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stereksecretsanta · 2 years

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Merry Christmas, @comedicdrama!

I was really challenged by the fact that my giftee wanted something like a meet ugly. I don’t think this is that, but I hope they still like it. Though I don’t recommend that readers follow this method of… flirtation, I guess? Maybe we should treat this as a crack fic. Anyway, happy holidays!

Summary:

All Derek wanted was to finish his work.

That was all he wanted.

But somebody decided that wasn’t going to happen.

*****

Plaid Guy and Murder Face

All Derek wanted was to finish his work.

That was all he wanted.

But somebody decided that wasn’t going to happen.

See, Derek worked as an editor and often times found himself drowning under manuscripts written by incredibly incompetent wanna be writers.

Okay, he was being unnecessarily harsh. But sometimes it felt like he had to wade through a hundred crappy, cliched, tropey, self-insert works before he found a gem that he and the publishing house could use.

On that fateful day Derek was talking about earlier, he had found himself seated at Sweeters, this cafe his older sister Laura had recommended which was just two blocks away from the publishing house where Derek worked. They served good coffee and delicious pastries and sometimes those were enough to tide Derek over as he winced at every single unnecessary line and wrong grammar he read.

He was debating whether or not he could just throw this current dump of a story into a paper shredder when a shadow crossed his vision and someone cleared their throat.

“Er, sir?”

“What?” Derek growled out, looking up. He winced when the waitress jerked in surprise. He immediately held up his hand. “I’m so sorry. That is so rude. I’m just really, really not having a good day. I apologize.”

The waitress, whose name tag said ‘Kira,’ was thankfully sympathetic.

“It’s all right, sir.” She held out a paper cup. “Er, this is for you.”

Derek was confused. “But I didn’t order anything.”

“It’s from the guy in the plaid,” Kira said, motioning to the counter.

Derek looked around and spotted a guy wearing a red and black plaid shirt. He was pale-skinned, with brown hair, and was wearing a beanie and sneakers. He was openly watching Derek through his glasses.

Derek turned to Kira. “What am I supposed to do with this?”

Kira shrugged. “Well, you could drink it? It’s hot chocolate though, nothing poisonous.” She paused, and added, “Not that we would poison you…” She cleared her throat. “Or you could throw it in the guy’s face though, in case you know him and don’t like him.”

“No, I don’t know him,” Derek said.

Kira looked at the cup in her hand. “Er, I could… take it away?”

Derek rubbed his face. What the hell was this?

“No, just… just leave it there, Kira. Thank you.”

Kira nodded, placing the cup a good deal away from Derek’s precious papers. “Okay, sir. I hope your day gets better.”

“Thank you, Kira,” Derek said. “Sorry for snapping at you.”

Kira smiled and walked off.

Derek glared at the innocent-looking styrofoam cup of hot chocolate and then looked back at Plaid Guy. He raised an eyebrow at him, but the weird guy just grinned widely. He motioned to the cup on Derek’s table.

What was wrong with him?

Slightly unnerved—and honestly intrigued, not that he’d admit it—Derek started packing his things away. He then grabbed the styrofoam cup of hot chocolate and marched over to the trash bin. He looked plaid-wearing guy in the eye as he tossed the drink in the bin.

Derek had expected the man to be annoyed or offended, so he was even more unnerved—and intrigued—when the man just laughed.

Derek turned on his heels and stomped off.

About three days later, Derek was back at Sweeters. He was feeling a bit chipper at the moment because he had closed a good deal yesterday and wanted to treat himself.

That good mood slowly turned sour the longer Derek waited for the coffee he had ordered. He tapped his feet impatiently.

He noticed that Kira was behind the counter and waved her over. She smiled, and Derek was relieved she hadn’t taken last time’s incident against him.

“Good morning, sir. How are you?” she asked politely.

“Not so great,” Derek admitted. “I was wondering if you can check my coffee order.”

“Oh, but I already made that,” Kira said, confused. She turned to the counter behind her and looked at the name on the cups. “I already… er… it’s not here.”

Derek sighed.

Someone spoke up, “Er, I think it’s my fault? I think I picked up his drink by mistake.”

Derek turned to see who it was and was met with none other than Plaid Guy. He wasn’t wearing plaid this time though, just a sweater with some band on it, tattered jeans and sneakers. He was wearing his glasses, but up close Derek could still see his brilliant honey-gold eyes.

Derek actually felt his breath get caught in his throat for a second, but thankfully Kira spoke and broke the bubble.

“Oh, yeah, that’s for this gentleman here,” Kira said, motioning to Derek. She looked at the cups. “This is your order, a cup for… Stiles?”

What kind of name is that?

But Plaid Guy just grinned.

“Yep, that’s me.” He placed Derek’s cup on the table. “Sorry for grabbing yours…”

Derek rubbed the bridge of his nose. There was no escaping this.

“It’s Derek, and you would know that if you read the name on the cup.” He glared at Plaid Guy, who still looked unnervingly chipper. He then turned to Kira. “I’ll order another one. He can keep that.”

Sensing the tension, Kira just smiled brightly. “Okay. I’ll make it quick.”

“But I don’t drink the same thing you do,” Plaid Guy commented.

“Be lucky I’m not asking you to pay for it,” Derek snapped, sighing.

All he wanted was coffee, dammit.

“Are you really picky with your drinks? You didn’t drink that last one either,” Plaid Guy said.

“I don’t make it a habit of drinking things from strangers.”

“It’s just hot chocolate. And I didn’t make it. Kira did,” Plaid Guy pointed out. “Also, I’m not a stranger… anymore at least. I’m Stiles.”

“And I’m not interested,” Derek said sternly. “So go away.”

“Is it because I took your coffee or that you don’t like hot chocolate?” Stiles asked.

“Who doesn’t like hot chocolate?” Derek couldn’t help asking. Actually, he had chastised himself for wasting a good drink when he got out of Sweeters, but Plaid Guy didn’t need to know that.

“Well, why did you throw it?” he asked.

Derek glared a thim. “Didn’t I just say that I don’t take drinks from strangers?”

Plaid Guy rocked to and fro on the balls of his feet. “But since I’m not a stranger anymore, you’ll accept a hot chocolate from me next time?”

Derek wasn’t sure what he was going to say to this annoying, irritating—but pretty cute—guy, because Kira suddenly appeared with his coffee.

“Here you go, Derek. Enjoy.”

“Thank you,” Derek said. He glared at Sti—Plaid Guy, and walked off.

“Bye, Derek,” Plaid Guy had the audacity to call out.

Derek didn’t look back.

“Is that murder face you have on natural, or do you practice it in front of the mirror?”

Derek was so surprised his red pen made a long squiggle across the page he was marking.

What the hell?

He looked up. It was Sti—Plaid Guy.

It had been three days since Derek was last here, and yet for some reason Plaid Guy had found him yet again.

“You know, I can literally see you calling me some sort of insult in your head,” Plaid Guy said, grinning.

“Now you’re a mind reader as well as a menace?” Derek asked drolly.

Plaid Guy just grinned. “You have a really expressive face, that’s all,”

Which could only mean Plaid Guy had been looking at him and Derek didn’t know if was going to blush or find that creepy.

“Can’t you go bother someone else?” Derek asked, sighing deeply.

“But there’s no one around,” Plaid Guy pointed out.

Derek looked around. Sweaters really was empty, save for the two of them and the staff. Kira was manning the cashier, humming a ditty as she worked.

“Go talk to Kira,” Derek said.

Plaid Guy shook his head. “But she’s busy.”

“And you don’t think I am?” Derek glared at him. “Unlike you, I have actual work.”

Plaid Guy pouted. “I have work too. I’m a graphic artist and I come here for inspiration.”

Now that Derek looked at him, he does give off a creative, if hipster, vibe.

“Then I saw you and I thought you might want some company,” he added.

“Well, I don’t,” Derek said.

Plaid Guy shrugged. “Okay then.”

Derek sighed internally. Oh, thank go—

“But I’ll get you a scone so you don’t look so murder-y,” Plaid Guy said.

What?

“Can I get a scone for Derek, Kira?” Plaid Guy asked.

Kira nodded. “What flavor?”

“Er…” Sti—Plaid Guy turned back to him.

Derek raised an eyebrow at him.

Plaid Guy hesitated, and then made a guess. “Er… the… banoffee…?”

Damn it. Derek liked that one.

That expression must have shown on his face, because Plaid Guy suddenly clapped his hands.

“Yes! I got that one right!” he cheered, doing a little dance, which looked cute, or rather ridiculous. “Banoffee scone for Derek, Kira, please.”

Derek was tempted to leave. He wasn’t going to finish work like this.

But he waited for the scone before stomping off.

He didn’t want to waste food.

It took Derek a week before he could go back to Sweeters. Work had piled up in a way that he could only work on them in the office and not at his favorite cafe. The moment he walked in, he heard that familiar voice.

“Derek! It’s been so long! I thought I was going to perish without you!” Stiles called out.

Kira was working the counter, as usual, and said, “He actually said he would.”

How was it that Derek had become frie—acquaintances with this man?

And why in the hall did Derek actually miss him?

…you know, just a tad.

“I should just leave and let you actually perish so you would stop bothering me,” Derek said, moving towards the counter.

“Nooo. Don’t.” Stiles whined. “I’ve missed your murderous face. I couldn’t sketch it right. It doesn’t have the pizzazz the real thing does.”

Kira reached out and poked his forehead. “That’s creepy, Stiles. Don’t do that.”

“And my sister is a lawyer, just so you know,” Derek said.

Stiles yelped. “I didn’t mean it in a creepy way! I was just admiring your face!”

Derek rolled his eyes and tried to force himself not to blush. He wasn’t sure if he was successful going by Kira’s giggle and Stiles’s grin.

“I ordered you a lemon scone this time and a sweet berry drink,” Stiles said. “I have a feeling you’ll like it.”

“And if I don’t?” Derek asked.

“You’ll break Kira’s heart. She made it.” Stiles pointed at her.

“If you don’t like it, it’s fine,” Kira said.

Derek tried it. It was good. He told Kira so, but then…

“Now that I’ve got these, I have to go. If you’ll excuse me,” Derek said, grabbing his things.

“What? But you just got here!” Stiles asked.

“I have work, and so do you, and so does Kira,” Derek said. “And stop sketching my face, Stiles, or I’ll press charges.”

“But you’re handsome,” Stiles blurted out, only to stop and pause.

Stiles rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. Derek was sure his face was red. Kira was giggling into her hands again.

“Bye, Kira,” Derek simply said.

“Bye, Derek.” Kira waved a hand.

“Derek, nooooo!” Stiles called out.

Derek tried to pretend that he wasn’t smiling as he walked to his office.

