#now it's time to exercise and do errands

[honnelander]

crush

alright, this is such a niche and self-indulgent little piece of writing bc i freaking LOVE this (awful and huge asshole) character buuut i do like to write for whatever i love in the moment sooo here's a little Brad Wolfe aka Hunter X-5 fic (he's cute ok??) (and if you're into marvel and are not watching the loki series, PLEASE go watch it! it's so amazing!) credit to @mrsbawar21-blog for the still!

WARNINGS: none

word count: 2.8

pairing: Brad Wolfe (Hunter X-5) x reader

summary: Mobius could tell Brad knew you a lot better than he was letting on, and he wanted to get to the bottom of it.

masterlist

taglist: @antrenna @buggy0827 @laviiv @feelinmatcha @ivonarfsh @facelessfionna @deserticwren @shadydeanmuffin

"See? Isn't this nice, Brad?" Mobius asked his beige jumpsuit-claded prisoner as he sipped on his vanilla milkshake, happy as a clam. "I mean, literally ten minutes ago we were at each other's throats, yelling at one another, and here we are," Mobius gestured around with his hands, emphasizing the 1980s McDonald's they were currently sitting in, "sharing a meal like two adults."

"Yeah, and you also tortured me," Brad replied quickly, not missing a beat as he kept his gaze set on the pair of Lokis conversing in the parking lot through the window. He drummed his fingers on the plastic tabletop, bouncing his leg up and down as he quickly glanced at Mobius with a quirked eyebrow. "Forgot to mention that part, huh?"

"Yeah, and you called me a 'nobody'," Mobius rebutted quickly, a hint of irritation dripping from his voice. He stopped himself, shaking his head slightly with closed eyes as he exhaled curtly.

Now wasn't the time to dispute that and the silver-haired TVA analyst knew that arguing with X-5- or Brad, whoever, was a waste of everyone's time and he didn't feel like renewing their earlier verbal scrimmage here when there were more pressing matters at hand. Ultimately, Brad did bring them to Slyvie in the end so that must count for something, right?

"But, that doesn't matter. See, I even bought you a shake," Mobius said, reaching across the table to pick up Bradley's vanilla shake and put it closer to him. "A little peace offering."

Brad's eyes flitted to Mobius' obvious olive branch for a second before looking back up to the analyst, unimpressed. After a beat, he raised his right hand, jabbing an accusatory index finger at Mobius, as he cocked his head to the side, saying, "But you did slap me, right in the face. I'm not gonna forget that."

"Just take the shake, Brad," Mobius said swiftly, slightly exasperated as he suppressed the urge to roll his eyes and let out a frustrated sigh.

Now, Mobius M. Mobius prided himself on his seemingly never-ending well of patience, but even he felt himself start to get annoyed at Brad's unrelenting persistence on being as difficult as can be. Did he always try to be as annoying as possible or was this just how the ex-hunter always is naturally? It was exhausting.

The former minute man-turned-actor glanced down at the shake again, leaving it untouched before looking out the window to refocus on the Lokis outside. "What- what are they even doing out there?" he asked with a huff, gesturing a hand towards the pair of variants. "It's like they're going over every detail of their relationship or something."

"Yeah, well," Mobius relented with a small sigh, taking another sip of his shake. "There's a lot of baggage to unpack when you're basically in a relationship with yourself," he explained casually like he was talking about a bad day at the office.

Brad picked up on the slight disdain in his captor's tone but he didn't care enough to broach the topic any further. Instead, Brad sighed in slight disgust as he resumed drumming his fingers on the table saying, "God... it's weird."

Not wanting to harp on his partner's unorthodox romantic relationship any more than he had to, Mobius picked up a plastic fork, getting ready to dig into his pie. "Now, why don't you tell me a little bit more about your movie, huh?"

Brad rolled his eyes and scoffed at Mobius's obvious deflecting technique. "What about it?"

"Tell me about all about it." The analyst took a forkful of pie, asking with an encouraging smile, "Is it a horror flick?"

"Oh, come on, Mobius. You don't care."

"No, really! I'm serious," he said through a mouthful of pie. "The poster we saw looked scary."

Not being one to pass up discussing his work and real life that awaited him back on the sacred timeline, Brad took the bait. "It's not scary... it's elevated thriller," he explained in a slightly matter-of-fact tone, waving his hand around for emphasis. In a condescending tone, he added, "It's cinema, thank you very much."

Mobius had no clue if there really was a difference between a scary movie and an 'elevated thriller', since it all sounded the same to him, but he appreciated Brad's enthusiasm on the topic.

Lifting his milkshake up to his mouth to try and hide his amused smirk, Mobius relented, "Oh, my bad. You're right... 'elevated thriller', got it." He nodded as he took a sip, putting his cup back down when he was finished. "I'll have to check that out then."

"And you have to get your own ticket!" Brad continued. "I'm not hooking you up. Especially not after all of," he waved his hands around at their current setting, "this."

"Right, of course," Mobius agreed patiently, watching Brad with a small smile. "I'll get my own tickets."

After his small spiel, the ex-hunter let out a small sigh. He blinked, a look of recognition overcoming his face as he straightened up like he was remembering the situation he was currently in.

He turned his torso to face Mobius head-on, putting his arms on the table and motioning towards the TVA analyst's meal. "Look, why don't we get this all to go, huh? It- it packs right up. Why don't we just- get it to go, so we can get out of here," he said, emphasizing the second half of his sentence as he mimicked packing something up and motioned towards the exit.

"We can't do that," Mobius rejected quickly. "Not yet, anyway. I haven't finished eating and besides, y/n hasn't even gotten her food yet," he added, jabbing a thumb over at you, who was loitering by the cashier in the front, hands on your hips as you looked up at the menu.

Brad followed Mobius' thumb, huffing out another irritated sigh at your figure and rolling his eyes. "She's still ordering? We don't have time for this- God," he muttered under his breath and slumped in his chair, rubbing his jaw. "She always takes forever to do anything," he added with a mumble.

However, Brad's little admission right there didn't escape Mobius' keen ears. Trying to keep casual, he dug back into his pie. "'Takes forever to do anything', huh?" he asked nonchalantly. "It kinda sounds like you know a lot about y/n."

Brad's eyes flashed to Mobius's briefly before looking elsewhere, shifting in his plastic seat. "Yeah, well, she's your partner, isn't she?" He glanced out at Loki for a second, "Or, at least one of them? You should know how slow she can be sometimes."

The silver-haired analyst shook his head once. "She's not slow. I prefer the term meticulous, actually."

For whatever reason, Brad felt the need to clarify himself, which Mobius couldn't help but find interesting since he knew X-5 to be a guy who always brazenly said what was on his mind no matter the circumstances.

"I didn't mean slow as in stupid," Brad quickly clarified. "I-I meant as in she just takes a long time to do anything."

"Uh-huh," Mobius replied simply, secretly enjoying how bent out of shape the man in front of him was getting. "Right."

"Yeah..." Bradley trailed off, finally picking up his forgotten shake and taking a long sip of it, avoiding Mobius's expectant gaze. After a few beats of silence, he put his shake back on the table, looking over at Mobius with an annoyed glance. "What?"

"Nothing," Mobius replied easily, looking over at Brad once again before looking back at his food, munching on a fry. "I just think it's interesting how you know how 'slow' y/n can be sometimes, that's all."

"Look," he looked back at Mobius, a hint of irritation (and embarrassment?) in his features. "Whatever little 'thing' you're trying to imply here between me and her, just drop it."

Mobius perked up, looking back at his prisoner. There it was again, Brad's peculiar choice of words. "'Drop it'? Don't you mean 'give it up'? Since 'giving up' would imply that there's absolutely nothing there, whereas 'dropping it' would mean that something is there but you just don't want to talk about it?"

Brad sat up. "Drop it, give it up- whatever Mobius, just stop talking about it."

A smile started to creep up on Mobius's face, finding joy in all of this. This little impromptu interrogation was turning out to be a lot more fun than the last one he had with the actor. "'It'? So there's an 'it' now? What's 'it'? Do you mean your little crush on y/n?"

The actor's body stiffened for a nanosecond before turning to fully face the analyst. "Mobius, I swear to God-"

"OH! So that's a 'yes'!" Mobius declared, hitting the tabletop playfully with a grin, his smile only getting wider at seeing Brad become more and more agitated. "You do have a crush on y/n! Aw, that's so adorable Bradley, really."

