#don’t come for me about rufus

[vanderwoodlings]

Not to defend Dan being gg (because it was bad) but all the other mains have themes of (lack of) control/autonomy tied so deeply into them that work with the surveillance in a way that means like. It could’ve been really fucking good

[silvergreenseraphim]

Angeal and Sephiroth (And Genesis?)—Dissidia Opera Omnia—Part Two

Hi there hello, I am terribly sorry for the wait, friends! I was pretty sick for the past week or so, but have recovered now! On that note, let’s dive in!

—

Angeal must come to terms with Sephiroth’s transformation.

We begin with Cloud meeting with Angeal after the group decided to take on Sephiroth. Cloud asks Angeal,

“Are you okay? I know I explained everything all at once…”

Angeal says,

“You mean about Sephiroth? It’s just…even though I saw it with my own eyes…it’s hard to accept when told the truth/facts. I’m sorry for slipping/showing weakness…just listen—“

Cloud stops him and says that he doesn’t mind being the one to tell Angeal everything that happened. Angeal also doesn’t need to worry about being stoic in front of someone that isn’t his direct student/cadet like Zack was.

Cloud then explains that he had become a soldier because he admired heroes like Sephiroth, though in truth, there were no heroes in the end because of Sephiroth’s transformation.

Angeal notes the following,

“Huh, just like my close childhood friend (Genesis) and Zack….all the kids my age looked up to him then, so that’s why I always thought I’d treat him like a human being…”

Edit: Small translation mistake I may have made, but initially I thought Angeal said that, “He did not want to change his own attitude/way of being” in regards to how he treated Sephiroth. However, it seems my pronouns were misplaced, and Angeal is talking about Sephiroth. He says that he wants to change Sephiroth’s attitude, as in, he wants to turn Sephiroth’s heart back to the way it was.

Cloud says that he himself can’t forgive Sephiroth, but he can’t deny Angeal’s feelings on the matter, and that he understands because of receiving certain thoughts and emotions for the old friends through Zack. Cloud also graciously tells Angeal to not worry telling Zack about how much he is struggling. Cloud will cover for him, and Angeal is grateful.

Cloud then leaves Angeal, who stands and contemplates Sephiroth once again…he thinks to himself,

“Sephiroth…did you come to know of your birth? I had Genesis at that time…but you…”

Sephiroth himself suddenly appears from a portal and begins to battle Angeal. They cross swords in the manner they once did in the training room, which shocks Angeal. He realizes Sephiroth’s fighting style hasn’t changed despite so much time passing, and wonders if they are sharing the same memory.

When they separate, Angeal appeals to Sephiroth’s honor by saying,

“Sephiroth! You surely had your pride and honor as a First….and we’ve both done horrible things, so let’s bear this despair together!”

The fight continues and the others rush to help Angeal. He is still calling to Sephiroth, saying,

“Sephiroth, what is the point in destroying this world? What would be in that for you?? If this is Jenova stealing who you are, then I’ll bring you back!!”

But Sephiroth merely laughs and says,

“I already have your answer. If it’s “me” that is here, then that means I chose it. I didn’t choose you, Angeal. All I need is Cloud. I don’t need you.”

This was a loaded statement, but in summary, Sephiroth is saying that he chose to do what he is doing, where he is appearing, etc..

His will is seemingly one with Jenova’s in this story, and furthermore, he only needs Cloud in order to be rooted to the world.

This calls back to the notion of “As long as Cloud remembers Sephiroth, Sephiroth will exist.”

Cloud and Cloud’s memories are Sephiroth’s link to existence.

He doesn’t “need Angeal” because Angeal is one of Sephiroth’s “inconsequential memories” that he cast into the Lifestream…

The next part is hard to translate, but Zack essentially tells Angeal that the person they are facing is simply not Sephiroth anymore, and is merely wearing his face, in a way. Rufus fully believes that it is Jenova, and that they are the same.

Cloud readies himself to fight and declares that Sephiroth will be stopped, who responds with a taunt like, “Come and try!”

Meanwhile, Angeal is in disbelief. He says,

“Sephiroth…are you….really nowhere (in there)? Did you truly abandon your pride as a human and embrace this power…?”

After the boss fight that takes place here, Sephiroth struggles to hold his ground and angrily declares,

“I’m not going down…”

The group responds with a power-charged Cloud, who receives an energy crystal boost from Rufus.

With his buffed sword, Cloud prepares to end the weakened Sephiroth. He strikes and a bright burst of energy surges forward, but Angeal’s heart gets the better of him.

Angeal rushes forward and jumps in front of Sephiroth, taking the hit for his old friend and falling to the ground in pain.

The others are petrified and Zack runs to Angeal, screaming that,

“Angeal!! It’s not Sephiroth! You know it’s not him!”

Angeal says,

“I know…I understand…Indeed, his form/body may be Jenova’s but his heart and will might still remain…”

With this, Angeal stands and turns to Sephiroth, finally getting his deep regrets out. He says,

“We were the same…and I’m sorry for letting you suffer alone…”

But Sephiroth has no memory of this pain and his old friend. He says he “doesn’t know this unpleasant sight” in reference to Angeal and tries to attack again, but Zack fights him off, saying,

“Sephiroth! I know my words won’t reach you…but listen to Angeal’s calls…don’t leave that to the monster!”

Sephiroth merely brushes Zack off with one of his “puppets and traitors” accusations and vanishes, but before his voice fades entirely….he says,

“You see, Angeal….dreams and honor were fleeting/not enough…”

Angeal gasps in realization and says,

“Sephiroth….so it’s true…”

Sephiroth’s real voice seems to slip through—the angry, hateful part of him that threw away his memories and aligned his will with Jenova’s. The part that rejected mankind willingly and grew cold with fury.

Angeal understands that his old friend’s pride as a human was lost and the Sephiroth he once knew is dead. All that remains is the monster.

Side Notes:

I am working on the third part to cover the third act. So far, it has been denial for Angeal and in this chapter he reached a small form of acceptance at the bitter end. Now he must prepare to fight his friend and say goodbye.

My translations may once again require some edits later, but for now a lot of contextual information has helped them make sense, even if getting them to translate perfectly has been difficult.

Angeal finally is confirmed to be the one that likely influenced Zack to treat Sephiroth as a person, another human, instead of a hero only to be admired. Angeal doesn’t want to abandon this, and clearly Zack tends to feel the same way. Angeal never idolized Sephiroth, but merely saw him as his good friend. Zack followed this example.

Sephiroth doesn’t remember Angeal, or is at least actively suppressing the memories while he tries to eliminate him. However, his agitation is evident, as he cannot fully erase his emotional state. Part of the hatred that keeps his own will alive likely includes anger and feelings of rejection in regards to his old friends. This emotion seems to bleed through his words, whether he realizes it or not.

Angeal would have taken a bullet for Sephiroth. Now we know. This broke my heart. He could have died by absorbing that energy burst from Cloud, but he threw himself in front of his friend anyway, even despite knowing that Sephiroth was not the same. Angeal loved him so much, and his line, “We were the same…I’m sorry for letting you suffer alone” was utterly weighted with regret and pain. These poor boys are killing me 😢😢

I’ll see you guys next time!

[reinieseason]

i’m just gonna inform dump about mariejordan au ideas i have in my head that i don’t remember where they came from they’re probably pulled from other people and my love for other media and so they rattle in my brain

1. fake dating where jordan strikes a deal with marie to have her fake date them to bring their rating up totally not because they want to just date marie but don’t know how

2. marie kills rufus with the cocksplosion because the cocksplosion ends up because a headsplosion in her panic and now with jordan as witness (and arguably accomplice (tag team cocksplosion)) , they have to work together to cover up the murder (kill your gays? no, killing gays)

3. not necessarily an au but marie and jordan sparring, end it with the iconic, chest to chest, on the floor, “i win”, and then boom! make out!

4. godolkin university top 10 trip to europe, marie and jordan get lost and have to make their way back to the group (race against time because they’ll be leaving soon maybe?)

5. super powered baby is lost and now they have to work together to handle this kid with a weird handful of superpowers while trying to find their parents or guardians

6. canon divergence universe wherein marie helps save jordan from luke when he was choking them (or not that depends) vought actually chooses jordan and marie to be the “guardians of godolkin”. now they have to navigate this new world as they’re propelled to heights of popularity. also some fake dating / vought pushing an implied relationship, and then angst it with their notion of what a superhero needs to be comes crashing down and they have to deal with the reality that their dream isn’t what they thought it would be (this is for me who wanted marie to admit in the interview and was so bummed when she didn’t)

7. two professors students TAs like imagine jordan and marie as two TAs with professors that hate eachother but work together and so they have the same feelings of hatred toward the other cuz they’re rivals too idk

8. an alternative universe where marie and jordan are assassins haha either they have to kill each other or they work for the same agency and are forced on a mission together

9. not gonna elaborate but figure skating and hockey idk i have no elaboration for this one it just exists in my brain

10. okay i have a sports au problem i admit it but … hear me out volleyball-

[shellbilee]

Hey There Darlin' - Chapter 5

A Glen Powell RPF Series

Apologies for the little hiatus guys. I'm hopeful that I'm back to regular posting, Glen's recent content influx has certainly helped with my inspo! Please comment if you'd like to be tagged! x

Billie

Billie hears a groan of effort and looks back at her phone sitting in the cradle on her dashboard. The metallic sound of dumbbells hitting the floor rings out and suddenly a face fills the screen, familiar brown eyes looking back at her. 

“Alright I’m done with my set now, sorry”.

Billie laughs and shakes her head, looking away from the phone and back at her reflection in her rearview mirror. 

“You’re the one that called me, Brad” Billie counters to her brother, smoothing back the baby hairs near her forehead into her slick ponytail.

Bradley, her brother had facetimed her ten minutes ago, Billie having since pulled into a car park at the address Glen had sent her this morning.

“Yeah, cos’ I feel like we haven’t spoken in ages and I miss my little sis’” Bradley says with a smile before taking a quick sip from his water bottle, “Besides, who else am I gonna speak to at this time? You’re the only one I know that would be awake”.

“Speaking of, why are you doing a workout at----” she pauses, lifting her wrist to check her watch, “Three AM?”. 

Bradley shrugs nonchalantly, as if going to the gym in the early hours of the morning is the most normal thing in the world.

“Just came off a week of night shift. First day sleep routine is always kinda fucked. Couldn’t sleep, so figured I’d come and do a workout rather than wake Jords and the kids”.

“Have you tried reading a book?”.

Bradley pulls a face and Billie can’t help but laugh at it.

“Oh yeah sorry, I forgot you’re allergic to reading” she teases, knowing her fire-fighter brother hated every single second of school and study and she, the book smart one in the family, was the complete opposite.

Bradley rolls his eyes and wipes his face with a sweat towel. “Where are you off to anyway? Gym?”.

Billie looks back at her reflection again - she’s wearing activewear again, this time a pair of tight latte coloured shorts and a white racer back tank whose neckline makes her shoulders look toned.

“I don’t know actually. It’s a date” she says with a soft laugh, looking back down at the facetime call.

Bradley snorts. “A date? Dressed like that?”.

This time it’s Billie’s turn to pull a face.

“He said to wear something I don’t mind sweating in, and to bring a change of clothes”.

Billie swears she can see Bradley’s face morph into older-brother protective mode.

“Don’t mind sweating in? Who is this guy?”.

Billie only smiles. “Just a guy I met at Rufus the other day”.

She stays tight-lipped with the rest of the details - namely, that the guy also happens to be a Hollywood celebrity and is so gorgeous that just looking at him makes her want to melt into a puddle on the floor. Though she and Bradley were close and told each other almost everything, she decided to stay vague about her date. 

Right now, she’s happy being in her exciting first-few-dates bubble. And she isn't ready for it to burst by involving other people. She would tell Bradley later, maybe. 

Bradley starts to ask another question when Billie looks down at her watch, looking back at her phone and interrupting her brother to say she needs to go.

“I’m gonna be late ok? I’ll talk to you later in the week?”

Brad nods, “Yeah yeah, you better. Be safe ok?”

“I always am, Brad. Give my love to Jords and the kids yeah?

“I will. Love you Bil”

“Love you too”.

