#never let them go its about obsession mistaken for love and love mistaken for obsession !!!! its about masha and yet it was never about her

[malikselfindulgence]

how about 10?

10: how do you deal with art-block?

Redrawing old stuff! No thinking required and also seeing my improvement helps motivate me :33 besides that I also rlly like going through pinterest boards for outfits I had saved to draw my ocs in!!

I also have tabs on my fav books of scenes that made me want to draw or scenes that felt really colorful in my mind while reading, so if I'm feeling emotional I'll look through those as well!! THANK YOU FOR THE ASK AGXHXHFv

[hellfirexclub]

Bestfriend perv!Eddie headcanons bc whoops I’m obsessed with him (I may have to write a full perv!Eddie fic this was so hot…)

Warnings: 18+, fem!reader, somnophilia, masturbation, grinding, secretly taking pictures.

Perv!Eddie who’s your closest friend, you guys have hung out everyday for years but you’re so sweet and innocent that you don’t realise his true intentions… or so he thinks.

Perv!Eddie would be such a horny mess for you. He’s a virgin and he’s completely touch starved, so having a best-friend as fucking hot as you drives him literally crazy. He’d be completely infatuated right away, feral for you and everything you do, worshipping the ground you walk on and using your innocence about all this to his advantage.

Perv!Eddie would 100% sniff your panties. Whether at yours or his, if you go to have a shower Eddie will find the panties you just took off and get himself off with them. He loves the fresh scent of your cunt on them, the slight glisten of your arousal on them if he’s lucky enough, that he will bring up to his tongue and lap at desperately. His eyes would be rolled back as he inhales your scent, cock painfully hard and movements frantic, imagining how divine it would be to actually taste your pussy. It gets him off even more if he hears the shower switch off and knows he has to cum within minutes otherwise you’ll catch him red handed. 

Perv!Eddie would have a literal boxed collection under his bed of magazines with girls that look like you that have pages crusted together from all the fun he’s had with them. He’d even go the step further and start taking pictures of you himself with the neat polaroid you got him for his birthday, because the girls in the magazine could never look as good as you. You always somehow innocently reinforce his perverted nature, which makes Eddie begin to believe that maybe you like it. Either way, these become Eddies new favoured pictures and he becomes obsessed with trying to get the most risqué pictures of you without you noticing. His favourite picture is a close up of your sleeping face, he likes to cum over your parted lips.

Perv!Eddie who absolutely dies when you wear a short skirt, it burns him up with the desire to bend you over, flip that tiny skirt up and fuck you senseless. He can’t draw his eyes away from your thighs and will probably also ‘innocently’ put his hand on your thigh while you’re talking, stroking soft circles with his thumb that make it hard for you to breathe let alone continue talking without stuttering. This makes Eddie smirk, filled with pride that he can make you squirm like this. He just wants to fall to his knees between your legs, kiss and spread those delicious thighs and then absolutely devour you. He would eat you out for hours if he had his way, having you shaking and begging for him to take you.

Perv!Eddie who has loads of cute nicknames for you, some definitely more so than just friendly, but its Eddie saying them so you love it. Dollface, pretty girl, sugar, pumpkin, sweetheart, Eddie will use any word under the sun to describe his favourite girl. He even crosses the line and dares to call you baby, which to his surprise you love hearing.

Perv!Eddie definitely has a corruption kink, the thought of how sweet and innocent you are to all his actions gets him painfully hard, and he would love nothing more than to ruin you. The thought of you reciprocating his feelings, actually wanting him to do all the perverted things he thinks about doing to you drives him insane. He constantly wants to try and push the boundaries to see what you’ll allow, which is seemingly anything he does.

Perv!Eddie would also sit you on his lap way more than would be appropriate for friends, it doesn’t matter where you are or who you’re with. More often than not you get mistaken for a couple which makes Eddies heart want to burst from his chest with joy. His favourite is to have you on his lap when you’re all playing dnd, seeing the jealous looks of the other boys around the table fuels his superiority. His hands will rest in your lap more often than not, slowly drifting under your skirt and holding your thigh gently. And you’re such a sweetheart that you don't ever mention his hard cock pressed up against you, though you’ll admit you find yourself grinding on it ‘accidentally’, loving the chokes and groans it draws out of Eddie.

Perv!Eddie looks at your tits like constantly, and obviously you notice it but you think it’s just a guy thing. Lord help Eddie if you are wearing anything low cut because he will be mesmerised, watching the way they bounce when you move or jiggle when you laugh. He’ll be practically drooling as he imagines his face between them, or better yet imagines what it would be like to pull your top down, expose your gorgeous tits to him. Eddie only managed to see your bare tits once when he walked in on you changing, and it was only for a fraction of a moment, but the image is still burned into his mind and he is desperate to see them again.

Perv!Eddie who insists you guys spoon at sleepovers because that’s what best friends do. When in reality he just wants your ass pressed right up against him and his arm draped tightly over your tits. He’d try his best to contain himself while you’re awake, but once you’re asleep he will slowly grind against you, obsessed by the heat of your cunt against him through your clothing. It becomes a new favourite thing of his to do because of how often you sleep over, and he often finds himself cumming in his pants cause he’s a sex-starved virgin and he literally can’t take how good it feels to be pressed against you. He’s naive enough to think his rutting has never woken you up.

Perv!Eddie who loves that you’re so comfortable around him that you don't mind walking around in your underwear or changing in front of him. Again, he insists you’re besties so it’s cool, hell he’ll even take his shirt off to show you that it’s chill. But he is watching you like a hawk and drooling over every exposed bit of skin he can see. And your ass has him wanting to get on his hands and knees and beg you to let him touch you, he has way too many photos taken when your back was turned while you changed.

Perv!Eddie will find any excuse to touch you, always having a hand on your lower back or your waist when he walks behind you, holding your hand when your walking together, hugging you from behind and pulling your back to his chest. As well as just his desire to be close to you, he does it as an act of possession, to show other guys that he is the only one who can be this close to you, you’re his to touch only. He’s extremely jealous and wouldn’t stand for anyone else getting to be with you like he is, so he counts his lucky stars that he’s the only one you let get that close to you. In his mind that reinforces that you’re his. 

Perv!Eddie will always insist ‘ladies first’ when you’re going up a flight of stairs, so he can drool over your ass the whole way up. It’s his lucky day if you happen to be wearing a skirt and he gets an upskirt view of your panties, just that small view of your pussy getting him hard. He’d almost trip up the stairs because he’s so fixated on you.

Perv!Eddie has definitely gotten into the habit of not announcing himself when he goes round yours, hoping he might catch you in a compromising position. And Eddie got exactly what he wanted when he came to your house one night and was met with your soft moans as he approached your bedroom door. He thanks the gods that its open a sliver and he can peek in to see your hand in your panties, rubbing slow circles on your clit. Eddie was hard as a rock watching you get yourself off, in pure disbelief at the sight in front of him. You looked like a goddess, head thrown back and lips swollen from where you were biting them to keep in your moans. His eyes watched the rhythmic moving of your fingers in your panties, rubbing a soft circle against your clit, fist wrapped tightly around his cock as he fucks himself into his palm. He wants nothing more than to watch you take your panties off, finally see your wet cunt exposed for him, but watching you writhe as you got closer was good enough for him. Eddie already wanted to cum but he held it in, desperate to watch you reach your own end so he can cum with you. His movements quickened with yours, biting his lip to keep in his grunts as you came closer to the edge, mewling out a word that stopped Eddies heart. His name. You’d just fucking moaned his name when you came. He couldn’t help the loud groan that escapes his lips as he cums hard and desperate over his hand, head thrown back and swears spilling from his lips like a prayer as he rides out his orgasm and prays you didn’t hear him.

[cheesus-doodles]

For Yandere BFF Rindo, it seems like he's just a baby in denial (totally in love with bestie but unwilling to admit it and covers by saying its a best friend thing (totally not a boyfriend thing)). Based off your "Opinions about Dating BFF Reader", a question has been sparked.

What would happen if BFF herself asked Rindo to date/why aren't they dating? BFF has heard from other people that when a boy and a girl like each other alot and never want to be apart that means they should date. It totally sounds like an upgrade from BFF (isn't dating just like being super BFF's with kissing?) Once bestie gets an idea in her head she doesn't seem to let up or let go of it, so how would Rindo handle bestie insisting that they should date/aren't they basically dating already? (Or alternatively, does Rindo succeed in convincing bestie that she is mistaken and then proceeds to beat up whoever put these ideas in her head)

I totally can imagine Ran catching wind of this bestie thinks she should be dating Rindo agenda and egging it on (either to annoy Rindo or because he can see how obsessed Rindo is with bestie and thinks it'll do him some good to be able to claim a more official possessive position in her life)

been working on A Friend in Me but also got caught up in the TR Puzz Reve game ;-; so sorry if things get a bit slow here

Recommended Reading: Opinions on dating BFF Bimbo Reader

Masterlist | Rindo Tags

‎

I previously answered about Rindo being asked by an external party on dating you and how it would react, but I honestly think that the same question coming from you would get a totally different reaction.

Under every circumstance, Rindo will absolutely just freeze up and short circuit the first time you ask about dating. Not because its a strange question to ask, given its something he not only have been asked multiple times before, but also have considered before himself, but because ya know, it’s you of all people. The one person he never expects to know anything beyond what he teaches you.

Yes sure, he knows that you love to read those sappy romance books whenever you sleepover (cause you need him to explain the story to you, and god only knows why this baby boy continues to keep them in his room for you). But he has always made sure to always trick you with regards to what those stories were actually talking about, so where on earth did you hear about dating from?

Asks you to repeat your question as if he didn't hear it the first time, but ends up cutting you off halfway and demanding to know who you heard that from - Rindo's not going to let you leave until he finds out where you learnt that close friends should date, claiming that it's dangerous to listen to others beside him.

Did he actually have feelings for you beyond being a caring, overprotective bestfriend? Irrelevant, in this boy's opinion, especially so right now when there is clearly a more pressing issue to solve at hand.

‎‎

But after this stage, Rindo's next actions depend on the current situation the two of you find yourself in.

If it's still just you and Rindo against the world, then this boy would immediately try to change your mind. If you are already insisting that the two of you are essentially dating (since the two of you were already super BFFs right?), Rindo would try his best to persuade you that you had the wrong idea, that dating and having being BFFs were completely different things and that you were completely mistaken in your understanding.

Would do his best to try and find out where you heard it from so that he can have a little talk to set things straight (hoping to anyone out there it isn't Ran because fuccckkkkk). And you'll get to hear straight from the horses mouth on how having a boyfriend was bad for you and you shouldn't aspire to have one. If you heard it from Ran then Rindo just has to convince you to stop talking to his stupid older brother because what else can he do?

However, if you do continue to insist that the two of you are already dating or that you two should start, then Rindo would very reluctantly go along with it with with several conditions, essentially that it would be no different from when the two of you were just BFFs, and that you weren't allowed to tell anyone else about this "dating" without his express permission, especially not Ran.

Anything more than calling himself your bestfriend would not be processable in Rindo's mind, and honestly the idea of kissing for this baby boy is so out there at this point in time that he can't even comprehend it without his brain melting down and him having to reset.

‎

If this occurs after you have already met Kakucho and worse, Izana, then no doubt that Rindo would immediately agree to being your boyfriend the moment you bring it up. No questions asked. Sure the mere thought of being your boyfriend would bring a blush to his face and he can barely speak without stammering about how you were being so stupid right now, but he knows that allowing you to say that you had a boyfriend and that you were dating him would help to fend off unwanted attention.

He will no doubt start to work on fear-mongering you into thinking that he was doing you an absolute favor because did you know how bad it is to have a boyfriend?? And whoever told you otherwise is lying, especially Izana, though he only says this out of earshot. And hopefully you don't repeat this to the Tenjiku gang leader because god only knows how many beatings he would get in retaliation.

Absolutely worth it though, if you reject any and all other advances, because you can't keep yourself safe even if life on earth depends on it, and Rindo can't trust you with drinking from a straw if he isn't watching.

But at the same time, this baby boy becomes just so shy about doing anything with you and even more self-conscious. What if other people get the wrong idea about what you mean to him? What if people stop seeing him as a delinquent but see him as some mush? So he switches to holding your hand in private, or where people can't watch because of the implications, but Rindo quickly caves when you start pouting.

‎

Ran no doubt would absolutely encourage your behavior the moment he finds out, and he will because you simply can't keep your mouth shut. This poor older brother not only will enjoy the free real estate of laughs and wiggling eyebrows at his younger brother, but also the peace and quiet of Rindo having some sort of security over you. No more late nights of being awaken by Rindo storming over to your place early in the morning, or being dragged out of bed by another suspicious post on social media.

Rindo's obsession with you has been so obvious from the start that Ran doesn't know why he hasn't just upgraded himself from the start, but honestly he'll be rich before he can mind-read what goes through Rindo's head. Ran would definitely be the sort to take the opportunity not only to pester and annoy Rindo with innuendos and seemingly harmless questions about marriage, but also go behind the poor boy's back to plant the same questions on you to ask your bestfriend.

[kentolove]

i love the tymps couple so well 😭😭 Tsukki is so cute in it, i love the way you wrote him 🥰 I was wondering, if youre willing to write it, how would tymps tsukki and the reader be during an arguement? I can only imahine how petty tsukki would be 😂

I don’t usually take requests but I had the perfect idea for this n I can’t get my mind off it 😭😭 thank you for this anon… I’m obsessed with them! Really! Truly!!

link to the og “tymps” couple fic!

“I’ll sleep on the couch tonight.”

Tsukishima can’t say that he exactly remembers what this argument is about, all he knows is that you’re pissed, he’s pissed, and he just really wants to let this go. Let the disagreement roll over and just hug you, take you to bed and let you smother him with kisses like you do every night.

