#i hope that this is worthy of Nadia

[theintrovertbean]

Hello, beautiful people! Do you remember the Nadia spicy dream smut I promised? A little late, but it is here, and I have no idea what I'm doing, so this is not very good. I tried to make it sexier and dirtier than the smut I wrote last time, but it's nothing extreme, just the Countess having mind sex with her favorite magician.

Please let me know how you like it! Or if you like it at all. If this sucks, then I guess we know why I was so hesitant when it comes to smut. I don't have much experience with it, and I'm still trying to discover this side of writing, so feedback would be appreciated! And, of course, I'm open to more smutty suggestions.

Summary: The Countess is plagued by dreams of horror, suffering, and a future she wishes to avoid. But not all dreams are like that. Some of them are about promises of sweet love and pleasure.

Nadia is afab and MC is gender-neutral.

MC is kinda dominating Nadi in this one and this is probably not your usual Nadi smut.

I plan two more parts connected to this one!!

Minors DNI.

Spellbound Desires

The pale moonlight and a cold breeze sweep through the Countess's room. It is an unusually cold summer in Vesuvia. Colder than what Nadia is used to, but somehow, for one reason or another, her body always felt too hot.

The Countess is plagued by dreams of horror, suffering, and a future she wishes to avoid. But not all dreams are like that. Some of them are about promises of sweet love and pleasure.

Nadia would be lying if she said the latter kind does not affect her. Each morning or even during the middle of the night, she awakens with her breath heavy, not because of nightmares but because of overwhelming desire. And when the day begins, and she has to sit through another meeting, she cannot help but wonder: what could this all mean?

Her dream always starts the same. The Countess stands in front of a mirror, her body bare except for her sheer sleeping robe. She can see her nipples poking through the fabric, but not because of the cold. The Countess does not feel cold. How could she?

Tonight is no different.

Tonight, like every other night, there is a person behind her. She has seen them before, in fact, plenty of times in her dreams. They are always there, tempting her with sweet words and burning touches.

And how much longer is it going to take before she finally gives in? Before she is a mess, begging for their kisses, their touch, for anything. How long before she starts looking all around Vesuvia for this magician who claims they could grant her every wish?

Tonight is no different. 

They are tempting her again, driving her almost completely mad with desire, but then the dream always ends right before the good part. She is certain they are doing it on purpose, always leaving her dissatisfied and in wonder.

What would it be like if the dream continued? The Countess has always wanted to know even though she should not. She knows that she should not.

"MC..." Their name falls from her lips, a faint whisper, nothing more.

"My sweet Nadia." Her eyes follow their every movement, watching a devilish smile form on their lips. "You haven't forgotten me."

"How could I?" The Countess asks. She takes a deep breath, a shiver running down her spine from the sensation of being so close to MC, and when they place their hands on her arms and begin to rub, she shudders. Such a simple touch, a small gesture, and yet. She could try to deny her attraction, but what is the point? With each touch that MC gives Nadia, her body betrays her. "You plague my dreams almost every night."

"Plague?" The magician allows their hand to fall from her body, and they laugh, clearly not taking her seriously. How bold. Would they act so bold in real life too? "You talk as if you wouldn't want me here! But you do, and we both know that. Each night, when you go to sleep, you hope that it is I that awaits you. You hope that you'd dream of me. Just look at yourself."

"You want me." Their hot breath brushes against her ear, followed by a slight touch of their lips that almost makes the Countess moan. "But Nadia..." She can hear them gulp, and their skin is still touching hers. "You could have me. Every day, I could stand by your side. I would be your rock, your pillar that you could lean on whenever you need me. And when the night comes..." MC presses the faintest of kisses against her neck, and she gasps, unable to hold herself back. "You could do whatever you wanted to me. If you wanted me on your bed, tied up and blindfolded, you could have it. If you wanted me on my knees, begging to let me touch you, you could have it. And if you wanted us to make love. Well, you could have that too. I would love you with all my heart, Nadia. I would love you so much."

"L-love?" She stutters, her lips slightly apart in surprise. 

"Yes, dear Nadia. The kind of love that you can't even imagine, not even in your wildest dreams. But," MC pauses for a second. "It is also the kind of love you deserve and what you've always wanted. You've kept these desires hidden, even from yourself. But you can't hide them from me. I know what you want."

"But how could you know? You do not exist, MC. You are only in my head, haunting me like a ghost." A part of her feels sad about it. MC has promised them so much love, but it is something she can never have. 

"Are you certain about that, Countess?" She could feel them smile against her bare skin. "Go ahead, ask a servant to find my magic shop after you wake up. Tell them to find me, to confirm that there is a person named MC. They will tell you that there is; I can guarantee that."

"You are not real," Nadia insists.

"You are still trying to deny it, Countess?"

"You are not real. Because if you were..." She looks into the mirror, staring straight into the reflection of MC's eyes. "You'd prove it."

Tonight is different.

Tonight is not like every other night because this time, she can no longer resist.

After hearing Nadia's response, the magician's grin broadened in contentment; after all, this had been their plan all along. They tricked her and manipulated her into finally giving in to her desires. It is not proof that Nadia wants but pleasure and satisfaction, and MC knows it. 

Nadia’s gaze shifts to the mirror, and she finds herself looking into MC’s eyes, who then says: “My beautiful lady,” They press a faint kiss against her neck, their gaze still locked with hers. “Your wish is my command.” Then they grab her hips, spinning her around, and Nadia finds herself facing MC, her hands resting on their shoulders. It was never like this. MC was always behind Nadia, and the only time she could see their face was when she looked at their reflection in the mirror. This is the first time Nadia can take a good look at their features, and she finds herself speechless by MC’s beauty. 

The Countess leans forward and tries to kiss them, but MC puts a hand on her chest, right above Nadia’s heart, and gives her a push, gently shoving her against the mirror. She hisses at first, the cold surface of the mirror making her shiver, but then she is silenced by a kiss. MC kisses her with so much need and passion that the Countess feels her entire being go weak. Her eyes close, and she surrenders herself completely. 

As the hand from above her heart slides down to Nadia’s breast, a palm brushes against her nipple, and she can’t help but moan. Then MC unties her robe, and it falls off, exposing her naked body. What a sight. MC just looks at her for a moment, admiring and exploring her bare form with their eyes. They notice the small things that give away her arousal: the blush on her cheeks, her slightly parted lips, and the needy look in her gaze. 

“Desperate, aren’t you?” The magician asked, but Nadia bit her lip, forcing herself to be silent. This…this is not like her. She should be the one in charge, taking control of MC, but with each touch, she can feel her power slipping through her fingers. Her entire being is shaking, her cheeks are flushed, and MC can do whatever they want to her. “Answer me, Countess.” Still nothing, but MC wants her to say it. They need her to admit how badly she needs them, that she would do anything to have them ease her lust. “You have such a pretty mouth. Use it. What do you want, Nadia?” MC asks her again, brushing their lips against hers, teasing her. 

“You,” She admits it, almost embarrassingly soon. But how can she resist them when they are right in front of her, promising her love and pleasure? She no longer has any self-control, not when they are like this. 

“Who?” The magician smirks. This is all just a game to them. 

“You, MC. I want you.” 

“And what do you want me to do?”

“Please me. I want you to make me come.” 

They press a small kiss against her lips and get down to their knees in front of her. MC places their hands on her thighs, caressing her smooth skin while they look up at Nadia. Even the sight of them at her feet makes her mouth feel dry. 

“Spread your legs for me, love. Let me taste you,” MC tells her, and Nadia isn’t sure whether it is a request or a command, but MC is certainly forgetting who they are dealing with. She will have to put MC in their place once she finds them in the real world. 

Lust flooded the Countess’s veins, spreading through her. She obediently parts her legs, and MC kisses her thighs, teasing the skin there with their lips and tongue. More, please. She thinks to herself in her mind, then they pull back, staring up into Nadia’s eyes again with a smile on their face. “You liar. Look how wet you are for me, almost dripping.” The Countess whimpers in response, the blush on her face darkening. “You are ashamed, are you not? You know you shouldn’t want me, and yet you do. No, you crave me. You wish I’d just bury my face in your cunt already. But it’s fine, love. You don’t have to say it; I will give you what you want anyway.”

MC leans forward, their hot breath getting dangerously close to Nadia’s core. They kiss her lips first, only teasing her for now, but Nadia is already panting; then their tongue slides between her slick folds, her entire body shudders, and she has to bite her bottom lip to hold back her whimpers. A hand rushes down, gripping MC’s hair and making them hum into their Countess. She wants them closer, she needs more. 

When their tongue touches and then begins circling her swollen clit, she lets out a choked moan, and she feels like her head is spinning, the pleasure almost making her drunk. Every movement of MC’s lips is driving her crazy, and Nadia is instinctively moving her hips, grinding her pussy against their mouth, chasing her orgasm. 

She gasps and then covers her mouth in a poor attempt to silence herself, but this is just a dream; everything is in her head. She can be as loud and desperate as she wants to be. “Please,” She begs, her fingers trembling and grasping MC’s hair even tighter. The mirror feels cold against her skin, but MC’s tongue and lips are warm and maddening. She throws her head back, shamelessly moaning while MC sucks on her clit. “MC…” She murmurs their name. “Please, keep doing that, MC.” 

The magician keeps licking and sucking at all the right places while the Countess’s thighs twitch and tremble around their head. Nadia is a moaning, panting mess, and only they, only MC, can manage to reduce her to this state. Oh, how she wishes to experience this in real life, to have MC eat her pussy just like this, almost as if it is their sole purpose to please her. It makes her want to seek them out immediately and have her way with them.

She is so close. Her legs are trembling, and she is desperately holding onto their head, keeping them firmly in place because she doesn't want them to stop.

More. Just a bit more. 

She’s there, right there on the edge, just about to come. Her mind clouded by pleasure, she looks down at MC and sees them staring right up at her. “Oh gods, MC…Fuck, I’m so close!”  Then she shuts her eyes, her mouth opens as she pants breathlessly, and then…

And then Nadia awakens with a sudden and loud gasp, her legs trembling and her cunt throbbing between her legs. She can feel it clench exactly like when she makes herself come during lonely nights, when she gets engrossed in the idea of MC.

