worst person in the whole world on the inside, I felt my heart flutter at the idea of dinner with Silvio. The feeling of his embrace lingered on my whole body, in concert with that cologne I’d recognized so easily. I sat down at my kitchen table, wanting to express my gratitude, and apologize for being such an unbearable drunk, and give suggestions for dinner, I just sent a few simple words, bottling everything up once again, to be reopened in due time.
‘Got it. See ya then :)’
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operatorsdiner · 11 months ago
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The Night Shift: Entry 1.
It wasn't new for Alex to “open” but it was new having to get carpooled with the youngest member of their team. Dante’s pickup truck was surprisingly clean inside and even had accommodations for the passenger seat such as a little head pillow and some hand wipes. He sat in the driver's seat with his left hand on the wheel and the other turning the window crank with a cigarette placed between his lips. “You don't mind if I smoke right now, right?” He mumbled glancing over at Alex. For being a dickhead line cook, he was pretty polite to his coworkers off the clock. “It’s a little early, isn’t it?” Alex yawned as they glanced at the red blinking clock on the radio, 12:45 am with the top line of the five not appearing at all. Dante hummed as he removed the cigarette from his lips as he cranked the window back up. “Yeah, you’re right. My bad.” He shrugged as he slipped a cassette into the radio. Alex gave a nod of acknowledgment as they turned their head to look out the window. The trees of the forest that surrounded the road made it feel like they were driving in a circle with the moonlight peeking through the treetops mocking them. 
The sound of the Depeche Mode fills the car acting as background noise to the ride.  “Thanks for giving me a ride by the way. You were the last person I wanted to contact but I knew you were the most reliable.” The corner of Dante’s lips curled up a bit but ultimately kept his normal bitch face. “No worries. My shift isn’t till 12 so I have time to get some sleep.” He grumbled as he readjusted his glass. Alex rested their forehead against the cold glass as they kept their eyes outside. Of course, the one day they're already running late for work is the day their car breaks down. They already knew Dante would be up as he would have just gotten out of his last class for the semester of culinary school. Alex continued to stare out the window for the rest of the time until the truck took a slight right turn and pulled into the parking lot of their job. A fucking Waffle house. Not where they ever imagined someone like them working but life is a cruel prankster and it unfortunately made Alex its jester. Dante parked in front of the building and turned to Alex with an expecting look. Alex looked forward and crumbled in despair as they rubbed their faces in their hands. “Baylen is going to fucking chew me out,” they groaned in agony. Dante hummed and pulled out a cigarette as he opened the driver-side door with a loud creak. He slammed the door behind him as he walked over to the passenger side door and opened it for Alex. “I'll take Baylen's wrath for you, just go get your apron,” Alex sighed in defeat as they climbed out of the car and headed towards the building. 
The familiar ring of the front door grabbed the staff's attention as Alex entered with Dante trailing behind close with a lit cigarette hanging from his lips. Familiar brown hair caused Alex's stomach to sink into their ass. Baylen had taken up the mantle of head chef due to Alex's tardiness. Baylen's head turned to greet the pair. “Hi, welcome to Waffle House take a se- YOU!” Baylen yelled as they realized who had entered the establishment. Thank god the restaurant was mostly empty. Alex visibly shrunk as Baylen raised their voice. Before Alex could respond Dante stepped in front of Alex to play mediator. “Heyyy, I did call. Why didn't you pick it up? Alex's car was ass so I had to drive ‘em,” He said with a grin. His slightly yellowed teeth seemed to have a sparkle to them as he charmed Baylen. Baylen frowned as they looked over Dante’s shoulder and glared at Alex. “Must have not heard the ring,” They grumbled as they turned around to continue working on the grill. Alex let out a sigh of relief as they walked past Dante and towards the back area to retrieve their apron. It seemed they were alone in the back as Enzo and Vesper worked on dishes together while making not-so-very-small talk. They both greeted Alex with a smile as they rushed to grab their apron. Vesper leaned against the sink and looked at the clock on the wall, “Wow an hour and fifteen minutes late? Who drove you this time since Adrian is already here?” They grin mischievously. Alex groaned as they rushed over to the clock-in station and punched in their card. “Dante,” They said as they tied their apron and rushed back to the front. Enzo peaked over the corner to the main seating area. “Oh shit, it is Dante.” He shook his arms off to remove the water and suds. Using his apron he walked around the counter and greeted Dante. Dante greeted Enzo with a smile as they did their normal greeting. Alex quickly walked over to the grill and politely took their spatula from Baylen as they immediately started cooking.