Derek had a bad day. In the span of twenty-four hours, he had spilled coffee on his shirt, broken his phone, made a major mistake that almost cost them a client, forgot his lunch, and hit his foot on a corner of his desk. Then there were files he had to submit before the end of the day.

He was angry and annoyed and wanted something so sweet his teeth would fall out.

He arrived at Sweeters just shy of closing time, and was surprised to see Stiles there, and he wasn’t wearing plaid.

“What’s with the suit?” Derek blurted out.

Stiles turned and he smiled. “Business meeting. Bet you’re surprised eh?”

Derek just nodded and tried not to stare. He didn’t want to admit it, but Stiles looked good in a suit. His hair was brushed back and he had switched to glasses with thinner rims to make him look more professional, but also brought out his pretty, honey-gold eyes.

But instead of saying anything complimentary, Derek’s mouth went the other way.

“You look like an actual adult this time.”

Instead of being offended, Stiles just laughed, which made Derek roll his eyes.

Inside, to his horror, his heart skipped a beat.

“It fits me though, don’t you think?” Stiles waggled his eyebrow teasingly.

Derek shrugged. Not wanting to admit it. He sat down beside Stiles.

Kira appeared then, bringing hot tea.

“Here’s your tea, Stiles,” she said. “Hello, Derek. Should I get your usual order?”

But Stiles’ order actually threw Derek for a loop. In the weeks they’ve talked, Stiles always ordered something sweet. Even his coffee was 90% sugar and 10% beans.

Now that he looked closer, Stiles’s usual bright, honey-gold eyes seemed a bit dull, his shoulders were down, and while his suit fit him perfectly, he actually looked a little uncomfortable wearing it.

“I’ll get back to you on that, Kira. Thank you,” Derek said. He then turned to Stiles. “How was your day?”

Stiles suddenly choked on his tea, sputtering in surprise. He whipped towards Derek in surprise.

“…I think that’s a sign for me not to talk to you,” Derek said, feeling a bit embarrassed at eliciting such a reaction.

“No, uh, I’m just…” Stiles flushed, rubbing his nape. “Actually, I had a bit of a bad day…”

“Me too,” Derek said, and in a leap of faith.

Stiles hesitated, but then again, he had always been braver than Derek.

“Want to talk about it?” he asked gently.

Derek had to be brave too.

“Yeah, sure,” Derek agreed.

He called out to Kira, who had obviously been eavesdropping. “Tea for me too, Kira.”

Kira nodded. “Coming right up.”

Derek turned to Stiles, giving him his full attention.

All Derek wanted was to finish his work.

That was all he wanted.

But that obviously wasn’t going to happen.

And for the first time, Derek didn’t mind.

“You first,” Derek offered.

Stiles smiled at him, gentle and sweet.

#comedicdrama #stereksanta22 #*fic22 #*gifts22

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hellfire--cult · 7 months

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I’m the anon from earlier and I just wanted to say because obviously it was not clear that of course I am reblogging the smaller creators I think deserve recognition. However I’m a nobody and my less than 100 followers aren’t really going to drum up many readers for the fics that are already lacking in notes. You can of course reblog whatever you like and I already said that I have read the popular fics you reblogged and agree they deserve the recognition. But I can’t make a post about this on my own blog without being eaten alive and seen as a pariah and potentially dragging down the small creators I’m trying to lift up in the process. I’m sorry for choosing your blog to make a statement. It’s nothing against you personally. It’s a pattern I’ve noticed. People make a big effort to bring life back into the community but only want to give it back to their favorite most popular writers that already get hundreds of asks about their work and have thousands of notes on their stories. The bigger accounts all reblog one another and the smaller ones are left in the dust. How is a story with 25 notes supposed to compete on the dash when you can’t scroll down 2 posts without running into TYP again with comments all through the tags saying how amazing it is and it changed the reader’s life. They don’t. No one wants to read a story with under 100 notes if they’re being consistently spammed with stories that have thousands. What I’m trying to say is, you reblogging 3 of the most popular fics in the Eddie fandom on the first day of this new event thingy was the perfect example of what I’ve been seeing happen during this type of “lift up the creators” effort before the throwback Thursday was even created. I’m really sorry if I made you feel bad and I want to stress that I’m not trying to control what you do on your blog and I’m certainly not coming here to ask you to do something I wouldn’t do. It’s just the fact that some stories, like those you reblogged in particular are really not the target audience in my own opinion, for something like this as they’ve never left the dash in the first place and certainly not been forgotten. The thought behind it was to bring back stories that people missed because they were too busy reading the most popular fics in the fandom to give others a chance. So by everyone just “bringing back” the most popular fics. Not only are the smaller stories missing out again but anyone currently posting stories from smaller accounts are being overshadowed as well. It’s the double whammy for the small blog. Anyway thank you for participating in bringing back older stories. Also thank you for being kind to me in your reply.

I totally get what you're saying!

I have many mutuals that do in fact reblog many creators of any kind, be it with lots of notes, or not, and I do stop and read and reblog. It also depends the mutuals one has!

I have people I follow that are solely readers, so they reblog any kind of the fics that are out there.

I went into my archive yesterday to see my first fic reblogs from july of 2023, because I have so many fics in my head I do remember reading, but I can't, for the love of me, remember the exact titles or remember the usernames or I thought I did and they changed it or deactivated (which happened a lot this past year)

And I am not going to lie, I felt a little thrown back with your first anon, I felt a little anxious because I didn't reblog many at first, so I was sort of taken aback. But thank you for being kind, and show your anger at what happened with this event for now, and to show me you didn't come to talk to me to express yourself in a harsh or hateful way, and thank you for feeling like you actually CAN express yourself to me

But this isn't an event from yesterday only! It's going to happen every thursday, and I am sure more and more fics are going to see the light so others can find them

#roe answers #ttt event

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bmodiwrites · 2 years

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"Clay watched as the boy reached into his back pocket, grabbing his wallet. The realization that he was grabbing for a condom made Clay laugh. Hysterically. Though the sound quickly changed to moans."

Okay so this is a bit of a random one, but I saw your post and I wanted to honestly highlight this. This small paragraph is from one of your earlier fics, and it resonated so much with me. I was just going into fic writing, and at the time I was absolutely terrified of writing smut. But reading your fics were SO INSPIRATIONAL it made so much difference.

From a truly changed fic writer <3

When I saw this in my inbox, I made a weird noise that I’m not really sure how to describe. I sometimes forget that I have older works so a part of me is always surprised by recognition for them. I knew the fic you quoted like I wrote it yesterday. Crazy how that kind of thing works.

Anyway. I’m happy that awkward little piece of writing gave you some inspiration or maybe the courage not to worry about what people think when it comes to your words & the story you’re telling. I’m glad you didn’t just laugh & move on because I’ll tell you a secret - I was pretty terrified to be writing it, too. The writer in me now cringes but I know this was a place to start. It led me to where I am now.

Thanks for sharing. I like my earlier stuff better knowing it helped you get off the ground. That’s a really cool thing ☺️

#nonnie things #how cool though #i loved clony so much 🥲

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dollfaceksj · 10 months

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Hey 🍀!! Ok so your update made me think a lot. Like really a lot and so I decided to give it some time, settle all my emotions and first thoughts. I read ch20 again and all your ask from yesterday. I am sorry but I have a feeling that OC should not go for another child. I am not accusing her I know it’s a big thing to say. I understand about her insecurities after pregnancy how her body change. (Complete support for all the people who go through body shaming issues). She says no one prepared her for that changes but now she knows those changes. 2nd pregnancy is going to do no good for her body and self confidence . It’s going to make more changes which she will be more insecure of. I know every one is different and handle issues and difficulties differently. But what makes her think she is going to be ok with her body after baby 2. In fact if she is not happy about her self how she is going to keep 2 kids happy. It’s not an easy job at all. And with Jun needing company that’s not the only solution I see. Like why not consider adopting then. (Again a big topic to discuss)

I also disagree with her wanting Youngi to chase her when she got the topic of divorce. It’s like she was threatening him with it. Clearly there was lots of miss communication between them because he thought she deserves someone who can give her more time more attention and just agreed. And like because of that they all three went to hell. (I also considering Jun here because I am sure it must have affected him when both his parents were going through tough times.)

Saying all this I still feel a soft corner for OC. No one is perfect. Does she want Youngi back in her life now. Like has she thought about it. I just want the best for this family.

Ok I think I should stop it’s quit a big ask with heavy topics.

And last but not least 🍀 u r an amazing writer who made her readers think so much about this topic and as always I am so happy to read about characters that r not perfect. The gray in them makes them more relatable more real. Love you ( Jun get well soon baby)

hi! im glad it made you think! its a topic we should learn to speak more openly about

whilst i do agree with you to a certain extent, loads of moms want to reach the amount of kids they want before they get back to working on themselves (physically). i think a lot of ppl just don’t want to go through the changes that come w pregnancy, go through all that work to get back to where you were, just to end up pregnant again and have all that work go to waste.

this is what its been like for yn. shes wanted 2 kids since forever. so i wouldn’t say she shouldn’t go for it just because the 1st pregnancy didn’t prepare her. i think these things come and go. sometimes you feel good about yourself and sometimes you don’t. that’s life. we’re human

but yn has always been fixed on having 2 kids. it was supposed to happen way earlier but things got in the way. (a divorce for example) so now she feels like shes running out of time

when yn looks at jun, she knows deep in her heart she would do it all over again with a snap of her fingers. it’s when she’s isolated, when she hasn’t seen jun in a while, when she’s alone, that these horrible thoughts and insecurities prevail. i think everyone can relate that when you’re alone with your thoughts, they can get suffocating

we’ll see how the story unfolds! i enjoyed reading ur analysis and i hope to hear from u again soon <3

#cal | myg: discuss

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slumgirlqueen · 1 year

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How to be a novelist: Paraphrasing and writing in spirit

Before I embarked on writing ‘Journey to Oclarious’, I bought twenty books on Amazon to learn screenwriting. The books are listed online, and you can get the list by just searching for it. If you are serious about writing I recommend you read about twenty books on the topic. Even though I was learning how to write a screenplay, I also read about how to craft a story and the map of a character; essentially books more geared towards writing novels. So, if you are writing a novel or a screenplay, do not restrict yourself to books on the formatted medium.

