#i humbly apologize for the long list

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Winter's King 6

No tag lists. Do not send asks or DMs about updates. Review my pinned post for guidelines, masterlist, etc.

Warnings: this fic will include dark content such as noncon/dubcon, cheating, violence, and possible untagged elements. My warnings are not exhaustive, enter at your own risk.

This is a dark!fic and explicit. 18+ only. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Summary: You are a maid to the Duke of Debray, a lord of the Summer Kingdom. That is, until the king of Winter appears with his particular air of coldness. (Medieval AU)

Characters: Geralt of Rivia

Note: i slept so gosh dang heavy.

As per usual, I humbly request your thoughts! Reblogs are always appreciated and welcomed, not only do I see them easier but it lets other people see my work. I will do my best to answer all I can. I’m trying to get better at keeping up so thanks everyone for staying with me.

Your feedback will help in this and future works (and WiPs, I haven’t forgotten those!) Please do not just put ‘more’. I will block you.

I love you all immensely. Take care. 💖

You haul up the cask, one of the smaller but still heavy for your arms. The stairs are treacherous to the upper floors of the castle and you waddle down the corridors hugging the vessel with heavy steps. As you near the ivory room, you slow and face the wooden barrier. Should you knock? 

You look down. You can’t balance the cask with one arm. You lean and tap with your foot as best you can. You wait and hear only the draughts flowing in from the windows. Then at once, the hinges groan and the door swings inward, the king already in retreat. 

You enter, trying not to show your struggle, and carry it to the round table. You set it down with a loud clunk and your shoulders ache. You feel around your apron pockets for the spout. You sense the king’s mood clouding in the chamber. 

“If you knew it was to be heavy, you could have said so,” he grits as he sits across the table from you. 

“Your highness, it is not very much,” you lie. Your arms feel weak as you put the spout in place. You did not bring a stein. “I will fetch a cup--” 

“I don’t care about the ale,” he rests one hand against the handle. “If you are thirsty, there is a cup in my bedroll.” 

You back away, confused. You don’t protest or question him. Did you mishear him? He did request ale. 

“So I am wed,” he mulls and toys with a loose lace hanging from the open collar of his shirt. It is untucked from his breeches as his hair is tangled around his shoulders. 

“Good tidings for that, your highness,” you offer the expected courtesy. 

He looks at you and you wince, putting your head down as you back away.  

“Apologies, I speak out of turn,” you touch your chin. 

He huffs, “weddings are supposed to be happy, are they not?” 

You bow your head lower, “I believe so, your highness.” 

He hums and tabs his fingers on the armrest, “I am not very happy.” 

You stay as you are. He makes it hard to serve, he is cryptic to the point you can’t guess what he wants. You dare to peek up quickly but promptly retract your gaze as you meet his eyes. 

“Speak your thoughts, I see them written upon your brow,” he commands. 

You sway slightly and bend your arms behind you, “your highness--” 

“Look at me,” he demands. You obey. 

“Your highness,” you start cautiously, “you’ve been at war, perhaps you are sick for your home.” 

He scoffs and rubs the coarse stubble on his jaw, “my home? You would not think that if you knew it.” 

You slant your mouth. He raises his hand, gesturing with two fingers, “speak freely.” 

“You are correct, your highness, I would not know. I’ve never been further than a day’s ride from this castle. I only hear that the north is cold but anyone might guess that.” 

He snorts, “yes, it is cold. And dark. But the mountains, they are beautiful and when the snows fall, they glisten over the ground. So long as you have a fire to warm you, or a body near, it is not so bad.” He closes his eyes and leans his chin on his knuckles, “there are large elk with trees for antlers and the white wolves who blend into the snow but for their eyes, and the bears who sleep in the caves until the ground thaws in the springs.” He opens his eyes again and stares at you, “we have no summer there. The butterflies and flowers do not fare for long.” 

You imagine the place he describes. Or attempt to. It sounds frightening. No summer? 

“I’ve never seen snow,” you say at last. 

He sits up and his expression eases, “then you will to come see it.” 

You blink. Is he serious? Is that an order? 

“I serve the castle--” 

“You serve...” he swallows, “my wife and by rights I am her master. As she is yours, thus you serve me. She will need a familiar face once we are on to the Hinterlands. They are harrowing and she is weak. You will be her companion to see her through.” 

You don’t argue. You never do. He is right. All that is Lady Jazlene’s is now his. 

“Are you excited to come?” He asks. 

You think. You will do as you’re told thought it is an unexpected, almost undreamt of, opportunity. 

“I think I am, your highness. It is a far way and I’ve never been very far.” 

“Mm,” he puts his elbow on the table, almost amused as he watches you, “are you afraid?” 

“Why, yes, certainly,” you answer honestly. “You speak of bears and wolves. I’ve never seen those either, though I have seen deer.” 

“Do not fear, even the bears and the wolves bow to King Geralt,” he lets himself laugh, a bawdy rumbling like thunder. It surprises you, “but first we must ride south to tidy up the summer countries. I must meet my people, make sure they are not left to ruin.” 

You tilt your head but quickly fix it. He drones again, “speak.” 

“That is kind of you. No, as you said before, prudent. To make certain the people are not unhappy. War leaves scars.” 

“It leaves gaping wounds if one does stitch them up,” he counters, “a wise observation for a maid.” 

Your cheeks twitch. You think it’s a compliment. You lower your chin. 

“Ah,” he intones, “don’t. You don’t have to hide from me, little maid.” 

His last words drag over his tongue. His timbre is like smoke. You feel how it traps the air in your chest. You linger, uncertain, across from him. 

“Will you sit with me?” He asks and leans forward to pull out the chair nearest to him, “I rarely have pleasant company.” 

You hesitate. What about Jazlene? He has her. She is his wife now. You don’t dare ask that question. You move carefully around the chair and sit. He stays forward in his chair, his arm on the table. 

“I have told you of the Hinterlands, but what of you? I’ve seen some of your home but I expect this castle isn’t your real home,” he says. 

“It is the only home I remember,” you murmur, “I’ve been here since I was a girl.” 

His gold eyes flick down and he nods, “I didn’t...” he looks up again and leans back, a stitch in his brow, “would it make you unhappy to be away from home?” 

You purse your lips. You’ve never thought of leaving. You don’t feel any sort of way about the prospect, nothing more than ignorant. You don’t know what awaits you outside those walls. 

“I will go where I am bid,” you say evenly, “not many get to go so far from home. It would be nice to see more of the world.” 

He hums as he watches you, brushing his fingers through his white hair. You watch how his index catches in a wave and he tugs it free with agitation. He pauses, holding out his hand before dropping it to his lap. He inclines his head as if to say, ‘what are you looking at?’ 

“Are there many people like you there?” You ask, voice shaky. 

“Like me? There is only one king. I’ve made certain of that.” 

“No, I... never mind,” you curl one hand around the other, “your highness.” 

“Only me,” he affirms, “and what of you? I’ve yet to meet any like you.” 

You furrow your nose, “there are lots of maids, your highness.” 

He doesn’t respond and his shoulders drop. He once more runs his hand around his square jaw. He inhales and lets it out slowly. 

“You should leave now,” he utters softly, “before...” he pauses and his eyes wander to the window, “before the dawn.” 

You stand and bend your neck, “yes, your highness. I wish you a good sleep and a good marriage.” 

He returns only another thick grunt. You leave him without looking back. As you’re shut out in the dark corridor, a clatter comes from the other side. You turn back but do not go through. You smell something stringent and feel something wet seeping into the stitches of your shoes. You kneel and put your fingers in the liquid leaking under the door. It’s the ale. 

You stand and lean back on your heel. You never meant to anger the king. You will do well to stay out of the way. You don’t think you’ll be going to the Hinterlands after all. Merinda is much more fit for a royal court anyhow. 

⚔️

You sleep hardly an hour before you are on your feet again. The castle is in a flurry to get the horses and luggage on the road. You and Merinda help Lady Jazlene dress as her head threatens to droop this way and that. She’s tired and her yawns tickle your throat as you hold back a similar act. 

Lady Rezlyn enters, already dressed, her dark blue gown slashed with yellow in the sleeves. You and Merinda retreat to busy yourself with miniscule worries. The lady’s riding gloves and boots. A queen’s gloves and boots. 

“Oh, my daughter,” Rezlyn sweeps over to put her hands to Jazlene’s cheek, admiring her daughter as she ever does, “I see your wedding night has left you fatigued. I expected no less of a man like the king.” 

The lewd snicker from the duchess’ mouth makes your stomach churn. Jazlene trickles out a small chuckle and wriggles free of her mother’s grasp. She turns and sits to let you lace on her boots. 

“What is it, then?” Rezlyn challenges, folding her arms. “Did it hurt very much? I told you, daughter, it wouldn’t be very pleasant if you stay dry as parchment.” 

“Mother, please,” Jazlene begs, “I wasn’t...” she shakes her head and sniffs, “it was wonderful.” Her lie is told by the tremour in her void. She raises her head, “He is a true king and I am his queen now. These are matters between man and wife.” 

Rezlyn scowls and sneers, “very well then. How quickly your head swells.” 

“You will not mind so much when you see the advantage a queen’s mother reaps,” Jazlene’s bold tone returns. You see the same lady you’ve ever known. Haughty and stubborn. “I am off to meet my people, to ride through the kingdom. I will introduce my husband to my people and they will see they were wrong about me. Lady Theodora will choke on her stupid sapphire collar.” 

“Precious, I know they will,” Rezlyn smirks, “they will all see how wrong they were about our family. The will recall at last your father’s title and the history behind it.” 

Jazlene raises her chin and her nostrils flair, “is that why, mother? Is that why we’ve done this? To reclaim our glory?” 

“To find new glory. In a new kingdom. Darling, don’t you see, you will watch over a realm larger than any before. You and the greatest king the world has known.” 

You stand as Merinda hides her dry flutter of lashes. She is always much more amused by the flowery conversations between the duchess and her daughter. You can only think of the ale leaking under the door and the king’s declaration; ‘I am not very happy’. 

When Jazlene rises, you tie a cape around her shoulders, the shimmering silver with the blue and violet flowers sewn into it. She is sparkling in her new role. A queen with even a circlet of silver in her curls, though it was formerly a necklace.  

She emerges with her spine straight and her eyes set. She has readied all her life to be a wife though she just as easily acts a queen. Her shoulders are high and strong as she descends into the chaos of the castle. 

You and Merinda follow behind the two ladies. Lord Dustan blusters towards them, the toggle buttons of his riding jacket unaligned with the loops. He looks between his daughter and wife. 

“The horse will be ready shortly, are you ready to ride?” He sneers at Jazlene. 

“Father, I am the queen. You do not tell me--” 

“You are a queen and queen’s cannot be tardy. We must way to the capital to consolidate the kingdom. This is not a pageant,” he hisses. 

“Is the carriage ready?” Jazlene asks. 

“Carriage? You will ride abreast. All haste is required.” 

“Father,” Jazlene shifts on her feet with discomfort, “I’d be better on a cushion than a saddle--” 

“Argue it with the king then. His orders.” 

Dustan storms past without further discussion and disappears through the outer doors into the courtyard. Jazlene pouts into a grimace and looks at her mother. Rezlyn gives a wry shrug. 

“Well, your highness...” Rezlyn taunts. 

“Motherrrrr,” Jazlene growls before she spins and breezes away in her father’s stead. 

You trail the duchess into the dim hues of dawn. The yard is even more hectic than within. The king’s soldiers move like ants on a hill as their horses stand in patient rows, ready to be mounted. It is the Debray party that is in disarray. 

As Jazlene weaves through the crowd, several of the castle hands back away and show their deference for their new queen. The black and grey soldiers of the Hinter carry on in checking their saddle bags and weapons. The king is near the gate, head down as a steely haired soldier speaks to him. 

The duchess’ daughter, newly married, awoken a queen, approaches her husband without hesitation. 

“I am told I am not to have a carriage? I cannot sit a horse. It is unseemly--” 

King Geralt signals to his man with irritation. The soldier with eyes as grey as his hair quiets and backs away. You can tell by the pin on his mail that he must be important. 

“You will,” the king says evenly. “We must be quick. I cannot have a broken axle. We ride as if to battle. In itself, this is exactly what we face.” 

“But you have won--” 

“I won in blood, but there are other victories to be claimed,” the king interjects, “still your tongue and obey your husband and king. The world does not exist as your cloistered life in this castle.” 

“I am the queen and I want a carriage!” Jazlene squeals shrilly. Several heads turn as you keep your chin low. You know it isn’t the right response but Jazlene does not take orders easily. 

“You have not yet been coronated,” the king snarls, “do not forget so quickly on who’s back you rose.” 

Jazlene huffs and puts her hands to her hips. She steps closer to the king and he glares down at her. You peek up to find his eyes blazing. 

“I am your wife, not your servant,” she snaps, “and you will not speak to me as one.” 

He blinks and you retract your stare. You look over at Merinda as her face strains with horror. The tension of the confrontation quiets the courtyard. 

“If I need to have you strapped to the horse like a bedroll, then so be it,” King Geralt hisses. “I have done my duty to you so you will do yours or you should void our contract. Obey.” 

Jazlene stands defiantly close to the king. They stare at one another, the air thrumming between them. Lady Rezlyn reaches to touch her daughter’s sleeve. 

“You will look so pretty aback a horse, daughter. Imagine what the people will think when they see you resplendent as you ride into the capital, eh? You shouldn’t hide in a carriage, you will want to meet your people.” 

The daughter puffs out and steps back at her mother’s tugging. She retreats slowly as the king does not budge, his face twisted with anger. The duchess has tendered a fragile truce. 

“Come, I haven’t ridden in some time,” Rezlyn coaxes the younger woman. 

“And you will not,” King Geralt speaks at last, “my wife will ride. I see no need of her mother. She is no naive maiden.” 

Rezlyn flinches, “your highness?” 

The king raises his hand and gestures with his fingers. Two soldiers come forth in his colours, “I will leave some of my men to watch over your walls. The word will spread how Debray did assist in my victory. I have yet to assuage that animosity so you would be best to stay and hide behind your walls.” He drops his arm, gripping his pommel, “your husband has not yet given all he promised.” 

Rezlyn grips her daughter’s arm and staggers as if she’s been struck. What the king has said is clear. They are traitors, not only in the eyes of their fellow summer lords, but in his. He has not trust and the duchess will be kept in her castle as little more than a hostage. 

“Your highness,” Lady Rezlyn rasps, “I shall do as you bid. I will only say farewell to my daughter.” 

“Make it fast,” the king sneers. 

[emberfrostlovesloki]

Baby Fever [Emily x Reader]

Photo Credits Left and Right (@meditando-en-paris) Center (@emily12o1970)

Prompt: The reader asks Emily if she wants to have a baby together. While this is a surprise, Emily has a little question of her own for the reader.

Pairing: [established relationship] Emily x Non-BAU!reader. The Reader uses she/her pronouns 

Category: fluff/comfort

Word Count: 6.8K

Content Warnings: Slight angst, talk of getting pregnant, food and alcohol are mentioned, implied intimacy, discussion of politics. If I missed any, please let me know.  

