#but also recently by Backpack Battles

[dufrau]

why do i ever buy AAA games when all i really want to do most of the time is play cheap little indie roguelikes

[kometqh]

𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬

501st x F!Jedi!Reader General Skywalker clearly wasn't a reliable source of intell, having pointed you and Rex's squad into the icy tumbra of a long deserted planet, however, it was due to his calculated mistake that the Clones were able to reveal your deeply hidden desires. Being stuck in a cave with numerous handsome, attractive men was not on your to-do list, yet you weren't complaining. Word Count: 3028

Warnings: Unedited, random brain rainbow vomit I had whilst practicing writing techniques <3 It's somewhat (quite) spicy towards the end. There is a lot of fluff throughout most of it! A/N: This is mostly just Tup, Rex and Fives x reader as this was a very spontaneous fic T_T pls forgive me.

"General Skywalker said this would be an easy mission," Fives hissed under his breath, the deep, reverbrating sound of his voice lost underneath the wolfish howling of the wind, clusters of snow beating at his helmet. This was supposed to be a quick and easy diplomatic trip, but where did he and the 501st Legion find themselves? Somewhere on a deserted, icy, snowy planet. "My toes are about to fall off!"

"Yeah, he promised us there'd be clear blue skies and hot weather. A beach even!" Echo added on, shrugging his shoulders in defeat. Rather than being on a hot, sandy beach, the brothers had found themselves treading through waist-deep snow, their fingers and toes turning into icicles, their blasters heavy in their grasps. 

"I thought this was supposed to be a diplomatic trip, Captain," Fives continued, his voice becoming white noise as Rex all but ignored his brother, gracing him with an occasional hum or grunt, to let him know he was listening. But he wasn't hearing. Rex was also unhappy with the circumstances, but it was his job to do this kind of thing. It's not like the clones could refuse not going on a mission, not going head-first into a battle, so he definitely would have appreciated General Skywalker's honesty, over trickery. 

The weather was only getting worse, the wind and snow beating at the men cruelly, the blue paint on their armour completely disappeared under the clusters of snow that had latched themselves onto the clones. 

He paused in his tracks, scanning the area through his optical goggles. He spotted something. Something dark, something round. His men stopped behind him, eerily silent as they anticipated their Captain's next words. 

Rex, turning to face his brothers, couldn't help the way his shoulders visibly relaxed as he relayed the news, "I see a cave entrance just a couple yards ahead, boys! We will seek shelter there!" He exclaimed, waving his arm, signalling for them to keep going, to keep following him. 

In the very back, just behind Tup and Jesse, a lone, female Jedi guarded their backs, one hand hovering protectively over her weapon, the other shielded away in the pocket of her coat. A backpack hung onto her shoulders, the leather material soaked and cold, receiving most of the onslaught of the weather. 

Her mind was wandering, body craving to feel the heat of a hot sun glazing against her bare skin, just as Anakin had hinted to. But instead, she was stuck walking through a blizzard, her body cold and tired.

She had also been excited to spend some quality time with the boys from the 501st, whom she had been recently often paired with for missions. The sight of them all relaxing and enjoying their time on the beach, with their tops exposed, tan skin glistening under the sunlight.. Yeah, that would have been a sight worth seeing.

A sudden, much harsher gust of wind jolted her from her thoughts, clumps of snow quickly settling against the icy skin on her face. 

Her robes, too, were soaked, struggling to maintain the warmth in her body as she did her best to follow the path created by the clones, snow crunching under her winter boots. 

She too wasn't made aware of the true conditions of the mission. She couldn't tap into the force either, to predict or to feel some kind of warning of the mission ahead. What was Skywalker thinking? He was lucky none of her men had fallen! The moment she'd get back, the moment her eyes would land on him, he would be wise to run for the hills. She could imagine the fear in his eyes as she comically choked him out, swaying the male back and forth in a fit of anger.

Relief flooded the squad as one by one, they made their way into the cave, it being cleared by their Captain and medic, Rex and Kix. 

Quickly setting camp, the clones hovered around their makeshift fire, some huddled close together, others snuggling under individual, soaked blankets. The snow had penetrated all of their supplies; food, water, tents and blankets. All they could do was hope that the fire would last long enough for the storm to pass, for their blankets to dry out and warm up. 

"What the hell was the General thinking?" Fives muttered, his eyebrows furrowed. He rubbed his bare hands together until they were warm enough, and then he shifted closer to the fire. 

His feet stung, the feeling just barely coming back to him after that gruelling tread. He was sure if his feet didn't fall off yet, then something else soon would. 

You exhaled a heavy sigh, a blanket resting over your shoulders as you extended your palms out towards the fire. Rex had been kind enough to lend you his blanket, noticing that your robes and skirt were practically drenched from the weather. Sure, you weren't dressed for the beach, but you also weren't dressed well enough for a blizzard. 

You were lucky to have been warned, or rather told, by Master Kenobi of the true conditions of your mission. If you hadn't been, your troops wouldn't have had enough time to prepare for the weather. 

Looking over your squad, you made eye contact with Tup. A worried frown ghosted over his rough features, the creases that you hated so much appearing on his forehead. 

Slowly, you made your way over to the trooper, one hand outstretched.

"Tup? Are you okay?" You asked, resting your hand over his shoulder. As if startled, the man looked to you, his brows quirked in surprise. 

"G-General? Why do you ask?" He questioned, gaze flickering down to your hand, before coming back up to stare into your eyes. A soft, pink hue dusted over his cheeks, and your heart fluttered at the sight. Sure, he was sweet and kind, he was the shyest of your men. He was almost like a puppy, his chocolatey brown eyes so deep, so sweet, you had lost yourself in them again. 

He was the only man who gazed into your eyes long enough for you to drown, a soft smile erupting on your face as you fought your best to not reach up and caress his cheek in your palm. 

"General? Are you listening?" He asked, his gloved hands reaching up to shake at your shoulders, gently. 

Your lashes fluttered over your eyes, taking in a deep exhale, you shrugged. Were you really okay? 

Taking a moment to respond, your gaze flickered up, noticing how wet his hair was. 

"Tup, d'you want me to dry your hair?" The words tumbled from your mouth before your brain could finish processing their meaning. Tup's eyes widened into saucers as he stood there, frozen. You had never been so caring to your men, at least, not like this. 

Remember that pink hue that dusted his cheeks just a moment ago? Yeah, now that's turned into a beetroot blush, the colour painting his ears, his face and neck in a deep shade of reddish-purple. Would it be okay for you to display such blatant acts of affection? Wouldn't that be against the rules and regulations of the Jedi council? Against the regulations of the GAR? If so, would his brothers snitch?

"S-Sorry, I didn't mean to-" You started, your mouth quickly dropping into the shape of an 'o' as Tup interrupted you.

"General, I would love for you to dry my hair." He said with a soft smile, scratching at the back of his nape.

Realising it was too late now to back out, you gave a small nod of your head before taking his gloved hand in yours, the leathery material scraping nicely against your soft skin, as you led him closer to the campfire. 

Motioning for Tup to sit down, you stood directly behind, and, above him, reaching to remove your dry blanket from your shoulders. You didn't have a towel, so a blanket should be a good enough substitute. Your hands reached to remove his hairtie, sliding it over your hand to rest on your wrist, your fingers quickly making their way to masssage Tup's scalp. 

As he leaned his head back into your soft hold, Tup couldn't help the relieved sigh that escaped his lips. Your fingernails grazed softly against his skin, tugging gently at his soft curls, sending eletric shivers down the male's spine. 

But it was when your hands slid from his scalp, over to his nape and shoulders, applying soft but firm pressure against his tired muscles that the involuntary groan escaped his lips, rumbling deep from within his chest. 

Your body stiffened, stopping your ministrations as a familiar spark shot through your heart, right down to your abdomen. 

Your eyes, wide and unblinking, stared into Tup's as the colour red flushed his cheeks once more. His eyes searched yours, a worried glint dancing across as he waited for your reaction. His lips stuttered as he was about to apologise, provide an excuse, tell you it was okay if you didn't want to continue. 

But the words fell short on his tongue as the corners of your lips tugged upwards, your hands applying the slightest bit more pressure to his sore muscles. 

A grunt was stiffled in his throat, his eye fighting hard to stay open, looking anywhere but at your face. He didn't want to make you uncomfortable, give you the wrong idea-

None of his brothers did. 

Though a lump formed in his throat as Tup looked around the cave, noticing the numerous lingering gazes of his brothers as they sat there, watching your movements. He could almost feel the jealousy vibrating off of Rex in waves, his gaze hardened as the corners of his lips fought to stay straight. 

A smirk tugged at Tup's lips, as he noticed Jesse squint his eyes at him. Deciding to add fuel to the fire, Tup groaned again when your hands pressed against a particularly tense muscle in his shoulder. 

"Woah, General, where did you learn this?" He asked, a familiar warmth blooming in his abdomen as your nimble fingers danced across his shoulders, tugging at the black suit he wore, exposed now as his armour rested beside a sleeping bag nearby. 

"Oh, you know, just learned bits here and there when I was stationed with Commander Wolffe," You chuckled, wetting your lips with the tip of your tongue, "That man was full of knots in his shoulders." You added, feeling Tup's shoulders relax more and more, until you had mentioned Wolffe. That's when his posture straightened, from a relaxed lean, to a pin-straight sitting up position. 

He tilted his head back to look at you, a curious yet worried glint in his golden eyes.

"Were you and Commander Wolffe close, by any chance?" He questioned, his breathing paused. 

If you were Wolffe's girl, then he knew the 501st couldn't, wouldn't pursue you. 

Or, if you weren't, then they knew at least they could ask the Commander of his previous.. Experiences, with you. 

Slowly, you caught onto Tup's drift, and your gaze travelled around the room. Some of the men were fully facing the two of you, legs spread, eyes laser-focused as they listened to your conversation, the cave suddenly, and eerily silent.

A shiver travelled down your spine, and a gentle smirk tugged at your lips.

"Oh, just you know, the occasional date here and there.." You said, shrugging your shoulders nonchalantly. Your smirk threatened to grow as you heard someone scoff, and you looked up to see Rex rolling his shoulders, a scowl on his face.

"Date? Isn't that, like, forbidden?" Fives questioned across from you, leaning over curiously, his eyebrows raised, resembling the blue markings on his helmet. 

A giggle escaped your lips as your hands returned to Tup's hair, suddenly remembering why you were giving him a random shoulder massage. You reached over to grab the blanket Rex had given you, placing soft curls between the two valleys of softness created by your hands, which were hidden underneath the soft cushion.

Your hands brushed through Tup's soft hair, gently dragging the strands through the dry, fuzzy material of your blanket. 

"I don't mean a romantic date, Fives, though I wouldn't be opposed to one." You mused, softly tugging at the locks. "I don't particulaly agree with the 'No Attachments' rule. But that doesn't make me less of a Jedi, or does it, do you think?" You questioned, your gaze softening, a small scowl now tugging at your lips. 

"Of course not, General," This time, it was Rex who spoke up, albeit too fast for his liking, "You're one of the most dedicated Jedi I've had the pleasure of working with," He stated, soft footsteps making their way closer and closer to you, "Plus, it is human to wish to form attachments." He whispered that last part, now standing directly above you as you twisted Tup's hair into the towel.

Your heart fluttered at the proximity, warmth enveloping your pinkening cheeks.

"Is it now, Rex?" You asked, looking up at him. Your heart palpitated at the close proximity, your hands gliding down to caress Tup's shoulders. Your gaze stayed unwavering, unbreaking as you looked into Rex's deep, honey-gold eyes. The Captain suddenly shifted, breaking eye contact as he stepped back a little. 

"I-I believe any of us s-should be able to form attachments," He paused, his gaze flickering from your eyes to your lips, and back to your eyes, "Romantic ones, especially." A chorus of 'Yeah's' and humms of agreement followed, catching your attention as you looked around.

The atmosphere in the cave seemed to have completely shifted, the sound of howling wind drowned out underneath the loud beat of your heart. You swallowed a forming lump, looking between Rex and his brothers, Tup now stood by your side, sandwiching your body between his and Rex's. 

Gloved hands came up to softly caress your shoulders, fingertips lightly tugging at the edge of your collar, grazing the skin underneath. 

"What do you think, Commander?" He whispered into your ear, hot breath fanning over your skin.

"Of?" You prompted, turning your head lightly to look at Tup. 

"Of close relations between Jedi and their Clones?"

Your eyes widened, feeling a familiar heat rush over your body, and you took inhaled a slow, deep, shaky breath. As you looked between Tup and Rex, the latter had made his way closer to your body, his hands making their way to your hips.

The sound of soft footsteps reached your ears, and you saw Echo, Fives, Jesse, Kix, Dogma and Hardcase making their way closer to the three of you, looking completely entranced by the conversation. You hadn't casted any spells on them, have you?

Your breath hitched in your throat, shivers overtaking your body as someone nuzzled their nose into the crook of your neck, inhaling deeply, exhaling with a shaky sigh. As they spoke, your heart fluttered with recognition. 

"General, answer the question." Fives whispered, his voice gravelly and deep, one gloved hand gently grasping your chin, twisting it to face him. His gaze flickered to your lips,  just mere inches from his own. He could almost feel the taste of you on his tongue. Oh how he wished to kiss you, right then and there. He was so sure you'd let him, too.

Sure, maybe you did fantasise about the men from time to time, when your thoughts weren't preoccupied by ongoing battles and Jedi duties. How you wished to be allowed to form a connection deeper than General and Trooper, but did they?

"I- I.. I don't k-know?" You questioned, a soft whimper escaping your opened mouth, before you knew it, his lips crashed against yours, his hands latching themselves into your hair, pulling you closer, if physically possible.

The kiss was, to simply put it, sweet. His goatee rubbed nicely against your chin, his lips melting together with yours, as if they were always meant to. His tongue prodded at your bottom lip, asking for permission. Slipping in, it danced with yours, hot breaths mingling together as you felt something press up against your front.

Rex.

You had almost forgotten you were trapped between Rex and Tup, too engulfed with the sudden kiss Fives had engaged you in.

The smell of pine and smoke invaded your nostrils, their scents overwhelming, flooding your senses as Fives became rougher, his hands tugging at the roots of your hair. With one hand, you grasped the side of his face, thumb rubbing soothing circles into his rough skin, your breath hitched as a groan escaped his lips.

"Okay, that's enough I think." Kix spoke, the kiss abruptly interrupted as he pulled Fives away by the scruff of his neck. 

"General? Are you okay?" Rex's voice was soft as he neared you, his breath fanning over the sensitive shell of your ear. 

Inhaling a shallow breath, you grasped his biceps with both hands.

"Call me Y/n.." You whispered, hazily meeting Rex's stare, his eyebrows raised, eyes wide.

"R-Right.. Y/n, d'you want us to continue?" He questioned, bringing a hand to gently clutch your chin. 

Your eyes widened as you took in the situation around you; eight men surrounded you, watching. Waiting. Ready to pounce, the moment they received your permission. 

And receive it, they did.

With a brisk nod, you allowed your eyes to flutter shut as Rex closed the gap between the two of you, his lips rough but warm as his body pushed roughly against yours, your back meeting Tup's chest in a close embrace. 

Your hands rested against Rex's chest, feeling the soft material of his shirt underneath your thumbs. His chest was warm and firm under your touch, the feeling of his heart racing beneath your hand had your own chest swelling with joy. A sigh left your lips as you felt a pair of lips press open-mouthed kisses against the expanse of your neck, a new pair of hands rubbing up and down your hips, encouraging you.

You weren't dreaming, were you? You weren't about to wake up, were you?

Your questions were answered as you felt Rex bite your bottom lip, his hands tugging at the roots of your hair.

No, this definitely wasn't a dream.

And if it was, it wasn't one you wished to wake from.

[vbecker10]

Hey, I was wondering if you could write a Loki one-shot where the Avengers are invited to a very fancy party, even bigger and fancier than Tony’s parties, it’s in a huge restaurant and all and the female reader is very popular singer, like VERY, who has her own huge concerts and all and she agrees to sing on the event. Loki and Peter are both Avengers.

Now, I’m not saying anything romantic about Peter, because he’s literally a teen boy, I just love when Pete is a cute little shit, so maybe he is huge fan of the reader.

And Loki also takes liking into her and after some time Loki and reader will meet again and blah blah, you decide from then. Just don’t make it smut please. My pure ass heart can’t take it. Just fluff.

I know that you have written something similar to this, about that hex girls or something, but I want the reader to be a solo singer and worldwide popular and not just to sing at Tony’s party, but at something as huge and fancy as this event.

If you don’t like the idea or just don’t want to write it, it’s okay! I love your writing so much btw♡

—xoxo

Melody of Mischief

Pairing: Loki x female reader (Y/N)

Summary: The Avengers are invited to the Battle of New York Charity Gala and it is the event everyone who is anyone in Manhattan wants to attend, except for Loki. Peter is uncontrollably excited as he tries to explain to the God of Mischief that the singer performing at the gala is his absolute favorite artist, Y/N. Loki remains unconvinced he will enjoy even a moment of the evening until he has a chance encounter with the rising star and realizes you are even more amazing than Peter had said you would be.

A/N: OMG I love this request! I absolutely love Loki and Peter together but I've only gotten to write them interacting once or twice so I am super excited about this. I'm sorry if it seems front loaded with the two of them but there is plenty of Y/N and fluff, I promise. Lol thanks for specifically requesting a one-shot cause I have a tendency to make things way too long... this is still really long though lol. Thank you so much for this request! I hope you like it! 💚

Thank you @siconetribal for help with the title! 💚 if it were up to me, my stuff would never have one haha

Loki sighs in annoyance as he closes his book. Placing it on the coffee table, he gets up to answer the frantic knocking at his door.

"What do you-" he begins to ask as he opens the door. Before he can finish his question, Peter has walked right past him and into his apartment.

"Hey Loki," he says cheerfully as he pulls off his jacket and throws it haphazardly over the back of the armchair. Loki watches the teen drop his backpack on the ground near the couch and begin pacing quickly around the living room.

"Hello Peter," Loki greets him, trying to push aside his irritation. Had it been his brother or another member of the team, he would have swiftly removed them from his apartment but the young Avenger had begun to grow on the God of Mischief in recent months.

"Did you hear the news?" Peter asks with a wide grin.

"I assure you, I have heard nothing today that would make me anywhere near as excitable as you currently appear to be," Loki responds as he uses his seidr to pick up Peter's discarded bag and jacket, placing them on the hooks by the door.

"Sorry about those," Peter apologizes, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I don't dislike when you visit but I will insist my space remains orderly," he reminds the teenager and Peter nods. "Now, what is this news?" he asks as he takes a seat on the couch, picking up his tea while Peter wanders into the kitchen.

Loki sighs hearing the fridge open. "They are on the bottom shelf," he calls to the hungry teen. "And the cabinet to the left of the stove," he adds knowing exactly what Peter is in search of.

"Thanks," he calls back then returns moments later with a small bottle of orange juice, a bag of pretzels and two pieces of string cheese.

"I still refuse to believe that is or ever was cheese," Loki says as Peter opens the plastic wrapper.

"These are fantastic," he insists with a smile, pulling apart the cheese. "Why do you keep buying them if you don't eat it?"

Loki takes a sip of his tea, refusing to voice the obvious answer that he buys them specially for Peter's visits. He teen laughs but knows not to push his luck and instead focuses on Loki's question.

"They finally announced who's going to be playing at the big gala tomorrow night!" he says, plopping himself on the couch next to Loki who holds his mug tightly to keep from spilling any of the hot liquid. Peter pauses a moment for dramatic effect but the God shows no signs of curiosity. "Oh come on, don't you want to know who it is?" he asks in disbelief but Loki only shrugs in response.

Peter gets up, unable to contain his own excitement. "How could you not care? It's going to be epic! The best party on the year, maybe the decade," he says.

"I am a thousand years old, I have been to a great many parties, Peter," Loki reminds him then takes a sip of his tea. "And besides, I am not sure I would like to attend a charity event that is being held to raise money for victims of my attack on the city."

"Right..." Peter says slowly, lowering his eyes to the ground but then he looks back at Loki. "Actually," he starts again and Loki can practically see the wheels turning in his mind. "If you don't go... it might be seen as disrespectful, you know? You attacked the city when you were under the Mind Stone's power, everyone knows that but if you don't show up at the fundraiser they might not think you are... what's the right word?" he pauses, trying to pull in the God of Mischief.

"Remorseful?" Loki guesses, knowing what the teen is trying to do.

"That's it," he says, thinking he has the prince where he wants him.

"You make an interesting point," Loki acts as if he is truly considering it then adds, "But I am still not going."

"Ugh!" he groans at Loki's lack of enthusiasm. "Come on! The artist they picked is amazing! She's my favorite. I can't even believe she would agree to do this. She usually plays only massive, sold out concerts. I didn't think I'd ever get a chance to see her, especially not at something like this," he says as he jumps onto the wall then the ceiling. Loki can't help but cringe at the scuff marks the teen leaves behind as he moves above him.

"You still don't know who I'm talking about? It's Y/N," he says as he jumps back to the ground.

"I have no idea who that is," Loki replies as Peter sits next to him.

"What!? How could you not know who she is," Peter asks in shock. "I play her music every time we're in the lab together. You were humming one of her songs yesterday."

"It must have wedged itself into my mind after you set it on repeat," Loki says, unwilling to admit it was a very catchy tune with surprisingly deep lyrics. "It doesn't matter who is playing, I will not be attending and that is final," Loki states, setting his mug down on the coffee table.

With a mouth full of pretzels Peter asks, "Seriously?" He swallows quickly and continues, "I told you, it's going to be the biggest party ever. How could you not go? I would give anything to go but I can't." He sulks on the couch, arms crossed.

"Why would you not attend?" Loki asks as he gets up, walking into the kitchen to put his empty mug in the sink.

"I didn't get invited," he shrugs, "I'm only an intern for Stark Industries, remember? Spiderman got invited but I can't wear the suit and mask the whole night. I won't be able to eat or drink plus people always try to get me to take it off and it just gets really annoying."

Loki sighs, looking at the upset teenager on his couch. "Do not make me regret this, Peter," he says and the boy looks up, his eyes full of hope. Loki shakes his head as if he can't believe what he is about to say. "Fine, I will go... and I will bring you as my plus one."

Peter sits up straight, the excitement returning but it quickly fades and he says, "It's too late for me to get a nice suit to wear."

Loki says, "I can help with that as well." He snaps his fingers and a black suit appears in a garment bag on the hook next to Peter's belongings.

Peter gets up and before Loki can react, he pulls the God into a tight hug. Loki doesn't hug him back, his arms trapped under Peter's and after a second he says, "That is quite enough of that, please let go."

"Oh yea, sorry," Peter says taking a step back. Loki smooths out his dress shirt but Peter can see the hint of a smile on his face when he looks back at him.

Loki steps onto the red carpet wearing a perfectly tailored black suit with matching black dress shirt and tie. Peter is close on his heels in the suit Loki conjured for him. "This is the coolest thing ever," the teen says loudly over the shouting of onlookers, reporters and photographers.

"You were correct, this seems to be quite the event," Loki agrees through gritted teeth as he tries to ignore the questions the reporters throw at him as he passes.

"Loki, did the Avengers force you to come tonight?" "Loki, is coming to the charity gala part of your probation or was it your idea to come?" "Loki, do you have anything to say to the victims and their families?" "Loki, did you donate any money to the foundation?"

Peter looks around in stunned silence when he and Loki finally pass through the tall double doors. The large hall is bursting with people and activity. Across the two side walls are long bars staffed with dozens of bartenders making complex drink orders for the rich and powerful of New York. Fabric drapes the walls in different colors and shades, creating an ombre effect around the room. At least fifty round and rectangular tables fill the middle of the space, crisp white table cloths cover each one. Place settings have been carefully set at each seat with a small name card indicating who each one is reserved for. At the very back of the hall, is a stage with a cleared space in front of it and Peter knows exactly who that is for.

The teen takes out his phone and begins snapping pictures of the room, no longer able to contain his excitement. Loki looks around the crowded space and is quickly filled with regret for having agreed to come. He can't push down the feeling that every person in the room is either looking at him or talking about him. He shouldn't have come, he thinks as he looks towards the doors.

Peter grins from ear to ear, unaware of Loki's internal struggle. The teenager stands directly in front of Loki and holds up his phone, "Smile."

Loki looks down at him and before he can say anything he is struck by a bright flash of light. "Did you just take a picture of us?" he blinks quickly.

"Yea, a selfie," Peter nods with a laugh.

"Delete that," Loki orders as his phone vibrates. He removes it from his pocket to check the message. "How could you have sent this to the entire team already?" Loki groans as he begins to receive responses from his brother and the other Avengers.