When I was reading the books a few years back, the greatest advice I had was to copy the original screenplay you love word by word. Scant for time, and since I believed I was a better writer than that I chose not to. Instead, I tweak the advice and copy scenes down onto the word document where I am writing my screenplay word for word, not the entire screenplay. This saves me time, and I only use the scenes that I need. Then I used the scenes I copied down to base the scenes I am writing for my screenplay. Like I said I started by paraphrasing the copied scenes into my own words and then changing the ideas and events ‘til my scenes are original. This helped me tremendously. And for some reason, the hardest part about writing a screenplay, which is how to write them in style, spirit, and the way it is written, no one has taught in their self learn books. You can learn how to map characters and plot, but without knowing how to write the screenplay or novel itself, the work would be terrible. So if this is your first or second or third screenplay or novels, and you are struggling to write a good one, my instruction is to copy the scenes down on the word document and paraphrase and then reshape the writing ‘til it is original and your ideas.

When you read a story, you know a good writer when you see one. Though the advice I gave you earlier works well, it is not entirely true that I just paraphrase things and then change the ideas to make it my own. To be truthful, I might only have done that for a few lines in an almost a hundred scenes screenplay. If I did, I would not be a very good screenwriter. What I really did is take a line and write in the spirit of it. When I read, like I am reading now the novel ‘Dune’, I would write all the great lines that I love down on the word document I am writing the novel in. And then write in the spirit of it. But for you if you are reading this you have not published a book or a screenplay yet, so I recommend you follow the previous paragraph’s advice. If you are already a good and talented writer I recommend you write in the spirit of the lines and dialogue you love. I will show you one I did yesterday for ‘Slumgirl Queen’. Below in italised is a quotation from ‘Dune’ that I thought was amazing narration. So I wrote it down to use it to learn to write my novel.

"A thick wave of self-pity, immediately despised and rejected, swept through him, and for some reason he found himself recalling two lines from a poem Gurney Halleck often repeated"

I keep reading it repeatedly to figure out how I can learn from this. I just love the narrations are worded, the description of the character’s emotion and the pauses in the commas. So I lay in my bed with my laptop on my lap for a few minutes then made this beautiful line my own. Here is what I wrote, also in italised.

There is a hefty dread buoyed up aboard self-pity in her sly. Tears seem to come too shy to her eyes that they only twinkle, creating a layer of glisten in her irises.

I really like the word “thick wave” so I kept it and changed it to “hefty” and I kept the word “self-pity”. I worded the line differently to use for my own story but the spirit of the original line is still there. If you are going to start writing something you have not done before, there is no other way to start writing than learning through this. No book that teaches you that you read teaches you this fact. Writing is hard and we must base the things we write on something first.

So when you are reading a novel, highlight all the great lines that you love. Keep all of them and when you are writing your own work whether it is a screenplay or a novel, write them all down in highlight on your word document where your work is being written. Then do what I did, write in the spirit of those great lines.

#how to be a novelist #paraphrasing and writing in spirit

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eyndr-stories · 1 year

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Across The World C2 - The First Place

Summary:

The gods of this world are ancient, most of them forgotten, or nearly so. Nomen has been taught not to make deals with any old gods, should they be unlucky enough to come across one. However, when their little brother Maribus stumbles into mortal peril, they find they have no real choice but to accept the trials of one such god in order to save him.

This is an original story written by yours truly! I started writing this back at the very start of 2021 when I had a particularly wild and extremely vivid dream. This story is heavily based on said dream! This dream is also why I strongly distrust bunny mascots / anthro rabbits lmao but anyhoo, I think i've improved as a writer since this so the quality may or may not be quite on par with my other stories. I also had some help from my cool aunt Kerry with editing this, so if there's anything amiss here we can totally blame her lmao

That all being said, I do still like this story, and I hope you will too!! Enjoy <3

Things To Know:

major character death (its okay though, they live lol)

blood and violence

happy ending

protag (Noman) is nonbinary and referred to with they / them pronouns

first person POV

8 chapters in total, about 13,000 words in total. So roughly 1600 words a chapter. Lil bite sized chappys!

No swear words used, somehow

(lmk if i should add anything, i can't think of anything else)

Ao3 link here

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3

C2 - The First Place

My mind was racing. I couldn't stop thinking about the dream. Had it been real?? I didn't care if it was crazy. I threw on some clothes and a poncho, pulled on my boots, grabbed a flashlight and ran out of the house.

The sky was inky black and the town eerily quiet. The stars and the moon were gone, hidden behind clouds too dark to see. A light snow began falling and cold air burned my lungs, but it didn't stop me from running as fast as I could to town hall. The closer I got, the stronger the wind swirled and the heavier the snow fell. I made my way through the hole in the wall and down the spiraling stairs.

It seemed so much longer to the bottom than it did yesterday. The snow was relentless and I could barely see the steps beneath my feet. At times I jerked my hand from the railing so my glove wouldn’t freeze to it. Finally, my boots touched the pier and I ran until I reached the gate. Bent over and breathing heavy, I noticed the beam from my flashlight was so weak it was almost useless. I clicked it off and stood straight, my eyes straining to see through the snow. It was too thick and the night too dark, how was I going to know if my brother really was out there??

“Oy!!” I yelled angrily at the sky. “I'm here! Where's my brother?”

I paused, realizing that I was yelling at the sky like a loon. I hadn't even checked to see if Maribus had been getting a drink of water or had crawled into bed next to our mother. What was I doing?? Getting worked up over a dream?

…And yet I kept standing on the pier, unsure of what I was waiting for. Something about the dream had me on edge, even now with all my doubts swimming in my head. I looked up, eyes focusing on the moon.

…I hadn't been able to seen the moon earlier.

The moon was looking back down at me. With a speed that made me dizzy, the giant eye from my dream hovered right in front of me, its golden iris pulsating. Mesmerized, I couldn't move.

The eye spoke. “To save your brother you must play a game. Fail, and both your lives are mine.”

"I'm not playing any game. What have you done with my brother?”

The eye flared red and hissed, “You dare speak to me in that tone? I am a nameless god, more ancient than time itself as you conceive it! There are none left on the mortal plane who worship me, and I am STARVING!!”

I stumbled back from the force of its power, its ambient voice booming loud enough to rattle the pants around my legs. The eye loomed even larger over me. “Your brother made his own choices with no influence from me. His fate is his own doing. But I am a fair god, and you shall have a chance at saving your brother by playing my game."

Every story I’d ever been told warned me against making deals with old gods. Or anyone I didn’t trust, really. But what was I going to do? Walk away? Let my brother die out there, frozen on the ice?? Absolutely not.

"Is this game winnable?" I asked, being mindful of my tone this time.

"Of course." Red tinged the edges of the eye, but quickly faded. "Though it will by no means be easy."

I stared into that angry, glowing eye. I didn't trust it, but I knew I didn't have much choice. Maribus needed me. "When do I start?"