A/N: Hi all! I’m so sorry it’s been a while since I’ve posted any fics in a while. The end of the semester has been wildly busy. However, I return with an Emily fic for @imagining-in-the-margins March and April writing challenge. I made my own prompt that is, a member of the couple isn’t sure they’ll make a good parent; they are reassured by a friend that they will be perfect. This is a continuation of my Moschino and Muddy Water series. You can find parts one, two, three, and four here (linked) You can read this as a stand-alone as well, you just need to know the reader works for a senator. This story kind of humbled me and challenged me as it took a long time to write and I needed to do lots of edits on it. But that is a good reminder for me. Writing can be hard, but it is worth the result to see you can come what you can come up with. If you enjoy this fic, likes, comments, and reblogs are appreciated! Love Levi - ❤️

List with all stories 

y/n = your name 

y/s/t = your skin tone 

_y/f/s_ = your favorite scent

Emily walked into the living room of her apartment. y/n and she had recently repainted it a neutral beige that Derek had described as “sad sand” at brunch with Penelope, Spencer, JJ, and Will last month. y/n had nearly choked on her drink as he made the remark. It had been y/n’s idea to repaint their space to a more relaxing color. When y/n had suggested it, Emily had said, “Oh, what brought this on lover? Wasn’t it you last week who mentioned the security deposit on this place?” Em liked teasing y/n about these things because y/n was always a little more impulsive about things. Their dynamic remained light despite the hectic nature of their jobs. The ability to relax and joke in their off time kept both y/n and Prentiss sane. However, they were good at reading each other, most of the time. When things felt heavy or the job was pushing them to the edge of a breakdown, the jokes and teasing went out the window. 

Only once had y/n made a joke in poor taste about a case that Emily had not yet fully described, and the tall brunette had snapped. y/n had looked at her girlfriend with shock. Prentiss never spoke to her in this tone nor with the angry expression she had on her face. The silence in the room after Emily's outburst was deafening. Emily instantly felt guilty for how she had reacted. Prentiss cleared her throat and tried to apologize, but y/n said, “Save it. I need a minute.” y/n had moved back to their room and closed the door, and burst into tears. ‘A minute’ turned out to be a long sleepless night for the couple. y/n tossed and turned and wondered if she was overreacting and what she had missed about Emily when she came in with her go-bag. She had seemed fine to y/n as she came in with a smile and normal attitude. Meanwhile on the couch, Emily wondered why she had reacted with such venom. y/n was only trying to lighten the mood, and she hadn’t said how horrible she felt. If she had, Emily knew y/n would hug her and kiss her and make her feel better inside of cracking a joke. Prentiss sat up and looked out the open window onto to the street as a few cars drove by. Emily wondered what brought those driving out so late. Who were they and where they were going? She wondered if they were happy. She slumped back into the couch cushions and missed the warmth of y/n’s snuggled up in front of her and the cool feel of their sheets over them. 

In the morning, both Em and y/n had gotten up at the same time. Prentiss moved into their room which she found unlocked. y/n looked up at her. Em could see that she had been crying and the lack of sleep on y/n’s face. Before Prentiss could say anything, y/n stated, “I’m sorry, Emily. I’m sorry for how I acted. Immature and like a child. You didn’t deserve that.” Emily dropped her head and replied, “I’m sorry too. It was wrong of me to shout at you like that. You were just trying to make me happy.” y/n swallowed and said, “I was, but I must have been missing something. Would you tell me about the case, or what caused you to act like that?” 

Prentiss nodded and sat down on the edge of the bed taking y/n’s hand in hers. “Yes. Let me explain. Thank you for giving me the time and care to listen.” After a long conversation, the pair set up some boundaries about not keeping things inside after cases for Emily and taking time to check in after she got home for y/n. y/n knew Emily had been acting okay, but in reality, she wasn't. y/n noted that if she was in Emily’s shoes, she might want to laugh after work and a case and y/n thought Emily might feel the same way. So after they had talked and kissed and made up, they both felt a bit crusty and decided to take a shower together. 

It felt wonderful as Emily’s strong hands moved down her y/s/t’ed shoulders and back. The soap suds moved down y/n’s back and Prentiss rubbed them over her lush behind and thighs. y/n sighed into the touch. When Emily had finished rinsing y/n off, y/n turned and had Em face the water. y/n placed a dollop of her shampoo that smelled of rose and juniper berry in her palm. Prentiss smiled as y/n’s fingers brushed through her silky dark strands of hair massaging her scalp and then making sure that all of her locks were coated in shampoo before turning Em to rinse off her shoulder-length hair. After a few more minutes the water started running tepid, and y/n and Emily got out and dried off. They spent the rest of the Saturday morning lounging around and getting coffee from the fancy place two blocks over. It felt lovely to be back and not have an argument hanging over them. As y/n opened the door for Prentiss, she thought about how they worked together. They had their moments and arguments like any couple, but all in all, they were steady. It seemed that steady was something new to both of them, and it made them happy and secure in one another. It had made y/n so happy and secure that it had got her thinking about roots, about the future. 

A few weeks later, y/n woke up early and realized that Emily was up. She snapped her laptop shut. The sound had Em turn around and look at y/n with just a hint of concern in her dark eyes. y/n smiled and got out of her seat saying, “Good morning, baby. How did you sleep?” Emily’s face broke into a soft smile and she replied, “I slept well. I love it when you’re the big spoon. It makes me sleep like a baby.” y/n got up and wrapped Em in a hug and whispered in her ear, “Well, I’ll have to do that more often then.” y/n inhaled her smell and tried to hide the blush on her face before pulling back and saying, “Do you want some breakfast and coffee? Or maybe a mimosa. I feel like cooking something if you want.” Prentiss nodded and said, “I think I could go for some blueberry or chocolate chip waffles if you’re down to make them.” y/n nodded and replied, “Of course. What are we feeling for drinks?” Em let out a small laugh and said, “Well, how about I make us lattes and you pop open some prosecco? We’ve still got juice in the fridge too. I’ll get the glasses.” y/n nodded knowing that Emily didn’t like popping corks --  a quirk that y/n thought was so cute. Em turned away to get the fluted glasses for the mimosas and while her back was turned she considered how y/n had been acting the last few days. It was like she was holding some secret. When y/n’s computer was in front of her, y/n always seemed to close it quickly or move it so she couldn’t see the screen. It wasn’t only that. Sometimes she was on the phone and talking quietly to someone she didn’t know. The pit in Emily’s stomach grew. And yet when she looked back at y/n who was humming her new favorite song while pulling eggs out from the middle row of the fridge. 

This was so unlike y/n to hide things from her. When it had first happened, Emily thought that maybe y/n was cheating but that wasn’t something that y/n would do unless she had really misread her girlfriend and their relationship wasn’t going anywhere. This bothered Prentiss because she was planning on asking y/n to marry her in a month on their second anniversary. Even if things weren’t good with them, which y/n’s behavior indicated otherwise, Prentiss was uncomfortable with y/n hiding things from her. Em had a good way of feeling out people, and y/n had seemed more excited to be with her recently, so all of the messages both verbal and nonverbal were throwing her for a loop. Prentiss was going to talk to JJ and Penelope about it on Monday to see if they had any insight into what was going on. At this point, y/n and the rest of the girls on the BAU were thick as blood. Em took a breath and decided to not let her self-doubt ruin their relationship. She had let that happen before, and even though it had turned out to be a good thing, Emily didn’t want to do that here. She loved y/n, and she knew y/n loved her. If y/n needed to tell her something, Emily knew she would, even if it was something difficult to hear. Prentiss fixed her face and took a breath before setting the glasses on the counter for y/n who leaned in and gave her a kiss before she moved to the coffee maker. 

y/n started mixing up the waffle batter. y/n didn’t like keeping things from Emily, but this was such a big subject to even bring up, and she wanted to have all of the facts beforehand. Not so that she could try and argue her point with Emily, but so she was sure it was what she wanted. But the more y/n looked at their options of getting pregnant, the firmer y/n was about her desire to start a family with Em. It was a conversation they had had before. A shared desire to have kids and raise them in a house full of love and tenderness that neither y/n nor Emily had had as children growing up on opposite sides of the globe. So the topic of wanting kids wouldn’t be a shock, just how quickly y/n was bringing it up. And if Emily said she needed more time, y/n would wait, but she couldn’t deny that her baby fever was growing thanks to JJ’s pregnancy and some recent laws passing. The whole idea made y/n’s stomach flutter in both delight and worry. Thankfully y/n was almost ready to tell Em, and again there would be no secrets to hold, just a future to plan, whatever that looked like for them. 

         The following Monday at work, Emily found Penelope in her office with its room full of screens and trinkets. Prentiss smiled at how Garcia’s personality shone through wherever she was. Em found the tech whizz inspirational in that way and many others. Garcia was busy typing something on her laptop and Emily had called her name twice already. Without any other options apart from pulling the plug on one of Penelope's babies, Emily tapped her on the shoulder instead. The genius shot out of her seat and Prentiss was eternally grateful that Gacria wasn’t holding one of her large cups of soda. “My God Emily, are you trying to get me out of my skin?” Penelope retorted when she had caught her breath. Em smiled and said, “It was that, or pull the plug on your computer. I thought you’d appreciate the latter. I did call your name twice.” Garcia let out a shaky laugh and said, “Okay, well lord, I have to stop listening to music so loud when I’m at work. Hotch got mad at me for it once already and somehow he’s always right because I don’t want to be scared like that again. So what brings you to my cave today dear? Need me to cast a love spell on you?” Prentiss laughed and replied, “Well I’m okay on that front. A clarification spell might be more in order. Are you back on the RPG game again?” Garcia blushed and said, “Maybe, maybe not. Anyhow, does the team need my presence?” Em nodded her head no, sat down on the ledge of Penelope's table, and said, “Not right now. I was just wondering if y/n had talked to you recently. She’s been acting kind of strange in the last three weeks and I just wanted to know if she has something planned?” 

Penelope was buzzing in her seat because she had an answer but had promised y/n that she wouldn’t say anything to Emily about it. y/n had discreetly asked around the office if anyone knew someone who had IVF treatments before and would be willing to talk candidly about the process, how much it cost, and the pros and cons of the procedure. The only other person who did know someone who had gone through In Vitro Fertilization was Rossi, but Dave didn’t think that person would want to discuss such an intimate part of their lives with a stranger, even if it was a friend of his. However, Penelope had a good friend named Shayla back from her college days who was now a happy single mom and had moved to the Virginia area last year for a new job with her little boy. y/n had met Shayla once before, and when Garcia brought her up as a possibility, y/n almost begged her to ask Shayla if she was comfortable talking about the long process. When Pen brought it up in their next catch-up call, Shayla happily agreed to share her knowledge. She had done plenty of research before deciding to move forward with having a child on her own, understood the great sacrifice and fears that could come with it, and was happy to give any helpful information she had. Of course, this conversation had prompted Penelope to ask y/n why she was asking and y/n had revealed that she was thinking of asking Emily to have a baby with her. Garcia had freaked out, jumping up and down in excitement. y/n had to stop her from running out of the room and shouting at anyone that her friend was getting pregnant. Once the blonde analyst had settled down, y/n took a breath and said, “Now Penelope. I know you’re excited but I’m just in the research stage which sounds calculated when I put it like that, I haven’t told Emily about this yet and I need to be sure I feel confident before I spring this on her. Could you please please, please not tell her?” Garcia nodded seriously and said, “My lips are sealed. I pinky promise.” y/n let out a sigh of relief. 

But as Garcia was faced with Emily now, it wasn’t as easy as telling y/n her secret was safe. It was threatening to burst out of her seams and she needed to come up with an excuse fast or risk losing a dear friend in y/n. Penelope cleared her throat and said, “Hey, Em. I kinda stayed up all night playing that game and well as you can see I’m running numbers for Stan’s team….” She gave her best pleading eyes that seemed to work on everyone. Prentiss let out a soft laugh and replied, “Alright, What flavor do you want grape, Cola, or orange?” Pen smiled brightly and said, “Orange, please. You are a lifesaver!” Emily patted her on the top of her blond head and said, “Well just hope Hotch or JJ doesn’t call a new case while I’m gone. You should get someone to install controls or something on your system at home to stop you from staying up twenty-four-seven.” Garica scoffed, looked at Emily’s retreating form, and said, “Baby, if anyone could crack into my harddrive, I’d let them.” As Emily moved out of the office and toward the 7-11 to get Penelope’s soda, she felt relieved. Not that she fully believed nothing was happening with y/n, but if the team hadn’t noticed anything, then, it made her feel better. Once Emily was out of sight, Penelope whipped out her phone and texted y/n: “Emily is asking questions, baby girl. I’d start thinking about asking her soon or she might find out what you’re doing.” 

The week moved by quickly with lots of paperwork for Emily and the start of a new campaign cycle for y/n who moaned about it as much as possible without being annoying to Em. It didn’t help that the senator y/n worked with had gotten themselves into another scandal that was rocking their office and party. When y/n was going on a rant about corruption on Friday night Emily hugged her from behind, kissed her temple, and said, “I’m sorry sweetheart. I know it’s annoying, but you're good at your job even if it’s a bad system. But that doesn’t make you bad.” y/n relaxed into Prentiss’s embrace. y/n let out a sigh and said, “I’m sorry for going off. I know it’s annoying.” Emily nuzzled her face into y/n’s neck to relax her further as she whispered, “Don’t apologize y/n. Work can be agonizing sometimes, I know that as much as anyone. If it bothers me I'll tell you. Now, how about we do something fun tomorrow? We could get brunch at that place we like in midtown. You know the place where you asked me out officially?” y/n’s face broke out into a smile and she said, “I’d love that Em. Sorry if I’ve been a little distant right now. I’ve been thinking about some things and I want to share them with you in the morning. It’s nothing bad or anything, but something I just want to discuss with you. You’re everything to me love, and I’m so happy we’re together.” Prentiss’s heart fluttered knowing that y/n was finally going to tell her what was going on. Her words were reassuring, that it ‘wasn't’ bad’ or ‘anything bad about her,’ but even so, her nerves sang inside as they both headed to bed. 

In the morning, y/n woke up slightly early for a Saturday and got into a hot shower. She washed her body in _y/f/s_ed body wash. She then moved to her hair and shampooed and conditioned it. Lastly y/n shaved so her legs were smooth. When she stepped out of the shower, Emily was up. y/n walked into their room in a towel, and Em looked up from the bed, Her brown eyes got wider and she said, “Well, good morning, love?” y/n smiled and said, “Morning sweetheart.” y/n dropped her towel, and lazily crawled on the bed. Emily followed her with her eyes and her tongue slipped out of her mouth and wetted her lower lip subconsciously. y/n grinned and moved over Emily’s body and kissed her gently at first and then with more passion. Em snaked her hands around y/n’s hips. Once y/n’s tongue was slipped into Emily’s mouth, her fingers moved to y/n’s hair and tugged it gently at the root. After y/n and Prentiss were desperate for air, y/n pulled away and moved onto her knees before saying, “Maybe we should get dressed or we’ll miss brunch sweetheart.” Emily whined and said, “Do we have to?” y/n laughed and replied, “I think so. I’m in need of a good mimosa and waffle. Plus, we can get right back to this when we get back if we want.” Emily sat up and brushed her thumb over y/n’s jaw before saying, “Alright love. Give me a few minutes to get ready and we can go. It’s good if we go sooner though because you know how crazy that place gets after 11:00.” y/n nodded in agreement as she moved to the closet to pick out a spring dress and some matching jewelry while Emily used the bathroom and vanity to get ready. Emily chose a pink jumpsuit that fit her curves perfectly and was strapless showing off her lovely shoulders and neck. 

y/n and Emily got to the restaurant before the big rush and were seated outside at a quiet corner table surrounded by a fence and hedge that gave the space a cool and calm feeling away from the bustle inside and the rush of cars outside. A waiter came and got their drink orders and while he was there, Emily and y/n also ordered pain au chocolat. Emily got a glass of white wine and y/n got a pomegranate mimosa, and they both got coffee. The lean man noted what they wanted and moved away. The wait time at this spot was longer giving people time to relax and talk. y/n looked at Emily wondering if she should start the conversation. Emily returned y/n’s smile, her face looking radiant in the glow of the midmorning sun. Prentiss shifted in her seat and said, “You’ve been looking so happy the last few days. Whatever it is you have to tell me I just want to say I’m so happy to see you like this. I wish every day could be like this. That there wasn’t the stress or worry of our jobs looming over us. But you make me feel safe and seen every day, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.” 