The call abruptly ends and Billie lets out a deep breath, suddenly aware that her heart is hammering in her chest. She’s nervous, nervous to see Glen again even though she’d seen him less than twenty-four hours ago, though admittedly the last time she’d seen him she’d kissed him without warning.

She can still feel his lips on hers, their plush softness moving against hers in a gentle dance, his scent in her nose, his fingertips on her skin. She’d struggled to think of little else during her bosses housewarming barbecue last night, flashbacks of their kiss invading her every thought as she’d mingled with her work friends.

Billie realizes she’s closed her eyes, opening them a moment later and letting out a breath as she looks out the window at the busy LA street in front of her. She double checks the address on her in-dash car GPS confirming she’s at the right place, before taking a final look at her reflection, grabbing her bag and stepping out of the car.

It’s a sunny Sunday morning in LA, the sunshine instantly blinding as Billie closes her car door behind her, reaching up to shield her eyes and looking at the modern brick building in front of her.

Oh my god. 

It’s the Alo gym.

God, it’s a workout date.

Billie can’t help the breath that escapes her throat then.

Glen really did take her advice about unconventional dates seriously.

Fuck.

Billie sucks in a nervous breath and reaches up to smooth down her hair, making her way towards the entrance and doing her best to ignore the mass of butterflies that have suddenly started flapping wildly in her stomach. She knows it’s nerves, but part of her also knows it’s excitement at the thought of seeing Glen again.

She gulps silently.

Here we go.

--

Glen

Glen’s sitting in the entrance area of the Alo Wellness club, relaxing into one of the sleek, cream coloured lounges. His right leg is bouncing like he needs to go to the bathroom, but he knows it has nothing to do with his bladder.

He looks down at his phone in his hand for what feels like the tenth time in a minute, looking at the numbers above his screensaver of Brisket.

10.02am.

Glen knows he’s nervous, but he doesn’t know why. He’d been on hundreds of dates in the past but for whatever reason this one feels different. 

They’d spent most of yesterday together, talking and laughing for what felt like hours, they’d even kissed yesterday - albeit unconventionally, but still. His stomach is a tangle of nervous thoughts and feelings, and all of a sudden he can’t help but second guess his date idea. 

Billie had said unconventional, but was this taking it too far? Especially so soon?

He’d come up with the idea almost instantly yesterday, calling Keith, his Alo trainer as he’d driven home from his Ikea trip with Billie. Some part of him had decided that a personal training session for the two of them would be a great second date idea, given he and Billie had bonded over their frequent exercise and gym habits.

It ticked all the boxes - it would be an activity she told him she enjoyed, one they both regularly participated in, and it was certainly not a traditional date choice.

It was the kind of activity that he would never even attempt with a lot of girls, let alone on a second date, but with Billie? It seemed like the perfect choice. At least it had when he’d come up with it yesterday.

Glen shakes his head as if he’s arguing with the voice inside his head, ignoring his thoughts and standing firm on his decision. He exhales through pursed lips and flips his phone over in his hand again, looking up when he hears the entrance door open.

In an instant, all of his fears and concerns are gone. 

Billie looks every bit as gorgeous as he remembered, even better if that were possible, his eyes running over her as he watches her ask for directions at the front desk. There’s a smile on his face before he can even think about it, standing up from the lounge just as the receptionist points in his direction.

He feels his breath catch in his throat when Billie’s eyes meet his, and suddenly there’s a smile on her face too - a smile that makes every single muscle in his chest contract.

Glen stays put as she makes her way over to him, unable to help his gaze from following the sway of her hips. She's wearing a pair of light brown coloured shorts and a tight white tank top, both accentuating her fit figure and making her golden skin glow. 

Glen’s fingers tighten around his phone and he fights the urge to bite his fist and audibly groan, suddenly wondering how on earth he's going to get through this date without dying when she looks like that.

“Hey darlin’”.

Billie grins gorgeously. “Hey you”.

Glen steps forward to kiss her cheek just as she does the same, the turn of her head making his lips land dangerously close to her mouth. He sees her cheeks immediately flush as they step apart, and Glen fights the urge to groan out loud again for the second time in thirty seconds. 

Fuck.

If they hadn't been somewhere so public he'd have tipped her chin and pulled her in for a bruising kiss. 

Glen swallows and reaches down to pick up his gym bag, grinning down at Billie.

“So, what do you think?”

Billie tilts her head and smiles, “I see you really were listening when I said unconventional dates”.

Glen laughs. “Told you”.

“So what are we doing?” Billie asks as Glen gestures for her to follow him, heading over to the elevators at the back of the room.

Glen shrugs and presses the ‘up’ button on the wall, looking up when the elevator immediately dings. “You'll find out in a second”.

Billie laughs and flashes a worried smile. “I’m actually kind of terrified”.

He returns her laugh as the doors open and they step into the modern elevator, Glen stepping forward to press the button for level seven. 

“You’ll be fine, I promise”.

The doors close and a moment later they’re going up, Glen struggling to ignore the less than three inches of space between them. That, and the sweet, spicy peach scent of her perfume that’s once again filled his nose, the one that’s plagued his brain since their kiss yesterday, the one that seems to be permanently burnt into his every waking thought for the past twenty-four hours. 

God.

A moment later the elevator dings again and the doors open almost as quickly as they closed, revealing the sprawling, modern black and white gym floor of level seven.

They step out and Glen smiles when he sees Billie look around in awe, spying Keith up ahead standing and talking to Mike, one of the club’s other trainers. Glen nods when Keith sees him, leading Billie over towards him to introduce her.

“Hey bud” Keith says, pulling Glen in for a handshake hug in that way that only men do, Glen stepping back and gesturing to Billie.

“Billie, this is my trainer Keith. Keith, this is Billie”.

They shake hands and Billie smiles, Glen momentarily caught up in how beautiful he thinks she is for the tenth time in only ten minutes.

“Glen’s told me a bit about you. You’re a physical therapist?”

“Yep! I work at Evolution Sports Rehab, on Olympic Boulevard?”

Keith nods, “Ah I know the one. I’ve sent some clients there before actually, to see Ross?”

Billie nods enthusiastically, “Yes! He’s my boss. He’s incredible. He’s a big part of the reason I’ve worked there for so long”.

Glen watches Keith and Billie chat, impressed at the way Billie so effortlessly converses with new people. He smiles to himself as he looks down at her. 

No wonder she’s such a good physical therapist.

Glen takes Billie’s bag off her shoulder and puts their bags aside, returning to stand with her and Keith holding two water bottles in his hands.

“So, what fresh torture have you got for us today?”

Keith laughs and Billie looks mildly terrified, Glen putting his arm around Billie and offering a reassuring squeeze.

“You did say you wanted a bit of a challenge” Keith says pointing at Glen, Billie dropping her head back in dismay, “And you did say that Billie was basically an athlete”.

Billie’s head snaps back up and she looks at Glen in alarm, “An athlete? On what planet?”.

Keith drops his head back and laughs, “I’m kidding, I’m kidding” he says holding his hands up in surrender, “But he did say you work out quite a bit, so I’ve put together a team challenge for you both”.

Keith turns to make his way over to the squat rack, motioning for Billie and Glen to follow. As soon as his back is turned, Billie punches Glen’s arm playfully.

“You have definitely talked me up way too much”

Glen grins as he looks down at her, winking mischievously. “No such thing darlin’”.

Billie grins and rolls her eyes adorably, Glen taking her hand and pulling her until they’re both standing in front of Keith again.

“So, we’re going to do a bit of a circuit challenge. It will be a mix of strength and cardio, but you’ll need to work together to get through it” Keith says, pointing at various equipment around the room. “There will be ten stations, and at each one there will be a rep target which you can divide up between you, so you can sub in and out as you need”.

Glen reaches up to stretch his arms above his head, the corner of his mouth tugging into a sly grin as he looks over at Billie’s wide eyes.

“For example, battle ropes. There will be four hundred reps. Billie you could do one hundred, then Glen does a hundred, and repeat until you get to four hundred. Ideally, the goal is to do the entire circuit in under fifty minutes”.

Billie exhales loudly. “Have you done this exact circuit with people before?”

Keith nods. “The record is forty-six minutes”.

Glen bends his left leg behind him, holding his ankle so he’s stretching out his thigh, glancing down at Billie and back to Keith. He scoffs out loud.

“Forty-six minutes? Easy”.

The look of alarm is back on Billie’s face, though this time she’s looking at Glen like he’s insane. 

Glen can’t help but chuckle at her expression.

“What the hell have I gotten myself into?”

He grins down at her, loving the way she smiles back at him. 

“You said unconventional, remember?”

Billie shakes her head. “I think I’m starting to regret saying that”.

Glen laughs, and they both turn back to Keith.

“So, the key is to know your strengths, and what exercises you’re good or not so good at”.

Billie looks up at Glen, tilting her head playfully.  

“Surely there are no exercise that you’re not good at”.

Glen opens his mouth to speak but Keith beats him to it. “Maybe ask that again when we get to the core exercises”.

Glen pulls a face and both Billie and Keith laugh.

“Alright then” Keith announces, clapping his hands together and looking back at Glen and Billie. “We ready?”

---

Forty-five and a half minutes later, Glen and Billie collapse on the floor on their backs, panting and breathless, and covered in sweat.

Glen feels like his chest is going to explode.

He knows it has nothing to do with the workout he’s just done that has his heart rate hammering at marathon race levels, and everything to do with the stunning, sweaty, sexy girl lying panting next to him right now.

Doing that workout with her was like forty-five and a half minutes of foreplay.  He’d never been so simultaneously impressed and turned on in his life. 

Watching Billie move and jump and squat and press had Glen thinking all kinds of things, things he definitely shouldn’t have been thinking while doing a workout in the gym. He couldn’t help but stare as he did his own exercises, frequently losing count of his own reps, his eyes dragging over her back, her legs, her ass. He was totally enamoured by her, by how strong and fucking sexy she looked, even now as she lay on her back, her chest heaving, breathless from the finishing the fifty burpees they were both determined to get done before the timer ticked over to forty-six minutes.

Glen turns to look over at Billie, his eyes running over her face, her lips parted as she sucks in breaths, her cheeks flushed and covered by a glowy sheen of sweat. He swears she’s never looked more sexy than she has in that moment, and all of a sudden he can’t help but imagine what she'd look like after another kind of cardio that has nothing to do with the gym. 

And nothing to do with clothes.

“That” Billie pauses, sucking in a breath and exhaling loudly, “Was not the way I thought my Sunday would go”

“Probably not the way you thought this date was going to go either” Glen retorts, watching as Billie finally turns to look at him beside her.

She grins at him, that same gorgeous, breathtaking grin, her beautiful eyes sparkling, and it takes everything Glen has not to roll over and kiss her right there in the middle of the gym.

“You guys killed it. Broke the record and everything” Keith says suddenly, standing over the two of them and clapping his hands. “Glen, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you work that hard before. But I guess you had some extra motivation this time”

Glen chuckles and Billie laughs, but it sounds strained through their panting breaths.

“And Billie, that was pretty incredible. You smashed it out of the park, awesome stuff”

“Thanks Keith” Billie breathes, still panting, offering a weak thumbs up before dropping her hand back down to the ground dramatically.

Keith laughs. “You’re welcome”.

They talk for a few more minutes before Keith announces that he has to run to see another client, Keith bending down to shake both of their hands before waving and walking out of the gym. 

Billie sits up and leans back on her hands, her legs still outstretched in front of her. Glen is still lying on his back beside her, dabbing his face with his sweat towel.

“Glen, that was fucked”

Glen tips his head back and laughs, dropping the towel back to the floor. “But you killed it”.

“I think it killed me” Billie replies exasperated, dropping head back and looking up at the ceiling, “I am going to be so sore tomorrow”.

Glen chuckles and moves to sit up from the floor, his sweaty skin sticking to the floor beneath him.

“I really need a shower”.

“That makes two of us” Billie laughs, “But I don’t think I can stand up”.

Glen laughs, letting out a groan of effort as he hauls himself upright and stands. He reaches down for Billie’s hand and pulls her up, unable to stop his eyes from flickering to boobs in the tight white tank she’s wearing.

God.

“I also need food” Billie announces, taking a long sip from her water bottle and smoothing back her sweaty hair,  “I’m suddenly starving”.