The ex-hunter leaned back in his chair, scrunching up his face as he looked to away. "'A crush'? Really, Mobius? What are we- five? Please."

"Oh, so you love her?"

Brad's eyes widened, snapping back to look at him. "What? No, I don't-"

"Oh, that's ok," Mobius reassured with a wave. "Maybe your crush on her will blossom into love one day, who knows? I mean, life is crazy right?" He got another forkful of pie as he said, "I just can't believe that you had a crush on my partner this whole time and I didn't even notice. What kind of analyst am I?"

Mobius shook his head, laughing at his own joke. It seemed so obvious to him now. He should've realized that X-5 had some type of feelings for his long-time work partner eons ago. He always thought it was strange how X-5 would randomly stop to chat with them, well, with you mostly he now realized, at seemingly random times throughout the day, like when you both were having lunch in the cafeteria or how X-5 would always be the minute man to volunteer and be the muscle for one of your missions if need be. He had always thought it was weird and strange, but now it just made sense.

"Mobius," Brad said, letting out a defeated sigh. "Can you just, drop it? Please?"

Mobius looked back up, eyebrows raised as he looked up at the former minute man. "And now you're saying 'please'? Wow, you're just full of surprises today Bradley, aren't you?" he asked with a disbelieving laugh. He watched as Brad slunk back into his seat, a resigned look on his face. Ever the kind soul, Mobius kinda felt kinda bad for him. "Hey, look," Mobius started, in a softer tone, "X-5, Brad, Bradley, whatever you want to be called, your secret is safe with me, alright? I won't tell her, I promise."

The movie star was quiet for a moment, sucking on his teeth. Even though he personally might not like Mobius, he did know that Mobius was a man of his word and kept his promises so, he had no choice but to trust him. "Yeah, well... thanks," he said, flashing the analyst with a quick look of gratitude as he rapt his knuckle on the table.

"Hey, no problem," Mobius said, regarding the man across from him for another moment before finishing up his pie. With a small, surprised laugh, Mobius said, "You know, I just think it's funny how a," jerk, he thought to himself, "guy like you ends up with a little, school-yard crush on such a kind and caring person like y/n."

Brad raised an eyebrow at Mobius's choice of words. "'A guy like me'? Liking someone like her? What is that supposed to mean Mobius?"

"Oh, nothing," he replied innocently. "I just think it's funny. I guess, in this case, opposites really do attract, huh?"

"Oh, what? Now you're calling me a jerk?" Brad started, ready to go at it with Mobius again. "Why don't you just-"

"Hey, guys," you said, finally arriving at the table with a brown to-go paper bag with your food, sliding into the seat next to Mobius, your partner, unknowingly stopping the argument that was about to take place. "Sorry I took so long. There were just so many options to choose from, you know? It was hard to decide."

Now that Mobius was keen on Brad's little crush on you, he couldn't help but want to mess with him even further. "Ah that's ok y/n, I know that sometimes those things can be a little slow," he said, the corner of his mouth twitching upwards when Brad sent him a glare. "So don't worry about it."

"No word from Loki yet?" you asked, completely oblivious to the invisible sparing match occurring between the two men. "They're still out there?" you asked as you leaned on the table, craning your neck to try and see the two variants better.

"No, nothing yet. Hey, y/n," Mobius said suddenly, hitting your shoulder slightly like he had just come up with a great idea. "Why don't you move and sit next to Brad? I think he has a better vantage point to see them than I do," he innocently suggested, sending Brad a good-natured wink.

Brad nearly face-palmed himself. He forgot that Mobius could sometimes be as subtle as a baseball bat. "Mobius," he warned lowly.

But the mentioned analyst continued unphased. "And while you're sitting over there, watching the Lokis, you know, next to Brad," he added again for emphasis, "you can eat your meal."

"Oh, no need," you answered easily, to which question, the guys didn't know. "I got my food to go."

"See?" Brad quickly straightened, a newfound urgency in his tone and movements are he looked back and forth between you and Mobius. "She's smart, she got her food to go, to have back at the TVA. Which is exactly where we all need to be. Right now. Let's go."

"Jeez, Brad, what is it with you?" He asked exasperatedly, rolling his eyes. "You're like a broken record. First, you're all like, 'get me back to the sacred timeline' and now you're all like, 'get me out of here'." He shook his head. "It's like you-"

"Know something," you said, cutting off Mobius' train of thought, your eyes looking at your beige jumpsuited prisoner with a calculating gaze.

At your words, Mobius stopped his spiel, blinking as he leaned back in his seat, his eyes looking over at Brad in thought. "Do you know something?" he asked.

Brad, however, stayed quiet. He picked up his milkshake, swirling it around before taking a couple of sips as he turned his body away from you both, looking out the window.

"Hey," Mobius said a little more firmly, slapping the actor's forearm to get his attention. "Don't get all quiet on me now, Zaniac. What do you know? Is this a setup?"

"It's an ambush," you said.

But Brad continued to suck on the straw, not looking at either of you.

"Bradley, answer me," Mobius said forcefully.

Brad put his milkshake down, swallowing the sweet treat before looking at you. "We need to get out of here," was all he said.

You held eye contact with him, discerning the urgency and panic you saw held within his gaze. You couldn't help but feel that when Brad had said 'we', he really only meant you and him. His look and words sent a shiver down your spine.

Mobius was the first to get up, the rest of his meal forgotten. "Alright, let's go. We need to regroup with Loki so our friend Brad here can tell us what's really going on." He picked up his tray, walking over to the trash to dump the rest of his fast food scraps away, and put his tray on top of the can.

Brad held your stare for another moment before finally blinking, breaking the spell, as he hastily got up himself. "Finally," he muttered. He tossed his drink away as he quickly followed behind Mobius.

But you didn't move. You stared at the now empty spot that X-5 had occupied seconds ago, trying to discern why you felt that he knew about a lot more than just this current situation.

As always, your long-time partner and best friend knew when you needed to be broken out of your train of thought and get you back on track. "Y/n!" Mobius called out as he headed towards the exit. "Let's go!"

Snapping back to reality, you blinked, shaking off your wandering thoughts and stood up, following Mobius and Brad outside. Now wasn't the time to analyze Brad's actions and choice of words, right now all you needed to know was what Brad knew right at this moment and why he was so adamant about getting back to the TVA.

If you wanted to question Brad more, you could do that later. He was your prisoner after all and time worked differently in the TVA, right?

[felinemotif]

waking up at 5am and getting a workout in is so good for me but it also means waking up at 5am

[gallusrostromegalus]

hi i see that you have much smart dog experience. i may have accidentally purchased such a dog. she's only 10 weeks, and ive had her 1, and she's already outmatched every puzzle feeder i got or have made. to the point that she is morosely disappointed when her food comes in an actual food bowl. do you know where i can find like. "heres 100 enrichment toys you can make out of free trash so your dog stops eating fucking rocks for enrichment" lists. i only have so many paper towel tubes XD

Herschel now just disassembles puzzle feeders, so I've been focusing on "Toys that, even if he already knows how to operate them, will still take TIME for him to collect the treat from" to give him something to fuss with.

Herschel eats all his meals out of a Kong Wobbler, because he will otherwise eat so fast he will literally inhale and choke on his kibble and I do not need him developing pneumonia from aspiration. Even though it's a "Simple" toy it slows him down and he does have to think a bit to tip it in the most efficient manner possible. Kong's "Flipz", "Gyro" and "Rewards Wally" are also really good "dog needs to think/carefully manipulate the toy for food" toys that act as both mental stimulation and exercise and "give human a break for up to twelve minutes" toys.

I highly reccomend KONG as a brand- they're local to Denver and have an impeccable saftey record and all of the toys I have gotten from them have held up extremely well vs. the ravages of three entirely too smart and strong-jawed dogs at once.

Some more thoughts:

If she's not prone to shredding rubber, the kind of treat toys she has to chew are also good stimulation.

If you don't want to give her That Many treats, my vet said that dogs can have as many green beans as they want. Just make sure that the beans haven't had salt added to them- canned usually does, but frozen green beans usually don't, but always check the label.

