#and you best believe ivy is fast

[chlorinecake]

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐄𝐏’𝐒 𝐆𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐄𝐍 𝟒 — a yang jungwon fanfic

𖤣 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: after betraying his trust, yandere!yang jungwon tries his best to maintain a forgiving heart towards you, but things only take a turn for the worse when you foolishly refuse his rules again…

𖥧 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: mild-nudity, insinuated food poisoning, abduction themes, suggestive (mentions of self/pleasure and cnc themes), swearing, violence, slow burn, crying, angst

𖡼 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 3.8k ~ Previously ⊱✿⊰

✎ note: In no way does this fanfic intend to romanticize unhealthy relationships or abusive behaviors. I write purely for entertainment and creative purposes. Reader discretion is advised

TWO DAYS HAD passed since Jungwon first confronted you about sneaking out to the greenhouse while he was away at work.

You’re certain your heart nearly pumped out of your chest once those ominous words escaped his mouth, sending a valley of chills down your spine.

Tracing back the steps you took in your mind, you’re not entirely sure how Jungwon even found out about your little adventure anyways…

Still, your soul contented itself to some degree in the simple fact that he hadn’t asked you anything about what you saw in his greenhouse…

Or better yet, what you weren’t supposed to see.

The only time you saw Jungwon in between those days were whenever he brewed you a cup of tea in the morning, or came back home from work to prepare your supper.

A suspicious inkling in your heart remained concerning his reasons for wanting you to drink the mysterious herbal concoction so routinely.

Out of paranoia, you would instead pour the shimmery liquid into the ivy plant on your nightside table, hoping that he’d never find out about it…

At the end of the day, you really did want to trust Jungwon… not that he deserved it or anything… you just felt that trusting him was the very least you could do in return.

…Especially ever since he vowed to never hurt or touch you against your will again…

“I’m sorry,” your voice began at a whisper, somehow sounding loud in the quiet of Jungwon’s presence.

You were currently in the kitchen with him, sitting at the round wooden table while he prepared you a bowl of fresh fruit from his garden.

He turned to look at you over his shoulder, eyes barely visible through his shaggy bangs as his grip around the bowl tightened slightly.

“Sorry for what?,” he asked, not sure as to why you were apologizing.

Did you do something bad without him knowing?

Did you somehow manage to go against his rules right under his nose again?

You could tell from the sudden feeling of tension in the room that Jungwon’s mind started to wander in dark places, so you knew you had to speak fast.

“M-my little incident with the greenhouse… I hope you find in your heart t-to forgive my curiosity…” you stuttered nervously, picking with your nails in your lap.

He remained quiet, breathing pattern still like a wind chime frozen in time as he turned on his heel, eyes still not meeting yours.

You watched as he reached for a spoon to drizzle honey on your breakfast, “Would you like any yogurt or granola with your fruit, love?”

You couldn’t believe he just asked you that, of all things—

“Jungwon, I’m trying to apologize here…”

“I know,” he hummed sarcastically, “and I’m trying to prepare your breakfast…”

“I… I know…,” you repeated with a sigh, hanging your head low now as the tension only grew thicker, “thank you, Jungwon… just the fruit and honey is fine…”

He was pleased with your obedience to his subtle cues, bringing the bowl to you with a silver spoon perched in its side, “You're welcome…”

And with that, the stale morning continued as usual, you and Jungwon barely exchanging any small talk as the nearby sun rose to its fullest extent.

He never explicitly said that he forgave you for sneaking out into the greenhouse that day, but it elated him nonetheless that you took a small step to compliance.

About another hour had passed after you both finished breakfast together before Jungwon received a call from his boss, saying that he could have the day off because of a blackout in the city.

That meant you and him would be spending the entire day together, an occurrence that rarely even happened on the weekends given his busy work life.

Jungwon was always busy, so he claimed… which only made you question how he was able to stalk you all those months before abducting you.

You quite seriously couldn’t believe a single word that escaped his serpentine mouth—

“I want to show you a creative piece I've been working on in my greenhouse for you,” he began with gentle enthusiasm as you two spent some time rearranging the bedroom.

Or more accurately, while you sat on the bed, watching him add three extra locks to your bedroom door.

You didn’t respond yet as you didn’t know what to say, so he busied himself with neatly putting away his work tools before standing up from the ground to meet you.

“I hope you don't mind that I kept the dress you wore on your first day here,” he continued bashfully, “I used it to come up with your measurements for the dress.”

He also used it to please himself in eery hours of the night while he thought of a whiny you squirming beneath him, but he'd rather keep that part private for now...

His freshly calloused hand found yours as he joined the spot beside you on the mattress, pulling you back into the moment with a pleasant expression on his angelic features.

It was a shame how someone so demented could be so beautiful.

“What's wrong, my love? Did you spoil the surprise for yourself that day you went snooping around without my permission?” Jungwon interrogated frantically, worried that the blank expression on your face had something to do with his mentioning of the dress.

And it did, but not for reasons he assumed.

“God, you saw it already, didn't you? Please don't hate me ____, I know it didn't look like much at the time, but—”

“Jungwon—”

“I made a few finishing touches since then, but it looks way better now, I promise... I'm so sorry for not hiding the surprise from you better—”

“Wonie,” you said a little louder this time, making his guilt-stricken eyes soften slightly at your use of a nickname.

He let out a sigh, shaking his head with a light-hearted chuckle before running a hand through his thick brown locks, “Guess I kinda rambled a bit there, didn't I?”

“Just a little,” you agreed, patting him on the back as he rested his elbows on his thighs while sitting.

If only you could feel the way his crooked heart fluttered at your simple initiation of physical touch.

“And I didn't see your project in the greenhouse, by the way... only a naked mannequin and some plants… so please, don’t stress yourself out over that,” you reassured in a soft tone, almost as if cooing to the hurt child inside him…

“I appreciate everything you do for me, Jungwon… you know that…,” you confessed in the stillness, an odd sincerity behind each word.

“Thank you for saying that, my love... but as a committed pair, my duty is to please you, and that's all I could ever aspire to do so long as you keep pleasing me...” his voice trailed off ominously, your eyes watching as little sighs kept leaving his body…

It was a strange thing, really...

Seeing such an intimidating person falter to reverence… insecurity.

You wondered in your mind exactly what Jungwon meant by you pleasing him, but you decided to keep quiet for the meantime instead of asking.

Suddenly, he lifted himself from the bed, turning to face you with a seemingly restored countenance as he spoke, “I can't wait for you to try on the dress though, ____... I just know you'll look absolutely divine once its on you... Ready?”

“Ready,” you smiled, taking his extended hand in yours as he guided you out of the bedroom and to his forbidden greenhouse.

YOUR BODY STIFFENED as stone, your lungs hardly remembering to breathe as Jungwon’s cold hands stripped you of your clothing layer by layer.

You stood in front of him, now only in a washed-out pair of lace panties and thin bralette, a wooden stepping stool placed beneath your feet which strangely resembled a pedestal.

The sound of metal clothes hangers sliding into each other hit your ears as he rummaged through the wardrobe in between one of his gardening shelves.

Meanwhile, your eyes scanned the room before inevitably falling back onto the sight of two mannequins, one whole and another headless.

From the looks of it, you almost couldn’t believe that Jungwon had designed either of the pieces himself, let alone crafted them by hand.

Despite how Jungwon had proved to you multiple times that he was a jack of all trades, his array of skills never seeming to fail.

The red dress you watched him carefully remove from the mannequin was the one that belonged to you.

It’s neckline was made up of fancy lace, dried out field flowers trailing the accented seams.

The waist of the dress was decorated similarly, an array of gorgeous flowers with warm hues floating idly atop the skirt of feathery fabric, ballon-like sleeves completing the look with a mocked neckline.

The piece, in short, was lovely, Jungwon having brought with him a pair of silk white leggings and sliding them up your dainty ankles as would a servant before his queen.

It was evident all over his face that he took such delight in dressing you, hands respectfully adjusting your undergarments and fastening the makeshift zipper up your spine.

With delicate hands, he straightened out the fabric over your shoulders and down your waist as needed before stepping back to get a full look at you.

“My precious blossom...” he began adoringly, observing how the thin material draped over every ethereal curve of your body, and how the coloring palette complimented your natural one as if it were the only dress you were ever meant to wear.

"You're glowing," he almost whispered this time, voice so light that it tickled you when it touched your skin.

“Thank you,” you replied with a similarly gentle tone, not quite sure on how to respond to his enamor for you.

Pacing back towards you, he took your hands in his, looking almost as if he was holding back tears once his feline eyes met yours, “What do you think, my love? Did I do a just job for you?…”

“It’s perfect,” you smiled, abandoning one of his hands so you could swipe the moisture from his eyes, watching as he nearly purred at your action, “I love it…”

“And I’m so happy you do,” he replied, gentle touch grazing your wrist as he continued to admire the view of you in his unique piece.

“I have a question, though,” you started shyly, still watching his face in case there’d be an unpredictable change of emotion.

He simply nodded, feelings as though he was in a sleep-like state from how lovesick he felt right now, “You may continue, my love…”

“Okay,” you went on, swallowing any nerves building up in your throat before speaking, “What compelled you to design such a dress for me in the first place?”

A prolonged silence meddled between you two at the question up until he giggled slightly to himself, confusion washing over you at the sight of his now full-smile.

“Has it really been that long, love,” Jungwon asked in a half-serious tone, “for you to not even remember anymore?”

“Remember what?” You asked back, using the most polite voice you could muster.

“Remember that you’re my little flower, silly,” he smiled eerily, pinching one of your cheeks in a way that triggered a fear response within you.

Fortunately though, you did a good job of concealing it this time…

I’m not a flower, Jungwon, a voice similar to your own weakly choked out in desperation, trying to trigger a memory.

“I…. I’m not sure I fully understand,” you admitted, not even aware of how your legs stiffened, or the way your heart started to pulse as if you’d just been in a fight.

“Your rebuttal,” he clarified, “in the woods that day… it rang true to my ears,” he said, still tracing your skin with his touch.

“Jungwon—”

“Let me finish… please,” he interrupted sternly before tilting his head at you. “You brought something very important to my attention that day… and it was that every flower ought to have petals…”

He stopped in his words, hoping that you would understand, and to some degree, you did.

All of this, from day one… was to make sure that you, as his flower, blossomed accordingly…

The tea he ‘watered’ you with every morning…

The rays of sunlight he valued synonymously with any other form of nutrition you received…

The dress he designed for you with his own hands…

And the initial nickname he graced you with since as long as you could forget…

Jungwon loved you from the depths of his stony heart, and he had a very strange way of expressing it to you at times.

Though, now that you were complete with a set of more petals than he could possibly count, the last step was for Jungwon to make sure he took good care of you so you wouldn’t wither away…

So you wouldn’t have to perish like the last girl did…

THAT EVENING, JUNGWON brought you back to the garden just outside the main cabin on the land lot.

You sat quaintly, hands folded in your lap as he toiled in the flower bed, the knees of his dark blue jeans turning dark with moist soil.

"You look rather bored," he started, a glint of playfulness in his eyes, "care to give me a hand?"

"Sure," you replied apprehensively, getting up from the wooden bench you sat at and joining him at the seedling patch.

"See that shovel over there," he asked, directing your attention to its auburn handle a few feet away from you, "use it to sprinkle a bit of fertilizer over these here flowers, please."

"Okay," you obliged, a little grunt escaping you as you reached forward to grab the shovel, Jungwon's eyes trying their best not to follow the curve of your outstretched figure, the sounds you made doing enough to tingle his imagination.

"Is everything alright? You look warm," you said, observing the slight hue rushing to the apple of his cheeks.

"Oh- No, I'm alright," he said with a reassuring smile, reaching in his side pocket to pull out a pair of gardening scissors.

You busied yourself with sprinkling the flower bed with fertilizer, meanwhile, the distant sound of Jungwon snipping a few plants filled your ears alongside the peaceful melody of songbirds.

Your mind couldn't help but think of the day he made you kill one of their kind... the day he made you steal another creatures freedom, just as he had done to you-

"What're you picking?" You asked, not meeting his eyes as you dusted a bit of dirt from your hands.

"Just some herbs for your tea," he answered in a quiet voice, focusing most of his mind on the task at hand, "the ones in my greenhouse withered out somehow, but I'm glad I had a few back-up plants out here..."

Your eyes followed as he continued to snip, colorful leaf and flower bud remnants falling into the mini mortar bowl he held in his free hand.

"Do you recognize all the plants you farm by name?"

"Pfft... of course I do," he chuckled, "I've been a man of the garden my whole life," he added. "These purple ones here are called valerian, the vibrant ones passion flowers, and the red ones are poppy's... though, I often mix these with berry brews in your tea..."

You took a mental note of the names he listed, "And do you have a botanical book by any chance-"

"You're asking a lot of questions again, love," he said, voice sounding a bit cold even though his face remained just as friendly.

"S-sorry," you apologized timidly, hanging your head low as the evening wind picked up, blowing sprinkles of wildlife into the air as Jungwon turned his head to avoid getting anything in his eyes.

"Let's head back inside now," he said softly, "it's getting late."

You got up from the ground, holding your day-dress at either side of you as if it already hadn't been soiled from the soggy flower bed, Jungwon guiding you back to the cabin with a protective hand around your waist as the wind continued to beat at your backs.

Promptly upon being met with the warmth of the main cabin, Jungwon locked the door behind you two before making his way to the kitchen where he set a kettle on the stovetop.

Meanwhile, he had ran you a bath so you could get washed up in the nearby restroom down the hallway, cleaning yourself with haste and changing into a fresh pair of clothes.

The tea kettle was whistling angrily in a matter of minutes, Jungwon having crushed the collection of herbs and berries with the pestle in his bowl and pouring the scalding water right over it.

With a skilled hand, he drizzled a bit of honey at the bottom of your teacup, transferring the brew right over.

Clink... clink... clink.

Jungwon gave the mixture a few stirs with a metal spoon before deciding to himself that it was ready.

"____," he called after you from your bedroom in a sing-songy voice, waiting for a now-refreshed you to meet him on the mattress.

The feline eyed boy held the warm cup tenderly in his grasp just as you returned with a damp head of hair and natural glow.

"It's time for your tea, love," he reiterated, scooting over on the bed as you didn't hesitate to join the spot beside him.

He opened your hands before placing the cup within your grasp.

There was something about the expression on his face in this moment... a knowing look displayed on his cat-like features as he eyed you fiercely, waiting for you to take the first sip.

"I added a new ingredient to it this time, too," he went on, breaking the odd silence, "not that you'd even notice a difference in the taste since you never drink it despite my instructions to."

Your heart nearly rolled from your chest and onto the prickly wooden floor at his sudden words.

