#let's fix this volume 9

[lipeg]

Knight's Tales: Winter Solstice Special (Christmas special )

Ever Alter - Underground

The underground of Ever Alter it was a very interesting and mysterious place, where it keeps many secrets.

Entire civilizations hidden beneath the earth.

In one of the many caves, there was a very peculiar.

A cave that didn't look like a cave, it looked like a country that was buried but the sun continued to appear, rain kept watering the crops. Even though was beneath the earth, life continued normal.

And the seasons passed normally. Even beneath the earth.

The people who lived in this cave were called of Dragronelf. A race of human beings with blue skin, pointy ears and with horns on his head.

They were a peaceful race. But they weren't stupid, they had their warriors to cause a war to happen.

This race worshipped a Dragon God.

Those responsible for creating everything.

But after he created everything, he felt alone, then he split into two parts.

This race has a legend that a traveler who was also a great warrior would bring back their Dragon God back and thus, the Dragon God would unite all the races.

But that day was far from coming.

But they would wait hopefully.

This race was currently celebrating the winter solstice, It was a five-day holiday.

During these five days, they celebrated with their families together, to celebrate the good harvests, unlike other places, this cave, the best season for them was winter. During this season, the fruits have changed, giving them a unique flavor and aroma.

They meet at a lake that has mystical properties or magic.

On the same lake, They take the belongings of their deceased relatives with them, because when the item diving into the water to the incredible happened.

But now let's change our focus.

Near the lake there was a young knight was sitting by the lake.

A young knight with long blond hair, blue eyes, he had a sad expression on his face. The knight had little armor, he had armor no covering his chest and on his left arm.

He had black pants similar to jeans, his boots had a metal protection on the front, on the heel part there was a metal protection.

He had a red sash in his right hand.

He looked at red sash and he gave a sigh tired.

He got up and walked to the edge of the lake.

He knelt down, holding the red sash tightly, put his hand in the water, and released the red sash.

The moment he released the red sash, the lake began to glow. He was blinded by the glare.

As the glow faded, his vision gradually returned.

He was shocked by what happened.

He was no longer near the lake.

He was in a place unlike anything he had ever seen.

The floor was made of water.

It was literally water, he was walking on water.

The sky was in the middle. On one side was the blue sky with the sun and on the other side was the dark sky with the moon.

The stars were very bright on both sides.

There were only clouds around him and gears in the distance.

He started walking.

To look from one side to the other.

He found himself alone in an unknown place.

He looked everywhere to find a way out and to find Pyrrha's red sash.

— Hello again

His eyes widened.

He turned around with his heart beating too fast.

But it wasn't her.

In front of him was something that looked like a mirror. The mirror showed their first date, the first time they met.

He stood still, his gaze fixed on the mirror, and memories flooded his mind.

He began to walk again.

He was unsure. Should he stop or continue walk.

The further he walked, the more mirrors appeared. Showing memories with her.

The expression on his face was both happy and sad.

He hadn't forgotten those beautiful memories, he didn't like to relive those memories so as not to suffer.

After passing through several mirrors, he arrived at what should be the last one.

His last memory with her.

They had a discussion, she wanted to fight against a powerful enemy, but he was against it, saying it would be suicide. While he was arguing with her not to do that, she suddenly kissed him, which was amazing to him, but it was a distraction.

She pushed him into the rocket closet, even he protested, she didn't listen. She went to face a demon and ended up getting killed.

He had his first and last kiss with the woman he loved.

The mirror in front of him shattered like water falling to the ground.

But right in front of him was another surprise.

Your beloved. So beautiful when the day he lost her, without your armor or weapons, just wearing a beautiful white dress with her red hair flowing in the wind.

— Hello again... Jaune

His eyes smell of tears.

He ran out to hug her again.

His desire to have her in his arms again was very great.

But he was blocked.

He fell on his ass on the watery ground and didn't understand what had happened.

He got to his feet quickly and brought his hands to hold Pyrrha once more.

But before him was an invisible barrier.

The barrier seemed to have no end.

Jaune couldn't jump or even move to the side.

His anger began to rise, and then he began to strike out at the barrier.

— Please stop, Jaune

She asked him to stop.

He paused, but his anger still burned.

— Jaune, I can't interact with you

He looked fixedly at her.

Fear was taking over him.

— I'm dead, Jaune. There's nothing you can do to change that, I'm sorry

She saw her beloved knight losing his strength in his legs. Her knight was on his knees, so she knelt as well.

— I do not have much time. I would like to say though although i have lived for a very short time, the time we spent together was very good for me, you had no idea who I was, so I was happy

She laughed as her knight cried.

— Although you recognized me because of that cereal but seriously, how did you like that cereal, it only had sugar

She lowered it.

— I was sad that I couldn't be by your side, I couldn't see Nora and Ren anymore, that makes me really sad

A tear fell from his left eye.

— When Jaune returns to Remmant and when finds my mother, tell her that I thank her for everything she did for me

Her body began to glow red.

— Jaune, I loved you. I really loved you with all my heart, from the bottom of my soul, I loved you

It broke him.

Despair, rage, indignation, hatred, sadness took over your heart.

He begin desperately hitting the barrier, he wants this barrier to take her in its arms.

His arms were covered in white light.

He quickly started throwing a lot of punches at the barrier very quickly but it was of no use.

Pyrrha's body began to transform into red particles.

— Bye my Love

She disappeared with a smile on his face.

He blinked.

He was back at the lake.

He looked down and a saw red sash floating in the water.

He held the red sash very tightly.

He fell to his knees, he was crying.

Was what happened real or fake?

Who knows?

This has left a very deep mark on him.

He held his own face with his left hand, his hand covering his eyes but not stopping the tears.

— AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!

The cry of raging and despairing cannot be heard.

The scream was drowned out by the joyous singing of the Dragronelf people.

Amidst loneliness and silence.

The knight on his knees and was in tears.

Pyrrha was watching her beloved crying.

She was in a beautiful place, a paradise where the souls of the dead go.

Pyrrha was worried and sad.

Until she felt a hand on her shoulder.

— Don't worry about him, he will get out of this situation. Either he will get up, or he will remain in the dark.

— How can you be sure he can get out on his own?

— He's going to get out of this completely alone, but he will get out of this situation. After all, he is the only one of my descendants who can bring pride to our family name

— You think?

— I don't think, I know, I've seen the future written in the stars and Crocea Mors is still with him, if he couldn't lift it, he would never be able to pull the sword out of the sheath, after all, I created that sword

These words came from the mouth of what would be the most powerful being ever born in all of Remnant.

So much so that there is no one in this who can surpass him, the only other being able to get close to him was his own daughter.

Ozma and Salem are nothing in front of him.

The most powerful wizard

The man who reached the stars.

The most powerful being that ever exists just below the gods, and the one who dared to challenge the two brothers

The progenitor of the clan of warriors and heroes.

Alexander Arc

The first Arc

[merrymorningofmay]

it is with a heavy heart that i report that cesare/volpe is doing it for me

[ayakashibackstreet]

Gave the headphone jack a proper cleaning, actually seems like it made things worse :/ Oh well, it's not that bad yet, if it gets worse I'll take it to the repair shop I guess

As I took her apart I realised that for a device I've been using extensively pretty much every day for 8-9 years, her battery life is still amazing? She easily lasts more than 10 hours of continuous music playback on one full charge, I take her on train rides and after 6 hours, she still displays half the battery. They don't make them like this nowadays (mainly because they don't really make them nowadays at all, 'them' being Sony)

[bruciemilf]

Logan being a father because my brain will physically melt if I don’t talk about him:

— Hates pop music; He puts up with it when Bobby blasts it at full volume in his car because he’s a weak worm of a man for the kid’s puppy eyes.

— Realized he was humming “California Girls” in the middle of a supermarket and had a silent panic attack in the dairy aisle.

— Kitty and Jubilee definetly watch trash vampire/werewolf tv shows and Logan “subtly” watches with them. Takes about 10 walks through the living room. Stands next to the couch with his arms crossed like a scarecrow. “I’m just grabbing something from the kitchen.”

— Is either super chill about everything or extremely unhinged. No in between. “Hey I’m gonna hunt down and fight Sabertooth because Jubilee dared me to”

“Have fun. Be home at 9.”

“Also,,, Ive been thinking of getting Tinder—“

“Are you fucking insane.”

— Logan is smart, okay? He is. It’s just that teachers have a TALENT for making parents completely confused with their math. He’s been staring at Laura’s paper for 20 minutes trying to recognize this formula. Nothing.

— “They did NOT have this when I was a kid.” “Yeah, we kinda progressed from sticks and rocks, Lo.” “Shut up, smartass! This is ridiculous! MATH IS MATH!”

— The kids texting Logan: [literally the most unhinged thing you’ve ever read in your life]

— Logan: 👍

— He FEELS when one of them needs a nap. He’ll pretend to sleep on the couch (Logan never, ever sleeps in open spaces, not if he can help it, not if he can’t trust.) and Laura will burrow under his hoodie or shirt like a baby cat.

— Bobby likes to simply jump on him. Especially from behind, for piggyback rides. He has no idea why Scott always looked so flabbergasted and surprised. And slightly afraid.

— Jubilee won’t admit it, but, she likes holding his hand when they’re walking down the street. Even if he always fixes her collar and tells her to straighten her shrimp posture.

