#anything to escape the real world right? 😂

[dribs-and-drabbles]

Hey! So I take a lot of screenshots when I watch shows, mostly for fun Idk. But I have obviously seen and loved your communal wardrobe posts and I Thiiiink I might have 1 or 2 overlaps you don't have. I've only kind of just realised that you seem to be like intentionally tracking these not just yelling about a couple of the most popular ones 😅. Also you could already have them but like for example I completely freaked out when I realised Mew was wearing the same shirt as Techno in tharntype did... Do you have that one?

Hi Roc!

I had been just highlighting the popular ones but for some reason I've decided to document all the ones that have spotted so far (I'm on 30...which felt like A LOT when I started a few weeks ago but now feels like it's not so many 😂).

Anyway, I'm ALWAYS happy to hear of clothes that reappear in different series. I have Mew in Only Friends and Not in Be My Favourite wearing the same shirt but not one from Tharntype yet (although I'd love it to be the same one but it probably won't be!). If you don't mind, then send them all my way 💖

[ineffasaurus]

An (embarrassingly long) post of my gushing about good omens:

I’m 16, but I’m writing from when I was 12/13 So it’s almost the end of summer, 2019, I remember this moment as clearly as anything. As clear as tasting my favourite food for the first time ever.

I’m layed on the patch of fake grass on the patio, with a couch cushion to rest my chin on. I’m scrolling some good old 2019 TikTok, I see this random cosplay of a demon and an angel. This is where it all began. This was the birth of it all 😂. I didn’t know I was autistic at the time but it was and still probably stands as 1000% my biggest special interest. I just loved this show, the characters, the actors, the writing, and all the crew I researched and I especially grew this strong bond towards the two main characters .

Crowley and Aziraphale were like real people to me for a long time, their story got me through a lot, took me right through 2020 when I had no friends ; when I was stuck in most of the year, It was a perfect distraction.

I am so grateful for Neil, Michael, David and everyone in the fandom. The community wasn’t just about the show and the book, ( and the radio production lol ), it was so much more about how we all felt during this weird weird year, and how we looked forward to whatever new content Neil had for us as it helped us stay grounded in reality whilst also helping us escape into numerous worlds of fantasy. I bought the book, then the DVD, which came with these exclusive prints, that I cherished like a little weirdo and I stuck them on a piece of paper and made it into a poster, I remember tagging Neil on Twitter in which he reposted my stupid little poster and I went straight to tell my aunt who probably couldn’t care less. She did actually really support me in this obsession, she was invested as much as I was in the lives of the actors and booked tickets for me to go to a sort of comic con in Wales to see Michael in person. Me and my best friend at the time, had costumes all set up as Aziraphale and Crowley. It made me feel so special and really I’ve never had that same feeling about any other franchise. I don’t even feel that strongly about dinosaurs, but the feeling is similar. Like I happened to stumble on this perfect thing, perfect to me in a way that I still don’t understand. It just made me so happy, and that’s what I’m grateful for. I can’t believe looking back now we couldn’t see I was autistic because the way I knew every single little fact and tidbit about the show, the production, the references, the costumes etc, it was honestly something that should be written in history books.

So, back to Neil, I read about four More of his books and in doing so, fell back in love with reading for a while, Ocean at the End of the Lane was special to me, I liked how Neil did and still does blend magic with the mundane. It appealed to me. I also became interested in religious history in a way, not so much, but I liked to research the angels and demons that were represented in the show. This isn’t supposed to be an analysis of the show, although that would also be something I’d enjoy a lot. I just want to get all these words out of my head about this chunk of my life that shaped who I was because I was only around thirteen. Everything was changing in my life, I needed this one form of escapism. Thank you Neil, for good omens, it won’t be so special to everyone as it is to me, but I will always love it and I am unbelievably excited for this new season. Roll on that 2019-2021 obsession, She’s back for round two. 🫶😇😈

@neil-gaiman Thankyou :)

[nodirectionhome-ao3]

director’s cut on that moment during sirius’ trial where harry straight up flies into his arms 🥺 sorry I don’t think about anything except that man and I love how you write him 😘😘😘

Thank you so much!!! And there's no need to be sorry — Sirius Black lives in my head rent free always so I feel you on that🥰🥰

Answer under the cut because of Chapter 17 spoilers! (And fair warning, this is going to be very long because I have A LOT to say about this😂)

The word that I keep coming back to over and over again in this story when it comes to Harry is hope. It's a word that shows up a lot in Chapter 2 (16 times to be exact). Just a few of the most relevant examples:

When he's a first year and Dumbledore assures him Lily will wake up someday:

He would try to have hope. If that’s what it took to bring his mother back…to get him away from the Dursleys…he would be the most hopeful boy in the world.

2. When he's twelve and visits her for the second time in St. Mungo's and she's still not waking:

But hope had always been a difficult thing for Harry. What, to a child locked away in a cupboard, was hope? 

3. When he learns the truth about Sirius, bonds with his godfather for the first time, and is told that he might be able to live with him:

“Of course I mean it,” he said at last. “Once my name is cleared…I’d love for you to live with me. Until your mum wakes up, that is…” Something flickered inside of Harry. Hope, he realized…that long forgotten feeling.  He smiled at his godfather, and his godfather smiled back.

4. When Pettigrew escapes and Sirius has to leave, and Harry is left alone again and without the father figure he'd only just discovered:

It took meeting his childhood friends and watching them slip away for Harry to fully realize how much he wanted his father back.  But there was no hope for that. There never was.

All of this is to say that Harry, by the time Chapter 17 rolls around, has spent the majority of his life getting his hopes crushed over and over again. The fleeting hope he feels at being told that his mother is alive becomes more and more painful every year that she doesn't wake up to the point where it becomes so agonizing for him to let himself believe that something good might happen to him, for fear of it being ripped away.

When Lily wakes up, Harry's first reaction is to doubt it, to think it's some sort of cruel joke. Because that false hope is too painful. But Sirius is quick to reassure him that it's true, giving Harry the assurance he needs that he would never joke about that (because Sirius gets it). And then it's only when Sirius assures him that it's real that Harry is able to let his guard down and meet Lily.

Harry’s throat still felt very tight. He forced himself to look up at Sirius. “This is real?” he whispered. “This is real,” Sirius confirmed.

And then, even after something as momentous as Lily waking up has happened, Harry continues to struggle with the idea of moving in with her and always having her around, because it all just feels too good to be true and good things, for him, never seem to last. Sirius is the one who understands that better than anyone. He calms Harry down by opening up to Harry about his own trauma — talking to him about how difficult it was for him as a teen to let himself believe that Fleamont and Euphemia would never get tired of him and send him away.

“I think you’re like me, Harry,” Sirius said very softly. “Am I right?”

And once he's established that connection, he continues to show how much he understands Harry by giving him the reassurance that he knows he needs.

“I know your mother very well,” Sirius said intently. “And I promise you, on my life — there is nothing, nothing, that you could ever do or say that would make her love you any less. She’s never going to leave you. And neither will I.”

Alright, so cut to Chapter 17: when Harry watches Lily tell Sirius that she's spoken to Amelia about getting him a trial — Sirius lashes out at her. Lily assumes he's being stubborn, but Harry knows better because Harry has been there. He knows and understands what Sirius has gone through and he knows better than anyone that Sirius, like him, is afraid of getting his hopes up. Because that has rarely brought Sirius anything but pain either.

So, in what I consider to be a very important moment for all three of them, Harry stands up to Lily, defending Sirius:

“Sirius isn’t being stubborn. He’s just…scared. He doesn’t want to go back to Azkaban.”

When the trial happens and Sirius is exonerated, Harry is overcome with happiness, not just because the man he loves like a father has finally been freed, but because hope has prevailed for both of them. In the face of everything they've both endured, there's this shining moment where something unquestionably good has happened to them. Their mutual hope has been allowed to soar instead of being crushed, and Harry can't contain his joy at the realization.

Sirius is one of Harry's strongest, most unwavering sources of hope and comfort. And vice versa. So to me, the hug scene is a celebration of that :)

[azulsluver]

I imagine a cruel ending where instead of escaping finally out of the book, by playing through the stories-- Y/N allows them to escape and now they're part of the real world with them but they're still ghosts 😭✋ and poor Y/n now has to deal with them irl

Or worse ending, after diasomnia, it becomes a free for all battle where Y/N gets transported into a final boss fight w/ the side characters she made friend with VS literally everyone she just tried to escape from (AKA, every dorm) and she has to find the final key, that being Ramshackle 😂

I just find it extremely funny to see how the dead dorm ghosts would interact with each other, the funny squabbling they'd create like with Leona, Vil, and Malleus or Rook with Ruggie or Idia's amazing commentary of everyone while they try to take Y/N for their own XDDD I hope my thought were entertaining

lots of ramblings under here

The first one.... I'm pretty sure they're able to cause harm to you, they hold a grudge. Well except for Kalim, you didn't mean to run away you were scared! But them being ghosts would be very annoying, the idea now that they came into your world is like reliving that nightmare. Some ghosts like Jade and Rook suggest on killing you now so that way you'll be a ghost like them! Of course that plan will backfire from their bosses, they'll stick to teasing with you until you decide to do something. Maybe take a visit to that rundown shop your friend found the book... (teehee spoilers are ez)

The worse ending would be heartbreaking, all the main/side characters aren't special or anything so they'll die quickly if they intervene. They're whole purpose in the book was to die in a gruesome way, you just so happened to help some not meet that fate. You're right about a the boss fight, they all want you back in their world.

And speaking about the key, each was assigned by the house wardens (obviously they're not in here but you get it) who hold the key for safety reasons. Without the key they wouldn't be able to transport to other stories, I wanted it to be similar to the game in the spectral realm. They know how to use the key, you don't. The last comment I made under one of the stories was that they are unable to go to another story because the mirror wouldn't allow them to. Orrr could be because you're occupied in that certain story so they're basically guessing which story you're in now. That could also be the reason but I'll let ya'll wonder. So don't be like Leona or Kalim since they are terrible key holders. And Azul.

Final showdown? Crazy, ghosts are already dead but they could still be using their living body at the moment. It's traumatizing, not like reader has been enough but yea. I don't think Vil wanted any part in the fight, but Rook's and Epel's whining got the better of him to drag you back, barley breathing. You haven't come face to face with Azul yet, the truth was he was cowering because of the magic left behind. "No way they got Leona!?" Floyd and Jade want a little justice return for all the damage you've done, let's just hope you don't end up in their hands.

The whole Heartslabyul wants to keep you too, probably because Deuce keeps crying for you while Cater wants his little friend back. Ace was making fun of Deuce for being a crybaby before getting tired of his sniffles, convincing Trey and Riddle to take some sort of revenge after you/ Trey wants no part in it but if it makes everyone happy then..Riddle wants you dead tho, you made a fool out of him and he won't let that slide. Leona would be the one totally obsessed with you, after gaining information that you surpassed the others? He's like those guys into people who play hard to get. Jack too. Mostly impressed by your strength so he develops an innocent crush, kinda? Ruggie's just there for the fun.

Kalim is 100% sure you did nothing wrong, you need him and Jamil to protect you from the rest. They hurt you intentionally so they aren't fit to care for you! Jamil, is tired. But he won't be able to ignore Kalim's whining and call, you'll do just fine for some peace and quiet. Now for Diasomnia I don't think I can say much until I release the chapter. I just know for certain Malleus' group would win.

What I know for sure is that it won't be the end with them. They're determined to have you, dead or alive.

[axel-1996scream]

Male y/n × monse

POV: You love monse, but she's in love with cesar

M/n had been best friends with the group ever since elementary, he had caught feelings for monse since the fifth grade but never said anything due to not wanting to ruin the friendship. He finally had the courage once they hit high school but never had the chance to tell her, One day as he went to tell her...