The eye closed, and I disappeared.

~~~

The first thing I noticed was how much warmer my skin felt. I blinked up at a blue sky and slowly worked my way to a sitting position. Green surrounded me. Tall trees, rippling grass, clumps of moss. I smelled fresh dew and figured it was still early morning. I got to my feet to have a better look around and saw hills covered in a rainbow of flowers. Instead of freezing ice, I was standing in a beautiful forest. There was a sudden rustle behind me, and I almost yelled when I saw a figure standing a short ways from me. They waved cheerily.

“Hullo there! It can be quite a shock, being here at the beginning of the world."

The stranger was a rabbit, though clearly not a normal one. Their fur was a white so intense that it hurt my eyes. They were as tall as me, standing casually on their hind legs, with two long ears and only one large eye that watched my every move. "I'm here to tell you the rules of this game, but you must listen well because they’re very important.”

I eyed the rabbit, then nodded.

“There are five fire starters,” The bunny explained while waving a paw. A long table materialized with a row of five jagged, wooden chunks, each no bigger than an inch, hovering above it. They glittered with a golden hue.

“You can take one fire maker at a time, but be careful! They’re quite fragile,” the rabbit warned. "Think of them as extra chances. You can spend them on yourself as needed, but remember to save one to spend on your brother."

I nodded again.

"If you loose one, you'll have to start all over, here at the beginning! And these are all you'll get, so don't go using them up willy-nilly! At the end-"

"Wait, Why do I have to start over? Can't I just take all five with me at once?"

The rabbit stared at me for a long moment. I was hit by a feeling as sudden as it was weird; that the rabbit was hungry.

"As I said earlier. You may take one at a time," the rabbit said slowly.

I opted not to interrupt a second time.

“At the end,” the rabbit continued, “light the fire in the right place with one of the pieces and your brother shall be saved. Easy peasy, yes?”

Surprise made my voice return. “That’s it? That's all I have to do?”

The rabbit's eye gleamed and they smiled. “I should clarify, if you make it to the end. There are five spaces in total to navigate. This space is quite small, but you’ll find the others are much bigger and you’ll need to pass through a door at the end of each space to progress to the next. Finding the door, however, may not be as easy as you think.”

I grabbed a fire starter from the end of the table to show this rabbit that I was more than ready to begin. It hovered in my hand and swayed as if it had a mind of its own. I closed my fingers around it, holding it carefully.

“If you wish to back out, at any time," the rabbit waved their paw again and a rectangle of soft light appeared behind the table, "find your way to this door."

Only the thought of my little brother stopped me from jumping through that door. "Is that it? You've told me everything I need to know?“

The rabbit smiled, but said nothing. I turned and headed into the trees, eager to leave the rabbit behind and get on with it.

The forest was quick to put me at ease, and soon I found myself easily putting the rabbit out of mind. There was something peaceful about this place. In fact, the more I walked, the more I started to forget why I was even here. Hadn't the rabbit said this first area was small? How long had I been walking…?

My eyes felt drowsy and heavy. All I wanted to do was curl up in the grass under a tree and take a nap. My thoughts seemed to disappear and I could only focus on the sensation of my eyes closing and the need to be lying in soft grass. My legs slowed. My head drooped. I could feel it, sweet sleep was seconds away.

"Meow."

My brain was in a fog. I just wanted to lay down, but there was a second, more distressed meow that I couldn't seem to ignore. Slowly, the fog cleared from my mind as I focused on where that sound was coming from. The grass turned less inviting as my eyes became more alert. I felt the fire starter sway frantically against my palm and I remembered. My brother. That’s why I was here, to save my brother.

The mewing grew louder. I picked up my speed, practically running across the grass now. I could feel the urge to rest and sleep pulling on me, but I centered on only two things: finding that damn cat and saving my brother.

I hiked up a hill, pausing to listen for the cat. I mimicked the cat in the hopes of getting it to make more noise. “Meow?”

The cat meowed back until eventually I found it, and more importantly, the door.

Beside a narrow log overgrown with moss and weeds was a plain wooden door, standing on its own without a frame. The cat was stuck inside the log, a grey paw and half its head was trying to fit through a hole on the side of the log.

"How'd you even get in there?" I asked, crouching down in front of the log.

The cat meowed sadly.

“Alright, hang on.” I spotted a mossy rock nearby and placed my fire starter over it. Then I carefully wedged one hand under the jagged edge of the hole in the log and pried up some of the rotting wood from around the cat’s head. It mewed softly until finally I was able to free it. To my surprise, several other cats sprung out of the hole, each a different color, all following after the first.

They grey cat turned to me, yellow eyes gleaming. "Thank you."

After meeting that funky rabbit, I wasn't actually all that thrown off by the cat speaking to me. "You're welcome," I said.

When I turned back to the rock where my fire starter had been, I saw that it was missing. I whipped back around, then began running after the band of misfit cats. “Hey! Which one of you stole my starter?? I need that!”

I spotted the culprit, a white cat who swished its tail and laughed around the fire starter in its mouth. Looking me straight in the eyes, it chomped down on the fire starter and shattered it into a thousand tiny pieces. The cat winked and before I could do anything, I was back at the table with the rabbit.

The rabbit clicked their tongue at me. “Tsk, tsk, lost one so soon?”

"There were these cats, and…" I trailed off, then sighed.

The rabbit just smiled and gestured towards the table. “Four left!”

"Yeah." I took one and started walking again. I kept a sharp eye out for troublemaking cats as I made my way back through the forest. That feeling of overwhelming tranquility pressed at the back of my mind, but I kept my focus as I neared where I'd seen the door.

I heard meowing once more. Cresting the hill, I spotted the same log, once again full of cats. I'll admit, I turned my gaze past the cats and towards the door, still angry at having had my first fire starter stolen.

"Mrooooooooow," the cat called pitifully.

I sighed heavily. This time, I tucked the fire starter safely away in my pocket before freeing the cat. I stepped back as all the cats burst from the log once more. I cast a glare at the white cat, who paid me no mind at all before running off into the brush.

Cats attended to, I approached the door. I checked the golden fire starter in my pocket, assuring myself it was still in one piece.

I stepped through the door.

#helpful guide for both dreams and trials:#1. dont stop moving.#2. trust your gut.#3. DON'T TRUST THE RABBIT.#original story #eyndr tells a story #across the world #fictional death #fictional violence

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drawnaghht · 1 year

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Gotta post about this b4 I forget about it but basically;

went on TVtropes yesterday, found the SRTUC page again, started adding to trivia and though, hmm, I've been getting "earlier anthro action cartoon" vibes from this show for a while now.... wonder why that is?

and guys, adding some of the art peeps there no the TVtropes trivia, I noticed that supervising producer ben jones actually worked on SWAT KATS as a character designer for 3 eps! what a connection to make!

my brain at that moment:

edit 1(27.06.2023) - ok, turns out I just mixed the actual show up with this show.... but it's sorta nice for me bc I like reminiscing about Swat Kats haha xD

on with the old post!!

actually, swat kats is a cartoon I was obsessed with for a while as a kid after we got access to cartoon network and they started airing it here. i think it'd seen a dubbed version of it before but it was exciting to see the english original, . it was fun and rompy as I remember, but also I loved the music and action elements after bikermice ended and I missed it so much, seeing something with similar musical cues felt like a consolation almost, like "oh there's more cartoons like this". now admittedly, i don't really remember that much abt swat kats anymore. it aired alongside other H-B cartoons and there was a lot to watch and pay attention to, so i kinda haven't retained more of it than memories of memories of loving the intro, memorizing the music and feeling cool while watching it. I remember the shift to more "serious" storytelilng (if I remember it right at all lol) and both feeling a bit critical/apprehensive at Callie (bc I'd thought, "why is she the only one who gets a more human-like appearance) and loving her design/fawning over her ("oh no, girl hot") but also it was just interesting to see a girl character given a mayoral role which made her seem more important than I'd seen from other action cartoons directed at boys so far.

like, i need to rewatch this series now that I've seen the cast/crew list, and just see also what it was about this show that I loved so much it left some kind of artistic impression on me.

lol idk what other connection with SRTUC it has, but when I'd read that Ben Jones was on it, I suddenly also thought, "well, not it makes sense why the antrho designs in samurai rabbit actually makes sense" There are so many shows, comics and so on before which have made different kinds of attempts at anthro/furry designs, and they all might make sense within the context of their show/media piece, but what I liked about Samurai Rabbit was how it didn't "humanize" the animal designs *too much*. Resulting in awkward designs where women look much more human than their male counterparts. which might not bother a kid much, but will bother an artist like me concerned with consistency lol. like in the og usagi yojimbo it makes sense how the animals look a little more human depending on their role or function in the story/scene, Stan Sakai is very good at making his cartoony style work with these ideas of "basically human, but represented by animals" but also literally animals. And I like that the show takes this same idea and runs with it in it's own way.

All this to say - Experience builds on experience.

so Ben Jones and many other veteran animators/artists/writers in the field working on it, but also the numerous visdev artists, animators and other visual folk with similar vested interest in a UY adaptation, give this show such an unique flair among other furry/anthro shows.

sdfsdf ill continue writing this later, I am soooo exhausted after work today, but, this was cool to think abt yesterday and ive been mullting it over in my head during quiet hours. so cool to have a brain that keeps noticing all these names and all these similar things and then running with it. like the animated things you like are so connected thru their staff knowing each other or having worked on same/similar things before, you wouldn't believe it if you didn't see it all the time.

#aghhtjournal #nostalgia #really truly nostalgia tho i need to rewatch this #aghht srtuc posts #i swear it all connects back toghetr #fanramble

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travelling-on-the-octopath · 2 years

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To touch on your great analysis meta about the routes, why do you think so many Dimitri haters lament about AM being a character driven narrative? Do you think it's just salty haters who can't accept that CF wasn't the same character driven narrative for Edelgard? Or salty Claude fans who dislike that VW was more about Fodlan lore than about Claude himself? I've always been of the belief that character driven plots are the best types of stories because I prefer characterization to lore tbh.

I was thinking about this exact thing yesterday actually: Why have I seen so many complaints over the years that Dimitri's route is about . . . Dimitri?

I came to a conclusion that may be absolute horseshit, but oh well:

We come to stories for escapism, right? On the surface that comes across as just a different set of rules to a world, to the point where we can't recognize our current circumstances.

That's not entirely true. At least, it's not true on its own. We want stories that make us feel. We come to pieces of media to listen to, read, watch stories that could be about us, but in a different world. We want to witness people, who could be us, who might just be us, go through the trials and tribulations of life--if not something astoundingly worse--and walk out okay, because that means we'll be okay. Humans are fickle creatures, and we want just enough about a story to be foreign to entice us into looking at it, and then be relatable enough for us to sink our teeth in and love it for years. Strangeness draws us in, and relatability keeps us there.