Peter shrugs then see Steve and Bucky through the crowd. They wave for him to join them closer to their assigned table and he gives them a thumbs up in return. He looks happily up at Loki who puts his hands in his suit pockets and says, "I will join you all shortly. I wish to wander for a bit first."

Peter says, "Okay, see you in a bit."

Loki walks past one of the bars but he is not looking for a drink, he is looking for a place to alone before he is stuck at a table with the team for the remainder of the evening. He moves to a far off corner where the fabric that is draped from the walls is darkest. He sighs contently, thinking he has found a secluded place to breathe.

"This hiding spot is taken," you tell the tall, well dressed man as he approaches you, crossing your arms against your chest. The last thing you want before your performance is to deal with anymore boring socialites.

"Oh, my apologies," he says as he notices you and you see the disappointment on the prince's face. "This is quite a large venue, I have no doubt I can find my own hiding spot before we are called to our tables," he smiles politely and turns to leave.

You realize he hadn't been looking for you, he had truly been searching for a place to avoid the crowd of people chattering away. He begins to walk away and without thinking you call after him, "Wait." He turns back towards you. "It's a pretty big hiding spot," you laugh awkwardly, "I think we can share it unless you wanted to be by yourself?"

"I would never turn down the company of a beautiful woman," he smirks.

"I heard you were a charmer, Prince Loki," you can't help but giggle as he stands close to you. "Or do you prefer 'your highness'?"

"Loki is fine, please," he insists with a laugh. "I do feel as if I am at a disadvantage though," he says and you look up at him. "You know my name, but I do not know yours."

You stand silently, stunned by his words. Does he really not know who you are? You have tried not to develop an overly inflated ego but it has been years since you've met someone who hasn't recognized you immediately. When your first single hit the number one spot three years ago, your career took off and you have been in the spot light ever since. You've spent the last year touring dozens of major cities in the United States, Canada and Europe. You are on magazine covers, you have done countless interviews on talk shows, you are even booked to perform in Times Square for New Years Eve in a few months and the God in front of you has no idea who you are.

Loki chuckles at your silence and says, "If you will not tell me your name, I will be forced to continue calling you 'beautiful'."

You blush as you are pulled from thoughts, "That works."

"So what are you hiding from this evening?" he asks as he leans on the fabric draped wall behind him.

You shrug, not wanting to give away who you are just yet. "My boss," you tell him a slight fib, hoping the God of Lies won't notice. You were hiding from your manager and his new assistant. Mark was a good manager, but he insisted you met as many guests tonight as possible before your performance. Their fake smiles and rehearsed complements were tiresome, you slipped away the first chance you could. You wanted to meet real fans, people who actually enjoyed your music, not these stuffy rich people.

Loki nods at your short answer and you ask, "Why are you hiding? I assumed a prince like you must love big parties like this."

He smiles but looks down as he smooths out his suit jacket and you can't help but notice how perfectly it fits him. "I used to enjoy the balls quite a bit on Asgard," he agrees, "But I admit I am having a difficult time with the idea that this event is for the victims of the attack I led last year."

You cover your mouth with your hand. "Oh my god," you say slowly then lower your hand. "I'm so sorry, I didn't... I should have realized that."

He shrugs but remains silent.

"I guess it's kinda weird that they invited you in the first place right? Like why would you want to go to a fundraiser for a disaster you caused?" you ask and he nods, putting his hands in his pockets nervously. "I'm sorry," you say again as you realize how uncomfortable you've made him.

"It is alright," he says. "You are not the first person to wonder why I am here tonight and I am sure you will not be the last."

"That's not what I meant," you tell him but you can see his eyes searching for a new place to hide. "How about we talk about something else?" you suggest, not wanting him to leave just yet.

He looks back at you after a moment, seeming a bit more relaxed, "What would you suggest we talk about, beautiful?"

You giggle at the pet name he has decided on, "Umm..." You look around and see the stage. "What do you think about who's going to be performing?"

He looks at the stage as well than back at you and you can see there is still no connection between you and the singer in his mind. "I have heard a great deal of wonderful things about her," he says. "Peter, my..." he pauses as if he is unsure of the next word, "I suppose we are friends but do not tell him I said so."

You laugh but he seems serious, "I promise I won't."

"Peter is a tremendous fan. He listens to her music a great deal," Loki says then he looks down and chuckles. "He is the only reason I am here to be honest. I knew how much he wanted to see Y/N perform so I brought him with me."

"Aww, that's really sweet of you," you smile and he shakes his head but you can see he seems happy with his decision. "Do you like her music too?" you ask, trying to remember the last time you had been able to get a truly honest opinion from someone.

He nods and your heart beats with excitement. "She is quite talented," Loki says. "I seem to have Black Bird stuck in my head quite a bit lately, but that may be because it is Peter's favorite. He plays it on repeat when he is thinking."

"That's a pretty good one," you agree. It was one of your most popular songs and you were set to play it tonight, as you do at every concert. "Do you have a favorite?" you can't help but ask.

"Hmm," he thinks for a moment then he smiles when he decides. "Crystal's Edge," he says.

"That's my favorite too," you reply enthusiastically. It has never been as popular as some of your other songs but it has a deep, personal meaning to you.

"You have good taste," Loki says and you laugh at the irony of his complement.

Your smile fades when you see Mark watching the two of you. "I'm sorry, that's my boss," you point towards him and he folds his arms against his chest as he frowns at you. "I have to go, but I really liked talking to you."

"I enjoyed speaking with you as well," Loki says. He takes your hand and gently places a kiss to the back of it causing you to giggle. "I hope you are able to enjoy the rest of your evening, beautiful, but if not I am more than willing to hide with you again."

Loki pulls out the chair next to Peter and the teen asks, "Where did you go?"

"I was talking to-" Loki begins to explain but before he can continue, the stage lights come on and the overhead lights dim slightly.

"Y/N is starting!" Peter says excitedly and Loki leans back in his chair to watch the performance before the food is served.

You walk out on stage and the guests cheer and applaud, their energy thrills you. TV cameras move into place and you wave to the audience and the cameras with a smile. You take the microphone off the stand and thank everyone for coming to support such a worthy cause. While reciting the speech Mark's assistant prepared for you, your eyes scan the guests until you spot the younger prince of Asgard.

Loki's eyes are fixed on you in shock and when your gaze meets he leans towards the teenager next to him.

"Norns," Loki whispers to himself then he leans towards Peter. "That's her! The woman I was speaking with."

"What?" he looks at Loki then the stage, still clapping as you finish your speech. "You met Y/N!?"

You smile, trying to keep from laughing at the boy's quick double take between Loki and yourself. Looking towards the band hired to play with you got the next few concerts, you nod to signal that you are ready for the first song to start. Moving with the rhythm of the intro, you sing the opening lyrics of one of the first songs you ever wrote. Your heart races as you dance across the stage, singing proudly with your backup singer next to you.

The second song is a crowd favorite and as the music begins you find Loki in the audience again. He smiles, tapping his fingers on the table to the beat and you get an idea. "I would like to dedicate my next song, Black Bird, to a very big fan of mine," you say into the mic and you watch the teen bounce in his seat. "Peter, this one is for you."

Peter laughs excitedly, barely able to contain himself as he signs along with Y/N loudly and out of tune. Loki smiles to himself as he nods his head along with the rhythm of the song.

You perform your next three songs, feeding off the energy of the guests as they sing along with you from their seats. A few move off to the side of the space or between tables to dance in pairs or small groups. You move back to the center of the stage and prepare yourself for your last song of the evening.

You look out into the crowded room and easily find Loki who hasn't taken his eyes off of you for a moment. You turn quickly, walking to the drummer who signals for the other musicians to join you. They nod at your request and you ignore the questioning look your manager gives you as you return to the center of the stage.

"Sorry for that," you apologize to the crowd. "I originally planned on closing my performance this evening with Glass Roses but I've decided to play my personal favorite instead." The intro for Crystal's Edge begins and Loki smiles as he leans forward in his seat. "This song has always held a special place in my heart and tonight I would like to dedicate it to someone I hope to meet again soon."

You slip away from your manager much easier than before and head to your previous hiding spot, hopeful Loki will be waiting for you. You can't help but smile when you see him leaning against the wall, watching you approach him.

"Hello again, beautiful," he says with a smirk.

"Hi Loki," you blush, thankful to hear the pet name again. "Did you like the show?" you ask, feeling nervousness spread through your body.

"Very much," he assures you and you relax instantly. "And I must say, Peter greatly appreciated your song dedication. I'm not sure I've ever seen the boy so happy."

"I'm glad he liked it," you tell him happily. "I was hoping I was right in assuming he was the person you were sitting next to." He nods and you take a step closer to him, out of the view of the guests. He puts his arm around your waist to pull you closer, your body just inches from his.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you who I was," you say as your smile fades slightly and you look down.

"Don't be," he replies, touching your cheek to bring your gaze back to his. "I can imagine you rarely meet someone who is as unaware of your fame as I was. I admit, I feel a bit foolish for not having known who you are."

You shake your head, "I actually really liked that you had no idea who I was, it's been so long since I've met anyone who didn't recognize me. It was fun to talk about my music with someone honest about their opinions."

"I understand," Loki says. "I can see how it would be nice to speak with someone who did not have any preconceived opinions about you."

"Exactly..." you agree then pause. "Oh, I guess you have the same problem... seeing as how I knew who you were."

"At least you are known for being tremendously talented," Loki complements you again and you feel a blush creep up your neck and cheeks. It has been so long since you felt as if someone was giving you genuine compliments and Loki seems to have a never ending supply. His smile falters for a moment and he adds, "I am known for... being the reason we are all here tonight I suppose."

"Loki," you say quietly and touch his cheek but he looks at the ground between you, "You are known for more than that." He shrugs and you can feel him pulling away emotionally even though his arm is still around your waist. "Loki," you say again and he looks at you but you can tell his smile is forced, you have done that yourself many times.

"I apologize," he says and clears his throat. "I think they are enough people here talking about me and the damage I have caused to this city. I would rather learn more about you."

"We can talk about me in a minute," you tell him with an anxious smile. You see a flicker of nervousness cross his face but he hides it quickly. "I'm sorry if I said anything before that upset you," you say and he shakes his head, "I didn't mean anything bad when I said I was surprised you came tonight. I just..."

"We don't need to discuss it," he says and he removes his hand from your waist.

"Please," you put your hand on his arm and move closer to him. "I'm sure there are people here who don't think you should have come... but I'm really glad you did," you say and he smiles slowly. "I can't imagine how hard tonight must be for you but the reason I didn't immediately think of that the first time we talked is because I don't think you are to blame for what happened. Everyone knows about the Mind Stone, although I doubt we know everything, and anyone can see how hard you've been working with the Avengers. When I said I knew who you were, it was because of all the news stories of you saving people over the last year. You're a hero, you know that right?"

He smiles genuinely as his arm wraps around your waist again. "Thank you, beautiful," he says. "You don't know how much it means to hear that."

"You're welcome," you smile then reach up and kiss his cheek to the surprise of both of you. "I- I hope that was okay?"

He smirks and nods, "It was more than okay, although I had thought I would ask to take you on a date before I kissed you."

"You want to ask me out?" you ask, sounding more shocked than you meant to.

"Unless," Loki pauses, concerned by your shock, "I've misjudged something?"

"No, no," you say, shaking your head and you can tell that is not helping his confusion. You laugh, "I'm sorry, I just... it's been a really long time since someone asked me on a date."

Loki looks at you, his eyes searching your expression for an answer to the question he is now unsure to ask again. "I would love to go on a date with you, Loki," you tell him with a smile and he pulls you flush to his chest. He leans down and kisses your lips softly.

He strokes your cheek gently with his thumb and you look up at him, you can't remember the last time you felt this comfortable with someone. You suddenly realize there is something you should warn him about. "Umm..." you mumble and he tilts his head questioningly. "I just want to prepare you for something."

"What's that, beautiful?" he asks, his hand on your lower back begins to move slowly up and down.

"I know your pretty famous," you say and he nods reluctantly, "But... and I'm not saying this to sound full of myself or anything... but when I go out anywhere, I tend to get followed by paparazzi. I'm thinking if we go out together, they'll swarm us."

"Oh..." Loki says as his hand pauses on your back.

"I still want to go out with you," you promise quickly, hoping he doesn't think you are changing your mind. "I just wanted you to know it won't be just us. I don't know if... are you okay with that?"

He smiles, "I would be fine with that so long as I was with you but I think I have a solution to that issue."

It's now your turn to be confused.

He chuckles, "There is a reason there are so few sightings of me outside of missions. I am a trickster god, remember?"

You blink in shock, "I didn't... I guess I didn't really think about it. So do you just make yourself invisible or something?"

He laughs again but shakes his head, "I could but no. I have learned humans become nervous when books and other objects move around them but they cannot see what is causing it."

You giggle, "Okay, it's not weird to be freaked out by that. So how do you go out without people noticing you?"

Loki smiles as his seidr surrounds him briefly with a faint green glow. His long, black curls become lighter and shorter, thin black framed glasses appear on his face and his suit changes from black to blue. He still looks like Loki but if you passed him on the street, you would most likely not have looked twice.

"I can create an illusion for you as well," he offers.

"That's... amazing," you laugh. "You look like a hot college professor."

"Thank you," he chuckles, looking down at his suit as he straightens his blue stripped tie. "I only showed you most of the illusion. To others, my face will also appear different but I was concerned that would be a bit... much?"

You nod, "I'm glad you still look like you, I like your face."

"That is the sweetest thing you have said tonight," he jokes.

You kiss his cheek again and ask, "So I guess I can't call you Loki when you look like this right? It's kind of a unique name."

"Generally, I go by Tom when I wear this illusion," he informs you.

"Tom?" you repeat.

"Too dull?" he asks, sounding unsure of his choice.

"I like it, you look like a Tom," you giggle. "Its nice to meet you Tom, I'm Y/N."

He kisses the top of your head, "I believe I will continue to call you beautiful."

You smile up at him and he slides his hand to the back of your neck, pulling your lips gently to his. You grip the fabric on the back of his suit jacket and kiss him deeply. When you finally break the kiss, something catches your eye.

"Shit," you say when you see Mark approaching you and Loki.

He looks towards your manager, then looks down at you and says, "I know the event is not over for a few hours, but how would you feel about our date beginning now?"

"Really?" you ask.

He smirks, "If you would like, I will take you anywhere you want to go."

You reach up and kiss him again then say, "All I want to do is sit in a cafe and get to know you better."

"Done," the God of Mischief smiles as his hand begins to glow, changing your appearance to everyone but other than himself. He keeps his arm around your waist and together you walk right past your very confused manager and out of the party.

I hope you liked this!! Please like, share and comment if you did 💚💚 Please let me know if you want to be added to my taglist!

@soubi001 @mochie85 @lokiswife-dark-fox-queen @animnerd @cabingrlandrandomcrap @icytrickster17 @lokisgoodgirl @mischief2sarawr @stupidthoughtsinwriting @mjsthrillernp @holdmytesseract @lulubelle814 @goblingirlsarah @alexakeyloveloki @siconetribal @lokidokieokie @kneelingformyloki @jiyascepter @eleniblue @loreniscrying @muddyorbsblr @alyeskathewave @loz-3 @firedrakegirl @javagirl328 @princess-asgard @morally-grey-variant @soulpiercing @km-ffluv @glitterylokislut @biodegradable-glitter-fest @wolfsmom1 @msdjsg7 @simone818283 @hopefuldreamers-world @blackhawkfanatic @dracoswhorexx

[kibblz-n-bitz]

Putting On A Show

Summary: After liberating a country, you and Luffy have some "fun" in front of an audience.

8k words

Tags: Exhibitionism (obviously), multiple orgasms, squirting, a hint of humiliation, creampie, oral sex, penetrative sex, biting

I've worked so hard on this fic! I hope y'all enjoy (I know I did😉)

Laughter and joy filled the air. You let out a relieved sigh, turning to your captain sitting at the head of the table. Bandages littered his skin, reminders of their most recent battle. Despite them, he was laughing and clapping along to the music Brook was playing. 

It was a fierce battle on some random island you and your crew had managed to stumble upon. Some powerful pirate had taken over the land, and the people on it lived in fear. It was only a matter of time before your captain decided to defeat the other pirate, just because someone had shown him charity (All it took was a little girl giving him a sandwich). The strawhats were all exhausted from the battle, but ready to relax with a banquet held in their name. You smiled to yourself as you looked around at your crewmates. 

The king of the island approached your table. You were giggling and chatting with Nami about stealing when he cleared his throat, announcing his presence to the distracted pirates. 

“I cannot express my gratitude enough,” He began, “I never would have thought that pirates would be the ones to liberate my country as they were also the ones to enslave it. Please, help yourself to as much food and drink as you’d like. There’s plenty to go around.”

“We will.” Zoro and Luffy said in unison.

“There is another matter I would like to discuss with your captain.” He cleared his throat once more, trying to get the attention of Luffy, who had his mouth stuffed with food in a matter of seconds. “Walk with me, if you will.”

“Can I take this with me?” Luffy picked up the biggest bowl of meat he could find. The king chuckled with a “but of course.”

The king left with your captain and his food in tow, and the strawhats went back to their own plates.

“What do you think that was all about? Seemed kinda serious.” Usopp noted as he brought some noodles into his mouth.

“Maybe he’s giving us some treasure as a gift!” Nami squealed, her eyes practically turning into Beri signs.

“Or perhaps he’s lured our captain away so he could kill him while nobody was around.” Robin said. Usopp shouted “that’s not funny!” as Chopper and Nami stared at her with a shocked expression.

“Gimme a break. You think that old bastard could take out our captain?” Zoro huffed as he took a swig of his drink. His cheeks were a bit flushed, as he was well onto his 18th cup of sake. “He’s probably just thanking Luffy or somethin’. Nothing our captain can’t handle.”

You leaned back in your chair. Despite everyone’s dismissive behavior, you really were curious as to what the two were discussing. Like Usopp pointed out, the king looked rather serious. But Zoro was right, if he was a threat then Luffy could definitely handle it. Your captain was reliable like that, and it was one of the many qualities you loved him for.

Your relationship with your captain was relatively new. You had joined the strawhat pirate crew after they had reunited in Sabaody. It was a funny coincidence, actually. At that time, you had heard many stories about Strawhat Luffy and his wild behavior. Of course, most of your information came from news articles, so naturally he was painted as a violent criminal, untamed and extremely dangerous (As if his bounty wasn’t intimidating enough). But, the first time you had ever laid eyes on him, he was running around with some big ass backpack on, and a mustache- a poor excuse for a disguise. The marines were around and he looked frantic, unintentionally drawing more and more attention to himself.

You rolled your eyes. Was this really the guy who declared war against the world government? The same guy who fought at Marineford? Really? You decided to take pity on the poor boy as he ran around the archipelago like a chicken without its head. When he ran past you, you quickly grabbed the bag he had on his back and used its weight to shove him into a nearby alley. Surprisingly, the alley was wide enough that the bag fit. 

“What the hell are you doing?” You whisper-yelled. Luffy shook his head, as if he just now realized he was in an alley with you and not out in the open anymore.

“I’m looking for my crew. There’s too many marines out there. Stupid marines.” He huffed, crossing his arms. You fought the urge to laugh. He looked a little ridiculous with his disguise. 

“You’re Monkey D. Luffy, right?” 

“Yep. That’s me!” He grinned, before pausing and slapping his hands over his mouth. “I-I mean… Whoooo’re you talking about? I dunno that guy. He sounds kinda cool though.”

You laughed. He was such a terrible liar. It was almost… cute. The way he pursed his lips and refused to make eye contact as he pretended as if he didn’t blow his own cover a few seconds before.

“Don’t worry Luffy. I’m not gonna sell you out.” You snickered.

“Then why did ya help me?” He asked with a tilt of his head. You hummed to yourself, thinking. You weren’t entirely sure yourself. You just felt the need to help him when he was lost.

“I don’t know. I just figured you could use it. Your disguise is pretty shitty by the way,” You said as you stretched, considering your next words carefully. “I can… help you find your crew, if you’d like.”

The boy lit up. He jumped forward and grabbed your shoulders, his eyes shining like stars. You briefly regretted your decision, wondering if you’d made a mistake.

“REALLY? That would be great!!!! Thank you!” He practically shouted. You slapped a hand over his mouth as you noticed an officer nearby turn his head in your direction. There was no way in hell this boy could get around the archipelago by himself and not get caught.

“Could you at least try to be quiet? I’m doing you a favor here.” You chastised him and sighed, once again doubting your decision. “Do you know where you’re supposed to be meeting them?”

Luffy nodded and told you the grove he needed to be at. You weren’t too far away, but the minute you got closer to their ship Luffy took off, grabbing your hand and dragging you in the process. So much for leading him there, you grumbled to yourself in your head.

Once Luffy saw the Sunny he immediately catapulted himself towards it, taking you along with him. You didn’t expect him to take you with him. In fact, you weren’t even sure if Luffy was aware that he’d brought you along with him, because he never looked back once the Sunny came into view. You watched as his crew cried out and hugged him, feeling a bit out of place. You inched to the side of the ship, looking for a place to get off and back onto the ground. 

“Luffy, who is that?” a voice called attention to you. You blushed and pushed yourself to the rails, nervous under the infamous pirates gazes. This is it, you panicked internally, they’re gonna think I’m an intruder and try to kill me. Images of news stories warning of crew members like the hunter Roronoa Zoro and Nico Robin flooded your mind, and you swallowed. Your mouth was dry.

“That’s my friend! She’s the one who helped me get here actually.” Luffy chirped, running to stand next to you. The boy snickered, “If it weren’t for her, I would’ve been caught by the marines!”

“Okay, what’s her name?” Zoro asked, arms crossed and heads tossed to the side. God, he was fucking scary. Sporting a scarred eye and bulging muscles.

“It’s… uh...” Luffy trailed off, hand to his chin. He turned to you. “What’s ya name again?”

“STOP BRINGING RANDOM PEOPLE YOU DON’T KNOW THE NAMES OF ONTO THE SHIP!” Nami barked as she conked her captain on the head.

“It’s… Y/N. I didn’t know that I’d be meeting you all here, I just saw Luffy and it seemed like he needed my help, so…” You trailed off, unsure of yourself. You cursed yourself mentally. I’m making myself sound like a wet napkin, you groaned mentally. 

“Y/N!!! Welcome to my crew!” Luffy laughed and slapped a hand onto your back. You choked on your spit. What the fuck did he just say?

“LUFFY!” The entire group shouted in unison.

“Whaat? It’s no big deal. She’s really strong!” That much was true. You spent your days as an assassin and that required a lot of training. Luffy huffed and crossed his arms. “And anyways, I’m the captain and I want her on my crew!”

“Luffy, did you even ask her if she wants to join? She looks uncomfortable.” Nami let out a frustrated sigh, bringing a hand to her temples. “I have to apologize for my captain Y/N. He can be a selfish, reckless idiot most of the time. Would you like to join us?” 

You smiled. Of course he was. But the more time you spent with him, the more you felt drawn to him. He had some sort of boyish charm, wild and carefree. He inspired you, and you felt disappointed at the thought of leaving him and going back to your boring, repetitive life.

You looked at Luffy and met his gaze. He grinned at you. Maybe joining him was a good idea. Was it crazy to want adventure in your life? You weren’t sure, but you wanted to find out. Turning back to Nami, you nodded with a surge of confidence.

Smiling to yourself, you remembered your days with Luffy. You were both drawn to each other, and the crew noticed immediately. It didn’t take long for you to warm up to the crew either. They all loved you the way you loved them. And it didn’t hurt that you were quite attractive. Curvy and soft, you loved the way you looked and it was safe to say that others did too.

You were lost in thought when Luffy roamed back to the table, without the bowl. He had a weird look on his face, like he was thinking really hard about something. That was definitely a first for Luffy.

“Something the matter, buddy?” Franky asked. “What’d that old geezer want with ya anyway?”

“He told me somethin’ about me and Y/N,” He said as he scooped food onto a brand new plate. No clue where he even got it from. Your brow raised. “He said somethin’ ‘bout a tradition ceremony or somethin’. Has to do with me and her. He said there was free food! And treasure after the event ceremony thing!”

Nami squealed, fist bumping the air. You were still confused. “What event, Luffy? And what do we have to do with it?”

“Somfin abou a…” Luffy swallowed the food in his mouth he was trying to speak around. “Constipation… in front of an audience I think? He said it’s s’posed to be really fun for us though.”

Your face scrunched, you were even more confused than before. The rest of the crew looked at each other, equally as confused. They knew their captain gravely misunderstood something important the king had said, and it was up to them to decipher what he meant. They sat in silence for a minute before the king once again approached the table.

“Before those pirates had taken over our village, we had a tradition during banquets like these. A couple chosen for the night would feast, consummate in front of an audience, and be rewarded with riches and good fortune afterward.”