"W-wha... what did you say," you stuttered nervously, tightening your grip around the teacup.

"Oh, please... you didn't think I'd catch on to the ivy's pot and soil being over-soaked so frequently?" He challenged, shaking his head at you in disappointment that you even thought you could get away with lying to him.

Again.

"The poor thing almost died because of you," he continued, taking in your anxious body language even though your eyes failed to meet his daunting ones.

"I... I don't know what to say," you admitted with a shaky voice, knowing that with Jungwon, it was better to say something, even if it was stupid, instead of saying nothing at all.

He hummed at your reply before speaking again, "So I'll ask you a question instead... how come you never drink it? I mean... you're not a picky eater, so there must be some other reason... isn't there?"

You let out a hesitant breath, "Jungwon, I don't know what you want to hear, but-"

"I don't want to hear anything but the truth, ____," he clarified with an exhausted huff, keeping his eyes on you as if pleading.

"Now don't keep me waiting with your nonsense because you already know how I get when you do that to me..."

“I…I just,” you stumbled over your speech, struggling to maintain eye contact with him as his gaze practically pierced you.

“You don’t trust me,” he finished for you, shaking his head at your failure to even deny it. “You genuinely think that I’d do something bad to you,” he scoffed while clenching his jaw, “even after that pathetic little promise I made to you…”

That’s when you felt the cup harshly leave your grasp, a bit of its liquid spilling onto your lap as he abruptly stood up from the mattress.

A scornful look took over his delicate features, throwing his head back before drinking the tea in one big gulp, wiping the remaining residue from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, “There… you see?! Not that hard, right love?”

You meant to respond but he already paced out of the room by now, coming back in less than a minute with the kettle in his hand, refilling the teacup he’d just drank from.

Smiling facetiously at your nervous frame, Jungwon pushed your legs open with his own, now standing dauntingly between them.

You were still sat on the bed, legs trembling at either side of his thighs as his broad shadow nearly consumed your lesser one, eyes rising to meet his nightmarish face thanks to his hand guiding your chin upward.

You didn't like this one bit, the cold air of the room hitting your core now that your legs were spread open, nor his body being positioned right between you.

He tilted his head, your eyes brimming with fearful tears that every bone in your body tried to push down with the growing lump in your throat that you couldn't swallow.

“So do it then,” he went on sternly, voice not raised but just as impactful, “Take the fucking cup and drink it.”

There was a certain beast imbedded behind Jungwon's contrastingly angelic face... it was always hungry, waiting for whatever enticing peep-hole of a chance was provided for him to squeeze through.

And as perverted as it sounds, that same hole of temptation laid right within you, hidden behind a dainty nightgown that acted as wrapping paper to a precious gift.

With every day that passed, Jungwon could feel himself crawling despairingly closer and closer to its rim, praying that he might someday spill over the edge and be basked in all its glory...

The very glory he placed on your purity since day one, seeking after it as if it'd rescue his corrupted soul.

You had no other choice but to heed to his words, parting your lips with a broken whine as his grip on your face tightened.

He refused to bring the cup to your lips, watching as if entertained once you lifted the cup over his hand, letting the tea meet your dry tongue.

“Swallow it,” he ordered, looking into your eyes before the feeling of warmth hit your stomach almost instantly, the teacup now being empty.

“Wonie,” you choked out, a single tear gliding down the supple curve of your cheek as his free hand set the cup on the nightstand, only to find your lips and toy a thumb at it.

“What is it love?” He whispered in a hoarse voice, peering impossibly close to your face as his grip remained tight.

“I’d like to go to bed now,” you yelped weakly, lips twitching with fear that only continued to multiply within you now that he'd pushed your back against the mattress, caging you beneath him.

“And without supper?” He taunted, whispering these words right under your ear as your hands trembled at his chest.

“Yes,” you blurted out with heavy breaths, “I’m no longer hungry, Jungwon…”

He let your words sink in, taking in just how scared you seemed when he hadn't even done anything yet.

The way you feared Jungwon used to bother him, but now he started to see an advantage in it... an advantage in the way you crumbled into submission before him.

“Very well then,” he said, hands finally leaving your chin with a few red marks still remaining on your skin from the pressure, “sleep well, my love...”

☆ Thank you all so much for reading this piece! I always love how interactive you guys are in the comments with this story and it truly brings a smile to my face !! On a side note though, this part turned out much longer than expected, so apologies for the cliffhanger ;-; ... to be continued hehe ;)

☆ taglist:  @squoxle @ashgonedash @yourmomscuntis2tighy @kaykay11sworld @gigiramirezsblog @hoonsyo @en-thralled  @night-en-shining-armor @cutiejseong @j-wyoung @nikisvanillaccola @bambangan @wonbyf @4imhry @zhangyi-johee  @valhrts @lisaaannna @lovelycassy @addictedtohobi @gardenwons @nikipedia07 @tubatusoobs  @clarisabutterfliescupcake @yevene @heecries @rosiemiayyxy @jungwonieee @edgykoo @luvmlkw @idkhoomanmaybe @sunsinmyskies @guessm0del @ayadikreino @destairea @jakehooni @jjungwonss @nikilvr @jays-property @moonchus @angelicjungwon @wonniesdoll @rosiemiayyxy @rinirumi @noviadebeomgyu @pochacco-o @hapeynaaa @ikngh @maspire @mamuljji @hnnhj @legendarycowboywinnerlawyer @enhypenlovre @stxrboyjae @f4irynono @03sunoos @itwasrem @laurradoesloveu @lalalalovelalalasworld @honestimage @ro-0327 @stwberrykooki @heelvrr @wonbinisbabygurl @jungwonloveer @jungwonsmybf @kayoiw @lovelycassy @mrswolfhard3 @theothernads @junieshohoho @wonheartz @jongsbie @candewlsy @kotazuken @moonchus @laurradoesloveu @millieinyourarea @straightondryland

[nicohischierz]

fast cars: oscar piastri

tagging: @ivy-34, @francesfarhadi, @hzstry8, @cixrosie, @itsnotgray, @estapa94, @trevs-swiftie, @heartz4hischif you want to join the taglist let me know!!

jack, trevor and cole navigated their way through the paddock in montreal once again. however this time, you were joining them for the weekend.

"wait we're only allowed inside one garage this weekend?" trevor asked as you walked past the motorhomes.

you led the crew towards the mclaren motorhome as the three boys took in their surroundings. this was not what they experienced last time they were here.

this all happened when your teammate mentioned being at the race with his friends, you mentioned also going and managed to pull some strings into getting passes.

"trev, we're lucky we're allowed inside a garage," cole muttered.

you halted before the garage and turned to all three guys. "rules for the weekend. no switching teams, if you don't want to wear papaya then wear a different colour. be respectful to the drivers and their cars, think of them as if someone's trying to touch your sticks before a game".

the boys thought you were done and were about to enter the garage when you stopped them one last time. "and finally, have fun this weekend," you concluded.

the three hockey players gave each other confused looks before following after you.

one of the mechanics noticed you first and waved before gesturing to where your boyfriend was. you smiled, thanked them and headed off in the direction they pointed at.

jack, trevor and cole waited at the back as they saw you approach lando and oscar. the first three were confused as to how settled you felt in the environment.

"do you think she works here over the summers?" trevor asked. jack side-eyed his best friend before rolling his eyes. "that wouldn't make sense z cause then how does she train," he answered, playing along.

trevor nodded in understanding before watching as lando came over to give you a hug. "I bet she's dating that one," jack pointed to the standing brit.

cole and trevor scoffed. "what makes you think that?" cole asked.

"how else would she get these amazing tickets," jack pointed out in a duh tone.

the three boys argued over who you could be dating as you caught up with lando. they shut up quickly when they noticed you walking over to them.

"jack, trevor and cole, this is lando norris. lando this is my teammate jack and his friends trevor and cole," you introduced them.

the boys shook hands with each other and started with a small conversation when a pair of hands wrapped around your waist and lifted you up.

you shrieked before turning around to hug your boyfriend. oscar wasted no time in placing his lips on yours in a soft kiss before resting his forehead on yours.

"i have missed you so much," he muttered.

you nodded "i missed you to osc,"

the two of you were made aware of your fellow companions when lando began clearing his throat. "I definitely did not miss that," he grumbled.

you stuck your tongue at him and turned to your other friends. "oscar this is my teammate jack and his friends cole and trevor. guys, this is my boyfriend oscar,"

“does that mean all your trips to europe have been for him?” jack asked.

you nodded and leaned into your boyfriend. “oscar and i barely get to see each other with our conflicting schedules so when he’s on break he’s been down to see our game and when i’m off i go see his races,” you explained.

jack nodded and then gasped. “is that why you didn’t want to host thanksgiving! it wasn’t cause you were sick it’s cause you were holed with your boyfriend!” he exclaimed.

you blushed and nodded as oscar kissed your head.

“i’ve got to go love but i’ll see you and the guys for dinner with logan and lando,” oscar bid farewell.

“i cant believe you’re dating a racing driver,” trevor mumbled. you smiled at the boy, turning to watch as oscar drove onto the track.

[aspiring-house-husband]

werewolves attempt to keep to themselves, mostly. they live as wolf packs in state game lands and national parks, keeping the ecological balance. every once in a while they’ll live on unclaimed lands, and when they do, they eventually make deals with landowners. 

your pack lives on thousands of acres owned by one man. he lives a fairly modest life; he just wants to keep out in the woods and tend his koi ponds. he is quite respectful to your pack, waving when you travel by and staying out of the part of the forest that you’ve requested. 

he’s never a problem. occasionally, though, he brings guests. those you have to watch more closely. 

they’re always good, too. you have to assume that the owner talks to them, tells them not to go off his paths, tells them to clean up after themselves. but that doesn’t meant that there can’t be sentries posted to make sure they don’t wander too far. 

usually, it’s the same family. must be some friends of the owner who bring their progeny. there’s a grandfather with his cane and his wisdom. there’s his daughter, with her happy smile and tendency to keep the campfires roaring. and then the daughter’s children. 

she has an oldest son, the most responsible. he has a family of his own now, a wife and toddler son to chase around and feed marshmallows to. there’s a middle daughter, who travels and has stories to tell. 

and not every time, but with rare luck, their youngest son travels to join them. and whenever you’re on sentry duty, he catches your eye. 

the others are respectful. they have fun, they clean up, they sigh and enjoy the wind. the youngest, though, he seems to revel in it. he strolls around the large fields and checks himself for ticks. he turns his face to the wind and closes his eyes like he can understand the twists and breezes. he runs barefoot, and while he’s not very fast, his form is almost familiar. he points out poison ivy and knows which woods burn the best and can tell which streams are safe to drink. he’s a bit small, but the way he entertains and plays with his nephew makes you imagine him taking care of pups, and even though you know it won’t take, you crave to fuck him full of them. 

he’s perfect. and one weekend, when all the others leave, he stays alone. 

the property is wide and beautiful. the parts of it that are more ‘tamed’ include a pond, a fire pit, a hammock, and an elevated pavilion. he sits there most of the day, just looking off into the forest. he almost seems like he longs for it. 

so you’re a bit daring. you stalk forward from the woods, hulking and rippling muscle and canine teeth parted to allow scent to pass through. 

he seems scared, but he doesn’t move. he lets you travel to him, and only twenty feet away does he step back. so you sit down and transform, and you watch his handsome face as he realizes what you are. 

“hello,” you tell him, and he shakes his head like he can’t believe what he’s seeing. you can’t blame him. he’s speechless, even a moment later, so you stand and approach him. he holds his ground this time, letting you come all the way up to his space, letting your hands wander over his torso. he seems to entertain you, letting you do as you please. 

emboldened, you tilt his chin up, and lavish your tongue over his neck. he’s missing the scent gland there, but you don’t mind, his own scent is perfect enough. he lets out a soft sigh, and that’s all you need. 

there’s a fancy table in the center of the pavilion. all it matters to you is that it doesn’t tip when you lift him and set him on it, pulling his clothing from his body. he can’t help but to touch you as you do, now gingerly giving kisses back across his shoulders and neck, and he teases his teeth across your skin. the sensation sets you alight, and even moreso you want him. you want him as yours. 

your weeping cock slides between his thighs a few times before he opens his legs to you and lays back, arching up his back as you prep him sloppily and hastily with your fingers. it’s all you have not to fuck into him, to pop your knot inside him, claim him and mark him and bite him and change him. you can barely stop yourself, but you do, and your reward is his sultry moan as you fuck him onto your fingers. 

you tell him your name just so he can moan it as you finally thrust inside him, all the way up to your swollen knot. he all but screams, bucking his hips already in pleasure, whimpering and panting. if you didn’t know better, you’d think him in heat. 

“please, please,” he begs, and you don’t know what he begs for, but even so you grab onto his hips and thrust into him, building a rhythm that hints to a crescendo of his moans getting higher and higher pitched, his legs locking behind you, his hole clamping down on you. you start to fear you won’t fit inside him with how desperately he tightens around you, so you pull him to you as you snap your hips forward, and he paints his own chest with the force of his orgasm at being knotted. 

you collapse onto his chest, still weakly thrusting as you pump him full. you can’t help but clamp your teeth down, only controlling yourself enough to not break skin. he lifts one hand to pet your hair, panting under your body, still sounding and smelling of heat. 

you have him twice more before the day is up. he turns up at a lot more of those family gatherings after that. he lounges in the woods with you, promising that one day, he’ll let you bite him for real, and bind him to the forest for good. 

[bloodyshadow1]

so if the bad kids do the classic, switch to defeat your doppleganger move that happens a lot when facing the rat grinders, I think this is how it should go down. (note this was written last week before ep 18, where they used a lot of their resources) This is a purely hypothetical party vs party combat

Ruben-Fabian or Adaine. Fabian with his eyepatch is immune to fear which a lot of college of whispers does really well, as a half-elf he gets wisdom saving throws on charm which is also the bard's bread and butter. He's a fast fighter bard with spellslots to use basically as smites. so he could really blast down Ruben before things start. Adiane as an elf is another good choice like fabian she has advantage against charm affects and while she is not immune to fear like fabian she has a better wisdom save than he does since she is proficient. I would put Fabian over her though mechanically, and he is also a fan of Ruben's so it would be funny to watch them fight

Ivy- Gorgug. He's not the best option, but he's probably the bad kids best counter to her. as a ranger and fighter, she can do a lot of damage to the others with her range, having to deal with a barbarian who can keep hitting you from range. attacking recklessly would negate a lot of the benefit of Shadowy dodge and as a barbarian he would be able to shrug off most of her ranged attacks. He probably has some artificer item that would let him create a light thing like the solar lasso so she wouldn't always be able to hide in the darkness. For the lesser affects of her arcane arrows and ranger abilities, Gorgug has pretty decent saves, and for the dangerous ones like Banishing Arrow, he can at least use flash of genius on himself to bolster those saves. The Ranger part is kind of lost on me, the spells seems decent but nothing that can really stop Gorgug since he's a barbarian, but could mess up someone else in the party. Ranger spells are decent, but he has a pretty strong counter and I can't see Ivy being higher than level 9 in ranger since it seems like fighter was her base class and it has to split somehow.