You can make nearly any toy last longer, or make a cheap long-puzzle by freezing the treats so they take longer to eat AND provides hydration. Herschel's most favorite treat of all time is literally a wad of sliced green beans in a dixie cup, filled with water and frozen. Just peel off the cup and hand him the chunk of ice and he's good for up to half an hour and more chill afterwards.

You can also freeze lick mats

If your girl is like Charlie and doesn't like greenbeans, you can also try freezing paper cups of: Canned pumpkin, apple slices in water, putting some ice cubes in the bottom of the cup, a gob of peanut butter in the middle and then fill it with water to make a peanutbutter filled ice cube.

If your girl is REALLY like charlie who has figured out how to use labor negotiation and strike tactics for better treats: boiled chicken chunks frozen in some of the water you boiled them in.

Walkies are as much mental stimulation as they are physical exercise. Take her out and let her sniff to her heart's content.

Also Puppies in particular need like, SO MUCH exercise.

Let her participate in activities with you. Herschel and charlie sit in the kitchen and I narrate cooking dinner to them, which seems to interest them, even if I don't have spare veggie ends to give them. I also frequently bring them along in the car if I'm running errands when it's cold enough to do that, so they have something new to look at, and get to participate. I also am more likely to stop at a new park and give myself some exercise and mental stimulation.

Training her to do tasks is GREAT Smart Dog enrichment- esp if she's a herding or heeler, they LOVE being helpful. I taught the dogs they get a small treat if they come in from the yard without me having to go chase them down, which saved me a lot of hassle, and now I'm working on teaching herschel to pick things up off the floor for me if I drop them and alert for chickpeas, which my housemate is allergic to.

A lot of dogs like cat-type toys. Tie a stick or some fleece to some paracord and drag or flycast it around for her to chase/play tug with when she catches it. Toys that bounce unexpectedly were also a huge hit. or just wave the string around the cat and the corgi both like that.

If you live in farm country or know other people with pets, you can grab something with the scent of another animal on it and bring it home for her to smell. Charlie and Herschel spent the better part of three days investigating the wad of horse undercoat I brought home and put in the spare wobbler for them to smell.

[housecow]

i have knee problems stemming from an injury when i was younger. if i step wrong and fall in a certain way, the pain is so bad i can’t walk. but sometimes i like to fantasize: what if something even worse happens and i can’t walk for weeks? what if i happen to be in regular close contact with my feeder?

it’d be hard being told i have rest and let myself heal. there are plans coming up that have to be cancelled, the few active hobbies i have left take a hit. but…it’s so easy to accept every snack brought to me. after all, i sought out a feeder—this lifestyle is the one i’ve eaten myself towards. and he knows i have an inclination towards eating too much. that first week goes easier than it should; weight starts to pile on. but i miss going out, even running errands sounds nice. in the few moments my hands are absent of food or a shake i am regularly in contact with my friends.

the next week i’m better but… i feel slow. my feeder has started to keep people away because i need to rest and he’s right, healing is taxing on the body. i start responding less to others, too. our funnel has gotten so much more use in the last few days. the sugar and constant snacks step up and i can tell there is an agenda behind it all but *god* it feels good to be doted on. he helps me through the necessary exercises but trips across the house are rare. i notice how difficult it is to lift myself up now—how sedentary have i been?

that question doesn’t cross my mind again, there are better things to focus on. my feeder knows how to use my adhd to his advantage—food, sex, TV, and games all provide the dopamine hit needed to keep me distracted. the 3rd week is similar enough to the 2nd: ritualistic feeding becomes the norm. we don’t need a valve to control the flow on the funnel anymore, he knows i can finish everything. my belly is swollen out into my lap all of the time now, if i hold my boobs aside i can see new stretch marks creeping across my expanding hips. i expect the snacks, “babe, can you grab me something from the fridge?” is a phrase heard several times in the day. and my feeder obliges.

the 4th week we have an appointment and im told i should walk and start being active again. the doctor looks nervous though and tells me i need to watch my weight, he says something like “its alarming how quickly this happened,” but i blocked it out because—i can’t even see how much i weigh? my belly blocks the view now. oh my god.

in the car afterwards my feeder expresses doubt at the situation: “you don’t look so steady on your feet, i think you should still take it easy.” his eyes meet mine and i don’t miss the brief glance away, desire obvious at the sight of my rounded figure that’s entirely his fault. i know what he wants and i can’t deny myself that want, either. and he knows better in these situations, i trust his judgement. maybe it is best to stay in. plans can be pushed further back… the walk back to the car was a little difficult, too.

the next weeks—or does it span months?—pass in a blur. staying in is all i want to do. although i’m supposedly healthy again, i rarely get up and walk around more than needed. “needed” means a slow, clumsy walk to the fridge and back to either the couch or the bed. when my feeder is not there to feed me himself he takes time to order food to the door. bending down to pick things up is a monumental effort for me—a heavy, wide belly pressing into my fattened thighs. my swollen tits obscure my vision but serve as an excellent table when i need.

my feeder comes home one day and im asleep, taking up more than my fair share of the couch. my breaths are not easy and its obvious how much i ate beforehand: mostly-empty 2 liters, takeout containers haphazardly stacked on top of one another as they were finished, countless snack packages balled up and stuck between the couch cushions because sometimes i like to squirrel stuff away. as if there was a chance of hiding these habits my feeder built.

but the best part of it all is the empty pitcher sat against the corner of the couch, because i couldn’t reach to the coffee table to properly set it down with so much fat making every movement difficult.

the remnants a weight gain shake. our usual ingredients of cake mix, melted ice cream, strawberries, chocolate syrup, nutella, crushed oreos. it was hastily made, however, and it’s obvious by the chocolatey powder on the sides of the container that it was about the calories this time, not the taste. he can see where some escaped the pitcher and poured down my overly plump, round face and past the lovingly cultivated double chin. it dripped onto my breasts, lovely puddles of calories he wish made it inside of me even if the sight is wonderful. after that thought, an idea comes up. how deep are the rolls he’s gifted me? a cow this size needs to be used.

[cottonlemonade]

First off CONGRATULATIONSSS omg youre stories are so good and you deserve it(btw you're request system is sooo creative I love it.)

And Can I order a cup of milk with a matcha roll off of menu A or B please? And can I sit next to bokuto!

Tutoring Him

word count: 589 || avg. reading time: 2 mins.

pairing: Bokuto x implied chubby!Reader

genre: fluff

warnings: none

request: fluffy, tutoring crush Bokuto

Bokuto slumped over onto the open book and groaned. He was tired of studying before it even started. Why did he have to hit the books when he could be practicing his spikes right now?

“I see you’re trying out the osmosis technique of studying?”

He shot up, a loose page from his notebook stuck to his forehead.

“Y/n-chan!”, he said in surprise.

“Akaashi-kun asked me to step in for him today. He had an errand to run.”

Bokuto made a mental note to buy his friend an armload of new manga. His chest felt all bubbly when you sat down across from him in the empty classroom.

“So.”, you began and with a cool flick of your wrist opened your textbook to a diagram of cell anatomy, “Let’s start with the basics of the cell structure. What do you know about the nucleus?”

“It’s… in the middle?”

You looked at the picture. “I mean… you’re not wrong.”, you said fairly, then moved your finger a little pointing to something else, “What about cytoplasm?”

“It’s the stuff that keeps everything in place?”

“Hm… again, not… entirely wrong, I guess, but I’m sensing a pattern.”, you laughed and the sound made Bokuto’s heart flutter.

“Alright, one more try. What about the mitochondria?”

Oh, this one he knew!

“It’s the powerhouse of the cell!”, he exclaimed excitedly but his face got a little more color when he saw your frown, “That one has to be right, though. Kuroo taught me!”

“So uhm, I don’t know who this Kuroo is but I think you should spend some time apart. At least until after the exams.” You patted his shoulder.

Next, you had him open his notes for an exercise and were impressed and terrified how he managed to even read them between all the doodles. Most revolved around volleyball, of course, others were just random swirls or shapes. When he got to the pages about genetics however, he confidently turned his folder towards you so you could check if his notes were correct before starting to work, but a moment later he practically threw himself over the pages to cover them.

Although, too late. You had already seen the elaborately decorated heart next to the table of Mendel’s law with yours and his name. It was even colored.

“Uhm, Bokuto-san?”

