#is this a subtle hint that part 2 is coming soon? ......maybe so.

[theresa-of-liechtenstein]

we've changed a lot already. since we got here. totally: for one, I'm walking with you. —around the outside aka if linda and theresa met and were rivals, set in a fictionalized formula 1

[faretheeoscar]

NEEDY MIGUEL pt 2

Pairing: Miguel O’Hara x SpiderFemaleReader

Warnings: 🔞 NSFW, Masturbation, sex toys, brief mentions of sex, a form of voyerism (?), oral sex, Peter B. mini cameo that could lead to something else in the future

AN: English is not my first language, no beta read/grammar corrected.

PART 1 PART 2 PART 3 PART 4 (final soon)

Needy Miguel who was siting down on his desk having a bad morning after not sleeping enough last night, having to conduct meetings all morning leaving him in a very cranky mood.

Needy Miguel that shifted uncomfortable on his seat thinking about how today was another day when he was a coward and instead of trying to get closer to you, he sent you away on a 3 day mission

Needy Miguel that searching for one of his tools on his desk to occupy his mind in something else that wasn’t frustrating him more, notices a small gift on one of his drawers and inspects it, his face turning 5 shades redder as he opens the box and quickly tosses it back

Needy Miguel that is fuming in anger thinking about who could’ve pranked him that way, stuffing a sex toy on his desk? That was a very untaste full joke that made his blood boil.

Needy Miguel that overthinks and calls out for Lyla, she says to him that only one hand full of people had come to his office, she includes your name on that list and he quickly dismisses her, for him to be alone with his thoughts feeling a pressure tightening on his chest and his mind clouding.

Needy Miguel that stares at the toy and can’t stop thinking about the subtle looks you gave him that morning on the meeting, could it really be you that left him that in there? No, that was ridiculous, it was probably one of Parker’s jokes, he’d always be nagging him about not getting any action, and that he needed to blow off his frustrations some way, hinting to the two of them maybe… well thinking about that let’s not go that way, that’s a total different story for another day

Needy Miguel that reaches out for the toy and takes it out of the box, to inspect it, the toy looking so small against his big palms, he introduces one finger and his eyes immediately roll to the back of his head at the feeling of it.

Needy Miguel that quickly made disappear the crotch part of his suit as his hard rock cock spring out already leaking precum that will do as lube for now

Needy Miguel that slowly takes the toy and push his cock inside it groaning loudly at the sensation not even caring if anyone could hear him outside his office

Needy Miguel that made a mess of himself in less than 3 minutes just by the sensation of something different than his hand, and how the semitransparent small thing looked rolling against his thickness as it squeezed him hard cause it could barely fit around him

Needy Miguel that kept jerking himself with the toy even if he was sensitive and his thighs twitched by the overstimulation of it, cause for him one orgasm simply wasn’t enough

Needy Miguel that got the urge of having a visual aid and while still moving the toy up and down his length reached out for the footage of you before you left for the three day mission he sent you and zoomed in on his screen

Needy Miguel that whined desperately as he watched how your eyes were focusing on him the whole time he conducted the meeting, hips buckling up and thinking about how he’ll keep your eyes focused on him not letting you close them even if he rolled his girth so deep inside you that he would reach your cervix and make you both moan in need

Needy Miguel that let out short gaps of breath as he focused on stimulating his tip with the wrinkly parts of the toy as he saw your pretty face pouting when he said he was sending you away with other members that weren’t him.

Needy Miguel that started to think about how your lips would look around his cock, how they would stretch out due his thickness.

Needy Miguel that indulged better in that fantasy, imagining,the lingering stickiness of his previous load inside the toy, acting as if it was your saliva, how your tongue would lap over his tip to then take him fully.

Needy Miguel that started murmuring to himself praises he’d give to you as he saw you biting your lip on his screen while you payed attention to him on the meeting this morning.

“look at you princesa, taking me— so well”

Watching his cock disappear on the small hole of the toy picturing your stretching lips and how would you hallow your cheeks so suck him better

Needy Miguel that imagined how he’d take your head and bob it up and down his liking making you gag and plead silently for a breathing

“que bonita te ves, sucking my cock at work—-“

Needy Miguel that fastened his pace hips fully fucking the toy at the thought of how your warm throat would feel around him, when he’d fuck your mouth making tears roll down your cheeks, imagining how you’d drool for him.

“Coño cariño , keep on going, just like that”

Needy Miguel that kept on fantasising over you as he rolled his hips up sensually keeping himself on edge as his calls of your name resonated all over his office.

Needy Miguel that gasped for air as he felt his balls tightening making his eyes roll to the back of his head trying to suppress a moan biting his bottom lip and making a small cut to it with his fangs

Needy Miguel that looked down at his twitching member and how it spurt out ropes of cum all over his desk, as he stimulated it for a few more seconds before stopping

Needy Miguel who’s chest was lifting up and down uncontrollably and he let out a pathetic whine when he finally took his cock out of the pocket pussy to shove it back to the drawer.

Needy Miguel that started to feel the embarrassment of his actions and felt his anxiety creeping back up at him, but before he could close his eyes and lean back on his desk chair; saw a little white piece of paper shining on the back of the drawer

Needy Miguel who got confused when he saw a little note on the back of his desk drawer and his face turn white when he read that it was from you and quickly, went through his history of calls on his gizmo, noticing that as your note stated he had in fact called you in his alone time yesterday…

Needy Miguel that reached back down his crotch to feel his once again hardening cock to start to tug it again even though it hurt at this point by how hard he have been jerking off, reading the note over and over again, picturing your mischievous smile while you wrote it:

I enjoyed your call from last night…. I hope my little gift serves you better than your hand, that only until I get back to see you again ;)

Oh, you were a little brat…and he will show you the consequences of your little prank, but for now he’d probably just kept his office locked and forget about work for today due to his new entertainment source and your tease that will keep him hot and bothered.

Shock you’re gonna be the death of him

AN: Guys I gotta thank you for he overwhelming response to the first part of this thing!

It was supposed to be a one time dump of horny thoughts but I’m so grateful for y’all and hope you enjoyed this second one too!

Thanks again for the new 100 of y’all and over 1k numbers on the first part! 🫶🏼

PS: can’t stop imagining Miguel jerking off all day, god… so pathetic and hot 🥵

Reblogs and comments are kindly appreciated!

Main Masterlist

Fic Masterlist

[natt-writes]

~5 Writing tips that actually help~

(These tips are meant for fiction books, especially fantasy. so if you’re writing nonfiction a decent amount of these won’t apply to you. Sorry!)

Find your writing voice.

one of the biggest issues I find in things written by beginners is a lack of emotional connection with the narration. Sure the story can be great, but without personality, without looks into the characters minds, without little quips here and there, it really isn’t all that interesting. Something that really helped me to realize this was a book called the tragical tale of birdie bloom. It’s a kids book but it honestly has such a good narrator (and storyline tbh) that you can look past the little kiddy-ness. I recommend you check the book out if you’re looking for some inspiration. I will be making a post about how to develop your writing and character voices soon so if you want some extra help with that, stay tuned!

2. Get to know your characters.

I know that you all probably already know this, but characters are one of, if not the most important part of a book. Readers don’t want to read about a flat, boring character who just feels like a vessel for the horrifying amount of trauma you add to your story. They want to read about people that feel real, people with flaws and feelings and hobbies and backstories. When I wanted to develop my characters I started going through the drafts, the plot outlines, everything and seeing what the characters did, said, felt. Then I took their basic backstory and started lining things up. Like if a character decided to get into a fight with another character, I would see what had happened to them that might have caused this. Maybe they had been abused as a child and thought that any disagreement meant they had to fight for their life. Maybe this person reminded them of a former enemy. After you start to figure out what connects the characters to the big plot points, you can then start to develop subtle things. You could start writing something, realize this situation would have triggered a character, and then drop subtle hints towards them feeling uncomfortable. Go nuts with it, after all you can never over-analyze a character.

3. Describe things uniquely.

Descriptions are what help us to understand what’s going on in a scene. They can tell us about the tasty drink a character is enjoying, the slick dress that someone is wearing or the way a characters muscles tense when a certain someone enters the room. But sometimes descriptions a fall a bit flat and that can ruin the experience for the reader. Something I always try to remember is to try and come up with new words describe something, for example; “her eyes were a beautiful shade of brown.” Is a very basic and over used description, instead you could try; “her eyes sparkled as she sat across from me, gleaming a rich chocolate shade as the light from the candles reflected off of them”. This is a much stronger sentence as it gives both environment hits and a description of the eyes, all while staying away from overused terms. I often see this theme in stories written by beginners, things being described in a very straight forward manner. And of course this is ok once in a while, especially if this isn’t a very important topic, but it still sounds better when you branch away from that basic sentence structure. I always like to use descriptive sentences to push things forward. Here is another example; “she was wearing a fluffy green dress with lots of lace. She walked over to the door and opened it.” Vs “the lacy trim of her green dress dragged on the floor as she walked towards the door. She smiled wide as she held it open, inviting her guests into the building.” Making strong sentences is very important, so please toy around with different words, structures, etc, until the sentence fits the type of book you’re trying to write.

4. Make trauma realistic.

Yes, even if you’re writing a fantasy book, characters experiences have to be realistic. Something that always gets on my nerves is when writers come up with a good idea for some trauma, so they just give to a character, even when it doesn’t suit them at all. if you are going to give a character trauma you need to explain it, set it up so it actually fits into their character arc, then have the character actually be affected by it. They can’t just randomly be like “I got shot by a dude.” And that’s it if there is no way that character could have gotten shot given their life experiences. Also if you want a character to be relatively unaffected after an extremely traumatic event you have to plan it out so that they have a specific and consistent trauma response that makes them not react shortly after an event like that. Characters are supposed to be like people, and no two people react to trauma the same way, so you do have some leeway if necessary, but people also don’t just stay the same after something horrible happens, they are affected by it and that has to be accurately portrayed. This does get easier the more you get to know the characters though, as soon you will know how they react to things and how to plan trauma that suits them.

5. Make a plot outline.

I cannot stress this enough, make a plot outline. Making a plot outline literally saved my book, and they are really easy to make! I recommend you download a spreadsheet app like XL spreadsheets or Apple numbers but you could even use google docs if you want. You want to put in all the chapters and then give each chapter at least six spots to write scenes. Add a spot for adding the main event of the chapter/a summery of what you have to write. This will help you to understand what you have to write for that chapter and how it fits into the next chapter. After that you start to fill all the scene boxes in with your plot information. Having a plot outline is great as it can be super vague and messy, but still hold all your ideas. It also helps to prevent unnecessary rewrites later, as you can just edit the plot outline before you start writing the first draft. You can even make a plot outline after you’ve started writing your book. That’s what I did and I promise, it still is very helpful. (Example of a plot outline below.)

[foxglovepng]

Hello! I don’t know if you write this kind of thing, but could I have a silly little crack fic about Grim sabotaging different boys’ attempts at flirting with the prefect? Little guy has gotta look out for his henchhuman, y’know?

Characters: Ace, Cater, Floyd, Rook.

CW: Ace's part mentions his ex, Bit of blood in Floyd's part, Cater's is kind of sad, Rook is Rook.

A/N: Hello Anon! I hope this is to your liking. I made Ace's part kind of long and since you didn't specify which characters I just let the wheel picker decide. I feel I may have written Grim a little OOC so apolgies for that I don't normally write for him, but I do love a challenge.

If you liked it reblogs and likes are always greatly appreciated!!

Not proofread

↠ Part 2

Ace- He nitpicks at his attempts/ruins them

After the events of Riddle, Leona’s, Azul’s, and the Jamil overblot he wasn’t present for. Ace had started taking a liking to prefect they were close after spending so much time together and he liked Yuu however a certain cat had other plans. Ace was always worried that he wouldn’t date anyone especially after what happened with his ex-girlfriend he was worried he wouldn’t be able to date the prefect, so subtle hints of flirting he gave to the prefect. However Grim started taking a notice to Ace’s behavior towards his henchman and didn’t really like that. The next time Ace would try anything Grim would try and stop it. 

“Henchman, can you get me some more Tuna?” Grim asked

“Grim I just got you some Tuna we barely have the expenses to get you more. I still need to eat as well.” Yuu spoke as Grim sighed, mumbling something. 

“Yo prefect.” Ace’s voice was heard as the Prefect turned to look at the red head who was jogging over.

“Hey Ace. What did you get on the test yesterday?” Yuu asked

“I got a 100%.” He crossed his arms proudly

“In your dreams you did.” Grim spoke 

“What! No, I totally got an A.” Ace defended himself

“It was an easy test so I would hope you get an A.” Yuu spoke giggling a bit.

“Anyways. Prefect you wanna grab some lunch? I’ll pay.” Ace offered flashing a cheeky smile.