In a matter of seconds, Sanji spit the wine he was taking a sip of onto Zoro. You choked on your own saliva and, at the same time as Nami, cried out “WHAT?” Usopp flushed and Robin did as well, she brought a hand to her mouth with an almost scandalized gasp. Luffy looked around, confused. 

“Huh? What? What does that mean?” Luffy asked with a tilt to his head.

“Forget it! They’re not gonna do some weird sex show for you damn perverts!” Nami yelled, pointing at the king. His expression remained the same- a kind, seemingly warm smile.

“Oh it is certainly more than that. It is an act our ancestors have honored for a very long time. It is to honor the couple, to bring them good fortune. We see it as a tribute of sorts.” He tried to explain.

“Waow! Didn’t know this island was full of perverts.” Franky chuckled with approval.

“Well, it’s kinda too late to say no now, ‘cause I already agreed to it.” Luffy shrugged before shoving more food into his mouth. Your mouth went dry as another wave of shock passed over the group.

“YOU IDIOT!” Nami hollered at her captain. “Do you ever think about anyone other than yourself? Think about Y/N! What if she doesn’t want to do this?”

Luffy blinked, then turned to you. He hadn’t thought about that. Luffy didn’t really care whether or not people saw the two of you together. The captain lived without an ounce of shame in his body, so the prospect of food, sex with you, and treasure sounded like a really good idea. But the way you were staring down at the table told him you didn’t think so.

You were silent for a minute as the crew argued with each other. Looking up at the king, you asked, “How much treasure?”

The crew went silent as they waited for the king’s response.

“We have lots of gold and riches left from the old pirates.” The king stroked his beard in thought. “And since you’ve helped our kingdom, we are willing to give you half.”

Nami’s jaw dropped. She whipped her head to you, and you felt you knew what she was going to say. But instead, she sighed.

“Y/N… you don’t have to do anything that makes you uncomfortable.” She reminded you as she placed her hands on your shoulders. The navigator sat back down in her seat beside you as you stared at your plate once again, thinking. You could feel the crews’ eyes on you, waiting for your decision. 

You mentally weighed the pros and cons of actually going through with this. On one hand, you were a little embarrassed at the thought of showing such an intimate part of yourself to a bunch of strangers. But on the other, more convincing hand, there was a really big reward at the end. It’s not like you were going to see these people again anyways. Was an hour or two of getting plowed by your boyfriend in front of a crowd worth it for millions or beris worth of treasure? 

Yes, you decided, it was.

“I’ll do it.” You turned to the king. He nodded with the same smile on his face as before. 

“Very well. I will make preparations at once. Our servants will fetch you when the time is right.” With that, the king had left the room.

An awkward silence momentarily fell over the group. Usopp and Sanji stared at you with mouths wide, in shock. Nami was also surprised, if the look on her face said anything about it.

“Didn’t take you for a pervert either, Y/N!” Franky said with a chuckle.

“Y/N… are you sure you want to do this? It’s okay if you don’t want to… we’d all understand if you called this off.” Nami reached over to grab your hand, concern etched onto her face. “Don’t do this just for us.”

“Trust me, I’m not.” You reassured Nami and held her hand. “And I’m not a pervert either, Franky. I just figured that if Luffy doesn’t care, then why should I? It’s not like we’ll be visiting this island again. And besides- we’re pirates! I’d be damned if I’m letting all that treasure go to waste.”

“Well, if you say so. Just don’t say we didn’t warn you.” Usopp shrugged, his face a little flushed.

“Hm? What do you mean, Usopp?” You placed your chin on your hand and leaned forward a bit, a shit-eating grin crawling onto your face. You narrowed your eyes at him across the table. “You wanna watch?”

You laughed when he screamed, a flush blooming onto his face. He sputtered and the others joked around, falling back into their casual banter. You watched them resume their old conversation when you felt a hand lace through yours. You smiled, knowing it was Luffy. He was physically affectionate, and loved holding your hand whenever he could.

“‘M sorry I didn’t ask ya first.” Luffy said as he finished off his 4th plate. That boy could eat. 

“It’s okay. Besides, this should be fun, right?” You nudged him with your shoulder, giggling at his wide grin. He nodded eagerly.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

You stared at yourself in the mirror, hands clammy and body cold. You were nervous, now that ceremony was moments away. 

Earlier, two maids came to collect you from where you were sitting with your crew. There was a small preparation ritual you needed to go through, they explained. They led you to some sort of spa-room, with various amounts of fruits and pastries on a table in one corner. They encouraged you to help yourself and relax. You took a warm bath, with sweet scented herbs wafting through the air and petals in the tub. After you had climbed out, there was clothing laid out for you. A white silk feathered robe, one that hugged your curves and felt smooth against your skin. Nothing else.

I guess they want us to get straight to the point, you thought to yourself. You rolled your shoulders, trying to shake the anxiety out of your bones. You wished Luffy were with you. He’d kiss your fears away and tell you that you’d be fine. He’d help you get out of your head and live in the moment. But he wasn’t here. The royal servants had you two prepare yourselves in separate rooms. A soft smile spread across your face as you thought of Luffy, who had probably eaten all the treats laid out for him and asked for more. 

Sitting on a cushy loveseat, you ate some fruit and anxiously awaited the servants’ return. Waiting like this would kill you, but it wasn’t like you could leave and find your boyfriend yourself. You would just have to sit here, just you and your brain, and wait to be called so you could have sex in front of a crowd. No big deal. 

A soft knock on the door saved you from your spiraling thoughts. The servant from before peeked her head through it. “Ms. L/N? The ceremony is ready for you now.”

They led you down a strange and looming hallway. You tried to psych yourself up. It worked at first, but started to lose its effect the more you walked.

“Y/N? HEEEEY!” You heard a shout from behind you. You didn’t get the chance to turn before a weight collided with your back, pushing you forward. Steadying yourself, you reached an arm back to pet through the soft, jet-black hair you knew you’d find. 

“Hi Luffy.” You smiled. You could feel your anxiety melting away in his presence.  You could feel the warmth of his smile as he tightened his arms around you and nuzzled into the back of your neck. This is what you loved about him. The way he was able to calm your nerves and make you feel so safe and warm just by being near him. “You excited?”

“Hmm? For what?” Luffy unraveled himself off of you so he could lace your fingers together. The two of you kept walking, following the royal servants. They claimed you two were nearing the ceremony’s auditorium. You raised an eyebrow at Luffy before realization dawned across his face. “Oh! That?” he shrugged, “I dunno. I’m more excited about bein’ with ya. I don’t really care if people see us, so it doesn’t make much of a difference to me.”

You blushed at Luffy’s boldness, but you had expected an answer like that from someone like him. With a squeeze of his hand, the two of you approached two large doors.

“Beyond these doors is the entrance to the stage, where you two will be conducting the ceremony. We wish you the best of luck and we thank you for all that you have done for us.” The servants bowed their heads and opened the doors.

You and Luffy looked at each other and you took a deep breath before nodding and stepping through them together.

You and him walked onto a stage. A large bed was placed in the middle of it. White sheets, a couple pillows, and a small nightstand with two water bottles were the only things there. You swallowed, mouth dry. You heard a few cheers as the two of you made your way to the bed. Luffy looked at you. He had a feeling you might be nervous, so he squeezed your hand before lifting his other to your face and pulling you in. His lips met yours. It was… surprisingly gentle. Normally Luffy is fueled by passion lit deep in his stomach. But when his face pressed against yours, he was sweet and soft.  

“Don’t think about them,” He murmured against your lips when he pulled back. He brought the hand that held yours to the other side of your face, cradling your head between his palms. He felt so warm. “Just focus on me, yeah?” 

You nodded and sighed into his mouth when he pulled you in once more. You were so wrapped up in your lips moving against Luffy’s you didn’t notice you were moving, until Luffy pulled away to sit back on the bed. His hands slid to your waist, pulling you onto his lap. He pulled his hat from where it hung against his collarbone to place it on the bed. His garments were similar to yours in that they were silky white, but he only wore baggy parachute pants held up with a drawstring. You assumed he was also bare underneath, if his half hard length had anything to say about it. You whined into his mouth as you straddled him, one hand buried in his soft jet-black hair. The other trailed down his neck and over the X-shaped scar on his chest. Luffy gasped into your mouth, his scar tissue sensitive. His hands tightened on your waist and he pushed you onto him, trying to garner a bit of friction against his rapidly hardening member. 

“F-fuck, Y/N…” It was Luffy’s turn to sigh into your mouth. With a shudder, he brought up a hand to undo the belt that held your robe closed. When it fell open, Luffy grabbed your waist- underneath the robe this time. You whimpered when his hand gripped your flesh and squeezed, his palms igniting fires against your skin. When he went to pull the robe off of you, you stopped him.

“Not yet.” You whispered against his lips when he tilted his head at you in confusion. He seemingly understood because he went back to wrestling his tongue with yours, your kisses becoming more and more heated as time passed. You swayed your hips against his, reveling in the whine that escaped from Luffy’s mouth. He seemed to get a little more restless, because he suddenly stood, giggling when you gasped against him. He turned around with you in his arms, before tossing you onto the bed. You yelped.

“L-Luffy!” You looked at him, scandalized. Luffy shrugged it off with a laugh, kicking off his sandals and crawling after you. He had a dark look in his eyes as he situated himself between your legs. The two of you laid together on the bed with your sides facing the audience. You figured Luffy did it this way so you wouldn’t have to face them directly, and your heart swelled with love for the man in front of you. He could be considerate when it really mattered, and it made moments like these all the more special. Your hand twisted into his hair and pulled him back down to you. He groaned into your mouth and rutted his hips into yours. He was hard, painfully so, and you wanted to help him the way you knew how. You locked your legs and rolled him over. He grunted in surprise at the position change, blinking up at you with wide eyes. You pressed a kiss to his lips playfully and pulled back to sit on top of him.

“Let me take care of you right now, m’kay?” You leaned back down and pressed kisses to his neck. Luffy groaned, head falling back against the pillow. His breath came quicker as you trailed kisses down his chest, pausing momentarily to suck on a nipple, before continuing downward. He was full on panting by the time you reached his navel. “Luffy… Look at me. Watch me.”

He brought his head up from the pillow and blinked his eyes open to watch you. You pulled back momentarily to undo the drawstring of his pants. You slid the silk down his hips, eyeing down his length as it slapped against his lower belly. He pushed himself up onto his hands to watch you move your hair out of your face and grip his length, hissing through his teeth as you gave it a few pumps. You brought it to your mouth and kissed the tip sweetly, before locking eyes with your captain again and dragging your tongue up the underside of his dick. He hissed as you traced the vein running along his dick, and grunted when you finally sealed your lips around his tip

“Fhh- Y/N… stop teasing,” Luffy whined, his hips squirming to try and get you to take more into your mouth. You grinned as much as you could and pushed his hips down against the bed. Deciding to have mercy on the poor boy, you tightened your lips around him and sucked gently, taking him deeper into your mouth. He groaned as he watched you bring a hand to stroke his dick, using your spit to help your hand glide easier. You whined at the feeling of his weight on your tongue, bobbing your head. Luffy was shaking, bringing a hand to card through your hair. You could tell he was trying to be patient and not fuck your throat the way he wanted to, so you decided to reward him by swallowing him deeper. He let out a cry before whimpering, “C-can I? Please?” 

“Please what, Luffy?” You pulled off of his dick with a pop and stroked him as you waited for him to answer. He squirmed and whimpered as you gripped him tighter. “Use your words.”

Luffy let out an exasperated sigh as he held your face, forcing you to look at him. “Can I fuck your throat? Please?”

You hummed and nodded, kissing his tip before opening your mouth, the flat of your tongue pressing against the underside of his dick. Looking up at Luffy, the two of you locked eyes as you sucked him deeper, deeper down your throat until your nose nestled in the coarse hair at the base of his cock. He threw his head back and groaned as his hand tightened in your hair, holding your head in place. His hips ground against your face. Drool spilled out of the sides of your mouth, your chin sloppy and messy. You tried to hold your breath as your throat constricted around his cock. When he finally loosened his grip on your hair, you pulled back to catch your breath. You didn’t take too long though, because after a moment you dove forward again, pushing yourself past the tears that slid down your cheeks. You hummed as Luffy used his hold on you to build up a steady rhythm, alternating between bobbing you up and down his length and stuffing himself down your throat.

Luffy was panting and whining, and you could tell he was close before he stuttered the warning to you. This made you double your efforts, sucking him down and swirling your tongue around his cock. Luffy let out a broken moan, and that was all the warning you got before he pushed you as far as he could go. You held yourself still as he released down your throat, swallowing as much as you could. Luffy always came a lot, so even when he released you and you pulled back you still had enough cum in your mouth keeping it full. You blinked up at him through teary lashes and swallowed, panting and finally taking the chance to catch your breath. Fuck, you looked absolutely wrecked. Teary-eyed, flushed, and face covered in drool and cum, you sat back on your haunches. At some point, your robe had slipped off your shoulders, revealing your gasping chest. 

“Fuck Y/N.” Luffy cursed as he pulled you in for a kiss. “Ya felt. So. Fucking. Good.” He gasped in between kisses. You whimpered into his mouth, shrugging the rest of the robe off and wrapping your arms around his shoulders. His hand found your waist as the other cradled the back of your head, deepening the kiss. You loved his hands. They left scorching trails in their wake, seemingly lighting up your body from the inside out. You wanted him so badly, the crowd of people watching you far from your mind. Your thoughts quickly vanished from your mind when Luffy swiped a finger through your folds, sighing at how wet he found you. He kissed down your neck as he slipped a finger inside of you. You sighed and humped his hand, twisting a hand into his hair. He smirked from where he was sucking a mark into your neck. He surprised you again by picking you up and turning around, laying you against the pillows.

“My turn!” He chirped against your lips as he began kissing down your body. He stopped to leave a few love bites, sucking on your neck and collar. When he reached your chest, he sucked a nipple into his mouth, bringing up a hand to play with the other. His other hand dove lower. You whined, squirming as he toyed with your clit and pinched your nipple at the same time. He kissed and nipped at your chest, delighting in the marks he left behind. He gave equal attention to your other breast before continuing his descent, groping and squeezing your body. He loved how soft you were. It made you really fun to cuddle and he loved the bruises his fingers would leave behind from grabbing your hips too tightly. He looked up at you when he finally reached your dripping cunt. He moved your legs to rest over his shoulders as he pressed kisses to your plush thighs. Using his hold on your legs, he spread them a little more, smiling as he gazed down at your wet pussy. He licked his lips, suddenly giddy. “Ready?”

He didn’t wait for your answer before he ran his tongue through your folds. Your gasp turned into a whimper as his tongue lapped over you more, flicking your clit. He groaned into your cunt at your taste on his tongue. Luffy continued with his languid swipes before pushing his tongue a little deeper, ducking past your entrance. This is where his devil fruit came in handy! His tongue stretched into you, flicking at your walls before retreating, only to repeat a mere second later. Your hips twitched and you whined out into the air before gasping for breath. Your hand reached down to run a hand into Luffy’s hair. The other grasped the pillow. Luffy looked up at you as he plunged his tongue deeper and deeper into you, playfulness shining in his eyes at your reaction. You moaned and writhed against him out of your mind with pleasure.

“M-more… Luffy,” You mewled as you clenched around his tongue. He switched up, pulling his tongue out of you and replacing it with his fingers. He huffed against your cunt, taking a moment to catch his breath. It didn’t last long though, because soon enough he nosed his way forward, sealing his lips around your clit. He sucked the bundle of nerves into his mouth as he dipped two fingers inside of you. Slick, wet noises filled the air. You cried out and writhed against him, causing Luffy to grunt and use his grip on your waist to pin you to the bed. “‘M so close Luffy please.”

You were mindless. Rolling your hips against his face, chasing your peak. It was clumsy but slow, with no real rhythm, but growing greedier by the minute. Your thighs began to quiver around Luffy’s head. This didn’t go unnoticed by him, as he doubled down on his efforts. He alternated between slow and fast licks against your clit, while stretching his fingers to reach and curl deep within you. 

“Mmf- Fuck! Luffy,” You gasped, voice wobbling. “I’m s- hnngh… S-so close I- haah… I’m gon-na -!”

Your hips lifted off of the bed, trying to twist out of Luffy’s grasp. He lifted your lower body up a little in his arms, mouth still slotted against your folds. This way you couldn’t hide from the overwhelming pleasure electrocuting your body. You often fought for your orgasms, but Luffy refused to let this one go. He held you tight as you moaned his name. A groan vibrated against your pussy as your release flooded his mouth. You gave up your thrashing, body bouncing a little as you slumped against the mattress. You moaned as you rode out your orgasm on Luffy’s tongue. He kept his mouth on you until you were twitched from oversensitivity. Running a hand through his hair, you gently pulled him away from your shaky thighs and spasming cunt. 

This boy was a mess. Your fluids covered the lower half of his face, glistening against the lights shining onto the stage. His jet-black hair was tousled from your pulling. He smiled at you as if it were just the two of you, seemingly ignoring the cum dripping off of his chin. 

“Y’taste so good Y/N,” Luffy pulled your face forward for a sloppy kiss. You whined at your taste on his tongue. He shuffled forward a bit before pushing you back against the bed. Before he threw himself onto you Luffy slid a pillow under your hips. Your legs slotted against his hips as he made himself comfortable on top of you. “I wanna… be inside of ya so bad… Can I?” He whimpered in between kisses.

You hummed, cradling his face in your palms as you pressed light kisses all over his face. He giggled before burying his face into your neck, his hips rutting against you. Like some kind of mutt, all slobber and excitement as he humped against your folds. You chuckled before shifting a little, angling your hips towards Luffy. You pulled him away from your neck and kissed him deeply. He seemed to get the message. Luffy lined himself up before pulling away from the kiss, a strand of saliva connecting your mouths together. He looked down to watch himself push his way inside of you. You threw your head back and whined at the feeling of him filling you up. 

A hiss turned into a groan as he finally bottomed out inside of you, pubic bone pressed against yours. His dick was long and thick, and he stretched out using his devil fruit powers, growing til his tip kissed your cervix. You expected him to start fucking you right away like he normally did. But when he didn’t, you blinked your eyes open and looked up at him in confusion. He smiled at you lazily and looked down to where the two of you were connected. You tried to grind down on him, to gain some sort of friction, but he used his body weight to pin you to the bed.

“Wh- Luffy?” You gazed at him, confused. “What are you-”

“How bad do ya want it?” 

…

“What?” You blinked at him, not believing what you’d heard.

“I said,” Luffy leaned forward, eyes dark and flickering with mischief. “How bad do ya want it?”

“Luffy, don’t do this, please. Not now,” You pleaded. “I can’t, it’s s-so embarrassing.” You seemed to remember now. You were in front of an audience. One that was eerily quiet, might you add. Your face burned with shame. He wouldn’t make you beg in front of them, would he? You shuddered, slowly turning your head to the audie-

A rough hand grabbed your face, turning you back to look at the man currently inside you.

“Don’t.” He growled. “Look at me and tell me what you want.” He ground his hips into yours for emphasis, delighting in your needy mewls.

You sniffled, tears pricking the corners of your eyes. God, of all the times to tap into his possessive, demanding side, he had to choose now. What happened to the sweet, docile Luffy who begged to put his hands on you? The boy who was happy just using your mouth? You couldn’t find him in this suddenly commanding man, who twitched inside of you at your distress. It wasn’t often he got like this, all assertive and dominant, but when he did you basked in his authority. He always fucked you a little bit deeper, a little bit harder when he was in this mood. You were happy to indulge him, to beg and submit to his every whim.

But not like this.

This was humiliating.

You whined and squirmed as you thought over your next words carefully. You decided to beg for mercy once more.

“I-I can’t.”

“Fine, I guess ya don’t want it.” Luffy sighed discontentedly. He pulled away from you, shifting to pull himself out of you before you stopped him. You wrapped your legs around him and pulled him back in with a small yelp. Your hands gripped his arms caged around you. Luffy looked down at you, a smirk pulling at his lips. 

“Please, captain…” you sniffled, tears of frustration spilling down your face as humiliation boiled within your veins. But you couldn’t deny the way you clenched down on Luffy as your resolve crumbled into pieces. “Please fuck me. Cum deep inside of me, please. Please. I need it so badly, fuck.”

He blinked at you.

“Fuck. Fuck! I need you to f-fuck me, captain. Please.” You sobbed, writhing on his dick. Luffy laughed, shifting on his knees and hooking his elbows into the crook of your legs. His trademark grin beamed down at you as shivers wracked your body.

“See? That wasn’t so hard!” Luffy snickered. He wouldn’t call himself a sadist, but he did find you crying and begging for him to fuck you kind of funny. “Okay, okay, fine. I gotcha.”

With that, he drove his hips forward. Luffy grunted as you clenched around him, your walls so warm and wet. His length hammered away at that spot inside of you, blurring your vision. You moaned, head rolling back against the pillow. He felt so fucking good. Your mind short-circuited and you couldn’t focus on anything other than Luffy’s length pounding you. With a loud groan, Luffy looked down to where you two were connected. He watched his cock pump in and out of you at an erratic pace. His mouth hung open, drool dripping down his chin and onto your belly. 

That’s when he saw it.

When he’d bottom out, a slight bulge would poke out of your lower abdomen. He wanted to see it again. He pushed into you as deep as he could, staring down your body as your back arched off the mattress. Luffy gasped and sat up a little more, lifting your hips with his hands. He used his hold on you to thrust deeper, harder, his tip knocking against the walls of your with each thrust.

“Ngh- Look, Y/N…” Luffy grunted and whined as you lifted your head, almost delirious but willing to obey him. “You can-ah! You can see me inside ‘f ya.”

You watched as he fucked you like an animal, desperate to bury himself within the deepest parts of your body. Your hands scrambled for purchase against the bedsheets, your eyes squeezing shut as you cried out into the air. Just when you thought things couldn’t get any more overwhelming, your captain pressed the palm of his hand on your tummy, feeling himself slide in and out of you. 

You couldn’t speak. Your body was alight with pleasure, and you felt your peak rapidly approaching. The coil wound deep inside of you tightened. But this orgasm felt a little… different. You could feel the waves of pleasure intensify, like a dam fit to burst.

“L-Luffy I’m-” You were unable to finish your sentence, his length knocking into you just right. You practically screamed and threw your head back as you finally let go. Pleasure ripped through you like a tsunami, your vision spotting, hearing nothing but the pounding of blood in your ears. 

You heard it before you saw it. Your release squirting out against Luffy’s abdomen as he fucks you through it. Loud, wet squelches filled the air, mixing with the sound of your cries and Luffy’s groans. Luffy let out a loud moan, dropping to his forearms and hovering over you. He slowed down a little, opting for grinding his hips into you to catch his breath.

“Fuck Y/N… You’ve never… mnhh- done that before.” Luffy heaved, wrapping his arms around you and burying his face into your neck. You had squeezed so impossibly tight around you when you came, and even now your pussy flutters with the aftershocks of your orgasm. You wrapped your arms around his shoulders, petting his hair.

“Luffyy…” You whined, your words slurring together. You warbled something about feeling good before kissing his neck. Everything else had faded away. All you could see, think, feel was him and how good he was making you feel. You wrapped your legs around him, caging him in. Luffy’s moans and whines rose in pitch.

“Y/N! I- hff- ‘m gonna-!” Luffy ducked his head into the crook of your shoulder and moaned, hips stuttering as he came. You moaned at the feeling of his warm seed filling you up. Luffy pushed in as deep as he could go and stayed there. He always preferred being deep inside of you whenever he came. He didn’t care about getting you pregnant, but he loved the way you twitched and whined whenever he came inside of you. With a sigh, he peeled himself away from you, sitting back to admire the mess between your bodies. He laughed.

“Wow, look at the mess ya made!” Luffy snickered. You pushed yourself onto your elbows, face flushed. You’ve never cum so hard before, and you hadn’t even realized you’d squirted until you saw the damage. Luffy’s abdomen and thighs glistened with your cum. His cum dripped from your cunt onto the soaked bed sheets beneath you. Luffy snickered, then brought a hand to grip your thigh. Using his hold on you, he flipped you over onto your stomach. You yelped and shot a confused look over your shoulder. “What? ‘M not done with ya just yet.”

His hands gripped your hips, pulling them upward, your back bowing into an arch. Luffy groped at your ass as he watched the last of his cum ooze out of your cunt. He didn’t like that, so he collected the fluid that threatened to drip down your thighs and pushed it back into you.

“L-Luffy! Just get on with it already!”

“Shishishishi! Sorry Y/N. I jus’ can’t help but play with ya.”

You yelped once more as you felt a hand collide harshly with your ass. Your head whipped around to look at him over your shoulder, face flushed.