— kitty falling asleep on Logan’s shoulder on the jet is something that can be so personal. Logan who absolutely hates flying but will shut up and let his half pint nap on him all she wants :((

[lenoraah]

𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭 𝘥𝘢𝘥

pairing - dad!daniel ricciardo x mom!reader

summary - when Daniel decides to let reader sleep in, he has to wrangle four girls to make it a stress free morning for his wife

a/n - Daniel and Carlos girl dad supreme; no judgement will be excepted 🤍 kid order : Adelaide (9), Cherish (7), Briar (5), Marina (2)

★ ☆ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

“We have to be quiet if we don’t want to wake up mommy.”

“Why?”

Daniel sighs, pressing the back of his hand to his forehead. Now was when he questioned why toddlers were destined to have a ‘why?’ phase. Well, that’s why they called it the terrible twos he guessed.

Marina tilts her head to the side and opens her mouth. Right before she asks another question Daniel picks her up and sets her on his hip.

“No more questions okay?”

A chorus of okays and nods is what Daniel gets as a response. He grins and the girls giggle, happily clinging onto their father.

Daniel leads his little group into the living room and sits Marina and Briar on the couch. He quickly finds a show that will keep the two younger kids entertained and lowers the volume before turning to face Adelaide and Cherish.

“Can the two of you please get changed?” The two older girls nod and run off, their curls bouncing up and down.

Daniel takes out the basket that Y/n keeps in the drawer under the TV. In the basket are brushes and hair mousse, hair ties and scrunchies. Y/n thought it would be a good idea to keep some stuff in the living room since all four girls had inherited Daniel’s curly hair type.

Marina and Briar don’t even bother to protest as Daniel does their hair as their eyes are glued onto the TV screen. He fixes Marina’s curls into two braids and does Briar into a half-up-half-down style.

Adelaide and Cherish run back into the living room, changed and hair done. Adelaide braided her sister’s hair while she did her own hair in a simple ponytail.

“Daddy,”

“Hm?” Daniel turns his head to face Marina. The toddler blinks at her dad a few times before blowing a raspberry in his face.

Daniel and the girls burst into laughter and Marina giggles seeing that she had made her dad and sisters laugh. The five of them are so caught up in their moment that they don’t notice Y/n walk into the living room.

“Having fun without me?” She smiles, leaning against the door frame.

Daniel and the girls flip their heads around and smile when they see their mother and wife. Adelaide, Cherish, Briar and Marina all run towards their mother, leaving Daniel alone.

While the kids hug their mom, Daniel looks at his wife up and down. The way she’s holding Marina on her hip, Briar by her leg and just holding Adelaide and Cherish close to her. The fact that she’s wearing one of his sweatshirts and a pair of sweatpants make a smirk appear on his face.

“Uh, how about we go out for breakfast?” Y/n suggests, noticing the look in her husband’s eyes. She raises an eyebrow at him, a small smile appearing on her face.

Y/n gets answered by a chorus of yeses and cheers. She winks at Daniel and he blushes a little. The couple’s eyes never leave each other as the both go in different directions with two of their daughters.

This was going to be a fun day.

[incorrectbatfam]

It's movie night but they can't use the home cinema, what do they do?

[week 1]

Bruce: Thanks for letting us use your place for movie night while we fix that leak at home.

Dick: No problem. Besides, I have plenty of snacks and the director's cut of Dumbo.

Everyone: *gathers around*

Dick: *puts on the movie*

~ 10 minutes in ~

*beep* *beep* *beep* *beep*

Tim: My crime alert's going off.

Harper: Mine too.

Duke: Must be big.

Bruce: Suit up and rendezvous in three.

Dick: *sighs and pauses the movie*

Dick: Can't get one night in this damn city.

———————

[week 2]

Tim: Steph, why are we at a karaoke lounge?

Steph: I know the owner's cousin's hairdresser's dog walker's sister's girlfriend and I convinced them to let us use the party room. Don't worry, it's just like a TV screen.

Steph: *puts on Pitch Perfect*

Steph: Ooh, I love this part.

Steph: *grabs a mic and starts singing*

Everyone:

Damian: *stuffs napkins in his ears*

———————

[week 3]

Jason: Since we decided on Pride and Prejudice, I thought I could play it at my safehouse.

Dick: Sweet, thanks!

Jason: *unlocks the door*

Dick: *tries to step in*

Jason: *stops him*

Jason: I said I could play it. I never said you could come in. I don't want your you-ness all over my new stuff.

Bruce: Jason, be reasonable.

Harper: Yeah, you got this junk off the side of the road.

Jason: My junk, my rules.

Tim: Then what are we supposed to do?

Jason: Fire escape's around the back. You'll get a decent glance.

~ 20 minutes later ~

Dick: *leans his head in to hear better*

Jason: My air, my rules.

Jason: *closes the window*

———————

[week 4]

Bruce: Cass, it's your turn. Got the movie?

Cass: *nods and plays Rambo on her computer*

Barbara: Uh, why isn't there any sound?

Cass: Volume button broke. Just read lips.

Jason: Kinda hard to do that with the brightness at zero. Did that stop working too?

Duke: Looks fine to me.

Jason: Shut up, Flashlight.

———————

[week 5]

Tim: I brought my entire Star Wars collection.

Bruce, dodging a space laser: Not the time.

Tim: Okay.

Bruce: *punches an alien robot*

Tim: How about now?

———————

[week 6]

Barbara: Sorry I got a cold, but at least we can still have movie night on Zoom. I torrented a copy of The Matrix.

Barbara: *shares her screen*

*movie plays*

Barbara: *leaves herself unmuted*

Barbara: *starts crinkling Sun Chips*

———————

[week 7]

Everyone: *crowd around Damian's phone watching My Neighbor Totoro*

Bette: Why is your phone so small?

Damian: I have tiny hands.

———————

[week 8]

Harper: Because we're watching Cars this week, I thought I could put together an all-immersive experience.

Bruce: BY LOCKING US IN A RUNAWAY SEMI-TRUCK?!?

———————

[week 9]

Duke: I called this company and since we're heroes, they're letting us use their electronic billboard for this week's movie at a huge discount. Kill Bill should be coming on right about...

*movie starts playing*

Jason: Not bad, Narrows.

*billboard switches to an ad*

———————

[week 10]

Carrie: Since Steamboat Willie is now public domain, I thought we could do something different tonight.

Carrie: *pulls out a flipbook*

———————

[week 11]

Everyone: *watching Love, Simon in a dark living room*

*lights flick on*

Apollo and Midnighter: *standing there in date night outfits*

Steph: Um, Cullen, who are these guys?

Cullen: *laughs nervously*

Cullen: Everyone, meet Apollo and Midnighter. They're kinda-sorta my gay uncles and we're kinda-sorta in their apartment and I kinda-sorta didn't expect them to come back early.

Midnighter: Remind me why we gave you a spare key?

———————

[week 12]

Kate: *sets up a projector and plays Glass Onion*

Bruce: Kate, this is a crime scene.

Kate: The fun part's already done, let Gordon do cleanup this time.

———————

[week 13]

Alfred: Back in my day, we did not rely on scrupulous use of technology. Which is why I propose watching a classic Sherlock Holmes tale on a classic instrument.

Alfred: *pulls out a zoetrope*

Steph: Anyone know what that is?

Dick: Not a clue.

———————

[week 14]

Luke: Nothing like a good ol' drive-in movie. Great idea, Helena.

Helena: I know, and the Godfather is perfect for this.

*Batmobile crashes through the screen*

Steph: Sorry we're late.

Duke: I'm still figuring out the PRINDL.

———————

[week 15]

*TV playing the Aristocats*

Bruce, trying to flirt: I like what you've done with the curtains.

Selina: Thanks, but it was Snowball's after-dinner surprise.

*TV blinks off*

Tim: Hey, what gives?

Selina: *takes a chewed-up cord out of a cat's mouth*

Selina, sighing: This is why I married rich.

———————

[week 16]

Luke: May I present the ultimate Snakes On A Plane drone show!

*phone rings*

Luke: Hello? ... Yes, this is he. ... Mhm. ... Yep. ... Okay.

Luke: Never mind, the FAA says I can't.

———————

[week 17]

Everyone: *watching Legally Blonde at Bette's place*

*dogs barking*

*sirens*

*loud music*

*car honk*

*neighbors shouting*

Bette: Sorry, we have thin walls.

Bruce, shrugging: Eh, still not as bad as HOA.

———————

[week 18]

Damian: Where is movie night this time, Father?

Barbara: My money's on another crime scene.

Bruce: Actually, I rented out the theater just for us and they're playing a special edition of The Mark of Zorro. Everyone got their snacks?

Duke: Popcorn, check.

Cass: Licorice, check.

Steph: M&Ms are obviously the right answer by the way.

Dick: I got a slushee.

Jason: I got the slushee machine.

Bruce: Alright then, take your seats. The movie's about to begin.

*movie plays*

*Rogues break in, make a mess, and leave*

Bruce:

Bruce:

Bruce: I miss my parents.

[butterflyslinky]

Since AO3 is down, I'm going to continue on from this post here.

Buck spends the next several hours sitting in the hospital by Tommy's bedside. Eddie brings him coffee. Maddie forces him to eat. Eventually, the nurses kick him out because he isn't family and visiting hours are over.