But he can’t back down, not when he’s so infuriated by your stubbornness that he can’t think straight. His hand in shaking from anger, and he can see tears tease your waterline. (Tears of anger, not sadness. Do not be mistaken, you like to remind him.)

“Don’t be stupid.”

You offered. You so politely offered to sleep on the couch and let your boyfriend wallow in his bitterness. You offered to leave him alone, and now he’s declining?

“I’ll do what I want. And right now, I want to sleep on the couch.”

You do not want to sleep on the couch. It’s as comfortable as a couch gets, scratches and dents to prove it’s years of usage. You love that leather couch, but it’s far too cold for you rest in.

“I don’t give a shit. I’ll die before ever let you sleep alone. You’re sleeping on the bed with me.”

“You don’t get to tell me what to do. You’re not my dad, fuckface.”

He rolls his eyes. You just never listen. You’re far too stubborn for your own good.

“You’ll freeze your ass off on that couch. Don’t make me tell you again.”

He walks off to your shared bedroom, leaving you in the small living alone. You turn your head and find your little kitten on the couch, sleeping soundly despite the storm surrounding her.

You sigh. “I hate him.”

-

You’re out of the shower some twenty minutes later, climbing into your bed angrily. You know Tsukishima is awake—his breathing is a clear sign—but you chose to ignore him. You wrap yourself in the warm sheets, turning your back on your lover.

Two minutes pass. Three. Five.

“Where’s my goodnight kiss, dumbass?”

It sounds silly, coming from the man who just spent the past hour angry at you, but he couldn’t be any more sincere. For every night that you’ve been with him, he gets a goodnight kiss placed on his cheeks, his forehead, and lastly, on his lips. You’ve never failed to do so, and he will not let a petty argument stop this streak.

“You don’t get one, you piece of shit.”

He chooses silence. He doesn’t speak, doesn’t move.

Thirty seconds pass. A minute.

The soft feeling of your lips is soon on his left cheek, then his right, the centre of his forehead, and finally, his lips.

“I hope the devil shows up in your dreams tonight.”

He laughs. A genuine laugh—he can’t believe how lucky he is to have you. Amidst all your anger, you still find a way to humour him.

He pulls you into him, and you don’t reject him. Your back to his chest, he places a sweet kiss at the top of your head.

“You too, Princess.”

-

He wakes up the next morning at 6:30 AM.

He finds you tangled in him: your legs on top of his, your arm somehow found its way into his hair, and there may be some drool on his chest (he doesn’t really care enough to confirm).

You look adorable.

But he is still annoyed.

So he swiftly jumps out of bed, careful not to wake you up, and heads to the kitchen. The coffee maker is turned on, just enough for two cups, and he gets breakfast ready.

He has to clock into work by 8:30 AM, giving him just enough time to prep breakfast and rush off for the day. He’s quick with his movements; your coffee is poured in a flask to ensure that it’s still hot by the time you wake up, your breakfast of pancakes is airy and light, and you have a bowl of fruits cut up and ready.

He leaves for work by 8, a sticky note taped to the flask.

It reads,

morning.

Do not skip breakfast. I’ll know. Eat everything I made. Lick the plate clean if you have to.

You’re a piece of shit, but have a good day. I’m still mad at you, but you drooled on my chest and you looked adorable doin it

i love ya (not rlly),

Tsukishima

[richonnesbitch]

Oooh ok now we know your fav TOWL kiss(es) so the logical next question is what is/are you favorite TWD kiss(es) ???

And between your fav TOWL and fav TWD kiss… which one wins 😈

Just wanna start this off by saying I'm sorry I took so long to get to this! I've been busy lately but I wanted to give this question the time it deserved because I could really go on and on about every richonne kiss. But I am going to limit myself to my top 3. I would do more but currently I'm not in the hest headspace so its hard for me to think! This is in no particular order because it's hard as hell to pick favorites! Anywayyyy let's get started.

1. Have Your Mints

Okay so before richonne I wasn't really one of those people that shipped couples, okay? Of course I loved the chemistry between richonne but I wasn't as hardcore about it as I am now. I remember where I was when this moment happened. When I say it changed my life, it changed my entire DAMN life. Like, I was shell-shocked in the most amazing way possible. Never have I felt such euphoria in my life than I did when Rick and Michonne finally happened! I immediately became a VERY hard-core shipper. I would literally rewatch this kiss on repeat for HOURS for MONTHS straight. Obsessed was not even the word. Like it was straight up addiction the way I would watch it. Naturally it would have to be my favorite kiss! It's just so beautiful and romantic and sensual and tender, etc, etc, etc. I've never seen anything else like it. To quote Scott Gimple, "These are two people who have found kindred spirits in each other, strength, respect, support, loyalty. But the world has been screaming in their faces and clawing at them for a good part of their acquaintance. For all they’ve been through, when the world stopped screaming and clawing for them, they realized what they had." Wooooo! What a gorgeous quote. Basically, this kiss invented romance for me and changed the entire course of my life. I had to give it the #1 spot, I had to. I had to!!!

2. The Triple Kiss

This kiss is just too damn cute. If I'm not mistaken, it's the only casual kiss we ever get between richonne. Most of the time they're making out lmao! But it just goes to show how life has slowed down a lot for them and now they're fully able to enjoy their time together and they can take time with their kisses. It's so domestic. Also find it cute how Rick knows Michonne likes too work hard but kinda softly tells her to take it easy for the night because he wants to cuddle her to sleep. This whole scene is too good.

3. Hearts Still Beating

Well, this kiss was almost too dark to see but from what I did see it was sexy as fuck! And also very loving at the same time. Richonne is so good at that. I love love love LOVE Michonne's speech. She has such a way with words, her thinking about becoming a writer at one point in her life makes SO much sense. The way she talks about how she doesn't wanna do things her way. she wants to do it her AND Rick's way. She doesn't wanna do anything without her man by her side. The way she not only convines Rick to fight the saviors but also uplifts him in the process.... she is so one of a kind. And the way Rick listens intensely and values each and every word. This scene is also extra sweet because not only does it drive the narrative forward but it's also a makeup scene for Rick and Michonne who have been at odds! Whenever she starts crying and he cups her face and kisses her.... ughhhh you can just FEEL the yearning they've been experiencing over each other. They missed each other so bad and it feels so good for both of them to be back on the same page. This isn't an actual picture of the kiss but a still from the same scene. WHY IS THE STILL BRIGHTER THAN THE SCENE IN THE EPISODE!?!?! Lowkey I feel like someone on set was trying to sabotage them.

Now.... how do these compare to TOWL kisses? Well, this is kind of like asking a parent to pick their favorite child. How can I choose when they're all so perfect?!?!?!?! But seriously if you really want me to choose.....I have to go with the "have your mints" scene. I'm sorry! I just do. I mean... it's where we all started. It's what turned me into a shipper and kicked off the greatest love story of all time. Did I mention it was all done in one take and Danai and Andy essentially took their own direction for the scene? Meaning everything they did was unscripted and yet it still came off as the most natural thing in the world.... how can it not win?!?!

[turtleblogatlast]

okay so just so you know, im literally in love with your prison!leo au, yesterday i spent like over an hour scrolling through the tag and i think i read every post at least twice (more for the comics). its combining ‘prison dimension has permanent effect on leo, and not just mentally’, ‘immortality angst’, ‘object or place having a form of sentience’, AND ‘leo is somehow made significantly younger than his brothers which very much changes their dynamic without him wanting it to’ all into one which is just amazing.

i love how you combined comedy and tragedy very well!! like, for example the idea of leo being mistaken for the youngest brother, than a son, then a GRANDSON, is kinda funny for a second, but when you think about it for more than a couple seconds its also. really tragic. this poor kid may never be able to fully grow up - not only is he likely going to outlive his whole family but hes also permanently in the body of a child, lacking a fully developed brain and maybe never having the full maturity of an adult (at least in path b, until hes able to find a ‘cure’, if ever). its just. so good!!

anyways aldjsldkksld enough of the gushing (i mean i could keep doing it for like two thousand more words, but if i did it would probably devolve into keysmashes at some point from the Grip this au has on my brain). i am curious, what would happen if leo got sick? i know you mentioned that things like a common cold wouldnt really affect him that much, but what about one of those sickness is that leaves you pretty delirious/feverish and can take you out in a matter of a week? (could be a type of mystic sickness or curse as well, where you don’t know if the victim will survive or not and the only option is to wait it out.) what would happen? would they sort of just decide that its better to find a way to temporarily kill him so his body could regenerate as new, or would they try to take care of him and see if they could wait it out, since i imagine it would be the only time he’d really let his family take care of him in that way. thats all assuming his body wouldnt just automatically find a way to heal the separate curse and he’d be well again within an hour (still not fully sure as to how his healing works, sorry!)

anyways, love this au and im going to be obsessed with it for the next Month thanks

[ cw: discussion of murder / discussion of mercy kill / risky behavior implied / ]

Omg I’m

So touched???

Thank you for enjoying my AU so much, it really makes me happy to hear this :’) This whole AU was thought up exactly because of my interest in the concepts you mentioned - particularly the one regarding the Prison Dimension having a permanent and visible effect on Leo.

I know I haven’t updated it in a while, but I am still working on it and have even finished drafting the next comic, I can’t say when I’ll finish it but this ask definitely pushed me to work on it more so thank you so much <3

As for your question- it depends! In most regular illnesses, Leo would get over them very quickly, only experiencing the briefest brush with the symptoms before his body throws it away, if that. If the illness is mystic in nature then things get a little more complicated, as you’re right in that it could potentially end up as an endless loop of the first part of whatever weird sickness he gets. So if the illness is something that instantly affects you in the worst ways, and it’s something you just need to ride out until it leaves…that can potentially be harmful. Of course, it needs to be a powerful illness to bypass the prison’s curse to that extent though. …then again, maybe something would prefer that for him, should it appear beneficial :)

As for whether the fam would decide to just…’reset’ Leo to get rid of the illness…that’s a tough one. It really depends on how long Leo’s been back, and even then, it’s not something they’d just do, it’s hard for them to even imagine really. More likely, a sickly Leo would merely try to find a cure himself in his delirium, and end up ‘reset’ along the way.

I hope my wishy washy answer was enough! And really, thank you so much again for the kind words, they mean a lot :’)

[thisaintascenereviews]

Shaboozey - Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going

Rapper and singer Shaboozey is having a moment right now, isn’t he? After being featured twice on Beyoncé’s latest country and country-adjacent album, Cowboy Carter, Shaboozey dropped a couple singles for his third album, Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’ve Been Going, but he really got some exposure with the viral smash “A Bar Song (Tipsy).” It’s a fun little country song that interpolates the 2004 hit “Tipsy,” but does so in a countrified lens. It’s such a fun little tune, and I hope it’s the song of the summer (especially over that mid Post Malone and Morgan Wallen song), but there’s a lot to say about Shaboozey, his place in country music, how the last two top country songs are from Black artists, and how the genre itself is becoming way more inclusive.

I wrote a piece about this last year, where is reviewed the latest albums from Willie Jones and Tanner Adell, two artists also featured on Cowboy Carter. I talked about how despite country music having its moment in the mainstream, it was stlll just straight white guys that were popular, but I was starting to find more women and people of color. Jones and Adell are two artists that add other styles of music, such as pop and R&B, but infuse them with country in a way that feels less pandering to pop audiences and more like a genuine fusion. Shaboozey is no exception, as his second album (and my introduction to his music), 2022’s Cowboys Live Forever, Outlaws Never Die, combined blues, folk, country, and hip-hop to make a fun, catchy, energetic, and somewhat menacing album that really lives up to its titles.

I was obsessed with that album last year, and really excited for a follow-up, so I’ve been eagerly awaiting this new album. If you think “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” is what this album encompasses, you’d be mistaken. This album seems to be the sequel to Cowboys Live Forever, as this album is a country and folk album at its core with a little bit of hip-hop, but this record is more introspective, sadder, and remorseful, versus angry, menacing, and boastful. It almost feels as though this record is the comedown from Cowboys’ crime spree, and Shaboozey is reckoning with his actions, especially with how there are themes of running away, being a disappointment to people, and being regretful of various things. A lot of songs that deal with heartbreak are here, too, at least in different forms.

The sound of this record is where it really shines, because Shaboozey’s unique baritone works well against the folksy, Americana, and country sounds that this album provides, but there are a couple of hip-hop tracks that are pretty fun and don’t feel out of place, either. Even the country songs have some variety, because songs like “Annabelle,” “Let It Burn,” and “Highway” are pretty catchy Americana tunes, but “My Fault” with Noah Cyrus, or “East Of The Massanutten” are slower ballads that hit you in the feels. The lyrics itself are quite emotional, and they’re very well-written. This album has a different mood than the last one, but the lyrics are still very much in the outlaw country vein, so it’s a spiritual successor to Cowboys.

If you couldn’t tell, this is one of my favorite albums of the year. Where I’ve Been is a record that hits hard in every way, shape, and form. I love the sound, its lyrics, the songwriting is catchy and diverse, as well as Shaboozey’s voice is so unique, but it’s such a wonderful record. This album is such an addicting one, especially if you love country, or country-adjacent stuff. Who would have thought that the artist featured on Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter that got a top five Billboard 100 hit, as well as a number one country hit, would be Shaboozey. His sound was the most “intense,” at least on his last album, but he mellowed out for a mainstream audience, although he can still get rowdy and fun. I really hope this album gets him even more fame, and this is one case I can say I knew who Shaboozey was before he got big.

[loose-and-goose]

Porque No Los Dos?

Musings on Persephone and Her Girlbossification for Classicstober2023

I think I first learned about the Homeric Hymn to Demeter in elementary school, but even then, it was all about Persephone and Hades.