Slightly confused and still aroused, The Countess’s eyes search her room. It is still dark outside, and the sun is yet to rise, but MC, her dear MC, is nowhere in sight.

[iliveforyouilongforyouvesuvia]

First time doing this I hope it makes sense and I'm doing it right😅

Mini headcanons of M6 encountering a magical object that can't be moved except by those worthy.

So sort of like Thor's hammer or the sword in the stone.

Ps. Your writings brings me so much joy so thank you for that😊🌟❤️

The Arcana Mini-HCs: M6 on "worthy or not worthy"

Julian: assumes he isn't worthy, is surprised when he is

Asra: tries using tricks to pick it up, which of course means they fail

Nadia: hopes she's worthy, relieved and encouraged when she is

Muriel: he's not picking it up. that's a whole sussy can of worms. no.

Portia: overthinks it, so excited she picked it up she won't put it down

Lucio: assumes he's worthy, sulks and trash talks it when he isn't

[littleblackraincloudofcourse]

I know it's probably illogical and most likely somewhat of a trauma response from Disney's Willow betrayal but I don't think I can keep Netflix if they cancel Shadow and Bone/Six of Crows.

Netflix has already canceled so many series that were unique and important to people in terms of diversity and representation. They have been especially bad about canceling series with Lesbian representation. The erasure of Tamar and Nadia would be another example of that. SAB is also one of the few fantasy series with a WOC lead. And while the actor portraying him is not (as far as I know), Kaz is a character with a disability that is not treated as a liability or a victim. As I pointed out in my Willow posts, it's rare to see this type of inclusion in fantasy series without it seeming forced or false.

While these things alone do not necessarily make a series worthy of continuation, fans have proven time and again that there is a growing interest in this series. This is largely due to the amazing cast and their continuous support of and friendships with one another. The found family dynamic they display both on and off camera creates a richer viewing experience not just in the series but their interviews and appearances around it.

Added to all of that, the story changes mean the cliffhangers of season two would go largely unexplained even to book readers. Considering that the books' author is a producer on the series this leads me to worry about Netflix's ability to deliver complete and cohesive stories that they adapt.

To me that shows that series like Bridgerton, or even One Piece could be treated just as callously in regards to any canon divergences and completion of the story.

I genuinely hope my worries will be unnecessary and the series will continue. Shadow and Bone has not yet been canceled but it has also not been renewed and as we near the eight month mark with no news I can't help but speculate. I realize that it has not been long since the end of the WGA strike and the SAG strike is ongoing, but in that time Netflix has renewed and released updates on several other series so it is unlikely that would be the only reason for the delay.

I still look forward to the success of SAG and hope answers swiftly follow. In this time of price spikes and story erasures, I cannot continue to financially support any service that seems blatantly discriminatory. When fans are begging daily for a series to return and continuously ignored I can't see it as anything else.

[memphisnovels]

Evermore

Chapter 19. Mine all mine

Previous chapter

Masterlist

This chapter is a little longer than the others but I promise time flies when you're having fun and I had a bucket load of fun writing this! I hope you enjoy and thank you so much for reading<3

pairing: Pietro Maximoff x OFC

warnings: tooth-rotting fluff, Pietro and Nadia being Pietro and Nadia, defining the relationship (FINALLY)

I cringed as I watched Pietro cram a forkful of eggs and bacon into his mouth before taking a large bite of his toast. “What?” He spoke as he chewed. I grimaced and looked down at my own plate.

“You are truly vile.”

He grinned. “You like it. Besides, I’m a growing boy I need my nutrients.” He gulped down his juice before continuing to scoff his breakfast. He pointed at my plate with his fork. “Are you going to eat that?”

I pulled the plate toward myself, narrowing my eyes at him. “Yes.” Although, my stomach was filled to the brim and another mouthful would surely make me sick. The wounded expression on his face had me rolling my eyes at him, yet I slid the plate across the table nonetheless.  

“Hey, I have a question.” I sighed exasperatedly at his words, but he chose to ignore my antics. “Why do you like the city so much?”

I shrugged, considering his question. “I don’t know. I guess it’s just the first place where I felt really free.” It was nonchalant, the way I spoke to him then. It struck me as a little funny how easily that came from me now when not that long ago the thought of exchanging more than a few necessary words with him had me running for the hills.

He nodded, evidently pondering my words. “That makes sense, I guess I just don’t really have somewhere like that. Sokovia is where my parents died and there was always so much conflict there, then there was Strucker and his compound. When Wanda and I joined the Avengers, we came straight here and I suppose this place is that for me, but I never really saw a lot of the city.”

I swallowed heavily, looking down at my mostly empty plate. “It’s really not that good, it smells strange, and most people hate the light pollution.”

“You don’t have to feel bad for me.” He spoke up, putting an end to my rambling.

“I don’t.”

He smiled at me. “Okay.”

I could feel his eyes on me from my peripheral, but I refused to glance at him, the stubborn pride that lived within me begging me to continue the charade of indifference. Yet Pietro was a worthy opponent, never seeming willing to let me get away with it, completely unfazed by my tricks. Finally, my eyes met his, reluctantly. His smile only grew. “What?”

“Nothing.”

The awareness I had of my heart then annoyed me. “I don’t feel bad for you.”

“You said that.”

That damn smile, constantly lingering, a little cheeky, and always charming. “Good, then you know.” He hummed, leaning back in his seat after clearing both our plates. “I don’t know why you are looking at me like that.”

“Like what?”

“You know what.”

He shook his head, smile never even faltering. “I don’t think I do, Nadia.”

“Oh, for fucks sake! I don’t like that you don’t have a place, and I don’t like that those things happened to you. Alright, happy now?!”

“You don’t like that what things happened to me?”

“Jesus, do I have to spell it out for you?” He nodded eagerly. “I don’t like that bad things happened to you.”

There was silence between us for a long while then. I looked at my lap, my cheeks burned. My heartbeat filled was ears, thrumming against my sternum. I had to admit, telling him the truth got a little easier each time I did it but that didn’t make it completely painless. “For what it's worth… I don’t like that bad things happened to you either.”

My eyes met his again and just like that, his smile was back. Try as I might to fight it the corners of my mouth tugged upward in kind.

…

His flesh glistened under the low lights as he pulled his shirt over his head, using it to wipe the sweat from his forehead. I swallowed heavily, drinking a little faster from my bottle. Returning to the mat with him, I gestured for him to approach. The corners of his lips were upturned as he looked me up and down, taking a few steps further onto the mat.

“Go on then, Prinţesă, what’s your next move?”

I smiled at him. “Funny I was going to ask you the same question.” He raised an eyebrow at me. “How about you lead for once, Pietro.” His smile turned menacing, and he took another slow step toward me.

“I thought you’d never ask.”

He moved quickly, just the way I’d taught him, striking with precision. I dodged easily, almost laughing in his face at his predictability until he swerved at the last minute and moved the opposite way he had been, dodging my impending attack and grabbing around my waist and taking me to the ground on my back. He took my wrists in each of his hands restraining them above my head with a shit-eating grin wide across his face. I narrowed my eyes at him. “So, you are capable of strategizing?”

Pietro chuckled, low and utterly taunting. “You have an awful lot of attitude for someone who’s on their back.” I shot him a venomous glare.

“Oh, don’t worry it won’t be that way for long.”

My words only seemed to both entertain and entice him as his grin grew in size, revealing his teeth to me. The look faltered for a moment as he glanced down toward my hip. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?” One of his hands drifted down my arm to sit beside my hip on the mat, fiddling with the side of my shirt.

I shook my head at him. “I’m fine. Dr. Cho used her weird magic medicine and it’s almost completely healed. She said she doesn’t even think it’s going to scar.” When he still seemed unconvinced, I brought my now freed hand down to lift the side of my shirt and reveal the now only slightly marred flesh. “See all better.” Still, he scanned the place where the wound had been. With some hesitation, I let my hand find his cheek, bringing his face back up so he'd meet my eyes again. “You didn’t hurt me, I promise.”

His nose grazed mine as he leaned forward slightly, his breath dancing across my cheek making my eyes flutter for a moment. My lips upturned just slightly as I leaned upward into him, grazing my lips over his for a split second before locking my legs around him and using my free hand to cross his chest and flip us so he was on his back. Before he could regain the upper hand, I moved my legs to restrain him and held his wrists above his head just like he’d done to me. His look of indignation had me biting back a laugh. “That was completely unfair!”

“How many times have I told you to focus?”

He raised both eyebrows at me, I knew him well enough to know the look he was giving me meant trouble. “Well, that’s a lot to ask of me right now, you know how I feel about you in this position, Prinţesă.” I rolled my eyes at him, leaning down and letting my eyes drop to his lips ever so slowly. He strained his neck to reach me, but I pulled back just a little when he got close. “Really?”

“You’re not getting what you want until you show me you can stay focused.”

“Oh, as if you weren’t just undressing me with your eyes!”

My gaze narrowed at his words, and I scoffed at him. “Are you actually delusional?”

He smirked. “We both know I’m not. You say I don’t know how to focus but when it comes to you, I seem to manage just fine.” He licked his lips, I scolded myself for letting my eyes track the movement. His lips twitched upward, and he bucked me off of him before enveloping me in a blur of blue. “Looks like I’m not the only one struggling to focus on the task at hand.”

“You’re a prick, you know that?”

“You tell me quite often, but I have a sneaky suspicion that you like it. That’s why I best you so often.”

The gasp I let out was equal parts disbelief and indignation. “Now I’m sure of it, you really have lost your mind. In what world do you ever beat me?”

He only smiled at me. “I got you to admit you were obsessed with me.” I opened my mouth to protest, with some choice words however he beat me to it. “In fact, I have a wager for you, call it a friendly competition.”

“Pray tell?”

“I’m not going to kiss you again until you admit that I distract you just as much as you distract me. You admit that I’m not delusional and these lips are all yours.”

A hearty laugh tumbled from me. “You’re challenging me to a test of self-control? You do realize who you’re talking to right?” He grinned down at me. “What do I get when I win?”

“My undying affections?” I raised a single eyebrow at him. “Fine, I’ll admit that you were right.”

“You’re never going to win this.” He shrugged, toothy grin never faltering. I sighed exasperatedly. “Deal.”