You can only do that with really good characters. You can only get that resolution when you watch realistic characters go through problems that are likely (i.e., probable within the narrative) to affect them, if not ruin them, only for them to emerge victorious. (And I say probable, because if rabid doves were to start attacking Fódlan, it would turn into a comedy long before anything else.)

I've seen various complaints about AM. Some of them are warranted. Others not so much.

Why doesn't Dimitri tackle TWSITD? Well, he kills three of their major players on accident, and while he wants to learn the truth of the Tragedy, he comes to accept that if he focuses on what he doesn't know, he's going to find himself in an even earlier grave. Also, Dimitri's story is about him. Trying to shoehorn in Fodlan's past would a) contradict his themes of leaving behind the uncertain and moving forward with the certain and b) force him into a claude-like role where he's not important, the lore is. (Which isn't to say that it couldn't have been done, just that several things would have had to be reworked and changed to write a compelling Dimitri story alongside that of the church/agarthans/nabateans. Claude was more primed for a story that ties in his character with the lore, but, again--shafted.)

Why does Dimitri focus on the painful parts of his life? I hate to break it to people, but pain is pain. It goes away when it wants, if it wants. Post-skip, he's just spent five years up to his eyes in that pain, at the whims of his mental illness. The biggest point in favour of AM is that he becomes better at bearing it, as we all do with time and support.

Why do I have to hold his hand? Sorry, that's all Byleth (and a hefty sprinkling of writers' work.) At the end of the day, Byleth wants to help Dimitri. Their character isn't as fleshed out as others', courtesy of the curse of avatar-ness, but that they want to help people is a pretty consist characteristic across the game. Also, I understand that the more aggressive symptoms of mental illness are frustrating (I deal with it from my own family), but that does not, and will never, mean someone deserves to be abandoned. That someone inconveniences you or frustrates you does not warrant the total removal of their support. Now, I wanted to rattle him at moments, because godDAMMIT Dimitri, can you sit down for a second instead of trying to march off to your death, but if you equate being frustrated with someone's mental illness to thinking they deserve to fester in their own pain . . . You need to do some serious soul-searching.

Why does Dimitri make a complete 180 the minute Rodrigue dies? He doesn't. You have to actively stop him from riding off to Enbarr on a suicide mission. To boot (and I blame this first and foremost on the support structure), he admits that he's going to be seeing and hearing shit till the day he dies in his S support with Byleth. He doesn't make a 180; he just tries to get his shit together to save his kingdom.

Why does Dimitri make everything about him? I don't know how to explain the concept of empathy to people, really, but he's being empathetic. I've been comforted by people who share my pain, and I do the same thing, because pain is manageable, but pain you face alone is lethal. Dimitri continually says this, that without the support of those around him, he likely would have died a long time ago.

Dimitri is a character that is completely and utterly relatable in his pain. No, a vast majority of us haven't watched our families get slaughtered in front of our eyes in a blaze of terror, but it's his pain we feel. I've forgotten the voices of my dead loved ones; I have a hard time remembering to take care of myself; I have to remind myself that I am not my mistakes, and I am not the hurt I've dealt to people. Sure, he's a king in magical, distant not-Europe, but first and foremost he is a person whose journey we witnessed, from a prince who sees himself first and foremost as a weapon for the grief of his dead family to a king who wants nothing more than to see his home safe and sound. He isn't his pain, and neither am I. That's what brings tears to my eyes; that's how I can play White Clouds over and over in the name of getting to AM, because his journey is woven into it so neatly.

That's the thing people want when they come to a story; they want a tale of people overcoming the obstacles they themselves face, often in window dressings that don't match their own world's. Ultimately, the window dressing doesn't matter, but rather the victory of the character. Stories are for people, and so they have to be about people. That's why characters carry plot, and not the other way around.

Anyway. That's just my two cents.

#s responds #anonymous metropolis #fe #fe3h

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ignitedbynatsu · 4 years

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He Makes You Feel Insecure ~ Natsu

A/N: Woowie it has been a while hasn’t it 😅 Writers block can be a bitch but I think I have a few more ideas for the other boys. Let me know who you want me to write for next!!

warnings: insecurities (he makes you feel like you feel like your magic isn’t compatible, cursing

genre: angst to fluff

Other versions:

Gray ~ Laxus ~ Cobra/Erik ~ Bickslow ~ Gajeel ~ Jellal ~ Freed ~ Sting ~ Rogue

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Tension had been running high for Natsu when his fire attacks had been cancelled one after the other by the wind magic user, but when you were the one that accidentally nullified his attack with your water magic, that’s when he completely snapped.

You had taken note of the rising irritation in your boyfriend's behaviour, and you thought that he hadn’t noticed the attack coming his way so in the heat of the moment you decided to step in. As a result, your water extinguished his flames and you both could dodge his attack your opponent’s attack just in time.

“Natsu, I’m so sorry-“ “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

You were a bit taken back by his sudden tone as he had never yelled at you before. He took notice of your sudden state of shock, but that wasn’t enough to prevent the vicious word from coming from his mouth “Why the fuck did you think that was a good idea? Don’t you see that you’re a nuisance to me? All you do is fuck up my fire and get in my way. I don’t want your magic near me, can you get that through your thick skull?”

“Natsu!” Erza called out to the stressed fire dragon slayer “This is not the time nor the place”

“I won’t get in your way next time” You whispered before heading over to help Lucy with her opponent.

After a while, you overpowered your foes and were now on a train making your way back to Magnolia. You sat next to Lucy, while Carla and Wendy were seated in front of you. Natsu, Gray, Erza and Happy were seated in the boot next to yours.

“(Y/N)” Natsu whined “I’m dying, please help me” You usually summoned some water in the palm of your hand and let it softly swirl against his forehead. For some reason, it helped with the nauseous feeling, and you were about to give in until you realized his words from earlier. He wanted your magic nowhere near him. What if you somehow fucked up and splashed water all over him. You did not want to be yelled at again.

“Tell Natsu I’m asleep or something” You mumbled lowly, so only Lucy could hear, while you laid your head on her shoulder. She gave you a sad smile, knowing the outburst was still fresh on your mind. She complied, making Natsu groan in response but eventually gave up. He didn’t look too much in it as he knew how tired you could get from these jobs.

Once out of the train, you didn’t spare Natsu a second look. You walked in front of everyone, but Erza quickly caught up to walk next to you, while the other looked after the two Dragon Slayers that were still feeling a bit nauseous from the train ride “Are you okay?”

“Of course! Why wouldn’t I be?” You asked.

Erza clicked her tongue as she looked at you from the corner of her eyes, absolutely not believing the lie that just fell from your tongue “Natsu was way out of line”

“He was just stressed, it can happen to the best of us” You shrugged it off, hoping that if you treated it lightly it wouldn’t weight down later in your mind.

“Still not an excuse to work it out on you” She pointed out.

“I know, thank you for caring, but really Erza, I promise I’m okay.” You gave her a small genuine smile which she returned.

You didn’t return to the guild as the others did, instead, you went home, telling the others you were too tired from the mission to deal with the shenanigans from Fairy Tail. Natsu offered to walk you home, but you kindly denied it, leaving him a bit confused. He realized he should probably give you some space since he lashed out at you. He made a mental note to apologize next thing in the morning when he’d see you.

“(Y/N)! Baby!” Natsu ran over to you and hugged you tightly while spinning you around making you squeal in surprise “put me down, Natsu”

“Only if you forgive me for what happened yesterday,” he said.

“I forgive you. You were stressed, I get it, it’s no big deal” You forgave him.

“I knew you’d understand, you’re the best” He kissed your cheek as he placed you back on your feet “anyway Happy and I found this job and-“

“I think I’m gonna take a day off, still feel a little tired from yesterday, you can go, though, have fun” you cut him off before he could fully explain the mission.

“Alright, make sure you take care of yourself today! I’ll be home as soon as I can, so we can cuddle” He kissed your forehead before turning to the Exceed “Let’s go Happy! Let’s go ask if Lucy wants to join”

That’s how the following weeks went. You always found an excuse to not join Natsu and Happy on the job. Sure you had forgiven him for his outburst since he was under a lot of stress. He shouldn’t have taken it out on you, but you also knew it could happen to the best of us when you’ve hit your limit. However, you couldn’t help but see some truth in his words.

Your magic was not compatible and made you doubt yourself. You associated yourself strongly with your magic, as every wizard did, so I made you think if you and Natsu were suited for each other. After all, that was one of the many reasons why Natsu and Gray shared such a peculiar friendship.

You had often heard of the saying that opposites attracted, but nothing could be further from the truth. The human race is a narcissistic species and wants nothing more than finding themselves in their significant others. Huge differences might be exciting and fun at first but are bound to break in the long run.

“(Y/N), you wanna go on a mission with us?” Natsu asked as you stood in front of the board with job applications.

“Can’t, I promised Gajeel I-“ You started to explain but cut yourself off when Natsu threw you over his shoulder “Natsu! Let me go! Natsu!”

“No we need to talk,” He said in a serious tone, making you stop struggling against his grip and let him take you outside, so you could talk in private.

“What do you wanna talk about?” You asked softly as you took notice of the sincere expression on his face.

“Why are you avoiding me?” He asked as his black orbs were searching for answers in your eyes.

“I am not” you deflected his question, but you breaking eye contact as soon as the words past your lips proved you were lying.

“Ever since that day I lashed out at you, you haven’t gone on a mission with me” He pressed.

“That’s not true” you denied once again which made him frown. Why were you dishonest with him?

“Okay, when was the last time we went on a job together?” He asked. Your silence was a clear answer and you both knew it. Your gaze averted to the ground, but he refused to let you shy away from him as he placed a finger under your chin to tilt your head back up until your eyes meet once again. His hand softly from underneath your chin to lay on your cheek “are you still upset with me?”

Your heart shattered at how vulnerable he was right now. His playful antics long replaced by guilt that had been slowly eating away at him for the past days. “No, of course not”

“Then please tell me what I did wrong. I can’t stand the thought of me deliberately hurting you. Please tell me what’s troubling you, so I can fix it” He pleaded.

“Do you-“ You paused to collect your thoughts “do you think we’re right for each other?”

“What do you mean?”

“That day you said my magic was a nuisance. It got me thinking and you were right. You have to evade my magic so often, and it's all because it isn’t compatible with one another. I just didn’t want to be more of a hinder than I already was, that’s why I started to join others on their jobs just so I wouldn’t mess up yours. I just sometimes wonder if my magic isn’t the only thing that isn’t compatible with you.” You frowned as you hear yourself your insecurities out loud.

“Hey, no, stop. What I said that day was completely out of line. I took my frustration and took them out on you and I shouldn’t have. I have no excuse for how I acted that day. You didn’t deserve it, and I’m sorry for making you feel bad. So what if we’re a little different. I thought you always liked a good challenge?” He apologized.

“Sure I like the thrill of our relationship, but it doesn’t take away from the fact our magic isn’t suitable for one another. I just think we’re setting ourselves up for failure. A challenge is fun for a little while but we both know that stability is what you need if you want a relationship to survive in the long run” You explained.