"Monse, can I talk to you?" Says m/n, as he runs up behind Monse as they walk the halls of their school. "Not right now, m/n. I'm busy" She replies urgently as she speed walks down the hall towards the storage closet to meet Cesar. "C'mon, please? It's important, it'll only take a minute." M/n says emotionally. "No, I can't. I'm meeting with cesar" She says as she speeds off leaving m/n alone in the hall. "Oh..right" He says as a sigh escapes his mouth. "Dammit.." he says quietly but to no one as everybody has already left the halls.

Later that day m/n and the group were all at rubys house for a hangout, Jamal and Ruby were in the kitchen arguing back and forth over whether the roller world money existed or not, and Cesar was sitting on the couch with Monse right next to him as they talk and show each other something on their phones. As m/n was sitting at the kitchen table silently watching them with a jealous look in his eyes towards Cesar. "Jamal, for the last time. The Rollerworld money isn't real!" Yells Ruby to Jamal. "It is! I'm telling you guys, it's real. It's buried somewhere here in freeridged" Jamal yells back with a matter-of-fact tone. "I agree with Jamal" m/n says as he looks away from Cesar and monse. "What?" Monse says as she looks up and at m/n. "Why? It's a stupid myth." She says catching Cesar's attention. "Yeah, c'mon hermano. It's just a silly story people told" Cesar says with an amused smirk. "It's not!" Jamal pipes up. "It's real, I'm telling you guys we gotta find it, we'll be filthy rich!" Jamal exclaimed excitedly. "Oh my god, Jamal just drop it," Ruby adds in, with an annoyed tone.

After everyone starts heading home m/n chases after monse as she walks home "monse, hey! Wait!" She stops and looks at m/n confused. "Yeah, what's up?" She stops walking facing him. "I gotta tell you something, it's really important..." he says with a slight nervous smile. "Ok, what is it?" M/n sighs nervously and smiles. "Monse, i.. I really like you, and I was wondering if you'll be my girlfriend?.." m/n says with a hopeful gaze but slowly stops smiling as monse stays silent. "Monse..?" Monse sighs and looks away. "No, m/n. I like Cesar." She says. "Oh.." m/n mutters as his smile completely drops but then he forces a smile. "ok, that's cool. I understand." He says with a forced grin. "Are you sure, I'm sorry I-" m/n cuts her off. "No it's totally good, I'm alright with that." Monse sighs and smiles. "Ok, well I gotta go. I'll see you tomorrow." She waves and walks off leaving m/n alone. "Yeah, see you tomorrow..." he says as his smile drops, he then turns around and just heads home.

Axel- damnnnn I haven't posted in a minute😅

Hope ya'll enjoy it, it's kinda lazy and short I'll admit. Made this at 4 in the morning so bare with me 💀anywayss I'll probably do a Katsuki bakugou × male reader sooner or later, no promises on the sooner side tho😂 but if u want, u can leave request, but I cant promise on making them right away. Probably months later💀🤦‍♂️

[residentdormouse]

Hey Bingo Buddy! I've been devouring your posts about Faith today and I am genuinely SO into what you're doing! Can you share more about her story, pretty please? 👀

💖💖Thank you for the Ask!!💖💖

(Thank you so much! 🥰 - I am also loving your OC banner setup, and the description of Vinnie was fantastic. Radio static, plant names, and elevator music killed me 😂🤣; I was hoping to catch up on Fallout before jumping in (4 has been in my ‘to play’ stack for way too long), but sadly, I don’t think there’s enough Dramamine in the house to get me through… might jump to wikis for world background.)

More on Faith and her Story:

When I began to answer this, I started writing about Faith’s backstory. Coming from a low income household in a decaying town. Striving to escape at all costs to the point of developing deep-seeded neurosis. Anxiety. Burnout. But it didn't feel accurate to the tone of her story. Struggles with coming of age, pressures of getting into college? That's a dime a dozen. Dull. What the fuck are we lingering on that for, she sure as shit isn't. No, how she got to Marsden, Pennsylvania was irrelevant, only that she got there.

In Marsden, she found a place where she felt free. Free from the pressure. Free to express herself. Relax. Find her voice. Only in this new space could she understand that her happiness came from being true to herself and not from a mark on a paper. Success in her studies quickly took a back burner to self discovery.

Suffice to say, her new path did not lead to much financial stability, but it was of no concern to her. Grade school Faith may have followed in line, but post grad Faith couldn’t give two shits. She knew what that life held, and it certainly wasn’t doing fuck all for her wellbeing.

And that life certainly didn't have him.

Along with Paul came a new appreciation for the beauty around her. Nature. Humanity. He found amusement in all aspects of his life, despite the fact that humanity sometimes wanted little to do with his cheeky bullshit. It was infectious. Time with him truly was blissful.

He was a light in her life that was extinguished much too soon.

Many memories have faded into a blur since the night of that phone call, drowned in the burning liquid that provided the only comfort in his absence. And comfort was needed. Between the police pushing his ever growing cold case to the side, the local clubs fostering more problematic suspects than she could count, and the college completely closing off his office to her, anger and loneliness did nothing but build with little outlet.

So she drank the pain away. Smoked a cloud to hide behind. Self preservation went to shit as she sat back and wished for the time to come when she would see him again. Or not see anything at all. Fuck if she knew what came after this, and nothing would certainly be better than existing with the dull ache in her chest that refused to subside.

But she soon found the alcohol didn’t just provide comfort, it provided sight.

She could see him.

Talk to him.

Inebriation distorted the world, but it meant that he was in it once more. Or what was left behind. Even now, she doesn’t pretend to know what comes after all this. She doesn’t pretend, and she doesn’t question. Wouldn’t question. Never. Not if it would risk whatever additional time she was being given right now.

Ghosts were real. He was real. And he was about to get her involved in a plot that any sane person wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole.

Good thing her sense of self preservation had already went to shit.

[chocomd]

ATLA rewatch thoughts, Book 1 (eps 12-14)

Three of the best Book 1 episodes in a row??? I feel like I just won or something 🙌

(This gets long, so putting most of it under a cut. Also continuing this from forever ago 😂)

12) The Storm: AIR NOMADS MY BELOVED 😭 But seriously. The Air Nomads and Aang’s life before the iceberg. Ugh I can’t get enough!!! Aang and Gyatso’s father/son relationship?? And Gyatso was the only one who didn’t treat Aang differently after his Avatar identity was revealed?? And Aang’s line, “I never saw Gyatso again” after he ran away? First he runs away to escape the fate of being separated from Gyatso (probably for good), and he probably plans to reunite with Gyatso on his own terms. The next thing he knows, Gyatso and all the other Air Nomads are dead. One hundred years have passed, but to Aang it feels like only two days. He woke up to find that everyone and everything he knew and loved is gone 😭😭😭

Wait, there’s more - this is the first time we see Zuko turn away from obsessing over hunting the Avatar for the good of someone other than himself or Iroh. It’s his first step, however tiny, to seeing that people have inherent worth regardless of their status or role in the world. (I don’t really count his speaking out in the war room against the plan to sacrifice troops of new recruits, because his reasoning for not “betraying” those troops is because they love and defend their nation.) And then the look that he and Aang exchange as Aang flies away on Appa...CHILLS.

Ok, one more thing. I’m getting the distinct impression that Zuko and Iroh are 100% morally gray characters in Book 1. I can’t remember when this changes (Book 2 probably), and even then it doesn’t change all the way for either of them to become clearly “good.” But in Book 1, Zuko is consumed by his obsession to capture the Avatar and to regain his “honor,” which essentially means returning to his country and reclaiming his right as heir to the throne. Anything he does he can justify to himself, as long as it’s serving his goal. Iroh definitely isn’t a “good guy” either, even though he attains “good guy” status later on. His goal is to care for his nephew, and he views the Avatar as a source of hope for Zuko. He doesn’t want Zuko to lose hope, and he’ll aid him in his obsessive hunt for the Avatar - for example, he helps Zuko try to shoot down Aang earlier in Book 1. But he also knows that Zuko’s obsession has the power to destroy him, so he does whatever he can to ground him and help him grow as a person. He is neither for or against the war at this point - all of his actions are for the purpose of helping Zuko in some way. 

13) The Blue Spirit: This is THE Zukaang episode, whether you ship them or just enjoy them as friends (I’m the latter one). Even though I know the Blue Spirit is Zuko, I still love the mystery and the tension as Aang is unsure of whether the BS is friend or foe. And the way they work together is seamless and so much fun to watch. But then!! The ending!! “If we knew each other back then, do you think we could have been friends, too?” UGH this line gets me every time 🥺 Aang sees something in Zuko that he has not seen before - except maybe when he and Zuko exchanged a glance in the previous episode. I feel like this moment here builds on the moment from The Storm, where both begin to see that maybe, just maybe, they could have been friends in a different timeline. Even though Aang knows that Zuko rescued him for his own gain, he begins to see Zuko as a human who deserves a chance, which is in line with his character and the teachings of his culture - and also because Zuko decided not to chase after him in The Storm. Zuko gets a glimpse of what forming a real connection with Aang is like. But the Avatar is his sworn enemy and his supposed road back to regaining his honor!! This is where his understanding of the world and what life is supposed to be like (from the FN POV) begins to crumble. The end of The Blue Spirit marks the beginning of Zuko’s redemption arc, and it’s also where Zuko and Aang’s relationship starts to transform into something more than just enemies. 

14) The Fortuneteller: Ahh a classic Kataang episode! Before this, there were hints that Aang and Katara have feelings for each other that are more than just friendship. But this episode really makes it clear, especially on Aang’s part. Then of course, the ending, where Katara has the epiphany that Aang is a powerful bender - ahhhhHHHHH!!! 😍 She’s thinking of Aunt Wu’s prediction and starts to see Aang in a different light. The warm feelings she has for her friend? All the times she has admired him? The bond that has grown between them? What if there could be...something more?

But what I REALLY love about this episode on this rewatch is its ultimate message (and the title of my blog 😂): “Just as you reshaped those clouds, you have the power to shape your own destiny.” Aunt Wu says this to Aang when he asks her about whether she saw love in his fortune. But this line isn’t just about the future of Aang’s love life - it’s the core message of ATLA. “Shaping your own destiny” is what drives Aang and Zuko’s arcs, where each of them seems to have no choice but to pursue a destiny that was thrust upon them. But over the course of the series, they each learn to shape their own destinies: Aang, by remembering who he is, as not just the Avatar but also the last airbender, and drawing on his spirituality to seek a way to win the war without killing Ozai; and Zuko, by grappling with deeply flawed beliefs about the superiority of the FN and coming to learn what regaining his honor really means.

[sugiwa]

Fan on Counterfeit Hearts and want to say I really love how you are building Penny's character. She has a rare quality that makes her actually feel like a One Piece character.

A lot of times I find that OCs miss that whimsical/fantastical nature that also feels grounded and not adverse with the world, there is often a feeling that there is something "off" about them. But with Penny, I feel you have really nailed the feeling of her belonging. Not super for her being absolutely connected to all the factions that are the 'good guys', I liked it more when she felt more disconnected and her relationship with the revolutionaries was more of occasional alignment then her more or less being an informal member, but its something I can accept because it kind of fits.

I will say though that I really hope you have Ace still die. While the obvious desire to have him live exists, his death is just such a critical thing that I don't think you should remove it. More over, I think it would be great for Penny's character, as well as Sabo's now. It would have Penny failing to save someone she wants to save, and would be a real kick in the but to start actively presuming her dream and power which she has kind of put on the back burner. And as for Sabo... well, we didn't really get much of how it impacted him since it was all flashback and what was the cause of his memory returning. But since you have him and Ace having reunited, I think the angle of "Sabo was the one who lived while Ace was the one that died" is just something you can't not explore with his character, because its the exact opposite to the reality Ace and Luffy thought were reality. There is just to much thematic and story meat there to just not do it because you want Ace to be alive and happy. "Kill your darlings" and all that.