“Yeah I.” Prefect was cut off by Grim, “Actually we were going to the library to study.”

“It wouldn’t hurt to have some lunch Grim.” Yuu spoke

“Yeah I can totally help you guys study as well.” Ace spoke

Grim gave up as Yuu started walking with Ace to the cafeteria. Grim was obviously annoyed. He needs his Henchmen to not dally off with boys that will distract them from him becoming a great mage.

“You had a basketball game recently, right? You were pretty amazing.” Yuu spoke to Ace

“I have to do well, so I won’t be benched. You should come to my games more often. It would help if you were cheering me on.” Ace nudged Yuu

“If you want a personal cheerleader you could just hire one y’know.” Grim crossed his arms

“I didn’t mean it like that.” Ace rubbed the back of his neck

“I don’t mind going to your games, in fact I really like seeing you do something you’re passionate about.” Yuu spoke which made Ace turn red a bit.

“Can we go back to studying? You two are getting off track.” Grim spat

“Jeez Grim, it was just some small conversation.” Ace spoke

It went silent as the air felt heavy. The only sounds of pencil writing and pages of textbooks flipping. Eventually it was almost time to go to class.

“We should probably get to leaving class is going to start soon.” Yuu spoke

“Yeah. I’ll meet you at class.” Ace spoke feeling defeated by Grim’s tactics who felt quite proud of himself. Maybe Ace will have another chance to tell Yuu how he feels.

Cater- Ruins photos/Justs gets in the way

Cater enjoyed hanging out with Yuu a lot and he always tried to find a way to hang out with Yuu. Taking photos while hanging out to save for memories incase Yuu ever decides to leave this world he has something to remember Yuu. Whenever Yuu needed help or needed something he was always offering just to spend time with Yuu. However as of recently due to Halloween being at the end of the month and midterms coming up Yuu hasn’t had a lot of time to spend with Cater not to mention Grim is also finding a way to try and keep Yuu busy. Grim didn’t want his Henchman to get distracted by one of the coolest and chillest third years. Cater started picking up on Grim’s behavior but just pushed it off as he just wanted the both of them to work hard so they don't get expelled.

“Hey Yuu.” Cater walked up to the Prefect.

“Hey Cay. Sorry we haven’t been hanging out a lot, just been so busy.” Yuu spoke

“It’s no biggie. We can find a way to hang out soon.” He spoke

“Do you have any unbirthday parties coming up soon? Maybe I can attend.” Yuu spoke

“We do actually I was going to see if you can come anyways. It’s on Friday at the usual time.” Cater spoke

“Yeah I’d love to come.” Yuu spoke

“Henchman.” Grim’s yell was heard as he came running up to the prefect. Jumping on them, climbing on them to their shoulder.

“Hey Grimmy.” Cater greeted Grim.

“Can we go to Sam’s please?” Grim begged, ignoring Cater.

“You aren’t going to get 20 cans of Tuna are you?” Yuu asked

“Please.” Grim started begging gripping Yuu’s shoulder.

“Okay we can go. I’ll see you later Cater.” Yuu spoke as Cater waved and they both left.

Cater felt sad. He wanted to hang out with his favorite freshman, but of course they got caught up with something. Cater would also feel upset seeing the message Yuu sent the very next day saying they can’t make it to the birthday party another hangout ruined.

Floyd- He ruins any food/gets defensive whenever Floyd gets too close

Floyd liked his shrimpy, he loved the way Shrimpy hung out with him, he loved the way he got to squeeze his shrimpy. However Floyd’s been noticing the baby seal has been passive aggressive to him recently. He’s also been noticing food he makes for Shrimpy also gets ruined. Floyd has done many checks no one in the kitchen is messing with prefects food, and it’s certainly not Jade or Azul doing it. Azul started complaining Floyd is spending resources on food that doesn’t get paid or eaten so eventually he had to stop the free food for his shrimpy. Jade has pointed out it could be the doing of Grim, but Floyd isn’t hoping Grim would go that far. Would he?

Prefect decided to pay a visit to the Octavinelle trio mainly to check up on everyone and see how they are doing. Grim was getting antsy because he wanted to go back to ramshackle to take his daily nap. Floyd was working a shift, but decided he was going to take just a small break to go see his shrimpy.

“Shrimpy.” Yuu heard Floyd’s voice as he came from behind them and squeezed them. Grim got fed up from wanting to take a nap and Floyd so he did what his instinct told him to do.

“Grim.” Yuu called as there were lines that started to bleed on Floyd’s arm. Grim had scratched Floyd and he didn’t look pleasant with that. Yuu pulled Grim away as Jade looked shocked watching the interaction.

“Brother let me go get the first aid kit.” Jade spoke walking off as Floyd exhaled and walked away. Baby seal is getting a talking to tomorrow and not a fun one.

Rook - He destroys love letters & poetry

Yuu had caught the eye of Rook. Naturally from not being from his world he took interest in the Prefect and fell for their beauty. Rook is a gentle poetic lover meaning the Prefect is his muse. Rook has definitely caught on that Grim does not like him, but would never think Grim would go as far to destroy his pieces of work to protect Yuu. Rook would send letters and Poetry to Yuu every day, and even went as far to handing the letters directly to Yuu before grim threw them away, not caring about either one’s opinions. 

Rook deemed it as a challenge and decided he would use any means necessary to make sure the prefect knows they are valued and appreciated. Rook is simply a poet and Yuu is simply his muse; he wishes to know every bit of them if they decide to leave his world.

Even if Yuu decided to leave in a poet's eyes the muse lives on forever.

-

Special mention

Malleus- …

Grim is dead before he can intervene with the courtship of him and his child of man (/hj)

[happilyhertale]

Life anchor – Tom Bennett x female!reader, Part 3

Pairing: Tom Bennett x fem!reader

Warnings: fluff, 18+ NSFW

Author’s note:

After your last meeting with Tom, you long to see him again. Although it's not wise, you can't resist spending an unforgettable day with him.

This is the last part of this little story, I hope you like it! English is my second language, please forgive me if I made any mistakes (:

Word count: 3.2k

Part 1, Part 2

Other stories of mine

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

Dawn comes faster than you want it to. But your sleep is interrupted when the rhythmic snoring of William from the small bed next to you enters your ears, making further sleep impossible. William seems to be releasing the whiskey he drank last night into the air through his pores, urging you to leave your small bed. Somewhat sluggishly, you rise, enveloped by thoughts of last night. As you dress, the weight on your chest has become a little more bearable, an improvement over last night - but that relief only comes when you think of Tom.

Regrettably, your optimism about seeing Tom again fades as the ship gradually approaches port. As you step out of the cabin and walk across the ship, you enjoy the morning calm. But soon William joins you again, having awakened from his drunken slumber, and you have no choice but to leave the ship with him.

A few days have passed, but your thoughts keep straying to Tom. You stroll through the cobbled streets of the city. The sun gently touches your skin and colors it with the colors of warmth. Your thin summer dress dances in the light summer breeze. The wind carries the symphony of laughter and the melodies of the nearby fair.

Without you noticing, your steps lead you back to the port where you cradled your thoughts before, where you felt so comfortable. Each step seems hesitant, as if it is in silent discord with the longings of your heart. You try to convince yourself that meeting Tom would be impossible because he probably won't even be there. But the desire to confirm the authenticity of your memories persists like an ember beneath the ashes of doubt. You stop for a moment, watching the water in the dock. But then you shake your head and sigh. Slowly, you turn away - maybe you should just go home.

And then, out of nowhere, you happen upon a sight that takes your breath away. There he is, Tom, walking toward you with a subtle hint of mirth on his lips. He's not wearing his uniform, and you notice it immediately.

A slight shiver of disbelief runs through you, prompting a discreet pinch in your thigh - a reality check to make sure you're actually conscious and not caught in a dream. With a confident stride, Tom moves closer, and with each step, the steel blue depths of his eyes become apparent, evoking a feeling in you that words alone could never hope to awaken.

"Love..." he says softly and you can't help but smile.

"Did ya long for me?" he asks you cheekily.

"What? No!," you say to him and laugh slightly.

"No? Well, then ya won't mind that we're leaving again tomorrow," he says to you softly.

The words you feared.

"What... Tomorrow already?" you reply quietly.

Tom grins slightly, "So ya do long for me," he says with a smile.

You laugh slightly and shake your head, "Shut up," escapes your lips.

Now Tom is the one laughing lightly. But he just takes your hand and pulls you along, "Come with me," he says.

"What...?" you stammer, "Where to?"

He looks at you with his blue eyes, "Have some fun," he says to you.

As you become aware of where Tom is leading you and you stroll together to the fairground, a soft smile effortlessly curls your lips. Your hand finds a comfortable place in his, and you let him lead you on. Outwardly, you both seem to embody the essence of a couple in love, but the thought that it won't be forever haunts you. You push the thought away and let the magic of the moment envelop you again and again, contemplating the myriad attractions around you. Amidst the many sights and sounds, you both pause at an inviting ice cream stand. Tom's gaze rests on you - a smile as both intimate and familiar dances on his lips.

"What?" you ask him, but he says nothing and just approaches the ice cream stand.

"Mate, I need a scoop of vanilla ice cream and one..." he hesitates and looks at you, "one scoop of chocolate ice cream for the sweet tooth," he says and gives you a barely noticeable wink. You laugh slightly but accept the ice cream with thanks. He leads you to a quiet bench and you sit down. The warm midday sun envelops you with its warmth as you enjoy your ice cream in peace. But as if attracted by a magical magnetism, your gaze keeps finding its way to his immaculately shaped lips, from which he keeps licking his ice cream.

Each time your attention lingers on those lips, you feel that longing to finally kiss them. But each time you become aware of your stare, you quickly avert your gaze as your cheeks flush.

Sitting side by side on the bench, after some time a conversation unfolds between you. You listen intently to his words, never has a story fascinated you so much. You learn about his father, who served in the First World War. About his sister, who has an enchanting voice and distracts the soldiers from their torments and hard everyday life. Your heart aches in your chest as he tells you about his mother. Almost in a whisper, he tells you about her early death when he was a young boy.

But then in the midst of his tales comes the profound change - a moment you have awaited with a flutter of fear. With gentle courage, he points the way to a question that lingers unspoken and persistent: William. You sigh slightly, but you answer his questions with the same honesty he gave you before.

The sun still casts a soft light around you, reminding you that vulnerability and connectedness often occupy the same space. And so two stories of two people meet, in which past and present, hopes and fears for the future are interwoven.

But for the first time in a long time, you feel free and unselfconscious, and you tell him about how your father arranged this marriage to gain advantages for himself. That you quietly endure your suffering. But as you talk, Tom's facial expression goes through an interplay of emotions, changing from a face of anger to one of deep compassion. A short time there is pleasant silence between you, but eventually he gently takes your hand and rises with you from the bench. Together you stroll leisurely through the fair and attentively observe the events around you.

"Do you know when... if you'll be back...?" you ask softly after some time.

Tom looks at you from the side, his thumb gently stroking the back of your hand, like that night on the ship. He smiles slightly.

"You'll miss me," he says softly, cheekily.

"I won't, I just want to know how long I would have my peace from you..." you say, trying to look at him seriously, but his smile is reflected on your lips.

He laughs lightly, "I actually don't know when and if we will dock here again...", he says softly.

A slight sadness crosses your face and Tom notices it immediately. He wishes he could take it from you.

"But, you will definitely see me again," he whispers.

You smile at him as Tom's gaze passes you, aiming for something.

"Oh, yeah..." he whispers.

You turn in that direction as Tom pulls you along.

He walks toward a stand where several cans are lined up in rows, forming small pyramids.

"Tom, what are you doing?" you whisper.

He just grins and presses money into the hand of the guy at the stand.

He takes the colorful balls and focuses his attention on the cans in front of him. Never has such a seemingly ordinary action held such significance for you, and amazingly, he performs it with effortless precision. When you step back from the stand after a short while, you are holding a soft teddy bear in your arms, an irrepressible grin on your lips.

Tom's arm wraps around your waist, a gentle anchor guiding you on. He nestles his face into the silken strands of your hair, a touch that sparks a current of warmth that flows through you once again. The gradually setting sun indicates the end of the day, and in a leisurely stroll you both explore the rest of the fairgrounds until you discover a photo booth in quiet solitude at the edge of the grounds.

An infectiously radiant smile spreads across your features, and you pull him along with you. His playful eye roll expresses mock resistance, but he submits to your guidance with loving acquiescence. Once inside the cozy booth, you close the curtain and envelop the two of you in an intimate sphere. Tom takes a seat on a dainty stool and, grinning, offers you his lap to sit on. You shake your head, but gladly accept the invitation with a light laugh. You hold your soft teddy bear in your arms, he is to be included in the photos. Tom's hands rest on your thighs as you settle down on his lap. Only your light summer dress separates his warmth from your skin.