Glen nods in agreement. 

“I was going to ask if you wanted to grab a bite after this?” he asks, eyes searching her face as he looks down at her, “If you still have the day free of course”.

Billie’s lips part into a smile, and Glen can’t help the way his own smile grows. 

“My day is totally empty”

“Oh really?” Glen inquires, one eyebrow raised, “Does that mean I can steal you for dinner too?”.

Billie laughs, shrugging her shoulders adorably, “If you don’t get sick of me before then, sure”.

Glen shakes his head and reaches out to touch Billie’s arm, flashing her his most charming grin and loving the way she looks back at him in that moment. 

“I’m not sure that's actually possible Billie”.

Billie smiles, and Glen can’t tell if her cheeks flushing is from their workout or from his comment.

They walk over to their bags, Glen bending and handing Billie hers before bending to pick up his own. 

“Did you want to shower here? Or head home and meet up again?”

Billie shakes her head and holds out her hand, “I brought a change of clothes like you said, I’m happy to shower here. But it’s up to you?”

“No no, here’s good” Glen says, dabbing at his face again with his towel, “the bathrooms here are pretty fuckin’ amazing”. 

They walk towards the elevator and step in when the doors open, Billie’s perfume filling his nose as she brushes past. Glen presses the button for level 12, the two standing in comfortable silence as the doors close and they move up the building. 

The elevator dings and the doors open up to the reveal the luxury spa, shower and sauna level, Glen letting Billie step out in front of him.

“The female bathrooms are that way” Glen says, reaching up to run a hand through his sweaty hair, “I’ll meet you back out here?”

Billie nods, looking over in the direction of the bathrooms and back up at Glen with a soft smile.

“See you in a bit”.

---

Billie

This shower is better than the one at Billie’s house. No actually, it's the best shower she's ever used. At the gym of all places. 

It's all dark moody tile and black furnishings, the rainfall shower head providing the most amazing water pressure on her already aching muscles. Not to mention the luxury skin care products that are just free to use.

She’s in shower heaven. 

Or she would be, if Glen was in there with her.

Billie tips her head back and lets the warm water cascade over her, unable to think of little else except Glen. 

The way his muscles had rippled beneath his skin as he’d pulled himself up on the chin up bar, the way his biceps had flexed and moved as he’d picked up each dumbbell. Billie had barely been able to concentrate on her own exercises, not when Glen was looking like that, and certainly not when he was looking at her the way he had been. It was like he wanted to devour her - and if they hadn't been in public, she probably would have let him. 

Right there in the middle of the gym floor.

Their workout has left her feeling all wound up in more ways than one, like forty five minutes of insane heated foreplay without a finish line. If she were at home, she’d probably play with herself. 

She thinks about Glen in the shower, thinking about how badly she wants to have him pressed up naked against her, to feel his thick arms around her frame, his lips on her skin. 

Fuck.

What was this man doing to her? 

She wonders idly if he’s thinking about her the same way she is right now, suddenly remembering that he’s probably waiting for her outside and that she should get on with it. She exhales heavily through her nose and rinses the last of the soap suds from her skin, letting herself enjoy the shower for thirty more seconds before she turns off the tap.

Billie steps out of the shower and dries herself with the fluffiest white towel she’s ever used, changing into a pair of light blue mom jeans and a loose white button up shirt. She looks back at her reflection in the giant mirror of the luxury bathroom, tucking the front of her shirt loosely into the waist of her jeans and buttoning it just enough that it teases just a hint of cleavage.

She reapplies her makeup keeping it glowy and natural, using the gym’s very expensive hair dryer and blow waving her hair just enough that it’s tameable. She pulls her hair back into a loose braid leaving out a few face framing pieces, spritzing her favourite peachy perfume onto her neck and wrists. She steps back and looks over her reflection once more, deciding she’s happy with her look, packing up her things and walking out of the bathroom.

Billie does a double take when she walks out to find Glen sitting waiting for her on one of the cream leather lounges near the elevator, looking somehow even more handsome than he had earlier. 

He’s now dressed in a cream henley shirt and brown trousers, a pair of brown leather boots on his feet. His shirt is unbuttoned just enough that she can see the beginnings of his dark chest hair, his hair still damp from the shower and falling messily but somehow still perfectly.

As if he wasn’t handsome enough just looking like that, Billie feels her breath catch when he looks up and sees her, his lips parting in an utterly gorgeous smile.

Billie tries not to notice the way her body feels as his eyes run over every inch of her, following her hips as she walks towards him.

“You look gorgeous”.

Billie smiles. “See, I was just thinking that about you”.

Glen laughs and stands up in front of her, pressing the button for the elevator and holding open the door for her as they walk in. 

“Were you feeling anything particular for lunch?” he says looking down at her, Billie standing close enough to smell his delicious aftershave and fighting the urge to reply with ‘Besides you?’.

“I’m not fussy”.

Glen nods. “Good, I know just the place”.

---

Glen

“Were you really?” Billie asks, shaking her head in exasperation, “No way, I’ve seen that movie a thousand times, I’d have recognised you”

Glen laughs and nods his head, putting his hand on his heart to emphasize that he’s telling the truth,  “I swear I am. I’m in the stock exchange scene”. 

Billie’s brow furrows, like she’s replaying the scene in her head, and Glen chuckles when she reaches into her purse and pulls out her phone. 

“No way. I have to look this up”.

They’d just had lunch - they’d gotten sandwiches at one of Glen’s favourite spots near the Santa Monica beach. It was a little hole in the wall place with an outdoor courtyard type area at the back, and best of all, it wasn’t too well known about. On this sunny Sunday afternoon, it was the perfect choice.

He and Billie are sitting side by side in a wooden booth together, having just finished their food. They’d been there nearly three hours now, the conversation and laughs between them flowing effortlessly. It’s only been two days, and yet somehow Glen feels like he’s known Billie for months. 

They’d been talking about music choices when they exercised, Billie revealing that she actually liked to listen to movie scores when she ran - namely, superhero movie scores, saying that they made her feel motivated and pumped to keep going. That had brought them to talking about The Dark Knight Rises, at which point Glen had laughed and told her that he was actually in that movie.

He keeps his eyes on her face as she types on her phone, looking over her glowy skin and dark lashes, her full lips that make him want to kiss her for hours.

He hears the beginnings of a video play, the familiar menacing voice of Tom Hardy’s Bane character, watching as Billie’s eyes suddenly light up, her mouth dropping open in surprise.

“Oh my God it is you!” she exclaims adorably, looking up at Glen and then back at her screen still in disbelief, “How have I not noticed that before? How old are you there? You look like a baby”.

Glen laughs and takes a sip of his soda bottle, tapping his fingers against the plastic. 

“Twenty-something---, twenty-four, I think?” he says just as he hears Bane smash his character’s head into a computer.

“You know, I actually got a real concussion during that take. Tom got a bit too into his character and instead of just tapping me on the head like he was supposed to, he actually slammed my head down. Had to go see a medic and everything”

Billie’s eyes widen in shock for the second time, a soft laugh of surprise slipping from her lips. “Oh my god, really?”.

He nods and they both laugh, Glen looking over Billie as she shifts in her seat to better face him.

The afternoon sun is warm and Glen has since shed his jacket, his gaze hidden behind his sleek sunglasses. He takes advantage of that fact, savouring every moment of his eyes on Billie’s available skin, the edge of a pale blue bra peeking out from the dip of her shirt from this new angle.

He tries not to notice the way one of her denim covered thighs is now pressed against his, or the way one side of her white shirt has slipped down to expose her golden collarbone. He finds his imagination wondering what her skin would taste like on his tongue, how it would feel beneath his lips if he kissed along it.

Billie lifts her hand to look down at her watch and back up at Glen.

“You need to go?”. 

“No no, just thinking about Nugget”.

“If you want to go home and check on him it’s okay Billie”

“I want to” she says, her voice trailing off into a pause, “But, I also don’t want to leave”.

Glen smiles back at her, his eyes crinkling behind his sunglasses.

“Well, how about this then?” he asks, reaching up to run his fingers through his now dry hair, “You go home and grab Nugget, and then the two of you come to mine a little later for dinner?”

Billie tilts her head as looks at him, the corner of her mouth tugging into a smile, “Oh that is incredibly tempting”.

He grins and leans in towards her, loving the way her gorgeous hazel eyes are looking back at him. 

“Anything I can do to make it even more so?”

Billie ponders for a moment, her eyes still on his, her tongue sliding out to wet her pink lips.

“Well, for starters, keep smiling at me like that” Billie says, leaning her elbow on the table between them and resting her cheek on her hand, “Do you have any idea how handsome you are? Like, it's almost unfair how attractive you are”.

Glen chuckles softly, the sound rumbling in his throat.

“I’ve been thinking that same thought about you since the moment I met you at Rufus, Billie”.

“Oh really? You think I’m handsome?” Billie teases, a laugh bubbling up in her throat.

Glen only grins, reaching up to brush a loose hair from her face, swearing he sees her suck in a silent breath.

“Actually you know what” Billie breathes, her voice almost a whisper, “I think there is something you can do to tempt me more so”.

Glen raises a curious eyebrow, acutely aware of how close his face now is to hers.

“What’s that darlin?”

Billie exhales quietly, her perfect lips stretching into a soft, sexy smile.

“Kiss me”.

Glen needs no instruction after that.

He tilts Billie’s chin with his finger and angles her face to his, closing his eyes and pressing his lips to hers.

---

Previous Chapter

TAG LIST:

@wickedtactics @auntiegigi @friedchips94 @maeleelee @jessicab1991 @bellaireland1981 @queenslandlover-93 @itsjustkhaos @kneelforloki @djs8891 @lovemesomevesey @entertainmentgirl80 @buckysteveloki-me @stankface

[lunamaraproject]

LUNAMARA: Fragments [3]

🦢

“What’re you doing?”

Felix doesn’t startle - Elsie is hardly the most stealthy in her approach. He pulls himself bodily out of the large filing box he was halfway falling into, having to unstick a stray notepaper from his long hair, and turns to smile at the young girl.

He would never call her that out loud, now that she’s reached that particular age where a youngster insists they’re grown enough and hates to be treated like a child. To do so would be inviting her wrath, which in turn would mean Rufus’ wrath, and Felix can’t afford that. 

“Sorting through some old historical documents,” Felix replies, holding up a few sheafs of paper. “Though, it hurts my soul a little that items from my youth are now called ‘historical documents’.”

“Well you fought in the war, you must have known you’d be making history,” Elsie says, sitting on the edge of the box in her wide, poofy skirt, quite unlike the typical style of courtly formal wear. Her moonlight silver hair is worn in two buns on either side of her head, which always makes Felix think of those adorable ‘bear’ animals from the surface. He knows that if she let her hair down and dressed appropriately, she’d be the spitting image of her mother the Queen. Perhaps that’s why she never does so. 

“Actually, at the time, I was more worried about where the next meal was coming from. We were on the surface, and there’s no manna there, so it was quite nerve wracking,” Felix chuckles, turning the old scraps over in his hands. “And I wasn’t the only one. We don’t have many official documents left from that time, since all of them were digital, and the systems are down or gone now. Mostly just these letters sent to home by soldiers, or other odds and ends.”

“Hmm,” she kicks her feet back and forth, craning her neck to look at what’s in his hand. He shows her, though her face immediately twists in a frown when she realises it’s in Common. He should really teach her how to read it, but they have other priorities than learning nearly-dead languages. “If there was no manna, what did you eat?”

“Surface substances. They grown on the plants, and sometimes it’s the plants themselves. I was somewhat loathe to eat any of the moving, breathing creatures, but the humans weren’t, and nor were most of my comrades by the end of it,” he tucks the sheets into a pocket in his tunic, and glances around the cavernous shelves of the palace archives. “It tasted amazing.”

“Tasted?”

Felix smiles at her, chuckling. “Surely when you were very, very small, someone brought you something from the surface to eat…? Someone devastatingly beautiful…?”

Elsie looks thoughtful, then snaps her fingers in realisation. “Oh, yeah! Cassius brought me that thing! An ah-pull!” “I did! I brought it!” Felix whines miserably, hanging his head by her knees like a forlorn pet. “I can’t believe you forgot my thoughtful gift! My beautiful apple!”