Oisin- Fig. As a lore bard/paladin/warlock I think it would be best for her to get into Oisin's face and smite the hell out of him. You can't counterspell a smite. As a wizard he is probably the squishiest member of his party so taking him out would be very important. Additionally, she has counterspell which could leave him in trouble in close range. With Shield, Oisin can have a decent ac so there's that, but he's still a wizard who rolled a d6 each level.

Kipperlily-Kristen. While it surprisingly works president versus president, it also works as a cleric with heavy armor. It's not great as a defense against a high level rogue, but it's better than most of her friends have. Not to mention Kristen can do aoe none dex spells that are good against rogues as they won't get evasion from them. it's not great to have your healer dealing with the parties rogue, but sometimes you don't really have another choice. Lots of dangerous cleric spells don't have a dex saving throw so it could be useful once Kristen can see her

Buddy- Adaine. Not a particularly important match up story wise, it has potential but nothing juicy. still a wizard like adaine wouldn't be the worst match against buddy, spell caster vs spell caster, arcane vs divine. Not to mention I think that Buddy doesn't have a lot of HP and probably isn't expecting a melee wizard like Adaine. Adaine can counterspell Buddy's spells while he can impose disadvantage as a light domain cleric, but Wizards don't just make attack rolls, they have saves. Also I think it would be a good contrast in their thoughts, Buddy believing he doesn't cast spells, that Helio/unnamed rage god works through him to cast spells vs Adaine who as a wizard has learned all of her spells. It's also a good contrast between the Bad Kids and the Rat grinders about the theme of this season, hard work vs taking the easy way out.

Mary-Ann - Riz. This is probably one of the worst match ups, no one wants to go up against a high level barbarian 1v1. This isnt' an anime where the fast sneaky person can just lure the big strong bad guy away and keep them distracted. It's dnd where Mary-Ann might just ignore any physical damage because she can at the start.

I think the key to dealing with Mary-Ann is to not fight her. The Bad girls can get around her barbarian resistances with their spells but will go down in a few hits. Fabian can't do enough damage even with all his attacks, Fandragor doesn't do anything about the damage type Fabian does I believe, it works like smites but just increases the Piercing Damage instead of dealing Radiant damage. Gorgug is another Barbarian, but as cool as his new subclass is, I wouldn't put it up against a full also high level barbarian 1v1. Which leaves Riz

However, I think he's the only one who could survive a few rounds with her, he can keep sneaking with his bonus action, disengage (unless she has sentinel), or misty stepping with the Sword of Shadows to get away from her and out of sight and while she will keep halving any damage he does from sneak attack, it's still a decent chuck that even a high level barbarian can't ignore forever. Leaving Riz who can do a decent amount of damage each turn with his sneak attack and not be close to her, he can also halve one of her three attacks. Riz can also do a lot of tricky stuff as an Arcane trickster, Mary-Ann might be immune to fear and charm affects, but she isn't immune to all illusions and enchantments. He could trick her and keep her busy with his spells, with magical ambush she would be rolling her saves with disadvantage. A smart player like Murph could do a lot with his spell list to a Barbarian.

Now obviously, like I said under Mary-Ann/Riz, dnd is not an anime/show/comic book/etc where you can just switch against your doppleganger and win. I think the Bad Kids would beat the Rat Grinders because they know their shit more and they are a party that genuinely cares for each other so their team work has to be better than the party of their dark mirrors who were literally handed xp to power level. That being said I do think the Bad Kids could take their counterpart in 1v1 (with the exception of Gorgug)

Also with the Preview of the next ep(19) the Bad Kids will have to deal with Jace, a high level Sorcerer, and Porter a legendary Barbarian/Paladin, who are definitely more dangerous than a bunch of high schoolers who never really had to fight another party.

Still this was just fun to think about. If you have any thoughts let me know. If you think of your own matchups that you want to discuss also let me know.

[thewitcheslibrary]

Beltane

The date of the holiday: 1st may

History: Beltane is derived from the Celtic term Baal or Bel, which meaning "Bright One." As farmers prepared to shift their livestock from winter pastures to summer grazing in the hills, they sought protection and abundance from the gods by starting fires and herding cattle through the flames to the summer grazing fields. This was thought to protect the herd from attack while also increasing fertility.

In more practical terms, these bonfires were most likely used to burn brush heaps and clear space for planting and pastureland. In the home, hearth fires were extinguished and replaced with flames from Beltane bonfires. People often walked the perimeters of their properties or towns to evoke additional protection for the next year. Yellow flowers were used to decorate doorways, windows, and even cattle during Beltane.

Like all of the Wheel of Year sabbat celebrations, Beltane was a time for merry making and feasting.  People would write a wish upon a ribbon and tie it a to a tree, in the hopes that the gods would grant them.  Hawthorn, ash, thorn and sycamore trees were believed to be the best trees for making wishes.   

Dew gathered on Beltane was thought to have special properties for increased beauty and youthfulness. 

Beltane and sexuality- SLIGHT NSFW WARNING!

Part of Celtic Beltane beliefs revolved around the holy union of the God and Goddess, which people celebrated by having sex on Beltane. Usually outside, to further connect with nature. Children conceived at Beltane (and hence born at Imbolc) were regarded to belong to the Goddess, and were commonly referred to as'merry-be-gots', with a particular tie to the faerie world. Beltane, like Samhain, was a period when the curtain between the worlds became thinner, allowing ghosts to pass through. Unlike Samhain, the visiting ghosts were not looking for a feast or a quick chat with relatives. The spirits of Beltane were considered to be seeking reincarnation or sexual intercourse.

The topic of sexuality runs throughout Beltane. The Maypole, which maidens usually adorn and celebrate, is a phallic emblem signifying masculine strength, whereas the cauldron represents female power. Women who desired to produce a child would start a small fire, place the cauldron on it, and then leap over it.

To go Maying, or picking flowers and other flora in adjacent woodlands, was associated with casual sex in the woods. There was no stigma connected with out-of-wedlock marriage, and hand-fasting was prevalent, in which two individuals bonded together for a year and a day. Beltane activities such as the Maypole were forbidden by the Puritans in parts of Great Britain in the 17th century, owing in part to their overt sexuality.

END OF THE NSFW -

Symbols of beltane-

Colors:  White, dark green, red 

Foods:  Dairy foods, honey, oats, mead, lamb  

Stones:  Sapphire, blood stone, emerald, orange carnelian, rose quartz  

Symbols:  Goat, honeybee, cown, fairies, pegasus, rabbits, flower crown, maypole, basket  

Flowers & Plants: Primrose, lilac, hawthorn, birch, Rosemary, Ivy, woodruff, rowan, violet, alfalfa, cedar, peppermint lavendar 

Deities: Aphrodite, Artemis, Freya, Rhiannon, Apollo, Bel/Belnos, The Great Horned God, BÓand/Boann 

Setting intentions during this time-

Beltane has traditionally been a fertility celebration. However, if you don't have infants in mind, that's OK! Beltane is an excellent opportunity to reflect on creativity and success. Beltane is the moment to follow through on your objectives from Imbolc and Ostara. Perhaps you've been thinking about launching a company; Beltane is the time to set an appointment with the bank and inquire about finance. Perhaps you've been writing a book and now it's time to contact publishers or locate an agent. Beltane, with its promise of harvest and fruitfulness, is a time to take inspired action and be confident.

Ways to celebrate-

Chose one of the deities listed above and honour them in some way, yes even if you dont work with them. You can still celebrate them and wear or do things associated with them, just do so respectfully! Eat some of the foods associated with beltane! Even if you just eat a bowl of oats with honey for breakfast, its a good and simple way to celebrate. And its perfect if you can't openly celebrate, it just looks like your enjoying some food. You could also drink peppermint tea!

Wear some of the colours and carry the stones and gems around with you during this day. You can incorporate both colour magic and crystal magic by doing this and is also just easy to hide and do subtly! - everyone wears clothes (hopefully) and you can just say you are collecting rocks and crystals because you find them cool! - Flower crowns can be incorporated into outfits too.

Buy flowers or make a bouquet with the flowers associated with the holiday! They will make your space or altar look colourful, and flowers are pretty. This isnt as easy to hide, but if people do ask you can tell them you just liked them and treated yourself!

Set aside time for some self care - treat yourself to a special meal, music, aromas - whatever make you feel special!- with this you could use the plants, herbs, crystals, candles in the colours associated with them and some drawn symbols and put together a ritual bath! - bit of a clean up after but again its somewhat easy to hide

some less subtle way to celebrate.

Hold a bonfire for family and friends 

Take action on a project you’ve been working on 

Decorate a tree with colorful ribbons that represent your wishes for the coming year 

Make flower crowns 

Walk your property and give thanks and ask for protection in the coming year 

Decorate your home yellow flower wreaths, bouquets or garlands

[makethatelevenrings]

Chag Sameach // Jewish!Batmom!Reader & family

Requested? Yes!

Warnings: a lot of mentions of food, I know that can be difficult around the holiday season

Summary: A blended family of faith comes together to celebrate the holiday season through Damian’s eyes

A/N: I’m not Jewish so please let me know if I messed anything up!! Happy Hanukkah my lovelies :) Bruce is canonically Jewish, Dick and Duke are in my mind Jewish, Jason IMO was raised Catholic, Tim is totally raised atheist as is Cass, Alfred is Anglican, and Steph was raised culturally Christian. She’s just here for the sweets.

Everyone was acting differently.

Todd wasn’t arguing with Father and instead, Damian passed him earlier in the kitchen where the crime lord had a “Kiss the Cook” apron on and was bent over a tray on the counter, piping bag clutched tightly in hand. Perhaps he was poisoning Drake…

Pennyworth was flitting between the kitchen and the main living room, glittering tinsel in hand that trailed after him along the carpet. Drake was somewhere with Thomas, both of them looking intently at their phones and whispering between each other. Brown and Cassandra were outside, that much he knew, doing who knows what.

Damian found Richard in the main hall balancing a tray in both hands with a large smile on his face. He lit up when he saw Damian and gestured with his head to follow him. Thus, the culprit of everyone’s strangely amicable behavior was located.

You.

Father’s wife.

The woman who clearly wasn’t suited to be the matriarch of the Wayne name. Not like his mother. You were not a warrior. In fact, Damian believed you to be completely helpless. Yet Father seemed taken by you and one of the stipulations about living here was that Damian must respect you. Even Richard was firm in that rule.

You stood in the middle of the living room, arms crossed and eyes narrowed as Father maneuvered a large pine tree into one of the corners of the room. You called out directions until Father stuck his head out from around the tree and leveled you with a stare Damian had seen him use on Ivy and Quinn. You merely smirked and raised your hands in a thumbs up. Father moved out from behind the tree and nodded at Damian before taking one of the trays from Grayson.

You turned and lit up at the sight of Damian. Despite his coldness towards you, you had never once been unkind. It grated on his nerves. Surely, you had some kind of ulterior motive as to your deceitful kindness. He was determined to get to the bottom of this.

“Damian, good afternoon!” you greeted. “You’re just in time. The sun sets in thirty minutes so we’ll light the chanukiah and then decorate the tree.”

You paused, a conflicted look passing over your face and then you sighed. “Oh, Damian, I’m sorry. I never thought to ask if you celebrate either.”

“Either?” He was confused by all the decorations and trinkets scattered around the room. It looked like a glitter bomb had gone off, but Pennyworth didn’t look too frazzled at the mess. It was then that he saw the kippah on Father and Richard’s heads.

“Tonight is the first night of Hanukkah,” you explained. “When Jason first joined us…”

You trailed off, pain glinting in your eyes at the thought of a young Todd compared to the man he was now. Father joined your side and laid a hand on your shoulder. You offered him a small, shy smile and whispered out a thanks.

“Your father, Dick, and I are all Jewish so we always celebrated Hanukkah. When Jason joined us, we figured it wasn’t fair that he and Alfred didn’t get to celebrate Christmas with others so we decided to combine the two. Hanukkahmas. Christmakkah. So, the first night of lighting the chanukiah, we also decorate the Christmas tree. It’s silly, but it’s our tradition.”

Richard swooped in then, laying a kiss on his adoptive mother’s cheek. He then ruffled Damian’s hair despite his best efforts to get away.

“Don’t worry, little D, we’ll celebrate Ramadan too for you.”

You nodded eagerly. “Yes! And if there’s any specific foods you like to break the fast, please let me know. We’d love to have you join us tonight, Damian.”

Based on the excited grin on Richard’s face, Damian couldn’t refuse. He sighed but relented, allowing Richard to put a red and white fluffy hat on his head. The brim slipped over his eyes and he shoved it back with a disgruntled huff, but you were grinning at the sight of the two boys' antics. 

Maybe this wouldn’t be a total disaster.

Damian was put to task stringing popcorn on a fishing line and fighting off the vultures known as his family as they swooped in to steal a few kernels here and there. Someone had dragged one of the larger tables usually used for galas into the room and platters of food appeared, filling up the surface until Damian could no longer see any wood.

“Hey, baby bird,” Brown greeted as she and Cassandra entered the room. Thomas trailed after the two, a kippah on his head too. Brown started to reach for one of the powdered desserts but you materialized out of seemingly thin air and swatted her hand away.

“Not until Bruce does the blessing, you little thief,” you warned, but there was no heat behind your words. Damian was always confused by the lack of punishment received for behavior here. At Nanda Parbat, misbehaving and denying orders was met with violence. Here, it was met with teasing words from you and a stern lecture if it was a serious discrepancy. You were weak, he thought, for not preparing them for the cruelties of this world like his grandfather had. 

“Alright, last thing for the table,” Todd announced as he entered the room with a large dutch oven cradled between two potholders. You clapped your hands in excitement and moved some dishes aside so he could set it down in the center. 

“This is brisket,” you explained to Damian, “but we have plenty of vegetarian options too. Hummus, noodle kugel, latkes…a lot of latkes. Christ on a bike, Jason, could you have made any more latkes? We also have sufganiyot, rugelach, kugel, sfenj, and some Christmas cookies already…and we’re having matzo ball soup on the eighth night. Vegetarian, of course.”

Todd sidled up next to you, his large frame towering over his adoptive mother. You rested a hand on his arm and squeezed, a silent thanks for assisting Alfred with all of the food. He dipped his chin in response and then hugged you. Damian watched as the older boy practically melted in your embrace, something he had never seen. Todd was always cold and harsh, holding himself in a way that meant he was on alert constantly.