Baylen sighed and patted Alex's back as they began cooking. “It's not your fault. Just call next time,” Baylen said with a small smile as they walked away to begin wrapping silverware. “If it makes you feel better we've been pretty empty tonight. That's a pick-up order I was working on. Everyone is just getting paid to stand around tonight.” Baylen turned their attention to Dante. “Wanna switch shifts and just clock in now so you don't have to work with the day shift weirdos?” Dante lulled his head in Baylen’s direction then glanced at the clock. “Pfft sure why not? Just text the morning shift lead.” Baylen nodded as they wrote on a clipboard and looked up. “WREN AND ADRIAN WHEN I COME BACK THERE BETTER BE AT LEAST 3 ROLLS OF SILVERWARE DONE!” Baylen shouted as they turned and headed to the back room.
Alex sighed and hung their shoulders as they packaged the food for the order. 
Just another night on the job.
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therosevest · 9 months ago
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so right a couple of my film friends and i met last night to do wine and glee and i left and tried to catch a bus in our gross rainy cold weather and so when it finally comes im just like zoo wee mama my glasses r fogging up and all that shit. but who of course is on the bus but my one friend the main perpetrator of acting like im some flaky cunt (rant city below)
so i guess technically this wouldnt look great on my part bc i was obviously Somewhere and had been ignoring the group chat making plans but oh my GOD whatever who careessssss who Cares. so im like fucking phenomenal ok walk back Omg hi and she moves her shit so i can sit and i get settled and am like hey. and she asks what i was up to and ofc when i say anything bc this is fucking awkward shes just got this stupid smug little smile but i was just sitting there like bitch im not gonna sit here and act embarrassed for seeing my other friends so i was just like So are u guys doing x tn and shes like mhm yep are you coming and i was like well gee i dont know. sarcastic shrug. make conversation about the timing of the place for a second kinda jokin then awk silence
and so then because im a chill normal adult and am aware that shes about to go meet the group of friends and no matter what this interaction is going to be brought up and i had been planning on composing a levelheaded text but i just said Look im sorry that i ghosted you guys (and shes again smug smiling nodding next to me. girl.) i just honestly got tired of feeling like im being singled out and judged when i cant make it to something and she literally is just like Well im sorry you feel that way just u know we do try to come up w different days etc (if u like me are bad at reading between the lines this was a non apology and defense based on uh Nothing) and i was like right well ik last semester wasnt great it's just that sometimes i feel like im being shunned in the group chats when no one answers or reacts to anything i say and the other day when you said like. yk the 'could u commit' thing that felt really sort of condescending
and shes like again well im sorry u felt that way i was just trying to find another day that u could actually make it cause i wanted us all to be there so im not really sure how that came across as condescending but um yeah. and i, jackass that i am (<3) pulled out my phone and pointed and said Well u see we didnt have actual plans and in fact no one answered when i said anything abt it and yk things come up and so for me to have sent this whole nice thing and just get 'do you think youd be able to commit' in response felt a little bit needlessly mean (and i also tried to earnestly say at some point in all this that i genuinely do love and care for them and want to see them but yk this Sucks and was just bad timing)
THEN we somehow spin into her going Well i just had no idea this was even a thing until you brought it up just now i mean i wasnt even thinking abt it ive never really thought that of you etc and so then im sitting here feeling like im being gaslit in real time not to be dramatic and i felt very much like when i was in high school and people manipulated me bc i was a very easy target (its not that real but w/e) and so im like Ok be calm but dont just like let that slide cause girl be serious (prob should have but what ever) so i was like well you know i do apologize if i just couldnt tell your intent over text, but after you guys never answered me about hanging out and then the short responses like maybe u can kind of see where i felt like you were being rude (didnt say it quite that bluntly w/e)