“No?”, he mumbled feebly as his hair seemed to deflate.

“Do you… are you- I mean… do you like me?”

“I wouldn’t call it like…”

“Oh?”

“More like… super crazy in love?”

“Oh!”

When he looked up and saw you blush, his confidence returned immediately.

“Do you like me, too? - Argh, I had this whole thing planned. I wanted to win the next tournament and confess to you with the medal and- but if you like me, too, please let me be your boyfriend, y/n-chan!”

You were so perplexed that the only thing you could say was, “Are you sure?”

He nodded vehemently, practically hovering out of his seat in anticipation of your reply.

“Yes, Bokuto-san, I’d love that.”

He jumped up and cheered, feeling as if he’d just won a championship. Next thing you knew he lifted you out of the chair and pulled you into a bone crushing hug, your feet dangling off the ground.

“Oh my gosh, Bokuto, put me down before you hurt yourself!”, you squeaked but he only squished you further, melting into the softness of your body. “Not yet.”, he mumbled into the crook of your neck, “I’ll be the best boyfriend, you’ll see!”

a/n: and he was, in fact, the best boyfriend turned husband. I love him so much! Thank you for the cute request and your kind words 🫶🏻 I hope you enjoyed it! 🌟

[maximotts]

Free use cowgirl Wanda 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫

Going to the grocery store because Wanda’s been so busy lately only to find Wanda there and you’re like “omg hi Wanda 😊 But wait I thought I was doing the shopping this week?” and you check your phone to see if you’ve missed something. You haven’t. Wanda just couldn’t wait to bend you over 💞💞

My phone is doing the ios17 update and I'm just remembering I needed to finish answering this ask whoopsies

This got longer than expected (it's only like 600 words tho), but I simply cannot apologize for free use cowgirl Wanda content uhmmm cws for public sex and typical farm Wanda dirty talking, 18+ obvs

I don't think I've said it before, but Wanda does errands to shops in town to drop off farm goods every week because shopping local is good and cute! So there's a very high possibility you'd run into her at the grocery store and you're always so giddy when you see her, the shop owner thinks you two are just precious!

He doesn't even notice Wanda holding your hips so tight you're squeaking or how she's taunting you by pulling the ends of your pigtails! When you excuse yourself to finish the rest of your shopping, Wanda follows oh so innocently until the two of you are out of eyesight... and maybe she spots you stretching to reach the flour at the very back of the shelf, flowy dress riding up to show off your legs, how's Wanda supposed to do anything but pin you against the shelves?

"What right do you have to look this damn beautiful all by yourself back here?" And you can barely get a word in between Wanda's kisses, particularly when she takes your tongue and sucks, leaving your mouth an absolute mess.

At the sound of Wanda undoing her belt, you startle, trying and failing to wrench your thigh from where your girlfriend was shamelessly hitching it high around her hip. "Are you crazy? Someone's going to see us!"

"Now bunny, don't be like that," Wanda's totally unbothered by your struggles, knowing you'd settle as soon as she gets her hand up your panties— and she's exactly right. "I believe we have an arrangement, or did you forget?"

You couldn't possibly forget, your mind always racing with thoughts of how and when Wanda would decide to fuck you again. Sometimes you baited her into it, not wanting to wait, but being taken in the back of the town's only grocery store was an idea that'd never dared crossed your mind. Wanda's either until about five minutes prior.

"Good girl..." Wanda's smile is stunningly bright as she feels you relax against her, arms winding around her shoulders while she lines up her strap, opting not to prep you for the sake of time. "I'd guess we have about ten minutes before Steve finishes counting the jars I brought and writing me a check so behave and be quiet."

It's the shortest ten minutes of your life, the time flying by under Wanda's praises and the knee-buckling orgasm she gifts you. Your teeth desperately bite into the shoulder of Wanda's coat as she continues to fuck you, pumping your full of her cum until she's satisfied.

Pulling out was bittersweet, the brunette loving your impish whines but hating to have to leave. She did have to exercise some self-restraint, but that didn't mean she couldn't pick up where she left off later... "You'd better keep every last bit of my cum in that sweet pussy or I'll drag your ass right back here and we'll start all over again. Understand?"

"Uh huh..." It's terrible how quickly Wanda takes all your thoughts with such a quick fuck; you can tell how spaced out you sound, but you don't have anywhere near the coherence you need to mask it. You'd have to go straight back to the house after this, could only hope you remembered the rest of what you needed to get for dinner.

"I have a few more stops to make so I'll meet you back at home. Text me if you need anything, love you." Wanda sends you off with another kiss and a pat on the ass and before you know it, she's gone and you've never done your shopping more dreamily.

[stuckinapril]

You are so productive and living your best life I admire it so much! I don't understand how you do it... do you have any advice for forcing yourself to do the things you know are good for you even when you are feeling sad and not up to it? Have a lovely day ❣️❣️❣️

Plan your day hour by hour. This actually revolutionized my life. Plan when you’ll wake up, plan what you’ll do every hour of the day, and make it as realistic as possible to stick to your goals. Start with simple things and gradually ramp it up. Don’t overwhelm your day with 60 different goals. I’d pair one passive goal (be on your phone less, for example) with one active goal (study more, take more walks, read more) and go from there. It’s better to start small and be consistent than to start big and quit one day in.

Lower the resistance necessary to accomplish tasks. If you have somewhere to be early tomorrow, plan your outfit the night before. If you have studying to do, have your textbooks/notebooks/notes on your desk by the time you wake up. If you have an overwhelming task, break it into smaller subtasks and focus on them one at a time. If you don’t want to be on your phone in the morning, charge it somewhere you won’t be able to see the moment you open your eyes. I’m trying to overcome the phone issue right now, so instead of setting an alarm on my phone I just bought a digital alarm clock bc I know I’m way less likely to get on my phone that way. I’m lowering the effort needed to actually get started on a task.

Have motivational things handy for when you’re down!! I’m a highly visual person, so it actually really helps me to make moodboards. I have moodboards for things I wanna accomplish, moodboards for things I’ve already accomplished, a Pinterest board for affirmations etc etc. I have a list on my notes app for all the reasons why it’s important to me to accomplish my goals. I have another notes app page dedicated to pasting all the motivational quotes that help me whenever I’m in a funk. You could even print them and hang them up on your wall if you want. In times where instant gratification overshadows getting things done, make it very accessible to remember why they’re important to you to begin with.

Romanticize your tasks. I make silly to-do lists, I make sure I’m always in cute outfits when I’m running errands, I put on perfume and mascara and lip gloss even if I’m literally all on my own in my bedroom about to do a 3 hour study session. I love getting manicures bc there’s nothing more satisfying than studying with pretty dark red fall nails. This may sound extra but I go through my notes pretending I’m Elle Woods or something bc it makes it so much fun. A huge part of why I’m consistent with going to the gym is bc I buy pretty workout fits that just make me feel good. I wear lingerie under my clothes wherever I am bc it makes me feel like a bad bitch even if no one sees it. I don’t start a task with the thought in mind that I want to get it done already—I try to make the act of doing it in and of itself as engaging as possible.

To piggyback off that point, switch your environment if your current one isn’t serving you. Don’t just default to quitting if one approach isn’t working. If studying in your bedroom isn’t doing it, go to the nearest coffee shop. If the coffee shop isn’t working, do the library. Study indoors. Study outdoors. Study in nature. Hell study at a beach if you want to. It doesn’t matter where you are if you’re getting things done. Exhaust all your alternatives before calling it quits.

Set firm boundaries with yourself. This is so big. Self-care is absolutely treating yourself, but it’s also being your own parent and disciplining yourself if you feel like you’re not putting your all into something. In a world where it’s very easy to go “just a few more minutes on my phone” “I’ll do it tomorrow” “I can skip working out today” it’s really important to be able to parent yourself and exercise some tough love and do some things even if you don’t feel like you want to. I really struggle with this as a gen z girl bc this is THE era of instant gratification. But my goals are just more important to me than momentary comfort.

No zero days. Just bc you’re not being your 100% on one day doesn’t mean you should just lie down and do nothing. Being at 50% performance is better than being at 0%. I try to make sure I get some light tasks done on days where I don’t feel like going all in. It helps me not feel like I’ve just derailed my whole life, which consequently helps me move on from my ruts faster.