This was a fourth or fifth grade reader, so the story naturally had to be boiled down 'til the very marrow was sucked from its bones, but even then, I can't remember any mention of Demeter. Despite the myth bearing her name and largely being about her, Demeter was already removed from the narrative back in the early 2000s.

When I consider this, I feel that I can't genuinely pin the blame on current writers. After all, the Renaissance artists were more obsessed with depicting the “rape” of Persephone than the grief of her mother, so this current situation has been long in the making. But I do think that I am not mistaken to couple her subsequent transformation into a modern feminist icon with my contemporaries.

Apparently, I first took issue with this back in 2018. When I look through the archives of my blog, I see some cute HadesxPersephone art, modernizations, etc, and according to my tags I really love them. But then in 2018, I encountered a post saying:

“Hey, you know the original myth of Persephone when she was still Core/Kora and instead of being kidnapped, she willingly went down into the Underworld and decided that she liked it there/wanted to do good there? I need a copy of it.”

This post was then reblogged with an added rebuttal, clarifying that this “original myth” does not exist. Since then, I've encountered at least three other posts with thousands of notes that either outright claim that “originally”, Persephone was not kidnapped, or that actually, there are “pre-patriarchal” versions of most Greek myths, which we are purposely kept from reading in order to maintain the status quo (patriarchy).

These claims are never supplemented with any classical sources, and they always, always, have thousands of notes.

I want to preface this by saying that I don't think there's anything wrong with modernizing or retelling these myths. That's how we keep them living, keep them relevant. I still enjoy a funny rendition of Hades and Persephone that characterizes Hades as the wife-guy of all time.

No, I think my issue is with the desire to concoct a revisionist history to justify it.

I guess the question is, “So what if Persephone was kidnapped?” Regardless of how she and Hades met, the outcome is the same: Hades turns out to be a good husband who loves and respects his wife.

What I'm getting at is this: why does acknowledging Persephone's background somehow make her less respectable? Why does she have to willingly go to the underworld? Why does she have to hate her mother and run away? Why do you need this version of her story to exist, when it simply doesn't?

Persephone is a young girl. It's in her name. She is the prototype, the stereotype, she is the stand in for every young girl of her time. She represents their realities, she represents what could happen to them in a moment's notice. She embodies a very real fear for girls and maybe even more so for (let's not forget the name of the hymn again) mothers.

What am I trying to say? Let me see if I can figure it out. I don't think I'm saying anything new. I just saw that today's theme was Persephone and when I think of Persephone, this is what I always think of.

She is a goddess in her own right. Beloved by her husband. Given power by her husband. I think she is what many a young girl in ancient times hoped to become someday, whenever the seemingly unavoidable happened: A woman who was valued as an equal in her home, even in a greater world where she was not.

I think we shouldn't have to change Persephone's truth in order to find value in her. And we shouldn't have to fabricate an alternate timeline where Greece was a matriarachal society and Persephone hit her mother with the, “No mom, I'm giving up on your dream.” before sashaying a way into the underworld to justify her value.

Write what you want to write. I can't stop you, won't stop you, don't want to stop you. But as Madeline Miller's new book is on its way, I can only hope that maybe someone, someone, will find it in themselves to acknowledge that Persephone and Hades' shitty start doesn't disqualify her from being meaningful. Inasmuch as there is power in saying “actually, Persephone only did what she wanted to do”, there is also power in saying, “Persephone didn't always get to choose, but her situation did not spell out her end. It got better. Spring will come again”.

[ryqoshay]

Putting on Hairs: Easily Missed

Primary Trio Pairing: YuuAyuSetsu Rating: G Words: 661 AU: Monster, Cryptid Fandom: Love Live Nijigasaki Parent Fic: Putting on Hairs Time Frame: During the main story Event: Promptober 2022 Event Source: Idol Fanfic Heaven channel on Discord Prompt: Ghost

---------

Author’s Note: Bonus 2nd entry for Oct 4th

Summary: Yuu and Ayumu start their morning with Setsuna?

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“Kya!” Ayumu cried in mock surprise, letting her rabbit ears pop up from her head. “Yuu-chan, you scared me.”

Yuu giggled and pulled herself closer, enjoying their morning game as much as always.

“I’m almost done with breakfast.” Ayumu said after a moment. “Why don’t you go wake up Setsuna-chan?”

“Alright.” Yuu replied, starting to pull away. “But first I want my morning kiss.”

Ayumu chuckled and turned her head to oblige the request. She then watched her lamia girlfriend slither toward the guest room.

“Ayumu…”

Something sounded off about Yuu’s tone, so Ayumu quickly turned the heat down to low and went to check.

“Yuu-chan, what’s the…” Oh… Ayumu blinked before staring into the empty guest room. “That’s right, Setsuna-chan left in time to make the last train…” She voiced her thoughts.

“Yeah…” Yuu spoke “But, it’s weird though. Why did we both think she was here?”

Ayumu hummed neutrally, though she did agree with Yuu. It was definitely strange. They had overnight guests before Setsuna but had never been mistaken as to when they were or were not present.

And the room looked ready for a guest; clean towels on the dresser and the futon folded in the corner, not in the closet. Also, there was a single clue as to the identity of the intended guest, a doujin manga on the shelf next to where the futon would be used.

Ayumu touched the book, triggering a flash of memories. Smiles, excited rants, complimented cooking, and just overall a lot of happiness, all gathered in a few short weeks. It was almost like Setsuna was still there in some way. A ghost of her presence. However, it wasn’t the Hollywood type ghostly presence that sent chills down one’s spine. No, Setsuna was too full of warmth for that, and for more reasons than being a Cthughan.

But there was another feeling as well. An emptiness of sorts, like something expected or possibly even vital, was missing. Sure, both Ayumu and Yuu had commented about how easily Setsuna had integrated into their lives, but this was the first time Ayumu truly felt her absence. Did one night have having her sleep over really change things among them that much?

Yuu’s stomach growling pulled Ayumu from her thoughts.

“Right, breakfast.” Ayumu said, moving back toward the kitchen. Upon her return to the stove, she was reminded of something else. “It seems I made too much…” She said.

“Huh?” Yuu tilted her head.

“I made enough for Setsuna-chan as well.”

“Oh…”

A strange silence settled between the couple as they began to eat, both their thoughts obviously focused on their new…’ish friend who had become so close and dear to them in such a short time.

“I think I’ll pack up Setsuna-chan’s portion and bring it as a bento for her lunch.” Ayumu decided as the meal neared its end.

“That’s a great idea, Ayumu.” Yuu grinned for half a second before her expression changed. “But… you’re still gonna make stuff for you and me, right?”

Ayumu laughed lightly. “Of course.”

“And maybe we can invite Setsuna-chan to stay over again tonight.”

“Well, her room is ready if she accepts.”

“And if she doesn’t, we can say we’re holding her manga hostage.” Yuu giggled.

Ayumu smiled at the joke, but “We shouldn’t force her, Yuu-chan.”

“I know. I know.” Yuu dismissed. “I was actually gonna bring it with us to give back to her today.”

Ayumu nodded.

“Although I wonder if she even noticed.” Yuu pondered. “She said she managed to fit several book cases in her apartment, despite its size.”

“I remember she was saying something about the next book coming out soon, so she wanted to reread everything.”

Yuu laughed as she remembered their friend’s obsessive behavior.

Conversation continued to center around Setsuna as the couple cleaned up and started getting ready for work. Both young woman looked forward to another fun evening with her if she accepted their invitation.

---------

Author’s Note Continued: This chapter will likely be expanded on when I get around to this part of the main story.

[pacinosgf]

❝ but i got ahead of myself. let’s circle back. midnight mayhems in all its glory. we were doing drugs and drinking and playing and writing songs everyday. and fighting, of course. i love songs like the chain, you make loving fun, but i think we did our best work at the same time we were at our worst, what would soon become our end. we couldn’t pretend anymore, everything was personal by then.

and we wrote obsessively. all the time. we would fight and stop for a second to write a line one thought one would be good for a song. i think we have so many unreleased tracks that if we put all them together it would become more than a single record, and they are rotting in some studio somewhere. dash had this thing of turning miserable lyrics into catchy tunes, like he did in the river — we changed the lyrics more than he wanted to, but the original idea and the song itself are his. get free is brooke’s, of course, there’s her name all over the lyrics. me and dash had fun composing a structure for that one.

and then brooke showed up one day with cowboy like me. she had the nerve of naming it like that, and no one questioned. i remember i was trembling even before she started singing how she imagined the song would go, this hole in my chest becoming larger and larger as she progressed. it’s one of the songs we barely changed anything. we discussed how we would play and got to a decision quickly, probably because nobody wanted to think much about that song.

we had the habit of recording songs multiple times in different ways. instruments and voice isolated, instruments isolated, voice isolated, so we could get a mix of the best parts. there’s a version of cowboy like me that if you pay attention you can hear me sobbing in the background for one, two seconds: my whole body was aching because of those lyrics. i’m not one to cry, not today and not then, but i had to leave the studio so they could keep playing and we wouldn’t lose the tapes and i bawled and sobbed like crazy because of those fucking lyrics. cowboy like me. and i’m never gonna love again.

i wrote epiphany. dash wrote changes. we all wrote silver springs together. definitely some of our finest work, though we were all hurt and tired while making it.

of course, we had to go on a tour to play the new songs. that tour would be our last one. there’s this journalist that i love, song nari, who your generation knows for her work in culture and political matters, but i’ll always think of as this timid girl interviewing rock bands. she was already known when we got famous, but she got fond of us for some reason. we sent her every record before it was oficially released. she was busy then, out of the country if i'm not mistaken, but she wanted an interview before we got on the tour. she took a look at us, sighed very deeply and said very sweetly i don’t think you should go ahead with this tour. she was right, though we cursed her name for what she said.

i just want to finish this subject as soon as possible, let me shorten the story: arguments, arguments and arguments. me and brooke were finally realizing that we couldn’t be together. it wasn’t the band, or the boys, or the world, we were the ones stopping us from being together. we would cry, fuck and fight all night. we would get on stage too fucked up to remember every lyric, every pause. when you think it can’t get worse, life finds a way of proving you wrong. brooke had an overdose.

she was mixing up a lot of stuff, everyone knew that. we were all mixing up, but brooke went the extra mile. there came a point her body wouldn’t take it. all four of us were discussing something, and i followed her crashing down in the middle of the room with my eyes. she had the habit of pretending she had passed out as a way to win an argument, so it took us a few seconds to realize what had happened. her lips and fingertips were blue, she was barely breathing. our whole night changed in a second.

dash waited half an hour to see if she would wake up. she didn't, he left. fucking asshole. how can your wife be so close to death and you decide to leave? what if she had died then? i had taken drugs too, but i sobered up the moment i realized brooke could die. that could have been the end.

i spent the night awake, scrouched by the side of her body. i made her throw up so we could get the drugs of her system, i vomited too because i was afraid she would die, no one wanted to come help because they thought it was already too late and they didn't want to be the ones to say it was the end. i kept trying to find her heartbeat, kept whispering love promises into her ears, sure she would wake up and mock me for it.

we had a long conversation after that happened. i told her we had to stop taking drugs. i told her i’d be by her side all the time if she wanted to. she had a terrible argument with dash about him leaving her there to die.

they got back together again. she slowly got back on drugs, more eager than ever. brooke was the kind of person who would trade it all for a minute of pleasure, a minute of peace within her mind. the drugs gave her that. she had no mercy for herself, so i couldn't have any either. i wrote the great war about that.

i didn’t talk much to her after that. i was going through my own turmoil, besides what we were going through. i was throwing up three times a day, my body couldn’t take anything i ate. i felt sore and swollen from head to toe. i had fucked jim for the first time in ages just to get back at her, you know? not that she would care, but i did. fucking any other woman wouldn’t affect me as fucking my dear moron of a husband. i thought god was finally punishing me for thinking i was so smart, for wanting more than i should have, and i wanted to be punished. i wanted to be humbled. i had to go back to being that little perfect wife again or simply destroy everything i had earned. now that me and brooke were over, i wanted jim to hate me so much he would finally leave.

obviously, it got worse. i was pregnant. very much pregnant. huge hips and tits. you could see a little belly. first time i had truly slept with my husband in years and i got pregnant. jim always had a terrible timing for those things, we will talk about it later. dash had joked about taking a baby crib on the tour bus.

i couldn’t stay any longer. we never got to chicago, the last show of the tour. i wanted to sing the great war for the first time there. instead, jim packed our things so we could leave the country and i cried. i cried in the airport, i cried in the plane, i cried when i got there. we went to france. abortion had just been liberalised in france, italy, those countries. i had my procedure done in austria. it was all very quick and safe, but i got very sick right after. out of guilt, maybe. guilt because i had ran away from my problems, guilt because god was finally punishing me, just like my parents had said he would.

i spent weeks having random high fevers. i would hallucinate. i felt something growing inside of me, moving around my organs and taking all the space. i cried and i cried and i cried and i wanted to kill myself so bad that i don't even know. i spent months in bed or in bathtubs. jim would get me from one hotel to another and i'd get in the room and immediately lie down. to not say i was completely insane, i would ask the cleaning ladies to give me some products so i could wash the bathtub until my fingers bled, and then i felt safe enough to rot in the bathtub.

do i regret getting an abortion? no. i know i only got to that point because it was needed. i never thought about if i wanted to be a mother, because that was imperative, a woman must be one if the chance comes, but i knew i couldn’t be one at that moment. if i had gotten pregnant during one of the other tours we had done by then, or during a break, i’d probably fantasize about a way of keeping it and showing the world how i could be a great musician and mother. not even because i wanted to show myself, but that's just how i was raised. you get pregnant, you become a mom. i don't doubt i would have done it, i've always been a little too... some have a few loose screws, i have a few too tight.

anyway. i would never have brooke again. the band was over. i was away from home. my body was failing me, and part of my truth was that anything could happen, i'd still have myself. i didn't then. i couldn't recognize me in that body, in that mind. give me a moment to get myself together before we continue. ❞

@gllianowens

[sukepami]

That wasn’t like him. All the things Thomas had been doing those last days, to anyone that truly knew him, were concerning; all that scheming, plotting and lurking, the nights awake for hours on end, the sugarcoating. As straightforward as he could be, the way he had been acting around Hana was definitely unconventional. But everything had a reason, and every person had a goal, and every action had its consequences. Once a careless, innocent curiosity, his circling around his student was starting to look like something else, something far more terrible.