and she pulls out the big card. the. well i just think youre being defensive. oh years and years of being the youngest and punished for um having feelings lmfao slammed me in my chest at that moment. and i calmly said Okay cool i think youre being defensive. and i lit missed my bus stop cause this driver was swerving so then i was just like Well you guys have fun maybe ill see you tonight bye. so. really feeling awesome abt the state of that. in all reality tho it's like i hung out w some friends and then went out to the gay bar w others and danced and etc and i can only imagine how much of a Thing this was for them so. if someone could win it'd be me right
(on another note at some point during this ride sams roommate requested to follow me back <3 which i had been pretending not to think abt for the last couple hours) anyway
this has been a post let me know if im being normalish
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breitweisergallery · 10 months ago
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So you said you were working on a few wips...talk to me. Tell me everything
okay okay okay okay so (pulls up the last time i referenced any of my wips to remember what i even posted about)
Original WIPs:
Since I just started working on it tonight. I'm taking a playwriting class this semester so I started working on what will be my end-of-the-semester project (the semester starts tuesday) because I already know what my project is going to be. It doesn't have a title yet, but it is going to return to my roots of leaving two actors on a stage basically going through emotional hell as their stories intertwine in the form of interrogations (gotta love a barebones interrogation room scene on a barely lit stage).
"#WhatHappenedToTennysonBeatty" is (hopefully) going to be the project I focus on moving forwards with my fiction courses. It's written in script form, as a podcast breaks open and exposes the mystery of a disappearance from ten years previously.
I have a new adult fantasy book I've been working on for a minute too, and I just had a breakthrough literally tonight about it, so I'll probably be working on that on/off as well. The book is split between three major POVS: Felicity 'Fix' Brion (married to a diplomat and maternal figure to her orphaned nephews, in her husband's country following an assassination of her sister-in-law), Roel Devani (former prince, former spymaster, turned war criminal), and Cealin Ecgwine (essentially a priest in the church, escorting what may possibly be an actual god reborn away from his death).
I ALSO have a near-future dystopian book I've been working on in a very on-and-off way that deals with some pretty heavy topics I don't want to super get into. But its got some queers and some magic realism, so that's fun.
TDJ WIPs:
"What if Yohan simply didn't?" I've mentioned it in passing, I think, but it's an AU in which Yohan's plans are waylaid by chronic pain and trauma. Soohyun's meddling ends up with Gaon going to visit the house in which Yohan and Elijah are bottled up, and though initially the Kangs are both cold to him, it takes very little for them to warm up to Gaon.
"????" is an Elijah-centric 5+1 of emotions as she experiences them over the course of the show. I know the emotions are 'anger, bitterness, reluctance, hesitation, hope + happiness' but I've written exactly one sentence of it.
"Another ?????" is an exploration of Yohan's trust in Gaon through the eyes of the people around them: K, Jinjoo, Elijah, Jungho, Soohyun, etc.
SFH WIPs:
I can't talk about the SFH WIP for legal reasons (again, I'm a mod of the zine, I know what the topic/theme is gonna be months in advance lmfao)
Critical Role WIPs:
Nicknamed "Tilly" with the working title "regret informs only the living," it jumps between ~C1 and C3, in a world where Percy and Laudna had met as children and did know one another. It jumps between their childhoods, immediately after reclaiming Whitestone, and when Bells Hells bring Laudna to Whitestone to revive her.
Originally nicknamed "Life 5," now its own fic titled "obsessively, incessantly, to a point of suffocation", it's an alternate history in which the Empire made a severe push into Xhorhas as the perfect moment. Asarius falls, and Dens Olios, Thelyss, and Tasithar are captured. The citizens of Asarius are split between four internment camps. Switching POVs between scourger Bren and survivor Essek, it's an alignment flip.