Look ahead. Can not emphasize this enough. Death motivates me like nothing else. You do not have an infinite time on this earth. You don’t want to be at the same place you’ve been at a year from now. Resist the “I’ll do it tomorrow” mentality as much as possible. Change happens in small increments & there’s no better time for it than the present. What may seem like little things you can skip out on now can quickly snowball into the very things that are preventing you from being where you want to be.

Acknowledge your limits. Someone with two full-time jobs and school should not be comparing themself to the progress of someone with one part-time job and like nothing else. I’m currently studying full-time and also trying to maintain a consistent workout routine, so I don’t expect myself to recreationally read more than 30 minutes a day, even if ideally I’d like that time to be way higher. I know it’s pointless to compare myself to someone who reads 70 books a month but has much less workload than I do. Comparison is inherently flawed bc no one else has been the dealt the cards you’ve been dealt. Tailor your schedule to your own unique situation. Make a list of your priorities and assign them to your hours accordingly.

Listen to your needs!! Mental health is the most important thing. You need to be in tune with yourself to know when you could be pushing yourself a little harder, and when it’s necessary to give yourself time off. If I’m in an actual burnout, I go out with friends. I go see a movie. I give myself the grace of being human and step back for a little bit. It’s completely okay to have those days, and acknowledging them helps you recover quicker. Take care of yourself <3

[valorascult]

⋆.˚✮ Mental Glow Up Tips ✮˚.⋆

When we hear the words “glow up” - many of us automatically think about our appearance, not understanding that a glow up is internal and external. Too often we neglect our mental state and stay stagnant; repeating the same cycle our whole lives. It’s important to practice mindfulness and stay in the present moment so we are able to be fully aware of our thoughts / actions to reduce stress and increase mental clarity. Taking care of our mind is a large component to self-care, if not, the most important.

Below are a few exercises & knowledge ideas to practice.

Write down all the old habits the new you wouldn’t carry & write how you will replace them - what new / more self fulfilling habits will you now include into your daily life

Focus on reading one book a month. This can be about anything you wish. Reading will help you expand your vocabulary & literary skills , lower stress levels, improves your sleep if you read before bed, improves memory & can give you the confidence to speak with others about topics you might’ve stayed silent about prior to reading.

Stay up to date on global changes. You don’t have to know everything going on but its important to know at least 3 big events currently happening. When you go to gatherings and people are speaking on global events, you will have the courage and knowledge to also pitch in. Don’t be the one sitting in the corner clueless.

Aquire a mentor. It’s important to have a guide in your life, why not make it easier with someone likeminded and encouraging? You never know where this connection may lead, this will always open new doors for you. Don’t be afraid to ask questions & share ideas. A mentor is able to provide you unbiased advise from their previously acquired knowledge + hold you accountable.

Start learning a new skill that most people wouldn’t expect you to have. This allows you to be more interesting from some else’s pov. This doesn’t mean acquire a skill you normally wouldn’t care for just to be ‘cool’ - but rather, acquire a skill you’ve been wanting to achieve for a while that you probably haven’t told many people about. Pick a niche topic.

Listen to informational podcasts - this improves your overall listening skills and feeds you valuable information at the same time.

I know it’s talked about 24/7 but STOP procrastinating. That goal you have set a year from now? How can we now make that achievement in 6 months? Every day you should be working towards something. Too often we fill our days with things we believe are getting us somewhere (cooking, cleaning, running quick errands, etc;) when in reality those activities are simply getting you by - these are already set in stone chores you are going to do regardless. What is your goal? How can you break down your goals on paper to achieve things each week instead of each month?

Learn financial literacy - you should have control and understand your finances. When it comes to money, you should have confidence. This equips you with knowledge to make informed decisions.

I could write around 20 more tips but I will keep it at the basics. Don’t overstimulate yourself, reward yourself for achievements - you don’t have to be strict but don’t slack either xoxo.

[anonymousewrites]

Nature of the Human Soul (Book 1) Chapter Five

Platonic! Hazbin Hotel x Teen! Reader

Father Figure! Alastor x Teen! Reader

Chapter Five: Bonding through Battle

Summary: Charlie and Vaggie try to get the Hotel to bond, and (Y/N) trains with Alastor.

            “That looks perfect!” said Charlie after Razzle and Dazzle helped her hang a “Happy First Week, Sir Pentious!” sign above the door. “Ah, I’m so excited that Sir Pentious is staying at the hotel.”

            “Uh, Pentious was just trying to take over the city with his weird steampunk bullshit a few days ago,” said Vaggie, crossing her arms.

            “And he was working with the Vees,” said (Y/N).

            “He apologized for that, and he hasn’t tried to take over the city from here!” said Charlie positively.

            As if summoned, Pentious pushed in a strange, cannon-like device with his Egg Bois riding on top.

            “What the hell is that?!” cried Vaggie.

            “Oh, hello, purple female,” said Pentious. “It’s my new invention, ‘Skin Flayer 11,000.’ I’m really looking forward to shooting the other residents.”

            (Y/N) stood up from the couch. “I think that’s my cue to leave.”

            “He’s harmless!” said Charlie.

            “Tell that to the cannon!” said (Y/N), escaping out of the room. As they went, they saw Angel coming down the stairs. “Don’t go in there.”

            “Huh? Why? I want a drink,” said Angel.

            “Pentious is considering shooting everyone right now,” said (Y/N).

            “Can’t we just get Smiles to throw him out?” grumbled Angel.

            “Yeah, Charlie’s against that,” sighed (Y/N).

            “Damn it,” muttered Angel.

l

            “(Y/N)?” said Charlie, peeking into (Y/N)’s room.

            (Y/N) looked up guilty from where they were trying to grow a giant thorny rose in the middle of their room.

            Charlie stared. “What is that?”

            “Decorations…?” said (Y/N), smiling awkwardly.

            Charlie sighed. “What are you planning on doing with that?”

            “Just putting it up in my room,” said (Y/N) brightly. And to squeeze the life out of people if they try to hurt me.

            “…Okay,” said Charlie, accepting the explanation. “I’m asking people to come down for a hotel meeting!”

            “Do I have to?” said (Y/N).

            “I’ll send Vaggie to get anyone who doesn’t come,” chirped Charlie.

            “I’m coming,” said (Y/N), standing up instantly.

l

            “Hi, guys, thanks for coming!” said Charlie, all guests and staff (minus Alastor) gathered in the lobby. “It’s been brought to our attention that there may be a little…tension in the hotel.”

            Understatement, thought (Y/N), glancing at where Pentious was hissing at Niffty as she tried to approach. Husk and Angel were with them on the couch, avoiding the snake demon.

            “Tension that can be counterproductive to what we’re trying to do here,” said Vaggie.

            “We think this group could really benefit from trust exercises!” said Charlie. She grinned. “Yep, we’re doing trust exercises!”

            “So what’s with the whole, uh…this?” asked Husk. He gestured to the stage Charlie and Vaggie had set up with a sign saying “Trusting 101.” “I’m not about to put on some show for these fucking chumps.”

            “Oh, I will, but it’s cash up front, and I know that one—” Angel gestured at Pentious “—can’t afford me.”

            “I’d really prefer not to see the show you’re suggesting,” said (Y/N).

            “Gross, I’d never think of a spider,” hissed Pentious.

            “Right, well, let’s get started.” According to Vaggie, none of them were getting a choice. “Charlie?”

            “Hey, wait, where’s Alastor?” asked (Y/N), raising a hand.

            “He had some errands to run,” said Charlie, smiling. “So he can’t be here right now.”

            (Y/N) put their hand down. “Oh, okay.”

            Some part of them was a little disappointed. Alastor was…odd at times, but they had enjoyed training with him. He had been focused and tough, but it had helped (Y/N). They respected that.

            “Alright, are we good to get started now? Any more questions?” asked Vaggie.

            Angel put his hand in the air. “Can I leave?” Vaggie narrowed her eyes dangerously, and Angel lowered his hand. “Never mind.”

            “Alright, we’re good,” said Vaggie. “Go ahead, Charlie.”

            “Actually, I thought maybe you could take the lead on this one,” said Charlie. “I trust everyone, so maybe you know better about how to build it properly.”

            “What?” Vaggie blanched. “I, uh, don’t know if I’m qualified.”