His lips were on mine then, it was passionate and had my body melting into a puddle of mush. The way he kissed was hard to describe at the best of times, it was fervent, borderline sacred, and hungry in equal measure. I was left breathless when he pulled back, hovering barely an inch from me. My eyes remained closed. “See I’m already winning, Nadia, look at you, letting me distract you so easily.” My eyes shot open, a glare immediately taking over my expression. My ire only amused him further. He bumped his nose with mine. “I hope you enjoyed that because there won’t be any more for a while, not until you give in, at least.” He held my wrists in one hand, his other moved over my hip. I winced hard, shutting my eyes tightly as I released a cry of agony. He let go of my hip instantly, freeing my hands and sitting up in one swift movement. “Are you okay? What happened?” I flipped up before he could even contemplate what was happening, forcing him onto the mat on his stomach and sitting on his back this time around.

I put a hand by his head, leaning down to look into his beautiful blue eyes, his face squished into the mat. “Remind me who is winning again?” I raised my eyebrow, a grin spreading across my lips.

“You deceitful minx!”

In all honesty, I’d expected Pietro to break before dinnertime, yet surprisingly he had remained steadfast in his endeavor. He’d sat across from me at dinner, sending me cheeky glances from across the table but showing no sign of giving in or even struggling.

This pattern continued for days, four to be specific, and I was becoming antsy. How the hell was he so calm and collected? It’s Pietro for god’s sake, there is no way he could pull this off; was there?

I was becoming less sure as the days passed and my anger was growing insurmountable as I felt the magnetism between us begin to itch.

On the fifth night, I sat beside Natasha at the table, humming around a bite of pizza that was especially cheesy and delicious. I watched Pietro’s jaw tense at the sound, prompting me to do it again. He met my gaze, his eyes narrowed but an unreadable expression sat across his face. Wanda was off somewhere with Vision and Sam was sleeping off his last mission. It was only Steve, Pietro, Natasha, and I at the table now. Cap spoke casually to Pietro about something whilst Nat described the dress, she was planning on wearing for the benefit we were invited to that would take place in a couple of weeks.

“I think the plunging neckline is important, color wise I’m thinking classic black is the only choice and…” I licked my lips slowly using a single finger to wipe over the area before bringing it to my mouth, all whilst looking directly at Pietro. “Are you even listening to me?” Natasha asked. Pietro stood from the table abruptly, going to place his plate on the sink and leaving the room. I smiled to myself.

“Yes of course. Black dress, plunging neckline.” I shoved the rest of my pizza slice in my mouth and smiled at her.

Natasha raised her eyebrows at me. “What are you planning on wearing, Pimenova?”

I shrugged. “Well for starters I wasn’t planning on going.”

“Okay, great so you will in fact be going. I’ll send you a couple of dress ideas tonight and you can always have a better look this weekend.”

Cap cleared his plate before wishing us both goodnights. We returned it and I asked Natasha what she was talking about.

“Oh, you know, this weekend on your date weekend with Pietro.”

My eyes narrowed at her accusatory tone. “First of all, how did you even know about that, second it is not a ‘date’ weekend.”

She smirked at me. “I saw your little list of spots on the table this morning. No need to be so defensive I think it's sweet what you’re doing for him, he will too.”

“I’m not doing anything for him… I just feel like… he doesn’t have a place, Natasha. We always had New York and maybe it won’t be the same for him, but he deserves something. An option at the very least.”

The smug expression on her face shifted then, smoothing into something that held much more weight. Something soft and immensely meaningful. Her lips were upturned as she spoke again. “I think he already has more than you realize.”

I wasn’t entirely sure what she meant by that, but I chose not to push, we finished our food in comfortable silence after that.

The soft sound of a Queen song filled my ears as I wandered into the lab with a plate of reheated pizza grasped between my hands. Tony was hunched over the bench with a screwdriver in hand. “You know for someone who said he was going to take some time off you certainly spend a lot of time tinkering around here,” I spoke up, sitting the pizza beside him. He glanced up, raising an eyebrow at me.

“This is me relaxing, kid.”

“How does Pepper feel about that?” He grumbled out an answer, not glancing up at me as he continued to do… whatever it was he was doing. I glanced at the door, considering leaving despite his glum mood, what could I say to him? Would he even want to open up if I asked him to, did I want him to? I’d always maintained a distance between us, never comfortable enough to let too many people get close but as I watched Tony, shoulders tense, ignoring the food, leaving didn’t feel much like an option. So, I sat, facing him on the opposite side of the bench. “Is everything okay?”

“Peachy.”

I swallowed, twiddling my thumbs. “We don’t have to talk but you should probably eat.”

He glanced up at me through his lashes. “What is going on right now? You never want to talk, but now all of a sudden you do.”

“You seem like you could use someone to talk to and I’m trying something new. The easiest way to get me to leave you alone is just to spill, you know I’m not one to give up easily.”

Tony huffed, shaking his head and finally looking up at me. “Pepper wants to talk about things that I don’t. It’s irritating and I just needed some time.” I breathed a laugh at that. “What?”

“It’s just… I know how you feel.”

The corners of his lips upturned so slightly it was almost imperceptible. “Yeah, I guess you probably do.”

“So instead of talking to Pepper about these mysterious things you don’t want to disclose you’re here, hiding out in the lab.”

“Well, when you say it like that it sounds a little pathetic.”

I smiled at him. “More than a little.”

“I don’t think you can exactly talk, Pimenova, you’re not someone I’d describe as being particularly communicative.”

A laugh tumbled from my lips, and I leaned back in my chair; I couldn’t argue there. “Why don’t you want to talk to about whatever it is with her?”

“It’s complicated.”

I glanced around. “Well luckily for you I have nothing but time.”

Tony did nothing to hide his disdain at my words, huffing and puffing like a petulant child. I found it all rather amusing. “I left the comfort of my home to come be around you idiots to avoid talking about it, what makes you think I’m antsy to spill my guts now?”

“Spare me, as if you don’t miss us terribly whenever you leave.” I teased. “And I’m not saying you have to tell me what it is just why it’s you’d rather flee than talk about whatever it is. It’s not as though I’m going to judge you, I wouldn’t exactly have a leg to stand on.”

“You really don’t have a leg to stand on as it is. You don’t answer questions but you’re happy to ask them?”

I closed my eyes for a moment glancing away to survey the room, empty save for the range of strange tech surrounding us. “You wanted to know what Wanda showed me in the shipyard. I didn’t want to talk about it because it was painful, I’m guessing it’s the same for whatever it is that you’re avoiding.” He didn’t look at me. “You’re right though, it isn’t fair for me to expect you to share when I won’t, so consider this my answer. Wanda showed me a medley of some of the worst moments of my life and made me think I was living them all over again. She showed me the Red Room, my first kill then my most painful, and a whole lot of other moments that I’d been trying really hard to forget.”

He met my gaze then. The look he gave me then was not one that was common for him, yet I’d seen it before. That day when we’d first moved to the compound and I’d told him why I didn’t mind light pollution was at the forefront of my mind. Empathy, I supposed.

“Sorry.”

“You don’t have to be sorry; I’m telling you because I do understand that trust is a two-way street.”

He nodded. There was silence between us for a long while then. He’d put the tool in his hand down and he simply studied the piece of pizza that sat beside him, likely cold by now. “There was someone in my life… a long time ago. Someone who meant the world to me. She died, years ago now and the last thing I said to her… Well, it wasn’t exactly kind.” I remained quiet, listening intently to him. “There are not many days when it's not the first thing on my mind when I wake up and the last thing before I go to sleep.” He took a rather large bite from the slice of pizza. I guessed he was referring to his mother, I remembered hearing something about his parents dying years ago after they’d had a fight. Irrespective of what his reasoning was, I knew what it was like to have something you’d done, something you regretted, haunt you. “You know, if you’d been gone much longer, I wouldn’t have made it through here. Pietro nearly sent me insane.”

He was evidently shifting the topic, but I let him. “What do you mean?”

“Kid was practically going out of his mind with worry from the second you left and then you went off comms and obviously we were all concerned but he pretty much had to be restrained from going to Morrocco after you, barely healed leg and all. Honestly, he was insufferable.” I looked at the ground, smiling a little at that information. “It was actually a little sweet also, I guess. Sickening, but almost cute.”

Before I left Tony to finish his tinkering, I glanced back at him from the doorway. “Take it from me, Stark, avoiding talking about something because it’s painful doesn’t actually make it hurt any less.”

…

The rain that had followed us for most of the trip from the compound cleared up as we entered the city.  Pietro hadn’t said a lot since I’d told him, he’d just stared at me in a way that made me exceptionally nervous. Even on the car ride, he’d spoken a few soft words here and there but otherwise he’d been mostly quiet. The second we stowed our luggage away in our adjoined rooms I’d smiled warmly at him and waved the list at him. “Well come on, we’d better get moving I’ve got a lot planned.” The smile he gave me made a tingling feeling dance across my spine.

Our first stop was the bakery near my old apartment, they had the best bagels in the city, the perfect cream cheese to bread ratio. We walked through the crowded streets and basked in the sunshine while we ate the warm delicacy. “I’ll admit it’s a lot better than I’d expected.”

“I told you.” He bumped his shoulder with mine as we walked. I led him toward the huge building having him stand across the street with his back to it. “Okay, now turn around and prepare to be just a little underwhelmed.” His eyes widened as he turned to face the MET in all its glory.

“Jesus, that’s big.”

I walked past him, beginning up the steps. “I know right and look how fucking dirty it is as if those rich girls were sitting on these steps to eat their lunch.” When I realized he wasn’t following, I turned back to see him watching me. “Don’t you want to go in?”

“No, I do, it’s just…” His lips turned upward, and his brows furrowed a little, it was as if his face was melting. The sun made his eyes glitter, making them even more mesmerizing than usual. He shook his head softly before meeting me on the stairs I’d stopped on, looking down at me for a moment. His chest almost grazed mine he was so close. “After you, dragă.” Darling.

“What does that mean?”

He leaned in close to me, his breath fanning over my lips, it had my eyes fluttering. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” With that he was off toward the entrance, leaving me dazed and utterly fed up with his stupid wager. We looked at art for a lot of the day, before taking back to the streets where we got a New York slice and spoke for hours.