Once Emily said the words aloud, the idea in her head sprang so full and bright that she felt like she might be bowled over by a small breeze. The idea had been there for a few months but she hadn’t planned it. Certainly hadn’t even dreamed of it being like this, but it felt so right. When she looked over at y/n who was clearly saying something, Emily thought for a brief moment that she might be looking at the sun, blinding it it’s light and radiance. Prentiss cleared her throat and mind and finally heard y/n repeat, “Are you alright darling? You were in your own world there for a second.” Emily nodded now knowing what she was going to do and said, “Yeah I’m good. I just had an idea. So I suppose I have something to tell you too. But you go first. What was it you were wanting to tell me today that you’ve been so secretive about?” y/n blushed and felt better now that they both were going to say something, though she had no idea what Emily had up her sleeve. y/n replied, “Well why don’t you go first.” Prentiss shot back teasingly, “No you first.” They repeated this one more time before they both blurted out at the same time: 

“I want to have a baby with you.” 

“I want to marry you.” 

When Emily and y/n both registered what the other had said they were stunned into silence. y/n felt her chest tighten with emotions that threatened to bubble over. She composed herself first and asked in awe, “Emily Prentiss, are you proposing to me right now?” Emily took a shallow breath in at what y/n had said about wanting a baby and y/n’s question and, she said, “I am, sweetheart. It just felt right right now. I don’t want to spend another day without you being mine in the most real way possible. Time just goes by so fast and as soon as we know it we’ll both be grey and have bad knees. We’re both gone so often from each other so I’d like you to be mine if you’re willing to be. y/n, will you marry me?” Emily got out of her chair and onto one knee. Again she was glad they were in a quieter part of the restaurant. y/n nodded her head yes and fell to her knees next to Em embracing her in a hug and saying, “Yes, Oh of course I will. I love you so much, I want my whole life with you.” They both stayed there for a moment on the brick floor before Emily raised her head from y/n’s shoulder wiping her own eyes of the salty liquid at her corneas before pulling back and helping y/n to her feet. They hugged properly with a tight embrace that said they would never be apart for longer than they had to be, and even when they were apart, they would still be together. Em pulled back and said, “I’m sorry I don’t have a ring for you, but it just felt right to ask you now. I promise I’ll get you one that’s just perfect.” y/n smiled and said, “I know whatever you pick out will be perfect love.” She leaned in and planted her mouth on Emily’s and they both let go of each other with a feeling of lightness and ecstasy that neither had expected this morning in bed. Just as they both sat down, the waiter returned with their pastries and drinks on a tray. He set all the plates and glasses down and said he’d be back in a bit to see if they needed anything else. 

Once he had gone, y/n and Emily raised their glasses to their engagement and y/n said, “To the best fiance I could ever ask for!” As they clinked glasses Em added, “And to my favorite person in the whole world.” They both took sips of their drinks and what y/n had said resurfaced to the front of Prentiss’s mind after the euphoria of y/n saying yes to her proposal dimmed slightly. Em leaned forward and asked, “y/n you want to have a baby?” y/n flushed and nodded sheepishly. Suddenly talking to Emily about this made her feel nervous. With a steadying breath y/n replied, “Not just a baby Em. I want to have your baby. I’ve been researching reciprocal IVF. Looking up what the procedure is like for both parties, how expensive it is, and where there are clinics nearby that we could visit and consult with. I even went as far as talking to some people who’ve done it before to see how their experience was for them. That’s what I’ve been researching for the last few weeks. And I know this sounds so fast. Like I’m rushing. I don’t mean to pressure you into making a choice now or next week or month or even year. I just want you to know that I’d love to build a life with you. A life that might include children in the future if that’s something you're interested in. I just wanted to have all the facts I could about what that would possibly be like before springing something this big on you” Emily absorbed the information and took a sip of her drink. She said with a smile, “Look at you doing your research. Not that you don’t research, but I think we’re rubbing off on each other. You’re making me more comfortable in making big moves like proposing while I’m making you research a topic as much as possible.” y/n laughed and said, “Well, I guess that makes us pretty compatible, huh.” Emily chuckled and continued to think about what y/n had just said. 

It wasn’t something they had talked about recently, but children was a topic of discussion they had had and it made Emily relieved to know that y/n left that secure in their relationship that it was something she was seriously thinking about. Now that they were engaged, it only made more sense, even though y/n couldn’t have known that coming into today. For a moment Emily pictured y/n cradling their baby, and then a toddler running around their apartment, and the child grown up and going off to school. Prentiss pulled herself from the film playing in her head. As lovely an image as it was, it was a lot to think about. She lifted her eyes up to y/n’s nervous gaze. Prentiss moved her right hand to y/n’s and held it across the table saying, “I think that’s a beautiful idea y/n. It is a lot to think about. I do appreciate that you’re comfortable enough to tell me something that’s really important to you. Would you mind if I give it some time to think through?” y/n squeezed Emily’s palm and replied, “Take all the time you need love. There’s no rush.” Prentiss felt a surge of warmth move through her not associated with the fact that she was sitting in the sun. Having someone as passionate and who understood her so well was the best thing that could have happened to her. Emily did wonder if something had prompted y/n into her desire for children. She’d never been one to have baby fever before now and the shift was interesting to her. 

Emily watched y/n sip her drink and relax in her chair a bit. Prentiss asked, “Sweetheart, what sparked your desire for kids if anything? Or did it just sort of happen?” y/n sighed and said, “It’s been coming for a while I think, but things have made it speed up for me I suppose.” Emily nodded her head as if to say, “Keep going, love.” y/n placed her palms flat on the table and continued, “I guess that so much crazy stuff has been happening in the country recently. I know you know that. We both do as we work in the government, but the upturning of Roe V. Wade and all the crazy abortion bans popping up all over the place. I suppose I just don’t want to be too late. Like one day we both decided it was time and by then we didn’t even have that option. I don’t mean to sound melodramatic or to push you in any way, we have time, it’s just made me prioritize some things in my life that I hadn’t given too much thought to before now. I mean if Alabama can almost stop IVF then I’m afraid of what might come after that. I suppose having a child became more important to me the more things like that happen here.” 

Emily gave a soft smile, she could more fully see where y/n was coming from and it made sense with her personality. Em moved her hand across the table and stroked her cheek gently before saying, “That makes sense darling. I’m going to have to think about it for a while before we do anything, but maybe when we get home, you can tell me a bit more about the process, and the cost. If we commit to something like this we’re going to need to be saving for some time.” y/n chuckled and said, “Take all the time you need darling. We can save money for that and a wedding too.” Emily paused and said, “Do you mind if I don’t tell the team right away about the engagement? I just want to get a ring and have it be a bit more put together because once I tell them, we’re going to be swamped with questions from JJ, Garcia, and Rossi.” y/n snorted and covered her mouth at how accurate Emily was. She could picture that conversation happening and how Garica would pounce on Em and then how she’d get ten calls for Penelope and then some texts and another call from Dave congratulating her. Since y/n had gotten to know the team more, Rossi had become a father figure which made her heart warm. y/n replied, “Yes, of course sweetheart. That will be a day to remember. Almost as exciting as getting to say yes to you Mrs. Prentiss.” 

Shortly after this their waiter came back and got them a second round of drinks and they ordered some plates to share. The weekend flew by as always, and Emily showed up at Quantico with an excited air about her. The team slowly rolled into the bullpen on work days like they normally did. Em and JJ passed through security at the same time, and JJ who was now very pregnant asked Prentiss, “You seem preoccupied today. Is something up?” Emily tried to stay cool and said, “Nope, well apart from the fact that y/n and I had a late night last night.” Em gave JJ a wink and JJ shot her a sly smile replying, “Well that would make you pretty tired I suppose.” Emily laughed and the two women moved up to their floor. Prentiss hadn’t been lying about y/n and her last night. They’d spent a few pleasurable hours both in the shower and the bed solidifying their bond. Telling one truth and omitting two others felt better than a flat-out lie. Emily was a mix of emotions today and it did make her feel and perhaps look different which she was trying to hide. She was incredibly happy about the unofficial engagement but nervous about y/n’s question. It was more than a question, it was a whole new part of their life if they pursued it. Emily spent a good deal of the morning telling Spencer and Penelope that nothing was wrong and that she was fine but tired. Even Aaron gave her a look saying that he knew something was up. But Hotch didn’t always have the time for gossip and he trusted and knew Em enough that if she was having a serious problem, she could come to him anytime night or day. By lunch time, Prentiss felt a little bit more emotionally drained than she had coming into work. She hardly noticed Derek sneak in behind her to use the microwave when her leftover pasta was finished reheating. 

Morgan said over the hum of the microwave, “So you told Spence and Garcia everything is fine and you gave Hotch that look that it’s all cool and they left you alone, but you're one of the most put-together people on the team and something is off. Keeping secrets is a burden and I’d think you’d like at least one person to know what’s playing in your mind on repeat. Listen if we go on a case or something then it might make you slower. Would you please tell me what’s going on? I won’t tell anyone else. You know I’m also good at keeping a secret.” Derek’s appearance startled Emily, and she jumped at his first few words but calmed quickly as she listened more intently to what he was saying. She bit the inside of her lip. The problem was she knew Derek was right and somehow that bothered her. However, Morgan would be as good a person to tell as any. Their bond was strong, but not as interwoven as the rest of the team. And he was good at keeping quiet. Prentiss deflated slightly and decided to be honest with Derek saying, “Okay but this stays between us, please?” Morgan nodded his consent and indicated for Em to continue. Emily thought of the proposal but knew the issue that was bugging her was what she should say. Finally, she stated, with a slow caution, “y/n wants to have a baby with me.” 

That response was far from what Derek had been expecting, and he blinked a few times just to ensure he’d heard correctly. Slowly a smile crept to his face replying, “That’s amazing, Em!” Emily nodded lightly and Derek was confused as to why she wasn’t showing the same joy he was. He cleared his throat lightly and asked, “Do you not want that Emily?” Prentiss let out a long sigh and said what she’d been thinking about since last night: “I do think I want kids in time. And y/n and I have talked about that before now. We talked about it before we became serious.” Derek was confused by her hesitation and asked, “Is y/n like, rushing you into this?” Emily nodded no and replied, “No not at all. She knows me too well for that. She did a bunch of research beforehand and told me there wasn’t any rush. And also that if kids wasn’t something I was interested in she and I could talk about it.” This reply left Derek even more confused and he scratched the back of his head. Finally, Morgan asked, “So, why are you upset exactly?” Em came out with it and said, “What if I’m a bad mom? I can see y/n being the most loving and caring parent in the world, but my track history with my mother just doesn’t indicate that I’m going to be that competent a parent.” 

When Emily got to the point of contention, Derek couldn’t help but chuckle, and Prentiss lightly slapped his board arm and said, “Don’t laugh at me, Morgan.” Derek managed to stop his chuckling and say, “I’m mainly laughing at your wording, Em. I don’t think any parent would say they are ‘competent.’ And if you’re going to question me on that, ask Hotch if he thinks he’s a competent parent with Jack or JJ with her baby. I swear no one has it all figured out.” Emily was still hesitant and Derek continued, “Emily no matter what you decide it’s going to be the right thing. I know you and y/n won’t jump into anything, but if you ask me, I think you’ll make a fantastic parent.” Emily could tell that Morgan was no longer joking and she asked, “Why do you say that?” She was genuinely curious to hear how he would answer. Morgan leaned against the wall and replied, “Well you could just call it intuition, but the other sign to me is how in tune with yourself and y/n you are. You notice things about everyone, especially y/n. If you decide to have a kid together that will be the most loved child ever. You may not have it all figured out, but with how much you care about each other, I know you and y/n will figure out the rest. You’ll be a great Mom Em.” Emily felt her heart warm slightly and the original image of a child running around her and y/n’s apartment, or the park, or a variety of other idyllic scenes came back in a rush. She knew this wasn’t always going to be the reality, but she felt encouraged and replied to Morgan, “Thanks, Derek. I appreciate that. And thanks for letting me ramble.” Derek smiled again and was happy to see Emily happy. He said, “You got it Em. And my lips are sealed.” Emily felt much better the rest of the day having one person know what she was thinking about. It helped so much that after she had talked about it, she found it much easier to work. 

It was a few weeks later as Prentiss had found the right ring for y/n, and she and y/n had talked about breaking that set of news to the team that Emily came up behind y/n who was standing at the kitchen counter. Prentiss hugged y/n gently from behind and said softly in her ear, “y/n, I want to try. I want to try for a baby with you.” y/n froze and then turned around slowly in Emily’s arms and said, “Really?” Emily nodded and replied, “Really baby. I want some time before we go for it, but I want to be with you.” y/n felt her eyes well with tears of happiness. Her life had felt so empty and barren before she met Emily. Now life felt so full. She was getting married to the best woman ever, and they were planning a family. A lot was yet to come in their journey, but for now, everything was perfect. As the tears started rolling, y/n mouthed, “I love you so, so much Emily,” as she leaned in with her tear-stained face and kissed Em with all the love she could give. Emily wrapped her arms around y/n and kissed her back. Yes, time went quickly, but together they would make the most of every minute there was between them and the family they were planning.

Text Break Banner by @cafekitsune

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[cherrynwinesk]

Not really a fic but any headcanons with this idea? Reader is a big streamer so quackity asked them to join the qsmp server, they kinda talked earlier so they know about each others existence but it's not like they were ever friends. How would quackity act after he started to develop a crush on reader??

🍒:It's very long, sorry

Quackity Headcanon's

Added to QSMP

Story g: sfw

Language: English/Inglés

⚠️: None

CC's: Quackity

Reader g: Neutral reader

📝: All the content is fictitious and an attempt is made to adapt the PUBLIC personality of the cc's, that is, the personality that is shown in front of cameras, I do not know the true personality and any resemblance to reality is mere coincidence.

🍒: Hello, writing requests are always open, if you want something in particular, ask without fear. I clarify that English is not my main language, I apologize for any error and accept corrections to improve the quality of the content

Master List

•The invitation to be part of the QSMP would arrive in your business email

•You would be so busy streaming, editing some videos for YouTube that you hadn't even noticed that email

•Your manager would notify you of this

•You had heard about the server, even watched some clips on tiktok, but you didn't know what the main function was or what it was about, you only knew that Quackity was the owner

•You came to feel confused, you had never had contact with Quackity, you had never spoken, you had never met at any event, so why would he invite a stranger to his precious project?

•You had friends in common, but fate had never brought you together

•You thought about the invitation, since you had many things to do, including creating your plan for the entire week's content on stream and organizing your schedules to be able to edit

•So stay at the highest level where you have always been among the biggest creators in the world

•But you didn't have many ideas currently, so you considered the invitation

•Quackity himself would immediately contact you

•You would like to plan everything directly with the server members so that there are no misunderstandings

•Both would schedule a call on Discord, trying to coincide with your free time

•There was not much communication between you until the day you agreed

•Nothing out of the ordinary, he would explain to you about the project, the creators who are already on the server, he would talk a little about the lore that some members already have

•It sounded very interesting by the way.

•You both got along very well, you were able to communicate easily and there were no problems in your first time interacting

•Agreed on a date on which you will join the server

•The day you would be announced as a member of QSMP Quackity would do his routine stream in Spanish playing a little time with Roier, Ironmouse, Forever or someone

•Then he would raid his main channel and in it he would talk about how he was excited for this new member, since you are a global content creator, and that it meant a lot to have you on his server (being humble)

•Immediately you were announced as part of QSMP, Twitter exploded

•Your name and Quackity being a trend, and it was all because no one expected this good news

•The next day you entered the server for the first time and started with the basics by playing Minecraft, wood, sticks, pickaxe, killing cows

•You immediately made a good relationship with the other members, it was such a relaxed atmosphere

•You have never laughed so much in your life

•Even outside the server that friendship continued

•But you were closer with Quackity

•You two had a humor that complemented each other

•There was no fear of saying something wrong, you could be yourself

•You might not think anything strange, for you it would just be a good friendship like with any other member

•But actually for Quackity it was a little different

•At first Quackity was a little excited that you would agree to be on his server

•First of all cause you are a big cc

•Quackity saw your content a few times, and knew that your personality would fit perfectly into QSMP

•From the beginning he liked the way you stayed active in your streams, never stopping talking, interacting with your chat even though your community was so big

•He even wanted to learn a little about you, because he knew that everything you were and had you got fairly

•You deserved everything you had and he even admired you too much

•He was so nervous about talking to you, doing something wrong or that something in the project wouldn't interest you, since he hadn't even hoped that you would accept the invitation

•Now that you were closer, Quackity started to feel different around you.