“The sun has set,” Alfred announced. The rest of the family had piled into the room and they crowded around the silver chanukkiah that sat on one of the tables. Richard lit the middle candle as Bruce began to say the three blessings. You murmured the occasional Hebrew word in response to the prayer, but the family remained quiet as Bruce prayed and Dick lit the candle. Once the first candle was lit and Bruce ended the prayer, you clapped your hands together and shooed everyone towards the family.

“Eat, eat. Nosh a little. We’ll decorate the tree after presents.”

Damian was struck with panic for a second. Presents? Was he supposed to get anyone something? No one else appeared nervous. They were all focused on loading up their plates and scattering around the living room.

You didn’t head towards the food. Instead, Damian watched as you pulled a blanket off of a basket tucked next to the chair you usually sat in. The basket was overflowing with wrapped gifts and you picked a few out, depositing them in the lap of the respective person. Damian was surprised when you stopped in front of him and smiled, holding out a gift wrapped in paper that had animals printed all over it.

“Happy Hanukkah, Damian. I like to give everyone gifts for the eight nights. Something small. Don’t worry about getting us anything. It’s more of a thing I like to do.” Your words eased his stress. He cautiously tore at the paper and found a fresh sketchbook, pencils, and watercolors inside. You had already moved on to hand a gift to Alfred.

He ran his fingers along the smooth paper and smiled despite himself. Maybe you weren’t totally useless.

For seven more nights, the family gathered in the living room to play games, watch movies, and eat. Seriously, it was a shit ton of food. You flitted about the room all night, anxious to ensure everyone was enjoying themselves. The gifts you gave were perfect, but Damian would never admit that. In lieu of gelt, other than the chocolate coins that Drake and Richard were battling over currently, you had donated ten thousand dollars to a charity each person supported, including Damian’s favorite animal shelter in the city.

He didn’t understand it. He had been nothing but frigid to you since arriving at the Manor. Yet, you were still suffused with warmth that leaked out of you and showering him with kindness and gifts. So on the eighth night, while everyone else was focused on the epic dreidel battle between Cassandra and Todd, Damian slowly approached where you were seated on the couch, curled up against Father’s side.

“Hey, need something?” you asked. You were ready to spring off the couch and serve him, but Damian merely thrust a neatly wrapped box in your direction. Your lips parted in a soft, surprised gasp and you thanked him as you accepted the gift. Slowly and meticulously, you unwrapped the gift and opened the small box under the paper to find a beautiful handmade portrait of the whole family.

“Oh, Damian,” you whispered. “It’s amazing. This is the greatest gift anyone has ever given me.”

“Happy Hanukkah.”

You handed the box to Bruce and stood. “Is it alright if I hug you?”

He nodded stiffly, but relaxed minutely when your arms wrapped around him. Damian understood why Todd softened around you. How Father smiled and showed affection like it was second nature. Why Richard laughed freely and Thomas felt comfortable in the family and Brown gossiped to you about trivial things. He understood why Cassandra sought you out on the bad days and Drake curled up beside you when he needed to feel comforted and why Pennyworth took your orders without question.

You weren’t useless or helpless. Your strength, light, and warmth was the thing keeping the family together. Damian hugged you just a little tighter. Maybe he could ask you to accompany him to the animal shelter to oversee how the donations were being allocated. And then perhaps they could go to that one vegetarian restaurant Todd had told him about.

You weren’t his mother and he would always love his mother, but you were certainly a figure in his life that he didn’t mind being around.

[greg-montgomery]

Ivy - Part 4

gif by: @foldfoldmoldmold <3

Aaron Hotchner x Fem!Reader (Sean Hotchner x Fem!Reader)

Series summary: Your relationship with your boyfriend, Sean, is going great. Well, that is until you meet his older brother, Aaron.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Warnings: this chapter is nsfw - 18+

Minors DNI

Chapter summary: ???? idk things happen. this is 3.3k words lmfao i couldn't shut up.

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

The first phone call came when Aaron wanted to check up on you after your fight with Sean. You had left his house soon after breakfast was over, and apparently you were still on his mind when the night had come.

“I just wanted to see if you’re alright,” he said.

“I am.”

It was the same thing you had said to Sean when you had returned home, and he hadn’t questioned it. But Aaron did.

“Why am I not convinced?”

“Because I’m lying,” you sighed.

“Do you wanna talk about it some more?” he asked.

“Not really,” you replied. But it’s nice hearing your voice, you wanted to add.

You couldn’t talk about it with him. Because the reason you were feeling upset wasn’t your fight with Sean anymore. It was the way your mind couldn’t stop thinking about Aaron.

And maybe you forgave Sean this fast and fell into his arms as soon as you set foot into your home because you were feeling guilty.

Guilt was a terrible feeling.  But the need to talk with Aaron was stronger than it. So you made sure the bathroom door was shut and kept whispering on your phone for a few minutes more.

--

The second phone call was initiated by Aaron again. It was only a few days later.

“Jack has been chewing my ears off all day to call you,” he laughed. “He says you’re his best friend.”

“And I am. Give him the phone,” you replied with a fake serious tone.

“Y/N!”

“Hi, sweet angel,” you said, softly. “I’ve missed you already.”

“When are you gonna visit again? I made a drawing for you at school and I wanna show you,” he complained.

“Soon, buddy. I promise.”

A few days later, Jack’s sweet drawing of you and him was hanging on your fridge door.

--

And just like that, the habit of talking with Aaron on the phone at least once a day was born. Lucky for you it was usually at night, when you were home from work, but Sean wasn’t yet.

“Are you still in your office?” you raised a brow even though Aaron couldn’t see you.

“Paperwork,” he said, as if he was defending himself.

“What do you even do when you have paperwork?” you asked, letting your body fall on your bed. When Sean wasn’t home, you liked taking up all the space.

“Boring things.”

“Hmm…so that’s why you called. I’m free entertainment.”

“That’s right. Now tell me about your day,” he ordered.

So you did.

--

Your giggles filled the room you were in.

Jack had overheard Aaron talking about how he didn’t like a certain teacher of his, and with the innocence of a child his age, he exposed him right in front of said teacher without a second thought.

“I’m never showing my face to Jack’s school again.”

“No, stop it. It wasn’t that embarrassing.”

“Then why are you ready to pass out from laughing?” Aaron asked and even though you couldn’t see his face, you knew the exact expression he was making.

You physically couldn’t reply.

“Listen to her,” he said, amused; his words directed to no one. “She can’t even talk from laughing.”

“I’m sorry,” you said, sounding not sorry at all.

“Stop laughing at my misfortunes,” he complained.

--

You tried to balance your phone between your ear and your shoulder; your hands too busy carrying a mug filled with tea and a plate with a piece of apple pie.

After sitting on the couch, you didn’t have to be so focused anymore so you started talking again.

“And then he told me that if I wanna keep my job, I’m gonna have to make compromises. Can you believe him? Like, is that what ‘not paying your employees for their overtime work’ is called now?”

“Want me to punch him for you?” Aaron suggested.

“Yes, please.”

“You know, you should really start talking back.”

“Easy for you to say, you look scary.” You sipped some of your tea and then added, “No offense.”

“Non taken,” he laughed.

“No one is gonna take me seriously.”

“Well…it’s all about the attitude,” he started. “My number one rule is never break eye contact.”

Lessons on intimidation by the one and only Aaron Hotchner? You were going to be unstoppable.

--

“I’m baking because I’m sad for no reason,” you admitted, putting Aaron on speaker so you could use both of your hands.

“I get the feeling,” he said.

“You do? Whenever I say that, I feel like I have to justify myself.”

The smell of the little bottle of vanilla extract you just opened filled the kitchen, and you closed your eyes to enjoy it.

“You don’t,” his voice came soft from the phone. “We don’t have to always understand our emotions. Sometimes all we need to do is feel them.”

“Here he goes all Oprah again.”

“Alright, this is the last time I’m giving you advice,” he said.

“Okay, I’m sorry, I’ll stop,” you rushed to reply, trying to hold your laughter back. “I’m surprised you have so many pieces of advice when it comes to emotions.”

“Well, I’m raising a kid,” he simply said.

“Have you been gentle parenting me the whole time?” you acted offended.

“You’re insufferable.”

Laughing on the phone with Aaron was like therapy and you realized you didn’t feel so sad anymore.

“So what are you baking?”

“Cookies!” you said with excitement.

“That’s what you were making the day I met you.”

“Yeah, and then you scolded me about eating cookie dough as if I was nine,” you said, putting some of the dough in your mouth like you had done that day.

“And I’ll do it again, I can hear you chewing,” he replied.

“I wasn’t afraid of you then and I’m not afraid of you now.”

“Oh is that so?”

“Mhm…You can’t hide from me. I know you’re a softie so you can never scare me,” you grinned.

“I’m not a softie.”

“Yes, you are.”

“Well, I’m not like that all the time.”

“I know,” you smiled, knowing exactly what he meant. It felt nice to get confirmation that he was a softie just for you. And your softie really needed to try some of your cookies so he’d understand why you couldn’t resist them even before they were baked. You made a mental note to visit him the next day and drop some of them off.

--

“Aaron is calling you,” Sean’s voice came from the other room.

“What?” you were blow-drying your hair so his voice sounded muffled in your ears.

In a few seconds he was standing in front of you. “Aaron,” he repeated, showing you your phone; his brother’s name lighting up on your screen.

“Oh…” you only managed to say, taking it from his hand. It would look suspicious if you didn’t pick up, so you did.

“Hello?”

“Guess who has to suck it up and make an appearance at Jack’s school this Thursday,” Aaron joked.

It made you sad that you couldn’t laugh. You tried to think fast of what to reply.

Sean was staring at you.

“Oh, I’m glad he did!” you said.

“Of course you’re glad I have to suffer.” He thought you were answering his question.

“Don’t worry, he can keep it,” you pushed yourself to smile.

“What?” Aaron asked, clearly confused. You couldn’t blame him.

“Consider it a gift from me. I’m not gonna read it again anyway.”

“What are you talking about?” Aaron laughed.

“Of course. Good night,” you said and hung up.

“I gave Aaron a book for Jack and he wanted to return it,” you explained to Sean, putting your phone away, making sure it was facing down.

Well, technically you weren’t lying.

“That’s so sweet of you, babe,” he smiled and gave you a kiss.

The guilt was creeping up inside you again. “Well, he’s a sweet kid.”

“You’re sweeter,” he whispered and soon his lips were on your neck. “I could just eat you.”

Sean lifted you up and you wrapped your legs around his waist, letting him carry you to bed. You could hear your phone vibrate. You wished you were talking with Aaron instead; teasing him about the fact that he had to face his least favorite teacher of Jack’s again.

When Sean was asleep, you got up and tip-toed your way out of the bedroom to find your phone.

You: Sorry about earlier. I wasn’t alone.

Aaron: Yeah, I realized after we hung up. Don’t worry about it. Good night.

This was the first time the two of you had acknowledged that your little habit was something you should be hiding; something that Sean shouldn’t be aware of.

You: Good night. (Btw you weren’t wrong I am glad you’re gonna have to suffer)

Aaron: I had no doubts. Now go to sleep, it’s late.

You were proud that he didn’t ask you what “btw” meant.

--

Aaron left a sweet kiss on the top of Jack’s head. The little boy was sleeping, hugging his new stuffed dinosaur close to his chest.

Kissing his son goodnight was Aaron’s favorite part of the day, and his heart filled with joy when he got to be home and do it.

After closing Jack’s door as quietly as possible, he was ready for his next favorite part of the day: talking with you.

It was fucked up - he knew it- that his mood depended on whether or not he got to talk with his brother’s girlfriend that day. But when he heard your voice, when he finally got to listen to his name leaving your lips so sweetly, nothing else mattered anymore.

“So, you know how it’s my birthday this Saturday.”

“Of course, I do,” he said. “It’s the only thing you’ve been talking about for the last two months.”

“Ha ha, funny,” you replied, not amused. “Anyway, I’m gonna have a little party.”

“Hmm…”

“And, of course, I want you there,” you said.

“I’ll-”

He didn’t manage to say another word before you interrupted him. “Tell all the serial killers of the world that they’ll have to cancel their plans for that night, because you’re coming. Aaron, I’m serious.”

God, he could just kiss you senseless then. If you were there, physically, with him, he didn’t know if he’d be able to resist.

The fact that you wanted him there so bad made him feel good.

“Okay, I’ll let them know.”

--

Considering his job, it was rare for something to take Aaron’s breath away.

Well, apparently all it took was you in a black dress to make it happen.

“I’m glad you came,” you flashed him a smile.

“You know I wouldn’t miss it. Happy birthday,” he smiled back and handed you the flowers he was holding.

You noticed him staring, he could tell. The bouquet he gave you was hiding your dress, so you took it out of the way by dropping your arm to your side. “Do you like it?” you smirked.

His eyes travelled shamelessly on your body, since you gave him permission. “I like it.”

You urged him to follow you inside the house.

Aaron wasn’t the type of man who had a different person in his bed every night. The woman he had married was the same one he had lost his virginity to when he was a teenager. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t aware of the attention the way he looked earned him.

He knew that he could turn heads by walking into a room.

And for that reason, he didn’t miss the way one of your friends whispered in your ear while checking him out. He also didn’t miss the way your expression shifted only for one second, before you rushed to smile again.

His thoughts were confirmed when that same friend of yours started chatting with him; a sparkly drink occupying her right hand.

“You definitely look like you belong in the FBI,” she said, touching his arm.

He would stop her; come up with an excuse and walk away. But the way you were staring at them from across the room was way too entertaining for him to stop.

You were jealous. So he decided to indulge her.

“You think?” he smirked, taking a sip from his drink, his gaze directed at you and not her.

“Are you kidding? I mean, when you walked in I immediately said to Y/N: Who is he?”

Aaron faked laughed. He hadn’t paid any attention to her answer, so he was silently hoping it was a joke and his laughter didn’t seem out of place.

You were getting worked up: biting your bottom lip, crossing your arms over your chest, paying zero attention to the person talking to you. He could read every reaction and it satisfied him more than he could ever express.

“Why don’t you talk to me about yourself,” he said to – Ashley was her name?

His attention kept switching between you and her. He didn’t want to be obvious by ignoring her completely, but he was constantly aware of your movements in the background.

When Ashley found an excuse to touch his chest this time, you started walking away from your company. You didn’t walk towards her and Aaron, though. You walked towards Sean.

Soon your arms were wrapped around his neck and his tongue was down your throat.

Aaron clenched his jaw. Sean’s hands were so low on your waist that it was clear to everyone that if the two of you were alone he’d already be gripping your ass.

He had it coming. And he hated the view. But he knew what you were doing.