“It’s strange because growing up, I didn’t really know who I was, or I guess there really wasn’t a me that existed outside of the Red Room. Being out meant having to become a person just like everyone else. I didn’t even know my favorite color before I got out, I was just a nonentity.”

“What’s your favorite color now?”

I shrugged, looking over at him. We’d stopped in Central Park a little while ago, laying back on the grass to watch as the sun set over the city and casted the streets in a pinkish orange hue. I smiled at how it looked at this time of day, everything the light had touched, transformed by the dwindling sun. “I think it’s this.” When I met his eyes again, they were set firmly on me.

“What is your favorite color, Pietro?”

A cheeky smile crossed his lips. “Blue.”

“Favorite food?”

“Plum dumplings.”

I had to bite my lip to stop the smile from taking over my expression. Rolling my eyes and hoping he couldn’t see the flush that has coated my cheeks. We continued like this, asking silly mostly inconsequential questions to each other, and there, on that patch of grass, there was a rare moment where I was completely at ease. I could feel his eyes on me then as I watched the birds hopping from branch to branch. A tilt of my head revealed him fully to me once more, still gazing at me intently, not even attempting to pretend that he wasn’t, unashamed at being caught. His lips were upturned, not a full smile, merely the suggestion of one. My smile brightened slightly as I stared back at him.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

He didn’t answer right away, just kept watching me, eyes tracing over the flesh of my cheeks and nose. “No one has ever done something like this for me before.”

I smiled softly at him. “What no one’s ever taken you to a smog-covered, rat-run city to eat a bready doughnut thing with cheese in it?”

He chuckled light-heartedly before becoming earnest once more. “Seriously, Nadia, this means a lot to me.” He kept his voice a little hushed, loud enough only for me to hear as if the words shared in the small space between us were sacred, something that was reserved solely for us.

“Natasha and I used to talk about New York when we were younger, I suppose it was our dream. This intangible place where everything would be okay.” His knuckles grazed my own. I felt a little silly when my heart picked up, I’ve literally killed people how could the slightest touch from him have my pulse fluttering? Holding my breath for a moment I extended my fingers slightly, bumping his. He had touched my hand before, but this felt different. We both turned back toward the sky as I let my hand upturn beside his. A warm weight filled my palm then and I exhaled the breath I’d been holding.

Nonna Maria’s was next on the list, the obvious dinner choice, really the only acceptable choice. There was a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach as we passed the threshold of the restaurant. I got take-out here my first night in New York, Natasha and I had spent many days gorging ourselves on the freshly baked bread and delicious pastas and somewhere in all of that I’d found myself becoming strangely attached to this little family-run business. An intangible nervousness took over my as we were seated, perhaps it was just that this place was the first thing that had felt like mine since I left Russia, and now I was sharing it with Pietro. “Nadia, my sweet Nadia!” Maria called as she approached our table. “Please, tell me you’ve come back to the city, my dearest.”

“Just visiting, unfortunately, but I brought you a new person to overfeed.” I teased. Maria tsked and waved her hand at me before turning to Pietro.

She gasped and placed a hand to her heart. “Such a handsome young man, you know I have been praying for this. Praying for my Nadia to find love!”

“Okay, settle down, this is my friend Pietro.” I introduced, intervening before she got any more carried away.

“Oh of course he is.” She gave me a knowing look. “You children with your strange language, I will never understand it. Let me get you some more bread, it fixes everything you know.”

I laughed as she left, sipping on my glass of wine. “Is that what we are, Nadia?” I raised an eyebrow at Pietro’s words. “Friends?” He added, a little smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. “It’s just I’m getting the strangest sense of déjà vu.”

“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”

He sent me a boyish smile. “Well, friends don’t generally kiss.”

“When was the last time we kissed?” My tone was taunting, challenging him with every syllable. His eyes narrowed slightly, smirk only growing.

“If you want me to kiss you, Nadia, you need only say the magic words.”

The look I gave him was downright devious. “Why’s that? You’re not struggling, are you? Because I’m more than happy to call it a fair game, after you admit I was right of course.”

He unbuttoned the top button of his shirt, downing his drink, and leaning forward over the table toward me. His knee brushed against mine. “Oh, I’m doing just fine, Prinţesă.” My eyes darted down for just a moment. “All you have to do is tell me exactly how right I am, and I’ll kiss you anywhere you want.”

A flush travelled up my neck, a shiver not far behind. I was a connoisseur of self-control, adept at keeping myself in check, at not giving in. That was how I was trained, plus my healthy dose of innate stubbornness tended to help. Yet now, in the face of Pietro, I felt myself folding, control crumbling, leash waning. He was in control now and he knew it. That wouldn’t fly with me. I left a sultry smile cross my face as I leaned forward in my seat, flipping my hair over my shoulder and using my arms to accentuate my decolletage. My foot slid across the space between us, situating itself between his feet. I dragged the tip of it up the inside of his leg, watching his hands clench into fists as the muscle in his jaw feathered. When his eyes met mine, they were a much darker shade of blue, a dangerous glint in them. He attempted to grab my foot when it ventured to his thigh, but I yanked it back before he had the chance, standing and slipping my coat back on. My hand fell over his shoulder, and I leaned down so we were at eye level, moving closer until I was sure he would feel my breath on his ear. “Don’t hurt yourself for the sake of making a point, Pietro.”

“I know that you think you’re very clever-” I heard Pietro’s voice call as we stepped outside, frustration palpable in his tone. “But your little seduction routine isn’t going to work on me.”

“Oh? Are you sure?” I took a step toward him. “Because I have the strangest feeling it’s already working?” My eyes trailed down to his hand that was situated over my hip. He yanked it away as if I’d burned him, pointing at me accusingly.

His glare had plenty of heat but no real anger behind it. “I’m not going to give up so easily, you know this right?”

“I spent most of my life training to break people down, you know this right?” I began walking down the street, basking in the nippy autumn air.

“I don’t want to be just your friend. That’s what I told you before you went to Morrocco; I meant it.”

His words stopped me in my tracks and when I turned back to look at him the streetlights and starlight bathed him in this magical way that managed to wipe all the thoughts from my mind. “I know,” I murmured.

“So… maybe we should talk about it.”

“You want to talk about it now?”

He shrugged. “There’s no time like the present.”

I bit my lip, laughing a little to myself. “Do you want to be my boyfriend, Pietro?” I teased.

His response had me stiffening in my spot, heart skipping, eyes fluttering. “Yes, very much so.” There was no amusement or taunting lilts in his words, it was deadpan; absolute. I opened and closed my mouth like a fish out of water. “Do you want to be my girlfriend, Nadia?”

I’d never had a boyfriend before. There had been boys, they never lasted more than a night where I told myself maybe I’d feel better if I just forced myself to be normal. There had never been mornings that followed. My heart was racing, and I felt a little lightheaded. Pietro stayed put, quiet but steadfast. He didn’t rush me or flee, he laid himself bare before me and waited, patiently, for me to respond. Part of me wanted to roll my eyes, boyfriend, girlfriend, how tedious. Though, really, I knew that was just because if I was dismissive maybe it wouldn’t feel so exposed. “I’m not sure I’d be a very good girlfriend.”

His eyes softened at me. “I don’t think you give yourself enough credit.”

“I wouldn’t even know where to begin.”

He took a few steps forward, leaving a big enough gap that he wasn’t crowding me, but I could still feel his body heat radiating onto me. “Well, saying yes is a good place to start.”

 “Ask me again.”

“Do you want to be my girlfriend?”

I smiled at him. “That depends.”

His lips curved up into that familiar smirk. “What does it depend on?”

“Will you kiss me if I’m your girlfriend?”

“How about this, you answer my question first then I’ll answer yours.”

I considered him. I could keep prodding, be stubborn, and have it my way, but then Pietro was standing before me, and the stars were in his eyes as he left the ball roll delicately into my court. He’d challenged me from the start and yet he’d always given me time, slowed down when I told him to, clearly laid my options before me, and let me choose for myself. It terrified me how much I didn’t want to run away from him, from his softness, from his adoring patience. So, despite myself, I didn’t roll my eyes or feign indifference, I gave, ever so slightly.

I took a step toward him. “The answer is yes.”

The words had barely left my lips before he was kissing me breathless. His forehead rested against mine; his eyes still closed. After almost a week of his ridiculous wager, I’d been ready to crack myself, but I didn’t need to tell him that because somehow, he’d known me from the moment we laid eyes on each other.

“You win, Nadia.”

[tvheartbreak]

Hi guys, this is my first post and it will be a bit long, but I ask you IF YOU ARE A PATRIVAN FAN PLEASE READ IT! (I’m writing in English because I think it’s the most known language in other countries too, I know for example that many of the fandom are in Brazil and Spain! I hope I am as good as possible because it’s not my native language, I’m Italian)

I’ve been feeling broken ever since I finished watching the season (one of the most important people in my life had a similar personal experience to both Patrick and Ivan, and seeing her being sick and reliving that moment destroyed me) and while we were talking about it, an idea came to us. My friend is very realistic, so she thinks it's crazy, I agree with that but I'm also a dreamer who believes a lot in positive energy, so I'll try to tell you our idea!

Why don't we try to make our voices heard? I think that we absolutely cannot accept such an ending! We Patrivan fans are so many, if we unite we could really make a difference! Besides, the precedents are there: we got a last season of Manifest, we got a worthy ending for Lucifer, we got Gallavich! GALLAVICH WEDDING!

The only social media we can focus on is Twitter, because it’s the most media relevant. Going trend is not difficult, the problem is that to do it we need to be many and coordinated... I was thinking we could organize a group (on telegram? Discord?...) and try to go viral!

I said I'm a dreamer, but I know perfectly well that we are unlikely to get the endgame WE DESERVE, more so because of Carlos, whose only purpose in his career seems to be to ruin every good thing he creates (the most relevant examples? Omander, Samu and Carla, Guzman and Nadia, Rebe made to disappear into a black hole...). But we have nothing to lose! Also, Manu and Andre said that they follow the couple on social media, going on trend would be a gift for them too, a thank you for all the good things they have given us with their prowess!

As said, it is an idea! If there is anyone who would like to participate, or maybe better at social than me who knows how to get more people to participate please write to me! Even in private!