“Wh-what the hell was that for?!”

Luffy shrugged with a snicker. “Dunno, just felt like it.”

“Well, give me a warning the next time you decide t- aahn!”

Luffy interrupted you by pushing inside of you in one swift movement. He shifted forward on his knees, leaning forward and nipping at your ear.

“Sorry, were ya sayin’ somethin’?”

He began to pump in and out of you, hard and deep. This position made it easier to hit the deepest parts of you, tip of his cock knocking against your cervix with each thrust. Fuck, any semblance of coherence you held onto slipped from your mind, Luffy’s cock fucking you dumb. You drooled onto the pillow beneath you, moans flowing freely from your open mouth. Luffy whined, driving into you faster. His hips snapped against your ass.

You squirmed and whined as his length pounded away at your g-spot. Your thighs quake, you can feel yourself fluttering around his length. You were reaching another orgasm rapidly, trying to stop it or slow down was futile. Luffy was going to fuck you through your orgasm whether you liked it or not. The repeated stimulation against your cervix and the barely-there stimulation of his balls slapping against your clit drove you closer and closer to the edge.

“Hff- I can feel ya tightening up ‘round me like a fuckin’ vice, baby.” Luffy groaned, his words breathy. He angled his hips, rolling his hips, trying to get you to cum. His arm reached around you, index finger circling your clit. You cried out and clenched down on Luffy. He moaned and you came, gushing around his cock. It wasn’t as intense as your last orgasm, but that didn’t make it any less euphoric. Fireworks danced behind your eyelids as you trembled and cried out in mindless pleasure.

“Atta girl!” Luffy huffed. Your thighs quivered and gave out, crumbling against the bed. Luffy fell with you, sweaty chest pressed against your back. He slowed down, letting you catch your breath for a moment, but still wanting to stimulate himself. He nipped at your ear. “S-so fuckin good f’me baby… Gimme one more, please?”

“Luffyyy,” you whined, words slurring together. Talking was no easy feat. Your tongue felt thick and too heavy to move. Your vision blurred and your face was wet from the tears staining your cheeks. Honestly, you weren’t sure if you could cum again. It’s not like the drag of his cock through your oversensitive walls was helping you, either. “I dunno…  ‘f I can- nnh.”

“C’mon princess, please? For me?” He pressed fleeting kisses against the side of your face and neck, desperate to feel you squeeze him tightly again. Your cunt fluttered and he groaned, wanting so badly to resume his previous pace. But not without your permission. “Please, please?”

Bringing your arms to hold the pillow underneath you, you ground your hips back against your boyfriend. Your nerves alight with oversensitivity, you moaned and squirmed on his cock. It was hard to speak, but you tried your best to show him that you were willing to try, were giving him permission to fuck another orgasm out of you. Luffy seemed to take the hint. He let out a soft chuckle and kissed your face tenderly, he was so in love with you. Nibbling at your ear, he sped up, thighs clapping against your ass. The sound of him fucking you mixed with his overstimulated whimpers in your ear made you whine and clench down on his cock. 

Luffy brought a hand underneath you to rub at your clit, delighting in the way you cried and writhed on his length. You were close, still basking in the aftershocks of your previous orgasm, he just needed something to push you over that edge and into euphoria. A lightbulb went off in his head at the same time that you fluttered around him. He just needed to press on you the way he did before, right? The heel of his palm pushed against your lower abdomen as his middle finger stretched to stay pressed to your clit. It was an awkward angle, but he was determined to have you gush all over him like you did before. You sobbed, practically screaming as your hips bucked, but you had nowhere to go since his hips kept you smothered against his hand and the bed. Your mind went completely blank. Stars burst behind your eyelids. 

“LUFFY! ‘M ssoohmygod ‘m gonna cum- ‘mgonnacumsofuckingh-”

Your legs kicked out as you squirted once more, your screams muffled against the pillow you bit into. Luffy was at the end of his rope. He kept fucking into you, your orgasm bringing him to his own. He bit down on your neck as he came, buried as deep inside of you as he could go. He growled as his cock throbbed and pumped wave after wave of his seed into you. Your forehead pressed against the pillow you had scooped into your arms, gasping for breath. Mentally, you were blissed out. Warmth spread through every part of your body, tingling with pleasure. Your thighs trembled even as you came down from your orgasm. 

Luffy was in a similar state. He slumped against you, chest heaving. His hands caressed the sides of your body as he came down from his orgasm. He licked at the deep bite mark he left on your neck. It wasn’t deep enough to draw blood, but definitely enough to leave a mark for the next few days, a week if he was lucky. Knowing that you’d be walking around with a mark left by him made his dick throb. 

“You okay, baby?” He whispers in your ear, hand rubbing at your back soothingly. You gurgle a response, physically incapable of forming words while you were still coming down. Luffy chest vibrates from where he’s pressed against you as he chuckles. When he pulls away from you, you whine at the loss of his warmth. You’re finally starting to regain consciousness, though your words are slurred. “Luffy… ‘m tired.”

“Aww, are ya? I can take ya back to the ship if ya want.” Luffy sat up, drinking some of the water that was sitting on the table next to the bed. You seem to perk up at that, and he grins, setting the water back down before rolling off the bed. You seemed to forget about the crowd watching you, and though Luffy was aware of their watchful eyes he couldn’t bring himself to care. He picked up his hat from where it’d fallen onto the stage, placing it back onto his head. He didn’t bother with the pants. He nudged you to sit up, as you already started drifting off to sleep. “C’mon, Y/N. Sit up fa me.”

Luffy pulled you into his arms, lifting you up off the bed. You grumbled and wrapped your arms and legs around him, not unlike a koala. He giggled as you buried your face into his neck. He knew that when you woke up you’d probably flush with embarrassment at your lack of self-awareness, but he didn’t mind. You were so cute when you were all flustered. Even now, the way you drooled a little bit onto his shoulder was adorable. Luffy sighed with content as he carried you through the doors exiting the stage and down the hallway. 

The captain of the strawhat pirates was so in love with you it even startled him sometimes. The way you kept a level head when he was flying off of the handle. You helped rein him in without smothering him or cramping on his way of life. You balance him out. His heart did little jumping jacks when he met you, and the minute you offered to help him he knew he had to have you on his crew. So he didn’t mind carrying you all the way back to the ship, not at all. You were his, and he’d carry you for miles if it meant he could wake up next to you in the morning.

Thanks for reading! I may include an epilogue (or a part two) if I feel like it >w<

[parkerdoeswriting]

Anyone Else But You

(TASM!Peter x PregTeen!Reader)

category: fluff oneshot that has semi angsty undertones?

summary: teen!reader gets preggo, is afraid to tell Peter

warnings: (teen) pregnancy, reader is referred to in GN terms but is AFAB or whatever, teen pregnancy, brief mentions of intimate encounters but not really talked about, brief mentions of termination/not keeping baby

word count: 1.6k

A/N: I just recently watched Juno and thought it’d be a cute concept DONT COME AFTER ME

Also make sure to be safe while canoodling guys!!

“Shit”.

That’s the only word you can think of as you look at the positive pregnancy tests.

“Shit, shit, shit”.

How could this happen to you? I mean, you and Peter were always careful, you don’t understand?!

“Shit”

You think of Peter and your family, how would they react to this? Would they be supportive? Would Peter break up with you? Would your parents kick you out? You’re only 17… you have your whole life ahead of you!

You stuff the tests into a plastic baggie, zipping it up and shoving it in your backpack. You look at your stomach, lightly rubbing your fingers over it.

You undress and throw on your pajamas, heading to bed and hoping that when you wake up, today was just a dream…

——————————

Beep… beep… beep…

You groan softly, your hand sleepily reaching for your alarm clock. You shut off the noise, rubbing your eyes as you awaken, remembering the events of yesterday.

You get up, swiftly pulling on a comfortable outfit for school. You grab your bag and check it, looking once again at the pregnancy tests, you sigh.

You head downstairs to the kitchen, backpack in hand as you grab a granola bar, shoving it in your bag as well.

“Sweetie?” your mother calls for you, noticing you are awake.

Your body tenses as you turn around, making eye contact with her.

“Hi” you quietly say, running your hands through your messy hair.

“How was your sleep?” she questions, pouring you some cereal.

“It was alright… I guess” you answer, sitting down at the table.

She slides the bowl onto the table, sitting down next to you with her breakfast.

“Are you gonna take the bus or do you want me to drive you today?” she asks, eating.

“Can you drive me?” you sigh, playing with your cereal.

She nods, smiling.

——————————

“Bye sweetie!” your mother exclaims as she drives away, leaving you in front of your highschool.

You look around, clutching your bag as you look at it. You pray you don’t run into Peter, but knowing him, he’ll be hunting you down in the halls.

You sigh and head to your locker, getting ready for the first bell to ring. You open your locker, browsing through your various binders and textbooks.

“Hey” a familiar voice whispers in your ears, hands wrapping around your waist.

“Hey Pete” you say, smiling faintly.

You turn around, seeing your boyfriend in all of his glory. He smiles widely at you, pressing a kiss to your cheek.

“How are you?” he asks sweetly, his fingers interlocking with yours

“Fine” you shrug, avoiding eye contact with him.

“You sure?” he tilts his head, “You look upset”.

“Just tired” you give him a fake smile, bringing both thumbs up.

The first bell rings, and you are internally thankful.

“Bye” you whisper, taking off to your class.

He waves you off, the look of concern evident on his face.

——————————

For the next month, you don’t tell a single soul. Your head battling the idea of keeping it or not.

Luckily though, you aren’t starting to show any signs of visible pregnancy

Another weekend arrives and you’re stuck at home. You’ve been blowing off hanging out with your friends and your boyfriend. Not having any energy to do anything except worry about your future, you knew it wasn’t healthy, but you couldn’t stop.

You could tell your boyfriend was frustrated, and that he knew you were hiding something, but he wasn’t aware of what that was.

Your phone vibrates on your nightstand as you watch tv, you look to see who it is.

Peter.

You ignore it, snuggling more into your bed as you cup your non-existent bump. You don’t mean to be so distant with him, but you can’t stand to face him.

There’s a knock at your bedroom door.

“Sweetie? Peter’s here for you” your mum says through your locked door.

You groan and get up, looking at your not really presentable state.

“One second” you shout from your room.

You try smoothing your hair and outfit, which makes a slight difference, but not a lot.

You head downstairs, going to the front entrance, where you see a nervous Peter anxiously waiting for you.

“Hey” you say, shoving your hands in your pockets.

He smiles faintly at you, heading up to you and wrapping you in a big hug. You reciprocate, laying your head in the crook of his neck and wrapping your arms around his waist.

You stay like this for a while, either one of you waiting for the other to let go first.

“Wanna go on a walk?” he asks you, cupping your face with his hands.

“Lemme get changed first” you say, heading back upstairs.

You internally freak out as you swiftly grab a change of clothes, choosing a pair of jeans and a cozy sweater. You slip them on and head for your bedroom door again, but as your hand gently turns the brass knob, it stops.

You look back into your room, looking at your backpack, which is lying next to your bed. You bite your lip nervously, wondering if telling him right now was the best idea.

“Shit”.

You quickly throw on your backpack, racing down the steps once again. You see Peter talking to your dad about whatever, and you swiftly stand beside him, taking his hand.

“Ready to go?” he asks you, giving your hand a firm but gentle squeeze.

You nod, saying a swift goodbye to your parents as you both head out. One hand clutches your backpack strap, and the other clutches your boyfriend's hand.

The air outside is crisp, not too cold, not too warm. You decide to head to a playground near your house, one you and Peter tend to hang out alot at. You walk mainly in silence, just enjoying the presence of one another.

“Are you okay?” he asks quietly, frowning as he looks at you, his hand never once leaving yours.

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” I respond, not looking at his face.

“You’ve been ignoring me” he states, sighing.

You don’t say anything, not wanting to admit it. You both reach the playground, and you head to the swing set.

You both sit down on the two swings beside each other, swinging faintly. Your head leans against the chain closest to Peter, your hands in your pocket.

“Do… do you want to break up?” he asks sadly, slowly rocking on the swing.

“What?” you exclaim in shock, looking at him with widened eyes.

“It’s just, I feel like you don’t wanna be with me anymore, we never talk and when we do it’s just small little answers” he sighs, looking back at you.

“Of course I want to be with you, Peter” you say, your hand reaching for his.

He sniffles softly, trying to hide his face so you can’t see.

“Peter, baby, I’m sorry” you sniffle as well, tears brimming in your eyes.

Stupid hormones.

“I don’t wanna break up with you, I really love you” his face contorts to hide his distress.

You ball your hands into fists, feeling the weight of your backpack on your back. You swiftly take it off, scavenging through it.

“What are you doing?” he questions as he wipes his face, his tone still sniffly.

You grab the plastic baggie, opening it and shoving the three tests in his hand.

“Wha-“ he stumbles, looking at the tests.

You can see the cogs in his brain working, his brain trying to figure out what lies in his hands. Once he does figure it out, his eyes widen and his jaw drops.

“Are- are you joking?” he chokes, gripping the tests.

You start crying, not knowing if he’s mad or happy. You bury your head into your palms, too ashamed to look at him. He hears your sobbing and quickly springs into action.

“Baby-“ he says, getting out of the swing seat and crouching in front of you.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know why I’m pregnant, we were so careful” you cry out, ignoring his presence in front of you.

“Baby, please look at me” he gently takes your hands away from your face, holding them.

You are then forced to look down at him, his eyes still wide. His mouth curls into a small smile, pressing kisses to your palm. Tears flow freely down your face, dripping into your lap.

“You’re pregnant?” he smiles widely, his hand gently caressing your belly.

You nod, your hands heading to rest over his.

“Are you mad?” you ask sheepishly, frowning as you scan his face for any emotion.

“No, why would I be?” he replies, looking up at you as he kneels between your legs.

“Because we are both young.. and we have our whole life ahead of us..” I sigh, sniffling softly.

“Do you want to keep the baby?” he asks, being genuine.

“Because if you do or don’t, it’s your choice okay? I’ll love and support you any which way” he adds.

“I think.. I think I want to…” you reply, biting your lip.

“Really?” he exclaims, his smile widening.

You nod, smiling at him.

“I’m so happy for us” he buries his head into your lap, hugging your waist.

“I’m scared” you confess, running your fingers through his thick brown hair.

“I’ll always be there for you, okay? Anything you need..” he says, pressing kisses to your clothed stomach.

“Thank you” you smile softly, your face blushing.

“Anything for you” he says, seriousness in his voice.

You smile, and for the first time in a while, you feel safe.

[ewanmitchelll]

Imagine Taylor Swift’s songs (X): Long Live.

Imagine you are transported to the past… instants before the legendary battle between Aemond and his uncle Daemon Targaryen occurs. What will you do? Part I.

Warnings: drama, angst, smut—fluff; loosely based on “Outlander”.

Warnings 2: alternative universe concerning the end of “GOT”’s season 8 where Daenerys lives and Jon Snow never killed her, with a more modern take.

Warnings 3: long post.

***

• Current days.

With the war coming to an end and the recent coronation of Queen Daenerys, your life has finally returned to what it used to be… before the threat of the Others, when you were forced to flee from Winterfell to go down South and live with your uncle and aunt all the whilst the rest of your family decided to move to Sunspear, in Dorne.

You start a new life at King’s Landing, taking a course at the Westerosi University, making new friends and even finding a few dates for yourself.

“We should definitely head to Aegon’s Hill”, your friend Margaery says. “There’s a very mystical place, abandoned after the Usurper fell”, she adds in reference to Cersei Lannister’s death by treason.

You hesitate, but what’s there to lose? Security has been restored thanks to the joint efforts of Queen Daenerys and her King Consort, Jaehaerys II after years of civil war plus the madness coming from the north.

“We should celebrate there”, another friend named Lyna adds.

And that is how it all begins. But who could tell what was going to happen?

*

In the first hours of the morning next you, already dressed in red, black stripes pants and a white, winter like blouse, get your fundamental things in your backpack with an adventure feeling you cannot get rid off.

“And here we go”, you mumble to yourself after getting some coffee.

You hear the sound of a “beeeee”, and you know it’s Margery on the car. You wave a quick goodbye from your aunt and uncle before dropping into it.

“Don’t get yourself too late at home!”, you hear your aunt yelling over her shoulder.

You laugh quietly before yelling back:

“When have I ever failed you?”

And so you are driven all the way to Aegon’s hill, singing a random song seconded by your girl friends.

“I feel so excited about going there”, you, usually the quiet one, find yourself chatty this morning. Is the coffee the cause of it? Maybe. “I was reading about it and rumour has it there are a few enchantments surrounding the stone blocks that remain still.”

“You can’t honestly believe this shit”, Lyna reclines back the backseat and gives you a look. “It’s all mythical. Stories tell us that that hill received the Conqueror’s name because that was where he flew with the great Balerion.”

“But before his arrival there used to be the spot of ancient religions that turned such spot one very meaningful for their practices and all. Aegon himself kept it, aware of its importance”, you honestly don’t know what’s with you, but part of you likes the mysterious aura that place has.

“There is also a legend dated from the days of the Blackfyre rebellion that if you are not careful enough you can be tossed into the past”, says Margaery.

“How past that is, one wonders”, Lyna muses, eventually taking in the idea.

“That depends. The three eyed crow could tell… but it’s been said the man was killed by the Night King.”

You tilt your head as if pondering what the girls are talking about.

“I still can’t believe he died during the war”, you muse out loud.

“He sacrificed for the realm. Apparently he always knew that.”

No one dares to say anything. The Great War is still a sensitive topic to many and your group isn’t an exception to it. Eventually, however, you manage to get to the hill.

It’s large and surrounded by very ancient stones indeed. The beauty in its mysticism makes all the more alluring to you. Something so captivating calls you and, distracted, as if you have been hypnotized, you attend it.

In baby steps you walk, ignoring the bubbling of your friends. A soft hymn, as if played by a harp, is heard.

“Do you hear this, girls?”, you turn at them, missing the mist that rises from nowhere.

But they seem unable to hear you. You try to reach them, especially when the sound of an earthquake scares the hell out of you. You grip tightly the stone, or try to, but it’s when everything spins and you scream.

When your friends turn at you, you are no longer there.

***

• Days of War

I said remember this moment in the back of my mind. The time we stood with our shaking hands. The crowds in stands went wild…

A thunder scratches through the black clouds, roaring it violently. It only announces bad omens. Men paint the soil with their blood in red all the whilst dragons rip skies in cursed fighting.

As it starts to rain, Aemond Targaryen prepares to fight his bitter enemy, confident that he will bring victory to his side. Rhaenyra has been suffering with many losses, betrayals, no one believes her cause anymore.

Dressed in dark green leather, he doesn’t mind the rain that soaks his long silver hair. A twisted, evil smirk is seen as he rests his hand over his sword sheath.

“And here we go, Vhagar”, he mumbles when climbing Aegon’s hill where his dragon, the legendary beast that followed Balerion and Meraxes in the conquest of Westeros many moons ago, awaits.

But it’s precisely when seeing Vhagar agitated and spitting fire that has Aemond startled. What could be the cause of its state? He is ready to run to it when he sees… you.

A scared woman in what he judges to be in her mid 20’s has just tumbled before him. Dressing in strange clothes, your hair is soaked and you shake. You are bloody scared, he can tell, and in other circumstances he’d shoo you away.

However, you not only possess strange objects he’d never seen, but something else that captures his attention. And when you see who’s the man that stands right before you… you remember your history lessons.

And you scream.

Right before you pass out.

“What the fuck?”, Aemond breathes heavily, wide eyed gazing at you. Part of him tells to leave you there, but another cannot. Curiosity takes the best so he forgets the battle for now and carries you with him. “Vhagar, it appears we are delaying the freaking encounter this day. For now.”

Not in the best of the moods, he is, however, intrigued by you. As he flies with you to his secretive spot—away from Alys, he keeps it in mind—, he wonders about your whereabouts and why you dress such unusual clothing. And what’s this object you carry behind your back? A product of witchcraft perhaps?

He narrows his eyes, suspiciously so. But in the midst of this long term war, one thing is for sure: you have brought him back the inquisitiveness that he’s long lost…

***

When you open your eyes, it takes you a few minutes to realize where you are… and when realizing that your clothes are changed, you are forced to acknowledge that whatever happened the day before was not a dream.

You begin to panic when you see your surroundings. You are in a large, comfortable bed with lamb skin made blankets over your frame. The furniture is not as modern as the one your aunt has in her household.

You swallow hard, scanning still your eyes s modest desk, and a simple window. All of this makes you miss the discreet presence of Lord Aemond, who’d been watching you from the side of the chamber you haven’t noticed yet.

“I wonder the cause behind your astonishment”, his husky voice breaks the silence in such a powerful way that you nearly jump out of the bed, which makes the prince amused.

Never before had you stood a royal before, even if this man is not the kindest of his station. You force yourself to remember your history lessons and behave in the most natural way possible.

Therefore you stand and dip into what you judge a careful curtsy. Aemond’s eyebrows are raised, arms folded. But he is no fool.

“You are not from here”, he continues. “Who are you? A very weird spy sent by my dear sister to distract me?”

In other circumstances you’d have laughed out loud. But you are too frightened to do that. Aemond sees you are shaking, a clear sign of fear.

“Well? Has the cat eaten your tongue, my lady?”, he sighs heavily, not the most patient of men.

“I… No, lord. I am not”, never before you’ve been thankful for learning the ways of nobility, aware few of the etiquette has altered in the course of centuries. “I… I am not your sister’s partisan.”

Aemond can tell you speak the truth, but he approaches you, shortening the distance between you two. Then he shows you your backpack and all the things there are still inside.

“What are these then? Are you a witch, lady? Has my sister bought you so you could use such witchcraft against us, against me?”

Part of you finds ridiculous how this is going. Another is trying not to laugh at the face of danger. The reasonable self there is still in you prevails by masking your sentiments, reminding that you need to conquer this man’s trust if you want to go back home.

“If I tell you, lord, you will not believe me”, you opt for the truth. If the prince has long decided to burn you, then what does it matter?

Aemond is surprised by the moment you lift your eyes. Something about your gaze shakes his heart, as if bringing the tempest within. He ignores the shiver that now runs over his spine.

“Try me”, he commmands you to.

“I must have your word that you shall not burn me.”

The prince side smirks at you.

“Do I have the reputation of slaying ladies or sending them to death? Believe me, my lady, my mistress has been associated with dark magic and here I stand.”

Without thinking twice, though, the following words roll out of your tongue:

“But you are renowned as the kinslayer. That speaks for itself.” It’s only then you know you’ve angered the prince. Shit. “I’m sorry, lord.”

“You are my prisoner”, Aemond snaps back at you. “Bear in mind you need my favour if you have any love for your life.”

Your eyes are puddled with tears. Once too proud, you slide to your knees and beg him for your life.

“Lord, I’ve been a victim of witchcraft. I’ve been casted here, that is the truth and only truth. I come from the future and there is where I belong. I’ve never meant to stay in your way. I beg you to spare me, we have no cause for otherwise.”

Aemond’s good eye is slightly wide. He can tell, being a good observer, that you are not lying even if his reason cannot conceive it. On the other hand, what surprises him more is the way you are begging him. He’d taken you as a proud woman. The scene now disconcerts him.

“I must depart. I am needed and…”

You know you should not meddle in the past, aware of the consequences. This is a bad reputed prince, the chronicles helped making you dislike him greatly. However, you depend on him in going back to Aegon’s Hill. Therefore…

“Don’t go. You will die.”

Aemond’s eyebrows raise epically.

“What? Listen to me, young lady. Whomever you may be, sent by my sister or not, you shall better hold your tongue.”

Oh this couldn’t go any worse, could it? You sigh heavily.

“And then what? I need you, lord, to find my way back home. If you die today, I’ll be stuck in here for good.”

“Perhaps then I should have left you to Alys.”

“No!”, something about your cry scares the untamed prince. “Lord, please. I…”

A moment of silence. Neither could believe in what is going right before their eyes. You, stuck in the middle of another war; him, in the presence of what he judges to be a product of witchcraft.

“How should I address my lady?” Aemond opts to begin again.

And when you soften, so does he.

“Y/N, lord.”

“Y/N, I am Aemond Targaryen. Looks like there’s so much to catch on…”

To change the fate of Westeros, he stays.

***

The night you danced like you knew our lives would never be the same. You held your head like a hero on a history book page. It was the end of a decade, but the start of an age.

Aemond’s good eye studies you as you eat like you haven’t been fed for ages. Your hair is still hanging lose behind your back and you are still wearing a pair of delicate earrings he’d never seen before, but all else makes you look like a woman of his own times.

“So the enchantments of Aegon’s Hill are true”, he muses, breaking the silence as he takes a sip of his wine.

“They are, lord.”