“Oh please, I was like, 25!” Elsie huffs. “How am I going to remember one gift from a century ago!”

Felix clutches his chest. “So cruel! I got that apple from one of the last attempts to reclaim the surface! I almost got chipped! Look!” And he hitches up the edge of his tunic to reveal…

“...I can’t see anything,” Elsie declares, squinting at his thigh. 

“There! This hairline fracture!” he pokes pointedly at the thinnest, most nigh-invisible line just above his knee, showing the faintest glimmer of orange fire-opal bright crystal underneath. “Never been the same since!” 

When he raises his gaze, he’s met with the patented ‘Totally Over It’ Elsie look. “How can you be so old and such a whiny baby at the same time.”

“Ack! You’re too cold, Princess Elsennae!”

“Ugh, stop! Stars, can you be any more embarrassing?” she shoves his shoulder, though with no real force, and stands up, dusting off her skirts. Certainly, this room isn’t the cleanest. “I’m going back upstairs, come find me if you discover anything actually cool or useful.”

And with that summary end to the conversation, the last of the royal family of Lunamara marches her way out of the archives, leaving Felix in the dark, surrounded only by the history he himself is a part of. He smiles, and tries to remember what an apple tastes like. 

Maybe one of the files in here will describe it. 

🌗

More from LUNAMARA:

Fragments [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]<-- More every Thursday!

Comic [Prologue]

Art by Luka (http://nousanti.tumblr.com/) Story by Pidge (http://pidgestories.tumblr.com/)

[altocat]

Ok, part two of Angeal and Sephiroth Dissidia Angst Chapter, haha.

After Angeal begs Sephiroth to talk to him and explain…Sephiroth remarks that he threw all his unnecessary memories into the Lifestream, and that Angeal is just “noise” to him. He has no memory of what Angeal is referring to—their friendship and all.

Angeal is too wounded to fight anymore, so Sephiroth battles the other characters for a moment and gets his power crystal. He is still upset though, even if he doesn’t realize why and just nopes out of there with his muhaha evil power.

There is a cute Zack and Angeal reunion right after, where Zack notes that Angeal is injured because he protected everyone like usual. Angeal warmly reaffirms Zack, but at once he goes straight back to talking about Sephiroth. He says he needs to follow him because he has so many questions to ask.

The others are worried about Angeal’s wound, but Zack only asks that if he does chase Sephiroth down, Angeal has to bring him along because he doesn’t want to be left behind. Aw.

Cloud interjects though and asks if he can talk to Angeal about the “present Sephiroth.”

We flash forward to a group meeting, and Angeal is STILL saying he needs to find Sephiroth. The others demand he take a moment to rest and heal, and that he shouldn’t take such a huge responsibility on his own shoulders, but Angeal is not having it.

Suddenly, Rufus of all people comments that he thinks he knows what Angeal is thinking about—that he wants to see if “The present Sephiroth is the real Sephiroth and not Jenova.”

Rufus brings up the Reuinion theory and all that, but Angeal actually says that,

“No, that’s Sephiroth…I know it. Someone with a will as strong as his couldn’t fully lose himself, even if he has changed. All his cruelty…it was his will…”

Angeal says this with a very downcast and heartbroken demeanor, like it seriously hurts for him to say that. Somebody asks, “Wait, you know Sephiroth?” and he says,

“He is my best friend. Always has been.”

OUCH.

Vincent actually asks,

“If he had someone like you…why did he end up the way he did?”

Angeal doesn’t reply and I can’t imagine he was feeling anything but guilt in that moment for obvious reasons. Then Cloud remarks,

“Well, Sephiroth did seem upset by Angeal’s question/questions. It’s worth a shot to find him”

So, they all agree to go hunt our silver boi down.

Finally, to close off the angst fest—we have a small scene where Sephiroth is alone with his crystal and is seemingly okay until bam, he gets a wave of memory come over him that causes him to stumble for a minute. He freaks out and that’s where the “Angeal? Genesis??” scene happens. He can’t believe it and starts trying to suppress everything, talking to himself through out.

He says,

“No…what is this memory?? Angeal? Genesis?? Did Angeal bring these back? I thought I threw them into the Lifestream. No, I need to get rid of them. They get in the way of “me.”

“….that’s right…get rid of what you don’t need. We can cut out this one too….that man’s entire existence…yes…”

It really sounds like he does have a fractured consciousness and is talking to different parts of himself/maybe Jenova, but damn…he also is fully being affronted now with his past and it’s obviously messing him up. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Thank you for this, Translation-Anon. Thank you so, so much.

I'm in actual agony right now.

[whump-in-the-closet]

A Good Day

this has been in my drafts for ages so voila

cw: messed up superhero agency and what happens to those who don't make it through training, minor whump (implied), crying in the backseat of a car, mostly just introductions to the characters, which are two brothers who've adopted this ex-hero-who-ran-from-training and the agency will do anything to get him back, also angst and scarring

____

Today is going to be a good day. 

Teddy digs a hand into the cracked leather of the armrest, picking at the plush inside. He watches the blurring sky from the car window.

He needs it to be a good day. 

On the radio, a song he doesn’t know is playing. The volume is set far too high. It’s blasting a hole through his head and he reaches over to turn it off, but stops when he realizes the teenager in the backseat mouthing along with the words.

If only excitement was infectious.

All Teddy can feel is panic. Today is going to be good. It’s going to be great…going to be good….

He sinks back into the seat, pulling the plush completely out of the armrest. He rips it into smaller and smaller pieces. Finding something to direct his growing anxiety on helps, a little. 

The car slows at a stoplight, and his brother checks on him. “Teddy?” 

Teddy waits, drawing the moment out until the light turns green and Elias has to keep his eyes on the road again. He brushes the last of the plush off his pants. “I'm good?” It comes out all wrong, like a question.

Any confidence he had earlier leaves then and now. Teddy picks the plush up from the floor of the car and starts to tear at it again. He keeps his eyes steadily on the window, watching the buildings fly past. 

Billboards. 

People. 

So many people. 

Elias lowers the music. “You want to do this,” he repeats, confident “You’ve only been talking about it for the past three months.” 

Teddy finds an unshredded piece of plush and rips it with a vicious twist of his fingers. “This was a bad idea...I’m not good enough.” 

Shit.

He hadn’t meant to say that aloud. 

Elias turns the radio off. Click. 

Shit.

“I think you’re good enough,” he says.

Cut out the emotional sap.

But Elias goes on. “The Glenn Symphony won’t even wait until the end of the audition to hire you.” 

“There’s tryouts after the audition too. Another round.” Teddy points out, vindication sharp in his mouth.

Elias lifts a hand off the wheel to wave his brother's concerns aside. “Which you’ll do amazing at. Don’t shake your head at me– Stop– you’re going to blow them away. You’ll go into one of your little trances and you’ll forget there are people even watching.” 

Teddy’s fingers still. “I don’t go into a trance.” He just forgets about everything and everyone around him and it’s just the music– just the music— all around him, until he sees the notes playing under his eyelids….

“You’re going to do great.”

The banter goes on, and on, until the nervousness seeps out of Teddy’s voice. He smiles as the back-and-forth continues. 

In the backseat, the kid laughs brightly, his voice charred and raspy enough to sound burned.

He talks in a slow cadence, testing the words before he says them. “I’m getting deja vu. But,” he points at Teddy and Elias, “the roles were switched.” Dark hair falls into his eyes as he leans forward between the seats. 

 “Yeah, I thought I would be sick at my audition.” Elias pauses for breath, then dives back into the conversation, “And Teddy, told me ‘you’re gonna be fine’. And? You were right.” 

Rufus-- the teenager--jabs Teddy in the shoulder. “Your audition is going to go just as well.” 

Elias turns again. “You tell him, Rufus.”

Teddy sighs. “If you guys say so.” He doesn’t sound convinced. 

He doesn't feel convinced.

He doesn't want to be convinced.

“Good," says Elias, "Because we’re here.”

Teddy’s stomach drops as the car pulls into the parking spot. With the jolt of the stop, Teddy’s stomach drops even further. He freezes over his seatbelt, catching sight of the massive Art Center. 

“Can we go in with you?” 

Teddy wishes his brother could come. But the restrictions said only the applicant could meet the audition committee, so he shakes his head and unbuckles his seatbelt. 

“I’ll see you in half an hour?” 

Teddy nods. “Half an hour.” He shuts the car door behind him and stares up at the glass pillars of the entrance. The world seems to spin, for a moment. Unconsciously, he fidgets with his tie and buttons his suit jacket. Then his gaze is pulled to a billboard stationed above the building. 

A girl with a halo of pink hair surveys a depiction of the city from the sky, stars swirling at her feet. Her skin bleeds into the night around her. Her eyes are alight with white flames.

Guardian Angel, they call her.

Protector of cities.

She’s a hero, a legend, a god.

Above her are the words: Savior. The heroes of tomorrow, today. 

Teddy looks away, at the car, as it pulls out of the parking lot.

The Guardian’s eyes don’t leave him until he’s inside. Even then, he can feel them boring into the back of his head. They don’t leave him as he shakes hands with the audition committee. He can still feel them when he wipes his sweaty palms on his pant leg. Only when he sits down at the piano, with the black and white keys shining up at him, do the eyes of flame fade from his memory. 

The half hour goes by in a blur. 

The piece he’s memorized for this audition is his personal favorite. As he plays, all else drains away. He’s not on a stage anymore, he’s back in the apartment, and there’s no one watching him. 

He feels good. 

The nervousness vanishes. 

Stage lights are blinding but the music drowns it out. He’s doing well, he knows it. The piano is deeper than his own and he is able to bring out sounds he could never replicate again. 

He smiles, leaning over the piano, acutely aware of the tension in his hands as he holds a long chord, and playing the melody faster. 

Just a little faster than the four four time required. 

It feels so good. 

Teddy finishes and stands. The committee promises that the callbacks will be within the week, and a few smile. 

He smiles back, fidgeting with his tie. The music is gone, replaced with uncomfortable small talk. Teddy nods, and says thank you so many times, he thinks he’ll be unable to say anything else the rest of the day. He’s saved by a text from Elias and it takes all of his self control to not run from the building. 

Teddy doesn’t look at the billboard, in fact, he does his best to forget it's there. He gets in the car, keeping his back to it. 

Elias pulls down his sunglasses. “The piano man survived!” 

Rufus leans forward, shoving the last bit of an ice cream sandwich into his mouth. “How’d you do?” At least that's what it sounds like. Teddy can’t exactly tell– Rufus’s mouth is completely full. 

Teddy laughs. He can’t help it. It’s over, and he’s out of the auditorium, and as Elias drives forward, the billboard is gone.

Teddy pulls off his tie completely and lets it fall to the floor. “I survived, yeah. I think it went well.” He’s distracted by the assortment of wrappers on the floor. “Did you guys get me any ice cream?” 

Rufus hands him a bar. 

The taste of chocolate and vanilla pushes away the last remnants of the burning eyes.

He leans back in his seat, sunlight playing across the bridge of his nose.

Some of the vanilla trickles over his hand, sticky.

Even stickier when he licks it off. 

It’s melting all over his hand when he hears the sirens. 

Loud and shrill enough to cut through metal. The sun is still bright, but the temperature drops all the same. 

Police cars have surrounded a house set by the road. Their lights flash red and blue and red again, bright enough to blind the whole street. Someone is dragged out of the house, the door hanging slightly off its hinges. 

It’s kicked and the door falls off completely, slamming into the porch. 

Someone is shouting– cursing. Cursing Savior. It’s loud enough to be heard over the sirens.   

Elias’s hands clench over the wheel and in the backseat, Rufus turns to stone, silence creeping up and strangling all three of them. 

“Get in the backseat with Rufus.” Now. Before they see him. 

Teddy says nothing and crawls over as quickly as possible. He moves to sit on the side closest to the window, shielding Rufus with his own profile. 

Elias speeds up. 

Rufus is trembling as Teddy wraps his arms around him, pulling him close. Dark braids shield his eyes but he’s whispering something over and over again. 

Rufus, who had been laughing and joking not a moment before, presses shaking hands together. He buries his face into Teddy’s shirt, and Teddy brushes back his hair, holding him tight. The word Rufus whispers is a plea. 