Obsession was a common denominator in his life, but one he kept under wraps. His hyperfocus was a secret suppressed under lock and key, together with his grief, his everlasting doubt about his days and pretty much anything that ever got under his skin. He would’ve obsessed over Hana and let the idea of her go with time, but those last few weeks, everything seemed a thousand times more difficult than it already was. Thom’s breakup still stung considerably, especially because it was his fault. He had let Banner go because he didn’t know how to deal with himself, let alone with his consuming ex-girlfriend. He had turned down countless opportunities of exposing his work in a few up-and-coming new galleries, with the excuse that none of them were ready. They were ready; he was the one that wasn’t.

At the eye of the storm lay his undergraduate, the unassuming, elegant girl that always looked bored out of her mind and much more worried about her smoking break than her lecture. Nothing ever seemed enough for Hana, and that had probably been the reason why he felt so drawn to her; he wanted to snap her out of it, to see those imaginary gears turning, noticing something other than her surroundings. He loved the unbothered type way too much for his own good, but something about her was different. A good different, one that he needed desperately to find out about. Working his influence around in order to have her near him hadn’t been hard, but maintaining her trust was a whole other matter.

She had to be out of her mind in order to accept becoming his assistant gladly. He knew that, she knew that, virtually any student from the fine arts department knew that universal truth. It was mindless, monotonous work, and the way she had physically recoiled when told about her new task was simply humorous to Thomas. That, however, didn’t keep him from rounding up on her constantly, wasting her time with things he could do by himself, but that still gave him the opportunity to see her act, talk, breathe, and be in a smaller, more intimate environment. That afternoon had been the perfect chance to put his plan in action; he expected some struggle from her. But he definitely didn’t expect her to accept his invitation so willingly. There she was again, beautiful, puzzling Hana, always proving him wrong, always making him realize how mistaken he was.

After stopping home as usual, checking on his mother and making sure she was still breathing, he had picked up his father’s stuff and stopped by her frat house punctually, around 19:30pm. As he navigated the streets to get to the address Hana had given him, they made idle, small talk, even though he wanted to breach way more intimate matters right there, inside of his car. He figured that would be coming off too strong, so instead, he told her details about his life. About his supermodel mom, his photographer dad, without ever letting her realize just how much that pained him. That heartbreak was one that could never be truly countered. 

“And this was my mom’s first magazine cover.” He pointed at the glossy page, still perfectly preserved, a rare addition to his father’s collection. It pictured his mother, naked from the waist up, lost eyes staring into the camera. Thomas always wondered what she felt whenever his father did his magic. By then, they had already been waiting for the food to be served, and he felt comfortable to bend over the rich wood table, close enough that he could smell her delectable perfume and her breath. A feast for the senses; he would need no common nourishment at all. “She blew up after that.”

[waitimcomingtoo]

I’m Not Half as Bad as You’ve Been Told

Pairing: Loki x Reader

Synopsis: Loki is arrested by the TVA for what he did to you 

This can be read on it’s own or as a spin off of in case you don’t live forever

Masterlist

Loki woke up in the Gobi Dessert in Mongolia after being ejected from the sky. The last thing he remembered was taking the tesseract after getting caught by the Avengers in New York. When he opened his eyes, he was met with four armed guards with their weapons pointed at them.

“Hunter B-15 with the Time Variance Authority here. Appears to be a standard sequence violation.” Hunter B-15 read off a small monitor. “Oh and look at that, you’re one of the TVA’s most wanted.”

“I beg your pardon?” Loki asked as he got off the ground.

“Hands up.” Hunter B-15 raised her weapon. “You’re coming with us.”

Before Loki could protest, he was knocked out and had a collar placed around his neck. He was brought to the TVA headquarters and handed off to Agent Mobius after being screened.

“Loki Laufeyson. I’m agent Mobius.” Mobius introduced himself as Loki tugged at his collar. “I hear the Time Keepers find you guilty of tampering with the sacred timeline.”

“The what?” Loki huffed.

“The sacred timeline. Looks like you stole the tesseract and committed crimes against the midgardian Y/n L/n.” The Mobius read off Loki’s file.

“Y/n?” Loki stumbled back at the unexpected mention of your name. “This is about her?”

“That’s part of your charges, yes. You’ll be given more details at your trial. But I’d ike to have a talk with you first. Come this way.” Mobius nodded towards the side and lead Loki to a room with a projector on a long conference table.

“What does this have to do with Y/n? Where is she? Is she all right?” Loki asked as he took a seat behind the projector. He had worried about you since the day you left him, even after you told him you never wanted to see him again.

“She’s fine.” Mobius assured him. “Even after you got a hold of her.”

“Is she here?” Loki hoped. “Could I see her?”

“No.” Mobius answered, making Loki’s face crumple. “She’s on Earth. You know, her home.”

“I know Midgard is her home.” Loki narrowed his eyes. “I also know how much she hated it there. But this all happened ages ago. Why am I being arrested for it now?”

“Well when you took the tesseract from its set path, the TVA was alerted and noticed that this wasn’t your first offense of tampering with the sacred time line. They saw that Y/n L/n never made it back to earth in 2019 after going to Asgard to retrieve the Aether. It went undetected at the time since the Aether made it back to earth like it was supposed to. She was supposed to go back as well, but she never made it. You were the one that kept her there.”

“How is that a crime?” Loki asked. “She wanted to stay with me. She was happy! She was happy on Asgard.”

“Was she?” Mobius raised his eyebrows and turned on the screen. “Because I think she was taken from her family, friends and home. Maybe I’m mistaken, though. Let’s take a look.”

Mobius pressed a button on a remote, and a projection appeared in front of them. Mobius began to fast forward through the foundational moments in Loki’s life until he got to what he was looking for. Loki watched in shock as an image of you, Thor, and Rocket creeping around a pillar in his home appeared on the screen. He wanted to shut his eyes and look away, but it had been so long since he’d seen you. He didn’t have the strength to look away from you now.

“I’m sure you remember why she was there.” Mobius said as he watched the scene unfold. “All she wanted was the infinity stone. She was trying to save the world. She missed her boyfriend and wanted to undo all the damage that Thanos had done. You couldn’t let her do that, could you?”

“The stone still made it back to earth.” Loki protested. “She said herself that she wasn’t an important part of the plan. And her “boyfriend” was nothing but dust particles. She-“

“Shh.” Mobius waved his hand. “The shows about to begin.”

Loki painfully returned his attention to the screen right as your first introduction played out. It was your job to distract Loki while Thor and Rocket collected the Aether.

Asgard 2013

“Who goes there?” Loki cringed at the sound of his own voice. He watched Rocket and Thor hide behind a pillar while you went out into the open. You walked into a room and found Loki lying on a couch, tossing something in the air and catching it. Loki sat up when he saw you, immediately on high alert.

“Who are you?” He demanded. “How did you get in here?”

“I’m so sorry, but my friends and I are here for the festival and I just had to sneak away to find you.” You gushed, trying to it best to look innocent. Loki took long strides towards you as he took in your appearance, highly skeptical of your story.

“My brother isn’t here.” Loki informed you, his voice thick with annoyance. “So you should best be on your way.”

“I’m not here for your brother.” You said coyly. You held his gaze as you signaled for Thor and Rocket to move to the next room.

“You’re here for me?” He cleared his throat to mask the disbelief in his voice. You nodded sweetly as Thor and Rocket snuck past you.

“Of course. My friends are obsessed with your brother, but I’ve always loved you. Won’t you show me a magic trick?” You batted your eyes flirtatiously, making a slight smirk appear on Loki’s face. Meanwhile, the present day Loki was watching the interaction with a pained expression. He remembered how it felt that first time you said you loved him. That was all he needed to hear before falling in love with you just the same.

“A magic trick?” The Loki on screen asked, mischief swirling behind his eyes.

“Well you are the God of Mischief, aren’t you?” You tilted your head to the side and looked at him through your eyelashes. A full, open mouthed smirk dressed his face now. His hand went to yours and it held it up, keeping your wrist tightly between his fingers. Loki brushed the fingers on his other hand over your palm and a diamond appeared. You looked at the beautiful diamond, weightless in your hand, and let out an unexpected gasp.

“Oh, Loki. That’s amazing.” You gave him an over dramatic sigh, but he completely fell for it. “But I don’t care much for diamonds. I haven’t any use for them.”

Loki felt a twinge of competition brewing in his chest, like he had to win your approval. You faked a yawn and his eyes gleamed with determination.

“You don’t like that? Well how about this?” Loki challenged and waved his fingers over your palm again. This time, a flower appeared. It didn’t look like any earthly flower. It was ten times more beautiful and smelled better than anything you had ever smelled before. The flowers colors were green and black with accents of gold, just like Loki’s outfit. You stared at the flower in amazement before looking up shyly at him. If you weren’t mistaken, the God of Mischief had a blush on his cheeks as he watched your face carefully for approval. Loki then picked up the flower and tucked it behind your ear. He began to lean in slightly, but you were interrupted by Thor and Rocket knocking over a vase. You noticed they had the stone and were ready to go. Luckily, you saw them before Loki did.

“What was-“ Loki began to turn his head towards the sound but you quickly put a hand behind his head and pulled him into a kiss. You felt his eyes flutter shut as you opened yours, catching sight of Rocket and Thor pretending to gag out of the corner of your eye. With one hand, you motioned for them to move. They quickly scattered and you pulled away from the kiss. Loki was fully blushing now but doing his best to conceal it, though his best wasn’t good enough. He seemed completely bewildered, making you wonder if he’d ever kissed anyone before. You touched your fingertips to your lips and felt a pang of guilt. This was your first time kissing someone other than Peter Parker in 5 years, and it made you feel guilty with how much you enjoyed it. Loki appeared to be just as lost in his thoughts as you were as he struggled to catch his breath. He ran a hand over the long black hair that you had slightly messed up in the back.

“Thanks for the flower. And for everything else. Bye!” You tried to make a quick escape, but Loki caught your arm.

“Wait!” He pulled you back towards him and looked at you with wide eyes. “Will I see you again?”

“No.” You smiled sadly. “I don’t think you will.”

“You’re not from here, are you?” He asked. “I know a Midgardian when I see one.”

“Good catch.” You let out a short laugh. “No, I’m not from here. I’m not even from this reality. I just needed to borrow something from your present. I’m from Earth, and I really have to get back.”

You tried to leave again, but Loki followed after to you and caught you by the waist. You stumbled back into his arms and blinked in surprise.

“Won’t you stay?” He asked hopefully. “We only just met. Do you have to leave so soon?”

“I do.” You frowned. “I’m sorry. I really need to go home.”

“All right.” Loki reluctantly let go of you. “If you must.”

You looked at him for a moment and chewed on your bottom lip, contemplating what to do. You looked behind you and saw Thor and Rocket preparing to leave. You motioned for them to leave without you before looking back at Loki.

“Do you have a pen?” You asked him.

“A what?”

“To write with.” You chuckled and motioned as of you were writing something down. Loki waved his hand and made a quill appear out of thin air, along with a piece of paper.

“That’ll work.” You shrugged and took the quill. You wrote your name and address down on the paper and handed it to him.

“If you’re ever on earth.” You smiled shyly. “Come find me.”

“I will.” He nodded eagerly.

“I really have to go now.” You said as you looked over your shoulder to where Thor was hiding. You turned back to Loki and gave him one last kiss, surprising the both of you.

“You’ll see me again.” You said softly. “Maybe not in this timeline, but the next.”

“That’s enough.” Loki interrupted, making the screen pause. “I know what happens. And since you’ve been studying me all my life as you claim, so do you. We don’t need to watch anymore.”

“I get it, you’re impatient.” Mobius held up his hands. “We can fast forward. How about we go to the part where you used magic to break her suit? Your brother was able to get back to Earth just fine, but she was stuck on Asgard. All because of you.”

Mobius pointed a remote at the screen and fast forwarding through Loki sneaking you to his bed chambers. He stopped when he got to you and Loki sitting on his silk sheeted bed.

“I don’t know why it won’t work.” You sighed as you touched all the buttons on your suit. “I must’ve run out of Pym Particles or something. I need to fix it so I can get back to Earth.”

“Right, right. Earth.” Loki said with disinterest. “What did you need to borrow anyway?”

“The aether.” You told him as the decor in his room caught your attention. You began to look at all his golden trinkets and stolen objects with awe.

“An infinity stone?” He was taken aback. “But why?”

“In the future, Thanos wipes out half the universe.” You began. “I’m on a recovery mission with the rest of the Avengers to collect the Infinity Stones to undo what he did. We’re trying to bring all the people back.”

“Half the people in the universe gone?” He gasped. “That sounds awful.”

“It is.” You stilled for a moment. “Honestly, I’m miserable. Absolutely miserable. All my family vanished. My boyfriend is gone. Half the Avengers are gone. The sky isn’t even blue anymore. It’s horrible.”

“So you aren’t happy there?” Loki asked as he walked over to you, a little jealousy bubbling when you mentioned a boyfriend.

“I hate it.” You admitted. “Everywhere I turn, I’m reminded of what I lost. That’s why it’s so important that we bring everyone back.”

“But what if your plan fails?” Loki wondered. “What if you don’t bring back all the stones? Or what if you do, but it doesn’t bring anyway back?”