“But never heard of a case where they had… succeeded, in fact.” He tilts his head. “What proof can you give me you are actually from there?”

“My objects aren’t proof enough?”

This silences the prince for now.

“I do not think wise to meddle in these events”, you say in turn. “Lord knows what that’d be like for my own days.”

Aemond is intrigued as he watches you pale. Then curiosity knocks his pride out.

“What’s like? The future?”

You wonder if you should tell him. As if he reads you, Aemond adds:

“Eventually I die. I am not asking you how. But your days, lady, I want to know. How better are they from mine?”

Sadness sparks behind your y/c eyes, a sight that inspires sympathy on him.

“Worse, I dare say. I was first raised in a long civil war. And then… another came, worse still. I really have no words to put it.”

“I cannot conceive a war worst than civil war”, says Aemond. “But another civil war bled Westeros?”

“Yes”, you try not to speak too much.

“Fuck”, Aemond grumbles under his breath. “All of this… for nothing?”

Not knowing what to say, you choose silence. And not knowing how to react, Aemond breathes in frustration. He decides to leave you.

And you end up that evening alone. But early next morning, Aemond, too intrigued with your presence to remember to fight his enemies, paces anxiously around the castle. He must know, he needs to know. And when waiting becomes unbearable, you show up.

Dressed in a blue velvet gown, you look properly like a lady of these times even though you cannot mask well your discomfort. Aemond’s own thoughts disappear before the sight of you, feeling so lost, so… out of place.

“My lady”, he doesn’t admit how taken aback he is by your beauty. “I pray you have slept better this night.”

“Not really, I’m afraid”, and your red eyes are a clear sign of how you actually spent your night. Aemond frowns at that, preoccupied. “I shall make my mission taking you home… after the battle that awaits me.”

You should not care, but you feel disconcerted by his presence. The way he looks at you says all.

“I cannot convince you otherwise”, you sigh. “Can you at least leave me at Aegon’s Hill, though?”

A request that defies your sanity, you know well. One that poses your boldly despair very clear. But you are now a survivor struggling to live in such a strange world.

However, Aemond is not willing to let go easily of you. Inspired by mixed feelings, he says:

“You are my prisoner now, remember? I shall keep your secret”, he approaches you slow, shortening the distance between the two of you. “Just tell me how to beat my uncle, how to win this war.”

“Oh Lords”, you find support in the wall. “What kind of question is that? In one moment you…”

“Just tell me!”, Aemond cuts you, rather impatiently.

“I cannot! Lord, if I do, the world I know my disappear.”

He realizes the dilemma you are. Confused by all of this mess, Aemond hesitates.

“Just stay here until I come back.”

Without waiting for any response, there he leaves you, but not to fight Daemon Targaryen. Not now. And you weep because this is all you can do for now.

***

You try to leave the castle, disguised as a peasant, but your plan comes to fail when Aemond comes back and from above, he spots a strange figure running through the woods.

Now here you are, a prisoner again. This time the prince is in a better mood.

“You are really trying to get away of me. In other circumstances, I’d be mad at you for this bluntness”, he muses, offering you wine as you sit in front of the fireplace.

You shoot him a glare, not saying anything.

“What am I to you but a toy so you can play?” Desperation hits a different tone and before you know you burst into tears, swiping away his mug smirk.

After a while, Aemond comes to his senses. He reluctantly takes your hand and when both of you see fingers intertwining, a different heat seems to rise.

“I lament profoundly to cause you pain, lady Y/N”, says he. “But this is who I am. Shouldn’t you know that?”

“I believed in other men’s judgement where you are concerned, but now…”

“Now what?”, he asks, somewhat anxious.

“Now I know in the hard way we should be better than be led by prejudices.”

Aemond leans back in his chair, thoughtful. You realize he doesn’t let go of your hand.

“Wise words, lady Y/N.” And then he muses. “I died, didn’t I? We lost this war, didn’t we?”

You avoid his gaze, opting for silence. But your silence screams unspoken words that reach the Prince’s heart. And he sighs, in between melancholy and resignation.

***

The following days you are not entitled as the lord Aemond’s prisoner any longer. Showing some colours in the horizon, hope stands as he presents you as the illegitimate daughter of some nobleman loyal to the green house who’d been deceased in the previous battles.

With a more convincing background, you are better instructed by maids of his trust in the manners of the times. Soon, you are offered a place to serve Queen Helaena.

It’s when you remember that droll tragedy.

“Oh no!”

Aemond raises his eye at you.

“What makes you deny this privilege any lady would kill to earn?”

You blush.

“I mean to say…”, you struggle with words, “I am unfit for such a position.”

“Allow me to disagree with you”, Aemond smiles and suddenly the view pleases your heart very much. “There shall be a ball on behalf of my sister’s birthday this weekend.”

“Will we dance?”, you blurt it out before you realize.

Aemond’s cheeks go pink at your spontaneity.

“Dance, you say”, he muses thoughtfully. “I am no dancer, my lady.”

“We are performers in life. Therefore anyone can be a dancer.”

“Quite a wit you possess”, says he in reluctant admittance. “Very well. If it pleases my lady…”

One smile is enough to turn tables.

“It does.”

And a new fate is sealed.

***

“It doesn’t feel like you are an outsider”, so mumbles Aemond to you alone as you two dance amidst courtiers.

It’s a sweet melody, cheerful somewhat in its beat, certainly bringing many presents a smile on their faces. The Dowager Queen looks pleased and delighted, entertained by her twins. One look at them and you are remembered by the upcoming events.

Oh, the burden of knowing too much. You swallow the bitter thought as you dance with the rogue prince. Earlier the Queen, who had welcomed you in the merriest of the moods, had said no one but a traveler could bring a man as her brother to dance. Her remark, not taken seriously by many, did manage to leave you uncomfortable. After all, you forgot that she had the Targaryen ability of possessing dreams.

“How come?”, you inquire, and it doesn’t take long before your gaze meets his.

He doesn’t strike you as the villain.

“You fit here just fine”, Aemond whispers in response.

As you twirl, hands barely touching his, you feel you are about to fall right into the trap.

“Do you think so?” And then you flash him a mischievous smirk. “Who’d ever thought we could get along?”

“Who, indeed?”

And then the dance comes to an end. Aemond takes your hand and bows, as you curtsy. But when he presses his lips against your skin, your heart races.

It appears you found your hero, after all.

***

Long live the walls we crashed through, how the kingdom lights shined just for me and you. I was screaming, "Long live all the magic we made” and bring on all the pretenders. One day we will be remembered…

It’s late night. Aemond’s thoughts are only on the strange woman who was tossed out of time and space to go straight to the core of the civil war that will be known in posterity as dance of dragons.

He’s been so captivated that he’s long forsaken Mistress Rivers and his obsession in defeating his sworn enemy, his own uncle Daemon Targaryen. Therefore he decides to go after you. Covered by the shadows of night with only the guidance of faint candlelights, he soon finds your bedchambers.

There is hesitation at first. His own thoughts are confused, his heart hammers in silent agony. There is half hope, half atonement in his heart beat.

Nevertheless, he came too far to stop now. So he knocks at long last.

There is no answer at first. And then…

“My lord Aemond”, you are surprised to find him on the other side of the door. “You shouldn’t be here.”

Despite the admonishment in your words, he can tell there is amusement in your eyes.

“Aye. But I couldn’t find myself able to sleep. And neither could you.”

A faint blush paints your cheeks, earning him his typical smirk.

“I wonder if the same thought has been the cause of our restless nights”, he begins, eyeing you up and down, much to your discomfort.

Dressed in your long white nightgown with your hair down in your back, you look as ethereal as your background. There is beauty, but there is also something unknown in your aura. There is a connection between you two.

And you, on the other hand, are more than familiar with the rules of those days you are now inserted. However, are you able to resist this man?

You wait, though. Maybe you’ve figured this out in the wrong way?

“Your silence mortifies me, lady”, Aemond sighs impatiently. “Is this not evidence enough of how I came to love you?”

Your eyes go wide and you almost drop the candle you’ve been holding.

“Aemond… I am hardly the most appropriate woman for you.”

“Titles and lands are nothing for me”, he responds anxiously.

It’s when he takes your free hand into his, locking fingers at last. To feel his warm skin against yours, colder by comparison, gives goosebumps and small shocks as a result. You fear that you are about to lose your control.

“Aemond…”

He steps forward, saying nothing until he closes the door behind him and puts the candle somewhere safe. Only then he holds you against him and finally kisses you like you’ve never been kissed.

And indeed you have never experienced the firm grasp of a man, the decisions of one confident who knows what he wants. You could have never imagined that one of the kind exists and could desire you this much.

Worse perhaps is to discover how long you’ve been dreaming about this. As his lips clash into yours, your morals die unheard. You let him reclaim you, shuddering under his intense grip, his burning touch.

Before you could do anything, though, Aemond lies you on your bed, lifting your skirts to your waist and then…

“Oh, Lord!”, you whimper out loud. “Aemond…!”

This is certainly the best experience you’ve had. And so easily your legs get heavy, that heat comes down your belly and you… burn.

You want to pull him over you, but the messy prince flashes you a side smirk, dropping by your side.

“Do you honestly believe I shall deflower my lady in a most ungallant manner?”, he chuckles as he watches you frown in frustration.

You raise your eyebrows. You hesitate in whether telling him about your previous experiences. Unwise it may be to be honest, but worse is to ignore your conscience’s voice.

“My prince, as much as I appreciate your kindness and respect to me…”

He furrows his eyebrows.

“In my days these matters have changed significantly”, and then you are quick to add. “It doesn’t mean I’ve had plenty of others, though.”

You give up justifying yourself when you watch Aemond struggle with comprehending your point. Eventually, however, he cedes the battle and says:

“I am not an example of morality, I suppose. Even so I stand what I said.”

Your face lightens up.

“You cannot honestly mean…”

“…that I intend to espouse you?”, Aemond scoffs. “Of course I do. It’s a better way to protect you, by the way. These are trying times, my lady.”

That being said, you cuddle onto him, forgetting completely there is a bloody civil war outside and that you are not studying the period anymore, but living it at its fullest.

***

It is often remarked how to achieve peace one must be prepared for war. And in war, few are familiar with good sense.

Whatever are your thoughts about it, your first taste of tragedy comes in the form of revenge. You are just going back from a stroll outdoors at the gardens when screams get at you.

As you rush to the indoors, you are prevented by Aemond.

“You should be better left out of this. Let me resolve it.”

“No”, you protest. “Aemond, I…”

But he isn’t listening. He leaves you there, as if you are a ghost haunting the castle. Your eyes start to get teary as you realize what part all of this is about.

You cover your ears as the screams continue endlessly, echoing in a kind of pain that you’ve been familiar once. The sounds awake old traumas, opening wounds long thought to be healed.

You can’t stay in there. Useless you feel, therefore you motion outdoors. All you do is walk. Perhaps this is the better time to go to Aegon’s Hill. You want to go home, you don’t want to spend any more time there…

However, once you do, you are prevented from doing so by Aemond. The rogue prince, paled with angst, is perplexed at the thought of you gone. Despaired, he comes after you, thankfully not needing to reach Vhagar for that purpose.

“I cannot stay here”, you tell him, body shaking in evident signs of trauma. “Please, take me home.”

“Y/N…”

“Please! I don’t belong here, Aemond!”

“Yes, you do. You belong with me”, he cups your cheeks and then reading your eyes, he denudes your soul, almost if by chance he has a glimpse of the future through you. “Whatever happened there… and whatever happened here are not who you are. Listen to me, Y/N. It’s you and I against the world. I am honestly sorry these are the circumstances we are now in, but we must be brave.”

There are so many words but none leaves your mouth. Aemond embraces you, rocking you in his arms.

“You already knew what was going to happen”, he is not asking a question. “But this is not the reaction one might’ve expected. You are also a survivor… of war. Bloody seven hells, Y/N. I’m very sorry, my lady.”

You melt in his embrace, sobbing as the nightmare of leaving everything behind in the midst of panic and fear strikes you again. You’ve never seen yourself as a survivor, until now.

“Come inside”, he asks you gently. “Don’t go now. Please.”

Never before he was seen vulnerable, but then again so are you. It had been a while since your wounds were so crudely open, left to bleed in such a painful manner. You’d think you overcame it, but not entirely as you’d like to believe.

Here you are, however, comforted by this character whom you were taught to hate all thanks to the chroniclers that registered his bad deeds. Although he may have done such, and you won’t find excuse for his bad reputation, he’s so much more than that, than words written by thirds.

He’s your prince. He’s your hero and you shall not think anymore of it.

***

After these dark days are gone, sun rises in paradise again. Aemond invites you to fly Vhagar with him.

The decision comes after Rhaenyra and her husband Daemon are put off the show for now. The greens hold victory for now, and even you forget the upcoming events.

“I cannot fly her!”, you shake at the thought. “Do you want to see me dead?”

Aemond laughs heartily and the sound of it melts your heart and soothes your mind. He twirls you around him before holding you against his chest.

“Do you trust in me so little that I’d let you slip so easily?”

You giggle.

“I am just not a brave woman you might expect me to be”, so you say, drowning in that good purple eye.

“Oh, dearest. You are a lot braver than you’d judge.”

Saying so, he kisses you on the lips, and you save his taste as you gladly return it.

I said remember this feeling. I passed the pictures around of all the years that we stood there on the sidelines wishing for right now. We are the kings and the queens. You traded your baseball cap for a crown

You cast him a long loving glance as the prince holds your hand, giving you side smirk before leading the way to Vhagar. This ancient beast, a companion to the Westerosi conquest two other Valyrian dragons, seems to read you the moment your gazes meet.

A sight too frightening to behold, one you’ve seen before the moment you were tossed in this time and space. You recollect the fear that shook your bones and froze your reason and this seems to happen again.

“Don’t be afraid. She knows you are with me”, says Aemond in a nonchalant manner.

You nod your head, but Aemond feels your body shaking. He gently pulls you against him and in a matter of seconds you are suddenly mounting that legendary creature.

“Holy cow!”, you scream.

The silver haired prince laughs quietly, before whispering the words in Valyrian to Vhagar start to fly.

“Calm down, love. Don’t be fearful, it’s worse if you do.”

“I am no dragon rider, Aemond”, you snap at him, eyes going wide as Vhagar begins to rise higher, flying in an incredible speed—fast enough according to your judgement and lack of experience where dragons are concerned, not entirely fast when comparing Vhagar to younger dragons like Caraxes, for example.

But all Aemond does is laugh away your fears. He takes your hands, holding them as he shows he’s commanding the situation. Despite your fears, the adrenaline comes at it and so suddenly you are flying higher than getting an airplane to Dorne.

“AEMOND!”

The silver haired finds adorable the way you trust him, holding onto him as if your life depends on him. But he knows you are overcoming a fear of heights and this only grows his admiration of you.

Eventually though, as if Vhagar is sensing your fear, she slows down and only then she settles in a pace that doesn’t fight you. It’s when you risk patting her back, stroking your delicate fingers over the asperity of the creature’s skin.

“Remember this feeling”, he whispers in your ear. “This is what freedom is like. This is what it means to never let anyone hold the reins of your life.”

“I see the lights of Westeros shining for us”, you don’t even know what you are thinking, but these words seem to make sense for you.

“They are”, Aemond spots the fire pits in towers where orange flames wipe away the fog that instaure that evening. “But you shine the brighter, my dear.”

You blush violently at his words. Never before you felt so loved and understood. Slightly turning your head, and locking gazes with him, you tell this silver haired prince open words regarding your heart.

“I love you, Aemond. Truthfully, I do. I only shine brighter because of you.”

His wide gaze shows no emotion, perhaps skeptical about the genuine feeling you put in them. But Aemond knows you are sincere and this moves him more than he admits.

Locking his arms around you, he kisses you before saying:

“I love you.”

And this is enough for you.

***

You are married in secrecy to a man whom history despises being the kinslayed. His vices are listed perpetually in dust parchments, used as propaganda to disperse any honesty there might’ve colored the shades of the green party that ruled Westeros for a short period of time.

But you see his virtues that no chronicler bothered to see and those overcome the former in a colorful prism of human being.

Daeron Targaryen, his younger brother, is the only witness of the ceremony.

“Welcome to the family, my lady Y/N. In other circumstances, this would be a merry and most favorable occasion.”

“My brother, this matters little. I appreciate the warm wishes, though, and I bet better days are about to come.”

Aemond is pleased to see how well you and his family get along. When one lives history, easily it is to forget it. And so it goes.

When you are taken to his privy chambers, who’d think this was when history is about to change?

“You look so beautiful. Astonishingly so.”

“You make sparks fly”, you smile at him, taken by handsomeness, hands stroking his long silver hair before holding his face. “I adore you, my prince.”

It starts slowly. Your tongue pairs perfectly with his, in one same passionate rhythm. Only then impatience rises when the heat begins to burn.

Your hands start to undress him, automatically moving down to his leather pants.

“Let me show you my devotion”, you break the kiss to whisper in his ear.

Aemond hisses under his breath, eyes closed as he already reacts to your caresses. Your lips leave traces of warm kisses from his neck to his shoulders, going down to his belly and then… you kneel to say your prayers.

*

But he is now devouring you like a hungry man, starving for your soul. His lips on your nipples do wonderfulness. You roll your eyes, moaning softly as your hands play with his hair.

When his skillful fingers find way to your core, you know you are lost. Aemond smirks at how loud you can be, this arousing him further.

“Hmm, my darling”, he raises to meet your mouth, clashing it in a fervent kiss, therefore muffling your lustful cries.

And right as you come undone, he doesn’t wait any longer. Sliding right inside you, you open your eyes, somewhat pleasantly surprised by his intensity.

“Aemond!”

He could not tell whether you are moaning or complaining.

“Yes?”, he groans as starts to move inside you.

“You… are… so… fucking good!”

The prince laughs at your cursing.

“My lady, watch your tongue”, says he in such a malicious way that you feel you could come undone right now.

“Aemond, you devil”, you whimper, legs locked as you begin to move as one.

He smiles down at you, holding your hands above your head. As you kiss, you meet a heavenly bliss.

***

War, however, comes back in unsafe and soundly steps. You, merged in domestic happiness, allowed yourself to forget that in great delights await greater sorrows.

Thirty days after your marriage, to your surprise you find yourself conceived. You want to tell him in the ways your prince likes: flying Vhagar. By now you and this ancient beast have somehow gotten used to each other’s presence.

“May we fly together this evening, husband?”, you ask him, trying not to sound too eager.

Aemond somehow senses you are different. But he cannot tell what exactly is.

“For someone who feared Vhagar, you’ve become quite a dragonrider.”

This day you are breaking fast with your husband’s family, now pleasantly aware of your secret matrimony, notwithstanding Ser Otto’s initial disapproval.

You giggle quietly.

“That is what marrying to you means, is it not?”

Aemond laughs quietly.

“Why, my darling, I could never refuse you anything.”

“Just be mindful you two”, muses the Dowager Queen Alicent, distracted. “It’s cloudy today.”

***

May these memories break our fall. Will you take a moment? Promise me this. That you'll stand by me forever. But if, God forbid, fate should step in and force us into a goodbye, if you have children someday when they point to the pictures. Please tell them my name. Tell them how the crowds went wild. Tell them how I hope they shine…

How could you know what was about to happen then? You are excited to share the news, believing this is the best scenario you could’ve pictured.

Dressed in proper robes, you follow Aemond excitedly and when greeting Aemond with your characteristically sweetness, he snorts and says:

“Who could’ve known we’d come to this? You turned my dragon war in domesticated dog, Y/N.”

You roll your eyes at his teasing.

“Don’t be silly, Aemond. She needs love and caring like every animal”, you smile. “As well as respect.”

“I wonder at times if you are real.”

You turn your head slightly at him as you two prepare to ride.

“Why wouldn’t I be, my love? You are my husband, or am I mistaken? Have you been with Mistress Rivers ag…”

He interrupts you by kissing you passionately. And right there Vhagar roars through the air. You feel as if you’ve been electrified. And the look in your face awakes the best of him.

“I love you, woman.”

But every happiness dies when skies grow darker and Vhagar’s roar sounds different. Aemond frowns his eyebrows.

“Shit. There’s something wrong”, he is quickly alert.

You, focused in telling him about your state, begin to grow afflicted when remembering that that battle between him and Daemon Targaryen didn’t happen the way it should.

You interfered.

Fuck.

“Aemond, honey…”

Wind blows colder, it announces storm. He begins to drive Vhagar lower, flying higher as darkness sweeps away the last rays of light. You try not to panic, but by the looks on your prince, you are promptly a victim to it.

“I’ve ruined everything. I shouldn’t be here. I messed all.”

“Don’t say that”, Aemond doesn’t have a clue of what you are trying to say, but he is already familiar with your background to prevent your insecurity to meddle in it. “You have been the best thing to happen to me…”

Before you have the time to answer him, a different roar echoes through the thundering clouds.

You know where it comes from. You know the one behind him.

And you are at the wrong place, at the wrong time.

“Aemond!”

“Nothing will happen to you, this I swear”, but then he adds, without looking at you. “If, however, something happens to me…”

“Don’t!”

He continues as if you hadn’t protested.

“…never forget how you turned me into a better man. I am unworthy of the Seven Heavens, but I tasted a bit of sacred forgiveness when you loved me. You redeemed me of my sins, my lady, even when I was a miserable. Move on as you should. But never forget me. Or us.”

“Aemond!”, you cry because you remember the result of this battle, and worse is now the effect of his words. “I love you!”

There is so much to be said, but you cannot. Time steals you from him. As Aemond and Daemon faces each other, the prince tries to find a way to save you.

However, no dragon flees from battle. But because Caraxes is faster, it soon attacks Vhagar. It’s right here that, above Aegon’s hill, every shadow eclipses the sun.

It’s right here that in midst of it all, you fall. It happens too fast. Aemond is trying to fly away, but Vhagar doesn’t obey him again. It soon responds Daemon’s Caraxes offense with another.

But when Vhagar gets bitten in the neck, the ancient dragon loses balance for a moment and right here a storm wind knocks you out.

Aemond screams, trying to save you, but you refuse to be saved. You are still in tears, judging to see him attacked by Daemon when the spells of time engulf you.

‘These violent delights have violent ends, And in their triumph die like fire and powder…’

To be continue…

[lavendarr00]

I've been playing Dragon Age 2 with mods recently and wanted to share my list! 🤍 It's less than 20 mods and vanilla friendly with a focus on improving graphics.

I adore the base game and wanted to only add mods that enhance what's already there and not deviate from vanilla designs too much. It's mostly lore friendly texture improvements for environments & companions.

Also, I play almost exclusively as mage Marian Hawke (the default female MC) so this list doesn't include many character creator mods (like hair, eyes, makeup, etc). I have a beefy PC so I don't experience performance issues but your experience may vary.

How to Install DA2 Mods:

It's actually really easy! Watch this video for more details. For most mods, and for all of the mods in this list, all you need to do is extract the archive and move it into the game's overwrite folder. File path: Documents\BioWare\Dragon Age 2\packages\core\override

I may update this list as I find more mods I try and love! Enjoy! 🤍

My DA2 Modlist:

Graphics

Ultimate HD Pack V2 Face Skins HD

Companions & NPCs

Unique Face Textures for Companions Unique Face Textures for Cassandra & Tallis Textures for CC - Eyebrow Add-On Fenris Blue Wraith Appearance - HR Face Texture Varric Tethras - Inquisition Mesh Varric Tethras - Inquisition Mesh - Body Replacer Younger Inquisition Cullen Rutherford

Quality of Life/Fixes

DA2 Epilogue Restoration and Fixes Backpack Mod - Inventory Increase No More Bloody Teeth

Armor

HD Mantle of The Champion Isabella True HD Armor Merill True HD Armor Fenris HR Lyrium Ghost & Blue Wraith Armor Fenris HR Lyrium Ghost - Cinematics and In Battle Witcher 3 Triss Armor for FemHawke Scarlet Robes as Home Finery and MOTA Replacer

Read the the mod page descriptions in full and install all mod requirements!!

[yeehawbvby]

Thanks for answering! Anything in that same tone/vibe of in too deep im 100% down for. I like the chemistry the reader and arven have a lot! And of course the NSFW stuff. Anything with the same feel 😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨

No problem at all! :D You got it~ 

I kept the same cheeky dynamic as In Too Deep, but the reader is a little bit more of a gremlin in this one. Also, I couldn’t stop myself from writing Arven as much more of a top/dom than in previous fics LMAO. I hope you don’t mind!! x

Home, Sweet Home | Arven x GN!Reader

Note: In case anyone is new here, please note that I headcanon Arven as an adult! Please consider this aged up if I’m proven wrong in the future.

Rating: Mature/Explicit | WC: 1,965 (Got a little carried away lol)

“Finally, we’re home,” you exclaim as you drop your backpack and flop onto the bed in Arven’s dorm. 