[synergysilhouette]

Describe your MC and their relationship with the LIs

(Taken from one of my now defunct Reddit accounts)

Sadly I don't have any artist skills, but I hope you enjoy him anyway! I feel like I made one or two more MCs over my

My OC's name is a cisgender man by the name of Malachite. He has a buff body type (think 90s/early 2000s superhero build and then scale it back a bit) and is a rather devout young man--not stuffy or naive, though. He hails from Prakra, and is the son of a noble family, with three older brothers and two younger brothers. I haven't established his race; I'm thinking perhaps indigenous American, Pacific Islander, or South Asian inspiration (including Romani). He has a good tan, blue eyes, and silvery-blue hair that goes past his ears (not to mention he's hung and thicc af)

I honestly picture him as a cross between DC comics' Nightwing, Kingdom Hearts' Riku, Marvel's Quicksilver, and a young Ikem/Norem from Avatar: The Last Airbender. His fashion sense is definitely trendy, unique, and cool, dressing in tropical colors. Currently he's clad in a sleeveless multicolored shirt with a clasp or two usually undone to show off his big pecs, tight pants that leave nothing to the imagination, and boots that are very durable. I imagine there are gemstone or feather motifs here and there with intricate patterns throughout his clothes--he's not a boring dresser. I'm kind of thinking he dresses like he's an anime character that just got thrown into the video game "Hades." During the summer months, I imagine he wears green tunic with rainbow accents and matching sandals with a gold band on his thick thighs (I've gotta stop now).

If you wanna know more about his past, just ask.

Relationship with the LIs inside their routes

Lucio--They spoil each other A LOT. Malachite gives into his charm and seduction as well as helping him with his empathy. Given his MANY mistakes, Lucio is kind of on thin ice with people a lot, so when Malachite's family heard of their marriage, they didn't really approve. They were highly critical and accused Lucio of corrupting him, so Lucio has to work hard to improve himself in order to show he's worthy of Malachite's love. That said, it's not one-sided; Malachite doesn't want Lucio to feel like he's always having to better himself. Malachite loves him for who he is: a dramatic, fanciful, adventurous, fashionable semi-himbo. Currently they're the fathers of two daughters and a son.

Nadia--While not naive, Malachite has a kind of innocent outlook, almost like a Disney prince comes to life. Nadia loves how he sees the good in things and is easily entranced by new things. Not to mention his breeding has always taught him to be respectable and professional, making him the ideal consort. Nadia's learned to curb spoiling him so he doesn't feel like a pet, and instead gives it to their child--their only child, given Nadia isn't great with kids but Malachite always wanted one and she didn't want him to have it with a surrogate. Plus she's awakened a naughty side in Malachite, a submissive incubus that seeks only to please her. Needless to say his family approves of her and her family approves of him.

Asra--Their relationship started a little rocky, with their professional relationship having to take the backseat to their romantic relationship. Asra has become less controlling and more open with Malachite, and they've talked about expanding the magic shop and getting apprentices of their own--by which I mean both kids and teaching unrelated kids about the art of magic. I keep picturing "Howl's Moving Castle" with this, though one odMalchite's older brothers (inspired by Marvel's Loki)--who absolutely ADORES Asra--insists he brings his kids to learn from them when they get old enough, and Malachite worries about how Asra and his brother will influence the couple's future kids.

Muriel--I think Muriel goes outside of his comfort zone a lot for Malachite. Staying in his hut frequently, they engage in a lot of physical activity (take that how you will), but Muriel treats him to trips into Vesuvia often. Malachite's family is VERY concerned about him living in the forest away from everyone, and have a Demeter-Persephone relationship whenever they see him. Malachite's style has rubbed off on Muriel, and they live a very sweet life--with more kids than Muriel expected. Seriously, they have four kids and Malachite wants MORE. Good luck with that.

Portia--They were definitely best friends before getting married, and Portia did have to chase away any suitors who came to their door (including a conniving noble who looks like Marvel's Colossus), but when Malachite looks at her, she feels safe and loved. Malachite's frequent acrobatic activity and her constant work for Nadia keep her on her toes, and Pepi is there to quell her concerns most of the time. Malachite's family has their own comments, but they mainly keep it to themselves, with one of Malachite's younger brothers (kinda like Asta from Black Clover) giving them his outspoken support. They both have babies on the brain, but they don't have any--yet. Man, when it happens, Vesuvia won't know what hit it.

Julian--Okay, first off: the therapy relationship had to conclude before the romance TRULY begins. As Julian traveled, he gained fame as an acclaimed actor (when he's not being a scientist), with Malachite right by his side, acting, singing, and dancing. The triplets--three tan sons with auburn hair--are also aspiring actors, and Malachite's family is more than interested in cultivating the next generation's skillset. While weary of Julian's science affiliation (being more on the magic side), they find him a respectable--albeit aloof--man who is good for Malachite.

Relationship with the LIs in a poly route

I'll keep it short: I imagine he's legally married to Nadia since she's the best option position-wise and his family wouldn't protest, but given that I headcanon Lucio and Portia living in the castle as well, he most frequently engages in relations with them. And he has a FWB relationship with Julian, Muriel, and Asra, with the potential to be more. He has several kids, and the family is certainly growing.

Note: when romancing the guys, you can imagine adoption, surrogacy, or mpreg, but I'm just going the mpreg route. Also I imagine a bonus route where Malachite romances Salim and Namar without being a homewrecker.

[nthflower]

Russian doll spoilers I guess

I love Russian Doll ending so so so so so much. I love how they didn't solve Ruth problem or how it was like soo fast.

Like it was so real life. Nadia fucked up. And she can't take it back. But also it's normal. She is sick. She was fixated on past. Now she is not. But moment she needed to live also became past. But she learned leaving past behind. Also she knew Ruth loved her and make her own goodbye. It doesn't matter it's in past now. And she is still sick she is still sad. She is still fucked up. But that's how life is. And she is going to live. That's the most beautiful thing in the world wanting to live. Maybe it will past maybe not but sadness and tragedy also part of the life and she is living.

Like they can make some kind of happy ending or some kind of extreme tragic ending but it's was just so real and hopeful. And sad. A sad hopeful ending. It's hopeful because our lifes are not stories with always a solution to tragedy in the end but also not tragedies with destined to not being happy. Sometimes people are gone and you make big mistakes or things don't go well and it's okay there is still hope you are living. You are okay or not you are living. You are worthy to live life worths. Go cry in the bedroom scream and be sad then there will be times where you are happy. Just be right kind of sad.

Two kind of sadness one is unhealthy depression kind of one and one is part of life one they are both same and not. You need to learn second kind of sadness to live. Hopeful sadness maybe? Like manic happiness that comes from unhealthy coping skills and normal happiness but make it with sadness I think. What I mean.

[eurovision-del]

After Moldova and Iceland, Serbia are also choosing their entry later tonight! Here’s my ranking of the Pesma za Evroviziju finalists:

Filip Baloš – Novi plan drugi san

Luke Black – Samo mi se spava

Frajle – Neka, neka

Princ – Cvet sa Istoka

Nađa – Moj prvi ožiljak na duši

Dzipsii – Greh

Empathy Soul Project – Indigo

Nadia – Devojka tvog dečka

Chegi & Braća Bluz Band – Svadba ili kavga

Gift – Liberta

Zejna – Rumba

Filarri – Posle mene

Boris Subotić – Nedostupan

Stefan Shy – Od jastuka do jastuka

Hurricane – Zumi Zami Zami

Duo Grand – Viva la vida

Firstly, I have to say this has been such a good selection! Especially that first semi-final, that would have made a worthy final in itself, I could barely choose eight qualifiers! The second semi wasn’t as strong, but I still enjoyed it. Nearly all the songs were well staged and well-performed, and while the atmosphere was a little odd with the lack of a live audience, it meant that during the songs the camera was solely focused on the artist. I didn’t finalise my initial ranking in time before the first semi, but I do want to say that I think the quality as a whole is high this year – this is one of those rare selections where I could see myself coming back to a playlist of all competing songs.

Before the show, I had Luke Black in first place, with Filip Baloš very close behind, but Filip completely overtook Luke with his live show! I love Novi plan drugi san as a song, it’s exactly my sort of dance music, exciting and addictive! It gets me so hyped up – something about the chord going into the chorus hits just right! I thought this might be hard to pull off live but he nailed those vocals! I also thought this was one of the best staged songs – everything about it worked! I liked his styling, very matrix with the coat and glasses, but with a flash of glitter. The choreography was slick, fitting so well with the style of the song, and despite him staying in the centre of the stage, it never felt static – he exuded confidence and owned that stage! The lighting design was fantastic, I loved what they did with the alternating blue and red lights on either side of him, and the strobing lights in general. It was very trippy, highlighting that vibe from the music.

Like I said, Samo mi se spava was my favourite song going in, and I still love it, but I was a little surprised by the staging. The song deals with depression and despair at the world, framed through video game metaphors. The video game influence comes through strong in the music, with that central drop especially drawing from retro soundtracks. It evoked a real nostalgia in me while still sounding fresh and modern. However, I wasn’t expecting the staging to take that so literally. I thought the dancers were cool, but the giant boss battle complete with health bar and ‘enemy defeated’ graphic was cheesy, and also kind of goes against the tone of the song, which doesn’t end with a happy resolution. However, that's my only issue, I still think this is a great entry.

Those two were my big standouts, but there’s plenty of other acts here that I like! I had a lot of fun with Neka neka just as a studio track, and I thought it was well sung, although maybe I’d have preferred it if they got out from behind the mic stands earlier. Princ’s song is great too, very Balkan, energetic and uptempo. It was also very well performed, and the red/gold/black colour scheme suited it very well. Finally, I was pleasantly surprised by Nađa’s song, which was very sweet without feeling saccharine, and builds to something quite special. It was a nice quiet moment in between everything else.

I’m hoping for Filip Baloš to win tonight, although I’d be happy seeing any of my top 5 in Liverpool! Filip has the entire package, he can copy paste it to the Eurovision stage and it will be perfect as far as I’m concerned. However, Serbia have plenty of options here – there are many songs further down my list I can see the appeal of, even if they aren’t really my thing. Semi final one might be shaping up to be the more competitive one this year, but if Serbia play their cards right they should fly through it with ease!