Either way, really love your story and looking forward to where you take it. I would leave this comment in Ao3, but I don't have an account there, so this has got to be the next best thing.

Thank you so much! We still have a lot more to go and unravel about Penny, so hopefully, she'll remain a character that continues to grow. I really didn't want her to be too *serious* as we've seen really strong characters do stupid things all the time in OP, but at the same time have some sort of grounding. Penny basically identifies as a Pirate, so she'll very frequently try to negate good deeds with petty crimes.

As for the Revolutionary Army bit, Penny doesn't really like meet up with them or even consult them about anything. It's more like sometimes she'll encounter something she thinks would aid them and send it their way and a lot of the time that'll be people. She can't really take them on her ship because she doesn't want to 😂, so she'll throw the responsibility to the RA. Other times its information (she also sends reports to Shanks frequently, which we'll see in an upcoming chapter.)

For Penny, it's more about making sure her friends are safe and that their dreams also come to fruition, rather than about the Revolution, which she doesn't really believe in. I think that scene where Bard Lucy is talking to Dragon pretty much sums up Penny's exact opinion on what they're doing.

We'll see more regarding this because there is some tension between her and the RA. Especially given her old New World ties and relationship with Morgans (let's just say she fans the flames of chaos when it comes to some of his 'journalism').

As for Ace, though I frequently split my opinion between saving him and not saving him, the strongest narrative path is to have him die. I totally agree with everything you say here and given then path that Penny's on right now, it'll bring so much more character development to her story. One of the other things is that Penny very frequently escapes by the edge of a knife from serious trouble and while she's survived thus far like that, there's going to be an eventuality where her strength fails and that's when we're going to see what she's really made of. Can she pick herself back up or will she fall into that failure and let it consume her?

Also, the angle of Luffy being someone Penny has always protected. We saw it a bit on Foosha where she sees a little kid all on his own and kinda assumes the responsibility of watching out for him and now he's all grown up and she can't really protect him from the world anymore. It something she's going to struggle with when they reunite, because her urge is to shield him from it, but Marineford will completely upend that and it's going to be a breaking point for all of them.

But, then they've got these dreams of being Pirate King and telling the World's Greatest Story, so they have to really grasp life by the hand and not let go of it.

Lol, now I'm making myself depressed thinking about it.

Thank you so much and I'm so glad you're enjoying the story!! You can definitely drop an ask in my inbox at anytime. It's always a pleasure to hear what people think about the future of the story and the way it's playing out.

[shina913]

Shina! What do you mean Easter egg related to Intersect 🧍🏽‍♀️!!!

My brain started going right away trying to think of what the loose connection could be 👀👀👀 I even went back and skimmed all my notes (that I really need to post, I can’t be the only one of the two of us that knows we’ve already had at least 2 fights and makeups…I think the last sentence of this chapter of Coquet marks a third 😐😂) for a refresher. It was not helpful tho bc I just got sucked back into Intersect and now I want to reread both stories 🥲

Is his friend one of the office crew!? 🤔🤔🤔 would it be that obvious??? Probably not huh…now I wanna go back and read Intersect and pay extra close attention to the JK in that story… but also I want to go back to the beginning of Coquet and pay closer attention to that JK too…see my problem 😐

(ALSO thank you for all your lovely expansions in response to my response 🥺 you gave me so much to think about and I just love how you consider everyone’s point of view and how complex human emotions and relationships are. The real world is gray all over and the way you write reflects that really well! It’s no wonder your stories and the worlds you build in them are so easy to get lost in. Trust me I would know…I’m currently stuck between dimensions of two of them 🥲😂. Sorry this is after, I got too exciting about worlds colliding)

Oh noooo I’m so sorry!!! No, no—it’s not a huge crazy plot point (I don’t think) so you do not have to comb through Intersect again 😬 I just have this thing where I plant little “connections” to my other fics 😅 I’m weird like that!

And thank you!! I know it was super long but I wanted to be able to rationalize my plot decisions here. Of course, this line of thinking doesn’t necessarily work on everyone and I don’t want to make a whole blanket statement. I just wanted to bring in a human element to it—and somewhat relatable? I get that fics are supposed to be a form of escape but I’m trying to build up characters and I want to write them in a way that’s not too far off as to how I’ve “established” them in a way? On the other hand, I also want to keep it rooted to some semblance of reality. Some readers might say, ‘Oh, I would NEVER do anything like that!’ And to that I say, that’s great that you’d never do something like that but unfortunately, my OC might or will. Author intention can only go so far and I can’t control my readers’ reactions. I can only try to justify my characters’ actions. I feel like any action will usually have a reason—even though one will say that they don’t know why they did it or will say that there’s ‘no reason.’ There’s no such thing as out of the blue. There’s always a lead-up 👀

And you’re absolutely right. I get so lost in my characters’ frame of mind 😂 it’s a little crazy but I love breaking things down and trying to figure out ways to “challenge” myself.

Thank you for keeping an open mind as always and feel free to scream at me anytime 😅

[sun-lit-roses]

Cold Lazarus

I’ve been warned this one will put me through the wringer (thanks @tabbyofwisdom!), so I’ve gathered my emotional support kitties on the couch. I’m ready to go - Season 1, Episode 7:

New planet!

It's very... yellow.

Are the bright blue bits supposed to be tents?

Nope, crystals! Very pretty. And I possibly need to update my eye prescription.

They're going to be evil crystals, aren't they.

Uh oh Jack found All The Crystals.

Is it watching him?

Whoa! Heck of a defense mechanism.

Is he having an out of body experience?

No wait, that's another him! A copy? A clone? A shapeshifter? So many disturbing possibilities.

Wait how's Real!Jack going to get back?!

I guess he could just dial too, surely the whole team knows the codes. That'll cause some confusion.

Fake!Jack isn't doing great at not acting like it's his first time on the base. Unless he always comes back, stops on the ramp, and stares at everything in confusion.

So does Jack always just wander around the room during a briefing and not contribute? Cause everyone seems pretty okay with it.

How'd he know Jack's locker combo? How much info does he have?

Hm, not so much that he isn't snooping through this pencil box.

Is he having flashbacks? I guess not exactly, since he isn’t really Jack. Flashes of Jack’s memories?

Men and women share a locker room, they just have different shifts for it? That seems less efficient than just having two locker rooms.

Sam has moved from subtly trying to get him to leave straight through to giving up over the course of about two minutes 😂

Oof. Even forewarned, that’s a heavy bombshell to hear. Poor Jack, loses his son and then his wife.

Rifling through family photos, blowing off Teal’c, he’s not doing great at this ‘keeping a cover’ thing.

Not an EM field! That’s never good in scifi.

OH

I can’t keep hopping back between wacky alien mystery and shattering personal facts. I’m getting whiplash.

Losing his son is terrible enough - Jack knowing it was his own gun? That must have been devastating.

I’m willing to bet the crystal was cut with a weapon, deliberately, because these things are dangerous!

How did Fake!Jack find this house with just a photo?

I can only watch this by peering through my fingers. We’re just not going to talk about the traumatic parts of this episode, ‘k?

Oh no, Teal’c, don’t learn about the Earth from cable news! That is a good way to assume the world’s about to implode.

Him plugging one ear to escape the rock music was funny though 😂

These two seem like they’re Up To Something. But they’re cute when they’re Sciencing!

Oh no, back to Jack.

😭

‘You received permission?’ ‘Oh yeah.’ Those little shits 🤣 I knew they were up to something! When Real!Jack gets back he’s going to have to lay down some Sciencing Rules.

I guess they’re called ‘staff weapons’ not ‘fire sticks.’

I’m probably still going to call them fire sticks, to be honest.

Even the Gou’ald don’t like them! Although that makes me wonder if I’m being too harsh on the crystals. I mean, they did make Fake!Jack, but maybe there’s a good reason??

Or the Gou’ald could be right about some things, if I have to accept that, I SUPPOSE.

Oh no, Fake!Jack is talking to the Real Wife.

AH

Daniel has the correct and right response to a crystal suddenly growing a face.

Sam and Teal’c at the embodiment of ‘....y’okay, dude?’ at this moment.

Hm, it’s asking for help. Albeit very creepily. Maybe the Gou’ald are evil and were trying to wipe out an entire alien civilization of shiny blue crystals! That would track. And I wouldn’t have to believe that the Gou’ald are right about anything!

REAL!JACK !!! He survived! And he’s coming back! Which is probably going to create a lot of confusion.

Yeah, that’s a whole lot of confusion going on.

Wait, does he not remember??

If so, I can’t imagine his thought process waking up on an alien planet to find out his entire team apparently just left him behind unconscious and went back to Earth.

Hey, it’s our old pal the jail cell set!

Meanwhile, back on Planet Angst.

Oh shoot! Strobe!Jack probably wasn’t supposed to happen.

I’m not sure a normal hospital is really going to be equipped to deal with this.

Yep, it was the Gou’ald! Aw, the crystal people were just trying to welcome visitors and they were murdered because of it.

SG-1 to the rescue! Glad they found out about the Fake!Jack in the hospital thing before they started running all over town.

Love that the plan to hide Teal’c is a baseball cap 😂 He and Spock should share tips.

Oh no, Strobe!Jack again!

That poor woman has to be so confused with multiple Jacks running around.

Ouch. Radioactive aliens are a real pain in the neck.

It was trying to heal his heart 😭

OKay, we’re going to save the incredibly sweet alien, right guys?? RIght?!

...I’m not sure seeing her dead son is going to be of help to Sara.

Don’t mind me. Just over here sobbing.

I liked Sara a whole lot, just for the record. Though I suspect she probably won’t be a regular on the show.

Yay, the alien is going to be okay!

Rating: 🔘🔘🔘🔘

4/5 Gates This was a tough one to get through - I definitely watched it over the space of a couple of days, but it was good! Solid story beats, Jack’s background is fleshed out, the rest of the team has some good comedic bits. The whiplash between the drama and the Sciencing was a bit rough in the middle, but I’m not ruling out that this was intentional to highlight the emotional weight of Jack’s history or maybe break up the heaviness a little. Here’s hoping the next episode is more of a fun romp! Can we just shoot the fire stick a little more, guys?

[lokisprettygirl]

So much happend in the last two chapters and I don't know where to begin 🙂🙃...

...32 awww it made me so happy 😍🥲💚❤...and the torture was just FANTASTIC 😂😅. Mr. Hotshot, king of halfway denial. And y/n? Herself is the woman, to keep herself relaxed around him for the night 😅😅...gorgeous !

I love the way how tender they handle each other, they feel save when they're together. It's warm and cozy and at the same time so sexy around them and it's something they need and deserve. And beside all the teasing they always find a way to be intimate with each other.

Loki is really intent on it to show y/n that he wants to make things right in which he asked y/n to wear the same dress again when they're going to visit the animal shelter again, to turn it into a good memory and to let her feel beautiful and good like at the day when everything turned bad. It's also so caring that Loki asked Peter to look after y/n every 6 hours...and she has known it 🥰. Their bond is adorable 💕

Poor y/n, the nightmare was really scary. How deep her anxeties are 🥺😭. But Loki would never let her down, he's so supportive and he wants her to stand for her own. He knows it won't be easy for her to adjust to her new life outside of the world of the rich. That's how a partner should be, loving and supportive and always be there for you 🤗😃

I'm still curious what 'real' gift Loki has for y/n🤔...