•He started to like you, but he still doesn't accept it

•At first he would think that he just likes you too much.

•But the day his sister asked him "Do you like y/n?"

•He'd notice and he'd be like "No, why do you ask that? He/she's my friend."

•Most likely, his sister had to hear about what happened inside QSMP, but you being the one he always mentions, that's why she would come to such a conclusion.

•Besides, Quackity would act very excited when it comes to you.

•"Your eyes shine when you talk about y/n" and his cheeks would be red.

•And Quackity would feel so comfortable with you

•He would really like your personality and that would be what made him fall in love.

•Also the way you bring out his true personality without fear

•Once he realized that if he actually liked you he would start to feel nervous around you.

•He would also go watch your streams while he is busy

•Over time he would also like you physically and too much

•Inside him maybe he would have this obsessive crush on you, but he doesn't want to show it.

•He would worry that you had a partner or that he wasn't your type

•More people around him would realize that he is in love and would convince him to tell you what he feels.

•He would refuse for a long time with the excuse that he is married to his job

•His friends would do him the favor (without Quackity asking) of asking you personal things

•Like if you have a partner, what kind of people do you like for a relationship, being very obvious (maybe Roier who doesn't care about anything or Baghera but she would be more subtle with the questions)

•Quackity would travel to meet you irl

•Once you were together he would try to show interest with subtle compliments

•Like saying you're smart

•Or talk about your hair color and mention that he like people with that color

•You would definitely understand and ask him if he is flirting with you

•He would get very nervous but he knows you got him

•"It's very obvious?"

•"Don't worry Quackity, Roier and Cellbit already told me everything"

[augustjustice]

Second in Line (aka Blake Harrington fic), 2/?

AO3 Link

Part 1

The telltale sound of footsteps echo again from inside the apartment, approaching the door.

“Eds? What is it?”

The voice rings out before Blake can see him, and a second later, he’s sliding into the doorway beside ‘Eds’ despite the tight space, one shoulder on the frame and his hip pressed firmly up against the other man’s.

Blake feels his heart speed up in his chest. 

The man now standing before him has on a red Chicago Bulls sweatshirt, so faded it looks almost pink. Despite the cold outside, he’s wearing light wash, cutoff jean shorts at a length that would earn a dirty look from Blake’s father, and thick white baseball socks that are pulled up over his calves. His hair is floppy, not as long as Eds’ but curling over his ears and brushing the back of his neck–unkempt, Blake can practically hear the derision in his mother’s voice–and a shade or two lighter than Blake’s own, sun-kissed blonde highlights shimmering in it. 

He squints down at Blake through thick-rimmed glasses, his brow furrowing in obvious confusion and…

…There they are. His mother’s honey-coated brown eyes peer back at him.

“Who’s this?” he asks.

When the man turns his head to look at ‘Eds,’ Blake catches a flash of white, so small and subtle he almost missed it entirely.

His brother’s got a single pearl earring, shining in the lobe of his right ear.

Eds gives a shrug of one shoulder, the twitch of his lip seeming to hint he’s repressing an amused smile. His eyes swivel between the pair of them, from Steve to Blake then back again, taking it all in.

"Sweetheart, why don't you ask the little dude his name?" 

When Steve turns to him again, Blake feels an uncanny sense of déjà vu, like he’s looking into a mirror, or being reintroduced to a family friend he met when he was too small to remember. 

“What’s your name, buddy?” Steve asks dutifully. 

“Blake,” Blake stutters out nervously, having lost all of the decorum he managed to hold onto when introducing himself to Eds, “–Harrington.”

Eds and Steve’s heads turn towards each other in unison, perfectly in sync. Blake feels an inexplicable stab of jealousy at that, the way the pair of them move in tandem. It speaks to a familiarity that runs bone-deep.

“...Holy shit,” Steve murmurs, running a hand up through his hair.

Eds nods in agreement. 

“Yeah, babe. What can I tell you? This one’s a doozy.” 

Then he opens the door a bit wider, all while Steve continues to stare into the middle distance of the hallway.

“You’ll have to forgive Stevie here–he’s usually more of the Suzy Homemaker type than me, but, uh…you’re gonna have to give him a second, on this one, I think.” Hooking his arm easily into Steve’s own, Eds tugs the pair of them backwards, then gives a flourishing bow. “So come into our humble abode, young traveler. Sit a spell, and spin your tale for us.”

The two men back away from the doorway completely, then, giving Blake room to cross the threshold. 

He does.

And it’s a small thing, really, but it feels big. Because, for the first time in his life, he’s stepping out of his parents’ wealthy, polished world…and into his long lost brother’s.

Quick tag list below the cut:

@zerokrox-blog, @just-super-fucking-gay, @justanother-anon, @aphrobites

I did my best to tag people who expressed interest in being on the tag list when I wrote the first part of this. However, I recognize that was back in December, so if you're on this tag list and would like to be removed, please feel free to let me know! I understand it's been a while and people have moved fandoms, etc. My apologies also if I missed anyone, and if you would like to be added, tell me and I'll be happy to tag you going forward!

[pyreofsunflowers]

How to make the Sims 3 look its best in 2022

so simming is a long time pastime of mine, and I've - in my humble opinion - perfected the look of the game without turning it into a yassed out modeling agency. (if you've ever looked for cc you know what I'm talking about) so in this first of probably many posts - here is a complete list of all my graphics mods!

Firstly, though, I should note that I have a very strong pc with a very strong graphics card. Please please please don't overload your computer, and explore options that will work best with your specs. What looks best for me might not look best for you.

Ahem, with that out of the way let's start with my default graphic settings.

This keeps my game looking beautiful while running smoothly (hence the low reflection and edge smoothing)

Now let's get into the mods!

Lighting and Environment

Burnt Waffles' Moonrise Kingdom Lighting - Self explanatory, textures for the skybox, weather overlays, and general lighting. Make sure you pick the water that matches your world!

Simsi45's Reworked and Improved EA Lights - tones down the brightness of some lights, fixes directional lighting for covered lamps, light colors made more consistent, and other such fixes.

dDefinder's Outdoor Lighting Tweaks - removes that nasty blue hue at nighttime, adds more dynamic shadows, adds new weather types and can make nighttime darker!

Neim's Sims Blog's Default replacements for Garden Bushes and Orchard Trees - Replaces the textures for plants like tomato vines, apple trees, and onion plants - creating a much more lush looking garden.

Aminovas' Plant Retextures - softens the bright, garish colors of EA plants to be more appealing. In two parts, and available as non-defaults.

CAS + Create-a-Pet

Kurasoberina's Primer Skin + Buhudain's You are Real - my skin mod and a default replacement pack with upped realism. The skin was designed to be used with You are Real, just a heads up.

I don't use any nudey mods out of personal preference - but I hear good things about Cmar's and Geck.o's work. Here is a link to a bunch of nsfw sims stuff, if that's what your into. I also don't really use sliders outside of the hat slider, a glasses slider and a height and posture slider. this is again out of personal presence, as I am generally making an entire neighborhood's worth of sims at a time and don't have the energy to be nitpicky with sliders on every single sim. That being said, OneEuroMutt complied a really nice list of CAS sliders AND a list of animal sliders if your interested in that.

Bloom's Sexy Feet and Cyo's Cute feet for children - realistic foot retexture, the op is long gone so this is a forum post. May not work unless sim detail is set to high!

Shady's Loney Eyes - subtle eye retextures available as both a contact and a default replacement. I'm currently not using any eyelash retextures - mostly because I haven't found any that work. If anyone has suggestions, let me know!

MaryJane's, Firefox's, AND Agnelid's Hair Replacements - replaces defualt hair with much better looking CC from other creator's - I mix and match between the three. Note that these are far from complete, and I still work with pleanty of EA hair.

I like teh Sims CAS overhaul - less shine, and hides rather than deletes mostly unused items (i always have this weird paranoia that deleting them form CAS will delete them in gameplay...)

One Euro Mutt's Less Shoe Shine - self explanatory, fixes that weird shine that's on so many default shoes.

Simple Life's Lipstick, Blush, Eyeliner, Beards, Eyebrows, and Age Details - Simple Life is my go- to for facial updates, do note however the textures may look funky if your sim detail isn't set to high. (They don't have individual pages for each item, so you'll have to scroll - my apologies)

Ketheira's Freckles and Moles - self explanatory, more realistic face marks.

Eternal 2nd Kira's Insect Wing Replacements for Fairies - replaces the EA textures with high-def insect wings, I just think it looks neat mostly.

Brinwood's HD Dog Coats and Eyes - Also includes more colorable options for dog coats, such as inner ears and individual paws.

Lazy Duchess' cat and dog addons - adds whiskers, primarily, but also edits some face textures and adds more facial markings

Kale and Traelia's HD cat skin and eyes - better meshes for cats.

Dimitri Dane's and Elin Fredriksdotter's EQHD - a FULL retexture and remodel of EA horses with better textures of coats and eyes, and optional stallion junk if that's what your into (I'm not... lol). you will have to download custom saddles, bridles, tack, and poses as EA meshes will be incompatible - but I will probably make a separate post with all my horse CC... lol.

Misc. Textures

Pretty obviously, I use the No Build Sparkles and No Intro mod that everyone gets when they set up there CC folder for the first time. These little details make a big difference!

JustMiha's Clean UI reskin, which is currently still in development (hence the default graphic menu... lol)

Velocity Grass's remove stencil tool to remove any unwanted stencils from cabinets, beds, or toyboxes.

Simsi45's Tileable Items Fix - you know how you go to place a row of bookshelves and there's the lighting gets all messed up on a few of them? yeah this mod fixes that.

Jane Sambroski's Wood Grain re-textures - fixes a lot of the EA woods to have much nicer looking grains, and fixed an issue that caused the grain to become pixelated when zooming.

Plastic Box's Doorway Lighting Fix - fixes lots of the broken lighting with doors and archways, so now all glass doors will cast light through them and all arches of similar size will cast the same amount of light through them

Aminovas' Cow Textures - retextures the cow in the Milkin' It Corral store item to be more realistic. That's it.

And that's it! Yes, I know it's a lot, but I like my game GOREGOUS.

[destinyisall-tlk]

Dusting off the dirt from your navy blue dress, you stood, brushing once more as your mother's advice flooded your mind; “Maintain a clean appearance, darling. Fate could drop your future husband in your path at any time”. Every morning before you left the house, those words were the last ones she spoke as she fixed your hair and sent you off with the list of errands for the day. Always written on the list - pick some wildflowers by the river.

Clutching the brown basket, you walked past the town gate taking a wide right turn, colliding straight into somebody's chest. "Oh, my apologizes! I did not see you there".

A warm, gentle voice spoke. "No apology needed. Are you alright?".

"Yes, no harm done”. You replied, brushing off the dirt and locking eyes with the stranger. He was tall, carried both a sword and cross and possessed a friendly aura that most strangers often lacked. “Although, I can not say the same for the flowers".

"Here, let me". He kindly retrieved the flowers that had spilled onto the dusty, dirt road, handing them to you with a shy gaze, introducing himself as Osferth.

You repeated his name in your mind, then showed the same courtesy and introduced yourself, adding. "Are you new to town?".

"We were just passing through for some rest and Ale after a long journey". Following his finger to a group of three men walking into the Ale House, from a far, you noticed two were carrying Thor’s hammer, while the other wore the same cross as Osferth.

"So you are a Monk that is a warrior?". You asked, gesturing to his cross and the sword secured around his waist.

"I would say more Monk than warrior". He humbly smiled.

You smiled back, carefully handing a flower to Osferth. "It's not much of a welcome, but I hope it brightens your day, even just a little".

As Osferth took the flower, his finger brushed over yours. "That is very kind of you. I shall take very good care of it".

"Perhaps next time when you pass through, you can tell me more about the journeys you have taken?".

Osferth nodded, politely bidding you farewell. As he walked towards the Ale House and you made your way home, both turned, catching each other’s gaze. You quickly turned away, patting your skin to cool down your flushed cheeks. While Osferth entered the Ale House, he twirled the flower in his hand, unable to wipe the smile from his face.

[philistiniphagottini]

I saw your request post nd I was like SAY LESS 😭😭😭😭

Would you be interested in a Persona 3 Makoto x gn reader oneshot on what they would do for reader's birthday? Or vice versa for Makoto's birthday instead

Much appreciated 😜😜😜 LOVE YOU

Thank you for the request Anon, I'm so happy you asked for Persona I've been itching to write something. This idea was really cute and I couldn't stop myself from writing. I hope you enjoy, love you too Anon 😘

cw. fluff

You’ve never been to a dessert bar before. But when one opened up just outside of Paulownia mall, you were just dying to go and try it out. The waiting list for the new store was ridiculous but you were willing to put up with a lot just to have a chance to try the extravagant dessert menu. So, by the time your birthday rolled around, your boyfriend had already booked well in advance a reservation for two.

You had arrived to the venue much earlier than anticipated and you were immediately shown to your table, where you sat and eagerly awaited for your boyfriend to arrive. Your heart fluttered wildly in your chest as you continued to check your phone, constantly flipping up the screen to check the time. You could not stop fidgeting, your leg beginning to bounce under the table as your hands constantly itched with the urge to fiddle with things. You didn’t seem to care what it was. The menu, your phone, a small wisp of hair that stubbornly tickled your cheek no matter how many times you tucked it back behind your ear. You wore nice, simple clothes for your date, nothing too fancy or over the top. Just clothes you were comfortable wearing on a warm, autumn day.

You flipped up your phone screen once more, fingers rapidly pressing the buttons as you dragged up the last message that your boyfriend sent to you. All it read was: "See you soon." You couldn’t help the smile that tugged at the corners of your lips as you read it over and over again, butterflies erupting in the pit of your stomach as you continued to think about your beloved. How long had you both known each other? You remembered the first day you met like it had just happened yesterday. Your mind slowly started to drift from this plane of existence as you reminisced, the soft talking of the other patrons filling the small, humble shop becoming a distant drone in your ears. Since you became so lost in your own thoughts, you failed to realise when there was someone standing right behind you.

You were completely caught off guard, your thoughts snapping back to reality when every hair on the nape of your neck stood up and alerted you to the presence behind you. Your spine rattled with chills when their warm breath hit the shell of your ear and they spoke two simple, soft words.

"Happy Birthday."

You inhaled sharply, a scream lodged in your throat as every muscle in your body tensed and you whipped your head around. You almost fell out of your chair and if it wasn’t for Makoto’s quick thinking of grabbing the back of the chair to steady it, you would have toppled to the floor. Your eyes were wide but the sudden panic you had felt was immediately doused when you realised who it was leaning over the back of your chair. You took a deep breath, trying to dislodge your heart from your throat as an irritated sigh fell from your parted lips.

"Makoto, you scared the shit out of me" you softly hissed.

Amusement sparkled in the depths of Makoto’s eyes as he gave your arm a firm squeeze, fingers rubbing along your skin in a soothing motion as a silent apology. No matter how many times this same occurrence happened, you didn’t think you could get used to it. Makoto moved like a wraith. He was completely silent, never alerting anyone to his presence. Given his quiet nature, it only made his ability to seemingly appear out of thin air even worse.