“Then we’ll defy those odds. I’ll show everyone and especially you that you don’t need something like psychology to prove if a relationship will work or not. Please let me prove to you how much I can love you and let me prove to you that I’ll eventually become that stability you crave.” He vowed. “I always thought you weren’t one to be quick on giving up when things get rough”

“I’m not, I just don’t want to put my heart out there if I know from the start it’ll only get broken” You uttered somberly.

“I promise you it won’t. I’ll love you with every fiber in my body until the day I die. I will never make you doubt yourself or our relationship again” He told you, sincerity audible in his voice.

You smiled softly at him as your arms sneaked around his waist while your head laid on his chest. His arms immediately reacted at your touch, shielding you away from the world as his lips planted a soft kiss on your head “I love you”

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fuckyeahgoodomens · 4 years

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Was doing Staged a big decision, because it’s so personal and set in your homes? Georgia Tennant: We’d always been a very private couple. Staged was everything we’d never normally say yes to. Suddenly, our entire house is on TV and so is a version of the relationship we’d always kept private. But that’s the way to do it, I guess. Go to the other extreme. Just rip off the Band-Aid.

Anna Lundberg: Michael decided pretty quickly that we weren’t going to move around the house at all. All you see is the fireplace in our kitchen.

GT: We have five children, so it was just about which room was available.

AL: But it’s not the real us. It’s not a documentary.

GT: Although some people think it is.

Which fictional parts of the show do people mistake for reality? GT: People think I’m really a novelist because “Georgia” writes a novel in Staged. They’ve asked where they can buy my book. I should probably just write one now because I’ve done the marketing already.

AL: People worry about our elderly neighbour, who gets hospitalised in the show. She doesn’t actually exist in real life but people have approached Michael in Tesco’s, asking if she’s OK.

Michael and David squabble about who’s billed first in Staged. Does that reflect real life? AL: With Good Omens, Michael’s name was first for the US market and David’s was first for the British market. So those scenes riffed on that.

Should we call you Georgia and Anna, or Anna and Georgia? GT: Either. We’re super-laidback about these things.

AL: Unlike certain people.

How well did you know each other before Staged? GT: We barely knew each other. We’ve now forged a friendship by working on the show together.

AL: We’d met once, for about 20 minutes. We were both pregnant at the time – we had babies a month apart – so that was pretty much all we talked about.

Did you tidy up before filming? AL: We just had to keep one corner relatively tidy.

GT: I’m quite a tidy person, but I didn’t want to be one of those annoying Instagram people with perfect lives. So strangely, I had to add a bit of mess… dot a few toys around in the background. I didn’t want to be one of those insufferable people – even though, inherently, I am one of those people.

Was there much photobombing by children or pets? AL: In the first series, Lyra was still at an age where we could put her in a baby bouncer. Now that’s not working at all. She’s just everywhere. Me and Michael don’t have many scenes together in series two, because one of us is usually Lyra-wrangling.

GT: Our children aren’t remotely interested. They’re so unimpressed by us. There’s one scene where Doris, our five-year-old, comes in to fetch her iPad. She doesn’t even bother to glance at what we’re doing.

How was lockdown for you both? AL: I feel bad saying it, but it was actually good for us. We were lucky enough to be in a big house with a garden. For the first time since we met, we were in one place. We could just focus on Lyra . To see her grow over six months was incredible. She helped us keep a steady routine, too.

GT: Ours was similar. We never spend huge chunks of time together, so it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. At least until David’s career goes to shit and he’s just sat at home. The flipside was the bleakness. Being in London, there were harrowing days when everything was silent but you’d just hear sirens going past, as a reminder that something awful was going on. So I veered between “This is wonderful” and “This is the worst thing that ever happened.”

And then there was home schooling… GT: Which was genuinely the worst thing that ever happened.

You’ve spent a lot of time on video calls, clearly. What are your top Zooming tips? GT: Raise your camera to eye level by balancing your laptop on a stack of books. And invest in a ring light.

AL: That’s why you look so much better. We just have our sad kitchen light overhead, which makes us look like one massive shiny forehead.

GT: Also, always have a good mug on the go [raises her cuppa to the camera and it’s a Michael Sheen mug]. Someone pranked David on the job he’s shooting at the moment by putting a Michael Sheen mug in his trailer. He brought it home and now I use it every morning. I’m magically drawn to drinking out of Michael.

There’s a running gag in series one about the copious empties in Michael’s recycling. Did you lean into lockdown boozing in real life? AL: Not really. We eased off when I was pregnant and after Lyra was born. We’d just have a glass of wine with dinner.

GT: Yes, definitely. I often reach for a glass of red in the show, which was basically just an excuse to continue drinking while we were filming: “I think my character would have wine and cake in this scene.” The time we started drinking would creep slightly earlier. “We’ve finished home schooling, it’s only 4pm, but hey…” We’ve scaled it back to just weekends now.

How did you go about creating your characters with the writer Simon Evans? AL: He based the dynamic between David and Michael on a podcast they did together. Our characters evolved as we went along.

GT: I was really kind and understanding in the first draft. I was like “I don’t want to play this, it’s no fun.” From the first few tweaks I made, Simon caught onto the vibe, took that and ran with it.

Did you struggle to keep a straight face at times? AL: Yes, especially the scenes with all four of us, when David and Michael start improvising.

GT: I was just drunk, so I have no recollection.

AL: Scenes with all four of us were normally filmed in the evening, because that’s when we could be child-free. Usually there was alcohol involved, which is a lot more fun.

GT: There’s a long scene in series two where we’re having a drink. During each take, we had to finish the glass. By the end, we were all properly gone. I was rewatching it yesterday and I was so pissed.

What else can you tell us about series two? GT: Everyone’s in limbo. Just as we think things are getting back to normal, we have to take three steps back again. Everyone’s dealing with that differently, shall we say.

AL: In series one, we were all in the same situation. By series two, we’re at different stages and in different emotional places.

GT: Hollywood comes calling, but things are never as simple as they seem.

There were some surprise big-name cameos in series one, with Samuel L Jackson and Dame Judi Dench suddenly Zooming in. Who can we expect this time around? AL: We can’t name names, but they’re very exciting.

GT: Because series one did so well, and there’s such goodwill towards the show, we’ve managed to get some extraordinary people involved. This show came from playing around just to pass the time in lockdown. It felt like a GCSE end-of-term project. So suddenly, when someone says: “Samuel L Jackson’s in”, it’s like: “What the fuck’s just happened?”

AL: It took things to the next level, which was a bit scary.

GT: It suddenly felt like: “Some people might actually watch this.”

How are David and Michael’s hair and beard situations this time? AL: We were in a toyshop the other day and Lyra walked up to these Harry Potter figurines, pointed at Hagrid and said: “Daddy!” So that explains where we’re at. After eight months of lockdown, it was quite full-on.

GT: David had a bob at one point. Turns out he’s got annoyingly excellent hair. Quite jealous. He’s also grown a slightly unpleasant moustache.

Is David still wearing his stinky hoodie? GT: I bought him that as a gift. It’s actually Paul Smith loungewear. In lockdown, he was living in it. It’s pretty classy, but he does manage to make it look quite shit.

---

Omg the mug’s origins :D

‘GT: Also, always have a good mug on the go [raises her cuppa to the camera and it’s a Michael Sheen mug]. Someone pranked David on the job he’s shooting at the moment by putting a Michael Sheen mug in his trailer. He brought it home and now I use it every morning. I’m magically drawn to drinking out of Michael. ‘

#staged #georgia tennant #anna lundberg #david tennant #michael sheen #staged season 2 #staged interview #david's michael mug

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ba-katsuki · 3 years

Text

Breakfast in Bed

In celebration of Bakugou Day aka Bakugou’s birthday 💥🎂🧡

A/N: this is my first ever Bakugou fanfic ahhhhh! I am excited and nervous to post this but I was super inspired by my favourite writer of all time, Jo @lady-bakuhoe, I feel like I keep repeating the same descriptors urghhh im so sorry </3 Anyways, i hope you enjoy this very thirsty and dirty story ft the best boi

Word count: 3.3k

Synopsis: Bakugou had such a hard day at work that he could barely stay awake when he came home to you. And when he wakes up earlier than needed the next day, he decided to treat himself to some delicious breakfast in bed 🤤 it’s what he deserves anyway

*The beginning is some Bakugou fluff and NSFW starts after the line break.

Warnings: 18+, minor somnophilia, cunnilingus ... a lot of it (Y/N receiving), squirting, minor spit play

——

Bakugou came home after a long night of patrol and hero work. You were in bed waiting for him as always, ready to greet him. His footsteps were heavy, a clear sign of just how exhausted he is. As he entered the bedroom, you ran up to him with a smile. “Welcome home Katsuki! How’s work today?”

“Okay,” he murmured as he sinks into the edge of the bed. He didn’t even give you the usual kiss on your cheek. His eyes were droopy and his movements slow. It must have been a rough day at work. He struggles to strip out of his winter suit but gives up halfway, choosing to just flop onto the bed.

You rush to help him out of his winter suit and head to the bathroom to grab a face towel, wetting it with warm water. You know very well Bakugou is strong, both physically and mentally, and he enjoys every moment of being a hero - a top one at that. A rough day at work isn’t going to bring him down, but looking at his scarred body and his exhausted half-asleep face while wiping him down, you can’t help but ache a little. You lift his head onto a pillow, lay down next to him and wrap your arms around him, appreciating his smooth skin against yours and his body heat. You tuck yourself under his chin and he subconsciously moves closer to you, snuggling you tighter.

“Love you baby” he murmurs.

You smiled and pulled him closer, as close as you possibly can. “Love you too Katsu.” You gently stroke tufts of hair at the nape of his neck as the steady rise of his chest and his soft snores lure you to sleep.

Bakugou woke up to his usual alarm. He was given a later call time after yesterday night events but was so tired he forgot to change his alarm. He reset his alarm and tried to go back to sleep but caught sight of you all tucked into his arm, face squished up against his firm chest - your favourite sleeping position. He can’t help but let out a chuckle and gently brush your hair aside to admire your sleeping face.

Being a hero is hard work, but the past week seemed especially hard and chaotic for some reason, and it’s been a while since he had the time to spend quality time with you. You shifted in your sleep and your shirt - more like the oversized shirt you stole from Bakugou - rides up and showed off your soft belly and full thighs, as well as the cute little cotton panties you wore.

Sleep was no longer on his mind. He untangled himself from you, moving to hover over you. He gave a soft kiss on your cheeks. And then your neck. Then your collarbone. Making his way down your body. He pushes his shirt further up your torso to expose your breast. He takes one in his hand, careful to not be too rough and wake you up, and massage your breast in his hand. Feeling the softness. He reaches down and gives your nipple a little kiss, followed by a long slow lick, circling your nipple several times. He gives your other breast the same treatment as you give a little whine and shifts slightly, still sleeping.

Bakugou then kisses down your belly, his right hand gripping the soft skin of your waists, dragging it down as he went. He reached your clothed sex and press his nose to your pelvis, feeling the softness. You are just so so soft, every part of your body and skin. The soft to his hard and he loves it.

He lifts and parts your thigh slightly. You shift again and groan, trying to find a more comfortable sleeping position but Bakugou firm grip stops you from moving your bottom half. He presses his nose into your core and takes a deep breath, inhaling your intoxicating scent. He presses a firm kiss on your clothed clit and then another. He grips your thigh to part them further. His lips find the fullest part of your thighs and latched on. He sucks on the skins, leaving a red blotchy spot on your thigh, and his tongue darted out to lap at the hickey created, clearly proud of his mark.