(Fuck that, Buck thinks. I'm his family, we all are, he doesn't have anyone else.)

Bobby catches him in the lobby. He's staying with Athena (she's fine, just in for observation) and promises to keep an eye on Tommy as much as he can and to call Buck if anything changes.

Buck lets Maddie drive him home, because he's tired to the point of being a liability. He almost asks her to drive him somewhere else, but it's too late. It will have to wait until morning.

Maddie stays with him. Gets him to shower and go to bed, even if he barely sleeps. Stays on his couch; she probably sleeps a little, but both their phones are turned up to full volume.

The call comes at about eight, just as Buck was maybe starting to actually get some REM in.

"He's awake," Bobby says. "He's asking for you."

Buck is out of bed at once, no longer caring he hasn't slept or shaved and probably looks like death warmed over. "I'll be there in an hour," he says. "I need to run an errand first."

"What errand?" Bobby asks. Buck explains. "Okay," Bobby says. "Visiting hours don't start until then anyway."

He wakes Maddie up and asks her to drive. He probably shouldn't still. She agrees as long as he buys her breakfast. They end up in a really crappy diner that's more convenient than desirable. Buck watches the clock, waiting for it to tick over to nine o'clock.

As soon as it does, he pays the bill and leaves. Goes to the shop next door and makes his purchase.

He gets back to the hospital at 9:30. Bobby meets him in the lobby again.

"He's doing well," he says. "The doctors expect him to make a full recovery." He claps Buck on the shoulder. "Good luck, kid." He turns and offers to take Maddie home so she can get some proper sleep; Athena's been discharged so they'll be going soon anyway. Maddie agrees.

Buck goes back into the room alone. Tommy is dozing when Buck sits down, but wakes up when Buck takes his hand.

"Hey, babe," Buck says.

"Evan," Tommy says. His voice is quiet, but the word is kind. "Missed you."

"I missed you too." Buck squeezes his hand. "I know we haven't been dating very long, but...last night, they said I'm not your family and made me leave. But we are family, and I don't want that to happen again because we're both in here a lot, and so...so I wanna fix that." He reaches into his pocket and produces a ringbox. "Tommy Kinard, will you marry me?"

Tommy's face breaks into a wide smile. "Yeah," he said. "Soon as I'm out of here."

Evan laughs and slides the ring on his finger.

[dokidokitsuna]

A Cat Most Curious~

-So it turns out I was right about the Curious Cat way back when. They were basically an Ironwood 2.0: enjoyable and engaging as a supporting character, deliciously evil as an antagonist, with surprisingly sympathetic motivations…all undermined by contrived emotional stakes and an anticlimactic character arc, and capped off by an ignominious death. T_T Fortunately, by the time they got viciously mauled I was too jaded about RWBY to feel anything beyond vague annoyance.

-They’re still my favorite aspect of Volume 9, though, and the only Afteran that really left an impression on me. So I’m trying to give them a role in NeverFell…something very close to the end of the story, after the Gods come back to Remnant, but before they’re ultimately defeated. Someone to help usher in the 2nd Era of Magic and show Team RWBY around.

-Do they have to be anthropomorphized for this purpose? No, but it’s fun, so why not? ^^ Tbh, once I thought up that crazy hairstyle I couldn’t help but go through with this design~. I don’t know if it’s actually physically possible…it might be. It was inspired by a type of friendship bracelet knotting pattern, BECAUSE THE CAT IS A FRIEND 😤

-...In truth, they’re more like an amoral spirit-type character, a being who simply craves knowledge and will aid whoever seems to have the most to give. The RWBY girls will have to employ some clever strategy to keep them on their side…

-Much like the god who created them, Curio here has a sort of existential rivalry with their twin sibling, the Jabberwalker. While they seek answers to questions, it simply provides unintelligible “information”, which they find much more irritating than its destructive habits. Meanwhile, the Jabberwalker just wants the Cat to stop fixing things and let them stay broken. Essentially, the direct descendants of Light and Darkness are Order and Chaos, respectively.

[blouisparadise]

Today we have the fifth part of our short fic rec list! All of the fics on this list are a nice quick read that is less than 10k. If you missed the other parts to this rec list, you can find part one here, part two here, part three here, and part four here. Happy reading!

1) Shut Your Mouth, Baby | Explicit | 3,028 words

While fooling around in a closet at a New Year’s Eve party, Louis can’t seem to keep quiet. All he needs to do is hold off until midnight, when Harry will finally uncover his mouth and let him come at full volume.

2) Heaven In These Sheets | Explicit | 3,557 words

Bunny Hybrid Louis has it out for his boyfriend’s phone.

3) Tide’s Deathless Death | Explicit | 4,350 words

The Red Serpent gleamed in all of her marvellous glory from where she was anchored a meagre few miles away from the land. Her flag waving proudly in the afternoon sun. The image was certainly memorable, of the flag, that is; a serpent coiled viciously around a human heart, fangs sunken into the organ and blood oozing from the very spot. If not for the ship herself, the flag had its own repute of conveying the message that the captain was not to be trifled with. There was no single man who had survived after taking up arms against the captain. Well, there was one man, but including him amongst the hoard of common faces would be a foolishness on the feared-by-all captain’s part. That man currently stood silently staring after the captain, palm curled around the handle of his blade, and teeth clenched in anger. He was certainly going to relieve all the navies of their plight by taking down the captain. At least then, in his relatively newfound life of piracy, he would have done one good deed.

4) Always Tell The Truth | Not Rated | 5,027 words

Harry is Louis’ dentist and getting a wisdom tooth removed shouldn’t be the end of the world.

5) I Knew It From The Start | Explicit | 5,233 words

Louis starts calling Harry ‘daddy’. Consequently, Harry discovers that he has a daddy kink.

6) Spaces Between Us, Hold All Our Secrets | Not Rated | 6,441 words

The thing about Harry is, is that he is the most wonderful guy you´ll ever meet. He is kind, compliments you on things you are usually insecure about, which shows he truly pays attention to who you are as a person. And he befriends everyone. Except Louis.

7) Outline Of My Sins | Explicit | 6,551 words

Prompt 453: AU where alpha Harry is an art student who is taking a figure drawing class and omega Louis is the nude model. In the many years that Harry has taken art classes, he has never been more hot and bothered than now, having to stare at a beautiful nude omega model for hours.

8) Shouldn’t Cry (But I Love It) | Explicit | 6,586 words

They're roommates. They're quarantined. There's a small problem coming up.

9) Your Name Is Tattooed To The Bottom Of My Heart | Explicit | 6,613 words

Prompt 114: a PWP where Louis gets an arse tattoo with Harry’s name for his birthday.

10) Leave Like The Summer Breeze | Explicit | 6,551 words

When Louis and Zayn are stranded in Alabama, a farmer offers them shelter. He just asks for one thing in return.

11) Smile for the Camera for It Knows Everything, Hollywood Star| Mature | 6,676 words

Prompt 132- The story of Nancy Reagan being called the blowjob queen of Hollywood but it’s Louis.

12) The Writing On the Wall | Explicit | 6,705 words

When BookToker Louis receives a gift basket filled with all his favorite sweets, wines, and stuffed animals alongside the new Harry Styles book, he’s shocked at the story he finds in the pages.

13) Muffins & Cigarettes| Mature | 7,591 words

Louis pouts. “You can’t pout your way into this, Louis”, Harry said as he was fixing his tie, watch and rings glinting against the soft sunlight filtering through the window. “Of course, I can. Watch me.”

14) The Knothead Neighbor| Mature | 8,058 words

Prompt 3: Neighbors AU, preferably ABO! Harry works evenings/nights (maybe like a surgeon something that requires him to be gone for long hours) and has a cat. The cat has a little kitty door at the back so that it can explore and such. Louis just moved next door and the cat seems to always end up at his door. Eventually, Louis lets the cat in, as he’s new and he’s feeling quite lonely. They become fast friends, so much so that the cat prefers to stay with Louis rather than go home. Harry gets concerned that the cat starts to stay out all day/night so he eventually leaves a note attached to the cat’s collar with its name and phone number. Louis texts him telling him he’s his neighbor and not to worry, the cat just likes to hang with him as it might be lonely. Harry gets pissed that this stranger is stealing his cat so he goes to confront Louis and tell him to stop stealing his cat. Of course, as soon as he sees Louis, he falls in love with him and the rest is history. (If ABO could be cute that both Harry and Louis like to cuddle with the cat because it holds the other’s scent)

15) Kiss It Better | Explicit | 8,080 words

Harry shakes his head with a light laugh and leans down to kiss him again which Louis happily accepts even if he is a little confused by the reaction. "Baby, not a night has gone by that I haven't thought about you in my bed, naked, and begging for my cock." Blinking up at him with wide eyes, Louis opens his mouth to say something but nothing comes out. While they did flirt a lot over the last few weeks, Harry had never said anything like that. It shocks him as much as it turns him on. "News to me." "I won't lie and say I like random hookups or casual sex, but to me this isn't what that is." Louis swallows thickly, unsure of what to say to that but once again Harry gives him an out. "So, If you want we can stay up here and I can show you all the things I've thought about doing to you." Another kiss, quick and sweet. "Or, we can go back downstairs and we'll dance all night."

16) Could Start A Cult | Explicit | 8,750 words

He lowers down the top that Louis is wearing, successfully unclasping his nursing bra as well, letting Louis’ tits bounce at the sudden movement. Harry massages both breasts to stimulate the milk flow, and he can feel his cock hardening inside his pants.