            “Oh, come on. It’ll be easy. I’m sure you can handle this,” encouraged Charlie.

            “Yeah. Um, sure. I can handle this. No problem,” said Vaggie nervously. She stared at the group, none of whom seemed easy to deal with. She straightened her shoulders and began to pace in front of them formally. “Alright, so we are going to start with trust falls,” she said, sergeant-style. “Each of you are going to share something vulnerable with the group about yourself and then fall backwards while the rest of the group catches you. Got it? Who wants to go first?”

            Charlie waved her hand. “Ooh, ooh, me! Me, me!”

            “Alright, get up there,” said Vaggie, unsurprised that her girlfriend was eager to go first.

            Charlie ran up onto the stage and looked over them all. “I love you guys,” she announced. “Like really, really love you!” She turned around and fell backwards.

            No one stepped forward to catch her, and Vaggie ran to help Charlie.

            “Gotcha,” said Vaggie.

            “That…felt…good!” said Charlie. “Angel, why don’t you go next?”

            “Fine,” said Angel, walking onto the stage.

            “This time, everyone needs to catch him,” said Vaggie, hands on her hips. “Okay?” She pulled out her spear. “Unless you want me to hurt you.”

            “Somethin’ about myself, huh?” said Angel, considering. “How about this?” He grinned. “I loooove to suck—”

            “I sweat to fuck, if you say dicks!” growled Husk, and (Y/N) nodded in agreement.

            “—Popsickles, ya sicko!” said Angel, smiling mischievously. “Get your mind out of the gutter.” He fell off the stage and into Husk’s arms. “But, you know, dick’s too.”

            “Drop him,” said (Y/N), crossing their arms.

            Husk didn’t need to be told twice, and he let Angel fall to the ground.

            “Alright, (Y/N), for that, I say you go next,” said Angel.

            (Y/N) sighed and stepped up onto the stage. Everyone looked at them expectantly, and (Y/N) felt the petals of their hair wilt nervously.

            “I, uh, I think Hell sucks, but I like being here with you guys. It’s nice to be with people who are actually good people,” said (Y/N). They squeezed their eyes shut and let themself fall backwards.

            To their surprise, they were caught, and when they opened their eyes, Angel was smiling at them. Quickly, (Y/N) rolled out of his arms and cleared their throat. They didn’t want to do anything else vulnerable the entire day.

            “Uh, Pentious, you can go next,” said (Y/N).

            Thankfully, once Pentious got on the stage, his dramatics successfully distracted from their vulnerability.

            “I…don’t want to live without my minions!” said Pentious. “Nobody catch me.” He fell back, but Vaggie and Charlie caught him before he could hit the ground. “Damn it.”

            “That’s great,” said Vaggie. She let go of Pentious. “Wow, you are slimy. Okay, good job. Err, Niffty.”

            Niffty giggled and ran onstage. “Sometimes I kill mother bugs in front of their children as a warning to others.”

            Everyone stared at her. She leapt from the stage. The group took a step back. Niffty crashed to the ground.

            “Yay! Pain!” she cheered.

            She ran back up and jumped again, hitting the ground just as hard. Charlie pulled Vaggie to the side to speak for a moment, but that didn’t stop Niffty, and while the rest of the group stared at her, she continuously jumped and hit the ground with a maniacal laugh.

            “Pain!” cheered Niffty.

            “What are they going to make us do next?” whispered (Y/N) to Angel.

            The spider demon put his hands on his hips. “I’m gonna make sure we don’t do anything stupid.” Quickly, he ran over to speak to Charlie and Vaggie with his own ideas.

            (Y/N) sighed. “His idea is going to be inappropriate, isn’t it?”

            “Definitely,” said Husk.

            “Great.” (Y/N)’s asexuality shivered.

l

            “Angel! What the actual fuck?!” said Vaggie, crossing her arms.

            Angel had brought the group to a BSDM club. (Y/N) immediately turned around and walked out. They weren’t dealing with that shit today.

            As it turned out, the next “bonding activity” wasn’t much better since Vaggie had taken military-like control of the group once again. They stood above a warzone of demons fighting and killing each other. Vaggie was proudly staring down while the others’ eyes widened.

            “This is how you learned to trust people?!” cried Charlie.

            “There is nothing stronger than the trust between comrades in arms!” declared Vaggie. “Buckle up, buttercups, because today you boys become men! You—”

            “Wait, wait, I can’t fight without my minions!” cried Pentious as he was grabbed by Vaggie.

            She dumped him onto the battlefield. “—are going to survive together! And you—”

            “D-Don’t you even think about it!” cried Angel.

            He was thrown unceremoniously off the side of the roof. “—Are going to make this hotel work!” said Vaggie. “So get to it!”

            “Wait, wait, give me a moment to prepare myself!” cried (Y/N), but they were picked up and thrown over as well.

            Niffty jumped over on her own, eager to fight.

            “They’re shooting at us!” cried Pentious, cowering.

            “Yeah! Hahahaha!” cried Niffty, running at several enemies.

            “I’ll cover us,” said (Y/N), trying to take charge of the situation in some way. “Angel, can you grab Pentious while he freaks out?”

            “Why me?!” cried Angel.

            “Because Niffty is stabbing people and I’m going to get us a path out!” said (Y/N). “So grab the snake and drag his ass out of here!”

            “Okay, okay, got it!” said Angel, grabbing Pentious and throwing him over his shoulder.

            (Y/N) raised their hands, and vines ripped out of the ground to cover the group on both sides as they made a run for the building to get back up to Vaggie and Charlie. (Y/N) ran through the makeshift tunnel while Angel gave a war cry and carried Pentious over his head.

            They ran up the stairs back to Charlie and Vaggie, panting all the while. Angel unceremoniously threw Pentious down and gave the two women a thumbs up.

            “Made it,” he said.

            “I hated that,” groaned (Y/N), their roses wilting.

            “Let’s go home, guys,” said Charlie quietly, sadly.

            “Ugh. We just walked up all those stairs,” groaned Angel. Nonetheless, he grabbed Pentious by the tail and dragged him out with him.

            (Y/N) looked between Charlie and Vaggie before leaving the rooftop. Whatever was going on was a domestic fight, and they had nothing to do with it. They couldn’t help solve it, so they had to wait for Charlie and Vaggie to work it out.

l

            “You guys survived,” said Husk after the “recruits” collapsed on the couches of the hotel.

            “Of course we did!” said Angel.

            “I saved everyone’s asses,” said (Y/N) proudly.

            “Hey, I helped Pentious!” said Angel.

            “True, you dragged the dead weight,” said (Y/N), laughing.

            “And (Y/N)’s vines slapped people back left and right. It was awesome,” said Angel.

            “I guess Alastor is teaching you something,” said Husk with a begrudging smile.

            “He’s…you know, he’s Alastor, but I’m actually learning from him,” said (Y/N) with a smile.

            “I liked stabbing!” said Niffty.

            “We could see that,” said (Y/N).

            “Well, hey, I’m glad you all made it and can take a fight,” said Husk. He looked at Pentious. “You did okay, new kid.”

            “Really? Oh, well, I suppose I did get into a little rough and tumble today,” said Pentious shyly. He looked at Angel and (Y/N). “And thank you for pulling me out of there.”

            “Eh, no problem,” said Angel, slapping him on the back.

            “You owe us,” chirped (Y/N) with a grin.

            “Alastor,” called Vaggie from the stairs as the Radio Demon walked in the door. She and Charlie had been pleased to see that some form of bonding had actually occurred. “Failed to get rid of the eggs, I see.”

            “Yes, well, the little monsters proved to be rather useful,” he said.

            “Why don’t you give them back to Pentious?” said Vaggie.

            Tears welled up in Pentious’s eyes. “Really?!”

            “Yeah,” said Vaggie. “After today, I guess I can trust you with them.”

            “Just don’t threaten to shoot us again,” said (Y/N) with a grin that was more threatening than kind.

            Pentious looked at them nervously. “I will not be trying to.”

            “Not after watching you on the field,” teased Angel.

            “Oh?” said Alastor, his grin widening. “Is my training paying off?”

            “Don’t take credit for it,” muttered Husk. “Kid did it on their own.”

            “I got everyone back safely,” said (Y/N), putting their hands on their hips proudly.

            “A quick learner,” said Alastor. “Let us see what else you can do.”