“Then I don’t know what I’d do.” You shrugged sadly. “This plan is all I have. If it fails…”

“You don’t even want to think about that, do you?” He finished your sentence when you trailed off. You looked at him and nodded softly, grateful that he understood.

“Yeah.” You said quietly. “It’s too hard to imagine.”

“See?” Loki interrupted again. “She was miserable on Earth. She said it herself. I was trying to save her from a lifetime of misery.”

“I think you’re forgetting something.” Mobius reminded him.

“Forgetting what?” Loki scoffed.

“The plan worked.” Mobius said. “Thor brought the Aether back to her original timeline, and the Avengers were able to bring everyone back. She was supposed to go too, but she was left on Asgard. That was your first offense with the TVA.”

“Oh, screw the TVA.” Loki slammed his hand on the table. “She didn’t want to go back to Earth. She was unhappy there.”

“Is that why you told her Earth was destroyed?” Mobius asked. Loki stilled and sank in his seat as he was reminded of his lies. Mobius fast forwarded again, but didn’t play another scene. Instead, he paused on a clip of you looked utterly devestated. Loki had to look away, not wanting to see you in that much pain.

“Now, I’m not gonna play this part.” Mobius shook his head. “Because even I find it hard to watch. But you need to know what you did, so I’ll remind you.”

“You don’t need to do this.” Loki seethed. “I know what I did. I know what I told her.”

“Fine, then.” Mobius shrugged. “Why don’t you tell me what happened?”

Loki sucked in a sharp breath before looking back at the screen. The image of your desolate expression had never left his memory, so he really didn’t need to see it again to be reminded of what he had done.

“She tried to leave again.” Loki began as he stared at the screen. “I knocked her out with my magic. When she woke up, I told her Thanos had destroyed Earth and everyone on it. I said there was nothing left for her to return to.”

“She was devestated.” Mobius said quietly.

“I know she was.” Loki snapped. “She cried for a month straight.”

“So why’d you do it?” Mobius put his hands on his hips. “Why did you lie to her?”

“I didn’t want her to go.” Loki admitted, growing disgusted with himself. “I wanted her to stay with me on Asgard. She wouldn’t want to go back to Earth if she thought there was no Earth to go back to.”

“Why keep her?” Mobius wondered. “You barely knew her. Why hold her hostage like that?”

“She wasn’t held hostage.” Loki growled. “She was safe and loved and happy. No one on Asgard was taken better care of than she was. And I may not have known here when she first arrived, but we became inseparable after a while. We were almost married, for Odin’s sake. I’ll show you.”

Loki grabbed the remote from Mobius and pressed a button, fast forwarding until he found what he was looking for.

“Look.” Loki proudly pointed to the screen. “Watch this.”

He pressed play and watched as a memory of you and him played out on the screen.

“Where are we going?” You asked as Loki lead you somewhere with his hands over your eyes.

“Almost there. So impatient.” He clicked his tongue.

“You’ve taken me around the whole palace.” You chuckled. “I have a right to be impatient.”

“I suppose you’re right.” Loki stopped walking but didn’t remove his hands. “All right. We’re here.”

You pulled his hands off of your face and found yourself in front of two large green doors.

“Wow.” You said sarcastically. “Doors.

“Open the doors.” He rolled his eyes. You gave him a playful look over your shoulder before pushing the doors open.

“Oh my God.” You gasped when the doors opened. The room was decorated from ceiling to floor with all kinds of Asgardian wildlife. I’m the center of the room, your name was spelled out in the flower Loki had presented you with on the day you met. There was a running waterfall that cascading from the ceiling to the ground, leaving a soothing babbling sound throughout the room.

“It’s yours.” Loki said as he watched your reaction. “You mentioned once that you always wanted a garden. Now you do.”

“Oh, Loki.” You turned around and rushed into his arms. He stumbled back in surprise before hugging you back tightly.

“This is the nicest thing anyones ever done for me.” You mumbled against his chest.

“Well, you’ve been so upset lately. I wanted to cheer you up.” He said as he stroked your hair. It had been a month since he lied to you and told you that Earth was destroyed, and you were finally starting to act like yourself again.

“Thank you.” You pulled away to look at him. “I love it. It’s beautiful.”

“I truly hope you like it, darling.” He said softly as he brushed your cheek with his thumb. “It’s all yours.”

You looked into his eyes for a moment before your gaze fell to his lips. Since your last kiss, Loki had brought you food and kept you company every day. You had a built up a friendship with him since arriving to Asgard, but now you felt differently. There was a connection from the very first day, but it had gotten lost in your lament over your planets alleged destruction. Now, there was nothing stopping you from feeling that connection again. You hesitated before leaning it to kiss him. Just like last time, you felt his eyes flutter shut before he kissed you back. His hands cupped your face as you reached your arms around his neck. Loki watched your first kiss on the screen with a proud but mournful smile.

“Isn’t that something?” Mobius said as he paused the screen. Loki blinked back to reality and wiped his face, not realizing until that moment he had been crying.

“That scene speaks for itself.” Loki cleared his throat and tried to act like he hadn’t been crying. “You can see how happy she was. She loved that garden. And she loved me.”

“I don’t doubt that.” Mobius nodded. “But it’s hard to see past the fact that your entire relationship was built on a lie. She was only with you because she thought her home was destroyed.”

“She was with me for three years.” Loki said sharply. “The lie may have kept her there in the beginning, but she stayed willingly after that. She wanted to be on Asgard. She wanted to be with me.”

“Maybe. But she wasn’t supposed to be.” Mobius reminded him. “That wasn’t her timeline. She was supposed to be on Earth. She was supposed to be with Peter.”

“Peter?” Loki sputtered in disdain. “Peter Parker? Her little boyfriend from when she was a teenager?”

“In most time lines, they end up together.” Mobius said, knocking the wind out of Loki’s chest. “She went on that mission because she wanted to bring him back. Do you think she would have stayed, even for a second, if she knew her boyfriend Peter was alive back on Earth?”

“She told me they were 17 when the Thanos wiped out half the universe. That means Peter would’ve been 17 when he returned. She was 22 when she came to Asgard. She hadn’t been his girlfriend for 5 years. She had grown up. Her life went on. They would’ve had nothing in common anymore.”

“But she was supposed-“

“Who cares what she was supposed to do?” Loki snapped. “Why does the TVA get to decided what she was supposed to do or where she was supposed to be?”

“They’re the Time Keepers. They make the rules. And the rules say you can’t take someone from a different timeline and marry them. Oh, that reminds me.”

“Reminds you of what?”

“Your punishment. Mobius pressed a different button and a cloudy box appeared. “Go in there while I get the rest of your files.”

“What? I’m not going in there.” Loki scoffed.

“Don’t make me get the guards.” Mobius sighed. Loki clenched his jaw and looked at the ceiling, not wanting to be overpowered by the guards again. He reluctantly stood up, gave Mobius a sarcastic smile, and went through the cloudy portal.

As soon as Loki stepped through the portal, he stepped into his bedroom back on Asgard. He took another step forward, just as something stirred in his sheets. You sat up all the sudden, hair messy and wearing Loki’s horned crown. It was too big for your head and hung in your eyes, but the sight still took Loki’s breath away.

“Y/n?” Loki gasped and stepped forward.

“Hi.” You said before yawning. “I wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Go ahead.” Loki nodded eagerly. He failed to see how this was a punishment. It had been so long since he last saw you that this felt more like a reward.

“I want our wedding to be earth themed.” You told him as you took his hands in yours.

“Our…our wedding?” Loki asked. He looked around the room and realized that he was not actually with you, but reliving a memory from years ago.

“Yeah.” You smiled shyly. “I just miss it so much. I want it to be a part of our special day.”

Loki found himself at a loss for words. He knew that when this memory originally happened, he had continued to lie to you and lead you to believe Earth had been destroyed. This time, he knew better and kept his mouth shut.

“We could have sunflowers.” You continued. “That was my favorite flower back on earth. And we could serve earth food and play earth music and-“

“Of course darling.” He cut you off and squeezed your hand. “Whatever you want. We will have it all.”

“Thank you. And if it’s not too much to ask, I want a minute of silence where everyone lights a candle.” You said quietly. “For Peter.”

Loki gulped and forced a smile, that line causing him just as much pain now as it did then.

“Of course.”

“Thank you.” You stood up from the bed and hugged him tightly. Loki hugged you back with a troubling frown on his face. He had forgotten how guilty he felt every time he had to lie to you. He pulled away and brought you into a long kiss, wordlessly trying to convey that he loved you and was sorry.

“I can’t wait. I can’t tell you how much I miss earth.” You sighed against his lips.

“Mm hm.” He gulped.

“I just wish I could’ve seen it one last time.” You frowned, eyes growing tearful. “I feel so guilty all the time. I would’ve died too if I had gone back with Thor when I was supposed to.”

“Then it’s a good thing you didn’t go.” Loki said weakly, knowing Thor was very much alive in your timeline back on Earth.

“I know.” You sighed. “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to shake the survivors guilt. It makes me sick sometimes.”

Loki stayed silent as he fingers drummed against your waist. Before he could respond, his body jerked back and he suddenly reentered the room.

“Hi.” You said before yawning. “I wanted to talk to you about something.”

Loki looked behind him before looking back at you. The memory played all over again, forcing him to lie to you once again. When you told him how guilty you felt, he was sent back and had to relive the moment over again. Each time he had to lie to you, he felt more disgusted with himself. After the thirteenth time, he had enough.

“I just wish I could’ve seen it one last time.” You frowned, eyes growing tearful. “I feel so guilty all the time. I would’ve died too if I had gone back with Thor when I was supposed to.”

“I lied to you.” He admitted. “Earth was never destroyed. Thor and all the Avengers and your family, they’re all fine.”

“What?” You blinked in confusion.

“I’m not your savior. I didn’t save you from anything. I stole you from your time line because I fell in love with you the moment we met. You were the first person to show a a genuine interest in me, and I took advantage of that. And for that, I am deeply, deeply sorry.”

“Oh, Loki.” You sighed and stroked his face. “It’s too late for that.”

“What?” He frowned as he wrapped his hand around your wrist to keep your palm against his face.

“I’m not even here.” You whispered.

“All right Loki.” Mobius walked through the portal before Loki could answer you. “I got the rest of your files. Let’s go.”

“But…I can’t just leave her.” Loki held on to you tightly.

“She’s not even real.” Mobius shrugged as he held up his remote. It pulled Loki back through the portal and he stumbled back into his seat.

“Here’s the last one.” Mobius said, but Loki wasn’t listening. He was still thinking about how it felt to touch you one last time. He blinked back a tear before looking up at the screen. You were there once again, talking to one of the new maids.

“Oh, I wasn’t born here.” He heard you telling the maid. “I’m from Earth.”

“A midgardian?” The maid smiled. “Wow. You’re quite far from home.”

“I know.” You smiled sadly. “I miss it every day. But I’m happy here. I’m really happy with Loki.”

“If you miss it, why don’t you go back?” The maid asked, making Loki suck in a breath. He knew exactly what was coming.

“Go back?” You furrowed your eyebrows. “What do you mean? Earth was destroyed three years ago.”

“No it wasn’t.” The nurse laughed. “Earth is fine.”

The audio faded out as you turned to look at Loki. He felt like you were looking right through him, down to his rotten soul. Your face was frozen in horror and betrayal as you finally learned the truth. Three years after arriving on Asgard, you found out your home hadn’t been destroyed after all. It was all a lie. A lie told to you by the man you thought you loved.

“Stop.” Loki choked out. “Stop it. Turn it off.”

Mobius paused the screen and looked at Loki in silence. To his surprise, Loki was wiping his tears off on the sleeves of his jumpsuit. His eyes were red and full of remorse as he looked up at the screen.

“I don’t need it see it again.” He whispered. “I know she trusted me. I know I betrayed her. I did that.”

“So you understand why the TVA is arresting you?” Mobius asked softly. “You didn’t just steal the tesseract. You stole that girl from her reality. Even if she loved you, she was never supposed to be with you.”

Loki nodded before hanging his head in shame. He knew what he had done was wrong. He knew it the entire time he was doing it. Even though he betrayed you out of his love for you, he still betrayed you.

“You’re right.” Loki said sincerely. “She was never mine to keep. Never mine to lose either.”

“No, she wasn’t.” Mobius agreed as he watched Loki curiously. The look of utter remorse on Loki’s face was out of character after everything Mobius had studied about him.

“Could you just tell me if she’s all right?” Loki sniffled. “That’s all I ask. Is she okay?”

“She’s fine.” Mobius answered. “She’s fighting for the Avengers again and reunited with her family.”

“Is she still miserable?”

“No.” Mobius smiled a little. “Not anymore.”

“And…and Peter?” His voice was barely audible now.

“Don’t worry about that.” Mobius told him. “It won’t do you any good. And for what it’s worth, there are timelines that exists where she stays. There’s even a timeline where you two are alligators and rule a kingdom in a lake.”

Loki smiled too, grateful that you were able to move on after his betrayal. Mobius furrowed his eyebrows at the sight of Loki genuinely caring about another human being, something he was not used to seeing.

“I could show you one more thing.” Mobius offered sympathetically. Loki reluctantly looked back at the screen as the man his play. To his surprise, all the good moments of his relationship with you flashed before him. All the kisses and laughter, fond smiles and endearing moments played on the screen, bringing tears to his eyes. He leaned toward on the table to get as close to you as possible, reaching out towards you with his shackled hands. The screen went blank suddenly, and his smile fell.

“They’re ready for you.” Mobius said as he checked his phone. “I can take you to the court now.”

Loki stayed silent as he was lead to the courtroom and sat in front of the judge. All he could think about was the moments of happiness he had been able to relive.

“Loki Laufeyson.” The judge brought his attention back. “How do you plead?