That was enough for him.

Later that night, when everyone was a little drunk, when the lights had gotten low, he got a chance to talk to you alone.

“Take me to your room, I wanna give you something,” he said in your ear and grabbed your hand.

You looked up at him and nodded your head, pulling his arm to lead him to the bedroom.

He locked the door behind him. Hopefully no one would notice the two of you had disappeared from the party.

“What do you wanna give me?” you asked, trying to act annoyed from earlier, and he thought it was adorable.

“You didn’t think I’d only get you flowers for your birthday, did you?”

You didn’t answer so he moved closer to you. He reached for the inside pocket of his jacket, taking out a small blue box with a white bow.

“Aaron,” you said. “You shouldn’t have.”

He knew you didn’t say it to be polite. He knew he really shouldn’t have.

But he couldn’t help himself from thinking how beautiful you’d look with two pretty diamonds framing your face.

“Can I put them on for you?” he asked you after you opened the box, revealing the beautiful pair of earrings.

You let him.

He stood on your side, and his hands went to your ear so he could start removing the earrings you were wearing that night.

You were breathing faster; he could feel it. He could see you shiver because of his touch. And you could probably feel him too, his breath against your skin.

Aaron took his time, putting your earrings on, letting his own self get lost in the moment; in your perfume.

He turned his gaze towards the mirror that was hanging on your wall, urging you to stare at yourself too.

He didn’t take his hand away when he was done. Instead he started tracing patterns against the sensitive skin of your neck with his fingers. “Do you like them?”

“They’re perfect,” you admitted.

“You are perfect.”

You looked into his eyes through the mirror.

“Were you jealous earlier?” he asked you.

“Can’t you tell?” you answered with a question.

“Can’t you tell that when you’re in the room everyone else disappears for me?”

“Aaron…” it sounded like a plea.

“Fuck it,” he whispered and turned you around, pulling you into his arms.

He could finally taste what he had been craving for months now, and whatever heaven could ever be, it still wouldn’t be even close to how kissing you felt.

Your lips had been sparkling the whole night, and he had been trying to guess if it was strawberries or cherries they tasted. They didn’t taste like either of them, they tasted like you.

He heard you say his name against his mouth, and the next second he had you with your back against the wall.

“Oh God…” you whispered when he finally touched your chest.

“You’ve been driving me crazy since the moment I saw you. Do you have any idea what you do to me?” He took your hand and brought it to his crotch. “Can you feel it? It’s all you.”

“I need you,” you whined.

“Don’t worry, baby. I’m gonna get you off,” he promised and his hand found its way between your legs.

“Aaron kiss me.”

How could he deny you that? He did as you said, kissing you deeply, pulling your panties to the side so he could touch you; so he could feel you and not the fabric. He wasn’t at all surprised that you were soaked for him.

He broke the kiss. “Have you ever done it? Have you ever touched it while thinking of me?” he asked you, rubbing your clit in a torturous pace.

You were biting your lip, trying to keep your moans quiet.

“I know you have,” he continued. “I can even tell you when the first time you did it was. Because the next night you came crying to my doorstep.”

Your eyes grew wide. It made him smirk; he knew he was right.

“How did you know?” you breathed out.

“You think you can hide from me? You forget what I do for a living.” He kissed you again and slipped a finger inside you.

“Fuck, Aaron,” you moaned, trying to keep your tone in whispers.

After adding another finger, he saw you bending your right knee, struggling to stand on your own.

He pushed himself against you, helping you hold yourself up. “I’ve got you, sweetheart. I’ve got you,” he said and lowered his head to suck on your earlobe, taking one of the earrings he bought you into his mouth.

“Feels so good,” you said.

“I know, baby. You deserve it.”

Your little moans kept getting faster and soon you were cumming on his fingers, with your eyes closed even though he was dying to look into them.

You let him kiss you again and your hands went to his belt, trying to unbuckle it. “I wanna make you feel good too,” you said.

He was painfully hard, but he caught both of your wrists with his left hand, before you could.

“No,” he said.

“Why?”

“We’ve already been gone from the party long enough. Someone’s gonna notice we’re not there.” He paused for a moment. “Sean will.”

The mention of his name made your expression shift. Aaron could see your guilt taking over. And how could he ever comfort you on that? What would he even say?

“You’re right.”

The two of you stayed silent and he couldn’t help but think about how delicious you looked after your orgasm. Why couldn’t you have been a normal couple?

He’d touch you for the first time, after a romantic dinner, in his bed; he’d make love to you and not finger fuck you against a wall.

You’d crawl into his arms and he’d tell you all those sappy, romantic stuff boyfriends tell their girlfriends.

You would be glowing and giggling; you wouldn’t have tears in your eyes from shame and guilt like he could see you having right now.

Why couldn’t you have met him first?

You pulled him by the collar of his shirt when he made a move to go, but he stopped you.

“I’m sorry for making you cry on your birthday.” He kissed your cheek and walked away.

He took off his jacket before opening the bedroom door, making sure to hold it against his crotch, and left you alone.

ivy tag list: @preciousbabypeter @buckysmainhxe @galaxyofmyown @ssamorganhotchner @romanogersendgame @elhotchner @louderfortheback @northschild @iammirrorball @rousethemouse @kishie8 @save-the-sky @ssacharcoalgrey @realdirectionx

Part 5

[pjsk-writin]

Separate shiho and honami and a character of your choice with a s/o that's soft,dense,never really thing,clumsy,and physically affectionate and affectionate through words,+ if the s/o has cute nickname for them and loves to cuddle,overall she's just soft and loves sleepovers and cuddling!!

I love your writing smm!! Here's a sweet request (I may or may not take inspiration for it for my project sekai writing) remember to take care of yourself and don't stress it!!:))

-Ivy

HEHEHE THIS IS SOOOO CUTE and you KNOW i had to go with mizuki for the choose a character !! im so flattered that you take inspiration for your writing, and i hope you like this !! <3

♡ SOFT AND CUDDLY - Shiho Hinomori, Honami Mochizuki and Mizuki Akiyama x Reader

Shiho:

Shiho honestly has no idea what to think of you at first. You're just so different compared to her, and she feels like your softness could make her explode

You're so soft yet so dense, and although she tries to make it seem like it annoys her, she finds you so endearing that she can't help but love you

She gets so flustered with how affectionate you are, trying her best to accept your lovey compliments and hugs without having her face turn as red as a tomato

And she doesn't know how to handle it when you invite her over for a sleepover and start cuddling her. She's stiff in your embrace, but melts into it when she believes you're asleep <3

"...What did you say? Oh...Um, thank you. Wh- No, I'm not blushing!-"

Honami:

Honami finds herself growing very comfortable around you very quickly! It kind of shocks her at first, but you're so genuine that she can't help but fall for you

Your softness and denseness are very charming to her, and she will always do her best to help you no matter what you need. She's definitely eager to please you!

She will also get flustered with how affectionate you are, but she doesn't shut down like her bandmate would. Instead, she laughs softly, face flushed as she returns your affections

When you bring her over for a sleepover and cuddle, that is when she short circuits. She'll watch you with wide eyes and a flustered expression, but is quick to cuddle you in return <3

"Oh? Well, you're just so sweet! I hope you know that I love you too."

Mizuki:

Mizuki will always be drawn to cute things, and you're probably the cutest person that they've ever met! They want to start gushing about you so fast

They can't blame you for being soft and dense, although they definitely tease you about it. They make sure to stop if the teasing ever bothers you though

They talk a big game for someone who flusters really easily though. They tease you so much, but the moment you start expressing genuine affection, they lose their mind

They would love to cuddle and having sleepovers with you though! If you don't bring the idea up, they certainly will. They insist on being the little spoon unless you want to be <3

"You...You think I'm cute? Ha, um, well, you're also really cute too...! I'm not red-"

taglist ! ; @fayeelikefairie , @starry-sky-melody , @lovecord25 , @mizuruism , @mccnstruck , @memoriesmelody , @averagemizukikinnie

[rederiswrites]

If you're wondering what we ARE going to do about all that poison ivy, and the general absolute shittiness of our fields, and for that matter what the fuck two people with no farming background and like...more than full-time work already are going to do with like sixteen acres of field anyway....we don't know.

Don't get me wrong, we have a lot of ideas. Most of which we either can't currently afford or for some other reason can't achieve. But some of which are lovely.

Rotational grazing, especially the high-density, frequently moved version sometimes known as "mob grazing", would eventually fix a lot of what's wrong with those fields. But not without way more animals than we have or even intend to have. We don't even have a "mob" TO graze. The sheep will eat some poison ivy, though it's not their favorite. They'll eat the leaves off the brambles, which is a pretty effective way to deplete the plant's stores and stunt it. They won't eat the Virginia Creeper.

But in a way, it doesn't matter, because we've spent nearly the entire last year moving the ewes through the smaller of the two fields, and they're only just getting back to where they started. In order to make a serious impact, they'd need to be grazing the same spot maybe every two months, depending on weather conditions. Not once a year. As I showed in a previous video, everywhere they go, they do visibly leave nitrogen, and we can actually see a slight improvement everywhere they've passed through. But it's not fast. And getting and caring for the...I don't know, fifty or so? sheep that would speed the process would make moving and caring for those sheep a full-time job neither of us has the capacity for. It's just not even an intention of ours. We've never really discussed a "cap", but I'd say that a "someday when we have real fencing and I'm healthy" number of sheep would still be twenty or thirty at the most.

The conventional, and arguable still best, way to fix the big field and its extreme fuckery would be to till and reseed. It would, believe it or not, still not eliminate all of the problem weeds, especially not the Virginia Creeper and Canada Thistle (which loves to grow back from root fragments and is resistant to normal herbicides). But it would be a huge start. We'd seed with a pasture mix that's full of plants that can handle being grazed down, and then mow where the sheep don't get to. I don't even know what it would cost to hire out all that work or rent the tools, but it's more than we have. It's like asking what it would cost to replace the siding on your house. I don't know, but I know I aint got it.

So for now, Jacob is spending a lot of hours just mowing. Mowing doesn't do as much as grazing, notably it doesn't leave nitrogen, but it does ensure that light is hitting the soil so that seeds there can sprout, and it does give the advantage to plants adapted for grazing (mainly grasses).

Eventually, the plan is to reforest several acres of the big field, using government programs. That also comes with the need to control understory growth for years until the trees mature enough to shade things out, but actually, help with that is part of some of the programs. They typically plant with a mix of natives--oak, tulip poplar, redbud...the mix varies based on what the contracted companies grew that year, apparently, but it's not really something you get to pick and choose. They come, they calculate their grid, they plant. But I don't think anything's to stop you coming through afterwards and planting your own selections in spots where saplings inevitably die. Pawpaw, white oak, American persimmon, hybrid chestnut... I dream of a day where we have maybe ten acres of forest, where I can harvest mushrooms and chestnuts, paw paws and berries and ginseng. Where the boy can bag us a wild turkey for holiday dinner or supplement the freezer with deer that got fat on fall acorns.

In my wildest fantasies (and, to be fair, what I have now was once my wildest fantasies!), the "small" field is an intercropped quilt of coppiced willow and locust, berry bushes, broad stripes of sorghum, amaranth, corn, and wheat for people and animals, strips of wildflower meadow to make corridors for animals and beneficial insects, and large patches of medicinal herbs and dye plants. The "north" field, the one that is so especially troubled now, is part forest, part pasture, with permanent perimeter fences, a loose scattering of trees that provide shade and fodder, and sheep being guided through the larger perimeter with portable electric mesh fencing.

So that's what we (very sarcastically) refer to as the "five year plan" here. But I'm trying to learn not to hamstring us with doubt and disbelief, so....that's the plan.

[nixshiimin]

⭑.ᐟ : StrayKids with dc Characters :>

｡𖦹 : I loved this a bit too much.. / mentions of crashing, DC!AU, swearing, NSFW at Seungmin's part lmk if I missed something :]

Word count : ???

. B.C

He would definitely hang out with batman. I stand with that.

They would get along so well.. until Channie crashes the batmobile T_T

Definitely the type to wear bats his costume and then say it stinks due to batman his sweat.

"Do you even wash this thing..?"

Bruce will be so fed up, but hey, he raised so many kids. He can withstand it all.

Will definitely talk about how raising kids is hard .

Chan will also steal batman his gadgets, and one of them ends up almost exploding ! ×o×.

. L.MH

Catwoman. (Act surprised)

He will ask if she's an actual cat and he will be disappointed when she says that she's an human being like him.

"Why are you called catwoman if you aren't even a cat?"

Selina will teach leeKnow how to steal, and he will be so proud after he robbed someone until he realizes that he literally robbed someone and gave them a trauma.

Selina is not surprised when he mentions that he has 3 cats himself and even shows pictures and shit.

Definitely hang out a lot in cat cafés

. S.C

Surprise, surprise...superman! Who could've known. ^^

Binnie will definitely ask for his workout routine.

Clark is honestly impressed by Binnie his body. (Slightly jealous aswell)

Bin offers Clark a protein shake and he loves it (he doesn't but he can't make binnie sad)

"You are so strong, holy fuck. I don't know if I want to be with you or be you"

Definitely go to the gym together and impress everyone.

Shy binnie gets flustered when Clark gives him compliments about his body or him in general. ּ ֶָ֢.

. H.H

I have multiple for jinnie so let's talk about them!! ; poison ivy, batgirl, katana, starfire or raven :>

I think I'm going to talk about raven for now!

He will be so fascinated about her and will truly listen to her.

Raven will be so grateful that he is quiet and not loud af (even tho he can be loud at times)

They understand each other, and they both appreciate it.

I can see hyunjin painting raven when she is meditating, yun trying to paint very slowly until he drops his paintbrush on accident >_<.

He will be so sorry while raven comforts him, saying it's okay (he feels so guilty)

"I'm so sorry! I'm okay with buying lunch for us? I insist!"

. H.J

the flash [:

Now listen, they really share the same braincell. (And humor).

I bet han doesn't believe he's the fastest human alive and asks him to get stuff from other countries .

"If you're so fast..get me a water bottle from America!"

"Okay.. I believe you..for now"

Barry and Han hang out a lot (trust), they go literally everywhere Han hasn't been. (Certain countries, etc).

They game. A lot. With so many snacks from different places (Han's idea).

Finds it interesting how Han can sleep everywhere and even does research about him.

L.YB

I think he would also hangout with the flash or starfire !!

The flash and Felix would definitely match eachothers energy but I think barry fitted better with hannie!

Felix screams starfire vibes.

Star would ask so much about Felix and how he lives, etc.

Felix? He would do the exact same .

They would spend the day shopping and doing girl things idc they deff would.

Felix would show star things he likes to do and she copies him!

"So you have laser eyes? fucking awesome?!"