All it takes is a moment for the day to fall apart. 

One moment.

“Please please please please–” 

They’ve driven past the house, but Rufus continues to tremble. And beg.

The begging is worse than anything.  

Vanilla and chocolate drip over the leather seats. 

Savior. The heroes of tomorrow, today. 

[demialwrites]

The Offer

You're the one who blocked the attempted assassination at Junon so Tseng and Rufus make a shocking offer. Smut under the cut

You blocked the assassination on a fluke. You really did. You happened to be distracted while the president was talking to the suspicious troopers, looking up at the adorably designed upper Junon buildings when you saw the small would-be assassin holding their large, round weapon. You only had time to raise your arm after dashing with all your might in front of the president. Your watch was smashed to pieces by the impact and you were knocked to the ground. It’s a miracle you didn’t break a bone or suffer a deep cut. Just a scratch and some bruising. What surprised you the most wasn’t the attempted assassination itself but the eye-bulging glare Heidegger gave you before he quickly stuffed it down. You ask yourself inwardly what the heck his problem was. The president was safe.

You’re nervously rubbing the bandage on said scratch, standing in front of the president’s Junon office desk. The president is saying something about a reward. But Turks don’t usually get rewards, except for excessive hazard pay. Reno got a vacation, yes, but it was to mitigate a future issue, not a reward. He had been getting antsy enough lately to risk a costly mistake. Tseng stands next to you. His expression gives nothing away because he is ever on standby for orders and now is no different. You idly wonder if Heidegger wishes he could be here in place of Tseng but you couldn’t picture the arrangement differently.

What’s strange about this reward is that you’re being given a choice. That’s not something you’re used to. Both of them are staring at you, waiting for your answer. You lick your lips, mind racing. You can’t think of anything and you’re very aware that you’re wasting the president’s time. Tseng speaks your name in a scolding manner, gesturing with his head towards the president. Hurry up.

The president raises his hand to quiet Tseng. He grins widely, his teeth peeking through. “I know what you want.”

You frown, examining his face for a clue to indicate what he’s talking about.

Instead of explaining, the president gestures Tseng forward. “Come.”

Tseng walks the path leading to the other side of the desk.

Rufus points at the desk. “Sit. Take it out.”

You’re more confused. Tseng sits to the side of Rufus, facing him diagonally. You’re still waiting for an explanation. Then Tseng starts undoing his black trousers. Your jaw hits the floor when you see his dick in hand. Your arousal is ignited but your stomach also twists in uncertainty.

It’s deliciously fat and a lovely shade of light brown, which the president covers with his mouth, robbing you of the view. With the way he moves, you can guess he’s licking the shaft. He has his eyes shut tight, clearly enjoying himself. Tseng turns his head away so instead of a side profile, you see nothing. You can still see his chest expanding with heavy breaths. The hand visible to you balls into a fist. Rufus catches Tseng looking away and pulls his mouth off his subordinate.

“You can look at me or look at them. It’s your choice,” he says, licking his lips.

Tseng looks like he wants to grumble. He turns an indignant gaze to you, nose lowered like he had been caught being rude and was angry at himself about it. You feel pinned in place by his hardened, dark eyes. Not that you could tear your eyes away, anyway. You want to walk over to Tseng and kiss him, deepening his pleasure.

Rufus smirks and gets back to work. He may be giving but it's obvious who is in control.

Rufus is pretty much swallowing Tseng’s length whole by this point, with his nose pressed to the other man’s black pubic hair. Tseng cups his head, gently rolling his hips into Rufus’s mouth on occasion. His breath is stuttering. You wonder if this means he’s about to cum.

You get your answer when Rufus pulls back completely, letting Tseng cum in a weak stream onto the floor. After a few moments of pulling himself together, he stands up to put away his softening cock. You wonder what it would take to make him cum harder and more loudly.

“Leave it,” Rufus says, lounging back in the chair.

You realize that he’s talking about the mess on the floor. And that he really did order Tseng like he would his giant dog. Tseng just nods. It’s a strange dynamic and you’re starting to wonder if it’s something you want to be involved in. You already do have to do things you don't want to during work hours. It’s obvious that Rufus is about to ask you to join their little affair and make it a threesome, even if briefly. Based on the fact that you’ve never even heard a rumour, they must work hard to keep it a secret. The thought of joining all that is exhausting. However, all the blood rushed to your nethers many minutes ago and it’s overriding your better judgment. You can’t let this opportunity pass you by. You would jump in front of the president to protect him and you would get involved in something messy if it meant you see under these two’s clothes again.

You blink. The perfect idea strikes you, giving you the courage to give a counteroffer.

Still lounging, Rufus rubs the front of his pants. He gestures you forward. “Come.”

This time it’s you who raises a hand. “No. But I had a different idea.”

Tseng sighs with his shoulders, then says to Rufus, “I told you.”

“It’s fine.” He waves the other man’s protests off. Then he leans forward in his chair to rest his chin in his palm. “Go on.”

You explain that while you’re very flattered by their offer to join this sexy little club, you don’t want to neglect your duties. R&D recently released the ability to send images via message on your Shinra-issued phones. You proposed they send photos of their “entanglements”, whenever and wherever they may happen. You thought this might appeal to Rufus’s ego and thrill-seeking tendencies but you’re not sure about Tseng. When you finish explaining, both pairs of eyes examine you. You’re heating up under their combined gazes but you feel a last rush of courage and stand firm. Finally, Rufus blinks and you think you see astonishment in his eyes. He leans back and crosses his legs.

“Alright. We can do that. But this doesn't go beyond the three of us. And I want proof that you’ve deleted everything after 24 hours. Or you’ll suffer the consequences.”

He smiles confidently like you wouldn’t dare betray him. You don’t trust yourself to speak with confidence right now so you just nod.

“You’re dismissed.”

As you turn, you catch a wicked smile growing on his face. You get several feet away and hear a faint “This could be fun,” from the president behind you. Tseng replies calmly but you can’t make out the words.

It’s late in the evening and you’re off-duty now. You head back to the hotel room to sleep off the day’s excitement. Maybe in your morning shower, you could have some fun thinking about what you got to watch today. You’ve turned off the bedside lamp and settled into the bed when your phone dings, announcing the arrival of a message. You’re not allowed to turn it to silent. You grab the phone immediately in case it’s Turk business.

It’s not. It’s a new number and the message comes with an image attached.

“Shit.”

The message reads: You forgot to leave your number. I got it from Tseng. I had to show you what you missed out on.

The image shows who you assume to be Rufus, judging by the white clothing in the background, holding his erection straight up. Maybe it's the closeness of the shot, but it's huge. After seeing his cock in all its glory, you know you made the right choice in the moment. You would have jumped on it too eagerly and probably hurt yourself. You snort in amusement. Leave it to Tseng to be practical in all things, including dick size.

Your phone dings again. You tap the notification that follows.

What, no comment? Don't you want him? He certainly wants you.

You tried to distance yourself but the president found a way to still make demands. You groan, smiling despite yourself. “What did I get myself into?” you mutter aloud.

*What do y'all think ? What kind of photo would Tseng send?? I'm betting on a fresh-out-of-the-shower naked pic

[radiostranger]

supernatural finale first time watch thoughts:

THE DOG IS BACK YES

sam would be a jogger idk it makes so much sense

“HOT! bread”

dean is so me attempting to clean

honestly i could watch a whole season of this domestic shit just add castiel back in and id be content

no dean. don’t “got something”please don’t “got something”

oh it’s a pie fest. carry on (badum ch)

cas mention :’)

oh no it’s the barn i know what’s coming i hate it dean pls drive away

and you know what?? WHAT IF THAT NINJA STAR HAD SAVED DEANS LIFE SAM HM?? LET HIM HAVE HIS NINJA STAR

this looks like the lazarus rising barn🤧

i see the rusty nail i see it and i hate it

who the fuck is jenny

oh no here it comes

“i always looked up to you” “i’m so proud of you” “i cant do this without you. i don’t want to” and what if i spontaneously combusted rn hm? what then?

i hate this show. no one look at me.

is rufus married to …. aretha… franklin ?? am i dumb or is that what they were insinuating

CAS HELPED ??? CAS. HELPED????? IS HE ALIVE ??? HOW DID HE GET OUT OF THE EMPTY I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS

THE ORIGINAL LICENSE PLATE

the blurry woman™️ is eileen bc i said so. them not showing her at all in the last two episodes was cruel

WHAT TUE FUCK IS THAT WIG

i deserve reimbursement for having to watch that

oh what hi jensen and jared and crew 🤠

andddd cut :(

final thoughts: okay as much as i don’t love that ending and it felt kinda cheap and not great writing wise it’s not assssss awful as i expected from the way people talk about it but also i don’t have the background of watching the show for 15 years. plus i knew most of the spoilers so it’s hard to say what i actually would have thought if i saw it the way intended. main takeaways:

1. wtf did castiel not show up in heaven hm ??

2. i’m pissed they didn’t include at least a tiny mention of eileen :( all that set up for her and sam relationship just for her to die, presumably be brought back to life but not even mentioned??

3. i need fix it fics. immediately.

[magpie-trove]

Rating Timeless church scenes and references to God

-Lucy and Wyatt talk about whether or not Jessica was “meant” to die: 9/10, great scene writing, exploring an issue through two characters who have organically different views of the subject, does not mention God but that’s what they are talking about

—“I agree with him! But I trust you”: not actually a reference to God but solves the entire theodicy question it poses in one very good scene 11/10

—Jiya suggesting to Rufus there is a God/Rufus saying he’s not ready to go all Pentecostal but maybe there’s fate or something: could have been more powerful if it made more sense but decent decent 5/10

—Flynn in the church scene: 12/10 cause Flynn was in a CHURCH you get me (the conversation? Very good)

—Flynn saying “I prayed to God for an answer and he led me here. to this” and Lucy saying “maybe he led you to *me* to this to a better ways way out” 100000/10 no notes

—Korean woman at church praying for her husband and child and then they become the instrument of answering her prayer 7/10 a little weak but good representation

-Jiya talking about the church she took refuge in in Chinatown saying it made her feel closer to Rufus: 3/10 at least she appreciated the art I guess but I think maybe she should have been paying attention to God there too

-Jiya and Rufus talking about God in the church: -3/10 I don’t think making a joke out of the martyred nun outside is gonna win you any points with anyone (what the heck??)

-Jiya and the St Christopher medal: 4/10 kinda weak sauce making it about Agent Christopher but cool that you set precedent that time travel falls under his patronage and you seem sincere

-Lucy and Wyatt in the church scene: 0/10 you wasted a perfectly good church scene talking about your romantic drama

-“I was so mad at him for destroying my life and I didn’t realize he was saving it” 7/10 points deducted because i don’t think the circumstances meant what you thought they meant (the whole well we should just kill Jessica to get Rufus back was morally whack to say the least) however once again a great theodicy line and powerful turn of events so points to you

-Wyatt saying God or the Force or whatever maybe has a purpose for me: 8/10 it’s true buddy

-Lucy’s conclusion that everyone’s important: 7.5/10 yes so true if only your actions in any of the rest of the show backed this up better

-“you will think you’ve lost your humanity but you won’t, you will never lose it” meaning he can always make a better choice he can come back he’s still worth it 10/10 powerful beautiful good true

[mariejordans]

No, but honestly, people keep saying that Cate forced them to do things or forced their behavior at the party, and that's not a thing I saw happen. I didn't even see the notion of it happening. The closest thing to that happening was Jordan saying that they weren't acting like themselves because they got mind raped, and that is not a confirmation. Especially considering that we've seen Jordan presume things.