Loki blinked a few times, your smile flashing before him each time he closed his eyes. He thought about he had caused that smile to fade with every lie he told, and that’s when he knew he had his answer. He looked the judge right in the eye and entered his plea.

“Guilty.”

[vrishchikawrites]

You know what would be interesting?

JC never lost his golden Core.

And Wei Wuxian did not lose his.

But he still gets dropped into the Burial Mounds. And like I dunno how, but he comes out of there having mastered the new form of cultivation.

Jiang Cheng acts like a dick that's par for cannon. And this Wei Wuxian who has survived the burial Mounds with his golden core intact has no time for his drama.

He definitely confesses to Lan Wangji o ce he is out of the burial mounds.

Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji in the Sunshot campain would be brilliant. Cultivating and * *wink wink nudge nudge* * dual cultivating.

JC is seething with jelousy. He has everything. The gentry name, the money and sect leadership but the whole world is only speaking about Wei Wuxian and his like awesome cultivation. Both the sword style and with his flute.

Wen Qing and Wen Ning- Wen Ning convinces his sister to join the war. Wen Ning wants to be on Wei Wuxian's side.

What would JC throw a tantrum over if he doesn't have anything to throw a tantrum over??

Like for example he blames Wei Wuxian for Lotus Pier burning. Obviously it's not his mistake. But one day he is yelling at Wei Wuxian about it and sect leader someone maybe XiChen, maybe Sect leader Nie. Whoever. Comes and like defends Wei Wuxian.

What would he do then faced with the facts? Cling all the more to his warped world view? Or apologize?

It will be interesting to see.

You don't have to take this prompt if it's too messy or whatever. I love you and your writing.

Also, thank you for choosing to write my previous prompt.

XOXO.

(this is a little similar to trapped and patient but also quite different. Hope you like it! The format is a bit different because this is a lot of time to cover in a short prompt)

When he stumbles out of the Burial Mounds, Wei Wuxian is stunned. He can't believe he made it, that he was able to survive it, without his sword.

Wei Wuxian walks forward shakily, one unsteady step at a time, putting distance between him and that wretched place.

He feels weak, drained, devastated in small ways.

But he is free.

---

Yiling offers shelter in unexpected ways. He's able to hide in a temple to recover. His condition is wretched enough that he's mistaken for a beggar. A few people take pity on him and offer fruits and buns.

It takes him a week.

That's all it takes for him to recover.

Wei Wuxian washes all traces of Burial Mounds off him, soaks in icy river water for hours on end until he feels purified and reforged.

Now, he's ready for revenge.

---

Wei Wuxian has only tried his cultivation method on the dead. He has used it to repel the fierce corpses, fierce ghosts, and spirits soaked in resentment.

When he tests the method on the Wens, it proves to be even more effective. They scramble like mindless beasts, driven by fear and confusion. The sounds of his Dizi pierce the air and induce madness.

He watches from a distance, indifferent as the Wens turn on each other, swinging their swords, shouting at phantoms, all sense and intellect gone.

He turns away.

---

Jiang Cheng's arms wrap around him and the fog around his mind starts to slowly recede. He stands stiffly, blinking a little before looking beyond his martial brother.

Lan Zhan is there, staring at him with wide eyes. There's so much open concern on his usually stoic face that Wei Wuxian wants to turn away.

"Wei Ying,"

It is only then, under the power of that golden gaze, that his fugue state dissipates. He sees Lan Zhan step forward, almost reaching out only to pull back at the last moment.

Jiang Cheng pushes him away and punches his shoulder, "Where have you been? How dare you abandon us and just frolic off somewhere?"

Wei Wuxian swalllows with difficulty and answers their questions with his habitual dismissive charm.

But that honest expression of open concern on Lan Zhan's beautiful face doesn't leave.

He meets those golden eyes and feels something shift within him.

Shaking his head, he dismisses the feeling. There's no time for sentimental reunions. He turns his attention towards Wen Chao, unsheathes his sword, and kills him in one clean strike.

There. Done.

---

The war is already in full swing by the time he joins it. His martial brother and Lan Zhan are quick to take him to Qinghe, not even letting him ride his own sword.

"Wei-gongzi, I'm happy to see you safe," Lan Xichen greets, running a discreet eye over him. The older Lan brother's concern is well hidden but Wei Wuxian senses it nevertheless.

The man looks like he's just about ready to banish him to the healing halls.

He opens his mouth to reassure Lan Xichen but Nie Mingjue intervenes, slapping his back solidly, "I hear you're responsible for the devastation at Yiling. Good work!"

Wei Wuxian smiles brightly, hoping to banish that increasingly familiar look from Lan Zhan's face. "Thank you, Nie-zongzhu." He smiles up at the man, "I can give you a full report of what happened if you wish it."

The Chifeng-zun's expression shifts into one of approval and he nods, "I do wish it."

"I would like to know as well, if you don't mind," Lan Xichen says and Nie Mingjue nods before he glances at Lan Zhan.

He chuckles, "Lan er-gonzi can join us as well."

---

Wei Wuxian doesn't realize he's been spending more time with the Lan brothers and Nie Mingjue until Jiang Cheng angrily points it out.

"You're too good for us, are you?" He demands, "Abandoning us in favor of your new friends! Even in the battlefield, you and Lan Wangji are inseparable! Have some shame! How dare you abandon your responsibilities and mess around with that man?"

"a-Cheng," Shijie reprimands gently but her voice is weak.

"Aiya, Jiang Cheng, who keeps track of such things amidst a war? They're all our allies. It's not like I have abandoned everyone." He still trains with the Jiang disciples and leads them in battle after all.

"Wei Wuxian!"

"Jiang Cheng," His voice makes his irritation clear, "Is this really the right time to worry about such trivial matters? Who cares about appearances during war? Are were not all one when on the battlefield?" He asks, narrowing his eyes on the furious Jiang, "We don't know whether we'll live or die when we ride out and you're concerned about who fights alongside me? Just who are you speaking of?"

"Who I am speaking of?" Jiang Cheng snaps in return, "Your obsession with that man is unseemly and reflects poorly on the sect! You know it and yet you carry on shamelessly-"

"My obsession?" He demands, "Just what are you trying to imply, Jiang Cheng? You're going to be a brat just because Lan Zhan happens to be the only one able to keep up with me?" It is no secret that his three month stint sharpened his cultivation in ways people find hard to fathom. He didn’t just develop a new cultivation method, he grew. Surviving the Burial Mounds is a feet beyond the skill and endurance of most cultivators. 

Wei Wuxian has earned his already formidable reputation.

Jiang Cheng reels back at the reminder, his face twisting with rage.

Never let it be said that Wei Wuxian takes things lying down. He has spent a lifetime appeasing Jiang Cheng and dealing with his insecurities.

He no longer has the patience.

---

He reaches out instinctively, pulling Lan Zhan out of a blade's path, spinning around to block the strike with his bare arm.

His thick leather brace manages to minimize the damage and he doesn't lose his arm but it is a near thing.

With a hiss, he crowds against Lan Zhan and brings Suibian down in a sharp slash, cutting the Wen before him from left shoulder to right hip.

"Reckless." Lan Zhan says later as he carefully stitches the cut.

"I couldn't let you get hurt." Wei Wuxian says softly, peering down at the kneeling figure before him. He has seen Lan Zhan in various states of indignity, covered in blood, robes soaked in the disgusting sludge of a war-torn field.

Nothing diminishes his beauty.

Wei Wuxian's heart races, his head spinning as he smells the scent of sandalwood. He swallows as Lan Zhan shifts closer, carefully snipping the excess thread and studying his neat stitches.

This close, he feels overwhelmed and realization dawns.

"I love you," He breathes, stunned.

He loves Lan Zhan. The knowledge strikes him now, suddenly, without warning. "How did I not know?" Wei Wuxian feels strangely dazed. How could he not know? It is so obvious to him, his constant need for Lan Zhan's attention, "I hate it when you ignore me." The feeling of those snapping golden eyes on him when he finally manages to gain Lan Zhan's attention, "It's thrilling when you don't."

He has never met anyone more beautiful, "I find you better looking than any maiden." Lan Zhan's proximity now makes him feel-, "Breathless," He says, "When I'm close to you I feel- how did I miss-"

Lan Zhan grip is like vice around his wrist.

Wei Wuxian stops, going pale as he realizes how brazenly he had just confessed love to a man. If Jiang Cheng were here, he'd definitely gut him with Sandu, "Lan Zhan, I-"

Lan Zhan surges forward, eyes blazing and expression dark.

Warm lips slide over his and his mind goes silent.

He doesn't think a single thought that night.

---

War doesn't wait for anyone and Wei Wuxian doesn't say anything in protest when Lan Zhan pulls away from him. He watches with heavy eyes as Lan Zhan shrugs on his discarded outer robes and glances at him.

"Is your body alright?" He asks and Wei Wuxian feels a blush crawl up his neck.

“No! Of course it isn’t,“ He complains even though his body is buzzing with lingering pleasure. He pouts up at Lan Zhan, who studies him with careful golden eyes, “Really, going on and on, taking your pleasure without any care for my virgin body.“ Lan Zhan’s ears are delightfully red, “Who knew er-gege could be so bold?“

“Wei Ying,“ Lan Zhan’s expression is flat but his voice carries a hint of a waver. Wei Wuxian just grins in response, “Be serious.“

In all honesty, his body is already back to its regular state of being. His Golden Core is still spinning furiously and the lingering energy from Dual Cultivation has healed any aches and pains he might have. 

“Fine,“ He says in a petulant tune, inwardly delighted that Lan Zhan is now his, “But er-gege must kiss me to make me feel better.”

Lan Zhan doesn’t hesitate, leaning over him and gently tipping his chin up for the demanded kiss. 

Wei Wuxian sighs, sinking into it as a curtain of silken black hair forms a private cocoon around him. 

---

The war ends but Wei Wuxian’s problems don’t end with it. Three issues stand before him; helping the Wen remnants, helping rebuild YunmengJiang, and figuring out how to marry Lan Zhan. 

One obstacle stands in the way of two of these three goals. Jiang Cheng absolutely refuses to lift a finger to help the Wen remnants, even though Wen Qing’s assistance helped them win the war. Jin Guangyao may have killed Wen Ruohan but Wen Qing prevented thousands of casualties.

Wen Ning was also responsible for rescuing Jiang Cheng from the Wen capture before he lost his Golden Core. It was fortunate that Wen Zhuliu had been called to visit Wen Ruohan and Wen Chao had to wait to enact that punishment. 

Wen Ning and Wei Wuxian managed to steal Jiang Cheng away just hours before Wen Zhuliu returned.

And yet, Jiang Cheng chooses to side with the Jins on the matter instead of listening to Lan Xichen or Nie Mingjue. Wei Wuxian knows it is partly because their sister is marrying into the Jin clan and they can’t afford to make things difficult for her, but still.

Jin Zixuan will obviously protect shijie. There’s no need to be so cautious, especially if three out of four sects oppose imposing any sort of punishment on innocent people. 

On a personal front, Jiang Cheng’s disapproval of his relationship with Lan Zhan is blatant.

Jiang Cheng can’t really stop Wei Wuxian from marrying whoever he wishes. He doens’t need the sect leader’s permission as he’s not really the member of the family. But his shidi is making things difficult with his sneering disapproval and contemptuous comments in public.  

He has already alienated Lan Xichen completely by calling Lan Zhan’s honor in question (boy did he earn the punch Wei Wuxian had leveled at him - sect leader or no). Nie Mingjue will never side with some upstart over Lan Xichen. 

Lan Zhan himself doesn’t care. He has never liked Jiang Cheng and he never will. He only retaliates when Jiang Cheng tries to attack Wei Wuxian. 

His protective er-gege as no tolerance for anyone trying to harm him.

Which is what, ultimately, breaks Wei Wuxian’s ties with YunmengJiang. 

The confrontation is embarrassingly public. He doesn’t mind Lan Xichen or Nie Mingjue being present but feels upset about Jin Guangshan and Jin Guangyao being there as well. 

“Twin Prides of Yungmeng, isn’t that what you promised me?“ Jiang Cheng demands, “Where will your pride be if you break all of your promises and get into...” He waves his hand at Lan Zhan in disgust, “Is this how you intend to repay us? My father raised you to be the Head Disciple of the Jiang Sect and you would rather be some sort of deviant?“

“Jiang Cheng-“

“And you would side with the Wen dogs too! Was this always your intention? Did you always want to bring down my sect and support its enemies?” 

“The Wen remnants have helped us. They’re not our enemies.“

“They’re not our enemies now,“ Jin Guanyao interjects calmly, his voice soothing and patient, “But surely you see that it may not remain so? We cannot risk another war.”

“They’re barely a few hundred people and we have already taken most of their resources. They’ll live as poor peasants. How can they be a threat to us?“ Wei Wuxian asks. 

“You’re indeed naïve, Wei-gongzi,“ Jin Guangshan says in a gentle, placating tone, “Perhaps your fondness for Wen-guniang is making you turn a blind eye. Beautiful women have a tendency to do that.“ He chuckles indulgently.

The sly implication in his tone isn’t lost on anyone. Lan Zhan’s expression turns frosty and Wei Wuxian feels a surge of fury strong enough to make his blood boil. There are so many things wrong with that statement that Wei Wuxian, for once, is rendered speechless.

“You question the honor of Wei Wuxian of all people?“ Nie Mingjue demands, taking a step forward, “I have stayed silent because Jiang Sect business isn’t my business but I will not have you slander and belittle a proven warrior in my presence!“

“Indeed,“ Lan Xichen says calmly but there’s no mistaking the sharp look in his eyes. Lan Xichen rarely reacts to provocations or interferes in sect matters that don’t concern him. But he’s not going to let anyone upset his younger brother carelessly, “The matter of the Wens is easy to resolve. Let us give them a small piece of land, let them set up a village, and forbid cultivation among them.“

“Er-ge,“ Jin Guangyao begins but Lan Zhan is out of patience. 