“One of us is,” he grumbles under his breath. 

“Come on, dude. We’ve spent the past week together, what’s one more night gonna cost you?” 

The past 7 days have been spent traveling across Paldea with your friend. Finding and battling a few Titan Pokémon, getting a gym challenge out of the way over in Cascarrafa, and staying in hotels rather than camping so as to not scare your teams and each other away with your smells. It’s been fun, but you’re both exhausted and happy to be back in Mesagoza.

Arven deadpans you from his spot, leaning against the kitchen counter with a cup of water in hand. “My sanity,” he finally answers before taking a sip.

You snort. “Y’lost that ages ago.”

Squinting, Arven puts down his beverage and saunters over to you. “Maybe,” he says as he kneels on the bed, placing his palms on either side of you. “Just maybe, it’s because you’ve been driving me insane.”

Being in such a compromising position under your crush, your heart nearly beats right out of your chest. There’s always been some kind of tension between the two of you, but nothing you could put your finger on. You hope to Arceus that your face isn’t as flushed as it feels while you contemplate the possibility of Arven being just as attracted to you as you are to him.

You work past your nerves, in hopes of finally getting what you want from him. “I’ll take that as a compliment,” you retort with a smug grin. 

“Why would you do that?” Arven mutters, leaning down further. He looks annoyed, but speaks with a playful hint in his tone. 

Your faces are only a few inches apart, and Arven’s fringe threatens to poke your eye out. You’re hit with a surge of confidence as you brush his tresses away, twirling the thick blonde and brown strands between your fingertips.

“‘Cause…” You accidentally shudder when his breath, minty from a recently discarded stick of gum, tickles your face. “This feels more like a reward than anything.” 

Now able to see both of Arven’s eyes, you see them widen just a smidge before a devious smirk curves onto his lips. “Does it?” He leans in a little further, shifting onto his forearms.

With your vision plastered onto his lips, you nod and bring your palm to his temple. Cupping his face, but still keeping his hair out of your way. “Mhm.”

When your eyes veer up again, you notice his are trained on your own lips. He leans in again, sighs, and this time when he speaks, his mouth just barely brushes up against yours. “Why does it feel like you’re being a little perv right now?” His words are barely a whisper.

“Why does it feel like you like that I’m being a little perv?” 

A short laugh escapes Arven, and then another whisper. “Fuck you.” Then, his lips lock onto yours. 

You’d expected his kisses – if you ever so happened to receive them – to be soft, and a little rough around the edges. But this is just rough. 

You accidentally allow a tiny whimper to escape your throat as Arven wrestles his lips against yours. His breaths are heavy, and he’s growing greedier with every little smack against one another. Letting his large hands cup your face. Trailing one down your side. Bringing it back up and gently cupping it around your neck. He quietly yet devilishly laughs at your reactive moan, giving your throat a squeeze before lifting his straying hand to your cheek again. 

With the same hand that lightly choked you, Arven trails his thumb just underneath your mouth. As your kiss unlocks, and before you can go in for more, Arven takes your bottom lip under his thumb and pulls down slightly; leaving you open-mouthed, as he slips his tongue into your gasp. A satisfied hum escapes you both as your tongues twirl in tandem.

Arven pulls away just enough to mutter the few words you’ve been yearning to hear: Your name, followed by, “I really wanna fuck you.”

“Please.”

Arven leans up onto both knees, and you have to swallow back a whine as you watch him undo his belt with darkened irises. “Get undressed and flip over,” he commands. 

Oh.

“‘Kay,” you shyly answer. Comes out breathy and you’re a little embarrassed by that, but you barely care what you sound like. You’re about to get railed by Arven Sada-Turo and that’s the only thought that matters in your horny little mind right now.

Doing as he says, you strip yourself of your tie and short sleeved uniform top, as well as any undergarments you might have had on. Your eyes don’t leave Arven’s body as he does the same, exposing his beautifully stocky torso to you. Looks like a damn god beneath the rays of moonlight coming from his bedside window. The beams deliciously carve against each muscle in his arm and each curve on his tummy.

After impatiently fumbling to untie the string on your shorts, you finally rid yourself of them, as well as your socks and underwear. You feel a bit self-conscious, having your body so exposed like this, but the thought leaves your head when you lift your vision back up to Arven. 

Oh Arceus, that’s his dick. 

Arven’s dick is just a few feet in front of you. 

Has every dick you’ve seen looked this nice? Because you can’t remember ever finding anyone’s dick attractive before, but here you are, fucking ogling at his dick above all else.

“So slow…” Arven mumbles. You don’t need to look at his face to hear the smile in his voice as he complains that you’re basking in his naked body.

Leaning down a bit to reach you, Arven takes your hips beneath his palms and flips you over, propping you up on your hands and knees. You can’t help but look back over your shoulder, watching him as he drinks in the view of your body beneath him. He takes each of your asscheeks beneath his hands and rubs, then squeezes them tight, eliciting another whimper from you. 

“So needy,” Arven teases in response. His gaze meets yours and you squint at him. You don’t feel up for a snarky remark. You just want him to do something to you already.

As if Arceus heard your prayers, Arven pops his finger into his mouth, lowers it to your hole, and slowly inches it inside of you. Your eyes roll shut as you moan at the feeling, letting yourself bury your face into his pillow. His digit kindles a fire in your stomach with every preparative movement it makes. You hear him spit, and the next thrust feels much more lubricated. As he adds a second finger, and then then a third, pleasured tears form on your lash line.

“Shhh,” he hushes you, leaning his torso over yours. Fuck, you hadn’t even realized how loud your groans were becoming. “You want the entire floor to hear you?” he mutters into the crook of your neck before lightly nibbling it.

You shake your head, not trusting your voice to respond adequately. A quiet whine of protest is wrung from you as he removes his fingers. 

“You gonna be able to keep that pretty little mouth shut?”

“Yeah…” you lie between your teeth. As if his sweet nothings aren’t threatening to make you moan on their lonesome.

Your breath hitches when you feel something much thicker than a finger tease at your entrance. Peeking over your shoulder again, your eyes lock, and stay that way as Arven enters you. He’s the first to break, shutting his eyes and placing his forehead against yours while one of his hands self-soothingly squeezes your butt.

“Fuck,” Arven mutters. 

Slowly but surely, he continues rocking his hips into you. Back and forth, like a pendulum fading out of its rhythm. You know he’s probably just trying to last, but you want more. You need more.

“Harder,” you beg, “Fuck, please.”

Arven’s eyelids open, exposing his beautifully hungry aquamarine gaze to you. Sliding his bottom lip between his teeth, he grins, thrusting into you much harder than he has been. 

“Ahh, fuck!”

A shaky laugh escapes your lover. “S’that better?”

“Yes, so much… oh god, Arven!”

Still smiling, Arven steals your lips into another kiss. You feel his hand moving up your body, blunt nails lightly scratching from the small of your back up to your nape. Finally, he brings his palm up to your chin. He pulls away from your smooches just enough to slide his hand over your mouth and press down.

“Thought you were gonna be quiet for me,” he remarks, his eyes stabbing into your own. 

The only response you can muster is to moan into his hand. You’re flustered by the nonstop eye contact during this intimate little dance you two are doing, but something about that vulnerability turns you on more. Noticing how much you seem to be enjoying this, Arven pumps into you faster. Like a true gentleman, he uses his smooth, husky voice to further immerse you in the experience.

“You sound so cute,” he mutters, a shit-eating grin painting his features. “F-fuck, you feel so nice… y’must really like that I’m taking so much control, don’t you?” You nod, and he crashes into you with even more force. A low moan emits from him, making you shiver, before he keeps talking you through this. “Yeah? You like it when I use you like this?” 

You nod again, whining beneath his grip. Absolutely blissed out. He’s so fucking hot. It’s a shame you can’t tell him what you’re thinking, but that’s alright, because something about him using his gigantic hand to shut you up while he talks down to you is invigorating.

In the next few seconds, you feel the muscles in your body begin to tighten. A particularly loud, muffled whine escapes you, and Arven does you the favor of removing his hand from your face, placing it against the back of your head. 

“Ahah, fuck, Arven!” You’re cautious to keep as quiet as you can, but boy, if it isn’t a struggle. “I’m gonna...!” 

As you slightly push your ass back against Arven’s hips, you feel his cock harden and twitch inside you. He shuts his eyes and lets out a hearty groan before dipping into another sloppy kiss. You moan and nearly-deliriously laugh into his lips as you both cum. The feeling of him filling you heightens the sensation, leaving your orgasm satisfying from start to finish. 

After you’re both done, Arven practically collapses onto you, forcing your body down to the bed with an “Oof!”

Unable to believe that this finally fucking happened, you lay limp for a few moments while Arven catches his breath.

“Holy shit,” he mumbles against your shoulder.

“You’re tellin’ me…” 

Arven slips out of you and rolls onto his back. Feeling too lazy to get up and towel off just yet, you stay where you are, only turning your head to face it towards Arven. When you look at him, he’s already looking at you. 

“Great job out there, sport,” he jokes.

You choke out a giggle and meet his fist bump. “Fucking nerd,” you sass, unable to hide your wide grin from him as he tangles your fingers between his.

The two of you lay like this for a few minutes as your exhaustion from all the traveling amongst other things catches up to you. Until you get up to clean yourselves up, the only movements consist of planting kisses and soft, experimental touches against one another.

[the-eeveekins]

I don't have proper photos because my "light box" is out of order, but I also recently broke out the G-Witch Weapons Expansion Set.

The added shelf presence of the Darilbalde is starting to grow on me, but I still think I prefer the less bulky S1 version with the polearm overall. I might combine the S1 backpack and polearm with the S2 shoulder shield and gunblade for a preferred look. The Michaelis benefits the most from this set, the added weapon really completes the suit. As for the Pharact, I definitely love the Calivers/Musket over the Arquebus, but the upgrade pieces themselves are a bit of a miss. The rifle connection is not stable or solid at all, and you have to actually take the upper legs apart a little to install the new joints to hold them.

The biggest crime of this set is not including an open right hand for the Pharact, so you can't recreate this pose:

It also comes with extra beam effect parts for Guel's Dilanza from the final battle! It's a nice little pack, but I think I'd only recommend it of you have all 3 of these kits or are just a huge fan of one in particular. Of course, because it's P-Bandai, it's hard to casually purchase.

[battlestory]

How “Battle Royale” Took Over Video Games

With a simple, ingenious formula, a Japanese novel has inspired some of the most successful games in history. By Simon Parkin

In the mid-nineteen-nineties, Koushun Takami was dozing on his futon on the island of Shikoku, Japan, when he was visited by an apparition: a maniacal schoolteacher addressing a group of students. “All right, class, listen up,” Takami heard the teacher say. “Today, I’m going to have you all kill each other.” Takami was in his twenties, and he had recently quit his job as a reporter for a local newspaper to become a novelist. As a literature student at Osaka University, he had started and abandoned several horror-infused detective stories. But the well had long since run dry; he had left his job with neither a plan nor a plot in mind. The visitation wasn’t a haunting; it was an epiphany.

In the novel that followed, an instructor sends forty-two junior high schoolers to a deserted island. The kids awaken to find explosive collars secured around their necks. They’re ordered to collect a backpack containing a map and a random weapon: a gun or an icepick, if they’re lucky, a paper fan or a shamisen banjo if they’re not. The students must compete to become the last person standing. The winner will leave the island with a lifetime pension; if there is more than one survivor, the collars will detonate. Some of the students choose suicide over submission. Most, eventually, comply and fight.

Takami was a fan of professional wrestling. He particularly enjoyed matches that involved wrestlers who made fleeting, mutually beneficial alliances, a style traditionally known as battle royal. There could be only one winner in a battle royal, so pacts were inevitably broken, lending each match a wary frisson. Takami saw a similar dynamic in adolescence, when friendships were easily formed and revoked. Forcing a group of classmates to destroy one another was provocative, but also strangely relatable. When he told a friend that he planned to call the book “Battle Royal,” his friend, confusing the term with a coffee drink, café royale, replied, “You mean ‘Battle Royale’?”

The novel proved controversial. In 1997, the judges of a Japanese writing prize passed on the manuscript, because it was too reminiscent of a recent murder, in Kobe, in which a fourteen-year-old boy impaled the head of another student on the gates of a school. But, in 1999, Ohta Publishing, a company known for provocative titles (it later published the memoir of the Kobe killer), released the book. It became an international best-seller; Stephen King named it to his summer reading list. In 2000, “Battle Royale” became a hit movie, starring Takeshi Kitano as the schoolteacher. Quentin Tarantino later called it one of his favorite films of all time.

Takami’s premise was well suited to video-game adaptation. The rules were clearly defined, the setting neatly contained, and competitive violence had been one of the medium’s primary currencies since the nineteen-sixties. Video-game technology, however, wasn’t quite up to par. In the early two-thousands, very few computers could simulate, in 3-D, the behavior of dozens of characters doing battle across an island, and very few Internet providers could calculate whether a banjo hurled by, say, Bob, in Kansas, would strike the head of Sven, in Stockholm.

Soon, though, such games would be more than possible: they would transform the industry. In 2020, Warzone, the Call of Duty series’ take on “Battle Royale,” attracted more than a hundred million active players, generating revenues of about three billion. The same year, Epic Games reported that Fortnite, its candy-colored, kid-friendly spin on “Battle Royale,” had three hundred and fifty million accounts—more than the population of the United States. (A recent lawsuit revealed that, when Fortnite was available on Apple devices, the game generated an estimated seven hundred million in App Store revenue.) Today, countless games, along with hit TV shows such as “Squid Game,” bear the stamp of “Battle Royale” ’s influence. Takami’s blueprint, drawn from a dream, has become one of the dominant paradigms in entertainment.

The story of that rise might begin in 2013, in Brazil, where Brendan Greene, an Irish Web designer, was living while saving up for a plane ticket home, following a divorce. Greene, who is assiduously private (his online moniker is PlayerUnknown), grew up on the Curragh Camp, an army training center in County Kildare, where his father served. He and his brothers played on the family’s Atari 2600 console “until it fell apart,” he told me, but he later fell out of love with games, which he felt were becoming too scripted—more like movies than the tests of skill and cunning he enjoyed. In Brazil, Greene was browsing Reddit when he read about DayZ, a punishing, survival-based video game that appealed to his desire for challenge. It was the first game he bought in years, and he quickly became obsessed.

DayZ was a mod, a new game built from the parts of an old one—in this case, a military-combat simulator called Arma 2. Mods, which are usually made by amateur enthusiasts, can be arcane and scrappy, but the scene is a hotbed for experimentation. DayZ’s game play fascinated Greene, who, despite lacking technical expertise, began to make his own mods to the mod. He added a fortress in the middle of the map; players would enter empty-handed, scavenge for weapons, then fight to the death. Unlike most competitive video games at the time, in which characters respawned after dying, Greene’s mod radically gave each player a single life. When you were out, you were out.

The rules evoked “The Hunger Games,” a series of books that share a similar premise to “Battle Royale.” (The series’ author, Suzanne Collins, has insisted that she was unaware of Takami’s work when she wrote the books). One of Greene’s collaborators suggested the title “Hunger Gamez,” but Greene had worked long enough in marketing to know he was “going to get sued if we did that,” he told me. While studying fine art in Dublin, Greene had watched “Battle Royale.” Recalling the film’s poster, which showed two schoolchildren, one holding an axe, the other a shotgun, he mocked up an image that placed his game’s character in a similar pose, alongside the text “DayZ: Battle Royale.”

Greene drew further inspiration from the film. He replaced his game’s fortress with a barn, and arranged twenty-four backpacks at its far end, each containing a grenade, a pistol, a bandage, or a chainsaw. At the beginning of a match, which lasted ninety minutes, the players arrived at one end of the barn. “If you were smart, you didn’t give a fuck about the backpacks and you just ran,” Greene told me. “But new players would rush forward. Someone would get the gun. Then everyone would be screaming.”

In Takami’s novel, portions of the island become off limits at regular intervals, forcing the classmates into smaller spaces. Greene wanted a similar way to narrow the field. Dividing the island into squares was beyond his programming ability, so he placed a tightening circle onto the map; if a player wandered outside it, their character would quickly expire. Each match now enjoyed a natural, exhilarating crescendo.

DayZ: Battle Royale went online in September, 2013. The game used six servers, which Greene managed by hand; he stayed awake for forty-eight hours at a time, acting as a virtual bouncer, allowing new players in and locking the room when it was full. An obscure nook of the Web became a coveted hangout. “People were waiting for hours, even days, to get in,” he recalled. Saqib Ali Zahid, a popular American video-game streamer known as Lirik, was an early player. “He kept coming back for one more game,” Greene said. “A guy of discerning taste like that . . . I was onto something.”

Greene’s mod soon caught the attention of industry professionals. On Twitter, he received a message from John Smedley, the then president of Sony Online Entertainment, who invited him to San Diego to design a battle-royale mode for H1Z1, a game in development. “Here was an opportunity to get my game in front of a global audience,” Greene told me. He joined as a consultant, but left after finding that the H1Z1 team had simplified his vision. Several other companies had become interested in making battle-royale games, and Greene worried that his idea was being wrested from his control. “I was, like, ‘Hello?’ ” he said.

In 2016, Greene received an e-mail from Changhan Kim, a game developer from South Korea, offering him the chance to make a battle royale to his specifications. That March, the day before his fortieth birthday, Greene immigrated to South Korea, and a year later his team released PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, or pubg. pubg was based closely on Greene’s original mod, with a few elegant adjustments: a hundred players would now enter the map by jumping from a plane, allowing each to choose whether to head toward a popular area, for immediate tussling, or toward a more remote spot, to scavenge. The game was an immediate blockbuster, earning eleven million dollars in three days. In 2018, it passed a billion in sales.

To read or watch a battle royale is an intense experience. But to participate in one involves a different tier of exhilaration, which flings one between states of anguish and euphoria. The sense of being at once hunter and prey feels primal. The first time I played pubg, I forced my character to crouch in his underpants in a bush, hypervigilant for the sound of approaching footsteps. Eventually, having secured a shotgun and a few improving attachments, I trembled my way to the top of a hill, where I lay nauseous with adrenaline. After a while, another player stepped on my character. A brisk fusillade later, I was out.

“Often, in multiplayer games, you’re just running around, racking up points,” Frank Lantz, the founding director of the New York University Game Center, told me. “That works well, but it has a samey intensity, like a piece of music that starts out fast and stays fast. Battle royale has a built-in structure and dramatic arc.” In 2021, Lantz released a Scrabble-themed battle-royale game called Babble Royale, which he co-designed with his son. “In game design, you’re always looking for rules that interact in particularly interesting ways,” he told me. A battle royale’s steadily reducing map heightens a game’s intensity, and the fact that each player has a single life raises the stakes, making each victory unforgettable. “Every action matters,” the professional Call of Duty player Ben Perkin told me. “The closer you get to the end, the more invested you become on staying alive, for that rush of a win.”

Video games broadly fall into two categories: those which, like sports, emphasize competition, and those which, like films, emphasize storytelling. Battle royale is a rare harmonious combination, a mode that encourages both dynamic, dramatic vignettes and high-stakes rivalry. At Infinity Ward, the Los Angeles-based co-developer of the Call of Duty series, which has long established the template for online competitive shooting games, pubg was disruptive and divisive. “You could see it propagating through the office like wildfire,” Joe Cecot, the studio’s multiplayer-design director, said. “People were, like, ‘How do we make something like this? What would our twist on this be?’ ”

Introducing battle royale to a marquee series was a major risk. Call of Duty’s dominant mode had been Team Deathmatch, where two teams compete across small, carefully engineered environments, and where players can reënter the field a few moments after they’re eliminated. Battle royale, with its meandering combat and vast map, required a profound redesign. The team got to work on a new mode called Warzone, assigning six designers to build a large-scale environment using the game’s existing engine. (They loosely based the map on the Ukrainian city of Donetsk.) In order to introduce bullet drop-off over long distances, they rewrote the game’s ballistics system, and in the process realized that the series had sped up over the years, with characters running at about fifty miles per hour. In Warzone, this made it nearly impossible to hit a moving target at range. The animators installed a line of L.E.D. lights in the studio, which would trigger in sequence to show the speed at which characters ran; after attempting to race the lights, they reduced the top speed by twenty per cent, causing some on the team to balk. “One designer said to me, ‘Congratulations, you have ruined this game,’ ” Infinity Ward’s studio head, Patrick Kelly, told me.

The team also played with the established template. “We felt that battle royale was a bit too punishing,” Kelly said. “The fact you can randomly get shot in the head encourages players to hide until the herd is culled. That brutality promotes conservatism over action.” Inspired by a popular in-house mode, Kelly suggested that they introduce a kind of purgatory: eliminated players would be sent to a “gulag,” where they would take part in a one-on-one match against another loser, with the victor returning to action. This, too, was contentious. “We heard, ‘This is not battle royale—this is terrible,’ ” Kelly said.

The anxiety that Warzone would ruin the Call of Duty franchise was intense. One afternoon, Kelly was so preoccupied while driving home from the office that he ran into a stop sign, crashing his car. But when Warzone launched, in March, 2020, it became an immediate success, with more than six million downloads in twenty-four hours. “It was a transcendent moment,” Joel Emslie, the studio’s art director, told me. “It completely reënergized the franchise. Now the sky is the limit.”

One of battle royale’s virtues is its legibility: any onlooker can understand what’s happening, which is often not true with video games. On YouTube, the channel TopWARZONEMoments posts a daily twenty-minute-long highlight reel showing skilled or amusing moments of play. Within hours, each video attracts tens of thousands of views.

In the past, this straightforward voyeurism has occasionally been paired with political critique. Ralph Ellison’s “Invisible Man” begins with a battle royale: a group of young Black men are blindfolded, then forced to fight in a basement for the amusement of drunk, wealthy white professionals. Even Takami’s book, though less overtly symbolic, uses the game to question the status quo. The novel takes place in a world where Japan won the Second World War, emerged as a Fascist power, and brutally suppressed any rebels; the battle royale is a military program meant to seed fear in the country’s youth. But Takami also targets the lure of conformity. His mother lived through the Second World War, and she told him that, though many citizens opposed Japan’s involvement, they feared the danger of protesting. “Even if a rule is clearly ridiculous, nobody will speak out against it,” he wrote later. In the novel, most of the students acquiesce to the game’s rules.

In the video-game medium, where players prize novelty—and, typically, not social commentary—the key to battle royale’s future may lie not in tweaking its rules but in deepening its story. In November, Activision released Warzone 2.0, which introduces some new mechanics. There’s now more than one safe circle, so players are herded into pockets of refuge, and it’s possible to interrogate downed opponents, making them reveal the position of their teammates. These embellishments add subtle points of difference, but it’s unlikely that they’ll energize the form. “Battle royale will now always be a part of the tool kit, in the same way that we’re never not going to have the fifty-two-card deck,” Lantz said. “But there’s not a lot of people making new games for the fifty-two-card deck. When a thirteen-year-old hears that there’s a new battle-royale game coming out today, it’s already a little bit boring. Like, you know, boomer stuff.”

[x-reader-things]

“Karabast.” (Spider-Man AU - the introduction)

Part Two ; Part Three

Ezra Bridger x gn!Reader

Summary ; In which you find out that the city of Lothal's two Spider-men are closer than you think. One of them - the new-ish one (by a few years or so) - just so happens to be your best friend.

Requested? ; Nope! Simply an AU idea I have had for a few months- I want to write more for it sometime soon - but if you have any ideas and / or thoughts or questions, feel free to send ‘em in. This is simply an introduction to the AU- 😌😌😌

Warnings ; none so far.

Word Count ; 436

——————————————————————

One thing you weren't expecting today was to be held up on your way home from getting groceries for your parents.

Sure, you expected to be at least a few minutes later than you would've liked, since this was the city of Lothal and all. There were bound to be some hold ups here and there.

However you weren't expecting to be in the middle of a fight. On a subway train. With both Spider-Men themselves trying to beat down one of the more recent 'big-bads', as you and Ezra so creatively called them. Some guy who called himself 'The Inquisitor' decided a subway train was going to be his stage and you were reluctantly a stagehand - trying to hide away in the wings while the actors were trying to do their jobs.

The wings on a subway car, however, meant trying to press yourself in the farthest corner away from the mess.

Which also meant holding your backpack up with one hand as a shield for both you and the groceries, while holding onto one of the bars that rested on top of the back of each subway seat. At first it was to avoid the surging crowd of people scrambling off to get onto other cars attached to the subway train to safely get away from the fight. Now, however, moving probably wasn't the best option.

Especially when 'The Inquisitor' shoves the younger Spider-Man into the seats besides you and yanks off the poor dude's mask.