His hand trails up your thighs and plays with the elastic band of your panties as his lips returned to your clothed pussy, leaving opened mouth kisses, tasting the juices that tainted the cotton.

“Katsu...ki?” you whined and question, your voice deep and scratchy from sleep. Your hands move to rub your eyes, trying to clear the fogginess.

“Hey baby” he lifts himself from between your thighs and greets you with a firm kiss on your lips.

“What are you doing ‘Tsuki?” You turn to look at the digital clock at your bedside table, 05:30 glaring at you. “Don’t you have to leave for work?”

“Not in another 2 hours babe. They gave me a later call time” he murmurs in reply, lips too busy kissing your shoulders. He then licks a strip behind your ear, your sensitive area, and you squirm. Letting out a little giggle that is music to his ears.

“And instead of sleeping, you decided to... be horny?” You joked, stretching out your tired body before rest your hands on his broad muscular shoulders.

He chuckles, rubbing his nose against yours. “It’s not my fault my girlfriends look so fucking tempting in her sleep”, his lips brushing against yours as he speaks.

“Aren’t you tired? You looked like you were going to shut down last night.” You cup his cheeks lovingly in your hands as you gazed at him with concern.

He leans into your touch and kisses the palm of your hands. “Don’t worry baby I’ve rested enough. Besides, no amount of sleep is worth missing out on that sweet little pussy” he smirks. He slips his hands underneath the band of your panties and tugged them down.

Your pussy was completely drenched, without you even really knowing. He groans at the sight of your wet pussy and brings your panties up to his nose to inhale the scent of your aroused cunt.

You stare at your boyfriend, admiring his stunning face and the rippling hard muscles that covers his torso. You watch his eyes close as he breathes in deeply, your panties covering the bottom half of his face. It was supposed to be a shameful and possibly embarrassing sight. This was after all a grown-ass man, YOUR grown-ass man, sniffing your panties like a horny teenage boy. But you were so turned on.

You lift his shirt off your body and toss it aside. Your eyes trail down his body. His broad shoulders, firms abs, thick muscular thighs kneeling between your thighs. You lick your lips at the sight of his bulge. You weren’t surprised to find out that Bakugou also had an exceptional cock. this guy is blessed with everything after all.

He was hard...very hard. The tent in his boxers looked painful and his cock was threatening to push out of the waistband, his flush tip just barely visible from where you are. His precum had oozed out and soaked into the waistband, leaving a dark spot.

You rub your thighs together, trying to create some fiction. Gosh, this man was irresistible. He catches you staring at him and his mouth quirks up to that cocky smirk of his that you know so well and love.

He leans down, almost like a predatory cat ready to pound, his eyes never leaving yours. He rubs your thigh, his calloused hand causing a pleasurable tingle up your spine as you let out a moan, pressing your thighs tighter together.

“Now now... don’t keep it all to yourself baby girl” he suddenly grips your thighs and pulls them apart harshly, spreading you out and exposing every inch of your wet fluttering pussy to him. He stares at you through his lashes, those vermillion staring at your lustful. He makes a show out of licking his lips, watching your face scrunch up in need. He blows at your pussy, making you squirm and whine. This man is such a tease

“Let me taste that delicious pussy of yours. Okay, baby?” You don’t know why he bothered to ask because immediately after, he dove straight into your dripping cunt. His tongue circling your lips roughly and then thrashing on your clit, giving hard pleasurable licks. You involuntarily lift your hips and move, hands gripping the sheets so hard your knuckles turns white, a slew of lewd noise leave your mouth. Bakugou growls, unhappy with your movement and he presses his hands on your pubic bone, holding you down as he feast.

He brings your clit into his hot mouth and sucks. Hard.

“Fuck Katsuki!” You let out a scream and throw your head back in pleasures, eyes rolling to the top of your head. Needless to say, he was very pleased and suckle your clit even harder, causing you to moan even louder.

He releases your clit with a pop sound and smirks up at you. “You’re gonna wake the neighbours up ya know.” This time, he chooses to lick around your dripping core. Running his tongue through your labia, circling it. Licking everywhere except where you desperately wanted ... no needed... him to.

“Katsuki...pl-please...” you pleaded, hands getting hold of his lush blonde locks, trying to push him in the direction of your core.

He didn’t budge and only proceeds to tease you more. “what’s wrong baby? Did you forgot how to ask properly?” There was a mischievous glint in his eyes as he gives your sensitive clit a few kitten licks.

“Please Katsuki please” you whined.

“Oh but I don’t know what you want, my love. If you want something, you need to use your big girl words and tell me.” This man then had the nerve to pull your lips apart, exposing your twitching wet core and teasingly lick the circumference. “Come on baby, tell me what you want.”

“Kat-katsuki... I want... I want ... ahhh please!” You said between pants and moans, barely able to form a proper logical sentence. “ I want you... I want you t-to fuck me AH fuck me with... ahhh Katsuki... fuck me with your tongue please Katsuki please” you finally managed.

“Good girl.”

He pries your lips further apart and dove in. He pushes his hot tongue into your dripping core and thrashed it around inside. Your walls clench around him in pleasure and he groans hungrily, the pace at which he is thrusting his tongue into you speeds up.

The noises he is making between your thighs are beyond sinful...and such a turn on for you. A mix of slurping sounds and Bakugou’s deep guttural groan only made your walls clench around him harder and tighter.

He dug both hands under your ass and lifts you closer to his mouth, to tongue fuck you deeper. With one hand supporting your weight from behind, the other arm wrap around your thigh, his fingers finding a comfortable spot on your pubic bone and his thumb finding its way to your clit. He presses down hard, inciting a high pitch moan from you, and then rubs furiously.

“F-FUCKKKKK KATSUKI OH MY GOD FU-FUCK AH KATSUKI!” Your body was overwhelmed with pleasure and you felt yourself reaching your high. “Katsuki I’m... I’m ... gonna ahhh I’m gonna cum Katsuki... gonna cum!”

“Mhmmm cum for me baby girl. Cum in my mouth. Let me taste that sweet cum of yours.” He harshens the assault on your clit and shoves his tongue deeper into you, leaving you screaming and body twitching as your climax hits you.”

“Good girl baby... fuck you taste so good” he moans as he slows down his thumb, bringing you down from your high.

“Katsuki...”

Bakugou’s face was covered in your juices. He looks up at you and throws you a wicked grin, clearly satisfied with the meal. You thought he was done feasting on you, lifting your torso with your elbows, ready to accept his cock in you but boy were you wrong.

Without warning, he trails his tongue from the tip of your asshole up to your clit, trying to gather as much of your cum and juices into his mouth as possible. He sucks at your entrance loudly, the lewd noise echoing in the room.

“Kat-Katsuki?!”

“Taste so good babe mhmmmm you didn’t think I was done with you, did you?”

“But Katsuki...”

“Shush baby. I deserve to have a satisfying breakfast before I leave for work don’t I? Especially after yesterday’s shift. And what is a better breakfast than your sweet cunt.”

He covers your pussy with his mouth, his nose breathing hot air at your clit, as he continues to suck and slurp vigorously, determined to taste every drop of you.

“But Katsuki I...I need you inside me please”

“Patience baby patience”

“Katsuki ~~” you whined.

“Tsk you’re being such a needy slut.” he scolds and gives a slap to your pussy. “Let me have my fill, then I’ll give you what you want.”

“Unggg...” you had no choice but to give in as you squirm under his skilful tongue. He repeats the same assault, gathering up every drop of your wetness into his mouth.

“You want to be filled that bad huh, babygirl?”, mocking your whine. “Fine then. since I’m feeling generous today, there ya go.”

He places his index finger flat on pussy, rubbing against it to coat the length of his finger with your arousal. Latching onto your stimulated clit with his lips, he pushes his finger into you in one smooth motion, all the way until his knuckles. You swallow his finger immediately, appreciating its presence in your pussy. Bakugou starts to move, dragging his finger out and then slowly pushing it back in. He arches his finger slightly, making sure to hit that sweet spongy g-spot of yours with each push.

“right there Katsuki right there...” you pants as you jerk your hips towards him, “fuck it feels so good there baby unggg... yes...more please more AH”

He pulls his index finger out and you were quick to complain but he swiftly replaces it with 2 fingers. He curves both fingers in a “come hither” motion, and pumps his fingers into you, moving in and out of your tight pussy quicker and deeper each time, pressing hard on your g-spot. His mouth continues to suck at your swollen sensitive clit, leaving you screaming with pleasure.

You felt the familiar tension in your pelvis, this time much more intense. “F-FUCK KATSUKI! Katsuki I think I’m gonna... fuckkkkkk oh my god I think I’m gonna cummmmm ahhhhh!”

Your orgasm hits you so hard your mind went blank, your legs convulsing as your back arches in absolute ecstasy. You felt liquid gushing out of your cunt, squinting directly at Bakugou’s face. Not letting go to waste, Bakugou opens his mouth and catching the clear liquid and swallowing it.

“Katsuki...” you pant, your orgasm slowly wearing off.

“That was delicious, baby” a huge cocky smirk plastered on his face as he rolls his tongue around his fingers, licking up the remnant juices. “Want a taste?”

He presses his wet fingers on your bottom lip and you take his sticky fingers into your mouth. The taste of your arousal was strong and mixed with the taste of him, it was intoxicating.

You release his fingers from your mouth, saliva dripping onto your chin. Bakugou leans down and captures your lips in a passionate lustful kiss. You feel your squirt on your skin as he kisses you. It wasn’t the first you squirted, Bakugou was very skilled with his hands, but it was the most intense.

He drags his wet fingers down your chest, finding its way to your hard nipple. He pinches your nipple between his fingers and pulls hard, inciting a moan from your lips.

“Are you ready to take my cock now?” He lifts himself from your body and kneels between your legs, his raging cock in full view. He spits onto his hand and wraps it around his shaft. You watch as his hand pumps his cock, running over the thick veins. Gosh, you wanna run your tongue along them so bad. Your eyes narrowed on his tip, glistening with precum and spit, and your mouth watered.

“Can I suck you off ‘tsuki?” You glanced up at him through your lashes and gently bite your lip. “it’s been a long time since I had your big cock in my mouth.”

He groans at your sentence, clearly turned on by it. “Fuck babygirl at this rate you’re gonna make me cum with just your words.” He grabs your hips roughly and drags you towards him, lining his thick cock at your entrance. “As tempting as that sounds, I don’t think we have time for that right now. Nor do I have enough control left.”

You pout at his rejection and purposefully moved your hips, brushing your folds teasingly against his tip. He growls, giving you a tight slap on your thighs.

“Behave.” He warns. He pulls the skin on your pubic bone, stretching your pussy upwards and exposing your clit. He spits at your pussy, a glob of saliva hitting you right at your clit. You gasped at the warm sensation. He dips the tip of his cock into the saliva and then drags it down the length of your pussy, lubing you up even more.

“God it’s been so long since I fucked you. Miss having that tight pussy around my cock. Ready, baby?”

You nod weakly and he pushes his length into you, stretching out your tight walls.

“Fuckkkk babygirl you are so tight. Fuck you’re clenching around my cock so hard. Fuck.” You grab onto his arms and squeeze as if you feel this thick hard cock pierce you. Even with all the wetness, it was a struggle to fit his girth and length. You haven’t felt so full in a while and it is driving you insane.

Once he’s fully in, he wastes no time thrusting into you. Vigorously. He grabs your thighs and puts them around his waist as you wrap them around him. His balls slapping against your ass and his hands grip the sheets next to you so tightly it looks like he is about to rip them out.

“F-FU-FUCK FUCKK FUCK BABY FUCK OH MY GOD FUCK Katsuki you’re AH you’re so deep ahhhh fuck baby fuckkkkkkkkkkk it feels so good”

He leans down and rests his forehead against yours. He face was scrunched up in ecstasy, his mouth letting out the groans.

“You’re so tight baby girl fuck I’m gonna ... I’m gonna cum soon.”

Ignoring the burn in his thigh muscles, he pounds into you faster and in one final thrust, he cums. Shooting thick hot spurts of cum into you. Filling you up.