You toss a few coins into the photo booth and lean against Tom's firm chest. Between shared grins and playful antics, the last photo approaches, which Tom uses as an opportunity to press a tender kiss on your cheek. A touch of warmth colors your skin, a similar warmth that blazes ever stronger in you. But before the moment can end and you press the button for the next photos, your gaze wanders to the side and you look into each other's eyes.

In the silent closeness, your lips are only a breath apart.

Your lips are slightly parted and you feel your breath getting heavier. His gaze wanders back and forth between your eyes and your full lips. You lightly bite your lip and dare - you can no longer resist the temptation and bend towards his lips.

Tom does not hesitate long and lets his lips meet yours. The initially gentle kiss quickly becomes passionate and greedy. Both of your heavy breathing is the only thing that can be heard in the photo booth. Tom grabs you by the waist and gives you a sign to turn around. You don't let his request go unanswered for long and turn onto his lap. Your teddy slides to the ground - but you have other things on your mind now.

He pulls you even closer to him so that your legs are on either side of his hips. You look into each other's eyes and you start to grind your womanhood against his growing bulge. You hear a slight rumble from him. You realize that if you go on now, there will be no turning back.

But you kiss him again and once more it is a welcome signal for Tom. He lets his fingers slide from your hip under your dress. They wander over your already damp underwear. You whimper slightly and feel a slight smile now forming on his lips. He lets his fingers slide over your underwear with more pressure and you shudder. A loud moan escapes you. Never would you have thought you were capable of making such a sound.

Tom grins even more.

"Shh... Love... we don't want to be discovered," he whispers.

You bite your lip again to suppress the further passionate noises boiling inside you. Your hands start to open his trousers, you need to feel more. You let your hand slide into his trousers and embrace his hard member. He responds with a deep moan that leaves his lips. Slowly you let your hand slide up and down. You already feel a drop of precum and gently spread it with your thumb on the tip of his cock.

This is too much for him - "fuck... love," he hisses quietly.

A grin forms on your lips. Tom gently bites your lip and slides his hands to your ass. You feel him grab it tightly and lift you slightly. You breathe heavily and position his hot length at your entrance. He pushes your underwear aside and slowly lowers you onto him. You whimper slightly as he stretches you inch by inch. You hear a slight grunt from him, "Fuck... so tight... so wet, so warm...", he stammers.

You squeeze your eyes shut - William has never filled you like this, made you feel this passion. Tom gives you a moment to get used to his size. But then you feel him move his hips slowly but firmly. You whimper and moan softly with each thrust.

"Oh, love... what I would give to hear ya moan without inhibitions," he whispers in your ear and you whimper again.

Your hips submit to his rhythm - sex has never felt so good to you. Your eyes are still closed, but not because you are waiting for it to be over, but out of pure pleasure.

"Tom.. Tom..." you whimper again and again. You lean back, against the wall of the photo booth. Tom leans forward, his one hand leaving your butt and pulling the neckline of your dress further down. His lips begin to suck and nibble on your breasts. As his lips cup one of your nipple, you almost cry out. Your hips move faster, you need to feel him deeper.

"You feel so good...", Tom gasps against your breast.

His fingers find their way between you while you still lean your back against the wall. His thumb leaves firm movements on your clit while his thrusts don't let up.

You lean forward again and kiss him without restraint to muffle your moans. Your tongues dance wildly around each other while you are in your own world where there is nothing but the two of you. You moan again as you feel a tug and a pressure in your abdomen. The warmth spreads through you making your thighs tremble and then you come. Your eyes roll into the back of your head and you moan into his mouth. You lean back slightly and grip the back of his neck. Tom bends over and bites your breast as your pussy clenches around his cock, milking it. He moans and squirts his warm seed into you. His thrusts slowly subside and you are still whimpering. Heavy breathing is in the air. Your eyes are closed, your hands resting on his neck. He leans back again and gasps a little. He tries to catch his breath, but he smiles at you.

"Love... wow...", he whispers breathlessly

You chuckle a little out of breath.

You both slowly catch your breath. You kiss his lips gently, enjoying the moment of your togetherness. After a while, he helps you get up from his lap. You are a little weak on your feet, but slowly walk out of the photo booth while Tom is still adjusting his trousers.

As you stand in front of the box, your eyes fall on the photos that are now lying on the ground. You bite your lip when you see the two strips there. You bend down slightly and pick them up. Your eyes fall on the pictures. In the first photo strip, you are both smiling, making faces, Tom is kissing your cheek...

When you see the second strip, you blush again. You can see passionate kisses and how you seem to moan. When Tom suddenly stands behind you, "Well... that's what I call a kiss...", he whispers in your ear. You turn to him, looking outraged, but you can't suppress a giggle. He smiles at you, holding your teddy bear in his hand. You hesitate for a moment, but then you take your teddy and give him the photo strip of your kiss.

He can't take his eyes off the pictures, his grin widens.

"As a souvenir... when you're at sea... and so you'll come back..." you say softly.

He slowly looks up at you, his grin softening. He puts the pictures in his pocket. Silence reigns for a short time, but then he grabs you lightly by the arm and pulls you to him. He presses his nose into your hair, inhales your scent and closes his eyes. You put your arms around him, press your face into his chest.

"Ya know I'll see ya again, don't ya?" he whispers.

You smile into his chest and nod slightly.

You stand there for a while, neither of you saying anything. Just enjoy each other's presence. The sun is setting by now. Light kisses land on your hair until you go on your way. Tom has his arm around you the whole time as he walks you home. At a safe distance, he kisses you again. With his hand he holds your cheek while he makes your knees weak with his lips and tongue.

As you step into the house, you feel the heaviness in your chest. But this time it's because you already miss Tom. You press your teddy against your chest and walk quietly through the entryway. But at least you seem to be home alone. Immediately you go to your own room and get ready for the night. As you lie down in your bed, you are wide awake. Despite the silence in your room, your head seems to explode. Your thoughts keep turning to Tom. How he kisses you - how his lips glide over your skin. How he makes you feel deep passion - how he makes you moan. How much you already miss him and still feel his touch.

As dawn breaks and you awaken, you are overcome with anticipation. You need to see Tom one more time today before his ship leaves. Almost restless, you sit at the breakfast table, literally waiting for William to leave for work. When that hour finally arrives, you rush to the port with an urgency inside you that you've never felt before.

But as fate would have it, your hopes are cruelly dashed when you reach the port where the ship carrying Tom is already leaving. You stand there and before you really realize it, your eyes overflow with tears, a deep heaviness settles on your chest once again. Like a shadow that you never seem to be rid of.

Five weeks later

The heaviness has spread to your heart. But everything changes that afternoon.

Your breath catches and you swallow hard. You exhale heavily as you become aware of your doctor's distant voice. Lost in thought, you sink into a chair. Everything seems to be happening in slow motion. With a gentle, absent-minded gesture, you just end your phone call with the doctor. Your hand finds its way almost naturally to your abdomen, which you caress tenderly. A slight smile dances on your lips, and at that moment you grasp your doctor's message:

You carry new life within you.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

Tag list

@aemonds-wifey @hoshi-miharu-blog @arryn-nyx @aemonds-eyeball @praline357 @melsunshine @drinking-tea-and-be-obsessed @lauftivy @bellaisasleep @snh96 @bcon24

[misc-obeyme]

do you think solomon felt guilty for taking so long (season 2) to tell mc he was immortal? the hints were there and no one was subtle about it, so it's easy to assume that mc already knew or guessed the truth, but it takes so long for him to say it clearly. feels like a good source of angst, especially since he finally tells them in the reaper's cave

Okay so I had to go back and re-read this part, which is in Lesson 36-3 for anyone who wishes to play through that part again.

But here is the relevant moment:

He seems so casual about it. In fact, right before this if you choose something like wait how is that possible his response is this:

Now. I think this could be read two different ways. You could see all this as Solomon being like, obviously this is no big deal. If you take it at face value, he seems rather unbothered by the whole thing and doesn’t seem to mind telling you what happened and that he’s immortal.

However. I do think that Solomon does this thing where he acts really casually about stuff when he actually feels something more deeply, especially when everyone else is there. In this moment, all the demon brothers are present and they already know this fact about him. So maybe he was not trying to hide it, but not bringing it up to MC on purpose. But when they’re all there, he can’t exactly deny it, so he decides to act as though it’s no big deal. He almost glosses over this and directly after they have this short revelation, they get back to the task at hand (finding Beel’s candle).

So while I think there probably isn’t anything deeper to this instance in the actual story, I DO think there’s plenty of room for reader interpretation. (To be clear, I don’t think there was anything deeper to this moment in season two of the OG, but there certainly seems to be more about the Solomon immortality piece in general, especially in Nightbringer. I think it might be very relevant to the NB plot.)

And the fact of the matter is, currently MC is NOT immortal.

This is an issue that’s present for all the characters, but it has a really heavy impact for Solomon specifically, imo. This is because he’s HUMAN. He isn’t naturally immortal, he should have died long ago. And not only that, but he’s going to live on indefinitely. And all his fellow humans live short lives and die, leaving him perpetually alone.

It’s painful. Imagine always losing everyone you’ve ever loved. Always being the one still lingering after they’re all gone. Imagine being careful to never get too close to anyone because you don’t want to suffer through the pain of losing them later. Imagine knowing about the Devildom and the Celestial Realm and magic and sorcerers with such a deep understanding, but never being able to share it with anyone. Those that do join you in the study of magic will never be at your level because they die too soon. The only friends you can count on having for any decent length of time are demons or angels - beings that can’t understand your very existence.

Nobody can tell me that all of this isn’t something that Solomon thinks about. That maybe this is one of the things he tries to forget about by throwing himself into research. That this is one of the things that plagues his racing mind when he’s trying to sleep.

Then imagine along comes another human who might almost be on your level. Someone who has the potential to understand you in a way nobody else ever has. Someone you’re inexplicably drawn to, someone you can’t help but fall in love with, someone who’s still mortal. Someone you’ll inevitably lose like you’ve always lost everyone else before.

Do I think he felt guilty? Yes. The game plays it off as a sort of quirk about him, but the implications are so heavy that I just headcanon my own thoughts about it. And I think that Solomon would try to stay in that place of ignorance for as long as possible. He likely felt bad about obscuring this fact from MC - again, not lying about it or even really going out of his way to hide it, but just… not telling them.

However, I think that he felt a lot worse about what that truth means for him and for MC.

Oh dear I may have gotten carried away. Listen, you asked for angst and I have thoughts about this lol.

Lemme leave you with one last thing, though. I completely forgot he said this:

LOOOOOL. I dunno about you guys, but I refer to him as an old man all the time. I’m pretty sure we do that collectively as a fandom, so the fact that he straight up said not to do that way back in season two of the OG made me CACKLE. I’m sorry Solomon, but calling you an old man/grandpa/peepaw/etc is too much fun. It’s okay, Lucifer and Simeon get called those things, too lol. It’s a compliment, I swear.

[average-kitty]

A Unlikely Monster 🩸 (2)

Chapter 2

Warnings: none

A/N: I’m absolutely in love with this dynamic I’ve created, I promise part 4 for ASB will come soon- this is just I’ve been working on since I’ve actually started to like writing this plot, so sorry to any of the major ASB fans- your Jenna will come back soon enough 😭

word count: 1.7k

<3

You were used to people like Wednesday,

You grew up in a really busy congested neighborhood, not having a lot a friends or even being able to make friends. Even though your parents were like all powerful vampires that didn’t mean they cared about you... you usually found yourself sitting in your room by yourself trying to find something to keep yourself occupied. You rarely got anything to keep your constant itch for blood at bay to the point were you taught yourself how to catch mice with your bare hands so you wouldn’t lose yourself. Even with that you were constantly getting told onto and shamed, mostly from your mother- the person who was supposed to love you no matter what.

As you got older you were sneaking out almost everyday, not that your parents even checked in on you anyways. You had gotten into a lot of fights over the years but you finally got away from it all, at Nevermore.

You had decided to wander the campus for a bit, finding yourself in the library after a bit scanning over the books as you took slow and cautious steps finding comfort in the silence of the library. As you fixed your hoodies hood you noticed it had a small rip, you groaned at the sight of it. This was your favorite hoodie, it was a light brown baggy hoodie with bleached sunflower designs, it was a gift from one of your first ever friend. Though it was probably time to get rid of it, hopefully the town had some cute replacements… But something of a ick was in the air, a familiar ick… you look up from the bookshelf you were looking at banging your head on it as you raised your head up, you winced a bit but looked around- and there we was, the girl that had accused you randomly of stealing her typewriter. Who even uses those anymore…?- Wednesday glanced in your direction a few moments after your grown of pain echoed through the library as you turned away and walked off trying to avoid her. As you turned the corner of a shelf you felt something was off, then out popped Wednesday, though you didn’t jump at all this time, you actually expect it this time.