“Holy shit—“, you voiced your thoughts, way louder than you anticipated. You immediately slapped the hand holding the metal bar back onto your mouth, eyes wide and full of regret. Both the younger Spider-Man in front of you and ‘The Inquisitor’ looked in your direction, both pairs of eyes locking with your frozen ones.

You hoped you spontaneously gained powers right then and there. Invisibility would’ve been amazing. Disappearing at the drop of a hat. Slink back home undetected so both superhero’s of Lothal City and ‘The Inquisitor’ can finish their battle in peace.

But no.

That’s not how things worked.

Your eyes darted to the familiar, radiant blue speckled hues of the eyes that belonged to the younger Spider-Man.

Ezra Bridger.

Your best friend.

Who’s apparently Spider-Man. The superhero that was immediately full of regret and shame and fear, all wrapped up into one. A hurricane of weights visibly fell onto his shoulders the moment he realized who you were.

And when he realized that you knew who he was now, too. Oh crap, you knew who he was now.

Oh no.

“Karabast.” Kanan’s gonna kill him.

[astoundingbeyondbelief]

Kaiju Brooklyn 2

This year marked my first time attending a kaiju convention that wasn't G-Fest. In my defense, there were no real options besides G-Fest until very recently, and those options kept getting scheduled during my semester (All Monsters Attack) or had hefty travel costs attached (the cons in Texas, Arizona, and California). But Kaiju Brooklyn's sophomore outing caught my eye, not the least because it was being held in my home state.

Kaiju Brooklyn's existence is fairly serendipitous. Artist and set painter John Belotti Jr. scored the t-shirt rights to the Ultra Series in 2022, but Tsuburaya didn't approve his designs in time for him to sell them at any of the major New York City conventions. After learning that an event space had opened up in Brooklyn's Industry City, he hit upon the idea of a kaiju convention—and thanks to the twin WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, he had ample time to plan one.

Kaiju Brooklyn 2 expanded significantly on its predecessor, adding a full lineup of panels, a second film screening, a Friday night VIP party, and an Ultraman screening room. I sprung for the VIP package because I thought it would better justify the trip and I was originally supposed to go with my vastly more outgoing QPP. I ended up skittering around the outskirts of the party like the wallflower I am until some of the volunteers noticed my Wikizilla shirt and started gushing about the site/channel. (Keeping the site up to date has been seriously draining as of late, so that really meant a lot.) The swag bag consisted of a Kaiju Brooklyn-branded string backpack and lanyard, a sticker for the night's movie, and a Blu-ray of Superior 8 Ultra Brothers. At first I thought the Blu was the big prize, but the backpack ended up making my life a lot easier the next day. @mainblag (April) showed up for the outdoor Mega Monster Battle: Ultra Galaxy Legends the Movie screening. The crowd was enthusiastic and the venue terrific; unfortunately, the overhead lighting never dimmed, making the picture hard to see. I had seen the film enough times to be able to follow it regardless, but it was April's first viewing. Mill Creek Blu-ray, Japanese with English subtitles. (I hoped in vain for the dub.)

I arrived at the con early the next day to see how far I could stretch my limited funds in the dealers' room. There was a TV at the entrance to the hall playing Godzilla Minus One, serendipitously added to Netflix mid-con. (Enough of us stopped to watch the atomic breath scene in Ginza that we briefly blocked said entrance.) The dealers were splendid. I recognized a few from G-Fest; speaking of the Chicago con, it was refreshing to see so many kaiju artists in one room again. Amazingly, no Toho lawyers descended from the ceiling. My haul is here. Took me long enough to pick up a MinusGoji. Also, props to Tsuburaya for having a booth; the free Ultraman: Rising cards went quickly.

I went to three panels: Ultraman Goes West with Belotti Jr. and Ultraman Connection's EJ Couloucoundis; A Tale of 2 Godzillas with Shin Godzilla PA Yoko Higuchi, and Kevin Derendorf's incredible one-hour encapsulation of the Godzilla franchise right before the night's movie screening. The Ultraman panel was a real how-far-we've-come moment. Tsuburaya is doing far more to make their back catalogue and their ears available to U.S. fans than Toho at this point, and I was really impressed with how eloquently Couloucoundis spoke about the Ultra Series. The 2 Godzillas panel was hamstrung by the absence of Will Caban, who worked on TriStar's Godzilla, but Higuchi had more than enough stories about Shin and thoughts about kaiju to fill the hour. Great moderator too. There was also supposed to be a meet-and-greet with Monster Island Buddies; unfortunately, he had the flu.

The Cosplay Contest, held on the same rectangular turf lawn as the screenings, was great fun. Creative costumes; great performances for the crowd; a minimum of photographers lunging in front of everyone else for the perfect shot.

The outdoor showing of The Return of Godzilla was my first time seeing the film with a crowd, and I believe my first time revisiting it since my big Godzilla series rewatch in 2019. I took it in with the lovely group I had sort of glommed onto later in the day, along with April and the college friend who I was staying with. I much prefer the Kazuki Omori films that followed—the pacing here tends towards the sluggish—but it takes some big swings with the Cold War angle and, as one of only two Godzilla films made in the 80s, has a unique look. The crowd enthusiastically booed the American flag on the ambassador's car. The source was the Kraken Releasing Blu-ray, Japanese with English subtitles.

I want to end by talking a bit more about the venue, Industry City. This is a line of historical warehouses and factories now largely occupied by various small businesses, including The Shops at Japan Village. It's a vastly more engaging space than a hotel, at times even beautiful, and helped make up for the two-track nature of the con. If you weren't up for the current panel and had tapped out your Dealers' Room budget, there was still plenty to look at. The panels were held at various spaces throughout the venue, and getting to them was sometimes a bit of an adventure. The Higuchi panel was decidedly cramped. It seems inevitable that the con will keep growing, given Godzilla and Ultraman's ever-climbing popularity in the States, but I wonder how much physical room it has to do so in Industry City.

If you're on the East Coast, Kaiju Brooklyn's well worth the trip. For as much as kaiju fans bicker online, the ones who come to in-person meetups remain a blast to talk to, and they know how to put on a show.

[fratboykate]

So what's the KYMAU reunion like when Yelena gets back from Russia? The first time Yelena sees Ri again? Awkward or easier than thought?

Can I just say…no one does drama or angst or heartache like you and I just love you for it. The suffering is real. How do Kate and Yelena ever find their way back to one another? Poor Ri, getting abandoned like that 😭 Yelena just peaced out without telling them. K&Y’s little email exchange breaks my heart.

---

Love how toms whole argument each time has been "we fucked". Also laughing at the idea of Kate and Tom sleeping together quite regularly and her dropping his petty ass as soon as yelena comes back into the picture. How does it go down when he realizes she's in New York again?

---

You do know how to bring the drama! I love it! So does Tom think he’s got a proper shot again now that yelena is out of the picture (for now...) what’s his reaction to when she comes back?!

///

This is another prompt mega-combo. Here's 7k of Yelena coming back from Russia and how that all goes down.

---

Yelena sits by the small oval window, her eyes fixed on the vast expanse of clouds stretching out across the horizon. Her mind is a whirlwind of thoughts as she reflects on the recent events that have upended her life. The people she met and the progress they made together to bring positive change to Russia and beyond fill her brain. Under Yelena's steadfast guidance, the legal department at EcoShield Russia evolved into an unstoppable force and their victories were becoming too prominent to ignore. They were suddenly at the forefront of successful Russian environmental advocacy, championing and winning battles for causes like protecting landowners' rights to grow forests on lands listed as agricultural. This once-illegal act, previously met with hefty fines and land seizures, was now allowed thanks to Yelena’s work. It had been an arduous battle, but her unyielding determination led them to triumph. Yelena repeatedly took the government to court and unexpectedly began amassing rare victories for environmentalism. However, her success came at a steep price.

Mere days after her last win, the authorities labeled Yelena a "foreign agent," accusing her of engaging in "subversive activities" aimed at "harming Russia." False charges of espionage loomed ominously over her, and the government sought to swiftly apprehend her. Thankfully, an ally within the police force alerted her organization, giving them precious time to arrange her escape. In a daring operation, they whisked Yelena away to the Russian-Finnish border, where she crossed over to safety, narrowly evading capture. It was a close call. That single phone call spared her from execution or, at the very least, many grueling years of imprisonment at a hard labor camp.

In Yelena's absence, the government held a hasty and unjust trial, stripping her of Russian citizenship. Fortunately, also being an American citizen spared her from statelessness, but this ruling meant she could never return to her motherland. The NGO she had devoted herself to, the organization that had become her life, was subsequently targeted in a brutal raid. EcoShield was labeled an "undesirable" and "extremist" entity, accused of “interfering with the legislative process”, and after severe government pressure, they were ultimately forced to dissolve. It was an unfair end to the work they fought so passionately for.

As Yelena gazes out at the billowing clouds, her thoughts are filled with a mix of relief and sorrow. She escaped the clutches of an oppressive regime, but what she lost in the process was immense. As a result of her hurried departure from Moscow, Yelena was unable to return to her apartment, leaving behind all she owned, every ounce of the life she built, and everything she cherished. Currently, her only possessions are what she had with her at the office that day — a wallet, a backpack containing her laptop and work necessities, her phone, and the clothes on her back. She spent uneasy days in Finland, waiting for the American Embassy to issue her a new passport. It was her lifeline, the document that would carry her back to the familiarity of the United States.

Yelena and Kate were...in a better place. A visit to New York was mentioned in passing several times, but no concrete plans had been made.

Yelena explicitly intended to honor her commitment to the organization and fulfill her two-year contract before contemplating her next move. The sacrifices she made when she left the city were driven by her dedication to EcoShield and the cause they championed. She had to see this through. Now, less than nine months later, Yelena finds herself on a plane back home. The circumstances surrounding her return may be far from ideal, but Yelena has faith in the promise of this new chapter.

"Ladies and gentlemen. This is your captain speaking. We are beginning our final descent into New York City. On behalf of the entire crew, I would like to welcome you to your destination. We hope you had a pleasant flight with us today. As we approach the…"

Yelena fixates on the skyline that emerges from behind the thick clouds. She closes her eyes, taking a deep, steadying breath.

Here we go.

---

Kate paces anxiously in the bustling "Arrivals" area of JFK, her eyes darting between the carousel where the luggage of Flight 847 arriving from Helsinki starts appearing and the door through which passengers emerge. While antsily chewing on her fingers, she unintentionally ruins the expensive manicure she got the previous night. Her sole focus now is spotting Yelena in the throng of people. Kate needs to make sure she doesn't miss the blonde because Yelena has no idea she should be looking for Kate.

While Kate and Yelena hadn't explicitly discussed Kate coming to the airport, Kate knew the exact time of Yelena's arrival. With a quick Google search, she found the flight Yelena was on.

At some point, while she tracks the eight-hour flight, Kate decides she needs to be there when Yelena lands. Anything else would feel wrong. But Kate reminds herself to remain composed, to stay strong. She's not going to become emotional. She's here solely to pick Yelena up from the airport. That's it. Nothing more.

As Kate's pacing intensifies, the tension becomes almost unbearable. Just as she feels on the verge of bursting…there she is. Kate hasn't seen Yelena in eight months, three weeks, and two days. And now...there she is. That’s Yelena, walking to the exit, wholly unaware she’s being watched. It takes a beat for Kate to snap out of her trance and realize she needs to move her feet if she has any shot of catching Yelena before she hops into a cab.

Clumsily dodging people through the crowd, Kate speedwalks in Yelena’s direction. Just as Yelena is about to reach the doors and disappear in the chaos of the sidewalk, Kate musters the courage to call out her name.

"Yelena."

Yelena could recognize that voice anywhere. She stops in her tracks and her head whips around. She doesn't know the source of the familiar pitch, so she looks in every direction.

"Yel."

Kate calls out once more. Confused, Yelena scans the area until she finally pinpoints that the sound is coming from her left. She turns, and...there she is. There's Kate, speedily approaching with a bright smile.

Kate promised herself she wouldn't become overwhelmed, but the way Yelena looks at her, as if she's the most precious thing she’s ever laid eyes on, breaks that resolve. A wide, borderline cartoonish smile spreads across Kate's face. This is already going nothing as planned. She realizes that since her intention to "keep cool" has gone awry, then she should at least keep it in check otherwise. Whatever you do...don't touch her.

Kate closes the distance and her arms instinctively wrap around Yelena's neck, pulling her into a tight hug. FUCK. There goes that plan too.

Yelena drops the small rucksack she carries with the bare essentials she bought to survive for a few days in Helsinki and embraces Kate in return, their bodies finding solace in each other's presence.

They stand there, anchored by the door for what feels like an infinity. This is a real coming home. Annoyed passengers and families navigate around them as they try to enter or exit the area. Eventually, Kate regains her senses and takes a step back, attempting to reclaim her composure and don a more stoic demeanor. She tries to pretend that the effusive outpouring didn't just happen. She must salvage some of her dignity.

"Welcome to New York. I hope your flight was enjoyable.” Kate manages to utter in her most professional, corporate-speak style.

Yelena chuckles softly.

"Thank you?...It was long but good."

"I...uhm...my car is...garage. Yeah. It's in the garage. Parked. There." Kate stumbles over her words, feeling flustered.

Yelena nods.

"Okay."

Kate starts walking and Yelena follows closely.

"You didn't have to come. Thank you...but you didn't have to." Yelena expresses with undeniable gratitude.

Kate stops abruptly and turns around so fast that Yelena nearly collides with her. Overwhelmed by the rush of emotions, Kate's need to embrace Yelena takes hold anew.

"You could've died. I could've never seen you again." Kate whispers into Yelena's ear, her emotions betraying her.

Yelena wraps her arms around Kate a second time.

"But I didn't. I'm here." Yelena leans back to look at Kate reassuringly. "I'm here...and I'm not going anywhere."

"Ever?" Kate asks with trepidation.

"Never." Yelena affirms, her gaze steady and unfaltering.

They stare at each other, their eyes conveying millions of unspoken things. After a long beat, Kate steps back, the intensity of the moment giving way to a mix of relief and anticipation.

"Traffic's going to be a nightmare if we don't go." Kate half mumbles, attempting to regain her composure and shift the focus back to practical matters.

"Yeah." Yelena agrees with a touch of humor.

Kate, still holding onto a tinge of vulnerability, doesn't step ahead of Yelena this time. Instead, they walk side by side toward the parking lot, and quiet settles between them. This is a testament to the unassailable bond that’s weathered the storm.

---

As they make their way back to the city, the atmosphere inside the car is heavy with a comfortable silence. The half-hour ride back is not awkward or tense. They're content to be together in the same place. It's just...silent. They're both lost in their thoughts, unsure of where to even begin.

"You want food?" Kate randomly poses the question as they drive down the freeway.

"I'm not starving, but I could eat. I could at least use something to drink."

Kate hastily crosses four lanes of traffic to catch the exit that is a few hundred feet in front of them, causing Yelena to reflexively grab the door handle tightly. Cars honk aggressively at them.

"We can't eat if you kill us first, Kate Bishop." Yelena facetiously chastises her. Kate grimaces, realizing what she’d done.

"Sorry." Kate looks at the road then nervously bites her lip. "It's been a while...since you said my full name...It's been a long time."

Kate glances at Yelena, who smiles at her and then looks away.

"I missed it."

Kate bites the inside of her cheek in an attempt to ensure her smile doesn't take over her entire face.

"I missed it too."

As they exit the freeway, Kate spots a mediocre chain restaurant and pulls into the parking lot. It's not the best option, but it'll do.

---

Minutes later, Kate and Yelena sit silently, staring at the menus in their hands. Kate abruptly closes hers and looks at Yelena.

"She doesn't know you're here." Yelena looks up, sees the seriousness in Kate's eyes and closes her menu too. Kate starts rambling. "I haven't told her. I didn't know how this would go, so I wasn't sure what to say anyway. I didn't want to get her hopes up and then have..."

Yelena's hand reaches out and lands atop Kate's.

"It's fine. You did the right thing."

"Yeah. Yeah. Okay."

"A week ago, I was halfway around the world. Now I'm here. It's a lot. I get it. I don't want to rush you or her into anything. We can take our time, figure it out, and then we can fill her in if there's anything she needs to know. There's no rush. Like I said, I'm here and not going anywhere."

"Only because they basically ran you out." Kate adds, slight bitterness in her delivery. She quickly catches herself. "Sorry. That was mean."

"I deserved that. And you're not wrong. I'd still be in Moscow if that hadn't happened...But I'm here now. Whatever the circumstances, I'm here now and that's not going to change."

"Promise?" Kate probes timidly and vulnerable.

"I promise."

Kate nods. The only way she can avoid Yelena's intense stare is to hurriedly turn back to her menu, pretending to read it to hide her emotions. Yelena smirks and follows suit, picking up her menu as well.

---

They eat quietly, the primary sound at their table being that of forks clinking on the plates. The bits of small talk they do make are trivial and forced, like they're avoiding the elephant in the room. "How was the weather in Helsinki?", "How's your mom?", "How was the food at the hotel?". These questions are irrelevant, merely placeholders for the actual conversations they want to be having. The weight of unstated words circles the air, and Kate can feel it pressing down on her. They both know what needs to be said, but neither dares to speak it aloud.

Yelena tells Kate over dinner that she’s booked a dingy hotel room for a couple of weeks. Yelena is now unemployed and technically homeless, so a middle-of-the-road traveler's motel is the best she can do. Kate feels a pang of hurt for some reason. She didn't expect Yelena to stay with her; they never discussed it. In theory, she knew they weren't there yet, but it still stung. Yelena is back but staying at some random place. They practically lived together for the last month Yelena was in New York. Even though the blonde still rented the AirBnB down the hallway, she never used it and slept in Kate's bed every night. Almost every night. Kate should have known something was off when Yelena said she would sleep at her place that one random day. When Kate showed up with Ereka at her door mid-morning, Yelena was gone. The assumption that Yelena would be sleeping next to her tonight or even this week was not something Kate had even considered, but suddenly, now that she knows it's NOT happening, it pains her a little. However, Kate can fully admit her feelings are irrational, and she's trying to swallow them. She has no reason to be upset. Yelena staying at a hotel until they figure out what's happening is logical. It’s the responsible, adult decision, and it makes perfect sense. But Kate, who is known to be anything but logical, is still lowkey salty about it.

Kate drives in silence, lost in her thoughts, as they make their way to the address Yelena gives her for her motel. Kate pulls into the parking lot and parks the car across from the small reception area. They sit in silence for an instant until Yelena breaks it.

"Thanks for the ride and the meal."

Kate shrugs.

"You don't have a job, so...only fair I paid."

Yelena chuckles.

"You drove to JFK for me. I would've spent more on a cab. That deserved at least me paying you back with lunch."

"You can get it next time." Kate's face falls when she realizes the implication that there will be a next time. She quickly checks herself. "Not that there...I mean...um...nevermind." Kate turns her attention to the door with the small neon sign above it that reads ‘Check-In Here’. "Do you...uhm...do you need me to come inside?"

"You don't have to." Yelena pauses for a bit. "But you can if you want. I don't want to keep you from anything."

"Nothing. No. Ri isn't out of school for a few more hours."

"Okay."

"Okay."

They stare at each other, immobile and silent, for some time prior to Yelena speaking anew.

"I should..." She trails off, pulling the door handle, and slightly opening it while undoing her seat belt.

"Right. Yeah. Totally." Kate expeditiously unbuckles herself and also steps out of the car.

Yelena retrieves her bag from the backseat before walking to the reception. Kate follows closely behind, lost in thought. Within a few steps, they disappear into the lobby.

---

The check-in process is smooth and painless. The only thing out of the ordinary was the fact that when Yelena reached into her pocket to pull out her wallet and provide her ID and credit card, her hand brushed against Kate's. It was such a small thing, but it seemed to electrify the space around them.

Yelena is in room 119. They now walk down the first-floor hallway that leads there. They pause when they reach the door, hovering in front of it.

"One nineteen. This is me." Yelena gestures to the door.

"This is you."

They both linger for a beat.

"Thank you. For the ride."

"You said that already."

"I did. But I mean it, so felt necessary to repeat."

"You're welcome then. It was nothing tho. It felt like the right thing to do." Yelena smiles but doesn't add anything. "I should..." Kate trails off and points behind her.

"Drive safe."

"You too." Kate catches her blunder and grimaces. Yelena chuckles. "I didn't...You..."

Kate scurries away, feeling her cheeks flush with embarrassment. Yelena watches her go while simultaneously putting the key in the door and pushing it open. Kate's steps slow down, and she walks about twenty feet until something comes over her and she turns on her heels. She marches back toward Yelena, her body trembling with keenness and nerves. Yelena looks confused at the intensity and speed at which Kate is coming at her.

"You..."

Yelena's question gets interrupted by Kate's lips on hers. The kiss is electric, charged with a sense of urgency. Yelena finds herself pulling Kate into the room, dropping her pack with a thud, and kicking it aside. They land on the bed instants later.

Kate frantically tugs at her shirt, desperate to feel the skin-on-skin contact she craves. In a moment of sober thought, Yelena's hands grip the brunette’s, stopping her from going any further. She surveys the younger woman’s blue eyes, reading the unvoiced desires and needs that lay beneath the surface.

"Are you sure?" Yelena half whispers, her cadence soft.

"No. It might be a terrible idea. But right now, I need you inside me more than I need to think.”

Without another word, Yelena leans in and kisses her deeply, the urgency of their zeal taking over. Within seconds, Kate is naked beneath her, their bodies entwined in ardent passion.

---

Two hours later, their bodies intertwined and breaths gradually steadying, Kate rests her head on Yelena's naked chest and her hand traces lazy figures on her toned stomach. Yelena's fingers caress Kate's back, creating a pacifying pattern. Yelena presses a tender kiss to Kate's head and then turns to look at the old digital clock on the bedside table.

"You probably need to go get Ri soon."

"Yeah." Kate agrees while her mind races. She turns and props herself up on her elbow, resting her head on her hand while looking down at Yelena. "Come home."

"What?" Confusion flickers in Yelena's eyes.

"You're not leaving again, right?"

"No." Yelena shakes her head, speaking barely above a whisper.

"Then come home. Why spend two weeks here? Why bother finding another place? If you promise you're not going anywhere, just...come home."

"What about Ri?"

"Having you home would make her even happier than me…She misses you. Hasn't been the same since you left."

Yelena averts her gaze, remorse evident in her expression.

"Maybe she needs time. She doesn't even know I'm here."

"If she hates it, I'll drive you back here myself...but I have a feeling she won’t. You can be with us, in my bed, instead of this shitty box spring that reeks of cigarettes."

"It does smell in here."

They stare at each other and laugh.

"I want to do right by her." Yelena's eyes scan Kate's face. "I promise that if you let me back into your life, her life, I won't ever do anything to hurt her again. I won't leave again. You'll have to kick me out if you want me gone."

Kate smiles.

"Promise?"

"I've never been more serious about anything in my life."

Kate's smile widens.

"Then come home. I don't want to stop doing...that...ever, but I'm getting old and there's only so much my back can take. This mattress is not back-friendly. My bed is much more conducive to you having your way with me...However you want."

"That's a sales pitch if I've ever heard one." Yelena chuckles.

"Should we go get our girl?"

Yelena nods as she lifts her head, meeting Kate's lips in a torrid kiss. In an instant, Kate is on her back once more. They indulge their lust for two more orgasms before finally leaving the room.

---

Kate stands near the school entrance, her heart pounding with uncertainty as the final bell reverberates through the buzzing corridors. Eager young voices fill the air, their excited utterances rising in crescendo. Among the lively group, Ereka emerges, her bright green eyes scanning the surroundings until they lock onto Kate's familiar figure. A radiant smile illuminates her face, and she hurtles toward her mother with a burst of youthful energy. She’s a force of nature in motion. Kate gracefully lowers herself into a squat to meet Ereka at eye level.

"Mommy, guess what? I got a sticker for my counting and numbers today!"

"That's amazing, baby! Congratulations. I'm so so proud of you."

Ereka's euphoria at her accomplishment becomes palpable.

"Can you make Mac and Cheese later? Only the best in class get a sticker, so I win a prize. Anything I want."

Kate chuckles.

“I’ll make you some Mac.” Ereka does a celebratory dance. “Hey...I have something I want to talk to you about." Kate speaks the words with slight trepidation as she adoringly glides her hands up and down Ri's arms.

"Okay. What is it?"

"You know the little bakery down the block?"

"Are we getting treats?!”

"We can." Kate’s smile grows at how Ereka lights up. “But here’s the thing…there's someone special waiting for us there right now."

"Is it Daddy?"

Kate hides her grimace.

"No. It's not your dad, baby.”

"Suzu?" Ereka ripostes immediately.

"Not Suzu either...I want you to know that if you don't want to see this person, we don't have to. Okay? You can tell me and we'll go home."