            “Alright!” (Y/N) brightened.

            “Oh, great,” said Husk, throwing up his hands. “Let’s teach the kid to do more damage.”

            “I’m fine with that,” said (Y/N).

            “Excellent!” said Alastor.

            Husk groaned. They didn’t need a second Alastor, and Husk didn’t want the kid getting into trouble because Alastor was…himself. Unfortunately, what could he do? (Y/N) wanted to learn to control their magic, and Alastor seemed all-to-willing to show them how. Husk could only hope it didn’t end with (Y/N) getting hurt.

l

            (Y/N) dodged Alastor’s shadows, but they twisted and grabbed the rose demon midair. (Y/N) squawked unceremoniously as they were suspended upside down in the air.

            “Ahaha!” Alastor laughed and grinned. “You still lack the instincts to use your magic and run around like a chicken with its head cut off.”

            “Yeah, yeah,” said (Y/N). “Can I be put down now?”

            “Free yourself,” said Alastor.

            (Y/N) narrowed their eyes. The challenge was set.

            Briars sprouted out of the ground and arced through the air. Roses bloomed as the vines grew. They constricted around the shadows, and as the darkness fought back, the thorns pierced them, and the shadows melted away, forced to let go of (Y/N) by their plants. (Y/N) twisted and landed on their feet on the ground.

            “Excellent! What a quick learner,” said Alastor with a grin. “Your mistakes are entertaining, but I much prefer when you aren’t hopelessly unable to learn.” He spoke brightly as if it was such a kind statement.

            “Well, I have one more thing I really want to learn,” said (Y/N).

            “Oh? Do tell,” said Alastor.

            “I need to keep a smile on my face,” said (Y/N), smiling widely.

            Alastor tilted his head. “Really?”

            “Yeah. You seem…stronger, more intimidating with it. You don’t seem upset by anyone or anything.” (Y/N) grinned. “And I want to have that strength.”

            Alastor’s grin widened and sharpened. What an ambitious demon. He had chosen well. “You’re never fully dressed without a smile.”

            “Right,” said (Y/N). They brushed the dirt off their pants and looked at the clock. Time was up since Charlie had planned some activities for the evening. “I have to go. Are you coming to tonight’s ‘rehabilitation?’ ”

            “I have errands to run,” said Alastor vaguely.

            (Y/N) nodded. They walked to the door and paused in the doorway. “Hey, Alastor?”

            “Mm?” Alastor hummed in acknowledgement.

            “Thank you.” Alastor looked at them, but before he could say anything, (Y/N) continued. “I know that you’re only teaching me to somehow help yourself, but, still, thanks. Whatever you’re trying to gain from this, it’s still helping me. I’m getting what I want, and it’s because you’re putting effort into teaching me. So, despite this not being as selfless as Charlie would want to think, thank you, Alastor.” They grinned. “And whatever you’re hoping to get from me, I won’t make it easy for you to get.” (Y/N) disappeared out the door.

            Alastor watched them go. How unusual (Y/N) was proving to be. They had correctly assumed he wanted something from them. After all, with Alastor’s current…predicament, he needed all the power he could muster, and having (Y/N) stronger meant that, if he could create a contract with them, he could use their magic for his own gain. (Y/N) saw that, and yet they decided to thank him anyways.

            It was weak. It was sentimental. It was…interesting.

            Alastor should back off from his plan since (Y/N) had seen through it. They understood what he wanted and could avoid his attempts to manipulate them. And yet, just as they were willing to keep learning, Alastor found he was just as willing to continue teaching.

            What an oddly entertaining sentiment.

Taglist:

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[alanisinstone]

domestic dad!bakugou that has a chubby wife 🥺

cw: slight nsfw, slight angst (microscopic levels), FLUFFF, mention of pregnancy, mention of children

a/n: hi friends, this is the first time i've posted in a while and hopefully not the last, i have lots of ideas that i wanna share. if ya'll have requests or any little blurbs, hit a girl up

So they have like 6 kids right, because bakugou cant keep his hands off of her. and he has so much love and admiration for her not only because of how amazing of a mother and wife she is, but for going through pregnancy and labor 6 fuckin times. and she bodies that shit like every time and comes out better, faster, and stronger. but after their 6th kid, they think its time to slow down because sir this is not a breeding farm (👀)

and so wife has never been thin per se, but after this 6th kid, she looks in the mirror sometimes and feels like a whale. she still loves herself, but all those years of not minding the baby weight, she starts to feel like she's put on a very noticeable amount. her first priority ofc is taking care of her babies but standing in front of the mirror and critiquing herself has become an increasingly time consuming addition to her day.

she spends less and less time busying herself with things outside of work like going out with friends or running errands, and spends more and more time in her and katsuki's bedroom trying on all of her clothes, lingerie, and checking all her angles in the mirror. and she hides it damn well because no one notices, not even kat's. she decides to take matters into her own hands and starts doing some more exercise than she usually does, going to the gym and going on runs with the stroller. But the more she does, it seems the more apparent it becomes to her that nothing is changing.

kat's first sign that something is up is when he finds her rummaging through his side of the closet looking for who knows what. babe what'r ya doin? he comes up behind her, arms wrapping around her waist, with a confused look. i'm lookin for some clothes to wear to lunch with the girls she mumbles out still sifting through his things. in my side? whats over here that cha need hon? he says nuzzling into her neck looking curiously at what she's picking out. i dont know i'm just looking for something she huffs, feeling frustrated and out of luck that as she suspected, none of his clothes are even remotely cute enough for the outing. okay baby, i'm gonna go run the kids to moms. he says giving her a quick peck on the cheek, unwrapping from her, and walking out of the closet. she spends a couple more minutes looking but ultimately finds nothing, and then she feels like shit so she ends up canceling on the girls.

kat's second sign is when she turns down an invitation to a hero event. it wasn't the annual hero gala, but it was a pretty big event with lots of top level heroes, big sponsors, and rich people in attendance. it peaked katsuki's suspicion because she never turned down a chance to dress up and go out with him, and her response was blunt. he kinda presses her like, babe you love galas, whats going on?? but she stands firm in that she does NOT want to go and that shes just kinda feeling icky postpartum. he reluctantly goes along with it, and the headlines are talking about his appearance without her for like a week. now hes kind of suspicious so hes keeping an extra close eye on her activity.

the third and final straw is when she abruptly disappears one saturday evening right before their scheduled date night. the kids were at their grandparents, and kats was busy in his office when he noticed the time, quickly getting up and going to go find her so they could talk about what they're wearing. babe? baby? he checked all around until he walked up stairs towards their room and heard faint sniffling through the door. He walks into the room cautiously but concerned, finds nothing, then follows the sound of her increasingly intense sobs. He slowly opens the closet door with a quiet baby? and sees her, cheeks streaked with tears, curled up in a ball on the floor, looking very distraught. Of course he still takes a small second to admire her beauty but then hes immediately on the floor with her arms moving her to his lap, hands coming up to her cute, tear-stricken face. honey whats wrong? what happened? he coos, trying to understand what could have possibly made her so upset.. and she just can't stand keeping it in any longer so she spills everything, saying how since the last baby she feels huge, and very unsexy, and that she knows he loves her but she doesn't feel like he wants her sexually anymore, and it seems like everyone in the world is so rude nowadays, and the skinny soccer moms look at her funny now, and the karens at the school seem to think shes apart of their group for some reason...

bakugou listens intently to every single thing she has to say but is also beating him self up fr for not catching any of this. he wouldn't hesitate to say that she is absolutely his rock and nothing less, but hes also supposed to be hers, and he feels like he failed at that. if he couldn't see that something was wrong and help her through it than what kind of husband is he? baby listen to me he whispers all of those scary thoughts bouncing around up there? he brushes her hair back out of her face its all just noise. you are the most beautiful, intelligent, kind, loving person that i ever have and ever will know. i admire you more than you'll ever understand. you make me a better man, you raise our kids so beautifully, with love and patience, and i guarantee you, everyone you come across knows that you are the kindest soul there is. and if theres someone fucking your shit up you know ill take care of it. you glow inside and out baby, you light up any room that you walk into. and ill be reminding you every day now since you can't seem to get it through your stubborn head.

shes not sobbing anymore but shes gazing into his eyes in awe of how she could possibly have locked him down. she closes the space between them, kissing him on the lips softly, pouring out all her love for him hoping it conveys what she can't seem to put into words. And he feels it washing over him; the sweet, soft, gentle but passionate love that they share being opened up like a pandora's box. it seeps into every corner of the house, every crevice of their bodies, and sparks with every touch and caress. he can smell it in the air and she can hear it ringing in her ears. its not visible in the way material things are but its even more present in every way, it takes up all space there is to take and grows and expands.

they're lost in eachother - in the love sticking to them like glitter. kats breaks away to make one more point and if you think im not attracted to you, you are horribly mistaken. and thats the least of it. im unhealthily obsessed with you babe. you are the only thing i see. you and your body is on my mind 90% of the day, and im constantly fighting a hard on. i can't even get it up to porn anymore. she hits him upside the head laughing. their bodies still and forever entangled in the love they've made.

likes and reblogs appreciated!