Cate doesn't start forcing them until she takes her dark turn, and unless they give me some receipts, that's what I'm sticking with, because that's what I saw.

exactly bc if cate really had compelled them into doing drugs and hooking up at the party, don’t you think the writers would’ve thought to mention that in the text? like they went out of their way to explicitly state that cate wiped their memories, it makes no sense that they would just gloss over and not even mention it if she had forced them into doing all that shit at the party.

to me, jordan saying all the stuff about being “mind-raped” and not acting like themselves to marie was a defense mechanism. they were still unsure and insecure about where they stood with marie and if she was comfortable being with them in both genders. they were trying to give marie an out and trying to protect their own feelings by essentially “rejecting” marie first.

also, at the time when jordan used that phrase, they were both convinced that rufus was the mind wiper, and compelling two people to hookup for his own amusement is something rufus would absolutely do! he has canonically sexually assaulted, or attempted, two girls on campus, probably more, it makes sense that jordan would assume that’s what happened. bc, to jordan at that time, that is more believable than marie willingly being attracted to both of jordan’s genders.

honestly, this all just comes down to people wanting further reason to hate cate. which, idk why, considering i feel like there’s plenty of other things you could go after her for. personally, they could never make me hate cate. she’s done some terrible things and i’m not trying to defend that, but she’s such a compelling and interesting morally grey villainess that i have to stan. the cunt factor alone is enough for me to like her honestly, so i’m so there for her villain arc idk…

[darklydeliciousdesires]

Immortal Beloved - Chapter Thirteen.

It's back at last! Most people have probably moved on, but for those who haven't, here you go.

Previous chapters - Prologue One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten Eleven Twelve

Tag list - In the comments

Words - 4,400

Warnings - 18+ only. Adult themes + vampire content throughout. Minors DNI!

The spring sun melted orange into the Warwickshire landscape, bathing the rain-sprinkled grass in a glitter of orange, John moving the horse he was aboard a little quicker into a gentle trot.  

“Pull back on the reins, slow him down,” he advised his daughter, seated atop Rufus, her beloved pony. “That’s it, pige. Don’t want him running off on ya again.”  

The spritely pony had taken it upon himself to set off at a canter a little earlier in their ride out over the grounds of Arrow House, John moving Bracken forward to catch up with her and bring the tiny steed to a stop. At least Katie had found it funny. Him? He’d had several heart attacks, thinking his little girl was about to be planted into the turf.  

t himself to be much of a riding, hunting, fishing type of country living man, but in the three months since the pony had been gifted to his little girl, it had been the only place she’d wanted to be of a weekend. John surprised himself by loving the change in routine, with only one lingering regret. His wife wasn’t by his side while he was enjoying his new-found country gentleman pursuits. Such was the way, though, being married to a vampire. 

“We have to hurry, daddy,” Katie enthused, the top of Arrow House coming into view upon the horizon. “Mommy will be awake soon.” Yes, in the three months since their marriage, the Bryn part had been dropped, his darling solely referred to as mommy now to his little girl. Their little girl. He wasn’t sure how Martha would take to it, should he be able to tell his late wife that the woman her daughter now called mommy was an undead creature of the night. He often thought she’d soften to see just how devoted to Katie Bryn was, though.  

“Mommy I did a canter!” The child called with joy, seeing her appear around the corner as they rode onto the stable block. “I weren’t supposed to, but I did!” 

One of the stable lads helped her down, another taking Bracken from John, Katie running into her Bryn’s open arms. “You are certainly turning into quite the horsewoman aren’t you, my little love?”  

“I’m going to be a jockey when I grow up!” 

John snorted immediately, pulling a cigar from his pocket. “You bloody ain’t.” 

Katie was resolute. “I am, daddy! I’m going to ride Rufus in the Grand National!” 

“You’d have to put him on springs to jump them fences, pige. They’re twice the size of you,” he commented, kissing his wife’s cheek as they walked around to the house.  

“Then the blacksmith can do it, next time he has his new shoes!” Her assertion had her parents laughing softly, Bryn taking her inside to get her fed and ready for bed, John standing on the doorstep for a few moments, enjoying the quiet.  

Sadly, it was a peace not to last.  

“John boy, I’ve called a family meeting. Arthur and Polly will be here within the hour,” Tommy spoke, John turning to view his elder brother, noticing the slightly wide-eyed look that was returned. “I’ve just had Dogs on the phone, and it wasn’t with good news.”  

John nodded, following him in, heading into Tommy’s office where they sat in wait for the other Shelby’s, Bryn joining them too once she’d gotten Katie tucked up in bed.  

“Well, it seems the peace we’ve enjoyed since New Year has come to an abrupt halt, courtesy of the Rasmussen family,” Tommy began, delivering the statement each person knew would be coming sooner or later. Indeed, it had been much, much too quiet on that front of late.  

“Johnny Dogs called me this afternoon, he and a few of the Lee’s are on their way here to make camp on my grounds. What’s left of the Lee’s, I should say. Over the last three nights, four Lee camps have been attacked, good men and innocent women shot while they slept, wagons burned out, and a message left with those who survived. Hand Brynhild over and you get to live, was what they were told by the Rasmussen force who brought the attack. That shan’t be happening, needless to say. Once they arrive, though, they’re gonna want some assurances, some resolve.” 

Arthur grunted, running a hand down his face. “Can’t be that fucking many of ‘em left by now. I say we take the fight up north and finish ‘em all off.”  

“It’s a good idea, Arthur,” Tommy began, lighting a cigarette, perhaps the fifteenth he’d smoked since Johnny’s call, “but unfortunately, they’ve managed to secure extra manpower, aka every single gypsy family not associated with us, all banded together in attempt to bring down who they perceive to be the greater threat. Bryn, Johnny fought your corner, and you’ve to be thankful for that, met with a couple of the lads and stated the only interest you have here is to continue your life quietly as an art dealer, wife and mother, that your existence posed them absolutely no threat. He just about got away from that meeting with his life intact.”  

Bryn closed her eyes, nodding deeply as it hit her in waves. Innocent people dying, all because of the prejudice she faced, all because of what she was, and not who she was. The anger and upset collided within, John of course picking up on it, his hand moving to stroke the back of her neck supportively. At her side, Polly reached to grasp her hand, and in that moment, she was truly, truly thankful.  

At least she had a family who loved her in all of this. 

“Ain’t your fault, bab,” John spoke, reaching for his pocket square so she could dab away her tears.  

Polly’s sentiments echoed. “He’s right, love. I won’t hear of anything different said, that you can be bloody sure of.”  

Bryn sighed, composing herself as she sat ramrod straight, her jaw tightening. “It is, though. It is my fault. I am the course of this battle, of this death now within the Lee family. Our strikes against them have been huge, and they should have been enough. There must be some solution here, we have to be better, fight harder, but I do not see a way. They are like a fucking swarm, ever multiplying!” 

“Then we up our numbers and fucking fight ‘em back twice as hard. That’s what we do, and we don’t fucking give up until every last one of ‘em is dead,” Polly vouched staunchly. 

“Here fucking here!” Arthur spoke, pouring himself a drink. 

Tommy’s eyes flitted between them, lifting his chin. “Whatever strike we plan, it has to be with the Lee’s co-operation, but something tells me we’re gonna have to work our arses off for that in light of this. Securing their alliance ain’t gonna be easy.” 

Oh, how he wasn’t wrong. When the eleven wagons finally arrived at close to 11pm that night, the remaining gypsies of the family all filed into Arrow House behind the brand-new head of the family. Lachlan Lee looked thunderous, a large dressing applied to his neck, a war wound from his brush with the Rasmussen’s concealed beneath. They were ushered into the drawing room, the tall gypsy nodding curtly at everyone present, his stare cold when his eyes took in the woman he guessed to be Brynhild Shelby.  

“Lads, now.” Without further word, the six men who had entered the room with him drew their guns, pointing them at right at their shadow walker target. “Get off your cold, dead arse and come with us. You are the sole fucking reason why we had to say goodbye to our family en masse. You started this, so now we’re fucking ending it by giving the Rasmussen’s what they want. If you don’t, you have seven silver bullet filled guns coming for ya. Get up. Now.” 

“Lachlan, put your guns down and let’s talk,” Tommy began, walking into the middle of the room, hands held wide. “Come on. Nothing good will come of this, now.”  

Both of his brother’s had drawn their own weapons despite being outnumbered, Bryn standing, resting a hand to John’s shoulder.  

“Darling, lower your gun.” 

He sniffed, unflinching. “Until they stop pointing them at you, I ain’t doing shit.” 

“Lads, lower your guns. That goes for my lads, too. Everyone take a breath, for the love of Christ!” Polly advised staunchly, her eyes swivelling between all the men. “Come on. You all know who my grandmother was. Our family alliance goes back fucking generations, let’s honour it better than this.”  

Lachlan paused, his thoughts ticking behind the stern stare of his coal-dark eyes, finally lowering his weapon. A gesture with his hand had his men all doing the same, guns stashed away within their belts once again.  

“Now everyone is calm,” Polly then spoke, her words dying in the air when within a blink, she saw Lachlan grabbed, Bryn holding him by the arm and throat, her rage pulsing thickly. “Shit, Bryn! No!”  

Unfortunately, the newest Mrs. Shelby was a little too irate to listen. 

“You have the fucking gall to walk into this home, the home of my brother and sister-in-law and accuse me of being the monster?” she spat, her grip tightening to the point where Lachlan could no longer struggle against it, his heart hammering with fear. “I am not the one who shot your family as they slept. I am not the one who set your wagons alight. I am merely the one who simply wishes to exist upon this earth as I have for centuries without being hunted and without any further death coming because of that simple desire.” 

Lachlan drew a hissed breath, glaring at her. “And I desire nothing but to keep what’s left of me fucking family safe, and if that means delivering you to them bound in silver, then by god, woman, you can fucking bet that’s what I’m gonna do!”  

The situation was spinning out of control with the kind of rapidity that had both families shouting from either side, Bryn being told to calm down, other members of the Lee’s urged to put their weapons down. The men did not pay those pleas any mind, though. Especially when the vampire they had arrived to take opened her mouth, her fangs bared.  

One man and one man alone had the bravery to stand his ground, though. The one who knew her best, the one who saw that his own ire now being matched in double by his wife was perhaps not the best way to bring the fracas to an end.  

“Brynhild!” John’s bark made her pause immediately, although the rattle of her growl persisted, Bryn eyeing him dangerously. “Don’t you bloody dare growl at me, woman. Put your fucking teeth away and let him go.”  

More growling persisted. 

“I ain’t fucking messing around here. Teeth away and put him down. Now. This ain’t the way we work through it, love. Come on. You’re better than this.” 

Polly winced, knowing that for all her bravery, she would never have the mettle to stand up to a thousand plus year old vampire. As for Bryn herself, a streak of unintelligible words left her lips, her frown deepening. 

“Oh no, bab,” John snorted, pointing his finger, “don’t you fucking cuss me in Norwegian and think I don’t know what it means.” She had been teaching him her native tongue, after all, John choosing to adopt it as he delivered his next statement. “Gjør som jeg sier. Nå.” 

Perhaps it was his overall sternness, the fact he’d been the only human ever to truly stand up to her, or the fact he’d told her to do as he said in her own language, but Bryn finally receded her fangs and let her captive go. In the end, she respected John too highly as her husband to let the wildness within her win, no matter how much his chiding of her had proved irritating. The truth was, he’d like nothing more than to let her savagery run wild after the way Lachlan had acted, but they couldn’t forget what had brought them there, the common enemy.  

“All of this fucking shit needs to stop, right fucking now!” Arthur barked, his eyes finding Bryn’s with a little nod. She smiled, silently answering his question of whether she was okay. “This, all this shit ‘ere, it’s exactly what that bunch of fucking northern cunts want, us at war with each other. We should be taking the war to them! Can’t none of you see that?” 

“All I can see if that you’ve betrayed your roots for that cold, dead bitch who just put her fucking hands on me!” Lachlan raged, beginning to pace. “Forgotten who you are, what you came from, the fucking lot of you’s!” 

“Just because we swapped the wagon for the brick and mortar, it don’t mean we’re not the same, still. We’ve never forgotten that. What we also can’t forget here, lads, is that once we had a pact with the shadow walkers. They took care of us until we sold ‘em out for profit, until the Rasmussen’s came and hunted them all down, eradicated them,” Polly spoke sternly, making John swell with pride. She’d once been the person he’d had to win over back when Bryn had first time into their lives, and now there she was, standing firm as one of her biggest supporters. 

Lachlan’s left eye narrowed, his mouth pinching through thinned lips. “I still don’t trust her kind, Polly.”  

She raised an eyebrow. “Well, I do. She’s a Shelby, she’s my niece now, for heaven’s fucking sakes! I trust her with my life, as should you. She isn’t the threat we have to face. It’s them who's after her we need to band together against, before there’s any more senseless deaths!” 