“Addams right? Did you found your ever so important typewriter I stole?” You rolled your eyes as you spoke in a hushed voice, Wednesday glaring at you for your words. “Enough of that, what are you?” You raised a brow at her words, confusion written all over your face “excuse me?” “You know what I’m talking about, you barely put any effort into holding me down when I accused you-“ “mistakingly.” You added on “whatever- what I’m getting at is, what are you? You look human yet your- stronger than one.” You give a light shrug as she gets pulled into her thoughts for a moment, before you speak back up. “Maybe it’s because I actually work to keep myself in shape?” You suggest, her eyes glancing up to yours, you couldn’t read them at all- strange to you. “You’re hiding something.” Wednesday crossing her arms at you. “Orrrrr your just paranoid, seems im the first person to beat you at your own game.” You softly scoff, Wednesday’s muscles tensing up.

“But if you’re paranoid I’ll give you a little hint-“ She seemed to perk up in the most subtle way she could manage, though you noticed you peaked in her interest even just a little bit. “Your little investigation isn’t going to get you anywhere if that’s what you think it’s going to do, it’s not that easy Addams.” You chuckled softly at the end of your sentence, her eyes widened a bit at your words though she tried to regain her composure. You give her a few pats on one of her shoulders “You’ll get there I suppose.” You then gently pushed her out of the way, continuing to walk away. Wednesday was a bit stunned, not a lot- just a little. She muttered to herself softly as she watched you walk away, your soft and cautious steps barely made any noise.

Something in her was bubbling up, she couldn’t help but feel some sort of envy toward you, something about the way you spoke with such a calm tone to her after she had triedto scare the answer out of you bothered her. She found herself following you with the intention to fix the missed feeling of fear from you, she was about to grab your forearm to twist it you whirled around and grabbed her hand. Wednesday didn’t say anything, all that came from her was a cold glare. “You’re going to have to try harder than that.” You giggled at her as she tried to grab you again with her opposite hand but you just grabbed that one too, you giving her a small smirk “ooooh so close.” You teased before pushing her back, Wednesday stumbling back a bit. “You’ll get it  eventually.” Wednesday frowned to herself, then she noticed a small bit of movement from the corner of her eye, then they widened- it was Thing. She look at him from the corner of her eye, shooing him away but he was persistent, tapping his fingers at her- you heard the tapping and glanced around, trying to pinpoint the sound.

“Was that you?” You questioned Wednesday “do I look like I would tap on something just to possibly try and paranoia you??” You were silent, you didn’t want to answer truthfully but you kind of had to- “I mean, kinda-“ you shrugged lightly, Wednesday scoffed in slight irritation but, from a bit of genuine amusement as well. You caught it almost immediately, your eyelids raising a bit. Wednesday noticed as well as she cleared her throat softly then returned to her original goal, figuring out what you were.

“What are your intentions anyways?” Wednesday questioned, lifting her head a bit as she questioned you. You titled your head at her as you put your hands in the pockets of hoodie, genuinely confused by her question. “You said I would have to try harder to figure out, I assume you’re hiding something and you have reason for it.” She replied, you gave a light chuckle as you shook your head at her. “I don’t have anything to hide, I’m just not going to point blank tell you what I am, if I did where’s the fun and mystery?” Your reasoning was strange to her but… she wasn’t irritated by it, she was actually- quit eager to figure it out herself. God what was happening to her, Thing had made his way over to Wednesday lightly tapping at her foot.

You sniffed the air, smelling the- mouth watering smell of Thing’s sewn together flesh, you look down at him as you try and clear you head of those- unappreciative thoughts. “Aw who’s this cutie?!” You coo happily, Thing turned from Wednesday and crawled over to you as you bent down to meet his level. You had a wide smile on your face as you crawled into your hand “Is He yours? Oh- is he like a family member or something? Sorry if I offended you little guy.” You chuckle, As you were chuckling to yourself Thing turned to face Wednesday, crossing his fingers at her-  insinuating to tie the knot with you. Wednesday’s blood boiled from Thing’s actions, reaching to grab him frustration and anger in her eyes. You notice and hold Thing out of her reach, frowning at Wednesday “What are you doing?” You question, Wednesday let’s out a huff- not only is Thing irritating her but your trying to defend him, just what she needed. “I’m just gonna have a private conversation with him, that’s all.” She replied, though Thing knew her real intentions you were clueless. “Oh!- okay.” You tried to hand Thing to Wednesday but he crawled up your arm, Wednesday went to reach for him but she just barely missed- and with that she accidentally stumbled into you, your eyes widening with curiosity as Wednesday felt herself just barely against you. She felt something she thought she would never ever feel…

The sensation of blood rushing up to her cheeks- sure it may have just be the smallest amount of blush to you, not even noticeable to the naked eye actually but of course, Wednesday noticed it. She immediately yanked Thing off of you, backing away from you in an instant. She walked behind a nearby bookshelf, once she knew she was far enough for you not to hear her scolding Thing she immediately tightened her grip on him, a few bones heard popping. “Just what do you think you’re doing?” She hissed at him, Thing immediately tried to wriggle out of her grasp, frantically tapping against her hand. “Enid?-“ Wednesday’s eyes widened at the realization, The reason she was feeling this way was all because of Enid. The moment she mention the possibility of this to her it had stayed in the back of her head, lingering, waiting, like some wolf on the hunt- ready to pounce and make her slip up at any moment. She shook her head to try and clear her mind before turning her attention back to Thing, tightening her grip on him before letting him go.

“You say a word about this and I break every single one of your bones in your fingers.” She growled at him as she crawled away, probably back to You to hide away in your hair. Wednesday fixed herself a bit before walking back over to you, you were just watching over Thing, smiling at him trying to ease his nerves. The sight was- sweet… What was wrong with her- it felt like her blood had been poisoned with something that make her lose all of her composure. She cleared her throat as you look up at her curiously, tilting your head a bit. “I have to excuse myself, something came up that I need to take care of.” Wednesday muttered, you just gave her a small smile as you nodded your head. “That’s okay, I get that things come up. I’ll watch over your little Buddy, he’s just the sweetest.” You chuckle and Thing crawled all over you, he seemed much happier with you. Wednesday, albeit was a bit taken aback by your favoritism of having Thing- but she quickly turned her attention away from that acknowledgement as she nodded back and made her way to the library’s main entrance, walking out and to her shared dorm. She had a few words to say to Enid that was sure-

[adamwatchesmovies]

Tin & Tina (2023)

If you only ace one part of your movie, make it the ending. For the most part, I was enjoying Tin & Tina but it didn't seem like anything special. After the final act, my thoughts on it changed completely - for the better. Due to that period of uncertainty, I have to be slightly conservative with my rating, but this is a movie I’ll remember down the line.

Set during the early 1980s, in Spain, Lola (Milena Smit) and Adolfo (Jaime Lorente) have just said their marriage vows when they unexpectedly lose their unborn twins in a miscarriage. Hoping to make their family whole again, the couple adopt twins Tin (Carlos González Morollón) and Tina (Anastasia Russo) from a nearby religious convent. Lola soon becomes suspicious of the children, though Adolfo insists their odd behavior stems from innocence rather than malice.

When we meet the twins, they seem needlessly creepy. They’re either albino or extremely blonde, they’ve got weird haircuts and their smiles are too big. The children are extremely religious. They've never watched TV, they quote the Bible for fun, the idea of not saying grace before a meal mortifies them. It's offputting but you can understand where that behavior comes from since they were raised by nuns. They're introduced playing the organ with a skill far beyond their years (reminded me of “The Orphan”), which is another sure sign that these kids are baaad news. Despite their appearances and strange habbits, you can see why Lola wants to adopt them, however. As a child, she lost a leg. She was also a “weird” kid and she’s specifically looking to replace the twins she lost.

Soon after arriving to their new home, Tin and Tina's actions raises some serious red flags. Not necessarily the kind that exposes them as evil but they would make any sane parent go back to the orphanage and ask the sister in charge (sor Asunción, played by Teresa Rabal) if she ever noticed anything weird from them. Less patient parents would go to the police and tell them to investigate the orphanage. Whatever those nuns are teaching the rugrats, it’s going to make them all into serial killers. Even for loving parents who really want a family, even for the place and the time period, Lola & Adolfo are way, way too cool with what happens. No one watching would tolerate some of the horror movie behavior exhibited. It’s enough to make you want these people to fall victim to whatever terrors await them once the kids turn full-on evil. I mean when you can’t read ANY of the signs, you deserve it.

Although I still feel like sometimes, Lola – and to a certain extent Adolfo too – let things that no one else, not even a saint, would let slide and that is frustrating, the ending changes all of that. This movie is much smarter than it seems. You see the creepy kids, you witness the horror-movie behavior, you think you know exactly where the plot is headed. You dismiss the characters as too stupid to live and essentially give up. What you don't realize is that you’re the one who's made the mistake. There’s something you haven’t considered while evaluating this story and probably wouldn't have in a million years: the possibility that although this is a horror film, the children aren’t actually evil. What if they’re not the problem? What if it’s Lola and Adolfo?

There are indeed subtle details that hint at the couple not being idyllic. At the orphanage, Adolfo insists that they’re only for children free from deformities. His wife wears a prosthetic leg. She has since childhood. What does this statement say about him? We find out that Lola has a bitter relationship with God. Bitter enough to make her subconsciously hate children who love Him more than anything else? Maybe. Trust me. I know not knowing if a movie is better than "just ok" for nearly 2-hours is hard, particularly with several developments that make you think "Oh come on. How many more signs do you need?!" but it all comes together so well during the conclusion you'll feel foolish for having doubted the film.

There may also be a deeper meaning to some elements of the picture, since it's set during a tumultuous period of Spain's history that I'm not familiar with. I can't say for sure. What I do know is that Tin & Tina deserves your patience. I'm still not 100% sure the characters are not a little bit dumb but that conclusion is so solid I'm more than willing to forgive it. It's scary and makes you think in the most unexpected way. (Original Spanish with English subtitles, May 28, 2023)

[tasmparkerr]

The Snake: Pt 2

Sebastian Sallow × MC

word count: 1.1k

summary: reunion(ish) of Maeve and Sebastian after two years, however it doesn’t go as plan.

warnings: foul language, angsty stuff

A/N: ope not me posting something, it may not be smut and I may be heading towards a HL fixation but oh well, thought I'd post something that l've been writing for shits and giggles maybe I'll do more, maybe l'll ignore this account again for a year lol who knows

————————————————————————

My knees buckled, and I fell against the wall as I saw him enter the room. He looked... different, yet somehow still the same. His dark brunette hair was tousled and slightly unkempt, and there was a subtle strength etched into his features, as if he had endured countless battles, both physical and mental. The lines on his forehead spoke of pain, and the shadows under his soft brown eyes hinted at countless sleepless nights wrestling with demons. But his face still bore those signature freckles. It was Sebastian Sallow.

Anne gasped, her grip on my wrists tightening. I could sense her fear, as she looked as pale as parchment.

My ears were ringing, and I couldn't hear what they were saying anymore. Soon enough, Mumblethorn and the Headmaster stepped out of the room.

Sebastian sighed, his shoulders dropping as his sad eyes scanned the empty room.

Anne and I stayed hidden, still holding onto each other. I was torn between conflicting emotions. Part of me wanted to run towards him, to throw my arms around him and scream about how much I missed him. But another part of me wanted to run away, to hide from the overwhelming pain, suffering, and trauma of the past year. I hadn't taken a full breath since then.

A door opened.

"Alright, ladies, I think I have everything we need. I couldn't remember if I packed my schedule first or my supplies list, so I brought both. You'll have to read it to me because obviously I'm-" Ominis stopped by the fireplace, his wand glowing.

Sebastian gasped, dropping the bag hanging on his shoulder.

A moment passed.

Then the boys collided.

They embraced each other so tightly that I could see the white of their knuckles. Ominis was crying... I think Sebastian was too.

I swallowed with difficulty. "Anne, go to the room. I will be there in a moment. It's okay, just go," I whispered hoarsely, tapping her hand that gripped me.

There was hatred behind her eyes, a snarl on her terrified face. She didn't move.

"Anne, please... please go. I swear I will come get you if I need you. He won't do anything. It would be too much for both of you to interact, so please... go back to the room."

I watched a tear fall from her cheek as she slowly backed up, never taking her eyes off her twin brother. I waited until I heard the door close behind her.

My hands were shaking violently, and I struggled to take in some oxygen as I fought to gather the courage to move.

Why am I scared? Why would I be scared of him? We were inseparable. We did everything together. Surely...

My legs moved on their own, and I stepped into the middle of the room, in plain sight. Sebastian's eyes immediately landed on me, and his breath hitched.