Best friends, maybe even family :>

K.SM

I'm lowkey biased with this but..JASON FUCKING TODD.

SKIP IF UNCOMFORTABLE

Imagine AK!Jason and seungmin just degrading you like you are their little toy >< you are their hole for them to use!

Doggy lovers at it's finest.

MANHANDLING I REPEAT MANHANDLING.!!!

Aftercare is so sweet, they shower you with so much kisses and praise.

"You took us so well, hm? " FUCK.

SFW

Definitely go on a killing spree for fun.

They act like THOSE teenage boys you see at the mall yk.

They are so sweet behind the scenes tho.

Jason Definitely teaches seungmin about fighting and stuff .

. Y.J

Robin or nightwing :>

Dick will show I.N all the flaws of becoming a superhero and will even show him the batcave if he wants to!!

Best buddies, and you can't convince me not.

they fight crime together, like real brothers :)

"Im so bad at this nightwing"

"You'll get it, don't worry Jeongin."

BROTHERS4LIFE, AND YOU CANNOT TAKE THAT AWAY FROM ME

[book-girl4evaaa]

can you explain to me the plot of Heathers? I keep seeing your posts about it and it seems kind of interesting

Ok get ready for the longest info dump you may ever experience... Tldr at the end (I'm going for the musical version because that's more my fandom than the movie lol)

September 1st, 1989,

Dear diary...

Veronica Sawyer is about to start her senior year at high school and... Her school isn't the kindest. The social state is turmoil, with nerds like her and her best friend - Martha who is viciously bullied - end up getting beaten up by the egotistical, shockingly unintelligent jocks, such as Kurt and Ram.

By now, Veronica's used to this shit. It's her senior year, she only has to survive till the end of the year and then? She's out, to any ivy league she can reach. But Veronica's plans are flipped upside down, inside down and turned around when the heathers - the most popular girls in school who are revered as if they are gods - invite Veronica into their group.

Heather Mcnamara - her dad is loaded, he sells engagement rings

Heather Duke - runs the year book. No discernable personality, but her mom did pay for implants

Heather Chandler - the almighty. She... Is a mythic bitch

Sidenote - although it technically isn't canon (except for Veronica she's canonically bi) almost everyone is pretty queer. My HCs: heather chandler is lesbian, heather Mcnamara is pan and demi sexual, heather duke is lesbian and ace, JD (who you'll meet) is bisexual, Kurt (who you'll meet) is bisexual

So fast forward 3 weeks, and Veronica's life is suddenly... Great. She's got cool friends, is popular and she's even going to her first party tonight. She's sure today is going to be good. Until heather asks her to forge a note to Martha (her best friend "since diapers") from ram who's Martha's long time crush. After a lot of convincing, Veronica agrees because she's popular now, she needs to act it even if the guilt eats her up from the inside

After this she meets a new mysterious murderer boy who tells her off for siding with the "swatchdogs and diet coke heads" and Veronica is... Pretty into him. Then he ends up fighting with the 2 popular jocks Kurt and Ram (in which Veronica sings this cute lil lovey lovey song about how hot he is)

Then on the way to the party, she meets mystery boy again who is called JD! He basically trauma dumps on her but she's into it sort of? I question Veronicas taste often.

Anyways, fast forward to the party. Veronica is having a great time, until Martha arrives, believing she's (m) been invited by ram, and basically she gets hugely embarrassed.

Also a bunch of stuff happens and heather chandler (mythic bitch) tells Veronica that she is over and kicks her out of the group

Then we have some accidental murders <3

(that's all I'm saying so I don't spoil the suprise)

Tldr: girl becomes popular, crushes on this mystery kid, girl gets kicked out of being popular, accidentally kills 3 people, stops school from going kaboom

[olivia-anderson-fanfic]

Broken Hearts Are Contagious

Summary: If Marinette doesn't learn to love Tim back before the end of the week, he will die. She is not the victim... so why does she feel like crying?

Written for @maribatserver 's Maribat March

Day 1: Origin Story (for Poison Ivy)

Marinette sips at her drink. It’s non-alcoholic, of course, she isn’t intent on openly breaking the law when Commissioner Gordon is within sight. But that doesn’t change the fact that she is oh-so-tempted to try. She eyes the champagne pyramid not too far away. It is entirely decorative – it would be impossible to get a drink without everything toppling over, and even if you do manage to get one there is a high chance that the drink will be flat.

Then again, she really hates Wayne Galas, and that was a surefire way to make sure she would never have to go again…

Before she can commit to that particular bad idea, a hand taps her on the shoulder.

She whirls around to find a fortunately familiar face. Tim was always one to sneak up on people. He insists it’s accidental, and that he doesn’t mean to, but she has her doubts, because he always smiles so widely whenever he manages to catch her off-guard.

Regardless of his possibly evil ways, he is now leaning against the wall next to her. His hair is brushed, for once, slicked out of his face with far too much gel. She is sorely tempted to mess it up, purely as a petty form of revenge, but considering he is her ticket out of here… it seems like a bad idea.

She can always do it later.

“Tim,” she says, her bitter expression falling away in favor of a faint smile. “Thank the gods you’re here.”

“I’m here to save the day,” he says with a sarcastic little bow, his lips curling in a smirk. “Let’s run away together.”

She doesn’t wait for another second before gathering up her dress in her hands. The air is cloyingly sweet from all of the intermingling perfumes, and she wants out. “Absolutely. How do we escape?”

“Depends, are you down to climb a drainpipe?”

“There’s no way that’ll hold our weight,” Marinette says, her eyebrows raising.

He huffs, but he doesn’t actually seem all that put out. “It might. But, fine, guess we’ll just have to leave the normal way.”

So, hand in hand, they make their grand escape.

Okay, that might be a little dramatic, all they do is find their way to a higher balcony so they can talk without fear of being forced into conversations about stocks and taxes and ooooh, I just LOVE your dress, DO tell me where you got it.

No, they have much more interesting conversations in store for them, like gossip.

“They say there’s a new assassin on the loose,” says Tim.

She has heard that. Quite a few rich people had suddenly been found dead – poisoned, to be specific. But, as she looks out over the Gala below them, she is sorry to say that the assassin is not going fast enough.

Marinette hums absently. “There’s always another assassin.”

“It’s a good line of work. Business is booming. If only I didn’t have those pesky morals,” sighs Tim.

Marinette can only nod along. One day she, too, will have a terrible accident that leads to her becoming a supervillain, she is sure her time will come eventually.

But, for now, she is much more interested in chatting with her best friend.

“I heard Cobblepot is secretly a Rogue,” Marinette says, leaning over the railing so she could properly squint at the man. She opts to ignore the rest of that particular rumor, because not even their friend Bernard would believe that the umbrellas the man carried were all secretly insane gadgets.

Tim snickers as if he can hear her thought process. “Yeah? Are you gonna tell me you believe in The Batman, too?”

She grins. “And what if I do? What would you do?”

“Well, stop you from hanging out with Bernard, for one.”

Marinette gasps. “You would never! My mental health would shatter if I was not allowed to talk to my emotional support delusional friend.”

“I need you to repeat the last four words of that sentence for me.”

“... emotional support delusional friend?”

“Yeah, thanks for proving my point.”

“You’re no fuuuuuun.”

“I’m practical. I go out at night all the time. If he existed, I think I would have seen him by now.”

Okay, does Marinette actually believe in Batman? No, absolutely not. But damn if she wasn’t going to defend his honor. “Well, yeah, if he’s a hybrid half-man, half-bat being, it makes sense that he would be trying to hide himself as much as possible!”

“And that’s how I know you’re not a true bat-fan. Any true believer knows he is three-fourths bat and one-fourth man.”

Alas, she has been caught.

She leans back against the banister, pouting. “How was I supposed to know you were actually paying attention to Bernard’s rants? I always thought you were lost in your own head. You never speak!”

He lifts his hands in a sheepish little shrug. “I like listening to you guys talk.”

“Ha. Simp.”

He rolls his eyes. “Yeah, okay. Real mature.”

“I am, thank you for noticing. This is why I should be allowed to drink underage —.”

She never finishes her sentence, because her eyes stray to the champagne tower, and that particular train of thought is derailed. For a woman stands at the base of the pyramid. Which is already strange, but her outfit is even stranger. A dress that appears to be made out of leaves, rustling behind her as she walked. Red hair is threaded with thick green ribbons that remind her of vines.

Dully, Marinette thinks she might actually want to know where the woman had gotten her dress.

A hand reaches out and plucks a champagne glass from the pyramid.

It topples faster than you might expect, the glasses clinking against each other briefly before they’re sent to the floor, shattering in a messy display. Glass shards and liquid gold spilling across the tile.

If people weren’t looking at the mysterious woman before, they certainly are now.

She smiles.

“Hello, Gotham,” she says, her voice echoing. Is she hooked up to a mic? Or is she just that good at projecting? “I’m the newest assassin, Poison Ivy.”

Understandably, most people back up a few steps. Even Tim and Marinette, who are safely on a balcony she could not reasonably reach anytime soon, flinch backward.

She smiles wider.

“You’re kinda a bad assassin, though,” Brucie Wayne speaks up, and everyone in the vicinity immediately cringes. “I mean, why tell us now? Why not – like – after you kill us?”

“Easy! Because you’re all already dead!”

Brucie looks down at himself, as if to confirm that he has legs.

The people who have two functioning brain cells to rub together, though, immediately blanche at the news. They’re already doomed? How? Her name more than implies that her killing method of choice is poison, so… where is it? It can’t be the food, people hardly eat at parties like this (despite how good the food is), and it’s not as if she could poison every single drink without anyone noticing.

“There is poison in the very air you breathe.”

Wait, what?

Her hands come up to cover her mouth and nose, as if it is still something she can fix. She has been smelling that sickening sweetness for well over ten minutes now, she can’t uninhale it.

“It’s slow-acting…  not that slow-acting, you all have around a week, max, but…” she shrugs, her eyes gleaming. “I figured I should give you all the time to say goodbye to your loved ones.”

That was… surprisingly generous.

For some reason, Marinette can’t bring herself to trust it.

Indeed, Poison Ivy continues on: “Well, your loved ones. I’m sure all of you know that you are unlovable, that they only love your money… I’m sure they’ll all be very pleased to learn of your sudden passing.”

Unsurprisingly, this is not what people want to hear immediately after being told that they are going to die in a week or less.

“In fact, I’m willing to bet on all of you rich people being unloved – so much so that my little plants are based around it! If any of you love someone, and find it to not be reciprocated, the plant will take root, and you will die.”

It is deathly silent.

A… plant?

“Wait! How?” Marinette is the first one to speak up. She isn’t scared, not really, just confused beyond measure.

And Poison Ivy seems to be experiencing the same strange emotion, because she balks a little bit upon seeing Tim and Marinette. She hesitates, briefly, her confident posture wavering, before she brings herself back to the present, outright laughing at her.

“You are all going to die, and you want to know how?”

Marinette just nods. Call it denial and bargaining mixing together into one very unfortunate cocktail (she really should have drank earlier), but she has to know.

The woman considers her for a moment, before sighing. “The plants should have already taken root in all of your brains. They feed off of certain nutrients. As time continues on, they will run out of room and begin pushing their way down, through your heart, into your lungs…” She waves a hand. “I’m sure that I don’t need to continue, we all get the idea.”

Brucie looks like he absolutely does not.

But Poison Ivy does not seem to care enough to explain anything to him.

“Get your affairs in order, everyone!”

No one even tries to stop her when she leaves.

Someone laughs, but it is nervous. A woman tucks her hair behind her ear. “Well… it’s a good thing that I’m married, now, isn’t it?” she asks her husband.

Said husband looks like he would much rather be anywhere but there. “So – so true, honey.”

Marinette remembers, dully, that both of them are cheating on each other. She wonders if they know. She wonders if either of them will be around next week.

She will live, though.

“Thank the gods I decided I wasn’t going to date anyone until college,” Marinette jokes lightly.

Tim wheezes.

She didn’t think that the joke was that funny.

“Yep, isn’t that… convenient?” he says, sounding pained.

She looks over at him, frowning, and finds him leaning against the banister. His hands grip the marble, his knuckles turning white. She is pretty sure that this is the palest she has ever seen him.

Dread begins to trickle down her back.

“Tim?”

He winces.

“You like someone that doesn’t like you back, don’t you?”

He nods ever so slightly, his gaze determinedly pointed at their feet.

“It’s not Bernard, is it?” she tries.

He shakes his head.

And Marinette can’t help it – she bursts out laughing. Until she is gasping for breath between peals of laughter. She laughs so hard she feels tears begin to well in her eyes.

Tim jolts to look at her. “What the hell is funny about any of this?”

“I was just thinking…” she quickly swipes her fingers beneath her eye in fruitless hopes that her mascara won’t run, still giggling. “I was wondering if this was going to be the start of my supervillain arc or something.”

Tim gives her an incredulous look.

This, of course, only makes her laugh harder.

~

One week to live, max.

It is… an interesting stipulation. She assumes that ‘Poison Ivy’ wants her victims to suffer, but why only for a week?

It could be that the ‘disease’ (Marinette refuses to believe that plants can be in any way sentient) is fast-acting, but it also might be a safeguard of sorts. Maybe there is a way to counteract the disease, some sort of cure.

Maybe that was hopeful thinking.

Maybe that would be worse for her in the long run. It is probably easier to give up – like Tim seems to have, it has not escaped her notice that it is lunchtime and he still hasn’t attended any of their shared classes – and accept that there is nothing you can do instead of trying fruitlessly to find a solution.

After all, she is just a random high schooler. Even if there is a cure of some sort, there is nothing that she can do. She is only passing her biology class by the skin of her teeth! She can’t deal with a bioweapon!

She presses her face into her hands. The cafeteria is silent. Basically no one is attending classes today. They’re all stressed about the bioweapon thing and don’t want to spend their last moments in a classroom.

She gets that.

And yet.

She doesn’t want to be alone right now.

She wants her best friend.

But, while he is her best friend, she isn’t his. And the thought makes her want to be sick. For once, the fact that her skin tinges green in the school cafeteria isn’t actually due to the food. She hasn’t eaten any, and she can't even smell it thanks to the horrible sugary smell that has been trapped in her nose since the Gala.

She pushes her plate out of the way and sinks to rest her head against the table, as if it might soothe her headache.

It doesn’t.

Most likely because the headache is more metaphorical than literal.

It’s a bit literal, too, though. She’s probably gritting her teeth.

How could she not?

She doesn’t want to talk to Tim. She doesn’t want to know how many of their interactions over the years they hadn’t been on the same page for. Doesn’t want to have to think about all of the joking flirting they had done, and how it had only been a joke for her.

She understands that he has feelings, and that he can’t help them, but that doesn’t make her feel any less violated.