“And if we hand her over to Edward Rasmussen, it all ends. Best plan of action, if you ask me. Isn’t your fucking family being gunned down at they sleep, is it? Isn’t your family having the bejesus blown out of yer wagons, is it?”  

“Touch a single hair on her head, Lachlan,” John warned, his hand grasped firmly upon his wife’s shoulder, “and you ain’t gonna come out of it well, son. Fucking promise you that, I do.”  

Lachlan laughed, shaking his head. “Oh, so it’s a war with the Lee’s you’re looking for, eh, lad? Got not a grain of sense in that thick head of yours, no? Can’t have had much there to begin with, though, getting yourself wed to a fucking corpse.”  

Even Tommy winced slightly at that one, John’s hand gripping Bryn as the eerie rattle of her growl began to faintly sound through the air. “Calm down. Don’t give him what he wants.” he discreetly whispered, hand moving to squeeze her thigh. He then turned to the gypsy. “We don’t want no fucking war with anybody but the Rasmussen family, but I won’t sit here while you threaten my wife. No. Don’t fucking matter what you think of her, we’ve gotta stick together on this.” 

A silence followed, Lachlan finally taking a seat, his eyes not leaving Bryn. Especially when she opened her mouth and began to speak. 

“Lachlan, please do tell me this. If you had not been so cruelly attacked by the Rasmussen’s, what would you know of me? Other than the fact that I am John’s wife?” 

He snorted, rolling his eyes. “That you’re a fucking shadow walker.” 

“Correct, I am. Now tell me when that piece of information last posed a threat to you or your family, from me personally?” 

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “You never have.”  

A deliberately cloy smile tilted her rosy lips. “So why am I a threat now, hmm? Because they say so? Yes, the Rasmussen’s tell you that I alone am a threat, yet they are the ones to murder your family and promise more unless you hand me over to them. Seems you have gotten your wires crossed over whom it is you truly should be forming an alliance against.”  

He was just about to reply when the door was pushed open, little Katie appearing in her nightdress, teddy bear in her grasp. “Mommy, I heard shouting.”  

Bryn was out of her seat and softened in an instant. “My little love, all is well here. Come now, let me tell you another story and get you settled once more.” Lifting the child into her arms, she kissed her cheek, stroking her hair fondly as she left the room without further word.  

John nodded in her wake. “Yeah, really fucking dangerous, ain’t she?” A long silence followed, the men trying to reconcile the predatory beast they’d seen fly at Lachlan with the loving mother who had just taken her daughter from the room in her arms. “All sarcasm aside, yeah, my wife is deadly, but only when she has to be. When she’s forced to be. If only you fucking knew the half of it, what she’s had to endure over the centuries, ‘cos of the Rasmussen’s.”  

Tommy cleared his throat, scanning the room. Luckily, the tide seemed to be turning a little, the faces of the Lee’s a little less pinched with anger and resentment, more men taking seats as they visibly relaxed. “I think Brynhild articulated herself very well, gentleman. If she’s given you no cause for concern so far, then why ally with her enemy against her when they’re the ones who’ve harmed you? Makes no fucking sense.”  

“You would bloody say that. Biased, you are,” one of the older men mumbled, his eyes narrowing.  

Tommy inclined his head a little in his direction, his face remaining set. “Of course, I am. She’s family. As long as her surname is Shelby, she’ll be looked after.” 

“Too fucking right,” Arthur chimed, sinking his whiskey, giving John a nod he reciprocated.  

Lachlan took a deep breath through his nose, pushing to his feet once more. “So, how do you fellas propose we deal with these Rasmussen lads then, eh?” 

Ideas were bounced back and forth, tempers running hot, the Shelby’s being put in impossible positions by the Lee’s, Bryn overhearing it all from upstairs as she was joined by a friendly face. 

“Surely, with few of them left, couldn’t you just travel north and take them all out by yourself?” Grace put to her, her voice kind. “I mean, I’ve seen the speed you move at, Bryn. They literally would never see you coming.”  

The vampire closed her eyes, wincing slightly as she remembered back to her incarceration. The pain, her screams. The screams of her children. “I cannot, Grace. I do not know how many allies would be awaiting me. They keep themselves so well guarded, after all. For good reason, too. Me being that reason.”  

The other Mrs. Shelby sighed, placing a loving hand to her sister-in-law's wrist. “I wish to god there could be some simple way to end this all, I really do. I’d bloody understand if you were out there actively hunting them, picking them off one by one. You aren’t, though. You’ve only ever defended yourself against them coming for you.” 

Bryn appreciated Grace’s kindness, her hand covering hers. “Prejudice runs very deep with these people, and my desire to survive even deeper than that. This is why they shall never cease.” 

Deciding not to go back into the meeting, she kissed Grace’s cheek goodnight, instead going out into the cold night, wandering around to the stable block after visiting the kitchen, a stack of carrots in her grasp. 

“There you are, lovely girl,” she spoke to Tommy’s beloved coloured cob, a mare named River. “You are such a beautiful thing, yes you are.” The horse crunched through her treat, happy to have her black and white neck patted, Bryn comforted by her warmth and scent. She then moved down the line, feeding all of them in turn, Rufus delighting her with his impatience as he kicked his stable door. “Young man, you have better manners than this!” 

The pony whickered at her, craning his neck over the stable door, Bryn feeding him his treat and stroking his soft fur before she moved to the last horse, the large steed John had ridden earlier that evening. “Hello, Bracken. Oh, such a pretty face, yes! Here, you enjoy.”  

Her senses picked up on the arrival of another before he entered the stable block, Bryn leaning back into her husband’s embrace when he arrived with her. “Was there a resolve?” 

He sniffed, hands idly stroking her wait. “Tommy was on about some kind of meeting between the Rasmussen’s, us and the Lee’s, see if he could make Edward budge at all on it. Tried to tell ‘em that it wouldn’t work, but they ain’t about to bring a fight they’re fucking outnumbered in. He said it’d be best we move in here for a bit, like, keep the family together. The Lee’s are camping in the grounds for the forseeable an’ all. Said we’d go home tomorrow and pack some stuff, after I’d cleared it with you.” 

“I think Tommy is correct, that is a very good idea for us to remain here as a family,” she spoke, turning to kiss his cheek. “It means our little tot gets to spend time with her pony, and in lieu of her going to school, I can give her lessons, force my waking a little earlier to do so, or remain awake a little later.”  

In all of this, it was Katie whom her thoughts went to first, and John couldn’t help but be touched at that, what a good woman he’d married. “No matter what’s to come, bab, we’ll get it all sorted. We’ve got to, because I ain’t losing you to nobody.” 

Turning, she stroked his face, kissing him fondly. “Good, because I am going nowhere.” 

That evening, they decided to head back to Birmingham and pack, Bryn getting the bulk of it done while John slept, joining him in their bed just before dawn. While she was absconded to her vampiric rest, he kissed her head lovingly, stroking her dark curls before getting up and dressed, Small Heath bound. There, he met his brother’s, giving orders to the assembled members of the Blinders to be on the lookout for anything nefarious, that the enemy was very likely coming.  

“Unless they have the surname Shelby or Lee, that enemy could be anyone. I want vigilance and nothing less than, lads,” Tommy advised to the assembled group at the bookie's office. “Be on your guard constantly. The worst of this fight is yet to come.” 

Once they’d all filed out, Tommy strode to his office, John tailing after him. “Tom, what the fuck are we gonna do? From where I’m fucking standing, there’s only one solution, and I swear to god, right, I’ll fucking die meself before I hand over me wife to ‘em.” 

Lighting a cigarette, Tommy seated himself. “Do you trust me, John?” 

A puzzled frown creased his freckled forehead. “Fuckin’ ‘course, I do. Why?” 

“Then trust that I have a plan in motion. I can’t say no more than that, but trust me, right? All of this shall end. I’ll get us out of this.” Sitting back in his chair, the wood creaked, the azure of his eyes glinting through the plume of cigarette smoke. “Don’t ask me how. All I ask of you is that you trust me as your brother, and never let that trust waver. Do you understand me, John boy?” 

“I do, yeah,” he spoke, although the cryptic delivery of Tommy’s words somewhat irked him. 

“Good. Now, there’s a tonne of bookkeeping I want you to finish off here before we all return to Arrow House. Get it all done before you go and collect your wife. I’ll meet you back at the house later tonight.”  

With that, Tommy rose from his seat, pressing a hand into John’s shoulder as he passed him by, his eyes not meeting his. John was still baffled somewhat, but he trusted that if Tommy had a plan in hand, then it was a good one. One he needed not interfere with until he would likely be brought into the fold at some point.  

He did as he’d been tasked, returning to the betting shop floor and working away until gone 6pm before he made the drive back to Little Aston, his eyes rounding to see both the gate and the front door wide open upon arrival. Leaving his car parked awkwardly, he ran for the house, no disarray to be found.  

“Bryn?” No reply. He took the stairs two at a time, shouting his wife’s name over and over, checking the bedroom, the bathroom, every bloody room. Nothing. One noise did become audible, though, once he had gone back downstairs. Entering the kitchen, he found the source of the muffled shouts, a bound and gagged Albert lying on the floor, John seeing red. 

Pulling the gag from his mouth, he yanked the gun from his holster, his hand gripping the old man’s throat. “Where is she?” 

“I, I don’t know,” he stammered, John’s grip tightening. 

“Listen to me, you fucking snivelling old prick. Ancient family alliance or not, if you don’t fucking tell me right now, I swear to fuck, I will empty my gun in your fucking skull! Now tell me, where the fuck is my fucking wife?” he bellowed, rage coursing through him. “And you’d better fucking tell me where I can find those fucking Rasmussen bastards an’ all, because you let them in here, into our home, where she thought she was safe. Fucking stupid old prick, you know better than to let anyone who ain’t family in!” 

“It wasn’t the Rasmussen’s! Please, sir, please!” he wailed, falling apart right in front of his very eyes, John not caring an ounce.  

“Then who the fuck was it? You’ve got five seconds, mush, or I blow your brains all over the fucking tiles!”  

Albert snivelled, grimacing in pain as the tight fist clenched harder, yet the words he hissed were as unmistakable as they were unbelievable. “Your brother!” 

Nothing could have prepared John for hearing that.  

[holylulusworld]

Girls like us

Summary: Trusting people is not your strong suit.

Pairing: Dean Winchester x fem!Reader

Warnings: angst, language, mentions of a shitty father, fluff

A/N: Loosely inspired by Zoe Wees’ “Girls like us”

Divider by @firefly-graphics​

“It feels like I am an ant, and they are burning me with a magnifying glass. Every time I feel like people judge me for my appearance, my clothes, the way I talk...simply everything about me,” you’re fidgeting in your seat, nervous to tell the therapist about all the things keeping you from opening up to people. 

“Why’s that?” the therapist asks. “Can you tell me more about it?”

“Maybe it’s because I never was one of the pretty and popular girls. You know, it’s hard if you don’t fit in. Judging looks, hushed words. Little giggles. I know all the signs of rejection.”

You bite your lower lip, chewing on it. “What can you tell me about your childhood?” she asks, tapping the end of her pen. “Y/N we wanted, to be honest, didn’t we.” She points out as you try to avoid talking about your past. “I can’t help you if you don’t open up to me.”

“My dad was absent most of the time,” you shrug. “Mom worked her ass off to make sure I and my siblings won’t starve. She was tough in her way. I admired her for being a father and a mother to me and my siblings.”

You run your fingertips over one of the scars on your arm. It calms you. 

“What can you tell me about your father? Why was he away so often?”

“He traveled a lot for his…job,” looking at your shoes you try to find a way to not tell her about your father’s possessiveness or that he couldn’t keep a job to save his life. Not that he tried, though. “I guess he was more interested in his job than his family.”

“Y/N, you told me about your mother, your siblings, and your life. But you still avoid talking about your father. I think he’s the key,” she looks at you, demanding answers you can’t give to her.

“He’s not,” you huff. “Do you know why I feel like this? I was an outsider, an outcast, the one not fitting in all my life. I always struggled to keep up with everyone’s expectations. I feel like I’m not good enough every time I try to fit in.”

“Do you have anyone in your life?” she asks. “Someone loving you. Or a friend supporting you? A colleague maybe.”