Sebastian patted Ominis' back as he released him. I squeezed my hands into fists, trying to stop them from shaking. My mouth went dry as I fought to find the right words.

He looked at me with those soft eyes that always made my stomach tie itself in knots. By the time he was right in front of me, I noticed how much taller and bigger he had become. He had grown more muscular since fifth year. We had all matured in some way.

I opened my mouth to say something, anything, when I felt the tip of his wand against my neck.

His face turned dark.

"How could you do that to me?" his voice was deeper, rougher.

My eyes widened slightly. "What?"

"You sold me out. You're the reason I ended up in that fucking... hellhole. You betrayed me. You-"

"Sebastian... Sebastian, no... I... I never did such a thing," my voice cracked with horror.

My heart beat heavily in my throat. His eyes seemed to turn black, and malice emanated from him.

"Sebastian! Lower your wand right now. Right now!" Ominis demanded, raising his own wand once more.

"Sebastian, please... I swear, I didn't. I could never-"

"You were the only one with me," he snapped. "You were the only one there. Who else then? Anne? The Inferius? Don't lie."

Ominis circled us, his wand ready. "Sebastian, you don't know what you're talking about. You didn't see-"

"THERE WAS NO ONE ELSE, SO WHO THE FUCK TURNED ME IN, OMINIS? IT WAS ONLY HER AND ME!" Sebastian's volume frightened me as his eyes bore into me. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you on the spot."

I exhaled heavily, "Because that would be two deaths you've made Anne endure."

His face immediately softened, and Sebastian stumbled backward until he fell onto the couch. Ominis wasted no time in stepping between us, his wand still raised and ready.

"Are you alright?" I heard Ominis whisper to me, but I didn't answer. I didn't know how to answer.

My stomach twisted and turned with overwhelming anxiety and nausea. I had to grip the back of a chair to stay standing.

"Anne is... Anne is alive?" Sebastian whispered, his lip wobbling slightly.

"Yes, she's in the other room. I kept my promise. I found her. I found a suitable solution for a cure. We're roommates outside of Hogsmeade. She works with J. Pippins in his shop. She has a talent for potions, and he pays her well. I kept my promise, Sebastian. I saved her."

Thousands of emotions flashed across his face. "C-Can I see her... please?"

My heart twisted. His pleading voice pierced through me.

"I don't think you can... not now. I need to talk to her. She, um... she thinks..."

Sebastian cringed, his body shaking. "She thinks I'm a murderer?"

I nodded.

"So you turned me in and then turned my fucking sister against me?" He snarled, rage consuming his face.

Sebastian stood up so fast, his wand flickering with green magic.

It all happened within seconds.

Sebastian stepped forward.

Ominis threw his body in front of mine.

And Anne's voice screaming, "Expelliarmus!", rang out above it all.

Sebastian's wand went flying to the side.

[casspurrjoybell-29]

Forging Ties - Chapter 28 - Part 2

*Warning Adult Content*

Some of the orc guards had come down to the dock to investigate the unexpected ship but once they saw familiar faces, they seemed to stop caring.

They spent a while standing around on the dock pointing at the robot as it started doing chores around the ship and murmuring to one another and they wandered off back the way they'd come.

Slone led the way off the ship.

Once he made it onto the dock, he stretched his arms up above his head in the early morning sunlight and yawned, his shirt riding up.

"Stop being a safety hazard, Slone," Hamish said as he stepped off the ship. "I need to carry this baby safely across this boarding ramp, and you exposing your flesh like that is a dangerous distraction."

Slone laughed as he dropped his arms back down.

"You've seen a heck of a lot more of me than that before."

"Ah but less is more," Hamish said. "It's the tease, the little glimpse. Sometimes the hint of a bulge can be more alluring than a rock hard cock right in front of your face."

"I should be taking notes," Duran commented as he followed them off the ship.

"Oh, as if you need to," Hamish said. "You could have me on my knees with nothing more than a look if you wanted to."

Duran sent Hamish a glance, a subtle smile on his face and his eyebrows just slightly raised.

Hamish gave his shoulder a gentle shove.

"You aim those bedroom eyes elsewhere or I'll be forced to suck you off in front of Slone, a bunch of seagulls, and this baby."

"And a bunch'a kids," Slone said, tilting his head towards a group of curious children who had run down to the dock to investigate the ship.

Hamish saw a blond head among them and recognised the boy as a mage from their community.

When he ran off, Hamish knew the message that they were back would soon reach Danya.

"I'll restrain myself," Duran said.

"You planning on sticking around long this time, Slone?" Hamish asked.

"Ah, well, I never do but I got a few things to take care of for people this time, so maybe a little while," Slone said. "What about you? You sticking around after this or already thinking about the next adventure?"

"Hard to say when I've got this little thing to worry about," Hamish said. "But either way, I'm happy to see what I can help with around here. I'm sure there will be plenty to keep me busy."

"What about you, Duran?" Slone asked.

"Me?" Duran said. "I'm sure I'll be a lot less helpful but yes, this adventure has settled my wanderlust. For now, anyway."

"We'll figure out something for you to help with," Slone said.

"Dunno what but you've got too much going on for me to think you wouldn't be real fuckin' useful for something. I'm just not an expert on being useful, I guess."

"You're useful," Hamish said. "We couldn't have done any of this without you."

"Ah, yeah, I know," Slone said. "I ain't looking for reassurance or anything. I'll help out how I can help out but I'm not gonna go being all self-sacrificing and work a job that needs working that I know I'm not right for, y'know? Turns out, jobs in general just ain't the thing for me, really."

"I don't really know what the right thing for me is," Duran said. "I suppose this will be the time to figure it out."

"Have you considered parenthood?" Hamish asked, holding Aris out to him. "I've got a free baby right here."

"You know, I might help you take care of her but I'm a little afraid that if I pick her up you'll just start running."

Hamish hugged Aris back against his chest.

"That's a very reasonable fear. I'm like a cuckoo bird and this little egg is way overdue to be snuck into someone else's nest."

Hamish glanced towards the stairs down to the docks and saw Simon and Danya approaching.

"Speaking of..."

Hamish bundled Aris in her blanket and did his best to hold her in a way that made it look like she was just a bundle of clothes or something.

Danya was smiling as they approached.

Simon was trying not to smile but with mixed success.

"You cut your hair," was the first thing Danya said to Duran when they reached them. "It suits you."

"Hamish cut it," Duran said, accepting a hug when Danya reached for him.

Hamish seized his moment and leant in to give Simon a one-armed hug.

When Simon reciprocated, Hamish slipped the bundle containing Aris into Simon's arms.

"Ha. Yours now."

Hamish had been ready to grab Aris back if Simon dropped her in shock but the second Simon realised what he was holding, he brought his other arm up to support her properly.

"What the fuck, Hamish," Simon said. "Whose baby is this?"

"Yours now."

"Where did you get a baby?"

"Listen... it's a long story," Hamish said. "Do you want her or not?"

"You can't just hand me a baby and ask me if I want her, Hamish."

"Well, by all means, take a moment to think about it."

"She ain't got parents," Slone said. "Not ones that are still around. She's one of the old ones but she turns back into an egg and starts life over when she dies, so she needs someone to take care of her."

Danya leant against Simon's shoulder and looked down at Aris.

"She is very cute and we were thinking about adopting a second child but I don't think we can, Hamish. As slaves start to be freed, there are going to be a lot of children who don't have parents and Simon and I are in the perfect position to take one of them in. It's hard for someone who's never had parents to be a parent but at the same time, a mage should ideally be raised by other mages. Together, Simon and I can provide a balanced home."

"Well, fuck," Hamish said. "That is a very good excuse."

"You can stay with us and we'll help you take care of her while you figure things out," Simon said. "We've decided that we're going to live here now. We're rebuilding the houses along the road that leads down to The Spire as a place for the mages and their tagalongs, like me and you. We have a long way to go but we have just enough started of our house to get us out of the tent."

"Do you have enough room for me as well?" Duran asked. "I don't really know where I'm supposed to go at this point."

"Always," Danya said. "We'll help you figure everything out."

As they started heading up the stairs, two familiar faces appeared at the top heading down to meet them.

Yore and Fanner.

Danya and Simon seemed like they'd already been awake for a while but from the way Fanner was blinking around in the morning light and finger combing his hair, he had clearly just woken up.

Still, a smile spread across his face when he saw Duran and he hurried down the stairs to greet him.

His eyes locked on Duran's hair and he reached up and patted it without comment.

Duran was smiling as well.

There was a special fondness in the smiles he saved for Fanner.

"Now people won't get us mixed up anymore."

Fanner laughed and gave Duran's hair another pat.

"You know, I don't think we look that alike. Maybe superficially but you always look so calm and collected. I don't think I ever do."

"You look happy," Duran said. "For now, let's be glad of that."

"Oh, I am," Fanner said. "Um, Simon. Why do you have a baby?"

Hamish laughed.

"That's a long story. Come on, let's go get some breakfast and we'll tell you everything."

As the group continued up the stairs, Slone snagged Yore's sleeve and held him back.

"I'm gonna have to borrow this one. Need his help with some of the things people need."

"It can't wait until after breakfast?" Hamish asked.

"Hmm..." Slone said, his head tilting and his lips pressing into a tight line.

"You'll have to catch me up on everything later," Yore told Hamish.

"I know you never mind retelling a good story to a new audience."

"Well, you'd better make some time in your busy schedule to hear it because it is a good one," Hamish said.

As they continued up the stairs, he slung an arm around Duran's shoulders.

"You guys are going to love the part about the octopus man."

[theharrowing]

Mother! The Collateral revist is so fun! I have been reading since maybe around chapter 5 or 6 and I have forgotten our humble beginnings. The tention with Yoongi and how fucking TOXIC he is oh my GOSH and the subtle hints of him and Namjoon being a little closer than he is with the other family men!

IN CHAPTER 4 when Taehyung is smoking and watches mc come down the stairs I yelled "WAIT WHAT" I had forgotten all about that! (Don't take this the wrong way but you have said so many times that you didn't have plans in the beginning--) It feels like this is such a subtle look into a character who is maybe not fully formed yet like I don't know that him openly staring at mc totally suits his character. (Unless he was doing it because mc reminds him of.......uhhhhh........someone else............winkywinkywinkywink.

I love your insights too, thank you so much for reading along. Although I want to breeze through my reread it's so fun to join with you!

ANON HELLO i am so glad you're enjoying the reread!!! and the insights hehehe. i love to talk about myself and my writing, and this is a fun opportunity to do so unprovoked, so thank you for the encouragement!!!

OKAY NO BUT YOU ARE RIGHT ABOUT THE TAEHYUNG THING both that it seems like something his character wouldn't necessarily do now (re: checking out mc) and because it is a hint at something that i am still going to reveal and that i don't think i continued to hint at properly throughout the story. there are bits and pieces of plans that i have had since the beginning (especially after chapter 2) and although things are, for the most part, pretty loosey goosey in chapter 4, i was planning on a thing that i have not yet revealed. i am SCHOCKED and so excited that you pointed it out and that you also like worked it out in your head, i assume, as you were writing it to me???????????????? whatever process that was, i was squealing with glee when i read it. please return at the end of the fic (or maybe it'll be revealed in the very beginning of the sequel???) and tell me if you have realized it!!!!!!!!! it should be obvious.

back to Yoongi being toxic tho lmaooooooaidakfhaskhfkaa yeahhhhh man, i didn't mean for him to become so soft and loving (i mean, he is still an incredibly flawed character) but whenever i look back on the first chapters (including 5, which i will be reading today!!!!) i am just like "wow readers really want mc to marry this man.......................they really think that's her happy ending....................................................after everything he put her thru............................................................................"

ANYWAY AHHHHHH THANK YOU FOR READING ALONG and for sharing your thoughts! stay hydrated! i love you! chapter 5 coming soon!!! and if you do keep giving insights, to my insights and wanna chat more, pick out an emoji that i can know you as!!! 😍🥰💜💝⭐

[allmilfswelcome]

Robin Arellano X Reader HC's

Request: Being finney's sister and having a major crush on Robin.

I decided to make this a headcanon list, but if any of you want a actual story with this request I'll happily make one!

Warnings: spelling mistakes, and one swear word.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

I feel like when (or if he ever did) Finney would find out about your crush on his best friend he would tease you a lot about it, he would honestly be really happy about it tho he just wouldn't tell you.

Following up on Finn teasing you he might also get a little (a lot) of blackmail opportunities. Like you don't wanna go somewhere with him, Okay!! He will gladly hang out with Robin, I mean he has some important things to tell him right? Don't wanna get him snacks?? Suddenly he's calling Robin to get some and come over for a sleepover. (He would never actually do it just a lot of threats)

Now with Robin he would definitely know about your "secret" crush on him. I mean come on your one of his best friends you really think he won't realize you acting different?