17) Should Be, Meant To Be | Explicit | 9,174 words

Prompt #65: Louis signs up for a Sugar Daddy dating website on a drunken dare. He forgets for a while, until one night he gets a notification for a message request from none other than his really hot (really rich) boss, Harry Styles.

18) Into It | Explicit | 9,197 words

Louis meets Harry. They hit it off.

19) Something To Prove | Explicit | 9,425 words

Louis is the first and only omega to work at Red Valley Medical Center. Despite being more than qualified, he still faces prejudice for his career choice everyday. From patients refusing his treatment to condescending alpha doctors intervening with his work, practicing medicine in Boston is more challenging than Louis had ever thought it would be.

20) Sugar Water | Explicit | 9,454 words

When his most familiar begins to feel all too unfamiliar, Harry finds out what it means to love like real people do.

21) Hook You Up (Charm You Down) | Explicit | 9,600 words

Swiftly, Harry raises his right hand to his head. Bringing two ringed fingers up, he touches the brown hat sitting on his head, tipping it with a raise of eyebrows in the direction of Peter Pan. He punctuates the whole action with his signature smirk. The reaction is almost immediate. Like Harry hoped it’d be. Though he expected the grin he received, he can’t say he directly expected the man to come forward his way. But he surely isn’t going to complain. “Captain! Fancy seeing you there,” Peter Pan says when he reaches Harry’s space. And wow. Seeing it from up close, Niall was right. Face of an angel, totally Harry’s type and all that. 

22) Poppies In May | Mature | 9,603 words

And maybe he deserves it, Louis thinks bitterly. His hand curls around the fence tightly, and he feels like if he lets go he’ll slid onto the cold ground and never fucking get up again. Maybe standing here, staring at Harry’s hunched over, retreating back is what he deserves.

23) Wanna Do Nothing With You | Explicit | 9,606 words

The accident happens in the stupidest way possible. One minute Louis is demonstrating a skateboard trick he’d just learned for Lottie, the next he’s waking up in a hospital. He’s told that he wasn’t unconscious the entire ride, but he has absolutely no recollection of it. One second he’s fucking around in his own garden and the next he’s being assaulted with the strong sterile scent of a hospital. So. There’s that.

24) Hello, My Name is Louis | Explicit | 9,686 words

Louis hurried to hang up the phone and take off his headset, throwing it away as if it was burning hot. He hugged himself by the shoulders and hid his face in his knees, sitting in his desk chair like a swimmer ready to dip into a pool, a pool of embarrassment. Not many people got past "Hello, my name is… " and even fewer engaged in a full conversation with him. And if they did, it usually went better than this.

25) Got It Right Such A Long Time Ago | Explicit | 9,699 words

Note: This fic is locked and can only be read by AO3 users.

There are a lot of people Harry might expect to find on his doorstep at three o’clock in the afternoon these days. It could be the delivery man, come to drop off the pair of boots Harry impulsively ordered online last week. It could be one of his neighbors, dropping by to complain about how a party he’d thrown weeks ago had clogged up the street. It could also be any number of his friends in L.A., who stop by unannounced most days to mooch off Harry’s food or whisk him away to try some new yogurt shop.    As a rule, it definitely cannot be Louis Tomlinson, although Harry’s blinked at least three times now, and it’s still Louis standing there, a backpack slung over his shoulder and a duffel bag at his feet.

Check out our other fic rec lists by category here and by title here.

[i-literally-cant-with-this]

A/N ::: Things are out of whack. So I'm writing ☺(smol-ey = smol smiley). This song has been on 100% repeat for the last several hours of my life and heavily inspired what is below. This is only Part I and I don't know how many there will be. But I've taken quite a few notes on it. I would just say be ready for more.

SFW ::: C/W ::: A-n-g-s-t & language. (aged up) ProHero!Katsuki x F!reader, things didn't turn out like either of them thought and they're doing their best to move on. But can they? Do they really even want to?

WC ::: Just under 700

Part II

Part III

Part IV

Part V

Part VI

Part VII

He called you at 8:04 that morning. And while you didn't answer, you did do him the courtesy of listening to his voicemail.

Katsuki's voice was gruff and rough around all of the edges. He didn't like that you probably looked at the phone when it began to ring and you either flipped it over or pushed the volume button to silence the ringtone that you two had so sweetly picked out together when you first got together 3 1/2 years ago.

The sound took you back to that time when everything was new and fun and so simple that you thought it would be like that forever. But you were harshly reminded that if things don't change, they will most likely die. It would take a miracle to figure out where, along the way, did you both change so much that you couldn't live together anymore.

"Oi, I know you're sitting there looking at your phone, listening to that fuckin' stupid little song we picked out on our 11th date. Yeah, course I remember. Anyway, uh, whatever. I mean, you needa come by and get the rest of your stuff outta here. I -” You heard a muffled sound as he tucked the phone away and yelled at someone. “- hold the fuck on, can you not see that I'm on the fuckin' phone? Jesus. Uh, um, oh. Get the rest of your shi- uh, stuff today. P-please. I'm off today and won't be home between 9 this morning to about 6 or 7 tomorrow morning. That should give you more than enough time to get everything. Ok? O-ok. Leave your ... key, too, I s'pose. Well, that's it. I lo- fuck! Bye, y/n."

The tears welled up in your eyes like they had everyday this week. As soon as you opened them to take in the empty space around you, in your bed, your bleak little apartment was a fucking joke compared to the place you two once lived together. And while you're the one who, for all intents and purposes, asked for this, you couldn't lie to yourself any longer: You did not want to be without him.

You did not want to be away from the man you loved with every cell of your stupid body. Every breath. Every heartbeat was the beating of a drum sounding out his praise. Every smile and every flutter of your eyelashes was because of him. God, you miss him.

But to just leave it at this? To let go completely? That would be an admission that it's how things will be from here on out. And you're just not ready for that to be your final answer.

Texting him back, in response to his call, you said as little as you could, still getting the point across. "Yeah, thanks for the heads-up. I'll take care of everything and leave my key on the kitchen counter by the coffee maker." You choked back a sob as you thought about all the times he set up the coffee the night before and climbed into bed with you. Wrapping his arms around you. Snuggling his face into your neck and telling you that he made it extra strong, just how you like it. And that he picked up your favorite creamer flavor - it was 2 for $7, so obviously he got you 2 of them because it would be fuckin' stupid not to. 

It hurts to breathe. It hurts to walk. It hurts to be awake. You have all day and all night to get over there and clear out whatever is left of your lives together. To leave the one thing behind that could get you to him at any moment in time. 

So, you threw on a pair of his old sweats, an old favorite shirt of his, and a hoodie with his Pro Hero name on it. Fixed your face. Put your hair back. Grabbed your purse and headed to your favorite coffee place to get something to appease this godforsaken headache you had brewing in the core of your brain and drove to his place.

You drove home. 

Taglist ::: @darkstarlight82 @millennialmagicalgirl @arlerts-angel

[pilot-boi]

Had a random thought about the Ponderstorms in the ever after and what everyone saw in them in volume 9 and I wanted to see if it ripped anyone else's heart out the same way it did mine:

How many Times do you think Jaune got caught in a ponderstorm and saw his family(both bio and _NPR)? How many times did he see RWBY? How many time did he see what he used to be among them? Do you think he ever started to forget exactly what they looked like? like their colours starting to get slowly wrong or faces to become slight less detailed? Do you think that the reason he seemed to be so desperate to not get caught in the ponderstorm wasn't only because of how much time it could waste, but because Jaune might have been afraid of what he'd see reflected in the crossroads?

;-;

It shouldn’t surprise you to know that I am CONSTANTLY thinking about stuff like this. It is my curse

How many times do you think he waited out a Punderstorm because he COULDNT solve the problem it was trying to help him with? How many times did he see reflections of his family and friends and think “If THEY were here instead of me, this would be fixed in an instant” How often do you think he DELIBERATELY got caught in a Punderstorm BECAUSE he was so afraid of forgetting their faces, but the magic of the Ever After would never let him forget?

How long after the Rusted Knight drank poison do you think Alyx and Lewis started showing up in the reflections?

[dragons-hoard-of-fandoms]

Just watched the Mario movie.

Before I cut off the somewhat out of order spoilers let me just say that every single one of those so-called "critics" claiming it's bad are CLEARLY just salty that Mario's voice didn't singlehandedly drag the entire thing down to the darkest depths of the Underwhere.

*inhale*

MARIO AND LUIGI ARE LITERALLY SO PURE AND GOOD AND WHOLESOME I CAN'T EVEN

IF SOMEONE EVER TRIES TO CONVINCE YOU THAT THEY DON'T LOVE EACH OTHER JUST SHOVE THAT HUG SCENE RIGHT IN THEIR STUPID IGNORANT FACE

They got a whole family!! Now That's What I Call Italian Volume 6

I will admit the pacing of the movie was a bit off, but I can live with that. A small price to pay for Wholesome Bro Moments With Mario Mario and Luigi Mario - WHICH, according to this post, means that you are OFFICIALLY not allowed to boycott it!!!

Kinda disappointed we didn't get the epic Bowser rock concert that one poster promised us, tho. Or any sign of Junior or the Koopalings. But hey, they acknowledged the existence of Kid Icarus outside of Smash for once! Small victories!