“Fuckkkkk...fuck” he pants.

From the pounding to his cum coating your walls and filling up your pussy, your back arch in final orgasm behind dropping back down against the mattress.

It’s barely sunrise and you’re already exhausted. Bakugou spends a few moments resting your chest, catching his breath and you lay there under him catching yours.

The peaceful moment was interrupted when the alarm rings obnoxiously loud. Bakugou stretches around to stop it, lingering on you for a while more before giving you a firm kiss and then lifting himself off the bed.

He picks up his shirt from the ground and dresses you.

“Thanks for the meal,” he whispers, his eyes playful. You would have snorted at his comment and maybe roll your eyes but you’re too well-fucked. He presses a final kiss on your forehead before walking to the bathroom to get ready for work.

The last thing on your mind as your watch your boyfriend in the bathroom, eyes heavy with sleep was: “damn that man got a nice ass.”

#bakugou katsuki #bakugou katsuki smut #bakugou fanfiction #bakugou katuski x reader #bakugou katsuki x y/n #bakugou katsuki x reader smut #bnha smut #bakugou imagine #bakugou imagines #bakugou scenarios #bakugou x y/n #bakugou x reader #katsuki smut #katsuki bakugou #mha bakugou #mha fanfiction #mha smut

249 notes · View notes

avenging-criminal-bones · 3 years

Text

After All This Time || Chapter Five

Aaron Hotchner x Reader

Word Count: 2,146

Chapter Summary: Anger. And harshness, maybe feelings. I haven't decided yet so I guess you'll have to just read to find out.

CHAPTER WARNINGS: angst?, asshat hotch again, sad feels

A/N: Guys, I'm like legitimately so sorry that this chapter took so long. It's not even that I've been all that busy. I definitely did go to California for two weeks, but after that I think I just got lazy? Had writer's block? I don't know. But New chapter is UP.

TAGLIST:

@kingofthetwats @wanniiieeee @uwu-sebastianstan @piggyinthesea @yoshigguk @thatisthemagic @errorcosplay67 @ivebeenthinkingboutu @big-galaxy-chaos @rynfoxsleeps @phoenixsnape1 @mojofun @pachiibatt @enjoymyloves @thenewnormalforensicator @word-scribbless @zezezena @chelseyjoyce @ellyhotchner @lora21 @flipperpenguins @illegal-brains @sunnysaysbookreviews @anti-zippy-snoot @kya-li

You come to eleven hours later, the first thing that you hear being the steady beep of a monitor.

The hospital.

It smells... white, the cleanness of it making you scrunch your nose. Still not having opened your eyes, you sense the brightness, almost making you not want to at all.

However, you knew how hospital visits work. When Reid was injured, the whole team was there waiting for him to wake up. With that push, that you had people waiting for you to wake up, you opened your eyes.

Everything was too bright at first. You felt your lips fall into a grimace and joked aloud, "You guys don't need to be so quiet, she lives."

There was no response, and as your vision cleared up, the wind was knocked out of you like a punch to the gut.

Empty.

The whole room was empty. Aside from you and the TV, there was no talking. There were no people.

For a moment you thought that you were dead. Or maybe dreaming, because who wakes up from a seemingly severe injury with no support system? With no friends.

You hear your heartbeat speed up before you feel it, but boy do you feel it when it hits.

The monitor must send an alert to the nurses' station or something because shortly after, a small, black-haired woman rushes into the room.

"Agent L/N? Are you alright, is there any-,"

"I just- where- did my- wh-where is my team?" The stutter surprised you and you sat up fast, not realizing how prominent the pain in your abdomen was until it was too late. You let out a soft gasp, but looked at the nurse to hear an answer.

"Oh, uh, honey... I asked as they left and the tall, broody one said that there was an emergency." She walked up to you and turned a dial on your IV machine, gently asking you to lay down again.

You complied, not fully paying attention. Your mind was somewhere else; thinking about the harshness of your team, but you had to assume that this was Hotchner's doing.

"You alright, sweetie," the kind nurse asks, her name is Monica.

You nod slowly, your head feeling a lot lighter than it had when you woke up. "Yeah. I'm okay. Um, before you go can you hand me my phone?"

She nods, looking at you for where, and you gesture to the bag that's slightly out of your reach. Monica hands you both the phone and its charger, pointing to an outlet on the wall behind your head.

Nodding in thanks, you plug the charger into the wall and watch the kind nurse leave before unlocking your phone. You see immediately that you have five missed calls from your mother, and after further searching, you notice messages from Emily, JJ, and Penelope. JJ's was the most recent, so you open hers first.

JJ (BAU) 43 minutes ago.

Hey Y/N, In case you wake up before we get back, Hotch called our debrief meeting, so we all went back to the precinct. Sorry, hon.

xoxo JJ and the Girls

You didn't register the tears until they were falling down your cheeks. You sighed a bit and replied to JJ's message with a short, 'got it'.

As soon as you pushed the 'send' button, the door to your room opened again and your entire team rushed in.

Well, most of the team.

Really, everyone except one person.

You were quick to wipe your eyes, trying to hide the fact that you had been crying. JJ walked to the chair beside your bed and sat down, giving you the most gentle hug as she did.

"Did you get my message? Are you feeling okay? Do you need a nurse, any water?"

"JJ, you're momming her," Derek joked as he bent to give you a hug. "For real though, you feelin' alright, lil mama?"

You nodded, sending him a tight-lipped smile as Emily walked over to the other side of your bed, bringing Penelope with her on a video call.

Spencer even came by, but he looked relatively uncomfortable and stayed by the door.

Waving at him a bit, you say, "You can come in you know. I won't bite."

"I know, Y/N. I was just worried. Statistically speaking, you survived on an off-chance. The ratio was close to 83:17, and the bullet entered your abdomen in-"

"I get it Spence. I should be dead," you pause slightly seeing everyone's wide-eyed look at your bluntness, "BUT I didn't die, so everyone can stop looking at my like I'm going to break and just settle." You chuckle a bit and sigh as you see the rest of the team besides Spencer nod their heads or visibly relax their shoulders.

"You're right, kiddo," Rossi says quietly, "You're okay, and we can celebrate that."

"Thanks, Rossi." Smiling, you lean into his hand, which was cradling the side of your face for a moment. "Can someone get Hotchner please? I had some words that I'd like to have him hear."

JJ places her hand on your arm then and says, "Y/N, maybe that's not the best idea right now."

"No," you shake your head and make eye contact with her, "That's exactly what I need right now."

"Y/N..."

"Spencer, can you go get him please? He's just sitting out in the lobby, correct?" You snap a little harsher than you meant to.

The boy stutters a bit, but eventually nods his head and walks out of the room. The rest of the team shares a look before also walking out, giving you space for when your boss comes in.

Sitting up straighter in the bed, you even your mouth into a thin line just as Hotchner walks in the room.

"Am I off the clock right now, sir?" You don't miss the way his eyes flash to your lips but you choose to ignore it.

He sighs and crosses his arms over his chest, "Say what you need to say, agent."

"Who the hell do you think you are? Calling the debrief not only at a time where one of the team members can't make it, but when the team member is in the hospital with a GSW wound." Your voice rises steadily as you continue talking, but you have more to say. "Not only that, but you couldn't even be bothered to make sure I was okay when the debrief was over?" Subconsciously, you recognize the switch from a third-person mindset to a personal one, but you pay it no mind.

"Agent L/N, you-"

"No. You will call me Y/N, and I will be calling you Aaron. We aren't on the clock right now and you don't deserve my professionalism," the heart monitor spikes in tempo, and you throw the blanket off of your lap.

He quirks an eyebrow at you as you command him, but nods his head slightly, letting you be in control for the moment. "Go ahead, Y/N. You get whatever irrational anger you have towards me out in the open and we can deal with the consequences later."

"I left EVERYTHING for this job, Aaron. I left my mom, who never stopped grieving a lost son, I left my job there thinking this would be better, and I lost friends and people who actually cared about my well-being. People who wouldn't leave one of their own in an unknown hospital to wake up by themself, not sure if they were even actually alive since there wasn't anyone with them." You saw Aaron flinch with everything that you listed, but you didn't care. He needed to hear it. "So yeah, Aaron. I get to be angry, and you don't get to tell me it's irrational, because this is the most rational I think I've been this entire year."

"Y/N. You put not only yourself, but me, and the rest of the team in danger yesterday. Excuse me if I don't want to see you and be around you while you're in the hospital." Really, if burned Aaron to his core that he couldn't reach over and tuck the stray piece of hair behind your ear, because right now that's what he wanted to do. Except it's inappropriate and he's not sure you'd let him within three feet of you.

"NO! You see, that's not how it works. Are you telling me that if you saw a little boy with a gun trained on them, you wouldn't have done the exact same thing?" Hot tears fill your eyes, but you don't wipe them. You almost hope that him seeing you cry will make him feel bad, if even just a little.

Glancing at the way his jaw was set and how he clenched his fists in his lap, you knew he was struggling to keep his cool, so of course you pushed harder.

"What if it was Jack, Aaron."

"Dammit, L/N, it wasn't Jack. It was just some boy that we couldn't save. We shouldn't have been able to save him. You didn't use the training you had, and you didn't use the rational part of your brain. As terrible as that sounds, and trust me, I never want to lose a victim, if you had used the training from the bureau, we wouldn't have saved him. " Aaron stands up and paces the length of the bed then, feeling your eyes following him the whole time.

You shake your head as you let your gaze fall to your lap. "I wasn't going to let him die again... I wouldn't have been able to live with myself."

Aaron's eyebrows furrow a bit and he looks at you with angry curiosity in his eyes, "Again? What do you mean by that?" That's when Hotch remembered earlier when you mentioned her mother who lost a son. "Y/N, did your brother... No. Actually, I'm sorry, just forget I said anything,"

There was a dark anger in your eyes as you shook your head. "No, Aaron. Ask me. Ask me this one question, and then reassess your profiling of me."

His gaze turned steely as he squared his shoulders again, showing no emotion in his voice as he spoke. He almost felt like the best way to approach you right now was as if you were the unsub.

"Was your brother murdered, Y/N?"

Dropping your head, you feel the tears burning in your eyes again and you nod. "He was only five. He had his whole life ahead of him. You'd think a child would be safe with a group of nuns or a priest, but no. Not even them. He was branded with a cross before he was killed and it's just unfair."

Aaron starts to walk closer to your bed, seeing the devolving pattern of your breathing, "Y/n, I'm so sorry, I-"

"No. Aaron, just, please go. I'll catch a flight home when I'm allowed to fly again, so you guys just go home and I'll figure it out. I mean, that's what I did when I was waking up by myself, right? Go ahead and fire me if you need to, suspend me, I don't care anymore, but I'll come back when the hospital says it's safe." You take a deep breath and watch as he turns away.

He gets all the way to the door before he turns back around and says, "What was his name."

"Joey."

Hotch nods and walks out of the door, remembering that the final victim, the one that you saved, was named Joseph.

After the encounter with Hotch you fell asleep. The heavy medication and the anger in your head knocked you out easily. You were asleep for a few hours, but you woke up when your pain medication wore off.

You noticed that your work phone had a few notifications, so you sat up a bit and looked through them.

There were two that stood out to you. The first one was a notification that read "Hotchner (Asshat) has added you to the group 'BAU Team'". The second was his message in that group chat.

Hotchner (Asshat) 2 hours ago

Hey team, change in plans. We will be staying here until Y/N gets cleared to fly. It should only be a couple of days and I know we were planning on flying out tonight. Sorry, Thanks.

As soon as you liked his message, your texts were blowing up from Emily. She was saying stuff about how "he totally likes you", and about, "you had a rough time on this case".

Also, apparently Derek saved all of his sarcasm for when Hotch got back, and the thought made you smile.

#criminal minds #aaron hotchner #hotch #hotch x reader #aaron hotchner x reader #criminal minds x reader #angst #sadness #talk of child death

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