[s-o-a-p-ing]

MATTHEW S.O.A.P. ~ CHAPTER 10

Wednesday, 2/28/24

SCRIPTURE:

"And whoever doesn’t take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me." ~ Matthew 10:38 

OBSERVATION:

He doesn't say I have to do anything other than pick up my cross and follow Him....

I don't have to do anything else...

Just take up my cross - my cross - which is different from your cross and Lisa's cross and "insert name here's" cross...

,,,and follow Him...

That's what makes me worthy...

This was in my in-box over the weekend... I hope you don't mind my "lifting" it...

...something came to me very late yesterday that I had never thought of before- when Jesus says deny ourselves pick up our crosses and follow Him, I’ve always focused on what a bummer the self-denial and cross carrying part was, and never thought much about the follow Him thing. 

But maybe it doesn’t mean He’s leaving us to a life of struggle and suffering and having to figure everything out for ourselves. 

Because if He says follow Me it must mean He’s guiding the way so maybe we can stop feeling like we need to… like we are going to His house but we’re in separate cars...

He’s saying look, no need to enter it in Google maps, just follow Me.

Since He says we should follow Him, does it not mean that He’s right in the front, that He’s always going before us, that He’s always in "pole position," and we get to spiritually just draft off Him. 

That’s the rest and the help we need.  

It’s found in the "spiritual slip stream" of following Jesus - the One Who says come to Me all who are heavy laden and I will give you rest. 

The One Who never tires of being our help in times of trouble. 

The One in Whom we can rest and just try less hard for once. 

Nadia Bolz-Weber (thecorners@substack.com)

But do that - to "draft on" Jesus - to be in His "slip-stream" - means I have to be close behind Him... 

APPLICATION:

Take up my cross...

...and follow - "draft on" - Him...

PRAYER:

Leading Father God - forgive me when I slow down or try to pass or refuse to lift let alone carry my cross... Thank You that Jesus's pace is never faster than I can go, and that He carried my sin on His cross, making mine bearable by any comparison... In His Name, and for Your glory... 

Gratefully yours - in Him...𝖌

<))><

[karunanadar]

Reply for @nadiamorgan

She wasn’t overly picky about her expectations for her place. She wanted something that was put together to an extend, but that radiated her success as well as staying humble. She’d all but convinced herself that she could do it herself, but between her caseload and just how often she’d felt down in the dumps, she just couldn’t do it. “It’s nice to meet you too. I’m really happy you were able to get me on your schedule. I’m sure you’re all booked up.” Just from the conversations they’d had, it seemed Karuna knew what she was doing and if anyone was going to transform her space into something worthy of loving, it was her. “Of course. It’s right through here. Just make yourself at home. The island is cleared up. Take all the space you need.”

With that, she led the other into the kitchen and while Karuna laid out her things, Nadia made work on getting the coffee together. It wouldn’t be anything special, but thanks to her makeshift coffee bar, she had a small array of flavors available for the other to pick from. “Trust me, I’m sure I’ll love whatever you pitch my way and if I don’t, I’ll let you go.” Communication was important she’d never been shy about voicing her opinions. Though, she had faith that it wouldn’t be much of a problem. After a few moments, she had two coffee cups with two shots of espresso each in them. “I hope espresso is okay. I have regular milk, or oat. There are some flavors over at the coffee bar,” she directed, head nodding towards the small coffee cart she’d had made for her. “Feel free to do make it however you’d like.”

The kitchen was gorgeous; the cabinets and appliances, the coffee bar, the lighting. It was a beautiful canvas to work with and it didn't need a total rehaul, just a little personality brought in. Karuna took a moment to spread out her design ideas and some swatches of color on the island, before moving to take the offered coffee cup. "Oh espresso is my go to, this is lovely, thank you." She was a caramel girl through and through, a little flavor and a splash of oat milk thrown in and then she was settling near the island, finger happily tapping at her first sketch.

"Since we're in the kitchen I figure we can start with this. This space has great bones. If you're interested in a slight change in color scheme we could reface the cabinets, but I think they're gorgeous as is. What I am thinking is an updated backsplash, something a little less busy. And to the left over here I'm thinking a little paint on this wall, a medium rich accent color to draw the eye and add some contrast." She pulled two sketches forward, one that employed the idea of wall art and hanging plants, not overcluttered but space filled. The other sketch considered the option of cleaner lines and less clutter, a possible buffet hutch against the wall. "Do you consider yourself to be a minimalist or do you like a little cautious clutter to fill your spaces? I have the most playing with how much little pieces of decor can really change the feel of a room, but if you aren't a fan of that we can focus more on color and textures and lighting."

[theintrovertbean]

Halo! Umm Can you write Nadia and an fem!MC with low self-esteem? Like she's...completely harsh on herself because of her chubby body.

Hi! Before I begin the headcanons, I want to tell you something. It's gonna be long.

Weight is something that I also struggle with, and I always have. There was about 1 year in my life when I wasn't chubby, and that was because of an illness, so I understand how you might feel. Sometimes I can be quite harsh on myself too.

When I got together with my girlfriend over 3 years ago, I would have regular breakdowns about my body. I cried, I wanted to scream, and I hated myself. No matter what my girlfriend told me, it wasn't helping because I convinced myself that my weight made me unlovable.

That is, of course, not true. Our weight does not define us. Slowly, I started having fewer breakdowns thanks to the love my girlfriend has been giving me, but I still find it hard to believe that someone as pretty as her could ever want me. But she does. It makes zero difference to her. She knows how I look, she has seen me, and she is completely aware of my weight, but she still wants and loves me.

Chubby or not, we are still humans like everyone else. We are flawed and yet still so beautiful in our own way. There are people who are mean, but a good person wouldn't think of you as any less worthy and beautiful.

Your body has been here every step of the way. No matter what happens, your body is there. It might not be perfect in your eyes, but it is a part of you, so please, be kinder to it. Be kinder to yourself. You don't deserve the hate.

If you want to feel better about your body, you have to put in the work but don't do it for someone else. Do it for yourself because YOU want to feel better. Anyone who doesn't love you the way you are doesn't deserve your time. And by putting in the work, I don't mean that you have to go on a diet and lose weight. Sure, you can, but you can also learn to love yourself the way you are. You are so huggable. I bet you give amazing hugs. Start with something small, like realizing how huggable you are (that one helps me a lot), and you will gradually learn to love yourself.

Tomorrow, I'm going to the gym for the first time with my friend. I'm scared as hell, and I've been dreading going to the gym my entire life, but I'm also very excited. Take little steps today so that you can feel better tomorrow. Change doesn't happen overnight, so it's completely fine to take things slow. A few small steps go a long way.

It's okay to not fit into the beauty standards. You are still perfect, and it does not make you any less beautiful. Hugs and kisses for you, and never forget that you are worthy of love. You deserve to be loved by others and by yourself too. I love you, and if you ever want to talk, my DMs are open ❤

I hope you'll enjoy the headcanons!

Nadia x F!Chubby MC with low self-esteem

Sweet, darling MC. She doesn't realize how perfect she is, but Nadia would drop anything to be by her side whenever she needs her. The Countess is having an important meeting with foreign nobles, but Portia comes in and tells her that MC is being harsh on herself again? The nobles can get fucked. Her MC is more important. Nadia is her rock, her pillar, and she can lean on her whenever she is needed.

Nadia would do anything to make her feel better. Whatever she needs, Nadia is giving it to her. She loves spoiling her.

If MC allows it, Nadia would love to kiss every part of her that she's insecure about. Doesn't matter if it's her whole body or just her tummy. Nadia is more than happy to prove to MC how lovable she is.

Nadia listens to MC whenever she is having a breakdown. She would hold her close if she allowed it, just listening to her and then telling her that she is loved the way she is. It breaks her heart, but Nadia would tell her things to make her feel better. Like, that she is cute and her weight doesn't change anything.

Nadia looks at MC like she is the whole package, the object of all her desires. Because she is. Nadia makes sure MC knows that she is desired.

If MC is uncomfortable with receiving a lot of compliments (because otherwise, Nadia would shower her with them every second of the day), then Nadia would hold back a little. She would never do anything to make MC feel uncomfortable. They could come to an agreement. For example, Nadia would be allowed to call MC beautiful once a day. Soon, MC might ask her to do it twice a day, and Nadia is going to feel overjoyed and shower MC with kisses. Gradually, the number of compliments might increase alongside MC's self-esteem.

Oh, the clothes. Nadia would commission outfits from her tailor that make MC feel comfortable and beautiful. Seeing the joy on MC's face when she feels pretty in her new clothes makes Nadia's heart overfill with love and happiness.

Have I mentioned that MC is getting kisses?

Overall, Nadia would do anything in her power to help MC feel better about herself and realize her worth. She loves her, and nothing in the world could ever change that.

[iliveforyouilongforyouvesuvia]

I think Tasya is a very overlooked character which I think is unfortunate. I wonder how her relationship with Portia and Julian develops during her post-route redemption, and how well she gets along with Mazelinka and other characters like Nadia and Lucio after the evens in Portias route. Would they become closer, make up for lost time, or would they keep a distance? This isn't a request or anything, I've just been wondering about that

I really love your writing btw, I always look forward to reading it :)

@darkwastelandlady I know you didn't ask for it, but here's my little Tasya ramble ^.^

It's been a while since I replayed Portia's route, but from what I remember of the ending, Tasya seems well situated to grow and learn from her mistakes with the support system necessary to keep her accountable.

The upright ending picks up with Portia and MC heading off on the maiden emissary voyage to start growing Vesuvia's international connections (with Natiqa accompanying them) and with Tasya leaving Vesuvia with some of her merchant fleet. Tasya has spent the last few months using her resources to fund Vesuvia's restoration, and now she's heading out to other nearby areas affected by her storm. She's not holding back in her desire to rebuilt what she's destroyed, but she still retains her ambition and drive as a powerful business woman.

To keep her in check, Mazelinka's returning to her pirate ship to accompany them, with Julian and Nazali on board. Julian and Nazali seem to be the implied background romance for Portia's route (she even has a conversation with Nazali before leaving, asking them to take care of her brother for her). Mazelinka also has a brief conversation with MC and Portia, stating a desire to help Tasya turn over a new leaf, righting her wrongs and growing into a better person. It doesn't necessarily imply a budding romance between Mazelinka and Tasya, but it does leave room for that possibility!