You smile now. Warmth washes over you as you remember someone is waiting for you to come back. Someone loving and supporting you.

“Yes, I got someone in my life,” you smile now. “He’s always there to pick me up when I fall. And he’s there to listen to my rant. If I need a shoulder to lean on, he’s there too.”

“That’s good.”

“He’s my best friend, my confidant and so much more,” she nods knowingly as you wrap your arms around yourself. “I-“

“Y/N, that’s progress. We should come back to this at our next appointment,” you’d like to roll your eyes. Of course, she stops right when you are about to get to the core of your trust issues. 

The fact that no one ever stayed. 

Your father left to hunt the evil. Your mother grabbed your siblings and ran when the monsters your father hunted broke into your house, seeking revenge for their fallen friends.

She just left you there, for the monsters to feast on. 

Their bad luck Bobby Singer and Rufus Turner followed them to your house. You survived the night, and your family too. But you never looked at your mother the way you used to.

“Sweetheart, what do you want for dinner?” Dean calls from the kitchen at the bunker. “Baby? Are you okay? How was your spa day?”

“I-“ you tiptoe toward the kitchen. Dean doesn’t know you are seeing a therapist to not dump all the shit weighing heaving on your heart on him all the time. “It was nice, I guess. I’ve missed you, though.”

“I’ve missed you too,” he flashes you a smile melting your heart. You don’t know it, but Dean followed you the first time you went to see your therapist. He didn’t want to spy on you, just make sure you are safe. “How about my infamous bacon burger?”

“I’ll love everything you make,” you walk inside the kitchen to stand behind Dean and wrap your arms around his waistline. 

“Bacon burger and salad it is,” he says. “Do you want to have a bubble bath while I prepare the food?”

“No, I want to help you,” Dean hums when you hold him a little tighter. 

“You can cut the onions,” he chuckles when you hiss. Dean knows you cry like a baby if you cut onions. “Fine, you can take care of the salad.”

“Did I ever tell you that you are my haven?” you hide your face in his back and close your eyes. 

“You’re my haven too, Y/N,” he softly says your name. “Do you want your bacon extra crispy?” You nod, but don’t let go of Dean. 

He closes his eyes and enjoys feeling your body pressed against him. 

One day you will tell him about all the things from your past you still hide from him. Just not tonight…

Tags in reblog.

[jatcv930au]

BLACK AND THE BEANSTALK!!!

(Part 2)

Black was immediately terrified, as she heard hissing and sniffing coming closer to her hiding place and once she’s caught, she would be punished for eating their food, not only that, but also for her trespassing. She was meeting a dead end, and she got to act fast. But the poor demo ink blot is so scared for her life, she could barely move out of her hiding place. Such a coward she was, she even heard one of the dogs growled and even… talk?

“We know you’re in there, intruder. We all can smell you, so come out!!”

Black was then confused but terrified. How can a dog talk? Then, the cat was talking too.

“Relax, Fester, I’ll deal with it,” the black cat explained, “I’ll use my spells to take them out of their hiding place…”

“But Jinx-”

“No buts,” Jinx cut him, “I do smell it too, so let me do the rest. Besides, no one can’t resist my witchcraft magic, and don’t worry, they wont get away that easily.”

In doing so, Jinx, a giant witch black cat, uses her spell with ease, dragging Black outside of her hiding place. With Black being fully exposed, she did get a good close up of the animals. those animals were black, like her, head to toe, except for the little gray demon puppy and death omen dog. Two of the giant dogs looked with concern and worried, while the others looked shocked and a bit angry about her, “The little vermin” she is.

“Well, well, well,” the giant snake hissed, “ My what do we have here, fellas? A little snack thief?”

“It sorta looks like Asmodesus,” the giant crow cawed, “It looks just like us, but the problem is that it took nibbles of our food.”

“Perhaps, I could use a little snack. Feed me that creature, Jinx,” Asmodeus asked politely, “It’s time to teach this little vermin a lesson.”

“…. Okay, as you wish.” Black was panicking, she couldn’t die like this, she just wants a home and a friend, more than just a friend but a happy family. Black whined and begged to be spared, but curse her speaking, they didn’t understand her. Before Jinx was about give asmodeus his tiny snack, one of the dogs, Soul, growled and barked to stop them from eating her alive. Thanks goodness, someone finally understands her feelings. Later, they discussed and decided if they could or want to keep her. There had been some arguments, while others just watched and listened.

“I’m not so sure if we could take care of a little creature like that, Soul,” Jinx murmured to the puppy, “It’s none of our responsibility. Plus, she doesn’t even know who we are. And no, Rufus, she’s not a human, she’s different to everyone. Right, Zuzu?”

“Agreed, Jinx,” Zuzu the crow answered, “We’re not risking a tiny creature like her to stay with us.”

“But she could be Jinx and Zuzu. She’s something else that we don’t know of,” Soul counter argued, “Oh please, Jinx, she was like us. I could tell from her eyes, abandoned, hurt, hungry, poor, and had no one to care for her. Like Rufus, he joined us, because he lost a human friend.”

“… Let us talk about it privately…” The others agreed with Jinx and went to a private room, leaving small/tiny Black, giant Soul, and giant Rufus all alone in the other room together.

“Hey don’t worry, you’re not the only one who was welcomed small sized…. Me and Rufus had been there. I’m Soul, and this death omen dog is Rufus,” Soul smiled. Black was a bit scared of Rufus.

“Don’t worry, little one, Rufus like to make new friends that are smaller like you.” The death pupper barked and licked Black gently to show a warm welcome, showing a goofy smile to her. Black smiled and giggled as she felt comfort and warmth in their protection, but there was something special about the Demon puppy that made her blush. He comforted her, he understands her feelings, and make her feel like she belongs to him and Rufus, hopefully the other pets as well.

Minutes passed and the pets finally came out of the room to explain their final results to them. From the looks of their faces, it seemed agreeable to Soul’s explanation and comparison to their lives. Their result was keeping Black here and make her become a family of their own. Black and the other dogs were so happy, as celebrated with the pets to warm welcome to their new home.

“Welcome to our home, little one,” jinx politely smiled, “We’re’ sorry that we threatened you. All we need is an apology and your name, please?”

“….” But all Black could say is…

��…?” The pets were confused. Black was embarrassed and was in guilt. She can’t even speak a word that any species could understand because her species is unidentified. Then, they realized that she could still be a baby and can’t speak the language like they do, which is understandable why she can’t speak yet…

‘One day,’ she thought to herself, ‘one day…’

“Anyway, let’s find out your name and hear your apology later,” Jinx continued, “for now, we are called team… DARK PETS…..”

“Welcome to our side of the family, little one,” Fester smiled, “I hope you feel comfortable with us and be good friends with you!” ^^

Black smiled back…. ^^

TBC…..

@kaiju-wolfdragon @mimiocto @psychonauts-razigula @ask-de-writer @mean-bf777 @starlightgirl242 anyone else?

[dailyy-me]

I recently read The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera

Wow.

Just, wow.

(Please don’t read if you don’t want spoilers, I’m not going to hold back on my rant so read at your own risk).

I’ve read a lot of peoples reviews for this one because honestly it was hard to make up my mind about it as a whole. At the end of the day, I think my only problem with the book was the point of view from the creator of Death Cast. While it was really interesting to see and learn about his life, it didn’t reveal any relevant information we didn’t already know or any new information we needed. With that being said, it’s probably one of my favorite books now.

Adam just loves to intertwine the lives of his characters. And he does it so seamlessly. Nothing feels forced or awkward. And if it feels too coincidental, isn’t life that way too??

The fact that he wrote about little Rufus and Mateo was a genius way to give us more from those characters without disturbing the events from the first book. If anything, it’s helped us understand even more why they were the way they were and appreciate how much they managed to live with all of it on their backs.

The whole story reads like a romantic tragedy written in the stars. And the fact that one of the characters is named Orion and the other Valentino is absolutely wonderful. Their story isn’t perfect because if it was they would’ve grown old together and they would get to keep loving each other for far longer than they got. That being said.. it is a beautiful story. Adam was able to, once again, raise the questions about mortality and how people live their life, but this time with new perspectives than last time. Reading about Orion's pain of constantly HAVING to think about death and the very real consequences a simple fun outing with his sister could have was eye opening to me. In the first book, I couldn't understand how anyone could wish for a service like Death Cast, but after truly listening to Orion it made sense to me. I truly felt his fears, and worried for him along with his sister. It was also refreshing to see Valentino struggle with religious trauma while still having love or maybe just curiosity about God in a manner that seemed relatable to me. How his parents reacted to him coming out is a huge fear of mine. Reading about it happening to him was truly heartbreaking for me, and his questions and struggles resonated with me deeply.

I would also like to say that Adam surprised me a little when he was able to point out how grief can be a little selfish and how caring about someone so much can create distance between two people like it did with Orion and his sister (I’m so so glad that the characters were able to work through that so quickly because they both needed each other at the end of this story). The way he swirls coincidences and consequences is truly a whirlwind most admirable when you’re right smack in the middle of it all.

(Talking about the ending next, so this is your second warning.)

Honestly speaking, I still don’t know how to feel about the ending. And the feeling of uncertainty towards my feelings is exactly how I would want someone to feel at the end of my own story. I don’t know that I would be okay with someone being happy about how my life ended. I don’t know that I would want them to hate it either. So having the constant debate and conversation feels more comforting than anything else.

(Last Spoilers warning frfr bc the ending was AN EXPERIENCE I do not wish to take from anyone).

Having Valentino give Orion his heart felt like a declaration that love will always live within the stars. And I absolutely love it. Adam, I thank you for this story and these characters.

[bittersweet-innocence]

(little bits with my characters that run around my head plus with a new OC)

Questionable Therapist: honestly, they are awful to you and yet you sit here and defend them like you have a gun to your head.

Questionable Therapist, shaking his head: did the Barbie movie teach you nothing? They are just Ken, they don’t have a good day unless you do so why have you let them kick you out of your house.

Reader: I thought that it was about romantic partners ignoring your boundaries and forcing you to change your life. Or just not taking no as an answer, like toxic masculinity.

Questionable Therapist: no, it was about friends.

A few months later

Reader: so I started watching My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.

Questionable Therapist, staring blankly as he twirls his pencil between his fingers: we need to start putting limits on what you watch.

Questionable Therapist: for example, if you want kids movies, watch Across the Spiderverse. It has a great message about how friends can be and what they can do to you. Or SpongeBob.

Reader: SpongeBob?

Questionable Therapist: I’m convinced that all of SpongeBob’s friends hate him.

~

Reader, trying to use the bathroom as black paws scratch at the door and poke feebly under: …

Reader: Rufus, you’re not coming in here and sitting in my pants while I use the bathroom. Forget it.

Screeching on the other side of the door as Reader shakes their head.

~

Reader: have you seen the SpongeBob Hamilton animatic with Patrick?

Ghost Lover, considering their choices in partner: …

Ghost Lover: no, love, I haven’t.

(He watched over their shoulder in the wall as Reader watched it forty times in a row, tearing up at the AI voice and seriously worried for their health)

~

Reader: Babe, can I ask you about one of your purchases?

Sugarbaby: I thought this arrangement was that you wouldn’t question what I did.

Reader: …you’ve been custom made dildos. I can see the order details.

Sugarbaby, hamster wheeling every memory of meticulously measuring Reader’s junk while they slept, voice cracking: oh? That’s interesting.

~

Princess, playing coy: oops, I’m so clumsy~ perhaps you could carry me, my lord? Help me escape my bumbling feet?

Reader: you just fell into mud and scraped both your knees and your face on rocks. Are you okay?

Princess with tears in her eyes: please just pick me up.

~

(As a bonus)

Ghost Lover, making Reader seek out therapy for their addiction to SpongeBob Hamilton: I heard this therapist is good.

Reader: if you say so. Maybe some grief counselling could help me.

Ghost Lover: I wish you were talking about me and not SpongeBob dying in Hamilton.

Questionable Therapist, stepping out of his office: okay, hello new patient, I’m very excited to start our session. Come on in.

Ghost Lover, recoiling like a rabid raccoon: oh hell no, this man has twelve bodies buried in his backyard and he has a bigger dick than me, I can feel it.