LOVE that Mario just absolutely DECIMATED DK with the Cat Suit. Also CHUNKY'S NOT DEAD I REPEAT CHUNKY'S NOT DEAD

RIP the Spiny Blue Shell Koopa, you got a pretty big spot on the poster for no apparent reason but at least your design was cool.

Every single reference got me like

Also I ADORE that Luigi didn't get sidelined for the entire final battle and actually got to go Super with his bro!! They ain't the Mario BROTHERS if it's just Mario!

Final score? 9/10, just fix up the pacing a bit. With any luck the sequel will be just as good if not better! (Manifesting a Boshi cameo in said sequel.)

[whenykyk]

HOTD S.2 E.5 teaser

Before y’all say “it’s just a few seconds” more like all 4 episodes she didn’t show any love for her kids besides that one scene with Helaena which was also the BARE minimum.

“Is he Alive” she said with the most dull tone ever. I don’t even like Aegon but that’s your SON. I fr cannot stand Alicents sons they’re such horrible people but Alicent, girl, SHOW THAT YOU LOVE THEM??? She couldn’t even panic a bit when she walked in😭😭😭 no wonder her sons are such disgusting horrible disappointments girl doesn’t care abt them at all.

And I don’t understand bc in season one episode 9 she was like “you imbecile” and I thought she meant “obviously” but bow i’m like did she? And the fact she cares more about Rhaenyra than her sons and daughter speaks volumes cause lets not forget she cared more about Helaena snitching than the fact her daughters son’s head got cut off infront of her…and then also allowed her father to manipulate her son into parading her grandons around kings landing…they only reason why Alicent was likeable to me was because 1. She misunderstood Viserys BUT when she realized the truth didn’t even try to fix it? 2. In season she loved her children, her main reason for usurping the throne was so her kids could live but now i’m like confused cause does she even care? I fr think it’s more about Otto having control than her kids safety.

I don’t even know why I wrote this but if anyone has different opinions let me know cause i’m not a book reader only show.

Also I want to make a separate post about Viserys but again I don’t read the book but I know he only cares abour Rhaenyra literally saying “my only child” when he has like 3 other kids but I didn’t see enough of him with his other kids so let me know about his dynamic with them in the book

I’m also gonna make a post about Rhaenyra in like idk how many hours or maybe days, if I feel in the mood to type

[anthurak]

One very interesting factor I think we should be keeping in mind while theorizing about Ruby’s character arc in Volume 9, is that it is very possible, even likely, that Ruby’s conflict with her self-destructive hero-complex WON’T actually be resolved by the end of this volume. At least not fully.

Let’s all remember that while these subtle nuances of Ruby’s character might be obvious to those of us who have spent the last 3+ volumes going over every last one of her scenes with fine-tooth comb, they have still yet to come into the forefront of the show itself in the same way as, for example; Ren’s PTSD or Nora’s identity issues. That’s not to say that these issues haven’t been present. Rather, they’ve been more looming in the background. At this point, none of Ruby’s friends, nor Ruby herself, seem to be fully aware of just WHAT Ruby is struggling with, and how serious it is.

And I think THAT is (one of) the major shift(s) that Volume 9 is going to introduce: Finally bringing Ruby’s long-repressed issues into the forefront and focus. And finally letting Yang, Blake, Weiss and ultimately Ruby herself see just how serious her problems actually are.

I think Ruby’s big character breakthrough this volume won’t so much be something like ‘resolving her problems’, but rather simply recognizing that she HAS a problem to begin with. This feels like it fits in far better with RWBY’s long-form style of story-telling and character development. The problems and struggles characters face are not ‘fixed’ so quickly and easily as a single volume. Just look at Jaune, Ren, Nora, Yang, Blake, Weiss and basically EVERY major character in the show. And I’d say it only makes sense that our shows main heroine would have the biggest and longest struggle of all.

This is where I think it makes sense for Ruby to do something really crazy like cutting out her eye and/or hanging herself from the Ever After Tree’s limbs and impaling herself on Crescent Rose as part of some ritual all to learn how to get her team home. It’s a shocking, dramatic reveal to both Ruby’s team and the audience as to just how BAD Ruby’s problems truly are.

To use an example from a very similar character, Ruby cutting out one of her eyes Odin-style with barely any hesitation would be very much akin to Suletta Mercury turning some poor bastard into tomato-paste and then laughing off with a cheery smile.

It’s a moment that is a dramatic ‘Oh SHIT’ reveal to both the audience and other characters of the true scope of the heroine’s emotional and psychological problems. Problems that are far worse than almost anyone expected. And it’s not the sort of thing that will be quick or easy to resolve.

I mean, I think image of Ruby walking up to an utterly shocked and HORRIFIED Weiss as blood seeps out from her freshly scarred and empty left eye socket and jokes with an empty, unsettling smile ‘Hey Weiss, I guess we match now, huh?’ is a scenario that is all too easy see happening...

[deadgirlwalking91]

new update - 'thank you for the venom', chapter 9: 'want me to forget you? okay, forget me too'

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine Summary

Both Lute and Adam learn that supressing feelings is just a band-aid fix.

Sorry for the delay - this chapter was so tricky. On the bright side, it's twice as long as normal! Very grateful this week for @branded-rose and all her wisdom, without which, I would still be tearing my hair out. Thanks for letting me borrow Harley, too <3

Adam and Lute’s Office, Exorcist Training Centre, Heaven

True to his word, Adam never mentioned that night at the bar to Lute. 

She was somewhat surprised; she’d been anticipating that he would bring it up first thing the next morning when he waltzed into their office, two coffees in hand, singing obnoxiously at the top of his lungs. Sera had even followed him into their shared space, chastising him for not sticking to a respectable volume in the workplace. 

He’d greeted Lute somewhat civilly - still by the crude nickname he refused to drop - and plonked her coffee on her desk without much fanfare.

She’d found his chirpiness incredibly frustrating, considering she hadn’t slept a wink the night before, replaying the night’s events in her mind. Over. And over. 

On the couch, still in a daze when she got home. 

In the shower, under the ice-cold stream of water in an attempt to shock herself out of her stupor. 

Under the covers in bed, where her imagination ran wild and her hands wandered, trying to finish what Adam had started with her up against the fence.  

It was no wonder she was exhausted when she got to work that next morning. 

The days and weeks that followed were much the same. Mundane, even. She and Adam would plan in the office first thing in the morning, then run training sessions with the Exorcists for the rest of the day. Their relationship, for the first time since Lute had been promoted to lieutenant, seemed to lean more professional than it ever had before. 

While this proved to make Lute’s work life easier, it also bored her to no end. She never thought she’d admit it, but she longed for the days when they were at each other’s throats instead of newfound clipped politeness. There were no threats of violence or colourful insults traded over the tops of their desks anymore. Just exchanges of paperwork or suggestions for training drills to run.

She was also incredibly annoyed because even though she had explicitly asked Adam not to mention their little rendezvous in the bar’s gardens, she was sure that he would have had something to say about it. A snide remark here, or crude joke there. But he had stuck to his word, and pretended like it had never happened.

The only banter they now shared was over the morning coffee he continued to insist on buying her daily, and even that seemed to be turning stale and predictable.

Until one day, he figured out her coffee order.

It was a Friday morning, approximately two months after the bar incident, and as usual, Lute was early for work. Unusually, so was Adam, who, when she arrived to the office, was reclining in his seat, ankles crossed atop his desk.

“Why are you here so early?” she asked, eyeing him suspiciously as she slid into her seat. “You’re normally late.”

“Good morning to you too,” he ignored her question, scrolling lazily through his phone. “I got a proposition for ya.”

Lute stiffened, the hair on the back of her neck standing up. The last time he’d propositioned her, she’d ended up with his hand up her dress and tongue down her throat. At least this time, if the situation… derailed again, their office door had a lock on it…

She closed her eyes and gripped the edge of her desk, scolding herself for letting her mind wander so easily. What was wrong with her?! He hadn’t even asked her anything yet and already, she was jumping to conclusions. Knowing Adam, he’d just want to copy her paperwork, or something equally as insignificant.

“What is it?” she asked through gritted teeth, eyes still shut.

“I’ll ask you once you open your eyes and stop acting like a fucking weirdo.”

“I preferred it when you wanted me to keep my eyes shut,” she found herself muttering before realising she’d spoken aloud, clapping a hand to her mouth.

Idiot!

“Huh?”

“Nothing!” she squeaked through her fingers, shaking her head furiously. “Uh - what is it that you were wanting to propose, Sir?”

She cleared her throat, praying that he didn’t hear her little slip up, and grabbed the coffee Adam had left on her desk for her.

“You sure you’re all good?” Adam asked, his brows furrowing in concern. He rose from his seat and circled around to Lute’s desk, perching on the edge. “You look kinda flustered.”

“I’m not flustered,” she insisted, scowling as she felt the heat rise in her cheeks. “I’m just…” she trailed off, unsure of how to finish her sentence.

She was flustered, dammit.

Raising the cup to her lips, she averted her eyes as she took a long sip, and inadvertently sighed with satisfaction.

The hot, bitter taste of black coffee filled her mouth, practically burning her tongue - which was just how she liked it. She hummed contentedly, taking another sip, momentarily forgetting Adam’s large frame was shadowing her as he sat on her desk. 