33....MY QUEEN, WHAT'S GOING ON HERE ??...I've so many questions, theories...I'm going crazy 😵‍💫😵‍💫

Y/n's mother covered her face? Is she alive? Did she fake her death? Whom called Nat? Who is HIM? Is it Bruce? Is he alive too? Are Bruce and mum together and live a life undercover? Was faking their death the only possibility to hide from Rocky? Does Loki know anything about Bruce? What is it he wanted to talk about with y/n but didn't , because he didn't want to disturb the perfect day?

Maybe her mother covered her face so y/n didn't have to see her dead mother's face but Bruce isn't dead?

The letter ...y/n should read it as soon as possible 🥺👀 maybe mum explained everthing to her. Uugghh to imagine they're alive and had always an eye on her but couldn't do anything for y/n.😭😭😭

Is it possible that y/n is going to get "fatally injured " at her wedding...and then she can escape with Loki. Is it part of Loki's plan? Is his plan based on what Bruce did together with y/n's mum? Did Stark tell him what Bruce did back then? Maybe he wanted to talk about this with y/n?

Not only Loki and y/n happy together, mum and Bruce too 😭...they could be the family they always wanted to have, that would be the best thing ever😭😭🥲.

But how would y/n react? To get to know that her mum and Bruce are alive and not to forget all the lost years they could have been together? It would be a big issue to deal with. It's also possible that mum and Bruce planned to fetch y/n. How painful for her mum, she left her daughter behind, with Rocky. She must have been really desperate...just in case my theory is almost right.

Does Rocky know that his wife isn't dead? I just hope to leave y/n behind wasn't the price she had to pay for her freedom. Rocky is a monster and people like him exist and do horrible things 🥺...but that's a really wild theory of mine...huuhhh I need to breath 😮‍💨😄

The hidden backroom in the animal shelter, how adorable. It's really the safe place for y/n, stocked with her good memories. And Loki is the first one she brought with her to show him everything in there. And again they're so cute and tender with each other.

For now I refuse to believe that Nat is a bad one. But again, who is HE? I instantly hope it's Bruce and Nat just informed him because she cares and maybe she got the order when she got the job in the shelter, to call him at any time when y/n enters the room together with another person. To avoid that anybody could destroy this safe place. And is it possible that Loki knows that Bruce is alive? So many possibilities and my lovely Queen is like

And again let's talk about the body massage the waxing and why 😏❤️‍🔥,the teasing, the amazing fluffy smut, so tender, hot and good, it warmed my heart and more 🌶🌶🤣🤣🤣

Katlyn is a sleepwalker? Good, so she can climb on the rooftop and jump down. Case closed. 👿💀

And what is that with bitchannah and Steve? Are they a couple? Does Rocky know? Does he care about it. There is something fishy. And what is it Rocky is going to tell y/n?

You got me on the edge of my seat, what a brilliant chapter, one of my favourites so far and it was mind-blowing, like a whirlwind 🌪 😃🤗. I hope I didn't write too much nonsense today🤭🤪🤣

You're absolutely gorgeous my Queen 👑. You're amazing, wonderful, adorable and at all...I love you 💚❤️🥰

King of halfway denial and queen of relaxation 🤣

Their intimacy is precious, mainly because they both aren't new to physical one, they both have slept around and it's not something they necessarily crave or are lusty about. It's the love between them that's making everything so pure and precious 😍

Thank you for mentioning that, I was wondering if anyone even read that part because it didn't get mentioned even once🤣 her nightmares are her deepest fears, deep down she fears he'll turn to hate her someday because that's all she has experienced in life but a part of her also knows that loki may hurt her in other ways but he'd never hurt her like that.

All those theories and the reality will be out soon 👀 all I can say is things will get crazy.

Bruce was a really kind loving man and he really wanted to keep her mother happy especially after seeing how sad she was at home and with Rocky.

That's a real image of me in my bed,how did you find it 🤣

Truth about Steve and Suzzanah will come out in next chapter 👀

You're gorgeous and amazing my dear, I love you too ❤️

[kitmoas]

Knight in Shining Collar

Summary: Kate protects what she cares about most

Pairing: WandaNat x reader x Kate

Word Count: 3.6k ish

Warning: weapon use, some headspace play , a bit of foreplay and the beginnings of smut

Let me know if I missed anything

A/N: thank @maximotts for this one 😂 she sent me the inspiration that made me wanna write this

Training Grounds Master List

***Minors DNI*** ***18+***

Being at S.H.I.E.L.D conventions was always weird to you, having avoided them for years now, but you not only had family involved but also partners. Looking around there was always a wide variety of reactions, some pity while others were disgusted by you, and they always made you want to hide somewhere. Before you can really make your escape an arm is thrown around your neck, and you’re pulled closer to your best friend. Right, you had a Yelena involved with this stupid place too. 

“C’mon Y/N Y/L/N, come sit next to the best agent in the world.” She smirks at you as she leads you over to her table. She lets you sit down, messing up your hair as she mumbles that she’ll be right back. You were preoccupied looking at the menu laid out on the table that you didn’t notice a couple people walking up to the table, but they caught your attention as the group sat down across from you. 

You go to open your mouth but the bigger man holds his hand up, an unimpressed look on his face. “You don’t get to speak. Agent Z is one of the best out there and I can’t believe his fake daughter had the guts to show her face here. Running from the family business is pretty shameful, but then again you must take after your real father; useless and weak.” The group laughs, but you can’t breathe. Your heart stopped the moment the word fake dripped out of his mouth, but the second your father came up your brain short circuited. Angry hot tears well up in your eyes, and you’re trying to be strong and not show them that they got to you but it doesn’t matter. A single tear falls from your eyes when you hear someone clear their throat. 

Whipping your head around you come to see Kate’s plum suit, the buttons open to show off her white shirt and shiny belt buckle. Her hand comes up to cup your cheek, thumb immediately wiping away the tear. She looks down at you, eyes softening momentarily as she searches your face. 

You’ve never seen her eyes harden like they do, clear ocean blue turning almost pitch black. “Would you like to explain yourself before I beat your ass?” The group all silence, but you can tell they don’t quite take her seriously. “Love the good answers, see you guys went to a great school. My guess is you don’t recognize me, right?” Her voice is bright and light, but the smile on her face is sarcastic. 

The big guy chuckles nervously, but puts his hand out in an attempt to calm the situation. “Look kid, Y/N gets what she has coming. She knew that coming here. Some new agent like you can’t scare us. We’re veterans.” His confidence is building again, and he starts laughing with his friends. A few joking jabs are thrown between them, but they don’t expect Kate to start laughing. 

“It’s okay, you guys don’t need to recognize me. I get it, I’m new and I did do my hair differently today.” She has a cocky smirk on her face now, staring dangerously at the big guy. “Let me introduce myself then. My name’s Kate Bishop, also known as Hawkeye or should I just drop the Avenger title now so that you dumbasses will understand?” She’s walked away from you by now, walking around the table to stand behind the group. Their heads turn to continue to watch her but by the time she comes to a stop behind the big guy, her smirk has dropped from her face. The man starts sputtering, realizing that he just crossed a line, but it doesn’t matter because seconds later the archer’s fist connects with his face. 

The other agents at the table stand quickly, positioning themselves for a fight. Kate just straightens her tie, buttons her jacket, and smiles brightly at them. Reaching to grab a glass from a passing waiter, she lifts it in a silent cheers. “If you guys want we can fight this one out but I can promise it won’t end well for you, or you can pick your friend up here and walk away.” One of the younger guys opens his mouth up to say something, but the archer just shushes him. “I wouldn’t argue with me, I happen to have a lot of very powerful friends who would back me without a second thought. I also happen to have deadly aim, before you even reach for the gun that you have strapped to your left thigh or the knife that is taped to your lower back,  towards the right, I will have thrown an arrow head straight through your eye.” Sipping at her drink, her eyes twinkle dangerously as she watches them. The group quickly drags away the big guy, and you can’t help but watch in awe as she quickly comes back to your side. 

She kneels down so she’s closer to you, and she scans your face. Her face hardens some when she notices the unshed tears, and she curses under her breath. “I’m sorry princess, I should have gotten Wanda or someone to completely obliterate them. I sh—“ You wrap your arms around her neck and bury your face in her hair, pulling her as close as possible. 

The feeling of her arms wrapping around you makes you giggle, sniffling as the shock and sadness finally starts to disappear. By the time she finally pulls away to question you, your giggles are shaking your body and you can barely breath. The smile she has on her face as she watches you silences you immediately, your heart skipping a beat and your brain turns to mush. “I love you so much Pups. My protective Puppy.” She’s blushing under your attention, a timid smile gracing her face that makes you fall in love even more. 

She looks down at her feet bashfully, playing with the loose fabric on your shirt. “Well I couldn’t let them speak to you like that, no matter the consequences. You don’t deserve it and I will go down punching until everyone agrees. ” You’re smiling down at her, playing with the baby hair on the back of her neck when someone clears their throat. 

You look up to see Steve, standing with his arms crossed and a firm look on his face, looking at the two of you.“Kate, you need to come with me now.” 

Your girlfriend sighs, letting her head fall to your knee. “Yes fossil, I’m coming now.” She nips playfully at your thigh before she stands. Leaning in the two of you share a quick kiss, you mumble something about letting Natasha know so she doesn’t get into too much trouble before you send her to follow the Captain. 

Typing out a quick text to the oldest widow, it’s ironic that the younger one finally comes back. She laughing to herself as she settles into the seat next to you. The blonde as already leaned over to read your text, laughing even louder. “Oh your spit fire girlfriend really did a number on that jackass, but don’t worry as soon as he came to I punched him again. Dumb ass kid thought that the best agent in the organization wouldn’t protect her best friend.” Yelena pulls out a flask, taking a quick drink before offering you a drink. The two of you laughing as you finally relax. 

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

Half asleep in a web that Peter made for you, you can barely see the boy hanging upside down through your sleep heavy eyes. The two of you were waiting in the common area of the compound on the rest of the team to come back from a training stimulator. You were just about asleep when the elevator dings and out steps Wanda. Perking up slightly at this, you try to fight through your sleepiness to grab her attention but you notice Vision trailing closely behind her. His presence makes you grumpy so you slump back into the web. 

It’s relatively quiet for a few minutes, the only sound is your mommy pulling out some pots and you can hear a box shake. It sounds like pasta and you wiggle happily because it usually means that she’s making you spaghetti. You can’t quite hear what they are saying but you can feel the annoyance radiating off of the Sokovian as the two begin to have a conversation. A soft whimper comes from the back of your throat and you attempt to sit up in the soft web, but you just sink farther down. Grumpily you rub your eyes, desperately trying to wake up more. 

Before you can get too far in your attempt the elevator dings again, and out storms an angry Kate. Once again the hardened look shocks you, and in your sleepy nature you slide back down into the web; looking over the edge sneakily to watch what would happen. 

Wanda is moving quickly over to Kate, leaving the pasta to boil, in an attempt to calm the girl. “Now is not the time Stray, he’s fine.” The wild look in the young archer’s eyes lets the older woman know that it’s a futile effort, and sighs. “Just…just stay a little quiet. Princess is sleeping over there.” The two glance over at you, where you look like you’re laying down. 

The younger brunette just nods, walking directly up to Vision. She smiling at him, an incredibly mocking curve of her lips. “You really are a dense computer. Not quite updated yet? Daddy didn’t get you the latest software yet?” Her eyes are dark and twinkling as she watches the confusion flood his system. She’s stalking towards him now, forcing him to take steps backwards until he trips and lands on a chair. She stares down at him, smile gone. Her face is dark and lacking her usual brightness, “Listen here toaster boy, she said no to you over four years ago. She has said no to you every single time you even speak to her, so what makes you think that Wanda even wants you to look at her?” 