All that said, given the nature of upright endings being all about growing into a better person and helping community flourish, I do think Tasya would eventually be able to find some kind of peace. Portia consistently expresses a desire to hold onto her relationship with her aunt, and given how Julian and Mazelinka are volunteering to be her support system, the chances of their bond becoming stronger than ever are pretty high. It's not clearly implied whether Tasya becomes a permanent member of the family Julian and Portia are piecing together around them, but given how eager she is to become worthy of their trust and how strongly she values familial bonds in general, it wouldn't be crazy to assume she does :)

Cheers friend, hope that helps!

[dontdierobb]

Around Christmas last year I started work on the comic series Brooklyn Zirconia for Image Comics. Working together with the talented and charming writer Nadia Shammas and the accurate Frank Cvetcovic on lettering, we provided the back issue for Chip Zdarsky and Jacob Phillip’s publication NEWBURN.

Find out how to order it here: https://bit.ly/3H5QnbA

As grim as it may sound I don’t think I could have done this without the early and long support and engagement coming from you, the people who have chosen to click at some point on that silly little follow button on tumblr. I couldn’t be prouder of the work Nadia Frank and I provided. And I don’t think it’s too much information at this point (you’ve been following this blog. come on) to say that I did not get much encouragement from my family to become a comic book artist, to say the least. This is my third official comic book release and I never feel like I say thank you enough to all of you. Thank you for thinking that my years of labor are worthy of being displayed, discussed, and shared. I hope you’re not too disappointed that I’ve been off the tumblr radar for a while. But you are always at the back of my mind. I hope you can enjoy Newburn, and when you see someone pick it up at the store, inappropriately creep up at a COVID SAFE distance to point out very loudly “This guy used to draw JoJo and One Piece porn for to eat. Guess that worked out pretty well.”

[beanswrites]

"My Nadi" Nadia x MC, from The Arcana

Hey everyone!! I decided that it's time to put more requests out, so here you go!!

This super cute little one-shot was requested by my 👻 anon!! Sorry you had to wait this long!!

Requests are open! Check out my rules for requesting before sending me your ideas, or pick a prompt from my prompts list! ♡︎

Also available on AO3!

masterlist | rules for requesting | prompts list

Word count: 976 words

Trope: General fluff

Pairing: Nadia Satrinava x masc! MC

AU: none

Warnings: none

Picture from Pinterest!

It was early, way too early. And it certainly wasn't fair.

Nadia's slowly opened her heavy eyelids at the rays of the first-morning sun. Usually, countesses like her would expect to hear some nice, princess-worthy sounds in the morning as their alarm, perhaps the song of birds or the chatter on the streets. But no, not Nadia. She wasn't awake because of the sunrise or the street market opening. What pulled her out of her peaceful sleep was deep, loud snoring.

It sounded like a horn. Like two horns! Hell, like a whole orchestra of deep, deafening horns! Before meeting MC, Nadia had never seen anyone who could snore that loudly. 

She rubbed her eyes, trying to see where she was and what was going on. The first thing she saw was her favorite sight in the entire world - her handsome boyfriend, MC.

He was stretched out on his stomach, drooling while snoring on the silk pillows. His bare, muscular back was on full display as the blankets only covered his lower body, up to the waistband of his pajama pants.

Nadia smiled at the view. He was, without doubt, the most gorgeous man, the most gorgeous person she has ever met. From his toes up to his messy hair, everything about him was perfect. He. He was perfect. In every way and every meaning of the word MC was everything Nadia ever wanted.

She yawned, gracefully covering her mouth with her hand. Even though she hated nothing more than leaving MC, she had to go to work and get up from their bed. 

The countess figured that her royal consort was sleeping deeply from how much he was snoring. There wasn't a chance for her to wake him up while leaving, right? So, she slowly, very slowly wiggled both of her caramel legs on the edge of the bed. Turning around once more to make sure her lover was asleep, she freed herself from the blanket. 

The reason why Nadia was so afraid not to wake him up was that he was a very clingy person. And if he woke up while she was trying to go to work? He'd make a complete fuss and just wouldn't let her leave. 

What Nadia didn't know was that once she started stretching in her sitting position, one particular guy looked at her from the corner of one of his eyes. And he certainly was unsatisfied with what he saw! Was she gonna leave him just like that? Alone, and without any morning cuddles? Oh, what if she left without a good-morning kiss too?! Well, that would be simply unacceptable.

"Mmmphh.." He groaned as he was slowly pulled from his sleep as well.

Nadia noticed that, mentally cursing herself over waking him up. And he was sleeping so peacefully...

"Nadi..? Where are you going so early..?"

He asked, hoping that she won't leave him alone in their bed. 

"I've got to work, precious. Maybe I can see you for breakfast?"

Now, he was truly unsatisfied. This wouldn't fly, it just simply wouldn't! He was her boyfriend, he deserved even a little bit of her attention!

MC grunted sleepily, letting her know that he wasn't pleased.

Before she could even react, his large arms crept their way around her waist and locked in front of her stomach. He towered over her, pressing her into a bear hug, which she couldn't leave even if she did try.

"What are you doing, darling?" Nadia chuckled at his actions but melted into the hug very quickly afterward.

"Mmph.. Don't go.." He nuzzled his face into her purple locks, tightening his grip on her waist.

The countess lightly tapped his arms, trying to signal that she truly does have to leave. 

"Oh, come on now lovely, I really do have to work!"

His attitude was radiating from him as he huffed out, offended that her work was more important. To show her that he'll always get exactly what he wants, he pulled the countess in his lap, now trapping her without a chance of escape.

MC man-handled her so that she was facing him, but quickly buried his head into the crook of her neck, inhaling her scent.

"Mm-mm", he moaned, "My Nadi.."

She tried resisting, but there was no way out of his strong arms. Finally, she accepted her defeat, and with a breathy laugh hugged him back.

"Yes, darling, all yours... But how is my work ever going to take me away from you?"

He let out a sigh. How didn't she see that he needed more private time with her? That he craved intimacy more often?

"Just... Not enough time for us, I guess.." He mumbled into her skin, hoping that she wouldn't scold him for how he felt.

But Nadia wasn't like that.

Instead, she moved herself to look him in the eyes, taking his face in her hands.

"Not enough time? Sweetheart, what are you talking about?"

"Well... I just think that you sometimes work too much, you know? I get that you are our countess and that it's a big responsibility, but I can't help but feel like we don't get enough time for us! I need you here with me more, okay? You are my Nadi, and I need to love my Nadi more often!"

The purple-haired woman could've melted. She swung her arms around his neck and started kissing him. Once they pulled away, breathless and love-drunk, Nadia thought for a second and then said:

"You are right, MC. Maybe we do need more time for ourselves. I guess that work will still be there tomorrow... How about we stay in bed today, dear?"

He jumped in excitement, pushing them both down on the soft mattress. Yeah, work could wait. Spending time with each other was way too important.

[malka-lisitsa]

@bunnyblooded asked:

Did you imagine having a child with me, when we were together? Had you wanted a family?

The question seemed to come out of nowhere. She was just trying to enjoy lunch, and now shes choking on feelings.

The doppleganger swallowed hard and licked her lips, glancing away from Stefan and back towards the food on her plate. Searching her thoughts for an answer, any answer.

Did she tell the truth? Did she lie? What purpose did either of them serve anymore. Lie, and maybe hurt him, or tell the truth and definitely hurt herself.

Its been a little while now Katherine you need to say something.

"The truth is Stefan. I never thought about children. Not with you, not with anyone... not... I never let myself think about them. If I did, then I thought about the child I do have.... did have... Nadia. I thought about how painful it was to have her ripped out of my arms by my judgemental, blaming, asshole of a father. How badly I wanted to raise her. How honest to god badly I wanted to be a mother the very second I laid eyes on her.

All of the moments I should have had, all of the first we should have shared. All of the heart break I should have been there to help her heal from. But I wasn't. I couldn't be." She had tried. She went back.

"So no, I never thought about what it would be like to have kids with you, because I never saw myself worthy of them. Not when I couldn't be there for her. I failed her as a mother, I should have fought harder. I should have never left without her. I should have taken her with me into exile, god I would have been a shitty mother struggling to keep her taken care of but I would have BEEN THERE."

Shes quick to wipe a tear that had the AUDACITY of spilling over the levey and racing down her cheek. The absolute BETRAYAL.

Katherine turned her gaze back to Stefan, looking far more vulnerable than she ever intended to.

"No. I never thought about children, but I ALWAYS wanted a family with you.... I thought about that a lot. I had hoped it would be the one kindness I was awarded in life, after everything. I guess that was probably the dumbest thing, I could have thought huh? That I would be given a family. A HOME, where I could be happy. With you."

She didn't even bother trying to wipe those tears away. There was no point, they'd just keep coming, racing after each other. Besides, if she had to be weak and vulnerable in front of anyone, she wanted it to be Stefan.

She loves him.

She trusts him.

She needs him.

[empressapprentice]

Arcana Headcanons: Infidelity + M6

I’m back with more headcanons, and will be sharing even more soon as I have more free time! My last batch was super sweet and fluffy, these are decidedly not. I’m doing these headcanons as character study exercises, and since the LIs are so devoted to you in-game, I wanted to think about what could possibly motivate them to cheat. Not all of these involve sex because I thought that certain characters would consider emotional interactions cheating on their partner. But warning for non-explicit sexual content for several of the M6--I’d say this is PG-13. These are kind of long, but I felt I needed some good exposition to set things up. I hate how much I enjoy angst :( Feedback and requests are always welcomed: if you hate it or love it, let me know why so I can improve! Plus, check out my Ao3 here, where I’ll be posting these as well.

Asra

Asra will never, ever regret giving up half his heart for you. But one night, he can’t sleep, feeling regret for the friendships and relationships he missed out on because it’s so difficult to form connections with others. He wishes that while he waited for you to recover from the resurrection, he’d been able to let others into his life.

He’s slept with people other than you (Julian, for one), but not since you woke up after the ritual. He realizes that he can’t remember any of his previous encounters. He completely forgot what anyone other than you feels like to hold and to touch.