He steps back and bows to all assembled before placing a hand on Wei Wuxian’s back, “Wei Ying will choose his own path. Wens will remain free. Wei Ying and I will marry.“ He meets Jiang Cheng’s furious gaze, “Jiang-zongzhu must decide whether his brother’s happiness matters to him.“

Wei Wuxian winces. 

“My brother’s happiness?“ Jiang Cheng demands, “All everyone has ever cared about is his happiness! What about me? What about our Sect? A sect he nearly destroyed because of his loyalty towards you.“ Jiang Cheng looks at him, “Did you forget my mother? My father? How do you intend to repay the enormous debt you carry, Wei Wuxian?“

Wei Wuxian stares back at him, “What is my repayment, Jiang Cheng?” He asks softly, “What will it take for you to consider that debt repaid?” It has been over five years since the fall of Lotus Pier. Wei Wuxian has bled and slogged through war to restore that place to its former glory. He has kept Jiang Cheng safe, helped renegotiate shijie’s marriage, and used his name to draw skilled cultivators to YungmengJiang. 

What more can he give? 

“Loyalty.“ He stills, “You devote your life to YungmengJiang and nothing else.“

Lan Xichen makes a faint, alarmed noise while Nie Mingjue huffs in disapproval. 

Wei Wuxian takes a deep breath, feeling Lan Zhan’s fingers flex on his back. He levels a flat look at Jiang Cheng and thinks on the matter of debts. He thinks about Madam Yu’s refusal to bend, of Jiang-zongzhu’s passivity and lack of planning. He thinks about the Wen’s unprovoked attack on Cloud Recesses and the inevitability of war. 

He thinks of his Lan Zhan and shijie’s Jin Zixuan, without swords and facing an armed group of Wens under Wen Chao’s orders. 

He thinks of love. Of what it means to be truly, unconditionally loved. 

No sorrys and no thank yous. No debt owed for simply being a part of someone’s life. 

He thinks of acceptance that comes with an older brother’s amused smile. He thinks of an uncle’s gruff admonishment to behave followed by a stiff reminder to eat, you’re skin and bones already. 

He takes a deep breath and decides. 

“No.“

[the-bugs-under-ur-skin]

Yandere Sunny, Kel, Basil HC’s - Omori

[small spoiler alerts for Omori] 

[yandere Sunny x reader]

-Sunny is quiet most of the time, so he’ll probably be watching you more than talking to you

-That doesn’t always mean stalking, however. Even if you’re good friends he’d just stay by your side and have his eyes glued to you the entire time

-Don’t be mistaken though, Sunny definitely still has stalker-ish tendencies 

-He would take pictures of you on his own, but maybe if he needed to he’d steal a pic or two from Basil

-his love for you isn’t exactly a secret. his constant clinginess and red face is evidence of that.

-sometimes he’ll just wait outside his house hoping you walk by and ask him to hang out

-if you do end up hanging out, he’ll make sure you guys spend the whole day together.

-he’ll purposely be stubborn and quiet to draw time with you out sometimes

-since Sunny doesn’t really have anything else going for him he might rely on you a little too much

-he legit can’t lose you, it’s his new biggest fear

-he really wants to invite you over his house for a sleepover because he just wants to wake up from one of those nightmares and know it’s all okay

-unfortunately, Sunny might never find the words to properly invite you over

-very protective of you, 100%

-he’s always ready to slice someone when you need it <3

-like legit, he wouldn’t mind killing someone in front of you

-hopefully you don’t mind it, he never learns his lesson and his anger can’t be controlled when it comes between you and danger

-Sunny is also pretty touch-starved when it comes to you

-he won’t usually initiate most affection however, he’ll give you hugs on special occasions

- more often he’ll just stand very close to you and would even lean against your side when it’s just you and him

-so hopefully you can understand and turn around to give him a hug

-he’d probably start to shake and his entire face will glow red

-like, for real, he’ll be all emotionless and stuff but even the thought of being actually touched can send him into a flustered panic

-if you ever have to go away for a bit on a trip or something he’ll probably be stuck in his own head, only thinking about you

-just talk to him when you can, it’ll help in the long run, i promise

-and when he finally has to move away at first he might cry and have several panic attacks

-he’ll lash out at some people that get to close to him during that time, it’s just too much

-eventually, he might hide out with you, or even try to force you to run away with him

-he doesn’t want to be alone again, please don’t leave him

-he’ll do anything to stay with you, because he loves you

[yandere Kel x reader]

-he’s absolutely love-struck, pining over you at every moment

-he probably tried to model his relationship after Hero and Mari’s

-so when Mari dies, Kel will probably will go from pretty lovesick to full on intense yandere

-you’re pretty much the only thing that floats around in his head all day

-it’s always about what you did that day or what he wants to do with you, where you guys should hang out

-at that point, it annoys him when he starts thinking about something else

-Kel likes to think of you guys as basically married

-he isn’t completely delusional though, he understands what your guys’ relationship is

-his jealousy might spike and his patience for others will thin when you actually start dating though

-he’s never really thought about romantic feelings, so when he does, it makes him nervous that other people have those thoughts about you

-sometimes, if they really push it, he’ll even yell at his friends and family

-it’s not a big deal to him, Kel is just being a good boyfriend and making sure you’re safe

-he’ll still apologize to everyone, it just might take him awhile

-even when he does apologize, he’ll still see himself in the right

-it’s also fun to imagine Kel snapping at Aubrey’s gang if they pick a fight with you

-he love planning your future together, no matter how close or far it is

-he’s always really giddy to spend time with you

-Kel will usually wake up really early just to get ready for you, even if you’re just hanging at his house or something

-he’s mega clingy, he loves hugging you, holding your hand, he’ll even grab onto your arm and walk around like that for the rest of the day

-he’s completely ready to protect you though, trying his best to be as chivalrous as his brother

-it’s super cool if you try to protect him too, he’ll probably fall in love with you all over again

-i could see him as one of those guys that has a shrine dedicated to you

-he misses you a lot whenever you’re not by his side so he just wants a piece of you with him at all times

-but he won’t steal anything from you, it’s all things you’ve made for him or some of your things you’ve generously let him keep

-(also, small headcanon but if you handmake him a gift or write him a letter/poem he’ll melt into a pile of yandere goo)

-another thing he’d probably do is give you some of his personal items because the thought of you missing him as much as he misses you hurts him so much its almost physically painful

-besides, what’s his is also yours! it’s not like he’ll never see it again, he’s at your house all the time

-he can’t help but prefer you’re house! it’s just so... you!

-he’ll get embarrassed about his feelings for you, but no matter how strong they get he’ll never see anything wrong with them

-he just sees his feelings as completely average, even when the people close to him start pointing out his obsessive behavior

-he cares about his friends and family, of course he does!

-but for you, he’d do absolutely anything for you

[yandere Basil x reader]

-while Basil likes plants, he also reminds me of one

-when a plant needs light, it’ll leans towards the sun

-and well, you’re Basil’s sun of course! he can’t help but stick around you, he needs you to live

-unlike the others, you’ll probably be protecting him more

-not that he wants to put you in danger, but he can’t really protect you, let alone himself

-and Basil is not above picking fights if it means you’ll pay attention to him

-he’ll probably start being a little more dramatic with everything too

-he’ll cry so you take care of him and keep him inside

-Basil will then bring up the incident if you ever try to drag him outside

-he gets way more excited then he should when you break down and stay

-since he likes to take pictures, it’s pretty obvious he takes a lot of you

-he probably personalized a photo album personalized to match you

-The album is your favorite color, covered in stickers of your favorite things, and of course it’s filled to the brim with pictures of just you

-he also has plants that remind him of you

-Basil probably talks to the plants like they’re actually you, too

-and if you ever make a flower crown with the same type of flower that reminds him of you, his brain might stop working

-he’s just so glad you like those flowers, so much that you want to wear a flower crown with them

-and then if you wear flower crowns together, he won’t stop blushing until you take it off

-he’s happy to have something matching with you, he finally feels like he’s just a normal guy with a normal crush

-of course, right after he thinks that he takes, like, 20 photos of you for his album

-Basil is probably the most insecure out of the three

-he’s completely terrified from the thought of you suddenly distancing yourself

-it’s a little ironic considering he’d probably avoid all his other friends in favor of your company instead

-and honestly, he’d probably try to distance himself from you too

-but you’re just so special that if you breaking through Basil’s barriers is easier done than said, seriously

-he had a nice safe space starting and now that you’ve come and imposed on that, you’re a permanent part of that

-hell, you might even become the safe space!

-he now relies on every single one of your affections, all of you caring looks and smiles

-just stay by his side forever, let him be your number one priority

-he just can’t let anyone else have you, please just stay inside with him

-besides, it might be for the best

-the world is an absolutely terrifying place

-but Basil isn't scary, Basil is just your best friend!

-and you both can hide from the outside together

-always and forever <3

[neocatharsis]

Ten on his new Represent capsule, grappling with creativity, and evading genre lines.

As Ten Lee - a vocalist and dancer in K-pop groups NCT (with whom he debuted in 2016) and Super M, and Chinese group WayV - is musing over his proclivity for partnering music or visual styles in a way that others deem strange, he veers off on a tangent. “Anything can be matched… except juice and coffee,” he says, suddenly. “Those two should never be.” Ten is infamously anti-fruit. It stems from a mistaken process of association in childhood where “I had the image of a spider and the image of fruit mixed up,” he laughs awkwardly, “so now whenever I put fruit in my mouth, I think there’s spiders in my mouth.”

Random abstractions such as this pepper his rapid-fire conversation, like small fireworks fizzing through the dark. Excitable, enthused and sharply alert, if Ten’s energy was visible it would be a shimmering mantle of gold and silver dust. As a dancer, he moves with a sinuous, controlled power that can shift from elegant to explosive on a single beat. As a visual artist, the Bangkok-born, multilingual 25-year-old recently added the title of designer to his growing list of achievements, launching an already sold out collaboration with the bespoke merch platform Represent.

Aptly, he named his collaboration “What is ??? THE ANSWERS”, for although being a chameleonic artist is one of Ten’s greatest strengths, the personality traits that enable this created within him question marks around how he saw himself fitting into the world. “People ask me, ‘What kind of music do you like?’ And I say, ‘I like R&B but hope it sounds rock’. And they’re like, ‘That doesn’t make sense’.” It was troubling to Ten that people began telling him who he was and how he should be, instead of accepting him as is.

In a recent Instagram Live, the myriad of Ten’s contrasts tumble forthwith. He’s the doting cat-dad. His inner emo, who loves rock music, shows off dried roses, with the stern, black, geometric lines of the large tattoo on his inner right arm sometimes visible. But he’s also delicate in a way, with his butterfly tattoo and hair lightly permed, who names daisies as his other favourite flower, and plays Fousheé’s breathy TikTok hit, 'Deep End'.

“Have you seen the image where I have my name in a cross in lots of different languages?” He pulls the image up on his phone. The design sits on his Represent long sleeve tee. “I was thinking [about this], like, what you’re saying... Ten has this luvvie flower side and a very ‘rawwrr!’ side. I’m always like, ‘Ten, what kind of person are you?’ I do ask myself that, too, because everything I like is so different [to the other].” He could have conceded, and reined himself in. He’s pushed back instead. “I thought, ‘I can be anything I want, I can be this in the morning and this at night. I can be any person I want to be’. And that’s what makes me comfortable and happy.”

On his Instagram, Polaroids feature scrawled messages, like “Don’t tell me what to do!” and “Whatever! I’ll do it my way”. The designs of his collaboration seek to challenge being boxed in by other people’s standards, thus limiting ourselves. The recurring symbol of a cross tipped with arrows is a nod to the Chinese letter for 10, but doubles as a plus sign. He’s added it to his Instagram, writing “TEN_+•10” in his bio. “A plus sign can mean that you’re adding on and growing.” He points to another version of the arrow-cross, one with short diagonal dashes between its points that symbolise light. It means, he says, “that I’m radiating. I’m burning, I’m active, I’m doubling myself.” He touches his forearm, where crowning his geometric tattoo is a blazing sun. “I have this, like, if you want to be the light, you have to burn. I relate to that.”

This isn’t to say Ten’s self-exploration is complete. While celebrating his strengths, the artwork also portrays parts of himself not yet conquered. He admits to being a chronic overthinker: “Even very small things that happen to me, I rethink a thousand times, and I get stressed out because of the things I do. Like, the main theme [here] is me overthinking but trying to find an answer even though it doesn’t have any answer.” Fittingly, spiral shapes dominate his designs, looming large amongst bright, bold shapes that evoke 80s Pop Art and graffiti, though Ten shies away from defining himself as “fully an artist, I’m not in the position to say things like that yet.”

“I’m still learning and trying new things. You learn by getting different elements from different people and I’m in that stage now.” He enjoys wandering the infinite halls of Instagram and Pinterest where he screenshots art that he likes, lost in the images, often for hours. He explains that he’s mostly influenced by whatever his current visual obsession is. “I’m interested in tattoos lately so my paintings look like tattoo designs. I’m that person who, when they see stuff, it goes into my brain and instantly comes out from my hands,” he laughs.

Ten’s introduction to art and design was through his mother, who believed music, art and sport were more important in a child’s development than traditional academia. “She didn’t care if I got an A* or not, just don’t get an F or a D,” he grins. Like any kid forced to do something, Ten railed against spending his weekends at art school. He attended but he didn’t draw. He befriended his teacher and other pupils and, as they worked, he chatted. “I was a very talkative kid! When I came to SM Entertainment (in 2013), I had a lot of my own time because my parents were in Thailand and I was alone. I had to absorb all the new culture and adapt to a new environment.’” When he felt surrounded by “negative energy”, he began drawing, enamoured with the space and freedom it offered because in art, as he often says, “there’s no right answer.”