"Who is it, Mommy?”

Kate pauses, her gaze softening as she takes in Ereka's face. After a beat, she speaks.

"Yelena's back and she would really love to see you." Silence hangs in the air as Ereka ponders the revelation. "How do you feel about that?" A nonchalant shrug is Ereka's initial response. "Do you want to go home, then?” Kate offers, ready to respect Ereka's wishes. Ereka takes her time, clearly thinking. After a long beat, she shakes her head. "Do you want to go see her and then decide how you feel?” Another thoughtful pause ensues, Ereka carefully weighing her options. Eventually, she nods in agreement. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

It takes a lot to render Kate's kid speechless, but the fact that she's not really talking right now lets Kate know she's having some very big feelings. Kate recognizes the depth of Ereka's inner turmoil, acknowledging her child's need for processing time. With a delicate kiss on Ereka's cheek, she conveys both love and understanding.

"If you want to leave at any point, just tell me, okay? We don't have to stay if you don't want to."

Ereka offers a nearly imperceptible nod, a sign of acceptance. Kate understands that’s probably as much as she’s going to get right now. As their hands intertwine, she guides them away from the school grounds and on the short trek down the street.

---

Yelena anxiously taps her foot on the floor, a manifestation of the nerves coiling within her. She's more nervous than she can remember being in a long time. She's prepared for this to take a while, for Ereka not to warm up to her immediately. Frankly, it's what she deserves. She's ready to face the consequences of what she's done. She's also prepared to do whatever it takes to get that kid to love her afresh. It's become her number-one priority in life.

The door chimes, breaking the silence, and Yelena's gaze snaps to the entrance. It’s been nine long months since she last laid eyes on Ereka.

Sure, she's seen her in photos or stories Kate has posted on her Instagram, but she’s never been around whenever she’s Facetimed Kate since they started talking. Kate has been cautious and protective of Ereka this entire time, which only adds to Yelena's anxiety. And now, there she is, walking towards her. Yelena’s heart pounds in her chest, threatening to burst free. Yelena jumps to her feet and stands by the table, waiting for them to approach. Uncertain of what to do with her hands, she awkwardly stuffs them into her pockets.

Kate senses the palpable trepidation emanating from Yelena and offers an affable smile, attempting to ease the woman’s tension. Ereka's facial expression remains impassive, her face a mask devoid of emotion. As they approach the table, Kate mouths a soft "Hi", deftly sliding the straps of Ereka's backpack off her shoulders and setting the bag down on the floor. Squatting beside Ereka, Kate holds the girl’s hand in a heartening grip, a wordless show of support.

"You want to say 'hi'?" Kate whispers lovingly to the now six-year-old with warmth and affection.

Following Kate's lead, Yelena also squats across from Ereka. The young girl's gaze shifts between Kate and Yelena, holding their eyes briefly then she speaks, her words laced with an accusatory tone.

"You missed my birthday."

Kate bites her lip, stifling a chuckle.

"I did. I'm sorry." Yelena offers a sincere apology.

Ereka's glaring at Yelena intensifies.

"You made my mommy cry. A lot. She drank a lot of wine too. They weren't big days and it didn't even make her happy. Wine always used to make her happy."

Her words hold weight beyond her years. Yelena and Kate's eyes lock. Yelena's expression shifts to one of regret, while Kate feels exposed.

"I won't ever make your mommy cry. Not if I can help it." Yelena pledges, sincere and remorseful.

"Do you still have your job far away?" Ereka's curiosity lingers as she inquires further.

"No." Yelena shakes her head. "I'm back in the city for good."

Ereka's attention turns back to Kate, seeking affirmation. Kate offers a tender smile, assuring her everything is okay. The little girl then redirects her attention to Yelena, her question brimming with hopeful excitement.

"Will you wash my hair and do bedtime again?"

"Whenever you want me to."

Ereka pauses once more, thinking.

“You missed my birthday, but you still have to get me a birthday gift. Maybe two because you weren't at my party."

"Ereka..." Kate interjects, gently reproaching her daughter.

"I will. I'll get you anything you want." Yelena promptly pronounces, determined to make amends.

Ereka's face lights up with an idea.

"A little sister?"

"Almost anything."

"A dog." The young girl's glee wanes slightly as she suggests an alternative.

"That's more doab..." Yelena starts to say, but Kate shoots her a fierce look which prompts Yelena to pivot at breakneck speed. "How about I get you any toy you want?"

"I want a sister then a dog."

"I don't think I can get you either of those. But I'll get you ANYTHING else you want."

Ereka ponders for a short time, weighing her options.

"Nope. Those are the only two things. I got everything else on my list at my party."

"Come up with a new list then." Kate sweetly scolds. "And it can't be anything that requires me taking care of it."

"I can take care of a little sister."

"That's not how newborns work."

Kate explains patiently, rising from her squat to relieve her burning thighs. She settles into the chair behind her. Ereka and Yelena remain at eye level, creating an intimate space for their conversation to continue.

"Are you going to leave?" Ereka poses timidly. Less sure.

"No. Not unless you or your mommy ask me to." Yelena reassures her, gentle yet resolute.

"So you'll go back to being our neighbor?" Ereka's inquisitiveness blends with a hint of enthusiasm.

Yelena steals a glance at Kate, seeking permission to share their plan with Ereka. Kate silently nods, giving her consent.

"Well...I don't really have an apartment right now, so I'd have to look for one and..."

"Come live with us. You can sleep in Mommy's bed like before. Or mine. We can share." Ereka suggests eagerly.

Yelena’s smile lights up her face, touched by Ereka’s invitation.

"Would you be okay with that? You wouldn't mind it if I went back to sleeping in your Mommy's bed?"

"No." Ereka retorts without hesitation. "She told Suzu her bed felt too big."

"Ereka...You're not supposed to be eavesdropping when Suzu comes over..."

"Maybe you were talking too loud." Ereka tells her defensively.

"We weren't. We'll talk about this little snooping habit of yours later."

Ereka turns to Yelena.

"Are you going to sleep on Mommy's bed?"

"I think so, yeah."

"Good." Ereka responds, her elation evident. She shifts her gaze to the display cases at the front of the café. "Can we get treats now?"

"Sure. Whatever you want." Yelena remarks, ready to indulge Ereka in whatever she desires.

"ONE, Ereka." Kate declares as Ereka eagerly dashes off to admire the delectable sweets and baked goods behind the glass.

Yelena locks her eyes with Kate’s as she stands. Kate extends her hand and weakly squeezes Yelena's fingers encouragingly.

"That was great."

"Was it?" A tinge of doubt colors Yelena’s words.

"She loves you……We both do."

Yelena can't help but smile, a mix of joy and relief illuminating her features.

"Feeling's mutual all around."

It's Kate's turn to beam.

"Yelena, can I have this one? And this one? And that one?" Ereka rattles on as she points excitedly to the pastries on display.

"I'll be right there."

Yelena moves to the counter, ready to place their order, but Kate firmly tugs her hand, halting her progress. With a mischievous glimmer in her eyes, she beckons Yelena down to her level, urging her to come closer. Yelena does as told and leans in, bringing their faces mere centimeters apart.

"ONE...You better not come back here with more than one." Kate whispers, offering an affectionate warning.

Yelena nods as her heart races in response, her breath catching in her throat while she gazes into Kate's eyes. Unable to resist, she leans in, their lips coming into contact in a tender, stolen kiss.

"One." Yelena murmurs then reluctantly walks away.

Kate absentmindedly taps her phone screen to check the time and instantly gets distracted by the dozens of notifications she's amassed throughout the day. She begins to address them and her attention shifts entirely to her screen.

---

Ten minutes later, the pair of blondes approach the table with a box full of a dozen different pastries in tow. Ereka hops over, excited at their haul and Yelena offers a 'please don't kill me' smile.

When Kate looks up from her phone, she tilts her head and squints, as she notices the oversized box.

"That's a VERY big box to hold one pastry."

"See...the thing is..." Yelena attempts to defend herself and breaks out her serious, attorney voice.

Kate grabs her purse from the table and the tiny purple bookbag that rests next to her then stands and heads for the door.

"I don't want to be mad at you before you even move back in, so please don't say another word." Kate warns, trying to hide her amusement. "You two together are trouble."

Yelena and Ereka exchange a look. Yelena playfully winks at the little girl and offers a reassuring smile.

"She won't be mad when she sees how pretty they are." Ereka tells Yelena almost convincingly.

"She won't." Yelena replies with affection.

Ereka casually reaches for Yelena's hand, their fingers intertwining effortlessly as they stride forward together.

"Can you help me with my art homework?" Ereka looks up at Yelena as they try to keep pace with Kate, whose longer legs make it a challenge for their shorter ones to catch up.

"I’m not great at art, but I'll try my best."

"Good. Mommy's terrible at art."

"I'm sure she is." Yelena says with a smile.

Within thirty seconds, they reach Kate, who steals a fleeting glance at Yelena and offers a flash of a smile then promptly resumes her facade of annoyance as a result of the pastry debacle. Yelena's heart swells as Ereka enthusiastically shares stories from her day at school. She missed this. She missed her girls. And she's thrilled she'll never have to again for the rest of her life.

---

They make dinner as a family, with Ereka perched on the kitchen island while Kate and Yelena work together, joyfully preparing a celebratory Mac & Cheese dinner. The tantalizing scent of fresh pasta, mouthwatering cheese sauce, and sizzling steak fills the air.

Seated around the table, they relish in their meal together, sharing laughter and lighthearted banter. It's remarkable how fast they fall back into a routine, as if no time has passed at all.

After dinner, Kate and Yelena settle at either side of Ereka, snuggled up on the couch, ready for a cozy movie night leading up to Ereka's bedtime. They bask in the warmth of their togetherness, savoring every second.

Sometime around six-thirty, a sharp knock interrupts their tranquility.

"I'll get it." Yelena volunteers, rising from the couch. As she passes by, Kate cheekily taps Yelena's ass. "Behave." Yelena scolds her with a playful grin.

Yelena approaches the door and swings it open to reveal Tom standing on the other side.

"What the fuck?" Tom blurts out. "What the fuck are you doing here?!"

At the sound of Tom's voice, Kate hastily pauses the movie and stands.

"Daddy!" Ereka exclaims and perks up. "Can he watch the movie with us, Mommy?”

Kate lifts Ereka from the couch and gingerly nudges her to her room.

"No, baby. I need you to go to your room and start getting ready for bed."

"But it's early!" Ereka whines.

"Now." Kate asserts sternly, conveying there's no room for negotiation.

With a disgruntled huff, Ereka clomps away and down the hallway, grumbling under her breath. Kate rushes to the door to find Yelena and Tom already embroiled in an argument.

"...fuck out of my house!"

"Pretty sure you're not on the lease, so this isn't 'your' house." Yelena counters with defiance.

"You..." Tom's eyes narrow when he sees Kate approach. "KitKat...what's this bitch doing here?" He adds a malicious emphasis to the 'bitch'. "You need to get her away from Ri."

Kate lightly squeezes Yelena's forearm and Yelena turns to face her.

"Can you help her get ready for bed, please?" Yelena glares at her. "...Please."

Yelena shoots one final contemptuous glare at Tom before turning and stomping away.

"What THE FUCK is that?" Tom seethes with fury.

"You need to tone it down. Don't raise your voice at me." Kate warns firmly.

"Then tell me what that fucking dyke whore is doing here."

"Yeah, you're not gonna do that. You're not going to call her names. And you're NEVER going to say those words in front of Ri."

"SHE..."

"She lives here now. She's back and we are back. She moved in today. So...this..." Kate gestures between them, unwavering. "...no more. It’s over. You can't show up unannounced anymore. You can only come over if we’ve agreed this is where you’re picking up Ri.”

"My kid lives here. I can show up whenever I want."

"Not anymore. Things changed."

"I was fucking coming inside you last week. Then you stop answering my calls and now..." Kate apprehensively glances over her shoulder, pushing him away from the entrance and further down the hallway as she shuts the door behind her. Yelena doesn't know that. She doesn't need to know that. "...What the fuck is this shit?"

"I'm doing what's best for me. For Ri."

"Horseshit. BULLSHIT!"

"Keep your voice down." Kate warns firmly.

"What's best for her is her family together, not you fucking off and playing pretend dyke."

"If you say that word one more time, I'm walking back inside."

"Then what are you doing? Tell me." He grits through his teeth.

"Moving on. It's about time we both do that."

"No. No. You're my wife. I don't need to move on from you."

"I haven't been that in a long time."

"Then why was my fucking dick inside you on Thursday? HUH?!" Tom's anger flares up. Tom's hand clenches tightly around Kate's upper arm.

"I need you to let go." Tom glares at her, his grip tightening. "Thomas..." Kate's is stony, as if reprimanding a misbehaving child.

After a beat, Tom releases her. He punches the nearest wall in frustration then leans right into Kate’s face.

"You're gonna regret this. She's gonna fuck you over. I'm not gonna let her fuck my kid up. I'm not."

"Okay. I'm going inside now."

Kate turns away, refusing to engage any further. Tom's demeanor shifts. He becomes softer, almost frail. This is him trying to play the manipulation card.

"KitKat...I need you. I need our family back together. We were so close. We were happy."

Kate doesn't even look back at him.

"Maybe you were..."

"Fuck you." That stings Tom and the words slip out of his mouth.

"Go home. You're picking her up from school tomorrow and I'm getting her from your mom’s Sunday night."

"Fuck her. Fuck all of this."

Kate stands at the door, her expression stoic, wordlessly observing him seethe. He's standing there, face flushed, and breathing heavily. Just by looking at him, Kate can tell his blood pressure must be through the roof.

"Good night. Get home safe." Kate utters calmly while closing the door.

---

Kate enters Ereka's bedroom to find Yelena sitting on the small section of the mattress that's unoccupied. Yelena holds a book in her lap while Ereka wraps her arms around Yelena's waist, leaning on her while she watches the pages as Yelena reads them aloud.

Kate lingers by the door, giving them their moment. Ereka senses her presence and turns to her.

"Where's daddy?"

"He had to go help grandma."

"He didn't say good night?" Ereka inquires, evidently disappointed.

"No, baby." Kate approaches. "Grandma really needed him, so he had to leave. But he sends you kisses and told me to tell you that he loves you very, very much."

"He could've come say 'hi'. Grandma could've waited two minutes."

Kate and Yelena's eyes meet. Kate can sense the disapproval in Yelena's eyes.

"You'll see him tomorrow. He's picking you up from school and then you’ll go stay with him and grandma until Sunday."

"But Yelena's back..."

"And she'll still be here on Sunday. Your dad gets you this weekend."

"But..."

"No 'buts’. It’s time for sleep."

Ereka frowns and huffs, dissatisfied. Yelena resumes reading, trying to distract the girl.

"With steady aim, she drew back the string in her bow, feeling the suspense build. As she released the arrow, it soared through the air, finding its mark with precision. The crowd erupted in cheers…”

Kate presses a kiss to Ereka's forehead and tenderly strokes her leg, soothing her into sleep.

The three of them stay there until well after Ereka falls asleep.

---

Hours later, Kate and Yelena lay in bed spent. Their naked bodies are intertwined and glistening with sweat. Exhausted, Kate drifts to the cusp of slumber while Yelena is wide awake...her mind going a million miles an hour, overflowing with thoughts and worries.

"If we don't check him, he'll be a problem." Yelena murmurs, her words tinged with concern.

Kate amorously kisses Yelena's collarbone, trying to comfort her.

"I can handle him. He's fine."

"Kate..."

"He just needs some time to adjust. We'll be okay. Sleep." Kate looks up and places her hand on Yelena's chin, pulling on it to turn Yelena's face, forcing their eyes to meet. "Thank you for coming back."

"Thank you for taking me back."

"Easy choice." Kate leans in, her lips meeting Yelena's in a soft kiss. "I love you. So much."

"I love you too."

"I know." Kate nods, a serene expression on her face. "Sleep."

"Yeah."

Yelena, unwilling to argue tonight, sets aside her nagging feeling about how much of a nuisance Tom will be in their lives. However, the tight knot in her stomach serves as a warning, urging her to brace. Yelena has learned to trust her gut instincts, knowing they rarely lead her astray. But that’s a problem for tomorrow…

"Night." Kate whispers, peppering Yelena's skin with soft kisses.

"Good night."

Before long, they're sound asleep in each other's arms, officially starting their journey as life partners.

[msviolacea]

So yeah, I watched this week's Critical Role. And wow, I have a lot of thoughts and feelings.

To start with, I've also been watching a series on YouTube by supergeekmike where he's gone through the Vox Machina episodes one at at time and talks about what we can learn about GMing and playing TTRPGs from how the CR cast does it. Which is very interesting overall, but the most recent episode has a surprising amount of synergy with this week's CR. He reached the Umbrasyl fight, and talks about how some of the awkward tension in this fight stems from the fact that the players, at this point, tended to keep Matt in the dark about big battle plans they wanted to implement, presumably because they didn't want him to plan a counter for them. This is partly seeing it at least a little as an us vs them, players vs GM sort of game, which can be a valid way of playing if everyone's on board, but doesn't super work for something like CR. But it's also a way players try to exert what little control they have over the situation, especially in very tense situations in which their characters are in serious danger.

Anyway, that sense of control is something I thought about again while watching this most recent episode. Spoilers ahoy!

99% of the time, I'm on team Marisha does nothing wrong fuck you Reddit, but in this one I think that, in her panic and desire to control the situation, she overstepped a couple of times. First with the scryball thing - yes, she mentioned it earlier in the episode, but if you want to assume you have it up and are staring at it 100% of the time you have to say so. Also, knowing Otohan was that close wasn't going to give them any kind of real advantage - there wasn't time or space to create an ambush or do much of anything that would improve their position when she arrived. Looking at the scryball earlier told them that Otohan was there and getting closer - realistically, that was about as much warning as they needed or were going to get. I think the thing to take away here is that sometimes, you can't make plans for everything as a player. Sometimes, the best you're going to do is "big shit's coming, at least you're aware." If you want more than that, especially in a very high-stress situation, you have be specific. "I have the scryball in my hand and will look at it every minute or so." "I am keeping very, very aware as we run so can we just use my passive perception against anything in the area as we move forward?" "I have specifically taken X weapon out of the bag so I don't have to spend an action when we inevitably get ambushed." The more info you can give your GM, the more control you can have, however little it may be. But at the same time, sometimes you're just going to be surprised or get caught in a suboptimal situation, and sometimes that's what the story needs.

As an aside, it did feel like Otohan was a little overtuned - 4 attacks PLUS two action surges PLUS legendary actions? And that's without her crazy shadow backpack? But there's also the fact that the party had used so many of their spells for the infiltration. But still. I wonder if Otohan was meant to be an even later boss fight, and they were meant to flee again, maybe with the teleport back to Exandria. But that wasn't clear, so maybe this really was just supposed to be a brutal deadly fight. It just didn't feel like fun for the players for a good chunk of time.

(I struggle a lot figuring out how to make a fight hard for a large group of fairly overpowered players myself. I haven't figured out how to make it work. But it's a little comforting to realize that Matt might not even quite know how to do it all the time even after all these years.)

But anyway. The second time I started to get irritated with Marisha was when she started trying to bargain/beg after they all realized what Sam/FCG was doing. Thankfully Travis brought out the dad voice to shut her down - I get it, I understand the impulse to want to find something, anything that will change this inevitable outcome, but at the same time, this show is as much a piece of improv theater as it is a D&D game, and there comes a time when you have to just let your fellow actor have their moment. And while Sam will make ridiculous snap decisions to commit to the bit, when it comes to the serious, important stuff, he's clearly a player who knows exactly what he's doing and why he wants to do it.

Ultimately, I think this is why I continue to appreciate CR's no-editing approach to their episodes, even though finding 5 hours to watch one episode can be a pain sometimes. I like seeing these awkward moments, these missteps, the times when it becomes clear that even veteran players and GMs, even professional improv actors don't get it right all the time. It's validating, as a GM and player who feels like she sucks at both things, even after playing for like 7-ish years.

[wfagamerants]

I have made a big write-up about the Toad and Captain Toad identity subject before and it is transparent that this is a pet subject of mine, but I want to make one more comment on it thanks to a recent discovery with the Mario movie.

A big thing about movie Toad is the addition of a backpack, something that is usually portrayed as Captain’s defining feature and the movie itself, promotional posters and even merchandise emphasize it hard.

Now we also know that Toad’s introduction in the movie is accompanied by a cover of the Toad Brigade theme. A theme that is now synonymous with Captain Toad, to the point of playing when speaking to him in Odyssey for instance.

A common thing with movie Toad people have said to me is that this is just the movie doing it’s own thing, but here’s the thing: unlike say, Cranky being a monarch, this is really just another layer of something we have seen time and time again.

Despite it being stated that Captain is a separate character, this has been contradicted many times.

The earliest instances, before this even became a debate, were Galaxy merchandise proclaiming the two to be the same character and Toad appearing on the cover of Galaxy 2:

Long after that, once Captain Toad become more of a thing, we had Mario Maker call Toad Captain:

The reveal trailer for 3D World shows Captain’s icon was Toad during development and he has only been associated with red spots, blue vest Toads ever since:

We got the Treasure Tracker amiibo bundle and a pre-order bonus straight from the official Nintendo store, centering around Toad who, by the logic of those statements, is a character totally unrelated to this game:

You got Smash Ultimate which has Toad evolve into Captain Toad and even plays Treasure Tracker music for Toad’s battle, before he even becomes Captain.

Then there are multiple times his name is just given as Toad, despite Captain Toad supposedly being a proper name like say, Toadsworth is:

He’s in Mario Kart Tour, where he shares animations with Toad in a way that is only seen with alts and he is even grouped with Toad in VS Tour trailers, the same way Peachette is correctly grouped with Toadette:

The Play Nintendo site lists Treasure Tracker and Odyssey as notable Switch games for Toad himself:

And that is on top of the many, many things they have in common:

Something that only continues to balloon over time. Like how Toad is the title character of a treasure hunting themed LEGO expansion and portrayed as a treasure hunter, with no Captain in sight:

Something the movie of course, also heavily contributes to.

The point is there is a long history to the idea of them being separate characters being heavily contradicted and that is my main point.

I am not one to dismiss official word, but if it’s not reflected in what is being shown to me, I will call that out.

That is my general way I look at things. Nintendo is as strange as they are strict, so for them to allow all this stuff tells me there are conflicting views even internally and a lot of the new stuff like the movie reads like an open admission that having them be the same character makes far more sense.

I have my preferences, but I do make it a point to go by what is presented to me and build my opinion from there. It just so happens the evidence here aligns with my interests. Toad being captain is a natural expansion of his character and gives him something to individualize himself from the rest of his species even more and I dearly hope the franchise in the future embraces that.

[mothdotz]

Marinette Cheng

… is quite the busybody, jumping at any chance to experiment and make new things. Though his eagerness to create has gotten him recognized for their talents, it also leads to many unfinished (or destructive) products.

Normally you’d find him tinkering away at her latest invention, but as of a recent it seems that her creative spirit has died down. No one knows why.

( And at school, you’d typically find them in the laboratory, but just like her recent willingness to create, his visits have dwindled. )

Older versions:

Equally important additions:

1. Gifted Kid Burnout, Baby!! (That’s possibly triggered by seeing your mentor get snatched into the shadow realm. Who knows? Marinette sure doesn’t).

2. Methinks that most of the headcanons from my old art-dump still applies here (though I have to double-check to be sure).

3. Mar’s inventions tend to (ironically) end in disaster.. but it’s the ingenuity that counts, right?

4. Yes, the suit design was inspired by Spider-Man.

5. I could spew more about Mar’s character but yknow. Mar tends to be a lone wolf in situations, not that they do it consciously! But it’s more like they’ve gotten used to having to solve problems on their own due to the people (and adults) that are in her life. While this is a great(ish) thing because of her classmates dependency on him, it also leads to Chat Noir feeling very frustrated in the midst of battle when Spots run off to do their own plan without consulting the other hero on it.

6. Mar’s creative soul is the one thing that gets her in trouble most of the time! He learns to not be afraid to step over boundaries, but that unwillingness to back down when they should can be terrible in a lot of situations. (Though, beware because Marinette’s personality may be due to change. I’m still figuring out how I want it to be).

7. Spots’/Red’s backpack (which I now realize is hardly visible) has wings giving Red the ability to fly. Spots’ backpack can also be taken apart and turn into almost any invention they want, having its only disadvantage being that they no longer have a means of transportation. The Fanny pack? I just thought it was funny… plus I think they would store candy and water in there to give to any shaken kids (or to anyone who needs it).

8. Yeah, Marinette wears a compression shirt under their hoodie + Carries around headphones in their bag bc overstimulation. (ADHD/Autism as always).