Kate is staring down at Vision as his mouth opens and closes, her eyebrow arching as she watches him try to phase through the furniture. “Ms. Bishop, I think it would be best if you let Wanda speak for herself. It isn’t like you are anything that is entirely important to her.” The end of his sentence barely makes it out of his mouth when the archer has a knife pulled, the tip leaning against his throat. 

The look in your girlfriend’s eyes scares you some, never having seen her quite like this. She’s twisting the tip now, anger searing through her body. “You try to take advantage of Wanda constantly. Using her grief and her emotions as a way to weasel yourself into her life, but all you are is a hollow body with wires and coding. You can never be something tha-“ The magic that wraps around Kate’s wrist, drawing the knife away from the android's throat, makes the archer stop talking. She takes a deep breath, letting the knife fall from her fingers. “Leave. Now Vision. Don’t let me catch you trying to make another move on Wanda again. It won’t end pretty if you do.” 

She watches as he stumbles his way to the elevator, her body tense until she hears the dings as he moves floors away. Trusting her gut feeling she sags, letting her body fall backwards, to where she collides with Wanda. “C’mon Бродить, let’s get you in that web with toy and you two can cuddle while I finish dinner.” The witch’s arms are wrapped around Kate, leaving gentle kisses in her hair as the two shuffle towards you. The older woman helps your girlfriend into the web, settling her softly, as she whispers some praise to her. 

Your eyes are shut tightly, have been since you realized they were walking towards you. Kate buries her face in your neck, pulling you closer to her. She nips at your neck before sucking gently. “I know you’re awake babygirl.” Her voice is muffled, but it makes you chuckle. You pull her closer and settle with the warmth of her on top of you, a whisper of your love in her hair as you kiss her head. The sounds of Wanda humming and making dinner lulling the two of you to sleep, the archer calming down after her moment of protectiveness. 

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

The guilt was dripping from Kate, just as the sweat was from her forehead, as she helped Natasha limp onto the quinjet. The widow wasn’t hurt too badly, but the younger girl couldn’t help but feel as though her injury was her fault. She had run into the middle of a group of men, wanting to save a dog, which caused the ginger to have to save both her and the dog. 

Natasha was carefully watching Kate’s face, worry as she notices the young girl’s tense body. The two settle into their seats, the rescued dog curled up across the room. Steve walks over, hands resting on his belt, with a casual smile. “Ah Romanoff, can’t seem to stay safe on these things anymore—“. The moment that the Captain takes a step within the widow’s personal, the young Avenger is standing in front of the ginger. 

Kate’s face is hardened, her muscles tense and she’s pulled an arrow and a dagger out. The dagger lays on the soldier’s throat and the arrow is close to Kate’s body, ready to stab into him. “Back up Rogers.” Even the injured dog in the corner is now standing, growling lowly at Steve. 

The man chuckles, hands going up to show that he isn’t trying to be threatening, as he backs up slowly. “Okay okay, we’ll let you two calm down from the action of the day.” 

For the next three hours, the team would try to come and talk to the two women but each time Kate would threaten them in some way. Natasha let it happen, thinking it was funny to see the rest of the team get annoyed, but she noticed that even as everyone was leaving the jet the young archer was still pushing people away. 

Dr. Cho rushes up to Natasha, used to seeing the usual strong widow striding out of a mission, but she’s immediately shoved into a wall. Kate’s eyes are black as she stares down at her, an arrow head held tightly against Cho’s jugular. The doctor stares with wide eyes, unsure what to do in this situation as she had never seen the usually bubbly excitable archer so angry. 

The ginger lets her hand fall onto the young girl’s hip, and gently wraps her fingers around the hand tightly holding the arrow head. “Kate, let the big scary doctor go. She just wants to look at my leg and my torso.” The archer’s form wavers and the ginger takes that moment to swipe the arrowhead, and pin the girl to the wall. The Russian looks directly into the almost black unfocused eyes, “Little Mutt, you’re done. Yes?” She’s stroking the back of Kate’s neck now, pulling lightly on the baby hairs she finds there. “Let’s let the doctor look at my injuries and you practice sitting all pretty for me. Be a good mutt for me, pretty girl.” 

The two slowly walk backwards, Natasha keeping her eyes locked with the young archer’s. Kate trips some as the older woman settles on the examination table, but the loud sharp snap makes her drop to her knees immediately. 

A few doctors and nurses come in, all walking swiftly around the room, setting to work to take care of an Avenger. The ginger sees Kate’s jaw tighten so she reaches out, fingers running through the dark hair. “Here, now.” Directing the archer to curl herself around the non-injured leg, she smiles down at her. “There you go my girl, lay your head on my leg just like that.” 

Kate nuzzles into Natasha’s thigh, rubbing her face slightly into the smooth leather. A grumpy whine comes tumbling out of the brunette’s mouth when she notices the ginger flinch at one of the nurse’s movements. The young girl’s movements are slow, reaching for a knife strapped to her thigh. 

A deep throaty chuckle breaks the archer’s lazy anger as the older woman shushes her, shoving a couple fingers into her mouth. Natasha clicks her tongue, prompting Kate to start sucking on her fingers. “Such a good Little Mutt, protecting your хозяин. You’re so strong and so so scary. My guard dog.” 

The name makes Kate’s mind swirl, a fog settling behind her eyes as she pushes herself closer to Natasha’s leg. A heavy hand pushes her head back to lean on her thigh, “My fearless hero, always protecting me and our girls. Your хозяин is so proud of you, proud of you on the Avengers and in your training. You're mine and you constantly continue to break my expectations. My gorgeous little mutt.” 

Kate relished in the attention she was receiving, half asleep barely awake as the rest of the doctors stitched the widow up. The archer is leisurely sucking at the fingers, eyes heavy and unfocused as her entire body leans against the ginger. She’s mumbling some, once in a while, around the digits in her mouth anytime her heavy eyes catch sight of some shoes. 

Natasha shushes her every time, a small smile spreading across her face with each grumpy mumble. The ginger nods her thanks as the medical professionals take their leave, making sure that the young girl has enough silence to fully fall asleep. 

That’s where Wanda and you find them hours later, Natasha playing on her phone with Kate wrapped around her legs passed out. You skip over happily to the widow, giving her a quick kiss as you wrap your arms around her neck. “Hi, Daddy. Are you okay? Mommy said that you’re okay, but I think I should still get to play doctor later tonight.” The mischievous smile that spreads across your face makes her snicker, rolling her eyes teasingly. 

The Sokovian is kneeling down now, whispering in the younger brunette’s ear to wake her up. Gentle praise is the first thing Kate hears as she wakes up, stretching as she tries to loosen her tense tight muscles. The moment that she fully pulls away from Natasha’s leg, you’re on her. Pouncing on top of her, giggles erupting as the two of you fall backwards. “We have scary dog privileges now!” Rolling around together, Wanda takes her spot on Natasha’s lap. 

You end up straddling Kate’s lap as she holds you, nipping at your neck. Voice cracking as you whimper out, “Puppy, please.” She forces your hips down, letting you grind against her. 

Natasha and Wanda let their hands rubbing against you two as they near you, smirking at the needy way you roll your hips looking for pressure. “I think it’s time that we get your Stray to bed, don’t ya Little One? Let her play with you, a reward for her being so good.” 

The two watch as Kate’s hands slip under your shirt, letting her nails drag down your back. Her mouth harshly sucking marks into your neck before biting at your pulse point. “My needy little chew toy wants Puppy to make sure everyone knows who owns her?” The vigorous nod makes her chuckle, breathless against your neck. Standing as she lets you fall out of her lap, the three stare down at you. “Don’t worry you pathetic chew toy, you’re gonna get to make all the noise you want tonight. Off to your owner's room, now.” The arousal that takes over your body is intense, flooding your system, as you scamper away. 

The three of your partners share a look before Natasha wraps her hand around Kate’s neck. “Better chase after her Little Mutt, find your collar and leash.” The widow tightens her hold on her throat as she pulls her in for a rough kiss. As she lets her go, she points at the ground beaming with pride when Kate automatically begins to crawl towards their room. 

Wanda pulls at Natasha hips, letting her head fall on her shoulder. “We did pretty good for ourselves, didn’t we Tash?” There is a subtle smile in her voice as the witch nuzzles her face into her shirt. 

The widow kisses the younger woman’s head as she starts slowly walking towards the two towards their room, a smile plastered on her face. “Yea I think we really did well, but you know Little Witch without you none of this would have happened. You, my love, are the best type of instigator.” The two chuckle fondly as they finally enter their room, catching sight of you holding Kate’s leash as you kneel before her on the bed. The archer smirks down at you, looking over when she hears the other two enter. 

“Shall we begin, Stray?” 

Tag list: @simpfornatasharomanoff @simplysimping999 @8bitscarlet @yourtaletotell @s1ut4nat @simpforflorencepugh1 @theperfectlovestory @katebishop-ladyarrow @widowbitessting @caroldantops

[saintobio]

I've like casted the intro thingy almosy 3 times onto my TV atp so thank god finally my finger hit the ask box- Okay, SO SAINT, IK IM TIPSY RN BUT I MY ALCO FUZZIEX BRAIN CANNOT THINK OF ANYTHING BUT SY AND SY GOJO RN. IK IBEEN SOBBINF OVER HIM FOR THE PAST HOUR BUT SAINT, I WANNA CRY AND TELL U THAT U ARE AMAZING AND ILY, I HOPE YOI KNOW UOI DESERVE THE WORLD PLS 😭😭 IM SORRY IF THIS ASK COMES ACROSS AS SLOPPY AND PLAIN ANNOYING BUT HOLY SHIT IM JUSY CRYING AT HOW TALENTRD YOU ARE FOR GIVINF US QORLDS TO ESCAPE TO LIKE SN/SY, OLAL, WASTELANDS ESCPECIALLY WHEN PEOPLE HAVE BORINGASS LIVES LIKE MINE. ITS SO SEDENTARY AND STALE THAT I HAD TO DRINJ TO NOT BE THE SOBER ME. AND THEN YOURE SO NICE AND WITTY WITH ALL YOUR FOLLOWES TOO!!! YOURW HELLA COOL I HOPE U KNOW THAT!!! I HOPE U KNOW I ADOREE YOU MORE THAN ANY AUTHOR ATP. ILYYY. TAKE CARE OR GOJO NO UNBOX! BYE-BYE!!

ty so much!!! that’s so nice of u and it’s not annoying at all :D rly glad you enjoy some of my works <33

@otivez said

saint i've been DYING to tell you this omg my law professor told us this crazy story last week and istg it's sincerely not

it's very long and wild but in a nutshell this son of a high status family in the 60s needs to marry someone and his parents don't like his girlfriend so they find him a woman. he goes to his gf and tells her that he should marry the other woman and then they should see. fast forward a couple years he gets cancer and dies. after he dies, they see that he has 14 kids with his wife AND 15 with his girlfriend 😭 they ask the wife "why" and she says "well she gave birth so i had to give birth too" 😭 they were RACING 🤧 my mind just instantly went "what if reader was like sera too" shit gets even crazier that they even made a tv show about it

WHATJDJD THATS SO MESSY 😭

Anonymous said

Hello new reader here👀 An auntie lurking around.