There is, however, sometimes a middle ground. His goal was to make the Represent collection accessible to his diverse fanbase. “I wanted to make things that people can easily wear because it was my first project to make something with clothes and it’s a collab. If you go too far out, no one will get it. If you go too far back, people won’t reach for it. So finding the middle ground is important but that’s the hardest thing to do. If it’s my own project, I’ll be like, ‘I’m the president of this brand, I’m gonna make all the weird clothes that I can imagine!’”

He sought second opinions to ensure his designs landed the way he hoped. “I have a lot of good friends around me - my choreographer, (SHINee and Super M member) Taemin hyung, my manager. I randomly ask people I’m comfortable with and have known for a long time, like Mark (Lee, of NCT and Super M). Mark has the same kind of perspective as me, but I’m a person who is arrghhh!” He waves his hands in the air. “And he’s very calm. I need a person who is opposite of me because when I’m in a mood, I talk nonsense - ‘I wanna do this, I wanna do that, I wanna make this!’ - and Mark’s like,’Bro, calm down’,” he says in a rather uncanny impression of the Canadian-Korean.

Ten works fast when he’s drawing. He has to. He describes his personality as someone who can't wait until the next day to do something. “I’m very impatient,” he smiles. “If I’m going to paint or draw, I’m going to finish it in, like, two hours. I can’t sit down for three hours.” When inspiration hits him, it’s off the back of deep contemplation, sometimes about the mundane - “Like, why do the cats come to me when they’re hungry only? Is it selfish or instinct? - at other times, something affecting him emotionally.

But whereas his job as a singer and dancer sees him project his energy outwards, art offers the opposite. He’s often alone in his room when he works. As is for many artists, the right mood is fundamental. “When I’m in a good mood, I can’t draw,” he half-sighs. It’s also a multi-sensory process. “Smell or the temperature of the room, that really helps me draw. I light three or four candles. And when I draw, it’s kind of heavy, the feeling,” he explains. “It feels like you’re sinking into something, into yourself, and everything seems so small. Everything narrows down into me, my pencil, the paper.”

The more work he does in different creative mediums, the less Ten’s desire is to keep them separate. His art, dance and music influence each other, whether it’s customising his own collaboration pieces, a choreography video in an art gallery or dancing underwater with a film crew. When someone tells him that something won’t work or match up well, he refuses to let the idea go until he’s attempted it.

“I’ve had that since I was young. I think everything is possible. If you don’t try, you don’t know. When people say it’s impossible, like dancing in water for three minutes, I’m like, then let’s make it possible. You don’t need to walk a straight line [in life], you can walk this way,” Ten says, pointing along an invisible line before switching sharply in direction. “Then go back on track, go that way, come back. No one should tell you to walk in a line, I don’t see the point of that.”

© Clash Magazine

[thran-duils]

From All Sides (P.1)

Title: From All Sides (Part One) Summary: Fem!Reader x Dark!Pirate Tony. Tony is obsessed with a certain barmaid at port and showers her with gifts to try to bring her to his bed. She is resistant to his advances, her eyes elsewhere, specifically on her coworker, the cook. Although, that love is unrequited and always will be. The reader is forced into close quarters with Tony unexpectedly and sailing the sea, she slowly bends to his will. And he plans to give her all the affection he can to make sure she stays. Words: 2,279 Warnings: Eventual smut, violence, angst, possessive behavior Author’s Note: Song inspiration

Part Two || Masterpost (mobile) || Fanfic masterpost

It was loud tonight. As fall neared, it always brought more to port. Many were tired from long summer excursions and were looking for reprieve. At least it was nightfall now and the heat was melting away to the breeze of the ocean.

You were walking up the street back towards the tavern where you were expected back. Your boss Evan had sent you down to fetch the breads the baker was going to throw out to make sure there was enough for the crowd when they were ordering their meals.

“Miss Y/N!” A voice called out and you sighed, stopping. You turned, keeping the basket close you were carrying, smiling.

Adam was coming through the crowd, looking ecstatic to see you. He was carrying a bouquet of flowers and you felt your stomach clench. He was quite smitten and so very sweet; you were just not sure if you should commit to him. You had not found the way to get him to understand that yet, that you wanted some space, even with your polite declines to his dinners.

“Hot night,” he commented when he reached you. His smile was warm, his eyes alight at the sight of you.

“It is,” you agreed, matching his energy as best you could.

He held out the bouquet and said “I got these for you. I was hoping you would be at work though so I could ask to have dinner on your break?”

“I’m already on my break,” you lied easily. “Going back to work right now.”

His face fell. “Oh.” He recovered quickly, “Well, I will accompany you back?” He held out his arm.

Against your better judgment, you took it, allowing him to guide you. He was cordial, making small talk as usual. How someone as pure as him stayed at port was beyond you. But he had somehow found Peter too, just as kindhearted as him. The two of them made a pair. Although, Peter had been making an unsavory choice in alliance the last time Tony was at port... you had scolded Tony for a good ten minutes about how he should leave Peter be safe here at port and not on his dangerous voyages. If you were not mistaken, you had seen Tony jealous you cared so much for the boy.

The tavern you worked and lived at was packed. You weaved your way through the crowd, dodging people on instinct as they stumbled, Adam following your lead. You had worked here long enough to know the twists and turns of a drunken crowd.

Adam was close by as you moved behind the bar and he stayed by the entrance to the bar, waiting patiently. You left him knowing he would still wait, walking to the back, and handed over the basket to the cook, Eloise. She nodded in thankfulness.

You loved her smile, the way her lips formed. They were soft and you wanted to press your own to them.

“So many orders tonight,” she stated. “Tilda is doing well to keep them on the main course but there are others requesting other things.”

“Are we charging more for that?”

“You know it,” she winked. Your stomach fluttered at the gesture. “You better get back out there. Tilda is getting swamped! And poor Elizabeth is getting handled by a few tables. She needs to be more assertive, that girl.”

“I need to deal with Adam first,” you muttered.

“He’s back?” Eloise laughed, a twinkle in her eye. “My, he’s almost as persistent as Tony!”

“No one is as persistent as Tony.”

“He’s here, so you know. He ordered his usual dinner. One of the ones going off my menu!”

You almost groaned. You did not want to deal with his pawing on top of Adam’s doe eyes. Tony was easily provoked in his jealousness when it came to you, even though you had never let him between your legs, despite his best attempts to pursue you.

As you feared when you emerged from the back, Tony was hammering you to the spot with a piercing stare from the back of the tavern in a booth with some of his crew. He flicked his eyes to Adam before landing on you again you made note.

You had always brushed off his advances. Skirting around his smooth words and adjusting just out of the way where his lips were going to fall. Sometimes so close you could feel the brush of his lips against your jawline. He was a charmer.

Normally.

Tonight, he looked like a hangman, the way he was glowering at Adam. He already had a pint empty on the table and another by his bowl to replace it.

You liked Tony well enough — he was handsome, devilishly so — but it was Eloise you hung your heart on. Even if you knew she was never going to reciprocate the feelings. It was a terrible feeling to know that and still be invested. You wished you could turn your feelings to Tony even if you thought him fleeting.

Tony was known for being promiscuous and you thought he meant to get you in bed once and then be done with it. Despite all the gifts he brought you, trying to woo you, you could not help but to think he would easily discard you. Still... on the other hand, his persistence reminded you of Adam. He did not just bring you flowers either. He brought gems, jewelry, even a gown once. And not a cheap one at that. He was persistent in his chase and did not skimp on his treasures.

His last gift you wore now. It was beautiful. A seashell that seemed to glow in the light. It was on a simple cord but it was magnificent in its own right. And it settled perfectly on your chest. When he had given you it when he was here a month ago, he had been more than willing to be the one to clasp it around your neck. His fingers had flittered along your shoulder blades but he had pulled away at the last moment before you thought he was going to brush lower. He was persistent but he was also mindful to not push too hard; he did not want to lose you.

Sometimes you thought just the mere sight of you was enough to satiate him.

You pretended you did not notice Tony’s icy glare though, your eyes on Adam who was looking at you adoringly. You took the flowers from Adam and said, “I’ll put them in a vase in my room.” You took a long breath; he had actually remembered your favorites.

“I’ll bring more next week so you always have a fresh bouquet to look at,” Adam vowed.

“Oh, Adam. That’s not necessary,” you told him.

“It is for you,” he stated.

Tilda interrupted, coming in between the two of you facing you. “Hello, Y/N! Earth to you! I need help! The men are getting a little out of hand! You’re far more competent than Elizabeth!”

That poor girl. She still struggled with brushing off handsy men as she collected dishes.

You smiled at Adam over Tilda’s shoulder and said, “Sit at the bar. I’ll bring you a bowl of Eloise’s stew as soon as I can.”

He beamed at the offer as you turned around to put the flowers in a safe spot behind the bar until you could bring them upstairs.

<><><>

You had asked Tilda to take the booths, making sure to stay away from Tony’s booth although you had caught his eyes multiple times. He was not in good spirits, and you knew why. His gaze was layered with envy. Why did he have to come on the same night Adam decided he needed to try to court you? Adam had not left the bar stool yet and unlike Tony, his nose was not buried deep in a fourth pint, so he had a lot of life left in him. He was happy just to be in your presence.

Peter had joined him and was finishing his first pint. Great. You needed to keep an eye on him now to make sure he did not interact with any captain — especially Tony.

Much to your dismay though, his first mate made the plunge when you were away from the counter.

Steve had his arm around Peter’s shoulder, grinning friendly. Disgruntled, you quickly cleared plates, taking orders for more ale before coming back to the bar.

Steve met your gaze, grinning wickedly.

“Do you need to order something? Tilda was just at your table,” you said stiffly.

Steve shook his head. “No, no. Just following up with dear Peter here. He showed interest in sailing last time we were at port and he says he’s a fine cook. Ours could use an apprentice.”

“You can find an apprentice anywhere,” you snapped.

“Now, Peter, does she speak for you?” Steve asked, turning his attention to Peter.

Peter shot you a look and you saw him hesitating. It was an unfair position that Steve was putting him in. Peter respected you but he also knew the repercussions of if he let a woman make his decisions, especially in this crowd. And especially to a man who may be a ticket to his dream off this island.

Peter sucked his cheeks before saying, “You know, the room is actually spinning. Adam? Could you.... I think I need to go home?”

Adam read the signals quick and nodded, “Yes. Yeah, of course. I shouldn’t have let you have that second pint so quickly. Especially since you refused the delicious food from Eloise.”

The two of them stood quickly from their stools, Peter making quick to stumble a little before grabbing the bar to steady himself. He smiled at Steve and said, “Excuse me.”

Steve stared at him for a few seconds intently — he looked so disbelieving of Peter’s antics — before he smiled, “Of course. Go right ahead.”

He stepped out of the way and Peter met Adam before they made their way through the crowd. Adam threw a look over his shoulder at you and you gave a quick tight-lipped smile before turning your attention back to Steve who was watching you like a wolf.

“My my, you’ve just got your little claws in everyone’s hearts, don’t you?” He jeered.

“Do you need something?” you repeated, standing your ground. “I have tables to attend.”

“Two shots of rum,” Steve said, leaning on the counter.

You turned from him and grabbed the bottle and finding two glasses. You placed them on the counter in front of him and poured them out, his eyes searching. You corked the bottle back up and said, “Will they be on Tony’s tab...?”

“Hasn’t he given you enough treasures to warrant complimentary rum shots?” Steve pouted mockingly.

You ground your teeth for a few moments before waving him off. “Fine. On the house.” Steve winked lasciviously, “Much thanks, love.”

Annoyed, you turned away from him and went back to your business. The hours were doing nothing to calm the crowd yet and you begged for the impending witching hour and superstitions seeping into everyone’s psyches.

Handing some dirty glasses across the window from the bar to the back, you spotted your flowers in a vase again. You smiled softly, a moment’s reprieve. They were lovely. You leaned forward, eyes closed, and took a long inhale.

“If I knew picking a simple bundle of flowers by the shoreline would catch your attention so aptly, I would’ve saved myself a lot of trouble,” Tony said, barely above slurring his words from behind you.

You collected yourself before turning around to face him. He was leaning on the bar, slowly twirling his empty pint glass on its edge. He has long shed his coat, standing there in his leather vest over his shirt, unbuttoned just enough to expose his chest hair.

“Do you need water?” you questioned, trying to keep the condescension out of your tone and be concerned. It was hard knowing he had sent Steve up here to try to coerce poor Peter just to get into your sights.

Tony smiled broadly, looking charming as ever. You hated yourself for feeling the flutter in your stomach at it. “Sure. Thank you for being concerned for me, dearie.”

You turned and fetched him a glass of water and brought it over to him. He was close to you as he leaned on the bar, his eyes trailing down from your own gaze to your lips.

“I missed you all night,” he said, gripping the glass and bringing it towards himself. “It’s like you were avoiding me for that little pipsqueak.”

“He’s nice,” was all you offered, offering the new glass. He held out the empty and you traded him. His fingers brushed yours, longer than was necessary.

“Am I not?” Tony questioned, cocking his head.

“No. You’re very brutal — ruthless even. You’re only nice when you want something. Which is why you’re always so overly sweet to me,” you quipped without missing a beat.

Tony’s lips curled into a smile, staring at you with admiration. “I’ll always be sweet to you, love. Overly so too. Always.”

“Because I’ll always leave you wanting,” you quipped again, pushing away from the bar and walking off to go tend your tables, tossing his dirty pint glass into the bin.

“That necklace suits you. Still. I have matching earrings if you would just come to my cabin to collect them,” Tony called after you.

He would not be held at arm’s length forever. And you were not sure you wanted him to be.

~~~

Marvel tags: @coconutqueen21 @undecidedsworld @holl2712 @agustdowney​