"friends on the other side," also called "Kingsley is Confused™," is immediately post C2, following Kingsley as he tries to piece together some semblance of identity and life, while Mollymauk and Lucien simply do not shut up in his head. It's enough to drive anyone mad, really. But maybe, just maybe, King is smart enough to figure out how to get them out of head and into bodies of their own.
"kindness is a dish best served" is an alternate C2 ending, in which it is Lucien pre-Nonagon who wakes up when the Wildmother brings him back. He lies through his teeth, claiming he doesn't know any of them. Only Caleb (visibly) sees through the lies.
Currently nicknamed "Vesper de Rolo's Very Bad, Not Good Day," it's a retelling of C3, in which Vesper de Rolo is a member of Bells Hells.
Currently only nicknamed "the consecution fic," the only thing I've written is this: 'thirty years after Essek Thelyss of No Den is executed for treason, Lirik Thelyss of Den Thelyss begins to go through anamnesis and realizes he can tell nobody who he truly is.'
And that's not including two 5+1s I'm sitting on for more Thelyss family dynamics because there's something so fun about locking Essek, Verin, and Deirta in a room together and poking them to see what happens.
And, now, lastly. The one I can't forget. "The Fickle Nature of Time's Children," suffering under the weight of my 22k word outline. It's a Caleb/Essek time travel fic with a twist, dealing heavily with themes of depression, a lack of fulfillment and unhappiness, with a massive redemption arc for the Tombtakers because they deserve it.
~
*exhales* okay that's it. Mostly. I have a couple of other original pieces of writing I didn't touch on because I haven't been working on them as much.
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study-with-aura · 10 months ago
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Wednesday, January 10, 2024
This is the fastest update I have made in maybe forever. I am currently eating my dinner, and in a few minutes I will have to get ready for dance and then my brother will drive me and then I will get home around 9pm. I forgot how fast Wednesdays were, even last semester!
I had my first robotics class session today, and I really enjoyed it! We are learning how to program robots and we will even design our own robots by the end of the course! It's eight weeks long. There are some who are enrolled that are slightly younger than me and then three of us are around the same age, which is nice. My best friend enrolled in it with me, and so we are utilizing it for our Senior Robotics badges.
In other news, I forgot to pull back my top throw blanket before taking the photo, so you will see the throw blanket I have on top of my unicorn blanket. Sometimes I get extra cold at night, and it helps to have it.
Until tomorrow studyblr community! I hope everyone is having a great start to their semester!
Tasks Completed:
Geometry - Reviewed arc measures + learned about chords + practice + honors work
Lit and Comp II - Reviewed vocabulary + finished writing my paper + read the news
Spanish 2 - Copied vocabulary on the body
Bible I - Read Numbers 36
World History - Researched and completed the Enlightenment Thinkers chart
Biology with Lab - Read more about genetics + watched a video lecture on genetics and Mendel's experiments
Foundations - Read more about love + did my daily workout on Lumosity + wrote the body of my "how-to" speech
Piano - None today (these will be Mon, Thurs, Fri, Sat, and Sun)
Khan Academy - None today (more than likely will not be doing KA on Wednesdays as I'm short on time) :(
Duolingo - Completed at least one lesson each in Spanish and Chinese
Reading - Read pages 137-170 of Chaos Theory by Nic Stone
Activities of the Day:
Ballet
Variations
Extracurricular class on programming robots (which I can also utilize as part of the requirements for the Senior Robotics badge set for Girl Scouts)
Journal/Mindfulness
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What I’m Grateful for Today:
I am grateful that my brother is still here because he is leaving so very soon, and I do not want to think about it yet.
Quote of the Day:
Life is a book and there are a thousand pages I have not yet read.
-Clockwork Princess, Cassandra Clare
🎧Lyric Pieces Book X, Op.71 - 4. Peace of the woods - Edvard Grieg
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