“I take it you’re enjoying the coffee?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. Peering up at him through her lashes, she nodded, blushing again slightly under his gaze.

“You got it right,” she said, offering him a rare smile. “It only took you what, three months?” She nudged his leg playfully with her foot, then stopped, realising she was letting herself get far too carried away, and hurriedly gulped her coffee again in an attempt to distract herself from playing footsies with her boss.

He scoffed, crossing his arms. “Yeah, and the answer was right under my fucking nose the whole time. Shoulda known you’d be the type to drink black coffee. Only psychopaths drink that shit.” 

He nudged her back, his foot lingering briefly against her calf before pulling away. Lute’s stomach lurched as their legs brushed together, the contact bringing back memories of what it felt like to have his body against hers. It was the first time they’d touched since that night at the bar, and in the interim she’d almost managed to convince herself that the way she felt about their little rendezvous was a fluke, a one-off.

A mistake.

Apparently, she was very, very delusional, and those feelings had still been lingering under the surface, all along.

“So,” she started, clearing her throat, desperately needing to shift her focus to more important matters at hand. Like her job. “What was your, um, proposition, Sir?”

“Oh yeah!” Adam reached behind his body, retrieving his own coffee cup from his desk and drinking from it. “Whadd’ya say we get the girls going with weapons training on Monday?”

Lute frowned. “But they’re not due to start for another two weeks. What’s the -”

“Yeah, about that,” Adam paused, sipping his coffee before setting it down on Lute’s paperwork. She scowled, and pointedly moved the cup off to the side, well away from her work. “I have this bullshit meeting with Sera next week, and I kiiiiinda wanna show that we’re doing better than expected.”

“Why?”

“Oh, ya know,” Adam waved his hand nonchalantly, shrugging. “I wanna tell her how fucking badass we are. Plus, Sera thinks I’m a huge fuck-up, so I just thought…”

He trailed off as he frowned, uncharacteristically lost for words. Or perhaps realising he’d revealed too much.

Lute wasn’t quite sure how to interpret his comment, his vulnerability making her feel somewhat…unsettled. On one hand, she had this nagging feeling that there was possibly more to this upcoming meeting with Sera than he was letting on. On the other hand, given the size of his ego, it was no shock to her that he wanted to prove that he was excelling at his job, and she could just be overanalysing the situation. 

“I don’t think you’re a huge fuck-up,” she said slowly, choosing her words carefully, so as not to set him off. “I think, um… well, you’re a…good boss.” She kept her eyes down as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat, not wanting to make eye contact. Complimenting others wasn’t something that came naturally to her. Especially not when it came to Adam.

He snorted, sliding off her desk. “No shit. I’m the best you’ll ever have, and don’t you fucking forget it. Why are you acting weird?”

“I’m not acting weird,” she said defensively, crossing her arms. “I was just trying to be nice.”

“Let’s get one thing straight,” he said, turning to stare her dead in the eye, “you’re not a nice kind of girl, Lute.”

She bristled, unsure of the point he was trying to make. It wasn’t like he was being untruthful. She wasn’t the type to be overly kind or caring for others. That wasn’t exactly uncommon knowledge.

Still, having it pointed out to her stung slightly.

Refusing to break eye contact, she rested her forearms on her desk and leaned forward, looking up at him. “No. I’m not a nice girl, Sir,” she said quietly, her tone surprisingly measured. “If that’s what you’re after, I’d suggest -”

“I don’t know what is up with you today,” he interrupted, rolling his eyes as he strode towards the door, “but snap the fuck out of it, Lute, I’m getting sick of your shit today. You coming to give the others the good news, or not?”

Lute sighed and rose from her seat, making to follow him. 

“Yes, Sir. Let’s go.”

***

Training Hall, Exorcist Training Centre, Heaven

Adam, for the life of him, could not figure out what was up Lute’s ass that morning.

Or, most mornings since that night.

Which was really fucking annoying, considering she had been the one who insisted they forget about their little moment. Pretend it never happened, or whatever the hell it was that she’d said.

Truthfully, he was actually really good at pretending encounters with women had never happened. Mostly it was because they mistook a one-night stand for something more and would get real fucking clingy and annoying about it, and eventually he’d have to ghost them so they’d take a hint.

What he hadn’t been expecting was for it to sting when the tables turned, and suddenly he was on the receiving end of being cast aside. The kicker? He’d gone out on a fucking limb and revealed a part of himself to her that he’d never shown anybody he’d been with before.

And she didn’t even care. She just… dismissed him, like he was some kind of toy that a child grew tired of and discarded. If his success didn’t depend on her compliance, he would have fucked her off like the rest of them. Instead, he kept things pleasant and civil at work, if only to keep her on-side until the next Extermination Day. After that, he could dispose of her as needed, never to speak to her again.

After all, it was what she wanted.

But was it what he wanted?

He snuck a glance at her as they stood before the rest of the Exorcist army, waiting for their fellow soldiers to fall into line before they delivered the good news about their updated training schedule. The group was chatty today, excitedly talking amongst themselves as they arranged themselves into neat rows, awaiting further instruction.

She was looking steelily ahead, expression blank. That was nothing new when she stood in front of her peers - she’d always made a point of keeping her distance from most of the girls, save for Vaggie. Her hands were fisted, meeting at the small of her back, knuckles pressed together.

Despite her rigidity, and his irritation, he found himself wanting to touch her, to see if she’d soften for him once more. Their brief exchange as he sat on her desk earlier that morning had been a pleasant reminder that she wasn’t all work and no play. Too bad there were hundreds of women before them, waiting patiently for further directions from him, and he had to keep his hands to himself.

Though, since when did something insignificant like an audience ever stop him from doing what he wanted?

Leaning towards Lute, he placed a hand over where her knuckles pressed together, letting his fingers close gently over her fists. She inhaled sharply through her nose, holding her breath as her golden eyes flickered briefly in his direction.

“Really?” she murmured out of the corner of her mouth, eyes darting back to the Exorcists, “Here? Now?”

“You good for me to start?” he asked, ignoring her questions, instead squeezing her hands slightly. They twitched in response, her fists softening underneath his grasp.

“Yes,” she answered quietly, her voice slightly breathy as he felt her unfurl one of her fingers to lightly graze his palm, her touch sending a warm feeling through his body.

That was all the confirmation he needed. Just like he hadn’t forgotten what happened between them, neither had she. And judging by her response, the way that she hadn’t pushed him away or given him attitude but instead let him hold her hand, it seemed she very much fondly remembered that night, too.

He tightened his grip again, giving her hands one last squeeze before reluctantly letting go and stepping forward to address his awaiting army.

“Alright, listen up girls,” Adam started, pacing the floor in front of the rest of the exorcists. “You’ve made great progress over the past few months. I’m impressed. You impressed, Lute?”

Stiff as a board once again, she nodded twice, remaining silent.

“Too fucking right, you are. Anyways ladies, your lieutenant and I have decided that as of next week, we’re moving on to weapons training earlier than expected. You bitches have earned it.”

He grinned as the Exorcists whooped and cheered, fist-bumping and high-fiving one another as they celebrated their progression.

“Alright, alright, settle the fuck down. Today, we’re changing it up. Instead of your usual drills, we’re going to run a little competition.”

“Competition, Sir?” Lute asked, stepping forward so she stood next to him. She frowned, staring up at him. “I don’t recall discussing this.”

“That’s because we didn’t.”

She narrowed her eyes at him, glaring, and he flashed her a grin in response. 

“Sir. We were going to do a recap on what we’ve achieved so far.”

“What the fuck for? Why not get them to demonstrate what we’ve taught them, instead? Ladies,” Adam turned to readdress the crowd. “You’re going to split off into pairs and, using the skills your lieutenant and I have drilled into you this off-season, will spar one another. The way we determine a winner is easy as fuck; the first to draw the opponent’s blood will move on to the next round; the loser is out of the competition.”

“Sir. Who is going to clean up the blood?” Lute demanded, crossing her arms. “I hardly think -”

“Chill, Lute. The overall winner gets to pick three people of her choosing to clean up after.”

“If I win, I’m going to pick you, Sir!” one of the Exorcists called, causing an eruption of laughter from her sisters. Adam snorted. 

“Harley, it’s a goddamn miracle that Sinners can’t hurt us, because you’d be fucked come Extermination Day. There’s no chance you’re winning this one, babe. Any other questions while we’re at it?”

Layla threw her hand up in the air with so much enthusiasm she almost knocked Vaggie over. 

“What, Sugartits?”

Layla tossed her hair over her shoulder. “I think you and Lute should give us a demonstration, Sir.”

Adam glanced down at Lute. If looks could kill, Layla would be lying dead on the floor because the look in Lute’s eyes was beyond murderous. 

“That won’t be happening, Layla,” Lute snarled. Out of the corner of his eye, Adam could see she’d once again balled her hands into fists behind her back. “Your Commander has better things to do than -”

“Nah, fuck it Lutey, let’s do it. Ladies, go sit and stretch or whatever while we get ready.” He watched as the Exorcists began chatting amongst themselves as they meandered towards the back of the hall, banding together in groups of two or three before dropping to the floor, contorting their bodies into various stretches and holds.

“Sir -” Lute began to protest, but Adam held up a hand, silencing her.

“It’ll be fun,” he shrugged, “and besides, in the years we’ve worked together, I don’t think that we’ve ever sparred before.”