You leaned into his touch as he gave your shoulder another firm squeeze, your eyes flicking up to his face as you began to ponder. You only just realised that he had said something to you before he scared the ever-loving daylights out of you. You gently tugged on the sleeve of his dress shirt, peering up at him with curious eyes.

"Say it again."

Makoto leaned closer to you, the tips of his fingers leaving a trail of fire in their wake as they brushed against your burning cheek and tucked a lock of hair behind your ear. A small smile tilted his lips as he pressed his lips to the shell of your ear once more, his voice barely above a husky whisper as he spoke to you and you alone.

"Happy Birthday" he repeated.

If anyone were to look in your direction, they would probably be witnessing you spontaneously combusting right about now. You awkwardly cleared your throat as heat made the tips of your ears burn red hot. A shy smile played on your lips, tongue wetting your dry lips before you spoke.

"Thank you, Makoto. Please sit down before people start staring."

It was hard for you to hide your flustered expression and Makoto was more than willing to spare you from your suffering. He slid into the chair across from you, eyes only briefly flickering around the room as he let the atmosphere of the dessert bar sink in. It took you a moment to regain control of your senses, your face still lingering with traces of warmth even as your heart settled back into place. You picked up the menu once more, eager to order and begin eating your way through the entire dessert menu.

"I’m starving" you remarked. "I think I’m gonna order. Have a look and let me know-"

Your voice suddenly tapered off when you felt something push against your hand. You peered over the menu you were holding to spy Makoto had slid a small little jewellery box across the table and was currently pushing it against your hand. An expectant look crossed his features as his gaze darted between you and the small box. A smile tugged at your lips.

"You want me to open my present first?"

Makoto nodded in response. You placed the menu back to the table, pushing it to the side as you clapped your hands together with a giddy expression. Elation made your blood simmer in your veins as you picked up the beautifully wrapped gift, your mind racing at the possibilities of what it could be as you gently tugged on the delicate bow string wrapped neatly around the box. You slowly peeled the lid back, your curious eyes growing wide when you see what lay inside. You were left completely speechless at the sight of a thin, silver bracelet, intricate patterns engraved on the surface and a single pendant dangling from the jewellery. You tentatively picked it up, admiring how it shimmered under the light as your eyes traced over every detail. Upon closer inspection of the pendent, you realised that your initials were engraved on one side and Makoto’s was on the other.

You swallowed around the lump in your dry throat, tears welling up in your eyes. You couldn’t recall someone giving you such a thoughtful gift before in your life.

"I…don’t know what to say" you admitted. "Thank you. I love it."

Your fingers struggled to undo the clasp. Your hands wouldn’t stop shaking, your heart and soul touched with how thoughtful of a gift you had just received. Makoto gently placed his hands over your shaking one, plucking the bracelet out of your grasp as he undid the clasp for you. You held out your hand, letting him slide it around your wrist and fasten it again. The pendant rested against the sensitive pulse of your wrist, the cool metal touching heated skin and a constant reminder that it was resting there. You threaded your fingers with his, squeezing his hands so hard your nails left imprints behind in his knuckles. Makoto smiled softly as he squeezed back. You could sit all evening, just staring lovingly into his gorgeous eyes with a lovestruck look painting your face. But your stomach had the audacity to remind you to eat. You reluctantly let go of Makoto’s hands, sniffling away your tears as you pushed the menu towards him.

"Pick" you gently urged.

Makoto silently picked up the menu and started to flip through the pages.

"Take your time" you said. "Although, we probably shouldn’t take too long. Wouldn’t want to miss the surprise party Iwatodai Dorm is throwing me."

Makoto paused as he was flipping a page. He peered at you over the menu as he cocked his head slightly to the side, a quizzical quirk to his eyebrow. You chuckled softly as you leaned further back in your chair.

"I overheard Junpei and Yukari talking last night" you supplied.

Makoto sighed softly with a shake of his head. It was supposed to be a secret. One of Makoto’s jobs for the day was to keep you busy and away from the dorm for a few hours while everyone else got everything set up. Well, looks like that idea just flew straight out of the window. His attention went back to you when you giggled softly, a smile on your face and a little mischievous glint in your eyes.

"Don’t worry, I’ll act surprised."

[beheworthy]

The past few days I've been very down with this fandom. So, I thought I'd do something to lift my spirits and talk about the wonderful people I've found through it. I want to let you guys know that I see and appreciate you and my sadness toward fandom negativity absolutely doesn't include you. In fact, you guys offset it by being awesome.

While I do love my Cobra Kai people, Extraction people, and the Ted Lasso Intellectuals, this is about my primary fandom, the Thor Appreciation Society. And is in the order I've found them:

Rachel (@notallthosewho-wanderarelost ) is my love. We started as fandom friends and have since become real-life friends and text and share everything about our lives with each other. I mean, she got WhatsApp just to talk to me! If Jane was real, she'd be Rach.

@fostertheory is a Thor fandom legend and the wise sage Master Yoda of our little Thor Appreciation Society. They have read every single Thor comic since its inception (they deserve an award just for that!). I'm always in their walls screaming about things and their calm expertise and knowledge keeps me grounded.

Molly (@the-irish-mayhem ) is a wonderful friend with whom I share a lot of similar thoughts and opinions. Her characterization of Thor is canon for me and I aspire to write him as good as she does. Her fics have kept me alive!

@coolnerdyrn and @rebelmeg are respected members of our Thor Appreciation Society. They've been here since the beginning. I'm always floored by how kind and humble they are.

@bensolothelastskywalker @itsjustme-itsmylife @iwillneverletgoipromise and @cinderellasfella have - no joke - liked and reblogged every single gifset I have created since I started in 2017. I can't stress enough how much it means to me as a content creator that they’ve constantly supported me. I will hunt you guys down and hug you so hard.

@hotdagas , @demigodofhoolemere and @foreveracharmedone appear in my notes often. And I appreciate you.

@youflickedtooharddamnit , @spatialelementalworld , @amanda-trashpanda3000 and @nathog97 don't tag their posts so they're very easy to miss in the lumped-up lists of reblogs in the activity page but I see ya guys!

Nat (@the-mjolnir-owner ) and @hemstolemyheart were there in the beginning, then disappeared for a long time, and are now back. I was so scared to talk to Nat but she turned out to be so wonderful, sweet, kind, and considerate. And @hemstolemyheart's story about meeting Chris is ingrained in my brain. She's also super super sweet.

@m1ghtythor is the actual Goddess of Thunder and I love her so much. She's so special and passionate and I want to keep her protected from everyone.

I'm in awe of @uniiiquehecrt 's knowledge about storytelling and her understanding of Thor's character and story. Where have you been all my life? Her art is gorgeous as well.

I admire @karioke13 's enthusiasm. They're very appreciative and kind to me.

This is based on my chaotic activity page so if I miss anyone, sincere apologies. Let me know and I'll add you guys as well. :) People who interact through anons are also very appreciated.❤️

[mj-iza-writer]

Brought to you by the fact it is 6° flippin Fahrenheit and my behind is frozen. For those who use Celsius that should be -14.444°C. I couldn't imagine being outside for a long period of time. -MJ

Whumpee jumped when they heard Whumper storming through the house and yelling at Caretaker who followed behind complaining about something.

Whumper was the head of the house, Caretaker and Whumpee were held captive there. There was certain rules they had to follow.

One of those was not to make Whumper mad.

Whumpee learned a long time ago to be seen not heard, Caretaker still had some learning.

Whumpee sat quietly on the couch and watched them storm by.

'Caretaker you're going to get us in trouble', Whumpee looked down, hoping to stay out of Whumper's radar.

"You", Whumper suddenly yelled.

Whumpee shuddered as they looked up, "ye-yes master."

Whumper stormed over and grabbed Whumpee's arm and yanked them off the couch.

"Since Caretaker won't stop talking I'll make them beg", Whumper dragged Whumpee behind them, "I'll punish them, by punishing you."

"Mas-master please don't, I'm a good Whumpee", Whumpee cried, "please."

"Don't involve them, this is between you and me", Caretaker tried to pull Whumpee away.

"Let go of them, I'll break an arm, I don't care who's", Whumper led them to the front door.

"Mas-master, please it's cold", Whumpee blubbered, realizing what was happening, "can I... can I at least get a coat?"

"No", Whumper opened the front door, threw Whumpee out into a snow bank, then slammed the door.

Caretaker rushed to open the door.

Whumper slammed the door again, almost getting Caretaker's fingers.

"Don't you fucken dare, it's your fault they are our there. Now beg", Whumper yelled.

Caretaker swallowed a knot in their throat.

"Whumper it's bellow freezing out there", Caretaker reminded, "they didn't do anything. Punish me."

"I am punishing you. By doing this you have to beg me. When they come back in, seeking warmth and love, they won't want it from you. You'll get double humbled", Whumper grinned, "I know how much that bothers you."

Caretaker made a frustrated face.

Frantic knocks came to the door.

"I can almost hear their teeth chattering", Whumper looked out the window, "they look cold. Do you have something to say to me Caretaker?"

"Please let them in, I'm sorry for upsetting you. I should have kept quiet", Caretaker tried their best to be sincere, though every inch of them wanted to lash out and choke Whumper.

Whumper eyed Caretaker, "hmm your getting better with your apologies. I can still tell you want to kill me though", Whumper started to walk away from the door.

"Wait, what about Whumpee?", Caretaker frowned.

"Try again in a few minutes, listen to their desperate knocks if you need motivation", Whumper started toward the living room, but stopped when they heard Caretaker fall to the floor.

"Please let Whumpee in, I'm begging of you, they could easily get frostbite or hypothermia. They just had a shower", Caretaker pleaded, "please."

"Oh geesh, I forgot they had a shower", Whumper snickered, "I like the falling to the ground", Whumper made their way to the door, "that was a nice touch."

Whumper opened the door, "come on, Caretaker dropped to the floor to beg for you."

Whumpee slowly came in and gave them both a dirty look.

They shivered as Whumper pulled at their hair.

"Your hair is frozen, wipe that look off your face, go find something warm to cuddle with", Whumper pointed, "and no I'm not turning up the heat."

Whumpee hurried into the house to find something warm.

"Why are you just sitting there Caretaker, I hurt Whumpee", Whumper chuckled, "you have a job to do. I hope they don't hate you too much."

Caretaker quickly got up, "c-can I make them a hot chocolate or something warm."

"I'll allow it", Whumper walked toward the living room, "have fun."

I just found it it will be -15°f tonight. -26.111°C. It's too cold. -MJ

Taglist. As always please let me know if you want to be added or taken off of the list. It's not a problem at all. @villainsandheroes @the-beasts-have-arrived @sacredwrath @porschethemermaid @monarchthefirst @generic-whumperz @bloodyandfrightened @freefallingup13 @notpeppermint @cyborg0109 @idontreallyexistyet

[shadyruinskryptonite]

Titan Bending Chapter 19

Warning: Violence consistent with cannon, NSFW so MDNI, language, major character death (both consistent with canon of both AOT and ATLA as well as diverging from canon), so much trauma literally everyone is so traumatized, very much slow burn, a little enemies to lovers, SO MUCH ANGST, hurt/comfort, hurt and delayed comfort, AFAB reader

Chapter Warnings: Talking about past severe injuries and near death experiences, extreme burns, sparring with swords, y/n beats the shit outta someone, one mention of bloody knuckles

WC: 3597

A/N: Okay so this is the first time a real reference is going to be made to the multitude of languages I hc are spoken in the four nations. I mentioned this in the hc that I published recently, but for Katara, Sokka, and y/n I hc that the native language of the watertribes is Russian so that’s included. Please note that I don’t know any Russian so everything that is written is ala Google Translate so I apologize if it’s wrong. This conversation is pretty silly, so feel free to translate it but you also don’t have to and it doesn’t change the plot of the story. Later however Zuko says something to y/n and I have written it in wingdings because I’m not immediately going to translate it, but rather I intend that it will be something that’s revealed later in the story.

Previous Chapter, Next Chapter

Masterlist

Tags: @mochminnie @sseleniaa @naruwitch

The tour ended at the mess hall, where everyone was able to sit together and share a meal. The conversation was kept mostly light, with the kids just asking the Gaang questions about our general experiences and getting answers similar to ones I had given them myself. 

From the other end of the table, I hear Sokka and Katara speaking the native Watertribe language.

“Она действительно кажется счастливой,” Katara says.

“Я согласен. Забавно видеть, как эти дети краснеют каждый раз, когда она смотрит в их сторону. Думаешь, она знает, что они все по-щенячьи влюблены в нее?” Sokka responds.

I can tell my kids are mesmerized by their conversation and it dawns on me that they’ve probably never heard anyone speak another language before.

Oh, well, this’ll really knock their socks off then.

Before Katara can respond, I smugly say, “It’s rude to speak another language when there are people that don’t know it in the conversation. But, yes, I’m very happy. Кроме того, они всего лишь дети, а я для них какое-то странное, экзотическое существо, отдохните.”

Now everyone’s eyes are wide and on me, and in the ensuing silence I say, “What, you two didn’t really forget that we have the same first language, did you?”

Looking like scolded children, they say in unison “Sorry y/n.”

I just shake my head and giggle.

Still in complete disbelief, Hange says, “I thought I was having a stroke for a minute when I didn’t understand what was being said.”

I laugh hardily and say, “No, that’s just the language native to the Watertribes. There are a bunch of different languages all across the four nations.”

Suki chimes in, “Yeah and y/n knows all of them.”

I whip towards her. “What? That’s crazy no I don’t!”

She rolls her eyes and says, “Oh yeah? How many languages do you speak?”

“Fluently? Just Watertribe and Universal!” I exclaim.

Zuko scoffs, “You’re so full of shit. You also speak Mainland Fire Nation.”

Toph adds “Not to mention Sand Bender and one of the romantic languages from the Western Earth Kingdom.”

“Yes but I’m not fluent in any of those!”

Suki turns to Hange and says, “She’s being humble.”

“What?! No I’m not! I seriously don’t know that much of any of the languages you just listed! I just lived in those places or around people from those places for so long that I started to pick up bits and pieces!”

Suki just playfully rolls her eyes at me as I huff a little.

A little incredulously Connie asked, “Any other fun facts or stories about y/n we should know?”

I roll my eyes but I can’t help but notice a spark of mischief wash across the entire Gaang.

Katara, my sweet angle baby, says “I feel like every story with y/n is a fun one. Even when things were tough she’s just…I don’t know, she’s like a ray of sunshine.”

I wasn’t expecting her to say something so heartfelt and I immediately blushed and looked down at my tray, suddenly feeling extremely bashful. Despite looking away, I could see just about every one of my new friends nodding in agreement.

Sokka manages to ruin the moment, though. “Yeah, she’s great when she’s not on death’s doorstep.”

This makes the Gaang cackle, and through my own laughter I say, “Fair enough.”

 But my new friends don’t see the humor.

Noticing the mirad of furrowed eyebrows, Suki lightheartedly says, “Oh, let me guess, she’s told you absolutely nothing about her past.”

Hange responds a little defensively, “No, she’s told us quite a lot. Just nothing about a near death experience…”

Snorts and scoffs can be heard coming from the Gaang which only deepens everyone else’s confusion. Suki points at me and continues, “If I know this one at all, she’s told you plenty about the four nations and our overall experiences but nothing even remotely personal. I mean, there’s a good five years of her life that we don’t even know anything about so I’d be surprised if y’all know. And, based on your faces, my guess is she hasn’t told you that she’s sort of on borrowed time-”

Sokka jumps in “Yeah, she’s like a cat with nine lives. Well…I guess it’d be what, six now?”

Confusion quickly turns to concern as I nod and dismissively say, “Yeah, that sounds about right.”