Because, ultimately, if she had known she wouldn’t have behaved in all of the same ways, and it feels like that is part of the reason why he hadn’t told her.

He probably didn’t want things to change in their relationship, but why doesn’t she get a say in that?

Things had changed. She just hadn’t been told about it.

So, why does she still want to go to him? She feels betrayed. By him. He is the very reason she is upset, and yet she still wants to seek comfort in him.

She hates emotions. Can she have a refund? Yeah, she’s lost the receipt and all, but…

She can’t bring herself to care enough to finish the joke, even in her own mind.

It was stupid, anyway.

The silence in the cafeteria is almost oppressive.

A hand taps her on the shoulder and she hesitates, considering playing dead to make them go away. Then she realizes that she might actually convince people that she was dead, considering the current circumstances, so she lifts her head.

Bernard takes a seat beside her, smiling. The prick had been out of town during the Gala. Lucky him. If he had gone, he would currently be dying due to his unrequited crush on Tim’s stepmom.

“You should go visit him,” he says, as if it’s really that simple.

She gives him a flat look. He had always been an airhead. You’d think that watching your friend die in front of you in a mob-related school shooting would wisen you up some, but Bernard remains entirely without a brain.

She supposes she should have expected this. After all, Brucie Wayne exists. Clearly, it is possible.

“It’s not that easy,” she says, sinking back against the table again, wondering if she can meld with it and avoid the conversation.

“I know. But you’re going to regret it if you don’t.”

Marinette pauses and lifts her head to meet his eyes.

She hates it when the dumbest person in the room makes a good point.

Because doesn’t that make her the new dumbest person by default?

Still, she is also the most stubborn, so she glares at him. “I’m sorry, if I was dying because I secretly had a crush on you this whole time, would you want to come visit me?”

Bernard, to his credit, actually considers this. And then, in true Bernard fashion, just shrugs.

She groans. “I’ll be fine.”

He snorts. “You’re not even fine now. Mari, no offense, but have you seen yourself?”

“Sorry for not looking great after finding out my best friend of several years is going to die because I can’t reciprocate his feelings,” she says flatly.

Bernard sobers, if only slightly.

He sighs, matching her posture. “You’re going to regret it if you don’t,” he repeats.

Marinette glares at the tray in front of her like it has personally offended her. To be fair, it has – who decided that melted cheese on bread is a good entree?

“I’m going to go grab something else for lunch,” she says, pushing the tray over to him. “No one is doing classes today, anyway.”

Bernard doesn’t say a word about her dumb excuse. Maybe he is too concentrated on the terrible ‘food’ that has been forced upon him.

She can’t bring herself to care. As long as no one questions her, she will be fine.

~

Marinette stares up at the wooden lattice that she can use to reach Tim’s window. It is supposed to house flowers, she is pretty sure, but they have long since shriveled up and died. It wasn’t due to neglect, the Drakes had always made sure that the outside of their house, at least, was always well tended to. No, this, she was pretty sure that she had just trampled over the plants so many times while visiting her friend that they just stopped bothering to grow.

She supposes that it could be ironic, that the flowers are dead because of her, and flowers are killing her friend because of her, but she can’t seem to find the energy to wax poetic right now.

For a moment, she doesn’t move, her hand resting against the wooden lattice.

Should she hang out with him? If he is going to die, she wants to spend time with him before he goes… but would that make him die faster? Would constant, tiny rejections make the flowers – the disease – take over faster?

How does this stupid fake flower disease even work? What are the stipulations?

She hates being helpless.

She clambers up the lattice and makes sure she is fully seated on the windowsill before she raps her knuckles against the glass. She peers into the dark room, wondering if anyone is even there, trying to make out shapes in the dark.

A lump on the bed slowly shifts, an arm reaching out to flick on a lamp. Tim sits up slowly. He blinks bleary eyes open.

And then he bolts upright.

Tim stares at her, as if he is half convinced that she’s a hallucination.

For a moment, she wishes for that to be the case but, when his otherwise pale cheeks flush with the slightest bit of color upon seeing her, her stomach lurches in a way that assures her that all of this is very much real.

He scrambles to his feet so fast he almost slips on his blanket, and she almost huffs a laugh at the sight. He manages a sheepish smile.

The window latch unlocks and she is allowed to make her way inside.

Tim… doesn’t look great. His pajamas swamp him and his hair is almost painfully messy, but all she can really focus on is how gaunt his face looks.

He looks frail.

A week… max.

Marinette can’t bring herself to speak, not even to say hi.

“I – I didn’t know whether you would come,” he admits.

Marinette manages a ghost of a smile. “I considered not.”

He gives an aborted little laugh. “... well, you’ve always been brutally honest, I guess.”

… was she?

Marinette would say quite the opposite, that she usually beat around the bush for most things, so long as they weren’t vitally important.

But here he was, defending her rudeness with ease, in fact he almost seemed fond. So much so that she almost began to wonder whether he was right and she was the one that was wrong.

Or whether he didn’t even know her. Whether the ‘Marinette’ that he had fallen in love with wasn’t even actually her, but instead some idolized version of her.

She was no angel. She had flaws. She was just a regular person.

She wonders if Tim would agree if she said those words aloud. But, ultimately, she isn’t the type to say that, to bring those things out into the open, so instead she gives a laugh – it is late, and it does nothing to clear the awkward air, but it is already out there, so it’s not as if it can be taken back.

Tim’s smile wavers, if only slightly. “... how about a movie?”

She almost jumps at the opportunity to have something break the silence.

But she soon realizes her mistake because, once the movie is on, there is really no reason to talk anymore. Tim hadn’t put on a purposefully bad movie they could laugh at together. He had opted for Howl’s Moving Castle. The subbed version, they aren’t plebs… but this also meant that they have to concentrate on the movie somewhat in order to keep track of what is going on.

Not that they don’t already know it all by heart. They’ve rewatched it dozens of times over the years.

Marinette had always thought the romance between Howl and Sophie was a little bit forced, but she liked the movie regardless. And, even if she hadn’t, it wasn’t as if she was going to stop Tim from watching the movie he chose when he was going to die soon.

Still.

They are both quiet, as is standard for watching a movie, and yet… this time, it is different. Now, she is aware of the way Tim’s eyes stray to her more often than not.

The silence isn’t the fond, loving kind that people always talk about. It is uncomfortable. It is an unspoken acknowledgment that things have changed.

Marinette wishes, silently, for things to go back to the way they were.

She wants her best friend back.

But it looks as if she is going to have to settle for the next best thing.

She looks at Tim. He’s lying against the pillows in a way that would seem casual if it were not for the sunkenness of his eyes. His lips are curled into the slightest of smiles as he looks at the screen, but he is quick to turn his attention onto her.

She takes on deep breath, steeling herself.

It doesn’t help.

But she still grabs him by the shirt and drags his lips up to meet hers anyway.

She fights down a wave of revulsion.

He can’t die. He can’t! She can bear to live in discomfort. She is not going to live without him, not if she can help it.

He kisses her back. He is, objectively, a good kisser. His hands cradle her face like she is something precious.

She wants to be sick. Her hands ball tighter in his shirt.

She just needs to think of all of those movies. The ones where the girl realizes that she actually loved the guy all along, and was just too stupid to not realize it before.

She swears she can taste copper. She nearly chokes on it.

She does love Tim. He is sweet, and kind, and intelligent, and her best friend. Don’t people talk about how a good friendship leads to a good relationship?

Right?

Right?

He pulls back (finally).

His thumbs swipe beneath her eyes. Had she been crying? 

It might not work if she cries.

She doesn’t want to open her eyes. Doesn’t want to see Tim’s face. Doesn’t want to know whether she had accidentally doomed him.

This is all so unfair.

Why is she the one who has to change?

Why can’t he love her in the way she loves him?

She can’t breathe.

She can’t breathe.

She can’t breathe.

She opens her eyes to find his lips stained a deep red. His eyes are wide with horror.

Marinette feels a strange wave of satisfaction. At least it isn’t her, for once.

When she keels forward, coughing into their laps, bloodied flower petals spill from her lips.

[an-aroaces-harem]

Ivy Chapter 8

DISCLAIMER: I just deepl and google translated my way through this because I wanted to know what’s going on, so there are definitely mistakes but I believe I managed the general gist of the story. Anyway, it’s just a fan-made translation solely for entertainment purposes. Morganatic Idol belongs to Cybird and ABC Frontier, Inc.

Rina: Good morning, Ivy-san.

Ivy: Good morning, Kawanaga-san. Good luck at work today.

Rina: Yesm good luck to you too, Ivy-san. I'm rooting for you.

Ivy: Thank you.

(I'm glad I got to talk to you this morning ...)

How much my casual conversation with him before work has helped me. I'm sure he has no idea.

Ever since I became aware of my feelings for him, my approach to work had changed.

Rina: Mori-san, please confirm this!

Mori Eiko: Already done? You're so fast ... Next, you can organize the data. Go ahead.

Rina: I understand. I will finish it right away.

Female Employee 1: ... I wonder if she cares that her contract is to be terminated?

Female Employee 2: Even it doesn't matter how hard she tries anymore.

(I don't care what they say anymore. I don't have time to be depressed.)

And in the housekeeping business ...

Rina: Ivy-san, I'm done cleaning up.

Ivy: Yeah, youcleaned up awfully well. Thanks for all your hard work.

Rina: Well then, I'll go back to my room and do my work.

Ivy: Oh. I know you must be tired, sorry. Take care of yourself.

Rina: I'll be fine. I'll take care of it.

At the end of the day, I go to my room to the computer and do research on Ivy-san's work.

(This level of business is nothing compared to Ivy-san's.)

Before, he was overstretched and spinning out of control, bur now he's able to focus on his respective tasks.

--flashback--

Ivy: Because I feel better when I pat you on the head.

Ivy: So I thought … you might feel better if you stroked my head …

--flashback end--

My heart tightens when I remember that shy face and the warmth of his embrace.

At the same time, I feel like power is coming up.

In order to support him and lighten his burden, I myself must be persistent.

(So now let's think about the job at hand rather than renewing my own contract.)

(Do the best you can to do what you have to do, whether at work or here.)

(That will surely lead to a successful presentation as well.)

With this in mind, I struggled.

And ... a few days later.

The opportunity has come to test my work ethic.

On this day, exe and Sakura-san gathered in the office for a meeting.

I was nervous as I helped prepare drinks for the members of the group.

(Finally ...)

Sakura Eito: Let's get started. We are here about a new job ...

Xeno: That's all well and good, but why are these three here?

Sakura Eito: They just happened to be at the office, and said they really wanted a tour.

Hitaki: I'm curious as how to exe who sells self-produced stuff decides what to do.

Finn: You're a sucker for things. What are you going to do when you see that?

Nagi: For Gem to surpass exe, we have to know how to work like exe.

Xeno: Gem and exe have very different ways of doing things. I don't see the logic behind this.

Jace: It's okay, right? It's not like it bothers me to be seen.

Miu: Oh yeah, that's fine. You don't say anything serious.

The members of Gem are unfazed by the bewilderment of exe.

(I can't believe you tried to force me to attend a senior team meeting.)

(The three members of Gem are very free-spirited, but Hitaki-san turned out to be a nice guy ...)

Hugh: Huh ... won't it start?

Ivy: Well, there's not much time left, so let's get started before Hugh will fall asleep.

Xeno: All right. We'll get right on it and check it out.

Sakura Eito: Okay. As usual, you have to choose which of the offers you're going to do ...

Ivy: Usually, I do the preliminary research, but this time Kawanaga-san did it for me.

All members except for Finn-san look at me in surprise.

Jace: Aegis-chan? I was wondering why you were here.

Hugh: ... Housekeeper-san, help?

Finn: Let's see if she can support Ivy properly.

Ivy: Then, Kawanaga-san. Can you do me a favor?

Rina: Yes! ... Now then, I will hand out the materials to you all.

(All right, I must do that properly.)

I handed out the documents I had prepared in advance and immediately began to explain.

Rina: I have compiled a survey of each of the offers that came to exe this time.

Rina: The first offer. It's a request for a PV collaboration with a world-renowned international artist, Armando-san.

Rina: The rewards are listed at an unbeatable price. AS for the contents ...

What kind of work is required? Is the schedule reasonable? Is there an approtiate balance between the fee and the work?

The client's reputation, the lineage of work they do elsewhere, the age group they support, the image they would give to exe and so on.

Every item is thoroughly researched and documented to the extent that it can be researched.

Finn: Maybe this one's not so good.

Jace: Yes. It's nothing for us.

(I was surprised at the difference in scale while researching because the offers that come to exe are all large projects.)

(But the method is basically the same. I was able to use the skills I had developed as an assistant at the company ...)

Hugh: This ... looks interesting ...

Xeno: THis promoter doesn't have a very good reputation.

Ivy: How about that, Kawanaga-san?

Rina: Here's a summary.

All were listening to my words with a serious expression on their faces.

Rina: ... I'd like to talk about the request to perform at the famous festival UMC in the UK.

Rina: This is probably the most important offer of all.

Xeno: One of the three biggest festivals in the world.

Hugh: ... Ah, I know this. Tried to dance.

Jace: But it seems to have oddly small paychecks.

Finn: It's not even half as good as some of the other festivals.

Rina: As you say, the disadvantages include low remuneration and the time commitment involved in overseas expeditions.

Rina: The advantage is that the festival itself has a high global profile, and the social contribution it makes is outstanding.

Rina: The festival operates under a unique philosophy.

Rina: They spend a lot of money on equipment and operations, and at the same time, they donate a lot of money to charity.

Ivy: I see. So that's why they pay their performers so little.

Rina: Yes. You can appeal to the world in terms of both musicality and social contribution, and you can expect to atrract more attention.

Rina: The performers are all well-known artists from the US and Europe every year. I think it will deepen your horizontial ties.

Sakura Eito: So it's a deal with both advantages and disadvantages.

... I ended my explanation with some other details.

Rina: ... Above are the results of the investigation.

(I did the best I could, but I don't know ...)

I nervously looked at all the members.

Ivy: Kawanaga-san, you're great. I can't believe you did such a thorough investigation!

It was Ivy-san who spoke up first.

Rina: R-really?

Jace: These materials are easy to read, too.

Hugh: Yeah ... easy to understand.

Xeno: The detailed examination of the client's philosophy is commendable. It made it easier for us to select the work.

Finn: Yeah, I guess so. You're pretty good, aren't you?

Sakura Eito: I was impressed, too. Kawanaga-chan seems to be suited for this kind of work.

Ivy: I'm glad I had your help!

Rina: Good ... I'm so relieved. I wanted to make you happy, Ivy-san.

Ivy: ... you worked so hard for me.

Ivy: Thank you so much, Kawanaga-san.