The next day, he tells you that he wants to take a quick overnight trip to Nopal. With such late notice, you can’t tag along. He just wants to spend some time alone and actually get to know the villagers for once, intending to practice his social skills and break the cycle of isolation he unintentionally maintained with the people there.

When he sits around the fire, eating and sharing stories with the villagers, a handsome young man approaches him. He says that he’s always had a crush on the mysterious magician, but could tell that Asra was never open to getting to know anyone. Asra, remembering that he doesn’t know what it’s like to be close to someone else, starts flirting back. Before he knows it, his lips are brushing against the stranger’s.

The moment their lips meet, Asra pulls back sharply, overcome with guilt for betraying your trust. He shakily apologizes to the young man, saying he didn’t know what came over him. He runs back to his hut, gets on the Beast and travels back to Vesuvia as fast as possible. Faust comforts him as he sobs silently, thinking about never wanting to leave your arms again.

Nadia

Nadia is visiting a neighboring territory and sitting through a very, very boring dinner with dignitaries. She’s been away from Vesuvia for a week and anticipates having to stay for at least one more as negotiations drag on. She’s loath to admit it, but she’s lonely. The letters you’ve exchanged via Chandra only make the separation more painful.

So when a diplomat approaches her with questions about Vesuvia, she’s happy to have some company. She clearly admires Nadia quite a bit and compliments the work she’s done to turn Vesuvia around.

While basking in her companion’s kind words, she unconsciously moves closer to the other woman. It doesn’t take long for the conversation to become personal, moving away from professional networking. And even more quickly, the conversation becomes flirty. When Nadia moves her hand to touch the other woman, her intentions are clear. The diplomat is flattered, but hesitant, asking, “Aren’t you married?”

Nadia is momentarily stunned by the question, but refuses to lose her composure. The lie comes easily, from years of schmoozing fellow politicians. She replies that her marriage is open. The diplomat smiles, unaware of the shame pooling in Nadia’s core. She sheepishly invites the Countess back to her room.

Though the dinner is long over and the party moved into the sitting room for a digestif, many having already left, Nadia finds herself worried how it would look for the two of them to leave together. She hates herself for worrying more about appearances than you, but she’s been particularly hungry for the feel of a body next to her in bed and she’s frustrated at not being able to get what she wants for once. So, she agrees.

She excuses herself, saying that she must retire for the night, and waits a few moments for the diplomat to leave as well.

Nadia excuses herself after the shameful act, saying she must be in her own bed when servants come to wake her in the morning. She spends the rest of the night staring at her ceiling, vowing to never tell you about her indiscretion. You find out, of course, knowing your wife too well for her to hide that something’s wrong.

Julian

One night, he goes to the Rowdy Raven and is mid-tankard of Salty Bitters while animatedly telling the story of how he helped defeat the Devil. When he finishes weaving the tale, he heads back to the bar to another drink. Before he can get his coin purse to pay, an extremely attractive stranger tells Barth to put it on their tab--payment for the entertaining story.

Julian gratefully accepts, sliding into a seat to chat with the stranger. Whether consciously or unconsciously, Julian turns his charm up even more, wanting to make sure he keeps them entertained. They swap introductions, Julian’s natural tendency to call people affectionate names and his rakish attitude being interpreted as flirtation.

As the stranger returns the affection, Julian realizes what’s happening but doesn’t want to stop it. He’s practically glowing from the kind words flowing from the mouth of his new friend and is addicted to the feeling. A nagging voice tells him he should get back home to you, but it is quieted when the stranger moves closer to him, running a finger over his chest.

The stranger downs their drink and gets up abruptly. They tell Julian to finish his drink and meet them in the alley outside, with a cheeky comment about seeing what else his mouth could do thrown over their shoulder as they walk out the back of the tavern.

Julian’s breath catches at the thought of a clandestine alleyway quickie, and he can’t deny how appealing the idea seems to him. He stares at the drink remaining in his glass, fighting a mental war over whether to finish it quickly and run to the alley.

Barth approaches Julian, noticing he was about to finish his latest drink and anticipating a request for a refill. While waiting for Julian to finish, he makes light conversation with him. When he asks how you are doing, Julian bolts upright. His face reddens at the mention of your name, knowing he made a grave mistake even considering the stranger’s offer.

Julian leaves the rest of his drink untouched. He awkwardly gets up, says goodnight to Barth and hopes that he won’t run into the stranger when he exits the Raven out the front door. Mercifully, he doesn’t, but he might not have even noticed, he was so focused on getting back to you.

When he reaches the front door of the place you share, he’s sobbing. Even though it’s late, you are waiting up for him, knowing that he often needs you to offer him water and get him to eat some food after a night out. He falls on his knees before you, utterly broken by the kindness of you waiting to take care of him, and begs you to listen to him one last time. He tells you, again, that he is no good for you and it is inevitable he will break your heart. He confesses everything that happened at the bar, his voice breaking when he says how close he was to cheating on you. He admits in a small voice that he will never be worthy of you--despite all he’s changed, he’s always one step away from hurting you.

Lucio

Lucio is dressed in a new outfit, finely made and very flattering. He is about to attend a party at his estate in honor of the summer solstice. The last step in his pre-party ritual before joining you and making a grand entrance fashionably late is to admire himself in the mirror. He poses and struts in front of it, hyping himself up for the night, but stopping short as he notices a grey hair in his meticulously coiffed style.

Moving closer to the mirror, he is horrified that several other grey hairs have popped out since the last time he dyed his hair, not long ago. Stepping back, he frantically tries to change the style to hide them, shrieking as he realizes the wrinkles on his forehead are deeper than he remembers. The time-honored ritual, which has never failed to put him in the right mindset for a night of socialization, has only made him more self-conscious about his age than ever.

He starts pacing around his room, heels clicking and mind racing. He feels a strange sense of longing for his old life, when he had no responsibilities and never worried about the consequences of his actions. He’s old now, and he wishes for the freedom and stupidity of youth.

When he makes the grand entrance with you at the party, his heart isn’t really in it. He immediately heads for a servant, demanding a glass of hard liquor instead of his usual sparkling wine. One glass turns into several, and it’s not long before he’s very intoxicated. You see Lucio drinking more than usual, but you keep getting distracted by guests and can’t figure out what’s going on with him.

Once he’s drunk enough to not care about anything--just as he intended--he makes eye contact with an attractive woman in a slinky gown and winks. His rough flirting works, as the woman comes up to him. He feels a mixture of pride and shame that he’s still attractive and powerful enough to draw someone in with nothing more than a wink.

They chat briefly, but they both know Lucio desires more than conversation and the guest is more than willing to oblige. He takes the woman’s hand, leading her to an alcove far away from the party and they begin to make out. Soon his pants are at his ankles and they’re doing far more than kissing. It’s rough, messy and fast, exactly the thing he would have done in his life before he got the plague and before you.

The woman leaves him panting when they’ve both finished. His stomach drops as he realizes that this cheap attempt at feeling young again only made him feel worse. He realizes with a start that he jeopardized the thing that actually fulfills him and makes him truly happy.

Muriel

Muriel dislikes social interactions with pretty much everyone, especially strangers. How could he possibly cheat on you when he can hardly stand to spend time around his friends?

But as he becomes more comfortable with being around people, he starts spending time around the Palace. Usually, he’s waiting for you to finish your duties with Nadia so he can walk you home or go back to the shop for dinner, but sometimes he comes early so he can spend a quiet moment in the gardens.

The more time he spends at the Palace, befriending some of Lucio’s poorly-behaved albino animals and trying to train them, the more time he spends with a certain servant determined to befriend him.

At first, they don’t even catch his attention, he’s so used to tuning other people out. But this servant notices his gentle nature and sometimes brings him some water or tea and a pastry while he’s sitting by the fountain. They claim that they’ve been trained to always serve the needs of their guests, but they’re mostly interested in getting Muriel to open up.

After several weeks of Muriel becoming used to the servant and accepting that they can be trusted, he begins exchanging a few words with them beyond a grunted thanks for the refreshments. The way the servant approaches him reminds him of you and he finds he doesn’t mind light conversation to entertain him and distract him from Lucio’s pets.

One day, he realizes with a start that he not only trusts the servant and enjoys their company, but that he finds them attractive. He panics, not knowing how to tell you. He feels so ashamed of himself for letting someone new in and he’s never felt attracted to someone like this before, other than with you. He’s confused on how to handle his feelings and how he should tell you, if at all.

He confesses the situation to Asra before going to you. Asra is very kind and supportive, saying that it is natural to find other people attractive and that it’s a good sign that he is willing to let a stranger befriend him. But Muriel can’t shake the idea that he’s done wrong by you and refuses to come back to the gardens.

Portia

Given how much Portia likes secrets and romance stories, I think a part of her would love the idea of a sneaky romance. Portia is a deeply practical person, but there are times where she can get carried away with romanticism. The thrill of getting away with it and using her knowledge of the secret passages in the Palace, etc. to hide a tryst holds some appeal to her, but she’d feel ashamed of even fantasizing about it.

She has to work on the first night of the Masquerade after the events of the game due to her new responsibilities at the Palace. Out of solidarity, you work too, creating real-time magical spectacles to surprise guests. To keep up the aesthetic, you’re both still wearing costumes and masks.

While Portia is in the ballroom, she’s fretting over the floral displays and a heavily intoxicated person knocks into her, sending the vase flying. Before Portia can even react, she falls into strong arms, rescuing her from the splashing water and strewn flowers. She turns to thank the stranger, and they say she can express her gratitude by granting them a dance. In the spirit of the Masquerade, she accepts.

She and the stranger twirl around the dance floor to a fast-paced song. The stranger is a fantastic dancer and leads Portia through the steps flawlessly. They end the song by dipping her low. The music switches to a slow ballad while the lights dim. Still breathless, the stranger pulls Portia close, and she loses herself in the moment. The ambiance is incredible, and kissing a gorgeous masked stranger at a ball could not be more storybook-perfect. Their lips touch, until a swirl of magical energy brushes her and she remembers you. She steps back from the stranger and runs off, forgetting about her duties, the flowers on the ground and the rest of the Masquerade. She feels horrible about kissing someone other than you but can’t shake the smug pleasure deep inside her that loves her fairytale romance coming to life.