“That doesn’t mean now is the time to start,” she said, glaring up at him, “I hardly think that this is professional.”

Adam cocked an eyebrow at her. “Oh, so now you want to start acting professionally? Don’t you think it’s a bit fucking late for that?” He leaned closer, letting his hand close around both of hers again, unable to stop himself from touching her. He smirked, keeping his grip firm as she tried to jerk her hands free.

“I think you’ve forgotten our agreement,” she snapped, glowering up at him. “In case you don’t remember -”

“Oh, I remember the agreement, Lieutenant,” he whispered, lips brushing against her hair. “Unlike you, I’m just choosing not to forget what happened before that. Seems like you could use a recap, though.”

He let go, his hand creeping further up her back until his fingers slipped beneath the band of her crop top. Her body stiffened as she tensed her muscles - and yet, she still leaned backwards, ever so slightly, against his hand.

For somebody who wanted to forget, she sure had a fucking great memory.

She whipped her head around to face him so suddenly he was shocked she didn’t have whiplash, her lips only inches from his as they twisted into a snarl. 

“You don’t get to do this to me,” she hissed, eyes boring into his so ferociously she could have burned holes through his mask. “Fuck you.”

“Fuck you, I do what I want. And you wish. Don’t you fucking try and deny it, either.”

“What does it matter? It’ll never happen.”

His fingers curled into her back, digging against her bare skin.

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” he muttered, his voice low and dangerous, “that pretty little mouth of yours might be telling me ‘no’, but your body was screaming ‘yes’ when I had you up against that fence.”

He could feel the heat radiating off her face as she gaped wordlessly at him, unable to respond.

“That’s what I thought,” he whispered, flatting his palm against her as he slid out from underneath her crop. He felt her shiver slightly as his hand trailed down her spine to rest at the small of her back, letting it linger there for a moment longer than necessary before reluctantly letting it drop.

The chokehold she had on him was beyond anything he’d ever experienced before, and it was getting harder and harder to control himself now that they’d started their back-and-forth again. 

In a weird way, he’d missed trading blows with her. Missed how she kept him sharp and alert with that smart mouth of hers.

Lute turned her head away as she crossed her arms, her cheeks still flushed with warmth. “I hate you, Sir.”

“I don’t think that’s the case, babe,” he smirked, leaning closer and grabbing her chin, forcing her to look at him again. “I think you want me.”

Her golden eyes widened in shock as she parted her lips slightly in an almost-silent gasp, save for the small breath she sucked in. God, she was so tempting, like some kind of forbidden fruit he knew he shouldn’t taste, but desperately needed to. 

How ironic.

“Hey - uh, Commander? Lute?” a tentative voice interrupted. “Do… you need a minute, or are you good to go?”

Adam scowled and let go of Lute, turning away from her. Fucking Vaggie interrupting them again. He was about to start berating her for being an insubordinate bitch, but a shaky voice stopped him.

“Thanks… Vaggie. We - we’re ready to start now.” 

Lute pushed her hair out of her face and walked away from him, cracking her knuckles and flexing her wrists as she moved.  She gave him a slight nod once she was in position, all traces of unease erased from her features as she fixed her steely gaze on him.

He couldn’t wait to rattle her again.

***

Lute kept her eyes trained firmly on Adam as she assessed his stance.

The fucker had the audacity to stand across from her, arms crossed over his chest as he smirked at her. Taunted her as he raised a hand and beckoned for her to approach with one finger.

He was such an asshole.

Ignoring him, she tried to focus instead on his weak points. He was slow, easily distracted and lazy. That could work in her favour if she kept her distance, eventually boring him with the lack of action and then picking her moment to strike.

Unfortunately for her, she could easily identify three key advantages he had over her: brute strength, the fact that he had not one inch of exposed skin for her to draw blood from, and if he managed to seduce her like he had earlier, it was game-fucking-over.

Maybe if she thought with her head, and not with other parts of her body, that third weakness of hers wouldn’t be such an issue. She snuck a glance at the Exorcists, who, given their snickering and whispering behind their hands, were evidently growing bored of the stand-off. Great. Now her peers thought she was useless.

She was going to have to make the first move, because he sure as hell wasn’t - which was unusual, given that in every other encounter they’d had, any escalation that had taken place stemmed from his initiation. But how would she do it?

Cautiously, Lute slowly moved towards Adam, not daring for a second to look away from him as she drew closer. Her heart raced as she approached, still unsure of what exactly she was going to do once she reached him.

“Didn’t take you long,” he drawled, grinning down at her, “but given our recent history, I didn’t think you would, babe. You can’t resist me.”

Lute’s eyes widened as a wave of inspiration hit her.

Her idea was… risky. It could very well backfire on her. And if it did, it was going to leave her sisters with some very, very interesting questions she was sure they would want answers to - answers she couldn’t give.

But if she pulled it off…

She turned to the crowd, searching for Vaggie’s face, hoping it would give her a surge of confidence. 

Instead, she found Layla, sitting flat on the floor in a perfect middle split, hand propping her chin up, a smug grin plastered across her face. Lute narrowed her eyes. She wanted nothing more than to slap the smirk off that little bitch’s face. Dumb slut. Who the fuck did she think she was, suggesting that Lute and Adam spar? Did she know something?

Though, how could she? Lute hadn’t breathed a word of any of their encounters to anybody, not even Vaggie. Unless…

Her thoughts were interrupted as Adam grabbed hold of her wrist and pulled her towards him, spinning so that his back faced the crowd, hiding her completely from their view.

“Too slow, babe,” he tutted, his mark flashing with excitement, “less time thinking, more time doing, Lieutenant.” With a flick of his hand, he sent Lute flying across the room, and she had to roll into the movement to avoid injury.

Crouching as she steadied herself, she furrowed her brows as she desperately tried to figure out the quickest way to execute her plan. Taking it slow was out of the question - she’d just have to go for it, all guns blazing.

She rose and approached Adam again, this time throwing caution to the wind and sprinting towards him, gaining speed so that when she threw herself at him, the momentum propelled her to land her shot as she gripped his neck and wrapped her legs firmly around his waist.

His hands - by instinct, perhaps, or otherwise - flew up to hold the outside of her hips and Lute heard the crowd gasp. She couldn’t tell if they were scandalised or impressed and in the heat of the moment, she really couldn’t give a fuck which one it was.

Leaning into the side of his head, she whispered, “Given you’re refusing to forget how much you enjoyed this last time, I thought I’d give you a little reminder before I kick your ass.”

She really hoped he couldn’t feel the heat emanating from her face, or that anybody else could tell she was so incredibly flushed she felt like she was burning brighter and hotter than the sun. That would be embarrassing.

Adam gripped her tighter, shifting so that his face was so close to hers she could see her breath fogging up the screen of his mask when she breathed.

“When will you ever fucking learn that running your mouth like that always gets you into trouble?” 

“I believe it wasn’t my mouth that escalated things between us last time, Sir.” Lute let one of her hands cup the side of his face, and she was almost caught off-guard when she felt him lean into her touch. “But then again, why let the truth get in the way of a good story?”

For a moment - it could have been seconds, or possibly even minutes, she couldn’t tell - they just stared at each other wordlessly, the only sound being made was that of their laboured breathing. Not that either of them had particularly over-exerted themselves.

There was an emotion lingering in their shared gaze that terrified her. It wasn’t hatred, or irritation, or even dislike. Frustratingly, she couldn’t place what exactly it was, or why it made her palms sweat, her heart race and liquid heat pool in her stomach all at the same time.

What Lute did know was that in this moment, she desperately wanted to rip that mask off his face so she could feel the heat of his skin against her hand again.

Her breath hitched in her throat as she forgot momentarily that she was in front of a crowd of hundreds - who had fallen dead silent - and that she was supposed to be winning a sparring contest against Adam. Most importantly, attempting to distract him by seduction was meant to be a tactical move only.

Which is why she was so easily flung into the air again, though this time she was too high up to roll safely, so instead, she focused on trying to land on her feet to avoid having to get up off the floor again. How humiliating that would be in front of the other Exorcists.

What was more embarrassing though, was the fact that she was so flustered she forgot to bend her knees to soften the impact, and her left foot made contact with the ground awkwardly, rolling inwards as she landed.

A white-hot pain seared through her ankle and she collapsed, screaming in agony as her body hit the floor.

She lay flat on her back for several seconds, trying to catch her breath, before she felt somebody squeeze her hand gently.

“Lute? You okay?” Vaggie asked, her large eyes full of concern. “Do we need to take you to see somebody, or -”

“I’m good,” Lute rasped, sitting up slowly, her ankle now throbbing. She peered down at it and winced at the swelling that had already started. It was already considerably larger than her other ankle, and based on other injuries she’d had previously, she knew that it was only going to get significantly worse over a matter of days.

“It doesn’t look good,” Vaggie said cautiously, “how about I get you up and I’ll take a closer look?”

Lute nodded, and drew her other leg up so her foot was flat on her floor, ready to use it to push herself upwards. Vaggie grabbed her upper arm, and Lute braced herself, ready to be lifted when she felt another pair of hands hold her other arm, and without looking, she knew who it was by the roughness of his grip.

“Not you,” she groaned, embarrassed, as Vaggie and Adam hoisted her up into a standing position. “Have you come over just to rub it in? To gloat about how you’ve won?”