I’m not an anime watcher (but a kdrama one) btw so I don’t know who this characters are irl? Is that even the term?🤣 I just happen to open tumblr after 5 years, this is my 12 year old account whom I spent my teenage years (you can guess my age already 😂)and that one person I’m following reblogged your Sincerely yours series. AND GURL WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN IN MY HECTIC BORING CORPORATE LIFE?!!! It’s been too loooong since I got invested like this for real😭 I am so intrigue, this is nothing like The Princess Diaries I used to read😒😂 and now I discover this gem called smut brrrr Guess what chapter I happen to read first, it’s the bora bora damn I was like, this series is fucking interesting I’m hooked and started reading from the very beginning. To that person who reblogged that chapter, thank you! And Saint, I love you! Muah💋

P.S I’m not following you yet, I don’t want to see the juicy spoilers 😁but I will, I PROMISE once I’m done teehee. And I just google this fucker Gojo Satoru (I’m in a chapter where I really despise him and Sera right now hahaha) he’s my wallpaper now btw and now I’m introducing him to my niece as my cheating rich handsome fiance so they’d stop calling me an old maiden😩

P.P.S can I share how I imagine yn’s style and appearance? It’s Kang Sa-Ra in kdrama A beauty Inside❤️ this is before I saw your curated aesthetic images for sn and yn hehe

it’s sooo interesting when people who don’t watch jjk actually read sn/sy 😭 i hope u know that they are very ooc in this series, and gojo isn’t like this at all HAHAJAJ also i haven’t watch that drama but the inspos for her fashion usually come from typical kdrama chaebols 😹

Anonymous said

I really wanted yn and Gojo to end up together because I’m a Gojo simp lmao. But if SN and SY with OG characters? honestly I don’t want the FL to end up with the ML I want them to go on their separate ways but have a healthy or civil coparenting their child. They’re both too broken to be together again but if they happen to have the strength to patch things up, I wish they’re already both healed to be together again.

If Gojo and YN is the endgame… Saint, I wonder how… And if they’re not… waaah

Anonymous said

This is a terrible thing to say but I'm toji x yn because i think it's the less worse option of gojo x yn. Both relationships have major issues but toji by comparison has less issues and can be salvage. Despite the titanic reference gojo made in sn19 their ship sunk and is staying at the bottom.

gojoyn or tojiyn, i think we can all agree that yn x therapy should come first 😫

@bellehalla said

this is not new but i will defend those Utahime haters because...i am one of them. first of all, why would you go after your friend's ex boyfriend. that itself is already questionable. then you go after an ex that your friend has a bad and complicated history with. apparently, that's not enough to set her head straight. then, you as a friend, know that this friend of yours is losing her shit, losing her mind over this dude and you're out here uwu catching feelings. BUT GREAT CHAPTER SAINT! <33

ahahaha i just know utahime wouldn’t give this much damn abt gojo in canon 😭 but sy!hime is a cassie

Anonymous said

Oh boy, your writing is so captivating! sn6 is the first chapter I've read as it's been released and what a chapter it has been... Thank you for doing this!

A question, I've seen in your profile that your type is INFP and as an mbti nerd have been wondering if you take the personality types of the characters when writing the story?

Sorry if the question has been asked before but I've just been very curious :)

tysm <33 i’m not very knowledgeable about mbti but i remember one of my readers who did a long post abt the characters mbti and why they make sense!! sorry i couldn’t find it anymore but it was during sn era, which is several months ago T^T

[donaidk]

You’ve got to be kidding me!? Oh, there is so much I want to say right now… about loving your faves even if they aren’t single anymore. About not hating on people. About maybe getting out of made up fantasies. But my dash has been pretty nice and a scroll through the tags also made me quite happy….

I'm not even surprised at this point. They were all vague posting without tags. It surprised me how clean the tag is, then I got onto dash and realised why 😂 Went from following around 90-95 blogs to 81 in like 10 mins, and got annoyed so fricking much.

I understand having lil fantasies and escape realities where you go when things are shit. That's what I have fics for I guess, and daydreaming with Moni somedays (read most days). But ffs learn where that huge line between reality and imaginary world SHOULD be. Not where it is for you, where it actually should be. Other than getting hurt so many times because of it, it's also a pretty unnecessary drama source for everyone else around you. Read a fic, imagine a scenario, write something down, make a fancam or anything and then step back and live your life without bashing others for literally just living their own 🤷

We all had a time in our life, or I shoud say most of us, where we all thought fairytails will become real but please just grow up... Might be just my opinion, but it just isn't healthy.

[carladuquette]

Merry Christmas Day! Here are some Elite holiday snapshots from Close your eyes that work as stand-alones. I wasn’t on tumblr last Christmas, sooo I’m posting them now 😂 Lu x Guzman and VaLu ahead. Brief somewhat explicit scene in the last snapshot.

** Lu's and Nadia's sophomore year at Columbia

The first Christmas she and Nadia flew back from New York, Lu told her friend about the tree trimming date she and Laura had every year. Her voice was hesitant- it felt like she was on thin ice, with all the history between them. She wanted to give Nadia a veto right, but at the same time she really, really hoped the other girl wouldn't use it.

Rather unexpectedly, decorating a tree with Guzman's mother, of all people, had become one of the things she most looked forward to each December. It had started when she was 14, the first Christmas she had been dating Guzman. When Laura had learned Lu's father hired a professional decorator to do their tree, she had invited Lu over to decorate theirs. Guzman had stuck around for five minutes and then escaped, and Marina had decided that at 14, she was extremely over tree trimming.

For three years, Lu loved going over to Guzman's to decorate with his mother. Then came senior year, her worst Christmas ever, followed by hers and Nadia's first Christmas in New York freshman year, when they hadn't yet saved up enough for flights back to Madrid over the holidays. Now that they were almost back in Spain, Lu longed to see Laura again, but she would leave the final decision up to Nadia.

"Are you sure you're ok with this?" Lu turned away from the plane window and looked at her friend. "You don't mind me trimming the tree with your boyfriend's mom?"

Nadia laughed. "Lu, I truly do not care. I don't even celebrate Christmas and Laura loves doing this with you, from what I've heard."

So do I, Lu thought.

It wasn't like she had ever shared anything like this with her own mother, even before they cut all ties.

** Christmas in Norway. Lu is 8, Valerio is about to turn 10.

It was still snowing. Lu knew that her mom hated the cold winter weather- that was hard to miss, the way she complained to her dad whenever she thought she and Val wouldn't hear. Lu wasn't sure about the details, only that they wouldn't go home to Mexico for the holidays because her dad had just started his posting in Oslo, and that her mom was mad about it.

When she had asked Valerio about it, he'd scoffed. "Your mom isn't mad about being stuck here, Lu. She's mad all the time because I'm here."

Lu had resolutely shaken her head. That obviously couldn't be right. This was the first time that she got to spend more than a few days at a time with her half-brother (their dad wanted them to drop the half because "family is family," but her mom insisted it was important to be correct about these things), and in the two months since their arrival in Norway, Lu had decided Valerio was the coolest person in the entire world.

She wanted to get him something really cool for Christmas, too, which was the reason she was going through his drawers right now. Lu knew she had to be quick, because Val didn't want her in his room if he wasn't there. She had just found what she was looking for when the door flew open.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Lu hid her treasure behind her back and nodded along with Val's yelling. "I told you not to go into my room! Get out or I'm telling dad!"

She mumbled "Sorry, I was just looking," and scooted past him.

On Christmas Eve Lu impatiently waited for Val to open her present. She only got distracted when her mother handed her a flat box with the words "something special, I think you're old enough to appreciate this now." Her small hands tore at the paper, opened the jewelry box - and then Lu gasped. Inside was a beautiful bracelet that sparkled in the light. She took it out and looked at the blinding white stone pendant in awe.

"That's a real diamond, princess," her mother told her as she fastened the bracelet around her wrist. "You can only wear it on special occasions. Look how beautiful it looks!"

She thought she heard her dad say "ridiculous" under his breath, but Lu didn't care. She hugged her mom tightly and only let go at the pained "Lucrecia, you're wrinkling my blouse."

When the time finally came, she gave Val his present and held her breath. He tore it open and whooped when he saw what was inside.

"This is so awesome! Where did you find one that looks exactly like my old one?"

Lu felt like she was floating - he liked it! For weeks, ever since his old Gameboy had died, she had heard Val beg their dad for a new one. And for weeks, their dad's answer had been the same.

"No one sells those old things anymore, Valerio. You should read more, anyway."

Now Val smiled at her so widely that her insides were all gooey. She practically skipped over to him and sat at his feet. "That is your old one," she told him. "I took it from your room the other day. I'm sorry! But Jan said his older sister could fix Gameboys so I brought it to school and he took it home and she looked at it and she really could fix it! She says it works better now than it did before."

Before she knew what was happening, Val had enveloped her in a hug. "Best present ever," he whispered in her ear. Lu never wanted Christmas to end.

The next morning, she was in tears. Her mom was yelling at her, her dad was yelling at her mom and Val sat mutely in a corner. Lu had gone outside to build a snowman in their giant backyard in the morning. She had forgotten that she had put on her bracelet earlier to see how the diamond reflected the light every time she turned her wrist. And now the bracelet was gone.

"I'm sorry," Lu cried again. "I, I forgot I was wearing it, I'm sorry, mom, maybe we can, maybe…" At this point she was hiccupping so hard she could barely talk anymore. "Maybe we can still find it if we go outside and look for it! I'm really sorry, mom, really, I didn't mean to-"

Her mom lowered her voice and fixed her with the cold stare that Lu hated. "It. Is. Snowing. Outside. Right now! How do you expect to find anything out there, let alone a small bracelet? I should have never trusted you with something this valuable."

Her father loudly said he had been against the idea from the start. Lu was full-on sobbing. She knew that her parents didn't like "this sort of behavior," but she couldn't help it. Val walked over and put an arm around her shoulder. His voice only shook the tiniest bit when he said "Hey, she didn't do it on purpose."

Her mom whipped around, looking like she had been waiting for Val to open his mouth. There was more yelling. By the time Lu was sent up to her room, she was glad to get away. She couldn't escape her parents' voices, though. Fragments of their argument were audible through the walls. Her mom was "sick of being stuck in this frozen tundra." Lu was pretty sure she also caught something about her and Val giving her mom headaches, "him especially. I still can't believe you had her child move here with us." Her dad was quieter so Lu couldn't make out what he was saying, but he first sounded like he was sorry and then, when the yelling continued, tired and frustrated.

***

When Valerio came downstairs the next morning, there were two suitcases in the hall. Lu's mom was putting on her coat, their dad, already fully dressed, walked toward the stairs and ran into him.

"Oh good, you're awake already," he said before yelling "Lucrecia, come down here."

When the two of them stood next to each other in the hallway in their pjs, eyes still bleary, their dad explained that they were leaving on a short trip.

"Your mothe-" He caught himself, briefly looking at Valerio and then at his wife. "Marisol needs a break, so we're going to see friends on Sicily. We'll be back by the time you start school again. Marie-Angela can't come in until tonight because she technically has Christmas Day off, but she'll be here in time to make you dinner. And then she'll move into her room here again. Now, be good. I don't want to hear about any trouble."

What?

Lu seemed just as shocked as him.

"No!" She ran up to her mom. "We still haven't baked cookies! You said we'd do that during break. It's Christmas, you can't leave!"

Valerio's hands curled into fists as he heard his half-sister cry. Marisol merely patted her head, pushed her away - and then they were gone.

He tried his best to comfort Lu, who kept repeating she was sorry about the bracelet and that they should go outside and look for it until Valerio couldn't take it anymore.

"You are so dumb!" It broke out of him and he was sorry the second he saw the look on Lu's face. But he couldn't stop. "It's not about your stupid bracelet! And it's freaking freezing outside, we're not gonna dig through the snow for something we can't find anyway. You'll have to wait until it melts in a few weeks. Why don't you watch TV or something?"

Valerio started heading upstairs. "And don't come into my room!"