Seeing the worry on my squad’s faces, I quickly reassure them, “I mean, I’m here aren’t I? I’m all good. If anything that should make you guys feel better because it means I’m resilient as hell.”

Again, the Gaang laughs. Having been there through each of my brushes with death, they’ve accepted the same opinion about all of my close calls. Everyone else, however, is getting impatient.

Jean finally cuts us off. “Is anyone going to tell us what the fuck you’re talking about?!”

I smile and ruffle his hair across the table, immediately short circuting the kid. “Relax, Jean Boy. It’s not that big of a deal, I promise. But, if you must know, yes, I’ve had a few…close calls. The first one was when I was just honestly kind of in the way when Azula shot Aang with lightning. I was underneath him as he was entering the Avatar state and so I was the quickest path for the lightning to find the ground again. The second was during the Day of Black Sun invasion. It was before the end of the 100 year war. Just like I’ve explained that water benders get their strength from the moon, fire benders get theirs from the sun. So a solar eclipse gave us the perfect opportunity to invade the Fire Nation palace. They had anticipated our attack and retreated to some tunnels underground to wait out the eclipse and Sokka, Toph, Aang and I found Azula. Basically, she baited us into waiting until the sun came back out and the moment it did, she hit me close range with her fire. That would have been bad enough on its own seeing as she was about as close to me as I’m sitting to you right now, but something we didn’t explain earlier about Azula is that she’s a prodigy. She’s such a gifted fire bender that her flames burn blue because they’re thousands of degrees hotter than normal fire. It, um…it essentially melted about a third of my torso…”

As I trail off, Aang quietly says, “We might have been making light of the situation earlier, but that one was really scary. Y/n was basically unconscious for about a week.”

Trying not to let the atmosphere become too dark, I say, “But, thanks to Katara’s healing, I’m obviously fine now. Then, as we sort of alluded to earlier, there was the fight Azula and I had during Sozin’s Comet. She had tried to shoot Katara and I with lightning but Zuko jumped in the way. While Katara healed him, Azula and I fought and I redirected her lightning back at her. That’s what I thought killed her, actually. But, because that’s a really advanced move, it was my first time bending in three years, and the fact that it’s actually a fire bending move and not a water bending one, it also knocked me out. It kinda fried my chi and took a bit for me to recover.” I quickly added, “But again, I’m completely fine now so all of this is just kind of lore about me, I guess.”

There’s a long silence. Finally, after a silence that seemingly stretches on forever, it’s Eren that speaks for the first time in what feels like days. “You weren’t kidding when you said you’ve been through worse than that concussion you got in Shiganshina.”

I burst out laughing which prompts everyone else to join in.

Thank god someone broke that tension.

As eloquently as she says everything, Toph then states, “Bet she hasn’t told you she can fire bend either then, huh?”

My eyes go wide as there are a cacophony of gasps, whats, and huhs.

“No, no, no,” I say frantically looking between Toph and the rest of my friends, old and new. “I didn’t mention that because I can’t do it on command! Believe me, I’ve tried. I have fire bent twice in my life and it’s only ever happened when I’ve been beyond angry. Beyond furious, even.”

Glaring at Toph before realizing exactly who I was glaring at, I continue, “I had good reason not to tell you that I’ve done that because I didn’t want to get your hopes up that it was something that I could do or use regularly.”

I finish by mumbling, “Toph, I’m glaring at you by the way.”

Hange only seemed to hear what she wanted to out of that discussion, because she excitedly starts going on, “Y/n you are going to have to tell me everything about this! How it happened, what you did, everything! We are going to get you to firebend if it’s the last thing I do!”

Levi, seeming as curmudgeonly as ever, says, “Cool it shitty glasses. She said she can’t do it on command.”

The look that Katara and Suki exchange is not lost on me, but what’s more perplexing is the expression Hange immediately gets on her face. It’s both knowing and ornery, but I’m really surprised that she doesn’t press the issue or say anything that seems to warrant her face.

It’s Sokka that changes the subject this time, asking, “So, you gotten to spar any or have you been too busy bending now?”

Connie huffs out, “Has she ever.”

Again, this makes me laugh as I explain to the Gaang, “I’ve been helping them with their sparring lately. Eren asked for lessons to help his titan combat and everyone else has sort of tagged along. It’s been fun.”

“Damn, I was hoping you’d be outta practice so I could smoke your ass,” Sokka quipped.

“Sokka, I could have been in a vegetative state for the last two years and you still wouldn’t be able to smoke my ass,” I say matter-of-factly.

Everyone but Sokka laughs at this as he huffs, “Yeah?! Well…I’ve been practicing too! And I’ll have you know I’m in a totally different league than the fifteen year old boy you last sparred with!”

I raise my eyebrows and tease him, “Oh yeah, hot shot? You wanna bet on that one?”

Getting more indignant as everyone continues to laugh, Sokka all but shouts, “You know what? Yeah! Let’s spar!”

The disgust is evident on my face as I say, “Right now?”

“Yes! Right now! Let’s go to your little training field!” He shoots up as he speaks.

I sigh and begrudgingly stand up as well. As we walk towards the field I hear Toph somewhere behind me say, “My money is on y/n putting him down in less than four seconds.”

We get out to the field and at this point the sun has set and the ground is illuminated by an almost full moon. We take our stances across from each other and he pulls out his sword. 

Just as we’re about to start, I hear Levi call from the sidelines, “Does y/n have a weapon?”

Suddenly Sokka is exasperated, saying, “Yeah, do you?!”

I shrug dismissively. “I mean, I have my knives on me but I always have those. It’s never been a problem when we’ve sparred before.”

Sokka shakes his head violently. “Uh uh, no way. I’m not taking any chances.”

So, with a heavy eye roll, I take one knife from my waistband and the other from my ankle strap and chuck them at a tree on the side of the field, lodging one on top of the other.

With my hands out, I say, “There? Ya happy?” with clear annoyance in my voice.

“Very,” Sokka says with a grin.

I can tell there’s a slight commotion on the side but I’m not sure exactly what’s happening.

“She’s going to fight him without any weapons?” Levi asks, only barely concealing his concern.

Suki smugly responds, “Of course, wouldn’t want her to have an even more unfair advantage against him.”

Sokka swings his sword from the side and in one swift movement I block up and crank his arm backwards, trip him, and then pin him with his own weapon.

“Ha! Called it!” Toph cackles.

Sokka huffs and puffs as he swats my hand out of the way when I offer to help him up. As I hand him is sword back he immediately seems to ready himself for another round.

I raise an eyebrow. “Again, hot shot?”

Without another word, Sokka swings from the side just like he did before. I block up and grab his arm again, but instead of knocking him to the ground and pinning him I say, “You do realize the reason I beat you so fast every single time is because you start every fight we’ve ever had the exact same way, right?”

My comment seems to fluster him so I let go and motion for him to start again. This time he takes a different approach and I have to jump back to avoid being hit.

“Much better!” I say with genuine excitement.

He swings and jabs a few more times before I lay him out again. “See? That was much longer this time! Don’t be predictable.”

I go to help him up and this time he takes my hand, clearly done with this little experiment. I begin walking towards the tree where my knives are lodged when over my shoulder I hear, “I don’t think we’ve ever sparred.”

Turning around slowly, I see Zuko standing in the field, his dual swords already drawn and mischief written all over his face.

Cautiously, I say, “Is that so?”

Again, it’s Toph that makes a snide remark. “Yeah that’s because you two hated each other for a while.”

Making direct eyecontact with me Zuko says, “No, I never hated her.”

I choose not to respond, instead getting into a much more firm stance than I had held with Sokka.

He swings his blades artfully through the air and I do a dive roll over the top of them. While I’m still on the ground the tips of his swords come racing towards me and I have to roll back on my shoulders to avoid the front swing and then spring forward and onto my feet to avoid the back swing. 

At this point I’m within inches of him, but I bide my time before I strike. Our moves are almost perfectly in sync; as he swings left, I jump right. As he swoops right, I spin left. At one point he anticipates my dodge and fakes me out to swing in the direction I was planning on moving, forcing me to flip up and over his swords.

After this goes on for a few minutes, I figure that he’s probably tired enough to be exactly where I want him. So, for the first time since the start of the fight, I back up to a position where we’re squared off against each other. Just as he’s about to move in, I move in a flash; I throw a spinning kick that hits one blade, two blades, then his face. As I knock each sword out of his hands I’m quick to grab it in one fluid motion without breaking the momentum of my kick or letting the swords clatter to the ground. By the time my feet are back on the ground he’s reeling and I’m able to sweep his feet out from under him and pin him on his back, his own swords drawn in a cross over his neck.

We hold this position for a moment, both panting. He holds my gaze for longer than I’m comfortable with so I suddenly back off, getting up and handing his swords to him. Again, I move to retrieve my knives. With my back towards everyone, suddenly my hair stands on end all across my body.

I whip around just in time to see a fire ball hurling towards me. On instinct, I dissipate it just like I would water.

Then, I just stand there staring at Zuko, dumbfounded. With my palms towards the sky, all I can ask is, “What the fuck, Zuko?”

He doesn’t say anything, but even from across the field under nothing but the moon I can feel the fury radiating off of him. He throws another punch of fire my way, and I deal with it the same way I did before.

Now, I’m aggravated. I stand deathly still, eyes narrowing, one eyebrow raised as I practically growl, “I will give you one. chance. to rethink what you’re doing.”

For some reason, he didn’t take my threat seriously and decides to bend at me again. Without hesitation, I absolutely turn it on. Dodge his fire, grab ground water, blast him once with a large cannon of water. 

As he gets knocked back, I slowly approach where he stands and continue my onslaught. I freeze him in place and see him frantically try to melt my ice to no avail.

Stuck, he’s completely at my mercy. I get so close to him that he likely felt my breath fanning across his face. 

Keeping my voice threatening and low enough that only he could hear me say, “This has nothing to do with losing a sparring match. Get over it.” I liquify the ice and he stumbles a bit as I stand there watching him to make sure he doesn’t pull anything.

I turn around to walk away but I’m stopped cold when Zuko says, “✌︎⧫︎ ●︎♏︎♋︎⬧︎⧫︎ ✋︎ ♎︎♓︎♎︎■︎🕯︎⧫︎ 🙵♓︎●︎●︎ □︎◆︎❒︎ ♌︎♋︎♌︎⍓︎.” 

My blood runs cold, my eyes go wide, and my mouth drops open.

Did he really just say that?

As I’m trying to process, I’m overcome with rage at his sheer audacity. In a flash, I’ve spun around and elbowed him in the jaw before cracking him with a right hook, a left roundhouse, and grabbed his shoulders so I could thrust my knee into his solar plexus. By the time I was done everyone had descended and was trying to break up the fight, but I held firm to his collar.

Through gritted teeth I spat, “You’re a piece of shit Zuko. You’re no better than your father.” With that, I threw him on the ground before stalking off to rip my knives out of the tree. While people were busy tending to Zuko’s injuries, I slipped off unnoticed. At least, I had hoped I hadn’t been noticed. 

As I made my way to the roof, I was overcome with embarrassment.

Fuck, I hate losing my temper like that in front of people. 

I flop down on the ledge at the edge of the roof and stare at the sky, trying to force my anger to dissipate. At the sound of the door opening, I have a pretty good idea of who it is but without looking up I simply bite, “I’d like to be alone, thank you very much.”

Just as I had suspected, the steps that draw nearer to me indicate that it’s Levi that’s joined me. As he quietly sits down next to me, I try to pretend he isn’t there.

Little shit is quiet enough, I might as well still be alone.

We sit in this silence for a while and I do honestly forget he’s there after a bit. Actually, by the time he speaks up I’ve pretty much entirely cooled off.

Gently, he says, “You alright?”

I heave an extremely heavy sigh before sitting up and saying, “Yeah, I mean, I guess. Zuko just knows exactly how to get under my skin.”

Just as I had hoped, this was enough to satisfy Levi without having to go into anymore details. Now that I’m sitting up though, I see that he’s brought a cup with him. Nodding towards it I say, “That doesn’t look like tea.”

He snorts and passes it to me. As he does so he says, “You hit him with every ounce of strength you had. I figured your knuckles probably hurt so I thought you could use this to heal yourself.” He completely trails off towards the end, but I still heard him loud and clear.

As I take the cup from him I put my hand on his arm, causing him to snap his head towards me.

Damn, you’d think I’d just burnt him or something.

Without removing my hand and staring directly into his eyes -- Wow have his eyes always been this sparkley? -- I quietly say, “Thank you, Levi. That’s super thoughtful and I really appreciate it.”

Despite it still being the middle of the night, I can see that he blushes hard at what I just said. In fact, this was the first time I was absolutely certain that it was a blush that I saw and not just a byproduct of the environment.

Huh. I wonder if anyone has ever told him they appreciate him? They had to, right?

Silently, I bend the contents of the cup over my knuckles. Until he mentioned it, I hadn’t paid any mind to my cracked and bloodied knuckles but now that I’m actively thinking about it and healing them, they do smart quite a bit.

I’ve finished my healing in no time and throw the remaining water off the edge of the roof. As we continue to sit in silence, I’m suddenly struck by the fact that I’m actually glad to have company and, more than that, I’m glad it’s Levi as opposed to anyone else.

Huh. Maybe Katara and Suki were onto something.

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Winter's King 11

No tag lists. Do not send asks or DMs about updates. Review my pinned post for guidelines, masterlist, etc.

Warnings: this fic will include dark content such as noncon/dubcon, cheating, violence, and possible untagged elements. My warnings are not exhaustive, enter at your own risk.

This is a dark!fic and explicit. 18+ only. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Summary: You are a maid to the Duke of Debray, a lord of the Summer Kingdom. That is, until the king of Winter appears with his particular air of coldness. (Medieval AU)

Characters: Geralt of Rivia

Note: friday, my day, am i right?

As per usual, I humbly request your thoughts! Reblogs are always appreciated and welcomed, not only do I see them easier but it lets other people see my work. I will do my best to answer all I can. I’m trying to get better at keeping up so thanks everyone for staying with me.

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I love you all immensely. Take care. 💖

You turn your legs over the bench, feet dangling over the floor as you look at the king, dumbfounded and dozy. He sits in the chair by the table, toying with a grab between his fingers as he watches you. Your heart hammers behind your ears as your breath licks like flames in your lungs. You daren’t ask it aloud but what is he doing there? 

“I only meant to look in upon you,” King Geralt says as if he can hear your thoughts. “I fathomed the night was long tending to my wife and I would make sure you are well-rested.” 

“Your highness,” you stand and smooth the front of your shift, realising you wear nothing more. No dress, no apron. You feel vulnerable to his golden eyes as they follow your hands. The fabric pulls taut on your chest before you can right yourself. “I... Apologies, I am unkempt.” 

You search around and go to take your cap from where you hung it. You cover your shorn locks and tie it tight above your nape. The king’s eyes narrow at you. 

“What is the purpose of keeping your hair short?” He wonders as he drops the grape back to the plate. 

You look at him, shuddering, “I do not... it is only as I’ve been bid, your highness. In Debray, all the maids do so.” 

“You are not in Debray now,” he muses. 

You’re quiet. You’re not sure how to answer that. You gulp and grab the clean dress from the pile and throw it over your head. It hangs loose, not like Jazlene’s carefully cut and laced gowns. You reach for your apron and the king clears his throat. You stop and look at him. 

“Your highness?” You blink, still dazed by his unexpected appearance. 

“I did go to see the lady of Debray,” he intones, “she was in a poor state. She would not permit me in her chambers for her condition.” 

“Oh my, your highness, I am sorry to hear. Shall I go look in--” 

“She has maids a plenty,” he insists, “I hoped...” he leans forward and reaches to his belt. You notice the top of his slate grey tunic is untied and shows the trim of his chest hair, “to share a pastime with her. I hoped perhaps we might see past our differences at last and start our progress towards the kingdom. Alas, despite my warnings, she overindulged and has left herself incapacitated.” 