The smile on Ivy-san's face makes my heart beat with joy.

(I was able to be useful to this person ...!)

In addition, I hope that everyone from exe will recognize me and reward me for all the hard work I have put in.

Miu: Wow ... you're surprisingly good at your job.

At that moment, Miu-san and the others, who were watching the situation from the side, opened their mouths.

Miu: Hey, you can't just help exe, you have to help us with Gem.

Rina: Eh!?

(What are you talking about all of a sudden?)

Hitaki: I agree with Miu, Eito-san. Don't you think it's shame to let her use her power only for exe?

Hitaki: Her analytical and management skills will be of great help for Gem.

Nagi: Just be Gem's manager. We'll be bigger than exe someday. Can't hurt you, right?

Rina: W-well, if you put it that way ...

The members of exe didn't stay silent about this.

Finn: Hey, you guys, don't be selfish.

Jace: That's right. Aegis-chan belongs to us, so don't give up.

Hugh: I don't want Housekeeper-san ... to go away ...

Xeno: It's too much of stupidity to want this girl as soon as you find out she's capable.

Miu: It's the same for Xeno-san and the others.

(W-what should I do? Why is this happening!?)

Rina: Umm, I appreciate the sentiment, but ... I'm sorry. I decline.

Miu: Eh, why?

Nagi: Are you saying we're not satisfying?

Hitaki: I know you're in the position of wanting to make a successful presentation, so you'll have to stick to exe ...

Rina: I don't care about the presentation. I offered to help because I wanted to reduce the burden of Ivy-san.

(I want to help Ivy-san as much as I can. I can work as hard as I can for that.)

Rina: I want to continue to work for exe with Ivy-san.

Ivy: Kawanaga-san ...

Everyone in the room, not just Ivy-san, looked at me with surprised faces.

(Eh, why are you looking like that?)

Jace-san laughed amused.

Jace: You are very passionate. You two are in a relationship?

Rina: !

(Sheesh!)

Sakura Eito: Is that so? I don't want it to be scandalous, but ...

Rina: No, no, no, no, no. That's not what I meant ...!

(I don't know, Ivy-san might have thought I was weird ...)

I was so embarrassed and impatient that I couldn't think straight.

However, it was also Ivy-san who helped me out.

Ivy: We get along, sure, but it isn't like that.

Ivy: Kawanaga-san thinks of me like a big brother.

Ivy: For me, she's like a cute little sister.

Finn: Oh, that's what this is about?

Hugh: Ivy, onii-san ... understands.

Xeno: Don't do anything that could be detrimental to the team.

Ivy: I know. You don't have to worry about it. Right, Kawanaga-san?

Rina: Yes ...

(Good. He didn't think I was weird.)

I was relieved, but my heart ached a little in my chest.

(I'm completely treated like a little sister ...)

I knew that, but now that I'm aware of my feelings for him, it is a bit painful.

(... Enough. I can help the person I like.)

I suppress a prickling pain in my chest and tell myself so.

Miu: Hmmm ... that makes sense.

Hitaki: Fufu, this is interesting ...

... At that time, I was too busy dealing with my own emotions to notice their meaningful stares.

And I had no idea at the time that it would be the beginning of a major upheaval ...

[laelior]

Short, angsty ficlet inspired by a prompt on the Kaidan subreddit

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The well stood in the middle of the apple orchard, ancient and immortal, built from river stones and a rough, patchy mortar that had been holding fast since long before his family ever set foot on the land. Equally ancient were the boards that covered the top of the well. Once, they’d probably been fresh and fragrant with that applewood smell that filled the orchard every spring. Now they were dark, covered in moss and ivy and ripe with the smell of decay that wafted up from the depths of the well.

There was a legend about the well in the orchard.

Or so his cousins told him, in tales whispered late at night around the orange glow of his oldest cousin’s omni-tool. A girl drowned there, cousin Lissa had told him in a conspiratorial tone, the kind that, at age eight, Kaidan understood to mean it wasn’t a tale for adult ears. Her parents boarded up the well after she died and she’s been there ever since. Don’t ever, ever, go in the orchard at night or she’ll drown you, too.

It had been a thrill to be deemed old enough to be a part of the Conspiracy of the Well. Less so when Lissa snuck out and called to him through his window in the middle of the night. Come out and plaaaaay, Kaidan. Come play in the well with me.

“Your cousins tell you the haunted well story, son?” his father asked him the next day, noticing his unnerved state. When he’d nodded, his father sighed. “I guess it’s an Alenko family tradition by now. My brothers and cousins did the same to me,” he said, which didn’t make Kaidan feel any better.

“There’s no dead girl in the well?” he’d asked. Adults like to be comforting, he knew, even if they had to lie to do it, and he was in no mood for comforting lies.

“Never was. Your uncles and I pried the boards off when we were kids to look down in there when we decided to find out for ourselves. Nothing but dirt and some rodents down there. Best we can tell it was boarded up when the well went dry.”

Nonetheless, Kaidan shivered with a deep, atavistic fear at the thought of opening up the well and looking down that dark, endless void held back by those boards.

But years later, at seventeen, Kaidan found himself sitting on the edge of the well, staring down that deep, dark abyss that echoed with the breeze whistling through the branches of the trees around him, so lost in thought he didn’t even hear the footsteps crunching through the leaves of the orchard.

“There you are, son,” his father said, shining a flashlight on him and startling him out of his reverie. “Your mother’s been looking for you. She said you missed dinner.”

Kaidan nodded slowly, never really taking his eyes off the well. “I just…needed to go somewhere to think.” The words echoed down the well and back up, temporarily drowning the tempest of his own thoughts.

“You took the boards off.” His father nodded at the pile of wood next to the well. Kaidan shrugged. He hadn’t really planned to. Hadn’t even planned to come here at all. But once he’d seen it, it just made sense. The wood was so soft he’d barely even scraped his hands prying it up.

“Guess I had to find out for myself,” he replied.

“It’s a bit dark out here,” his father observed. “Not much to see.”

Again, Kaidan shrugged. How could he explain that it wasn’t about seeing? That, on some level, he’d wanted his father’s assurances from long ago to be a comforting lie, to believe that there were some truths he could still find shelter from?

“Kaidan,” his father said gently, and this time he looked up to meet his eyes. “You take all the time you need, son. I’ll be here for you. You want to take a look down, I’ll shine the light down for you. You want to walk away, I’ll walk with you. I’ll tell your mother dinner can wait.”

Kaidan swallowed hard and slowly nodded. “Thanks, Dad. I…thanks.”

It was a long time before either of them spoke again, before Kaidan picked himself up and walked away from the well. But his father was there with him, every step of the way.

[sweetbuckybarnes]

Don't Blame Me

Pairings: Colin Bridgerton + Penelope Featherington

Summary: Penelope tells Colin she is Lady Whistledown, very early on in their engagement. Or: yet another Lady Whistledown reveal.

Main Masterlist | Albums Masterlist | reputation Masterlist

*Spoilers for Season 3 Part 1*

Don't blame me, love made me crazy, if it doesn't, you ain't doin' it right. Lord, save me, my drug is my baby, I'll be usin' for the rest of my life.

Colin woke up in bed after yet another dream about Penelope. He had been having dreams about his childhood best friend since Penelope asked him to kiss her. He had been yearning for her for weeks now. He hoped he would be able to speak to her and see if she even remotely felt the same way.

He always believed himself to be a gentleman (minus the past summer and those two women). He could not imagine his life without Penelope in it. The idea she might eventually marry Lord Debling filled him with so much dread and fear, it felt like he would be sick.

His mother had told him she believed the best foundation for marriage, is friendship - Violet Bridgerton has never told her children anything wrong. Colin's parents had started off as life-long friends, much like he and Penelope had. She always did what was best for them, making sure they all stayed on their paths to happiness and true love.

Is that what Penelope is? His true love? The love match that every Bridgerton looks for.

Something happened for the first time, in the darkest little paradise. Shakin', pacin', I just need you. For you, I would cross the line. I would waste my life, I would lose my mind. They say "she's gone too far this time"

Colin held his hand out for Penelope, after their little tryst , in his family carriage. "Are you coming with me?" He asks.

Penelope looks at him with wide, somewhat terrified eyes. "What? Your- your family will see me," she nearly whispers, wanting to push herself back into the carriage.

"For God's sake, Penelope Featherington. Are you going to marry me or not?"

She looked at him surprised. "You want to marry me?" She asks.

Colin's hand moved from waiting for hers, he moved and cupped her cheek. "Pen, it would be my greatest honour and privilege to call myself your husband."

Tears started swimming in her eyes. He actually wanted to marry her. Colin Bridgerton wanted to marry her. Colin! The smile which had been slowly growing on her face, got a little bit wider. "I would like that very much."

"Are you going to marry me then, Penelope?"

"Yes, I will marry you, Colin."

My name is whatever you decide, and I'm just gonna call you mine. I'm insane, but I'm your baby. Echoes, of your name inside my mind, halo, hiding my obsession, I once was poison ivy but now I'm your daisy.

Colin pulled Penelope as fast as both of their legs would allow them, trying to find his family - they would be somewhere in Bridgerton House.

Colin found them outside Francesca's bedroom, making sure Penelope's hand was firmly held in his. "Hello, family!"

Violet pulled herself away from Francesca's door, to look at her third son. "Colin... Penelope! How are you, dear?"

Before Penelope could answer her soon-to-be mother-in-law, Colin nearly exploded with the brilliant news. "I have asked Penelope to marry me. She said yes!"

Violet let out an unladylike scream, then hurried over to her son and his new fiancée and wrapped Penelope up in one of the tightest hugs ever. "Oh, Penelope!"

And baby, for you, I would fall from grace. Just to touch your face, if you walk away. I'd beg you on my knees to stay

Colin had gone with Anthony to his study to discuss the wedding and the house he and Penelope would settle in. When he came back down the stairs, he found Eloise talking to his fiancée in hushed tones. He heard his little sister mention something about midnight, and then leave Penelope a little bit shaken and her breath was somewhat uneven.

"Are you alright, Pen? What was that about? Penelope?" Colin put both of his hands on her face and made sure she was looking at him.

She lets out a shaky breath. She has been rushed around from person to person in the Bridgerton family, she hasn't had much time to think about how to tell Colin about Lady Whistledown until Eloise caught her.

"What has Eloise said to you?" He asks.

Penelope let out another shaky breath. "I need to tell you something..." She didn't want to tell Colin at this moment in time (she knows how much Colin hates Lady Whistledown), but she knew Eloise was right - especially when she knew Colin would stop looking at her like he was right now.

"I'm Whistledown."

I get so high, oh! Every time you're, every time you're loving me, you're loving me. Trip of my life, oh! Every time you're, every time you're loving me, you're loving me.

Colin looked at Penelope with wide eyes, watching as she started to fiddle with her fingers. "You? Whistledown is you?" He asks.

She didn't say anything, she simply nodded.

They fell silent, as they continued to look at each other. Penelope blinked a few times. "I shall go home if you want, I can come see you when you have sorted out your thoughts."

Don't blame me, love made me crazy, if it doesn't, you ain't doin' it right. Lord, save me, my drug is my baby, I'll be usin' for the rest of my life.

[edwinspaynes]

evermore songs as tlh characters/ships

I saw someone do this for Folklore and Evermore's my favourite album, so...

sorry nbnc isn't included i just had no idea what to do with it lol

willow -> thomas @ alastair

Wait for the signal and I'll meet you after dark Show me the places where the others gave you scars Now this is an open-shut case Guess I should've known from the look on your face Every bait and switch was a work of art

champagne problems -> james @ cordelia + matthew

[He'll] patch up your tapestry that I shred And hold your hand while dancing Never leave you standing Crestfallen on the landing With champagne problems

gold rush -> matthew

What must it be like To grow up that beautiful? With your hair falling into place like dominoes My mind turns your life into folklore I can't dare to dream about you anymore At dinner parties Won't call you out on your contrarian shit And the coastal town We never found will never See a love as pure as it

tis the damn season -> anna @ ari

Sleep in half the day just for old times' sake I won't ask you to wait if you don't ask me to stay So I'll go back to L.A. and the so-called friends Who'll write books about me, if I ever make it And wonder about the only soul who can tell which smiles I'm fakin' And the heart I know I'm breakin' is my own

tolerate it -> alastair @ charles

honestly this one is too fitting it was so hard to choose a quote but--

I greet you with a battle hero's welcome I take your indiscretions all in good fun I sit and listen, I polish plates until they gleam and glisten You're so much older and wiser and I...

happiness -> matthew @ cordelia

After giving you the best I had Tell me what to give after that All you want from me now is the green light of forgiveness You haven't met the new me yet And I think [he'll] give you that

dorothea -> ari @ anna

It's never too late To come back to my side The stars in your eyes Shined brighter in Tupelo And if you're ever tired of being known For who you know You know, you'll always know me

coney island -> james @ cordelia

Did I close my fist around something delicate? Did I shatter you? And I'm sitting on a bench in Coney Island Wondering, "Where did my baby go?" The fast times, the bright lights, the merry-go Sorry for not making you my centerfold

ivy -> alastair @ thomas while in paris

Oh, goddamn My pain fits in the palm of your freezing hand Taking mine, but it's been promised to another Oh, I can't Stop you putting roots in my dreamland My house of stone, your ivy grows And now I'm covered in you

cowboy like me -> ari @ anna

And the skeletons in both our closets Plotted hard to mess this up And the old men that I've swindled Really did believe I was the one And the ladies lunching have their stories about When you passed through town But that was all before I locked it down

long story short -> matthew

I always felt I must look better in the rear view Missing me At the golden gates they once held the keys to When I dropped my sword I threw it in the bushes and knocked on your door And we live in peace But if someone comes at us This time, I'm ready

marjorie -> grace @ christopher (😭)

I should've asked you questions I should've asked you how to be Asked you to write it down for me Should've kept every grocery store receipt 'Cause every scrap of you would be taken from me Watched as you signed your name Marjorie All your closets of backlogged dreams And how you left them all to me

closure -> alastair @ charles after the end of chog

Yes, I got your letter Yes, I'm doing better It cut deep to know ya Right to the bone Yes, I got your letter Yes, I'm doing better I know that it's over I don't need your closure

evermore -> cordelia @ james

And I was catching my breath Floors of a cabin creaking under my step And I couldn't be sure I had a feeling so peculiar This pain wouldn't be for Evermore

right where you left me -> grace

I stayed there Dust collected on my pinned-up hair They expected me to find somewhere Some perspective, but I sat and stared

it's time to go -> matthew at the end of chot

Sometimes giving up is the strong thing Sometimes to run is the brave thing Sometimes walking out is the one thing That will find you the right thing That will find you the right thing And you know in your soul And you know in your soul When it's time to go