An hour later he lowered his Gameboy, looked outside and sighed. He felt bad about yelling at Lu. Marisol despised him, and his father, Valerio was pretty sure, didn't care too much about him either. But with Lu he had lucked out in the little sister department. He looked at the Gameboy in his hand and grinned. He wasn't going to come out and apologize to Lu, but that didn't mean they couldn't have fun together with the house all to themselves.

"Lu?" he called out sticking his head out the door. When he didn't get a reply, he went over to her room to check. She wasn't there. He couldn't hear the big TV playing in the living-room, either. Where was she?

"Lu, we can hang out in my room now if you want." Still no reply. He made his way downstairs and checked the living-room, the library and the kitchen. Nothing. And then his gaze drifted to the backyard. There, in the furthest back corner by the snowman, was a small shape the color of Lu's obnoxious pink winter coat. The shape was on the ground. And Valerio didn't see it moving.

His heart went cold.

He dashed over to the patio door. "Lu! LU!" She still didn't move. Valerio ran back to the front of the house, pulled on his boots and the first coat that fell into his hands, and rushed out into the yard. The snow was falling heavily now and got into his eyes. When he made it to Lu, he threw himself to the ground next to her. She was moving, he could see from up close - she was shivering. There were small valleys in the snow around her where it looked like Lu had been digging.

Valerio pulled her up by the shoulders. "What are you doing?" he shouted. "For how long have you been out here?"

When she looked up at him, he could see that her lips were blue. Her teeth were chattering so badly he didn't understand all of what she was saying, but he could make out "bracelet." Valerio wanted to scream.

Lu's soft whimpering brought him back. "Ok, we need to go back inside. Come on, Lulu." He reached for her hands to pull her up. That's when he saw she was only wearing one glove. Her left hand looked grey and felt like the ice sculpture at his dad's welcome party at the embassy that he had touched when no one had been looking. He blinked once. Then he hoisted her up and made his way through the snow back to the house.

Once inside Lu still didn't stop shaking after he had ripped off her coat and shoes, deposited her on the couch and covered her with a blanket. Valerio tried asking her why she had only been wearing one glove, but she couldn't speak, only made those small noises that were scaring him.

He didn't know what to do and he wanted his dad. No crying. No crying! He jumped up and ran over to the table to grab his phone. He was only allowed to use it for emergency calls (and for games), but this was definitely an emergency. "Come on come on come on." But his dad didn't pick up.

Valerio couldn't stop a few tears from falling. He and Lu were alone and he was older, so he was in charge, but he didn't know what to do to help her. Do something, a voice in his head screamed. Anything! He started rubbing her hand the way he had seen in that documentary about mountain climbers. Was that enough? What did he do when he was cold after hockey practice at school?

When the lightbulb went off over his head, Valerio jumped up so quickly that he knocked a glass off the coffee table. He didn't pay it any mind. With some effort he managed to drag Lu off the couch and up the stairs into the bathroom, where he took off their clothes until they were both in t-shirts and underwear. It still freaked him out how cold Lu felt, all over, not just her scary-looking hand.

"Ok, turning on the water now," he told her after maneuvering the two of them into the shower. When the hot stream hit her, she yelped and tried to pull away, but he didn't let her. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but this will help. Sit still!"

Eventually, her skin began feeling less icy and the color slowly returned to her hand. It had to hurt though- she was crying, Valerio noticed with dismay. She was saying something, too.

"Mommy, I want mommy," she whimpered. "It hurts. Where is mom?"

Valerio pulled her close and let the water run over them. "She's not here," he said. "But I am. I'm here. I got you. It's you and me, Lulu. I got you. Promise."

Later, when they were cuddled up in his bed, Lu told him about going outside to look for the bracelet, how she had lost a glove but didn't want to stop looking because she thought that if she found the bracelet, they could call her mom and tell her and then she'd come home. "Please don't tell on me," she said in a small voice. "I don't want mom and dad to get mad."

If he said a single word now, Lu would be able to tell how mad he was, but not at her. So instead, Valerio just nodded and rested his chin on top of her head. A few minutes later, both kids were asleep.

** Marina's last Christmas. Lu is 16.

Lu adjusted her headband and checked herself in her pocket mirror one last time before she rang Guzman's bell. She was pretty sure that Marina would make fun of the satin red bow in her hair, but she had stopped caring what that wannabe rebel thought ages ago. Spending time with Marina occasionally was part of dating Guzman, and when their parents were around, Lu made sure to be polite and behave appropriately (unlike Marina). But she had no illusion about the fact that her boyfriend's sister didn't like her, and knew how she felt about her, too.

Well, she was dating Guzman, not Marina. Lu was going to do her best to make this Christmas Eve, the first she and Guzman got to spend together, special. Hopefully Marina would make an effort to-

Guzman opened the door with a pained face and the first thing Lu heard was Ventura shouting "You will apologize to your mother right now, Marina!"

Guess not.

"Thank God you're here, it's been fucking crazy today," Guzman said with a frustrated sigh.

Lu preened, but quickly caught herself. She probably shouldn't be excited about her boyfriend's family issues. But hey, he was happy to see her.

"Oh Bonbon, I'm sorry." She pulled him in for a kiss. "Here, why don't you take the presents?"

Lu picked up the large canvas bag she had dropped and handed it to Guzman.

"Lu, what the hell? We said no gifts!"

She stared at him. "I didn't think you had actually meant that!"

"What did you think I meant when I said- you know what, forget it. Come in."

Just as he pulled her in, Marina ran past them. She briefly stopped, let out an "ugh, great" when she saw Lu and proceeded up the stairs. "And a merry Christmas to you, too," Lu said dryly.

In the kitchen, Laura was sitting at the table downing a glass of wine, with Ventura pacing behind her. Lu put on her best Charm the Parents smile. "Good evening!"

Ventura shook her hand with a forced joviality, but Laura seemed genuinely glad she was there, Lu thought. When she saw the presents, she looked at Guzman. "Do you have something for your girlfriend, love? Didn't you tell me there'd be no gifts? Well," she winked at Lu conspiratorially, "thank goodness I prepared for this eventuality. Never trust men to handle things like that."

Lu smiled. Then she saw Guzman roll his eyes. She backpedaled that they really had agreed, she just wanted to show her gratitude for the invitation, but Lu could tell that he had checked out of the conversation. Her smile dropped.

Things didn't continue much better. Marina came back downstairs eventually and while there was no more screaming, the mood was tense. Lu tried to keep the conversation going, talked to Ventura about a literacy initiative that her dad was setting up in Mexico and mentioned how excited her and Guzman were about the project the two of them were working on together in art class. She ignored Marina's scoff, and the fact that Guzman only grunted in approval. She also praised the Christmas cookies she was offered, probably slightly overenthusiastically, but at that point she was getting desperate.

When Ventura and Laura were in the kitchen, Lu started kissing Guzman - she was doing most of the work here, too, although she could tell by the way his grip on her waist tightened that at least this effort might be successful. Then Marina dropped onto the couch right next to them.

"That's really the only way to shut you up, isn't it?"

Lu tore herself away from Guzman and faced Marina - she was done with her bullshit. "Listen, darling, you're sitting in a mansion without a fucking care in the world, with a family who is doing nothing but trying to have a nice Christmas. And you seem to be doing your best to stop that from happening. Would it kill you to show your mom a little respect?"

Marina laughed, but there was a bite to it. "Oh, I think mom is just fine. She has you, right? You're more than happy to play perfect daughter, with the tree decorating and the presents and everything. You even managed to get yourself invited today with that sob story of being home alone on Christmas Eve. Congratulations!"

Lu pressed her lips together. She had told Laura that her dad and Valerio were only flying in tomorrow when the older woman had asked about her plans during the tree trimming three days ago. She hadn't been angling for an invitation. Well, she hadn't planned on it, anyway, before Laura had brought it up. It only occurred to her now, seeing the way Guzman raised his eyebrows and looked away, that maybe she should have talked to her boyfriend before accepting his mother's invitation. But why shouldn't she spend Christmas Eve at his house? This was their third Christmas together!

"If you keep pinching your face like that it'll give you wrinkles," she told Marina. "I didn't have to 'get myself invited' here - Guzman and I are together. I'm sorry if that bothers you, but you don't get a vote on it. Honestly, I don't understand why you're so angry all the time. Maybe try smiling every now and then. Or is that too bourgeois for you?"

"Of course you don't understand why I'm angry!" Suddenly Marina was shouting. "You have no idea-"

Guzman had jumped to his feet next to her. "Marina, don't!"

Before Lu could ask for an explanation, Laura came in to tell them dinner was ready.

At least her presents were a success. Ventura whistled quietly when Lu gave him the Mexican tequila she'd been saving for this exact moment. Laura fawned over the black-and-gold Dior bag Lu had spent hours picking out. Marina merely managed a stunned "Oh" at the reproduction of a Degas sketchbook containing early versions of the Impressionist's famous ballet dancers. Only Guzman's reaction left something to be desired in Lu's eyes. All she got for the VIP Aitana concert tickets was a short "Thanks, babe" and a kiss on the cheek. He seemed to be angry, but Lu couldn't figure out what she'd done wrong.

Before Laura served dessert, Lu checked her phone and saw that her father had tried to call. She double-checked the time and was confused - he should be on a plane right now. With a pleasant smile, Lu excused herself and went into the living room to call him back.

When he told her he was still in Mexico City because there had been an issue with the jet a friend let him use, Lu couldn't believe her ears. "So you won't be here tomorrow morning? Can't you just get on a regular flight?"

"Lucrecia, please be an adult about this," her father said sharply. "You know how I feel about flying commercial. I'll let you know when they fixed the problem and I have a better idea of when I will be home."

Lu sat on the couch too stunned to move for a second. Then it dawned on her that if her dad wasn't coming… She couldn't help but let out a small cry, then called Val. He was livid. Apparently, their father had only let him know minutes ago that he would not be picking him up in Santiago, a detour the ambassador had previously insisted on.

"Lu, I had no idea either. I'm trying to get on a flight that's going anywhere in Spain, but with the holidays, everything is booked. I'll swim if I have to, but I won't make it by tomorrow."

The walk back into the dining room felt like she was trudging through jello. Lu made an effort to act like nothing was wrong, but Laura saw through her in seconds. When she had gotten the full story out of her, Laura's mouth hung open for a moment. But she collected herself quickly, with a decisive "Of course you'll stay with us!"

Guzman's forced smile and his quick kiss on her cheek made Lu feel worse than if he'd outright asked her to leave. She tried to refuse, but Laura wouldn't have it.

Coming back from the bathroom a few minutes later, Lu could hear Guzman's parents argue in the kitchen. "I just don't think we need a house guest right now, with everything our family is going through," Ventura said in a barely constrained whisper.

Lu heard Laura set her glass down. "Ventura, I am not sending her home to an empty house. She is 16! What kind of parent leaves their child alone on Christmas?"

The question hit Lu like a slap. As quietly as she could, she turned around and walked back into the living-room, where she had left her purse. She was just making sure that her phone was in it when she heard steps behind her. Lu quickly wiped her cheeks before she turned around. This was humiliating enough already.

Marina was looking at her, arms crossed but her face more open than Lu had seen it all night. "What are you doing?"

"I should go," Lu said. She picked up her bag and tried to get around Marina to pick up her coat, but the other girl wouldn't let her pass. Lu threw her hands up in frustration. If she didn't get out quickly, Marina would see her cry. Marina. That couldn't happen. "Will you let me through? I really should go. You don't want me here, your dad isn't happy and Guzman can't wait for me to leave."

Marina sighed. "Bullshit." In one fluid motion, she took Lu's bag from her and threw it back on the couch. "Text your dad that you're staying with us."