“Normally, abso-fucking-lutely, but you’re actually kinda hurt here, babe,” Adam said, his tone oddly grim. “I hate to be the one to break it to you, but you’re not gonna be able to walk on that for at least a week. And besides, I didn’t win, you got injured but no blood was drawn. There’s no winner.”

“I’m not injured, I’m fine!” Lute insisted angrily, yanking her arm out of Adam’s grasp. “I’ve been through worse, you’ve seen the state of my body.” She immediately groaned, her face flushing with embarrassment at her slip up. “Don’t say-”

“Not touching that with a ten foot pole, unless it’s my ten-foot pole - though, you almost got to- ow!” 

Lute swiftly gut-punched him before he could let anything else slip. She cast a quick, worried glance at Vaggie, who was kneeling on the floor, gently inspecting her injury.

If she’d heard Adam, she thankfully hadn’t taken any notice.

“It’s pretty swollen, Lute,” said Vaggie tentatively, looking up. “Can you put pressure on it?”

Lute gingerly placed her foot on the ground, hissing at the sharp, shooting pain that radiated from deep within her ankle as she stumbled. Both Adam and Vaggie moved to grab her; Vaggie leaping up from her kneeling position so Lute could use her shoulder as a crutch, while Adam caught her by the upper arm, gripping her firmly.

Lute seethed at all the unnecessary attention this silly inconvenience was attracting. The last thing she wanted in front of Adam was to appear weak. Especially considering this was all his fault. His and Layla’s.  

“That’s a hard no,” Adam said, waiting until Lute steadied herself before relaxing his hold on her. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re kinda fucked here, babe.”

“In case you’ve forgotten,” Lute snarled, clenching her fists as another wave of pain washed over her, “I’m an angel and I have wings. I’ll be fine.”

“You won’t be able to fly around your apartment though, it’s tiny,” Vaggie pointed out. “And by the looks of the swelling and bruising, you’ll be out of action for at least a week. Plus, having your ankle just dangling in the air won’t be good for it. Come stay with me. I can at least help you get around.”

Adam snorted. “You’re all of, like, four foot nothing, Vag. What help are you gonna be?”

Vaggie narrowed her eyes at him, drawing her shoulders back defensively. “And you think you could do a better job?”

“Yeah, I think I could, actually,” he replied, his tone bored. “My place is bigger than yours and besides, Lute would love to spend a week in my bed, wouldn’t you, Lutey?”

Lute threw him a withering look, feeling the heat rise in her cheeks at his suggestion. How dare he think now was an appropriate time to make such a joke? After everything that had happened leading up to this moment?

And to do it in front of Vaggie, no less. The next time she was alone with him, she was going to let him have it for making such a risky comment.

“You are such a creep,” Vaggie scowled. “You might have the rest of the army dickmatised, but if there’s one Exorcist you’ll never have a shot with, it’s Lute.”

Lute squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block their bickering out. This discussion couldn’t be happening right now, not while she was in excruciating pain. She desperately needed to make eye contact with Adam to silently beg him, for once, to shut the fuck up and not bite back. She opened her eyes and shot him a pleading look, mouthing ‘stop’ as subtly as she could. 

He opened his mouth to respond, but shut it again. Thankfully, he kept it closed and didn’t say anything further.

If he did, Vaggie would know something had happened between them. And then she’d never hear the end of it. Never stop feeling the judgement.

“I can take care of myself,” Lute blurted out desperately, running a hand through her hair. “Look - let me try walking again.” Before either Vaggie or Adam could argue, she inhaled sharply, bracing herself for the pain as she moved forward…

…and promptly hit the deck as her leg gave out from underneath her, screaming as a fresh wave of pain seared through her foot like a hot knife had sliced it open. She clutched at her ankle, wincing. It had to be at least twice the size of her other one.

“You dumb bitch,” Adam swore, and Lute felt his hands grab hold of her and scoop her into his arms. She resisted the urge to grab onto his robes, or fling her arms around his neck, instead opting to fold them across her middle, hands gripping her biceps. “You just don’t know when to fucking quit, do you? No one thinks you’re a badass for ignoring an injury like this, they just think you’re an idiot.”

She said nothing; instead, she chose to glare up at him, silently hoping he choked on a rib bone the next time he ordered them at his favourite restaurant.

“Stop pouting like a fucking baby, Lute.”

Lute hissed and gripped her arms tighter. This injury wasn’t fair. The way she was being coddled was stupid. Why couldn’t she just use crutches like any other angel with an injury?

Then she realised. Other angels didn’t get injured like the Exorcists did. Crutches weren’t a thing in Heaven; she’d only known about them because she’d seen crippled Sinners using them in Hell to get around. Usually before she’d put them out of their misery.

Here though… Medical aid like crutches didn’t need to be a thing. It was Heaven. 

“Where are you taking her?” Vaggie demanded, crossing her arms. “She can’t go home on her own.”

“Calm down, she’s not going to go home alone” Adam rolled his eyes, looking down at Lute. 

Surely - he couldn’t -

“Because she’s going to come home with me.”

Come home with me.

He’d just uttered the same words that had haunted her for the past two months. The same words that she replayed in her mind as she tried to dissect how their relationship had shifted so significantly. Tried to figure out how Adam went from just being a mildly annoying boss to a mildly annoying boss that she wanted to absolutely devour her.

It was only a matter of time before she was no longer able to fight it. Given she was about to spend an indefinite amount of time living under the same roof, that time was drawing nearer and nearer.

The frustrating part was that she didn’t want to resist her desires anymore. But she had to.

He was her boss, and she reported to him. That was all their relationship should be.

But after this… 

Lute shivered involuntarily. She didn’t want to think about it. The thought of their dynamic changing again terrified her. Especially if something happened that neither of them could come back from.

Vaggie pinched the bridge of her nose and exhaled deeply. “Can we just think about this logically for a second? Where the fuck is she going to sleep?”

“Pay attention Vag, I already told you, she’s going to sleep in my bed. And before you get your fucking panties in a twist and need one of the girls to help you untangle them, I’ll sleep on the couch.” 

Vaggie ignored him, instead turning her attention to Lute. “Are you okay with this?” She demanded. “Lute, just tell me if you don’t want to go with him, and I’ll take care of you.”

“I’m okay. I can handle it,” Lute gave Vaggie a smile that she hoped looked convincing, but deep down she knew it was a woeful attempt. “My apartment key is in my bag - could you - ”

“Of course. Just… text me if there’s anything in particular you need. And you,” Vaggie rounded on Adam, pointing at him, her teeth bared. “You do a single thing to hurt her, or make her recovery worse and I will personally rip off your arm, shove it up your ass then stick my arm so far down your throat I can shake your fucking hand. Got it?”

Adam winced. “Fucking hell, no wonder you two get along. You’re both fucked in the head.”

Lute felt his grip on her tighten as he strode away from Vaggie and out the door of the training hall, and she prayed for a miracle to help her survive living under the same roof as Adam for the unforeseeable future

And by survive, she really meant ‘not sleeping with him’.

***

Next time: how do your favourite angels fare living under the same roof?

Love me a little bit of close proximity!

[ironwoodprotectionsquad]

What i don't understand is why would anyone want crwby to keep the story. I don't believe they didn't see the financial problems comimg, so instead of writing something to wrap up the story semi cohesive, they did v9. I mean v8 was a trainwreck but at least it moved the whole story along. V9 is just bad filler that crwby decided doing with they limited resources. Why would the fans want them to keep writing the story???

It is so bizarre the choices CR/WBY made. A lot of people have been saying it but the writing has been on the wall for awhile now, then needing CR to help make volume 9 really really should have been a massive red flag to them about how bad things where but…they just seemingly ignored it and hopes ignoring it would make it go away. Obviously I don’t know this, this is just pure speculation but their actions certainly read like that’s how they where operating.

Hell even working on the JL movie makes little to no sense. Why spend resources that are very limited on something that was a flop? It just doesn’t make sense.

That’s something that’s been on my mind for awhile, why are the fans so damn attached to CR/WBY being the ones to finish the story when they’ve shown their priorities are to milk R/WBY for every cent it’s worth, completely disregarding what is best for the story and the financial situation they’re in. The only thing I can think of is people think of RT as this small mom and pop indie company that is just a couple of guys working on a cool show and they feel like friends and friends stick by their friends and support them so why wouldn’t the fans support CR/WBY? The problem is, RT wasn’t this small indie company. They’re (where? We’re in a weird time for them with them being shit down but still running right now) owned by WB, they have a large team working on multiple projects.

CR/WBY though keeps pushing this idea they are a small indie company to keep their fans on their side so they can just keep saying that they’re “a small company doing their best” so people can’t as easily criticize them when they screw up. CR/WBY though has had plenty of time to fix their mistakes and course correct but…they keep refusing to do so. They refuse to learn and grow from their mistakes, refuse to try and do and be better thinking their rabid fans will somehow protect them no matter how badly they screw things up. But the show deserves so much better then that. It deserves writers who care and want to bring to life this idea and tell a meaningful story. And as shitty as WB has been in all of this, this is a chance for fresh eyes to take a look at this story and bring some life back into it but the fans have this parasitical attachment to CR/WBY and just can’t see how bad they are as a company for for the show. The fans could have so much better but they’re rather let their precious show die then let someone else work on it and that’s just kind of sad.