At first he would just think that you had something going on personally so he would pay more attention to you and how you act to certain things hoping he can find something to get your mind off of it. He would pick up on your crush pretty soon after that tbh.

If Robin was to like you back he would probably wait about a month or two to make a move mentally scared that maybe he's wrong about you liking him (he would start to doubt himself a lot:(( )

Now if Robin doesn't like you back he would go out of his way to distance himself from you so you can hopefully get over this "little" crush of yours. If that doesn't end up working he would give you hints that he doesn't feel the same, like pointing out people that he thinks you would be cute with, or people who like you saying you should give them a shot.

Going back to if he does like you back, when he finds out he would be a little (VERY) nervous to be around you scared that he will mess something up and you wouldn't feel the same anymore. He would definitely start to give you more subtle touchs, like punching your arm more (more lightly now tho) at some point you would definitely feel his hand brush against yours he will always play it off as a accident though.

He would now invite you to do more things with him scared that if not you will stop liking him. You going with him and Finn to the drive in is now a must, you don't like horror movies? Don't worry he will cover your eyes at the scary parts :) (at least he trys sometimes he's too far into the movie to realize). Now if you like/love horror movies expect to go to the drive in like 2 or 4 times a week with or without Finn, he's just happy to finally have someone to watch all his favorite horror movies with <3

Robin will end up accidentally admiting his feelings about you too Finn in some sort of way, and after that expect Finn to be more "busy" now when you are supposed to go to the drive in (he always has to get someone else to hang out with because you know he doesn't have anything important to do). Finn is you and Robins biggest shippers Gwen is a close second though.

Speaking of Gwen you are now forced to tell her Everything that happens with you a Robin, she was definitely the first person to ever know and when you admit your feelings to him (if he doesn't do it before you) she is the one who convinced you too.

At last of confessions, if you were to be the first one to confess you would end up putting a note in his locker (Gwen came up with the idea), the thing that makes his heart swoon his when he sees the letter is in Spanish knowing that you definitely worked hard to study it for him (if you don't know Spanish). At first he's ranting to Finn about you not know what to do, Finn and Gwen just know you got him wrapped around your finger (if only Finn knew how in love you were with Robin though<3). Robins head and heart would be racing just thinking about that fact that you<3 wrote him this letter.

Now if Robin were too confess it would be after you guys went to see a movie at the drive in (Finn cancelled again knowing what was about to happen). Robin would ask if you wanted to go get slushies from the grab n go before you guys walked back to your place. Instead of getting slushies you guys end up getting ice cream and sat on the swings for awhile. After awhile your ice cream long gone you would finally start to notice how quiet Robin had got. Idc you guys would definitely try to talk at the same time and end up laughing your asses off about it, when you guys finally calm down you tell Robin to go first. After just looking at the ground for about 2 minutes he would finally look up at you and all of his plans just went out of his mind and he just blurted out a absolutely ton of nonsense. You would stare at him for about 30 seconds before he would restart blushing like crazy noticing you hear literally nothing he said (pls this boy would be so nervous). When he finally gets his words out his face is a shade of red you didn't even think was possible, when you end up telling him that you feel that same he can't help but let out a giant sigh of relief (this poor boy was so scared).

After the confessing get ready for a lot of questions from Finn and Gwen, you guys won't get time alone for about another 5 hours I'd say.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

This was my first time ever writing Hc's so hopefully it's okay. Be ready for a lot more Robin fics though guys! Have a good ret of your day or night<3!

[myherowritings]

PART 2. LOVE IS FAKE, MARRY A WEALTHY SUITOR

SUMMARY. Todoroki Shouto was a wealthy, young CEO who inherited his father’s enterprise. You were a barista at a local cafe who wouldn’t mind some extra cash. One day, Shouto came in during an early morning shift and tipped you such a large sum of money, you were certain it had to have been an accident. To your surprise and complete pleasure: It was not.

PAIRING. ceo!todoroki shouto x barista!reader

WORD COUNT. 2.5k

GENRE. ceo/barista au, fluff, eventual smut

WARNINGS. none in this chapter

A/N. thank u guys for all the positive feedback on this series so far and i really hope u enjoy this chapter too ! ^-^ xx sof

SERIES MASTERLIST

© myherowritings — all rights reserved. reposting, modifying, copying, or translating of any kind is not allowed. do not read my writing as asmr. do not plagiarize.

It seemed your subtle pleas to the gods to see the mysterious businessman again had been answered, since only the day after Shouto gave you a $100 tip, you saw him at the cafe. 

You looked to the skies with a hint of suspicion. This seemed too easy— You were expecting at least a few weeks of your heart pining as you wondered where-oh-where your dreamy customer could have gone. But instead, after a mere 24 hours later, you saw him enter the store in a pair of pressed trousers and a light blue, button up shirt that was rolled just below his elbows. 

Blinking, you drew your attention away from his exposed forearms. You knew he was attractive from your first encounter, but was he always this hot? 

Sadly, you couldn’t focus too much on that since he had to get behind the line and obstruct himself from your view, and you had to take the order of the next customer. 

“Hi! I can take the next person in line.” You smiled. “Good morning! What can I get started for you today?”

After repeating that five or so more times and starting a few drinks on hot bar, you finally reached Shouto’s place and, thankfully, there didn’t seem to be too many patrons piling behind him. 

“Good morning, Shouto!” you greeted when he stepped forward to the counter. “How are you this morning?”

“Better now that I saw you.” 

Your smile faltered as your cheeks heated up, but you tried to brush it off with a laugh. While Shouto had the definite looks of a so-called businessman playboy, his words held none of the flirtatious intonation as one might expect. In fact, he sounded like he genuinely meant it— Like he was only stating a simple fact and had no reason to be shameful. 

It felt both like an attack on your heart and like a refreshing glass of water at the same time. 

“How about you?” he continued. 

“I could say the same thing,” you said with a chuckle, but you found yourself meaning everything you told him. Though you didn’t expect to see him again at the cafe so soon, you couldn’t deny the instant he walked through the doors, your morning felt just a little bit brighter. “Didn’t think I’d see you again so soon, but this is a pleasant surprise.” 

Shouto had the decency to look a little bashful as he averted his gaze slightly. “Yeah. I…really liked the...cheese danishes.” 

Surprised, a small giggle left your lips. “Don’t tell me you finished all three dozen of them!”

“Well…” He looked even more sheepish. “I didn’t exactly… I guess you could say that.” 

“I’m glad you liked them so much you came back for more,” you teased, looking down at the pastries from the oven you just stocked. “Sadly, our fresh pastry today is a chocolate croissant. I can tell my manager to have cheese danishes made again soon though!”

He shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll try the chocolate croissants today then. Maybe five dozen this time.” 

Five multiplied by twelve… A whole 60 chocolate croissants? Were they all for him? You shrugged, not one to judge. If someone wanted to eat 60 croissants, so be it. Though you did hope he wouldn’t eat it all in one sitting. That might give him a stomachache. 

“Alrighty, five dozen chocolate croissants,” you repeated as you typed it into the register. “And would you like any beverages with that? Another flat white maybe?” 

“Actually, I’ll have a large macchiato with two extra shots of espresso this time.” 

You nodded with a hum. “Long day ahead?” 

“Unfortunately.” 

“I hope the coffee and croissants can carry you through, Shouto!” you said, wishing his day would go by smoothly. “Will that be all for you today?”

“Thank you, Y/N. I hope so too. And yes, that’s it.”

“Great. $73.24 is your total then! Will you be paying in card again?” 

He nodded. 

“Go ahead and scan and sign when you’re ready.”

You busied yourself by writing his name and order on a large cup and starting the espresso pulls. Your manager was helping get the pastries and other orders ready this morning, so it was nowhere near as hectic as yesterday. 

“Your order will be to your right. It was nice seeing you again, Shouto.” You smiled, giving him a small wave and already wishing you could hold the line up to talk to him longer. “See you tomorrow morning?” you asked almost hesitantly.

He returned your smile with upturned lips of his own. “Yeah. Tomorrow.” Before he left the counter, he pulled out another $100 bill—did he go to a dry cleaners to have his cash steamed and ironed? It was almost ridiculously crisp—and handed it to you. “A tip to show my appreciation for your service.”

“A-Again?” you stammered, eyes wide. That was $200 in two days from just his tip alone. That was more than you made in two weeks when you worked part-time! “Are you sure?”

Whether he had money to spare or not, this was incredibly generous of him and you would never have expected this amount from anyone. And it wasn’t like Shouto made it a scene for everyone in the shop to look at and gawk; he was subtle yet unashamed. Like he wanted to do it for no other reason than to do it. 

“Of course. You deserve it for your work, Y/N.”

The customer behind him made an impatient noise and you winced. You wanted to be able to thank him more, but all you had time for was a simple, “Thank you, I really appreciate it.”

Shouto nodded in response before walking to the other side of the cafe to wait for his order while you managed the other customers in line, a fuzzy but warm feeling lingering in your stomach from your bizarre interaction. Money or not, you enjoyed seeing him in the mornings and were already looking forward to your brief conversations that would take place the next days to come.

He certainly gave you something to look forward to amidst the inconsiderate customers who barely saw you as human every morning. Sometimes, that was all you could ask for. 

When Shouto left the store and the line had died down towards the end of rush hour, your manager approached you with a curious look on her face. 

“That guy named Shouto…?” Miyazaki said. 

You nodded. 

“A friend of yours?”

“You could say that… We just met yesterday’s morning shift,” you said as you finished up the green tea latte for one of the remaining stragglers from the last hour’s boom. “But he’s really friendly I think.”

“You only recently became associated?” she asked, lifting a brow. “It seemed like you two were quite chummy today.” Then, nudged your side. “He was rather attractive don’t you think? And rich-looking.”

Fumbling with the lid on the beverage, you stifled a surprised cough. Sure, you got along with your boss and thought she was one of the more understanding and kind individuals you have worked under, but gossiping about the looks and potential income of a customer with your 56-year-old manager was not on your bingo sheet as a worker here.

“I…” You called out the order for the latte before turning back to your manager. “He is.”

“Ooh, he’s rich?”

“I meant he’s attractive!” you sputtered, feeling abashed at her blunt words. You thought of the tip he gave you in your pocket and his orders of dozens of pastries. “Rich…maybe so. Not that it matters!” 

Miyazaki tsked. “Of course it matters! Marry rich and your life will be easier. That’s what my mother told me and what her mother told her.” She shook her head. “Should’ve listened.” 

You laughed, feeling only a little awkward. It wasn’t the first time you heard that sentiment from someone older than you. It wasn’t uncommon for family members or even workers you were close to to share that same advice—if you could even call it that.

While you agreed money could make a lot of things easier, marrying someone for wealth didn’t appeal to you. But you recognized that even that may come from a place of privilege to be able to say. 

“He seems like a wealthy suitor for you, yes?”

“Suitor—?” you choked out. “No! I mean— We just met! We don’t know anything about each other really.”

She sighed, “Young people and their obsession with marrying someone they ‘know’ for true love. When do you really know someone anyway?” Waving a hand she changed the topic. “But enough of that. What I wanted to say was next time that man comes in here, we can offer him a complimentary box of a dozen pastries— Since he’s spent so much in so little it feels like the right thing to do.”

“Sure. A complimentary dozen.” Finally. Work. A topic you felt much more comfortable talking about. “That, I can do.” 

“And then maybe offer a hand in marriage while you’re at it.”

“Mrs. Miyazaki!” you gasped, feeling only mildly affronted. 

“I joke.” She ruffled her hair and smoothed down her apron. “I’m going to make more pastries now. Can you hold up the front?” 

“You can count on me.”

“I know I can. Thanks for your hard work!” 

And with that, she headed to the backroom where the kitchen was to leave you alone with your thoughts in a quiet cafe. Rush hour ended so there were only a few customers trickling in, most much kinder and more pleasant to talk to than the bustling businessmen of the earlier shift. 

Throughout your small conversations with the patrons, you found yourself thinking back to two things— One, how interesting traditional values and teachings in collectivist cultures were and questioning where you fell into place with them, and two…wondering about Shouto. 

Tomorrow, he had said before he left. You’d see him again tomorrow. 

Oddly enough, you were looking forward to it more than you’d like to admit. 

— ✩ —

It was the fifth day of the week, the fifth time he had seen you at the cafe, and he was already tempted to see you again. Would it be invasive to get another pastry after work? Would you even be there working at that hour?

Shouto saw you this morning (along with all the other mornings before that) and yet he couldn’t quell the pull he felt towards you with only the short interaction time you had together. But he would take what he could get without being weird. 

He had been told in the past he could be too forward and dysregulate his feelings and scare people off, and that wasn’t something he wanted to risk with you, though he was certainly much better at it now with learning and practice. If he was reading things correctly, you at least seemed to enjoy seeing him during your shift. 