You stare at him, clutching the apron. He flicks his fingers dismissively as his other hand brings forth a pouch, “leave that. Come, sit.” 

You can only obey. You put the apron down and cross the chamber. As you near the table, he pushes the tray of dishes out of the way. You lower yourself onto a stool as he opens the mouth of the pouch. He pours out the rattling contents. Carved diced in varying shapes, symbols painted on each side, and man longer pieces that look like bone. 

“It is a game,” he explains as the contents roll out, “I’d like to teach you.” 

You look down as he sorts out the many pieces into sets. He is lithe in his arrangement. When he is down, he presses his hands flat to frame the assortment. 

“You don’t mind?” He wonders, “if you are tired still...” 

“Your highness, I am awake,” you rub your eyes and drop your hands to your lap. “A game? How do you play it?” 

You lean forward and he seems pleased by your intent. He curls his fingers and takes a breath. 

“It is like bartering at a market, or the like,” he begins, “you see how the pieces differ,” he points to the longer ones, “there are tick marks here,” he shows you how one has an ex, another a line this way and the next that way, and a circle in another. “We each have our dice,” he divides those up and pushes a set towards you, “it is a matter of trade and cost.” 

“Hmm,” you push your lip out, concentrating. 

He continues to explain the balancing and leveraging of each roll. How once you have collected all the pieces with a particular mark, you may wield a greater demand. You tilt your head thoughtfully, your own fingers drawing lines in the air as you make sense of his instruction. You think you understand but remain uncertain. 

“We may begin simple,” he intones. 

So suddenly are you swept up in the intricacy of the game, that your shock at his appearance dissipates. You can only think of the pieces as he rolls a die. Then the next. You follow his lead and when at last the first trade comes, you hear his offer but have no response. 

“You have a question?” He prompts. 

“I am thinking, your highness,” you squint as your forehead lines. 

“I can tell,” he says brightly. 

You peer up at him and smooth your expression. His cheek twitches as he leans back. You counter his offer and he clucks. 

“Mm, I see,” he rests his chin on his knuckles. 

He hands over his pieces and you bite the inside of your lip. You gather them to your side of the table and frown. You toy with the dice and wait. 

“Your turn,” he urges, “unless you are not having fun.” 

“It is an interesting game but I don’t want to be let to win,” you mutter. 

“I am not letting you win. It is the first turn and it is a long game,” he chides. 

“Mm, yes,” you pick through the dice, “your highness.” 

He exhales and leans on the armrest, “take your time. I am no hurry to be away.” 

You peer up at him and find his gaze set on you. You return your attention to the dice and toss them. He’s a king, should he have better things to do? 

⚔️

“It appears you have bested me,” King Geralt sighs and puts his dice down, pressing his hand flat over them, “you have the mind of a councilour.” 

“Your highness,” you bring your hands back to wring in your lap.  

“Truly, you’ve taken well to it,” he remarks, “it has been some time since I had harrying competition.” 

You offer a slight curve of your lips and look away. The window is dulled as the sunlight descends. You blanch and slip forward on the chair. 

“Your highness,” you stand, “it is late. I should--” 

“You may remain,” he assures you as he shows his palm kindly, “no hurry, little maid.” 

“But... shouldn’t you--” you keep yourself from asking after his duty. That is not for you to mind, “the queen will need dinner.” 

“As I said before, this place is ripe with servants,” he says coolly, “you should sit and bask in the time you have off your feet.” 

You face him and slowly sit. He drags his fingers along the wooden armrest as his expression tightens. He watches you as his square jaw clenches, “unless you would rather be away from me?” 

You twist around to look at the door, then to him. 

“I will go wherever you command, your highness.” 

“Yes, yes,” his hand balls to a fist, “that is not what I...” he sighs with exasperation, “I want to know what you desire. What do you want? What do you need?” 

There’s a stirring in your chest as he leans slightly forward, his eyes alight. You peer into the golden pools and your lips part. He is a king and yet speaks as if he would serve you. 

“I...” you wisp and clamp your lips tight, measuring your words, “I want to serve you and the queen, your highness. I want to serve the realm.” 

He huffs again and grimaces, “for yourself. Not the queen, not me, not the people.” 

“Hmmm,” you look down and shrug. You shake your head. You can’t think of anything. “I have a new dress and a hot bath and good food. I can think of nothing. What of you, your highness? What do you want?” You lift your chin slowly, “just for you?” 

Your question seems to startle him. He winces and for a moment, seems breathless. He stands suddenly and takes a step forward. He’s close and you think he might lunge at you. You shy away, expecting the same wrath you inspire in the queen. He falters and backs away. 

“I want...” he grits and turns his back to you. 

He walks to the window and looks out onto the lawns. He hangs his head and grips the window’s edge. He lets out a gravelly sigh. 

“I want you...” he utters, “...to come walk with me in the gardens. I would like to do so before we must depart.” 

You rise again, “yes, your highness, I will put my shoes on then.” 

He puffs out into the deepening dusk. You can feel his frustration roiling from his figure. You grab the stockings and the shoes and return to the chair. You roll the stocking onto your foot and pull it up your leg, rumpling up one side of the skirt as you do. As you hike up the next, the king faces you, surprising you before you can drop the fabric back down to your toes. You sheepishly bend to put your shoes on, embarrassed. 

“Thank you, little maid,” he approaches and offers his hand, “for keeping a miserable king company.” 

You look at his hand. It’s big and calloused and lined like a map. The invitation seems overly friendly. You accept it, not so bold as to turn him away. 

“Your highness,” You murmur as he squeezes your hand then lets his arm fall straight, tugging you away from the table. 

Silently, he lets his grip brush from your hand and instead hooks his arm through yours. It is an overly familiar gesture but you allow it. What more can a maid do? As you near the door, he stops and untangles from you completely, stepping away as if struck by the oddity of his actions. He reaches for the door handle and inhales. 

He opens the door and steps into the corridor, you follow him, just a pace back. He looks over his shoulder at you then turns ahead. You scurry to keep up with his long strides. He stops at the end of the hallway and you nearly collide with his elbow. 

“I am not miserable because of you,” he angles his head towards you as he keeps his voice low, “if you worried...” he shakes his head at himself, “come, little maid.” 

You do as he says and trail him through the corridors. It is late and while soldiers remain on watch, most of the lords and ladies have tucked away for their evening meals. The king continues his unstoppable advance with you at his heels. Down a flight of stairs and across the great hall. 

Outside, several soldiers bow their heads at his passing and another nears. He dismisses them without a word. You carry on, sensing how his mood darkens with the sky. You’re uncertain of his demeanour, so suddenly shifting from affable to affronted. You didn’t say what he wanted and now he is unhappy. He can be rather like his wife. 

He stalks onward to the archway that marks the green gardens of the capital castle. He passes between the leafy pillars and stops to look this way then that, then opts to walk along the middle row. You flit between the hedges behind him as the sky ripples with the looming night and a cool breeze stirs around your skirts. 

He is silent as he walks, almost as if he’s forgotten you. You wonder if you fall out of step, if you are lost behind him, would he even notice? Finally, he slows before a pond dug into the center of the gardens, amid lilies and daisies and blue bells. The moon shines down and reflects off the tepid pool. 

He treads around the edge of the pond as you stand by the bushes. He circles around to a wooden bench and sits. His shoulders slouch and he leans his head back. The silver light limns his strong features. When he opens his eyes, they glow as they did in your dream. 

“I have come this far, I have conquered as I vowed to, I have vanquished the old king,” he speaks to the sky, “I have done all I sought to and yet I am wanting.” 

You dip your head, sad for him. You might assume a king would be happy for all his gold and power. That a crown would bring delight as much as glory. All you see is a man in mourning. For all he’s won, he’s lost just as much. Loyal men and many months. 

“I have a wife who is petulant, I have an ally who is cowardice, and I have nothing left here to claim,” he continues, “should I remain any longer, I might give it all up.” 

He hangs his head and leans forward, gripping the edge of the bench. He sits in silence as he watches the water. A frog hops onto a large stone protruding from the shallows and steals your attention. You watch it leap again and again until it meets the other side. 

“Little maid...” the sultry purr crawls over you and you glance over to find the king observing you, “sit with me.” 

You shiver and cautiously make your way around the pond. You near him and sit at the end of the bench opposite him. You fixate on the moonlit water. He leans to grab your wrist and hauls you closer. You sidle down until you are almost against him. He slips his hand around yours, covering it in his grasp. He pulls it onto his thigh and rests it there. 

He clings to you just like that. You feel a pluck in your chest for him. He has a wife who should share in his troubles but she is too buried in the anguish she made for herself. Yet, she is not there, and you are; a paltry substitute for what he truly needs. 

Silence pervades the night but for the chirping of insects and the sweet singing of birds. The king’s grasp on you tightens, then lessens, and tightens again. He eases his hold entirely and pets your hand. 

“Will you play another game with me?” His timbre is silty as he looks over at you. 

“A game, your highness?” You babble. 

He hums and nods, “a child’s game,” he explains, “it is simple.” He sits straight and pushes back his hair, “you will run and I will catch you.” 

Your heart lurches. Your lashes flutter. You played the game before, when you were young, with the queen even. But that was years ago and you were smaller and faster. You look at the king. 

“Your highness,” you utter. 

“It’s my command,” he says, “run.” 

[queer-ragnelle]

I am so sorry if you have answered this before, I was just wondering if you knew of a good way to get into Arthurian literature? Like… what to read first and what definitely not to read first?

Everything I can find when I search for a good list or order talks about modern retellings, but I am not sure how to get into the older ones. They are a bit hard to approach, so I am worrying that I may be going about it wrong.

I’ve just been slowly collecting different tellings from old book stores over the years, but there is so much that I am not sure where to begin..

hi there! no need to apologize, it's all very overwhelming and confusing. i've answered this question before, but have since added more literature, so i'll go in depth. :^) determining where to start really depends on what you're looking to get out of your reading experience.

lots of people recommend le morte d'arthur by sir thomas malory for an overall understanding of the basic premise without having to read the long and scary vulgate cycle. but as i said in this ask, it's not my favorite text, as it truncates the story so much it can cause confusion. yet it's the "shortest" (ie 1,000 pages lol) recounting of events from arthur's conception through his death, as well as incorporating the often-excluded story from the prose tristan, and adding character-defining elements we've all come to accept as part of the "canon" such as gareth beaumains's humble beginnings as a kitchen boy. (in the vulgate, his story is largely the same as the elder bros he tags along with. in fact, @lefresne and i discovered each of us had a transcription/translation of the vulgate which referenced two different manuscripts of the same story, but had swapped the names guerrehet/gaheriet [gareth/gaheris] and confused the hell out of us bc we had varied accounts of the same scene and were both right! scribes mistake? point is there's not a substantial differentiation between them until the post vulgate and le morte d'arthur, so reading that will give you needed context/depth!)

on the other hand, le morte d'arthur doesn't include some even later additions to the "canon" that are now famous and get incorporated into many retellings, such as sir gawain and the green knight and the wedding of sir gawain and dame ragnelle. (are these a deal breaker to comprehend a retelling? not necessarily. but despite gawain's track record with many ladies, if an author writes in a wife for him, on god, they always choose ragnelle. so that poem is a must<3)

so it's really your own judgment call! no matter what, you'll likely need to read more than one book for fuller context to understand the common "fandom" talking points and frequently adapted stories. in any case, i've just made an FAQ where you can go and figure out what stories will suit your needs. i hope this helps. have a nice day!

[chambersandfogg]

June 4th, 1920

My dear Mr. Chambers, 

Apologies first and foremost, or taking such a godawful-ly long time to return to return your letter of the fourteenth of April. Once again, you prove yourself to be an endlessly thoughtful and fastidious person. I feel in utter shambles next to you so often.  But with a  bright new shining decade at our disposal, I’m determined to be more organized. 

An auspicious start, isn’t it? Diving fully into the new decade halfway through its first year. But I’m only just back from my post-war jaunt around the globe—a trip well-earned, I’d say—and I’ve purchased an absolutely absurd estate on Long Island. More rooms and more land than I know what to do with, but I’m sure I’ll find ways of filling it all. After so many years being a respectable, responsible middle aged man, I think I’m due for some foolishness. 

To kick it all off—my triumphant return home, the sparkling nineteen-twenties, my extravagant purchase—I’ve decided to throw the party of this, and any, season. On June 21st, I’ll be hosting an enormous fête for the summer solstice, an occasion I’ve never given much thought to, but which is celebrated all around the world with great aplomb. There will be dancing and eating and libations, both legal and otherwise, and I do think it will be a rollicking good time.  

I would like to have you there. In truth, I’m not certain who will be on the guest list. It’s tricky, isn’t it? Just as you predicted, making and maintaining connection over the decades when we appear the way we do is quite difficult. And with the war and being away for so long after, my social circles have dwindled severely. I’m thinking of inviting my brothers and sister for God’s sake, so please come save my poor dulled soul. 

I know we haven’t seen each other in some time, but there would be something poetic, I think, in meeting again at the halfway point of the year.  I had toyed with the idea of hosting a New Year’s Eve party instead, but the holiday is now so wrapped up in time spent—

Say you’ll come. You can stay the weekend, the week, the month. Just say you’ll come. For now, I am, 

Humbly Yours, 

John

[a letter received by C.X. Chambers]

[to read more of the pre-1917 entries, join Atypical Artists and get access to the archive of 24 entries (5,000+ words), as well as ad-free episodes. to receive future monthly missives straight to your inbox, sign up for free here]

[labrxnth]

Misery Loves Company pt. 3 (Leon Kennedy x Reader Series)

Part 3: Light Poking Through

Parts: 1 2

CW: alcohol, very detailed mentions of an anxiety attack (medicated gang rise up),

WC: 2,593

Summary: After an injury in training, (y/n) and Leon discuss their relationship.

Tag list: @makimakimi

(A/N) Everything will be ramping up I promise. Also sorry not sorry for my thing for hands bleeding into this fic. What can I say, I’m a simple artist, I see good hands and I melt. Reader is literally a self insert. Also I have been humbled by chatbot.ai into realizing this entire time I thought it was DOS…. it’s DSO…. so ignore those mistakes in the past fics. This part also has some awkward and uncomfortable conflict resolution because it makes sense for both Leon and reader.

(Y/n) was seeing stars when they finally pulled apart. She winced in pain as she felt the pressure change on the bruise on her stomach. Before she could hide the pain, one of Leon’s hands was hovering over the ice pack. “You okay?” He asked, his eyes dripping with concern.

She nodded and looked back up at him, her (e/c) eyes staring into his. “Yeah, kiss me more,” She whispered, missing the contact of his lips on hers.

Leon sighed and lightly pressed on the bruise. (Y/n) had to bite her lip not to scream in pain. “You’re okay?” He asked pointedly. His eyes were full of guilt and something else that she couldn’t place. 

“...no,” She admitted and squirmed under his touch. 

“I’m really sorry,” He replied and dropped his gaze. (Y/n) cupped his face and made him look at her. 

“You’ve already apologized like 4 times,” She rolled her eyes and smiled at him, to let him know that she was okay. 

“I know, but-”

“And you are not apologizing for that kiss,” She stood up as best as she could, grimacing. 

Leon put a hand on the small of her back to help stabilize her. She couldn’t help but feel how his hand felt. His fingers felt long and calloused, his palm was soft and warmth spread from it. 

“I, uh , yeah.. Okay,” He said and gave her an awkward smile. 

“So…. I’m guessing you’re gonna make me lay low for the rest of the day and stay at my desk?” (Y/n) sighed. 

“Yeah, I’m honestly surprised you’re still standing,” He said and grinned at her. He helped her walk to behind her desk and sit in the chair behind it. 

“Okay, Kennedy, don’t push it,” She said and lightly punched his shoulder. 