Lu was so surprised that she could only do as she was told. When she came back into the dining room, she saw Marina and Guzman talking - mostly Marina. When they saw her, Marina shoved her brother and he walked over to her.

"I'm sorry Valerio and your dad aren't coming," he told Lu honestly, taking both her hands. "Will you please stay with us? With me?"

For the first time since she'd gotten to Guzman's, Lu felt like she could exhale - like it was actually Christmas. As soon as she nodded, Guzman leaned down to kiss her. They only broke apart when Laura cleared her throat.

"I thought it might be nice to go to midnight mass," she said. "Be ready to leave in an hour."

"We don't go to church all year, mom!" Marina jumped at the chance for another discussion. "I am not going along with this fake charade! I don't think Jesus would appreciate it very much."

"Marina…" Laura sounded exasperated.

Guzman pulled Lu onto his lap and kissed her again, then grinned at her. "You know mom is only doing this because she knows you like to go, right?"

Lu laughed, hoping he couldn't tell how touched she was by the gesture.

Sitting in church later, Lu leaned forward as Guzman was reading the worship guide. She waited until Laura looked over at her and mouthed "thank you." The bells marking the beginning of the service started ringing just as she was leaning back.

** Last Christmas. Lu has been seeing Rafael for three weeks, Val and Leo have been together for eight months.

Because the time between Christmas and New Year's was always crowded, Carla had been hosting the winery's end of year party in early December for years. Lu always looked forward to it. It wasn't a stuffy sit-down dinner with endless courses and wine pairings. Instead, a group of around 100 people gathered in the winery's large cellar, listened to live music and sampled round after round of wine, with the occasional fingerfood snack. Lu always ended up completely smashed, and she knew she wasn't the only one. The waiters were too good with coming around with a new bottle what felt like every five minutes.

After wine number three or four, Valerio said something to the little group he was standing in with Leo, Carla and a couple of winery employees and turned to go upstairs. The look he gave her across the room sent shivers up Lu's spine. She handed Rafael her glass, excused herself and followed Val. She'd just reached the top of the stairs when she was pulled around the corner and pushed into the wall, with Val's lips and hands on her immediately.

"You can't wear that dress and then barely talk to me all night while you parade around your boyfriend," he murmured against her neck.

Lu pushed him away half-heartedly. "What if someone comes up the stairs?" She wanted to sound more upset, but the breathless way her voice came out nixed that.

Val smirked and pulled her a little further down the hall. Since no one was working anymore, the lights in this part of the winery had been turned off, leaving them in the dark except for the light coming from the stairs. Val kissed her again, slower this time.

No, she was not going to make it this easy for him. "Talk to a girl a little before you start ravaging her, where are your manners?"

Valerio laughed. "Ok. Fine." He played with a strand of her hair. "When will I see you for Christmas?"

Ah, the holiday puzzle. Lu realized it would take a little more planning this year, now that it wasn't just her-and-Val anymore. No "Depraved Orphans' Christmas" as Val had dubbed it a couple of years ago.

She told Val about her Christmas Eve plans, even though those had been the same for years -dinner with Nadia, Guzman and Laura. "And then…" She hesitated for a split second. "Rafael and I are at his family's Christmas Day."

"Are you serious?" Val dropped the strand of her hair. Lu couldn't fully tell in the dark hallway, but she was pretty sure the look on his face qualified as incredulous. "You've only been dating for a few weeks!"

Lu crossed her arms. She had no reason to feel defensive, and yet… "So? He makes me happy. And parents love me, you know that. Of course he wants to take me home! You'll be with Leo anyway, right?"

"Ah." Lu hated how knowing Val sounded. "I see. Sure, she's asked whether I want to come to her parents' for Christmas." He took a step toward her and Lu lifted her hand to play with the top buttons of his shirt. Val's voice was deep when he asked her "Does that mean I won't get to see you for Christmas at all?"

Lu pushed her hand into his shirt and slowly raked her nails across his chest. "Rafael's family does lunch on Christmas Day, I could be home in time for dinner."

"Leo's family does dinner."

"After-dinner cocktails it is." Lu didn't look away when Val roughly grabbed her hand and stared at her.

He took another step toward her so he was crowding her into the wall. "10 pm, your place."

The next thing she was aware of were Val's lips on her. The kiss was so rough it took her breath away. He wanted a struggle? Fine. Lu hooked her fingers in the short curls at the back of his neck and pulled, hard. Val growled and Lu smiled into the kiss triumphantly.

He made his way down her jaw, her neck, biting, sucking. By the time his hand went under her skirt, Lu was so sensitive that the brush of his fingers against her panties made her moan.

"Sssh, you don't want anyone to hear us, right?" Lu shook her head, but let out a yelp when he pushed one finger inside of her. It was like she had no control over her own body. Val slowed.

"If you can't be quiet, Lu…" No. There was no way they were going to stop now. Lu bucked her hips, desperate for more friction. Val covered her mouth with his other hand. He looked into her eyes and she nodded.

Val wasn't able to fully cover her screams, but Lu didn't care. His other hand was fucking her so hard and fast that she lost all awareness for her surroundings. When she came down from her high, it was Val's turn to grin at her triumphantly. He removed the hand that had her head pushed against the wall and slowly pulled out the other one.

Lu's breath was still coming out in short huffs and her legs gave out as soon as she lost the support. Val caught her quickly and held her up until she stopped shaking. "Hey." He leaned in and kissed her cheek, gently pushing her hair out of her face. "You ok?" He pulled away enough to look at her.

Lu blinked. The tenderness of the moment hit her so suddenly that her throat closed up. All she could do was nod.

***

Christmas Eve with Laura, Guzman and Nadia was lovely. Her 17-year-old self would've thrown a fit at the suggestion of having dinner with this particular group of people, but Lu was proud to say she had grown past her teenage narrow-mindedness.

Christmas Day lunch with Rafael and his family had been a success as well, even though for her, it had resembled a flawless performance more than something she genuinely enjoyed. Rafael had told her to "relax" as they'd pulled up to his parents' house. Cute.

His family ended up enamored with her, obviously, but things like that didn't just happen. Lu had a routine, a repertoire of stories, gestures, laughs that she'd honed for years and would adjust according to her audience. Of course his mom and stepdad had loved her. Of course his grandfather had been so delighted with her, he at some point during the afternoon had taken Rafael aside and whispered something into his grandson's ear all choked up while both men were looking at her. Rafael's brother had only shown average levels of enthusiasm, but that was normal - Lu knew that winning over people her own age always took her a little longer. She'd have Louis eating out of the palm of her hand by Easter.

Now she was ready for the part of Christmas she had been looking forward to the most. After the act she had had to put on all day, Lu was extra grateful for the fact she could be on the couch in her yoga pants and a tasteful red-and-gold Christmas sweater. For a couple of years, she had waited by the door for Val wearing intricate lingerie. But more recently, both of them had agreed on Christmas being more of a quiet affair.

They didn't even do presents (with one particular exception), a marked contrast to the stress Lu had gone through for years with her parents, or with Guzman and his family. No, Christmas with Val meant getting to enjoy the luxury of hours of uninterrupted time together without setting foot outside into the real world.

The key turned in the door just as she was dropping the ice into their martini glasses. Lu felt Val's arms sneak around her from behind and giggled as he was nosing her throat. "Merry Christmas, Lulu."

She turned around and kissed him. "Merry Christmas to you. And cheers."

Valerio accepted his glass. "Cheers." After taking a large sip, he grinned at her. "Wow, you're generous with the gin. Good thing I don't have anywhere to be tonight."

After their second round, when Lu was fully in Val's lap curled up like a cat, they briefly talked about their respective outings that day. They were adults after all. Try as she may, Lu couldn't fully push down the shot of relief that went through her when she heard the lack of emotion in Val's voice as he talked about dinner with the Monteros. She kept her own description of events short ("It was a success, no surprise there") and then got up to fix them another round of martinis.

When she came back into the living room, Val was splayed out on the couch wearing nothing but his briefs. At her giggle, he raised his eyebrows in mocked outrage. "What are you laughing at? This is what the ladies like!"

He tried to pull her down on top of him and she only managed to hold out long enough to set the glasses down on the table (with a considerable amount of their drinks ending up on the floor). She was laughing hysterically in no time. It should be illegal for someone who knew her this well to tickle her.

"You are wearing an unacceptable amount of clothes," he said loudly over her shrieks. "That sweater has got to go."

In the end, they were both on the floor in their underwear. Taking off everything else had turned out to be a great idea when Lu had bumped into the coffee table in her effort to overpower Val and given them both a martini shower. She was just starting to complain about the stickiness when Val licked her arm and then smacked his lips like he had tasted a good wine. "Screw body shots," he said, "this is the only way I will ever have martinis again."

They silently agreed to stay on the floor, which Lu was thankful for because her stomach hurt from laughing. Val had an arm slung over her waist and her head was resting on his chest. She only realized they had talked for over an hour when Val started to gently push her off of him.

"Hey." He laughed at her unhappy whine. "It's almost midnight and I do want to give you your present before Christmas is over."

Val got up to grab a small package from the pocket of his coat. He placed it in her lap and sat down facing her. They were so close that his breath ghosted over her face. Lu slowly unwrapped the soft package and felt her eyes well up when the paper fell away.

"Another pair for your collection," Val said softly, using his thumb to wipe away the one tear that was rolling down her cheek.

Lu slid her hands into the gloves. The grey leather was buttery soft, the cashmere lining made her feel like she had stuck her hands into a cloud.

"Thank you," she whispered. It didn't matter that she'd received a pair of gloves from Val every year since she was nine - it still felt like affection was being poured out over her until she was covered head to toe. And if she'd have a hundred pairs stacked away in her drawers, Lu was absolutely certain she'd never tire of the warmth that spread through her when Val handed her his gift. She had no recollection of Christmas in Norway when she was eight years old except for a single memory: Hot water running down her back and Val's "I got you" in her ear.

She bridged the short distance between them, leaned over with her gloved hands on his knees and kissed him. "I love you."

Val framed her face with his hands. "I love you, too."

[angelhotchner]

okay okay, for the questions!

7, 16, 17, 24, 26, 38, 42 and 48

luv ya

Hi babes! I love you too! ❤️

7 - Can you swim?

I can! Until I was three, I lived in a house off road next to a canal, so my mother made me get baby swimming lessons just in case anything happened. I did nearly drown when I was 4 but I can swim fine 😂

16 - a netflix series that's your favourite?

Honestly, I'm not one for Netflix originals. I liked Riverdale but it turned to shit real fast. But I watch Benidorm a lot on UK Netflix, classic British humour

17 - an earliest obsession that you remember

Bratz. I was OBSESSED and I still very much am. My last FM says Bratz is my top artist of all time 😂. That's where I got the whole angel aesthetic, from Rock Angelz.

24 - what have you learned about yourself?

That I am changing constantly, and will forever change, and that I'll never be the girl I was when I was fifteen, but I'll be someone even better one day. That it's normal to feel nostalgic and for your personality to change over the years.

26 - do you believe in aliens?

I believe that there is another life form that we haven't found yet, but as far as 'aliens', I don't really believe in that.

38 - what's the meaning behind your URL?

Angel tags back to Bratz Rock Angelz, but also references a personal escapism world that I created when I was younger. I still happily dream in that world and it creates some amazing inspiration for fics. I just have a big connection to the world Angel and I've never let it go...and obviously Hotchner because damn SSA Hotch is my daddy.

42 - earphones or a speaker?

I like my earphones when I'm sleeping, but I prefer speakers overall. I have to have my earphones set up a certain way as I have bad hearing loss in my right ear, but speakers are easier because I can feel the bass and it helps me to hear better ❤️

48 - how weird were these questions?

Not weird at all!