“You got more pastries, sir?” an employee from the medical supplies sector asked him gleefully. “I swear they get better each time!”

Shouto nodded with a smile. “I’m glad you like it. I’ll be sure to relay your compliment.”

With the dozens of pastries he’s been ordering from your cafe (each order seeming to grow every time he visited after realizing just how much his employees enjoyed it), he would place them around the breakrooms and staff kitchens in the establishment. Those areas were always fully stocked with drinks and sandwiches and chocolates in case anyone needed a little boost, but nothing seemed to bring as much comfort as freshly baked pastries did. And a different baked good almost everyday seemed to give people more to get excited about. 

He owed it all to your sales’ pitch and blinding smile that made him want to buy it. And your personality, of course.

His Personal Secretary had started to wonder why she no longer was tasked with his early morning coffee runs, and Shouto had to find a way to answer without saying it was because there was a barista he wanted to keep talking to. 

Not even he was that shameless. 

The first time, his PS had just called in sick and Shouto decided he might as well head to a cafe himself for the first time in a while. He worried he might have been rusty while ordering, but you did such a good job at being welcoming and guiding the transaction that he found himself actually enjoying it. (Enjoying you, maybe. But it was too soon to admit that.) 

And now, after that initial meeting, he decided it was worth half an hour of his day to give his PS some early morning break time and visit the cafe himself. 

It was worth it so much, in fact, that the next morning on a Saturday, despite most of his employees being given the weekend off, he still went to buy some coffee and pastries. 

“Good morning!” an older lady called as he entered the front doors. Shouto had seen her assisting in shifts and baking pastries when you were busy working the cash register. “What can I get started for you today?”

He looked around the store—relatively quiet compared to the rush hour during the weekdays—and to his disappointment, saw no sight of you. 

The current barista laughed, seeming to read his very thoughts. “Looking for someone? Y/N perhaps?”

His gaze shot up, feeling like a kid getting caught doing something he wasn’t supposed to by his guardian. Cautiously, he gave a small nod. 

“‘Fraid they have the weekends off, actually,” the lady—her name tag read Miyazaki—said. “But don’t look so down, they’ll be back on Monday morning to greet you with a smile.”

He nodded again, feeling his face heat up. Was he that transparent or did Miyazaki just know too much? “Thank you, ma’am.”

She chuckled, waving him over. “No need to be so formal. Now, is there anything I can get for you? Or were you just visiting in hopes of asking our dear Y/N out?”

“No— I…” Shouto felt himself averting his gaze. “I’ll order something.”

At his apparent discomfort, her mischievous gaze softened. “Of course, hon. Sorry for teasing too much. I was just excited seeing how adorable you and Y/N were.” She cleared her throat. “I mean, that’s not my business. Anyway. What can I get started for you?”

He asked for a macchiato and a couple dozen of today’s pastries, paid, and tipped. (Though, it was initially met with a blatant rejection. He didn’t take it too hard; he knew some older members of society thought of tips as insulting and he’d never force anyone to take a tip if it made them feel bad. But after offering again, she thankfully accepted it.)

When he left the cafe, although the exchange was pleasant enough, Shouto still found himself disappointed he wasn’t able to see you. 

At least he had something to look forward to next Monday morning, though part of him wished the day would somehow come sooner. 

a/n: hope u enjoyed miyazaki’s words of wisdom u.u FHKDF i’m totally kidding, but if ur asian like me then u kNOW what convos like that are like omg ,, just had my mom and two grandmas tell me that recently :’/ kskskfd but anyway i hope u enjoyed this chapter and liked seeing a glimpse of shouto’s thoughts ;3 tysm for reading!

what to expect in the next part:

more shouto and y/n :>

maybe some ~flirting~ pfft idk idk u.u

some minor...misunderstandings 

“hello, zuko here” vibes

[amaya-writes]

The Obey Me Brothers And Their Worst Nightmares Pt 2 (Levi, Satan, Asmo)

Part 1: Lucifer and Mammon Part 2: Levi, Satan and Asmo Part 3: Beel and Belphie

Notes: It took me way longer than expected to get the second part out.

Warnings: not really any warnings but it’s just sad ig, sort of body dysmorphia/distortion in Asmo's

Characters involved: Leviathan, Satan, Asmodeus

Leviathan

He was on another gaming roll.

Leviathan was a demon known for his tendency to remain in his room for hours on end, but even so he would find himself at least texting his brothers once in a while to check up on them.

However, this time, the lure of a new game was strong enough to make Levi lock himself away as he faced one level after the other, battling dragons and losing himself in the game.

Yet as he leaned back into his gaming chair and stared in satisfaction at the big bold 'game over' plastered across his screen, Leviathan found himself finally thinking of something outside of his room.

Or more specifically, the six demons no doubt scattered across the house who absolutely needed to know about his new game and the way he had perfectly crossed every level.

In his haste to switch off the computer and leave his room, Levi hadn't even bothered to think of using his phone like he normally would.

Instead, he found himself excitedly racing towards the kitchen where he was sure to find at least one of his brothers.

However, what he hadn't expected was to find all of them.

"What are you all-"

Levi found himself coming to a stop as soon as he began to make his way toward the kitchen, noticing how all of his brothers were seated in their respective seats at the table.

The sight usually would have made him feel angered at the thought of not being called down with everyone else, however, Levi instead felt a wave of envy and sorrow as his eyes settled on the first seat at the left of the table.

His seat. That was occupied by someone he didn't know.

The demon seated there was beautiful, looking like one of those protagonists from an anime, yet with the way he steadily held a conversation with Satan about what seemed like some academic debate made it clear he had beauty and brains.

He was muscular but not awfully so, smart yet with a hint of humour, beautiful but in a way that was subtle.

He was everything Leviathan was not.

He was the perfect brother, and as Levi ran a shaky hand through his hair to further cover his face and hide his visible distress, he realised the strange demon was him.

Or yet, a replacement for him. A much better one.

As Levi backtracked and let his feet carry him to the front door, he realised that maybe it was a good thing that he had locked himself away in his room for so long.

Because Leviathan couldn't bear to see the image of everything he was not replace him.

Especially not when that was everything he wanted to be.

Satan

"Lucifer."

The name surrounded him, consumed him even.

It stole the breath from his lungs and the voice from his throat, forcing Satan to watch as the crowd around him thickened. And apparently, so did the glass blocking him from cursing them.

"Lucifer!"

Their voices got higher, desperate even, with the crowd now shoving against each other as one face after the other appeared to sneak a glimpse into his glass cage and say the same thing as before.

"-Lucifer's creation."

The way he banged against the glass didn't seem to faze the crowd, if anything, Satan's wrath only seemed to heighten their excitement.

"His child."

Their chatter picked up at the words, yet all Satan could focus on was the raven-haired demon standing at the back of the room before him.

His hair was ruffled, tie loosened and shirt wrinkled, yet even so there was no mistaking the way the avatar of pride stood at the back of the room with a smirk that told Satan everything his words couldn't.

That he was just a reaction, an accident.

Lesser than.

The others were all avatars of sin, all fallen angels who fought in wars and became bold demons. Yet he was just the result of Lucifer's wrath and resentment.

Was being the result of Lucifer's anger, being created by him, the only thing Satan would ever amount to?

Asmodeus

It was dark.

Why was his room so dark?

Asmodeus had specifically installed the perfect room lighting to ensure that his room was always ready to be used for yet another one of his photoshoots.

The mere thought had him quickly rising from the bed, ready to be faced with the vanity mirror that would showcase his beautiful face.

However, Asmodeus's daily routine of pampering himself with compliment about his beauty was cut short by the sudden scream that cut through the room.

It took him a moment to realise the scream was of his own, and another to comprehend just what had caused such a horrified reaction.

He looked horrifying.

Asmodeus's face was unsymmetrical, with his usually perfect nose and lips stretching to the sides almost comically while his eyes drooped low in a fashion that had the champagne-haired demon letting out yet another scream.

It was like one of those clown mirrors in a circus, except it wasn't. For it was not the mirror before him that was distorted, but Asmodeus himself.

"What's with the ruckus, Asmo?"

By the time Satan raced through his door, Asmodeus had already begun to sob as his fingers raced across his face, pushing at random patches of skin and crying even more as he realised how dry and cracked it felt.

"I- I look horrendous!"

Satan cocked his head to the side at his brother's words before letting out a sigh that had Asmodeus's heart clenching, and not in a good way.

"What do you mean? You look like this all the time."

His words were all Asmodeus needed to drive himself over the edge, causing him to let out a louder, more horrified scream as he kneeled over on his bed.

He was ruined.

For Asmodeus, beauty was the only thing important in the world.

Beauty wasn't just about vanity, it was a way of coping for him. A way to tell himself the fall hadn't changed his perfection, if anything, it had solidified it.

The fall had allowed Asmodeus to explore a part of himself he had to previously hide away.

He just hadn't realised the change would result in having to hide himself away.

Asmodeus wasn't just his body, he knew that, yet as he sunk further into his bed he couldn't help but feel like he had just lost himself. After all, without his beauty, he was nothing.

Asmodeus, the avatar of lust and fifth of the notorious demon brothers, was nothing.

The champagne-haired demon had always thought of immortality as a blessing to enjoy himself for the rest of eternity, yet as his eyes slipped shut and breathing began to slowly even out, he couldn't help but hope he wouldn't wake up again.

After all, what was the point in living a life void of beauty?

[iamthemain-character]

Hi again!

I absolutely adored the last fic you did for me! I hope it's okay to request another so soon, I just love your writing so much I couldn't resist.

I was thinking like a part 2 to my first request with Kirk being really oblivious to the reader and McCoy's relationship, like he just doesn't expect them to be together so he doesn't even notice it for such a long time. Like he doesn't notice the little kisses and small gestures (THE HANDS!!!).

And yeah that's basically all I was thinking, and can sorta take it from there with what a part 2 would also include.

Again, thank you so much for doing my last request, I have so much love for your writing.

I hope you have the best day ever! ❤

hello hello! i’m really really happy that you liked how the first one turned out, and thanks for requesting this! enjoy :)

You’re Lucky You’re Pretty

leonard “bones” mccoy x vulcan! reader, friend! kirk x reader

gender neutral pronouns

TW: none

requested by @imaginesfire

link to first part :)

Star Trek Masterlist

To say that Y/n and Leonard McCoy were in love was an understatement; both of them had never been happier than they were together, and each day they found more reasons to appreciate each other. They were the best of friends, and they showed their love in every little thing they did.

While Y/n and Leonard were both uncomfortable with excessive PDA, they had their little moments throughout each day. When ever they were side by side, Leonard would always link his pinky finger with Y/n’s, sort of like a vulcan kiss on the cheek. Y/n also loved it when they and their boyfriend just held hands or when he would come up and hug them. It was a constant reminder that they were loved and appreciated.

It didn’t take long for the rest of the ship to catch onto the romance forming in the medical; friends and strangers alike shared feelings of support to the relationship, and it was a well known fact that everyone knew Bones and Y/n were made for each other.

The only person who didn’t seem to catch on was the captain and best friend to Leonard, Jim Kirk. He knew that Bones and Y/n were friends, but for some reason he missed the subtle touches and glances between them. Maybe it was the fact that Jim was a very overly dramatic lover, or maybe he was just too much of a himbo, but James T. Kirk was oblivious to the fact that his best friend and doctor was in love.

It soon became a running joke among the crew members to see who could hint the most to Leonard and Y/n’s relationship without the captain catching on. Surprising, it went on for months, Kirk somehow missing the point to every hint or joke. Gradually the hints became more and more on the nose, with Spock eventually just saying point blank that Bones and Y/n were dating. Jim being Jim, however, laughed it off and rambled on about “Spock finding his funny bone.”

Eventually it became that time where the crew members from earth celebrated their winter holidays. Everyone came together and decorated the entire ship, explaining some of the peculiar imagery and traditions to those who were not familiar with it.

Y/n and Leonard came to the main bridge one day, only to find Jim harassing people with a sprig of mistletoe. Leonard had already explained the tradition of kissing under the bundle of evergreen leaves to Y/n, and so the two watched in amusement as Jim went around trying to convince people to embrace.

Suddenly he turned and saw his friend and Y/n watching him; a devilish grin grew on his face, and he practically pranced over to where they were standing. Gleefully Jim waved the mistletoe over Leonard’s and Y/n’s head, watching to see what would happen.

Leonard quickly glanced to Y/n to get their approval, and when they nodded in affirmation, he took their face in his hands and kissed them. Laughter broke out across the bridge as Jim’s face wore a look of surprise and shock; not even Y/n and Spock could keep a straight face.

“Wha- how? When? What?”