“I’m serious, you’re lucky you got hit with my fist. I was thinking of kicking you,” 

“I’d be dead if you kicked me,” She said flatly and chuckled. She sat down in her chair and relaxed into it. “I’ve seen you tear apart things with a single kick, it’s almost super human.”

“You praise me too much,” He said and handed her the ice pack. Leon picked up his leather jacket off the desk and put it on, relaxing into it. 

“You’re my partner, it’s my job to inflate your ego then pop it like a balloon.” (Y/n) chuckled and pointed at her backpack across the office. “Can you hand that to me?”

He nodded instantly, and walked over to grab it.

“So…..,” (Y/n) said and stared at him. “What do we do now?” 

He looked over at her and raised an eyebrow, putting her backpack down on the desk in front of her. “What do you mean?” He asked. 

“Well…. We just said we love each other and kissed,” She awkwardly fidgeted with her fingers. 

“Yeah,” Leon said awkwardly.  

“So…” (Y/n) looked around the office awkwardly. She was just realizing now how cold it felt in the office; it was bright, fluorescent white, cold, and plain. It was opposed to the amber atmosphere, scent of vanilla, and colors everywhere in her apartment. 

“So… you wanna catch dinner at your place after work?” He asked, arms crossed as he sat down in a chair across from her. 

“I don’t know, are you gonna punch me again?” She felt a smirk pull at the corners of her mouth. 

“Only if you tell me I don’t look handsome,” He picked up on the teasing tone in her voice and smiled at the ground. 

“Noted.”

They both chuckled and the air of her office seemed to get warmer. 

“I’ll be talking to Sierra, just letting you know,” Leon said. 

“What? I told you not to,” (Y/n)’s eyes darted up to his. “Like I said, I can handle my own work problems, I’m a big girl,” She took her laptop out of her backpack and opened it. 

“Well, he just got me involved. He pretty much made me beat up my partner. It’s not just a you problem now,” He uncrossed his arms and glared at the wall. 

“Remember how you treated me when I suggested to tell Krauser to go fuck himself?” She replied. (Y/n) could see his jaw set out of her peripheral vision as she started to work on typing up case reports. “Don’t be like that, you know I’m right.”

“It was different then,” He said and shifted awkwardly in his seat. 

“What, I’m suddenly different because you like me now?” She asked, not impressed by the sudden change in the direction of conversation. She didn’t look up from the laptop.  

“What made you think I didn’t always?” He asked.

(Y/n) looked up at him, expecting to see a smirk, or a teasing face, but she was met with genuine concern. Her mouth went dry as she realized that she had read Leon wrong this entire time. Her partner that she was supposed to know how they worked, thought, and were, she felt that she left a complete stranger in front of her. “But that one time at the bar….” she replied, a little softer. 

She heard footsteps walking towards her and didn’t want to look up from the laptop. Half out of need to finish her work, and the other half out of fear of bringing up a sore memory. 

Leon stood next to her and put a hand on her arm. “What are you talking about?” He asked. “If I did or said anything to hurt you, tell me,” He said. She felt the warmth flow from his hand into her. 

“Great, you don’t even remember the conversation we had,” (Y/n) remembered how his eyes swirled with the alcohol in him, his breath heavy with whiskey. But she also remembered the stinging pain of him confirming that he knew she liked him. She remembered him coldly saying to her that he didn’t need anyone. The pain still sore from the memory fully coming back to her earlier that morning. 

“Communicate with me,” Leon almost pleaded. “You’d think you would be good at that, seeing as though you never shut up on missions,” He tried to lighten the mood. 

She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Hunnigan told me to check in on you, I tried to get you to talk about Krauser and you pretty much told me to fuck off. You told me that you didn’t want my help and didn’t need anyone.” After letting that hang in the air for a couple of minutes, she awkwardly met Leon’s eyes. If the years of mental torture he had put himself through hadn’t broken him, she would’ve sworn that he’d be crying. She could almost picture the tears in his eyes with the way he was looking at her. 

“Why didn’t you tell me I hurt you? We promised to have clear communication with each other,” He asked. 

“I didn’t think it was that big of a deal,”

“That’s obviously a lie. That happened years ago and you’re still thinking about it,” He crossed his arms, but this time it wasn’t in a comfortable position. 

“I don’t know, I didn’t want to ruin our friendship,” (Y/n) said quietly. She finally stopped typing on her laptop and gave him her undivided attention. “We were in a good place, I didn’t want to throw it all away.”

Leon bit the inside of his cheek nervously. “I’m sorry,” He said. “I’m sorry I made you feel like that.”

“It’s okay.”

“No it’s not,” He said. “I was just…. Not feeling like myself.”

“Leon, you don’t have to talk to me about it. I know you well enough to know that this is hard for you,” She said and turned the swivel chair towards him. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” He asked. One of his eyebrows raised and he stared at her, wary of her next words.

“Well, you and I both know that you’re not the best with words,”

“Is that so?” He swallowed hard and walked back over to the chair across from the desk, sitting down in it. 

“I didn’t mean for it to come out that way,” (Y/n) said. 

“I guess we’re both bad with words then,” He said flatly and crossed his arms. 

“I guess so….” She replied and went back to typing on her laptop. The awkwardness in the air was enough to choke on. This wasn’t the first time they had sat like this, both too afraid to say something that would fuck up the conversation.

The memory of the night after Operation Javier was one that (y/n) would rather forget. What was once the warm autumnal atmosphere of her apartment was cold, empty, lonely. She had sat by the phone, waiting for a call from her partner, all day. Any sign that Leon was okay and well was all she was waiting for. 

Maybe well was too much to ask for in this job field. 

She heard a knock at the door and saw the all too familiar shade of blonde hair from the front door window. Almost jumping off the couch, she took off to the front door. (Y/n) ripped the door open, almost tearing the hinges. 

“Leon, you’re okay,” She said and looked him up and down. Taking him in, she could tell that something was wrong. 

Actually, she could tell that everything was wrong; he had that same far off, glossy eyed stare that he had whenever anyone mentioned the Raccoon City Outbreak along with some pretty nasty new cuts and bruises. 

(Y/n) grabbed his wrist and led him into the living room, bringing him to the couch. They both sat down and it seemed like Leon had just processed where he was.  

“Tell me what happened,” She said and got up to get him a coffee. 

“It’s Krauser,” Leon said emptily. 

“What did he do to you this time?” She replied, ready to be court martialed for attempting to kick a Major’s ass. 

“He’s dead, (y/n),” He said. Her blood froze in her veins and her stomach felt like it was going to twist in on itself. She handed him the warm cup and sat next to him. 

“Leon, I’m sorry,” She replied after a few seconds of silence. 

“They were right to keep you away from this assignment, you would be gone too,” He added and slowly drank the coffee in front of him. 

“Excuse me?” (Y/n)’s heart felt like it had just been shattered. She had worked so hard to get to where she was and here was her partner saying she didn’t belong with him. That’s not what Leon met, but she was already spiraling. 

She thought he meantthat she didn’t belong with him.

Leon’s eyes slowly made his way to hers and she almost shivered at how vacant they were. What were usually filled with determination, care, or tease, were windows into the hollow soul in front of her. “You needed to stay behind for this,” He added. Those words twisted a dagger into her. She wanted so badly to help with anything that this confession from Leon stung more than any practice knife slicing her. She wanted so badly to prove herself in a field that barely had any women in it. 

She wanted so badly to be acknowledged. 

The words came out before she could think about what caused them to pop up in her mind. 

“Am I not good enough for you?” As soon as she said them, she was mortified. Her partner, her best friend was sitting in front of her mourning the loss of a fucked up mission and his mentor; and she made it about her insecurities. By the look on his face, (y/n) knew what Leon’s next words would be and she couldn't blame him. 

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” He asked harshly. 

She froze, sitting in pure total disgust of what she just said. The two of them sat in the room, not talking to each other for an hour before (y/n) eventually broke the silence and apologized. 

“So uh… tonight, pizza okay?” Leon asked, snapping (y/n) out of her memories. It seemed that today, it was him who extended the olive branch. 

“Yeah sounds good,” She replied, going back to working on the case studies. 

“What toppings?” 

“You already know,” (Y/n) smirked at him. 

“You’re fucking disgusting,” Leon scoffed and pulled out a notebook. He wrote down the toppings and stared at it. “Seriously, in the time that I’ve known you I haven’t been able to fix your gross pizza orders.”

“Hey, pineapple and jalapeños go amazingly together on a pizza!” She said defensively. Leon almost shivered in his spot and (y/n) smiled at the attempt to fix the mood in the room. “I’m sorry for making things awkward.”

“We’re people (y/n), not robots. We have thoughts and emotions that are difficult to think through. No matter what, I’ll always be your friend. Unless you do something really fucked up.” He said without looking up from the pad. 

“Like what?” She took the bait. 

“Ordering gross pizza, oh wait,” He smiled and playfully glared at her. They both chuckled for a few seconds. “I mean what I said though. I know you well enough to know that you have good intentions. And you know me well enough to know the same. I’m not going anywhere. That and I’m too lazy to find a new partner.” 

(Y/n) smiled at him, genuinely and nodded in acknowledgement. 

After awhile of hearing clacking and silence again, she thought of something. 

“Did you invite Ingrid to tonight?” She asked. 

“No, I wasn’t going to,” He replied. 

“Why?” She asked obliviously. 

“(Y/n), this is a date. Our first date.” He said and his eyes looked around the room awkwardly. 

“Oh, then Hunnigan definitely doesn’t need to be invited.” 

“No she doesn’t. How does 6:30 sound?” He asked and leaned back in his chair, finally relaxing again. He put his hands behind his head and crossed his legs. 

“Sounds good, see you then.” She said neutrally. Her eyes moved to the clock on her laptop and her eyebrows furrowed. “Leon, you’ve been here for an hour and a half.” 

“Yeah, and?” 

“Don’t you have anything better to do then to watch me lose my mind filing case reports and an incident report?” 

“No,” He said and smiled guiltily. 

“The savior of America, every one,” (Y/n) said mockingly, a deadpan expression. 

“It’s almost like you want your favorite person to leave,” Leon said and smirked at her. 

“I do, now leave. See you at 6:30,” She said. 

“Alright, 6:30,” Leon echoed and started to leave. 

(Y/n) watched Leon walk out the door and couldn’t help but smile to herself at the excitement for tonight; dinner was going to be interesting. 

Catch this fanfic on my AO3

[scottxlogan]

Hello!! I’m a big fan of your writing! Although Scott/Logan will always by my OG pairing, your writing has really opened me up to other pairings like Scott/Tony and Scott/Steve! Who knew those pesky Avengers could bring something other than chaos to the x-men universe?!? I was wondering if you would be posting any updates to Damaged or Better Together in the near future? Both great series in my humble opinion and I would love to see how the stories end. I know it takes a lot of time and effort to write these stories, so thank you for all the effort you put into bringing these characters to life. Not enough readers say it but we do appreciate it❤️.

Thank you very much! Scott/Logan has always been my OG pairing as well even if I dabble my hand in other fandoms. There's a special place for them in my heart and while I'm having fun with other pairings they are very special to me too! (Even with how exciting Scott/Tony and Steve/Scott have proven themselves to be lol) I just finished a year long challenge that took a bulk of my time for another MCU ship, but I'm getting a little more time opening up that *fingers crossed* will allow me the opportunity to resume on both projects. In my WIP folder I have chapters of both stories nearly finished and so close to getting there if that helps.

I'm currently working up the final few squares on a couple of bingo cards outside of those two stories but I do have both of them on my must update list. I can't give you an exact time on when they'll be posted although I'm leaning towards Better Together being updated first as I've opened that one a few times recently wanting to get that one out there with it being so close to being finished. I know it's been a delay on both stories and I do apologize for that one, but I can assure you that neither one has been forgotten as they are both really important to me as an author and I do have full intention of finishing them in the future.

I know the Scogan fandom is small and not often very vocal, but your message really helps me as an author as sometimes I do wonder if people are still interested in the stories after there's been a delay. Feedback and messages like this work wonders in fueling the creative fires, so thank you for that! I am hoping to get more out there on both in the not-so-distant future if all goes right on my end. Thank you so much for your kind words and for letting me know your thoughts as it really made my day so thank you for that!!!!

[savage-aesthete]

Picking apart Episode 5

Dropping hints, Showrunner Rolin told us, "I think there has been a story that has been told to Louis that Louis told to himself that maybe Armand has told to him too…"

Leaving Armand aside for a minute, I think Claudia is Louis's major manipulator.

Claudia has all along been telling Louis some hefty truths about Lestat. We hear them more frequently towards the end of the series. Lestat is controlling. We are his slaves. And yet in present-day Dubai, Daniel has been reading some fundamental truths about Claudia’s nature.

E5 stands out here. It starts with her merciless kill list which Daniel reads aloud. I think it's key that it isn't Louis but Armand who answers Daniel here. Louis does not engage with Daniel whenever Daniel points out that Claudia is a cold-hearted killer. That is the truth that Louis still shies away from.

We cut to a scene where after the fiasco with Charlie, Louis and Lestat disagree over Claudia's reaction to the trauma. Louis assumes Claudia starves herself and withdraws which is what Louis would do. He blames Lestat for her starvation, but Lestat proves that she has actually been on a secret killing spree. Here they already have a different view of Claudia's character. Claudia's diary details the real issue - she has realised she will never attain adulthood and all the comforts that Lestat and Louis have with each other are denied her forever. She is both ruthless and also furious.

Neither want to face this fact. When they ambush her on her return, she seems to be outraged by the fact they read her private diary. Lestat read several. But what if those diaries contained more clues to Claudia's real character and that is why she was angry? Lestat read her true thoughts, but Louis did not. Lestat is gaining an understanding of Claudia as a vicious killer who feels fury about her predicament. Louis carries on with the impression that Claudia is like him, she’s a victim, she still has empathy. But as we learned early on, Claudia kills more like Lestat. Moreover, she's her own person. Her patterns of behaviour are deviating from those of her makers.

Claudia really loses her cool when it's revealed that Lestat has shared some of her thoughts with Louis. She screams so loudly that she shatters the mirror. I think this is key. She has already started her manipulation of him and should he learn what Lestat already knows, it might break the spell. Daniel is never under her spell. "Poor dear," he says dryly. In Dubai, Louis is at pains to defend her, but Daniel is clearly not taken in. She’s like Charles Manson. She’s a ritualistic murderer.

Later in the episode, when Claudia returns after her long absence, she seems milder. She seems to have put the past behind her and looks only to the future. Lestat does not believe her apology or her professed humbleness. He knows her better. He expects trouble and relentlessly needles her. Louis immediately falls back into the belief of her victimhood and newfound maturity. They take different, opposed stances and this is built on the seven years prior where Louis focused solely on his guilt over Claudia and Lestat, unable to reach him, sought companionship elsewhere. Now, Claudia works on the cracks in the relationship to force Louis to choose between them. Violence erupts. Visually, we are reminded of the early diary scene in which another mirror shatters. The two scenes are linked. I think it’s likely that the scene is less a simple case of extreme domestic violence and more a physical fight between Lestat and Louis over Claudia. Engineered by Claudia. She’s worked on them both for years. I think it’s a deliberate choice that Claudia echoes Lestat’s “Come to me,” with “Come with me.” She wants him to choose her as he once chose Lestat.

Obviously, Lestat IS far more powerful than Louis. He DID use that strength. He is definitely toxic. This is in the books. But I think the scene is more nuanced than we have been led to believe. The truth of Anne’s vampires is that everyone is toxic. Most of this scene unfolds off-screen. The exchange we hear but don’t see between Lestat and Louis doesn’t quite fit the pattern of simple DV. I think the mirror represents many things but one interpretation is that it’s Claudia fracturing the narrative and shattering Louis and Lestat’s relationship. How the rest of the scene really plays out is another story.