Shaking his head, Bones clapped a hand onto Jim’s shoulder. “My friend, it’s a miracle you’ve been alive this long.”

[the-insomniac-emporium]

Bound Blood (Cassandra Dimitrescu/Reader, Soulmate AU) Pt. 5.5 Bonus

Fandom: Resident Evil: Village Rating: T+ for language Warnings: None Summary: Local feral human spends some time with their new family. Four short bits featuring Daphne (Maiden OC), Bela, Lady D, Daniela, and a surprise guest. Enjoy. Previous Chapters: 1: Sharing Is (Not) Caring; 2: Bloodbath, Baby!, 3: Haunt Me Dearly, 4: Portraits For Ghosts, 5: Heart Of The Matter

5.5: Family

i.

“Wait, you’re telling me that you came here willingly?” You asked, mouth agape, eyes wide. It felt like every time you talked to Daphne she had something incredible to say. Which was, of course, why she was your favorite maiden to talk to. That, and the fact that she had adapted so quickly to your ‘charming personality’. So far she was the only servant you had been willing to be honest with. Mainly about your feelings regarding your blood bond, but also just about your relationship with Cassandra in general. Something about Daphne simply made her incredibly approachable. From what you had heard, you weren’t the only one to think as such, with her being fairly popular among the castle workers.

“More of us do than you might expect. Some consider it an honor to serve one of the four Lords, and Castle Dimitrescu is certainly… nicer than either the factory or the reservoir. Personally, I came here for a friend of mine. She, well, had less of a choice. I couldn’t bear the thought of her being here without knowing anyone, so it felt like I only had one option. Can’t say I regret my decision, if you can believe it,” Daphne explained, folding laundry all the while. At the same time, you carefully sort through the not yet washed clothing, separating them into two baskets. After all, you wouldn’t want Lady Dimitrescu to end up with a pink dress! Technically this wasn’t your job, nor did you have a job at all, but you hated having idle hands- especially when talking to someone who was working. At first Daphne had protested, but she had given in upon realizing just how stubborn you could be.

“That’s… impressive. I mean, holy shit, that's a real ride or die friendship right there. Is she, uh, is your friend still, you know, around?” You stuttered, cursing your tongue for asking such a thing. If the answer was no, you were going to feel like a real asshole. Which, admittedly, you had a tendency to be. But this wasn’t one of the times where it was intentional. Thankfully, Daphne is all smiles, and even seems amused by your spluttering.

“Yes, we’re even roommates. Well, us and five others. Possibly with a sixth one on the way, if we ever get someone to fill the empty space,” she replies, pausing to think. Then she’s back to work, refusing to waste any time. “Speaking of roommates… I know I said I’m not one for gossip, and I meant it, but a little songbird told me that Cassandra seems to be in a much better mood these days. Are the two of you, well, getting along? It would be nice to know that soulmates can overcome even the roughest of introductions.” There’s a hint of something odd in her tone, and you take a moment to wonder what she’s (unintentionally) hinting at. Had she met her soulmate, only for things to go poorly?... Before answering her, you make a mental note, deciding to see if any of the other maidens had a scar across their nose.

“It’s not like she and I are dating or anything. We’re just, you know, not hating each other. Currently,” you said, shrugging. But Daphne raises an eyebrow at you, and you find yourself instinctively feeling guilty, somehow feeling small next to the shortest person you knew. “Alright, alright, we might have… Okay we kissed. And promised each other not to die, because having your soulmate die hurts like hell. Also maybe she showed me her mom’s art collection and I made a joke about the titty sculptures because holy shit, this house has a lot of titties.” At this, Daphne bursts into laughter, grinning from ear to ear.

“Amen to that, for sure.”

ii.

“So… fan of science, I see,” you say, awkwardly, bouncing a little on your heels. Next to you is the eldest Dimitrescu daughter, who had unexpectedly joined your table in the library. There were several other places she could have sat, with both more comfortable seating and more workspace, but for some reason she had chosen here. So far she hadn’t said a word. Hell, you hadn’t spoken to her since your first meeting, where she had suggested killing you. Naturally, you weren’t quite sure what to make of her. Something told you that she felt much the same about yourself.

“Fan of oversimplification, I see,” Bela counters, after a few tense seconds. Then she sets down her book- a heavy text about Romanian avian fauna- to give you her full attention. “It would be more accurate to say that I enjoy studying biology, particularly the branch of zoology.” Well, this conversation was certainly… happening. Honestly, you couldn’t tell whether she was legitimately judging you, or merely chaffing you for her own amusement.

“You’ll have to, er, forgive me for being overly broad. Consider it a side effect of my nerves, those themselves being due to our unsavory introduction. In case you don’t recall, you put that sickle of yours into my shoulder,” you reminded, with a sarcastic smile. To your surprise, Bela chuckles at this, almost as if fondly remembering the incident. Seriously, you think, why did my soulmate have to be from this family?

“Staying silent was an option. Perhaps that would have suited you better?” Bela says, now clearly teasing, smile much more genuine than your own. Knowing she had a point, you’re quick to blush, mildly embarrassed.

“Touche. I am curious, however, why you decided to sit next to me in the first place. I certainly wouldn’t have tried starting a conversation if you hadn’t,” you explained.

“Like I said… I enjoy studying zoology,” Bela replies, with a sly grin. It takes you a few moments to understand the intended implications. Once you do, however, you’re giving her a hard stare. Then you scoot your chair a few inches away from her, in exaggerated movements. “Don’t worry, I was only joking. Though you certainly are an interesting human. Much more, hmm, cheeky? Compared to the servants, at least.”

“Somehow I get the feeling that they simply prefer being alive, as opposed to not being as snippy. Except maybe Daphne, now that I think about it. Very sweet, that one,” you muse. “Regardless, I think I’ll return to my book now, for it lacks a tongue, and is therefore less likely to taunt me.” Doing just as you had said, you open the book, holding it a bit higher than what would be comfortable, so that it becomes a ‘shield’ of sorts. Nothing was quite as satisfying as subtle body language.

Accepting your words with a shrug, Bela also resumes reading, turning to a bookmarked page. Roughly an hour of relative quiet passes. Neither of you so much as glance at each other, not even when she drops the pen she had been taking notes with. In the end, you are the one who leaves first, and finally the silence is broken. You give your goodbyes, and Bela returns them politely. Though you do not know it, she sets her book down as soon as you leave, pausing to think about you. Now that things had ‘calmed down’, it was reassuring for her to know that you weren’t always full of spite. Still, you held onto your cleverness (for the most part), leaving her with no doubt about the universe’s decision. You were her sister’s soulmate.

iii.

“It’s official: I’m lost in a creepy castle. The universe hates me. Probably should have realized that sooner, considering how it decided to introduce me to my soulmate,” you mutter, scowling deeply, as you wander unfamiliar halls. How had you even gotten lost? Sure, you had taken a wrong turn, but it hadn’t taken long for you to realize your mistake! Evidently you somehow managed to make another one while backtracking. Now you were standing in the center of the corridor, hands on your hips, desperate for some maiden to come rescue you. What you really didn’t want was Cassandra to find you, because she’d make fun of you for the rest of your life. It’s not like she had specifically joked about you getting lost before. Except that was exactly what had happened.

A few minutes pass uneventfully. There aren’t even any distant sounds of life; no footsteps, nor echoing voices, nor the squeaking of floorboards. All you can hear is your own breathing. As well as the occasional sigh, admittedly. By this point, there’s a part of you that’s starting to panic. After all, there was a chance that the castle was big enough for certain sections to be abandoned. Hopefully that’s not the case, you think, I mean, they’d cut the power to those parts, right? Here’s hoping… With that in mind, you get back to wandering, figuring that you’d have to eventually run into a familiar landmark. Or better yet, someone who actually knew the castle’s layout.

When salvation at last reveals its holy visage, it is not in the form of a lowly servant, rather the muffled voice of none other than Lady Dimitrescu herself. Neither her exact words nor who she’s speaking to is clear. At first, you can’t even tell where her voice is coming from, but you quickly approach one closed door, then another, searching for the source. Several doors later you’re certain you’ve found her. By then you can tell that she’s not alone. Not wanting to seem rude by interrupting, you take a few steps back, leaning against the wall to wait. For the most part you still cannot make out what’s being said, but a few words do reach your ears.

“-expected more from you. How am I-” the voice gets cut off, not by Alcina, rather a sudden gust of air, akin to massive wings flapping. When the speaker continues, they are both louder and angrier. “Someone is listening. Have you not taken steps to ensure our privacy?” Then the door is swinging open, revealing your soulmate’s mother. At first she’s practically shaking with rage, but her expression turns to shock when she sees you.

“What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be with Cassandra?” Lady Dimitrescu asks, clearly stressed, as she steps into the corridor. There’s movement behind her, although you cannot make out any details. Besides, you’re quick to answer her, wishing to avoid her wrath (and that of whoever she was speaking to).

“I’m so sorry, Lady Dimitrescu, I was walking from the dining hall to Cassandra’s studio, and I took a wrong turn. I’ve been wandering for half an hour now. When I heard your voice, I thought perhaps I could, well, enlist your assistance. But you were busy, so I figured I’d wait outside. If I had-...” you pause, gulping, as the other figure steps into view. It’s a face you’re all too familiar with. One that popped up countless times through the village, and again throughout the castle, the owner’s name always spoken with acclaim, with worship. Mother Miranda, in the flesh, wings spreading out behind her, somehow cutting a more impressive silhouette than even Lady Dimitrescu. Instantly you’re falling to your knees, knowing that your sharp tongue was no match for this practical goddess.

“Who is this, Dimitrescu? Why isn’t their blood staining your claws?” Miranda questions, gaze never leaving your trembling form.

“This… this is one of my daughters’ soulmates. They were brought in with the last group of sacrifices,” Lady Dimitrescu explains, uncharacteristically hesitant. ‘Twas a true testament to Miranda’s power, as well as her influence, that she could make someone so powerful seem so weak. Which was exactly why you were shaking with anxiety. But to your surprise, the goddess does not immediately order your execution for your trespass.

“And already they know their place, hmm? Kneeling before me?” Miranda says, a strange smile dancing on her lips. Whatever anger she had been feeling a minute prior had faded, though you couldn’t even begin to guess as to why. Regardless, both Alcina and yourself are quite relieved, though neither of you are quick to show it. “Either they have a good head on their shoulders, or you still take care of some of your duties. Very well, they may live. For now. But I expect next week’s report to be far more favorable. I don’t need to remind you of the price for failing me.” With that said, Mother Miranda turned to leave, a swirling mass of dark feathers flying past you.

A minute passes, maybe two, before either of you feel capable of speaking up.

“Let’s get you back where you belong, yes?” Lady Dimitrescu says, quietly, before placing her hand on your shoulder to guide you. Tension hangs clear and heavy over both of you. Even as you walk down corridor after corridor, the feeling does not ease. At least not until you’re back in familiar territory, near where you had originally made your mistake, finally able to breathe a little. It’s here that Lady Dimitrescu pauses to speak once more. “Tomorrow I will assign one of the servants to give you a tour, in the hopes that this does not happen again. Furthermore, I ask that you forget everything you heard earlier, for it is neither your business… or my daughter’s.” You’re quick to nod, and with that she bids you farewell, leaving you alone. Now, you think, was it left from here, or right?

iv.

“I’m just going for a walk. Why do you care so much? It’s not like it’s any of your business,” Daniela assures you, despite the fact that all you had done was say ‘hello’. If this was her attempt at casting aside suspicion, she had done a terrible job of it. What made her so nervous? Was it even worth investigating? Only one way to find out.

“You’re rather bundled up, planning on being out for long?” You ask, trying to sound casual, leaning against the wall as you did. In response, Daniela pretty much stomps her foot. There’s something odd in her expression, however, that implies your question hit a soft spot. Certainly wasn’t what you had expected. “Don’t mind me, just trying to make conversation with my soulmate’s sister. Speaking of her… have you seen Cassandra? Is she, perhaps, going with you?” A little misdirection never hurt anyone. Probably.

“No!” Daniela replies, fast as a gunshot, too much emphasis to be unintentional. But she realizes her mistake as soon as she’s made it, and makes a clear effort to relax herself. “She’s probably in her studio, doing whatever it is she calls art, on the other end of the house. Besides, I don’t want any company for this walk.” For a moment you merely squint at her, unsure of how to proceed. In the end, you decide that it really is none of your business, being more than satisfied by what teasing you’ve already done.

“Alright, alright. Well then, I’ll leave you be. Just… be careful, yeah? If you get hurt, and your mother finds out that I didn’t stop you from going… not sure Cassandra could save me,” you say, with a shrug. At first Daniela can’t decide whether to be upset or relieved, but she seemingly settles for the latter, giving you a brief nod before heading outside. As the door shut behind her, you couldn’t help but wonder if you had done the right thing.