©  alanisinstone 2022 — do not steal, plagiarise, or modify my content.

[princessfbi]

“Tummy kisses” 🤲 ‼️

Tummy kisses

Eddie woke up over heated with a numb arm and cotton mouth which he only got when he mouth breathed in his sleep. Something that only happened when he was down and out in a deep sleep where you didn't move even if the earth was shaking and the house was on fire which, admittedly, was not something that happened to Eddie very often. Never say never but Eddie was used to be a light sleeper.

Eddie was always up and moving at the scent of coffee by the time he was sixteen and could drive his sisters wherever they needed to go. The resentment of having to be up before the sun was always tampered a little bit by the fact that his mom would let him have a cup even when his sisters always whined about it. He always drank it black back then even though he'd preferred it with a little bit of creamer because drinking it black was how "adults" drank it and Eddie had prided himself on being an "adult". Sleeping light had transferred into his years in the army and war then to fatherhood and firefighting. Now, knowing what he knew from therapy and all those self reflection exercises Frank made him do through eye rolls and gritted teeth, he could begrudgingly admit that maybe the underlining current of anxiety that skated up his spine might have something to do with the fact that he couldn't remember the last time he slept like a rock but whatever. That wasn't the point.

The point was that he'd been out like a fucking light and he couldn't remember the last time that had happened.

Hell, he couldn't even remember shutting his eyes.

But it all came back to him in fragments by the soft rise and fall of the body beneath him.

A soft snore whistled from above him and Eddie knew it was because Buck had somehow managed to fall asleep on his back again. He always preferred to sleep on his side for that very reason but the couch was too small for both of them stretched out like they were. And yet somehow they made it work.

That felt like a statement that could describe their entire relationship Eddie thought if he was being honest.

Buck had been stretched out on the couch watching some documentary he'd been so patiently saving for when he didn't have to stop and start because they had a shift or a school pick up or errands and work out to run to and from. For the first time in a long time, they had forty-eight hours just to themselves in Buck's loft where Eddie didn't have to pack a bag to stay over anymore because he had a space in the closet and spot on the sink with his normal toiletries.

Eddie had kissed Buck with the insistence that he go watch while he cleaned up dinner and for once Buck hadn't bothered to hide the excitement from his smile when he asked if Eddie was sure. Buck's affinity for documentaries was not something he shared but it had taken a lot of fumbled versions of the conversation for Eddie to vocalize that he didn't mind when Buck indulged in them while he was there. That he liked the quiet and getting to just spend time with Buck without having to carry on a conversation.

When the dishes had been cleaned, Buck's attention had been fully captured by the... whatever it was he'd been watching. It wasn't that he didn't care. It was just Buck had so many interests at one given time that if Eddie tried to keep up with all of them he was pretty sure his head would explode.

Besides, Buck was his boyfriend now which meant apparently, Eddie was allowed to want things without having to pay a price for them. Things like cuddling with his boyfriend on the couch after they'd had a delicious dinner while he watched a documentary about some castle or something.

He had crawled onto the couch and bullied his way into Buck's space without so much as a grunt of displeasure from said boyfriend. Buck had merely gotten comfortable before Eddie had settled his weight on top of him and wrapped his arms around Buck. Buck's fingers had eventually found his hair and it had been lights out for Eddie.

Apparently for Buck too since the TV had turned off but the lights to the kitchen and the soft glow from the loft above were still on.

Eddie wiggled his arm out from being pinned between Buck's hip and the couch and squinted at the time on the oven. They still had a few hours left and Eddie knew that a few hours would be enough to save them both from a backache they wouldn't be able to shake if they stayed there.

Eddie ducked down and pressed a kiss to the sliver of skin where Eddie's hand had shoved up under Buck's t-shirt in his sleep. Buck's stomach was soft beneath his lips and Eddie couldn't help but indulge in a few more kisses before he reached up and rubbed his palm to Buck's chest.

"Baby," Eddie said, his voice croaking from disuse.

Buck sighed in his sleep but refused to wake up and Eddie pressed a trail of kisses up from his stomach to his chest as he climbed up Buck's body. He didn't stop until he was up his throat and to his chin, sitting up so he could straddle Buck's hips and kiss his lips over and over again.

"Wake up, baby," Eddie said between kisses as Buck groaned. Blue eyes appeared from beneath tiny slits as Buck scrunched up his face and Eddie huffed out a laugh as he brushed a thumb over his birthmark. "C'mon. Let's go upstairs."

[mothdruid]

Love in the Saddle

pairing: Rhett Abbott x fem!reader

summary: the two of you didn't mean to forget about valentine's day, but to make up for it you decided to have a day of riding together.

wc: 2.3k

warnings: fluff!!!! allusions to smut at the end

a/n: happy valentine's day!!

A loud huff passed through the air of the barn. You chuckled and ran the front cinch through the buckle, tugging it lightly after Teaspoon let out another huff. It was a shockingly warm day out, which was good for you and the horses. Teaspoon shook her head from side to side for a moment. Her auburn hair shook about, catching small bits of sunlight through the doorway.

“That so?” You finished the front cinch before moving to the chest strap. You buckled the chest strap into place, having made sure it was snug but not too tight on her. Teaspoon stomped her front right hoof lightly on the dirt. “Excited for the sun? Cause trust me, I bet Sterling is too.”

There hasn't been much sun around within the last few months. Snow had been dusting the ground for months, making it hard to take the horses out. It wasn’t that you couldn’t, it’s just neither you or Rhett were fans of long cold rides. You kept their exercise up though, letting them out into the gated field and taking them into the big round pen. You had been taking them on actual rides more recently since the snow had started to melt, leaving cleared areas of pasture for long rides.

Which is what was happening today. A long ride with Rhett. The two of you hadn’t had a lot of time lately for each other. Rhett had been helping more and more at his parents' place. Royal had started to pester Rhett about needing to get the cattle out on the pastures. Which Rhett hadn’t had too much of an issue with at first, but then it changed into helping with rebuilding fixtures and god knows what else. You had been busy with your own work as well, doing some land survey and mapping. By the time the both of you were home, you were both beat and just wanted to melt into the bed.

By the time Valentine’s Day rolled around you were both flustered, having forgotten. So, Rhett made it a point that the following weekend would be a weekend for the two of you. No jobs, no family, no responsibilities except for each other.

You grabbed the back cinch, pulling it up and tightening it, then threading it through the buckle. After placing the bridle on her head, placing the bit in her mouth and draping reins back around her neck, you gave her a pat of encouragement.

“That’s my girl,” you praised, rubbing her neck.

Rhett was still in town, that you knew of, having said that he had a few errands to run. You took it upon yourself to saddle the horses up, wanting to get right into the quality time he had promised you. You couldn’t help it. You missed him, missed your big strong cowboy. Missed his gruff and grit, and the way it all melted away for you. That soft man that not everyone got to see, the one that came out for you and only you. The goofy little smile he gave you when you laughed a little too hard, or the way he would encapsulate you in the kitchen and sway with you back and forth. Yeah, you missed the sex and being physical regularly. But you really just missed him.

“Stay,” you told Teaspoon after leading her outside.

Sterling was more than excited for you to pull him out. He let out a loud whinny, and shook his head. You smiled and gave him a few pats of excitement. A part of you thought that the horses might be more excited about the little ride today than you or Rhett. You have Sterling a sugar cube, the same you had done with Teaspoon after pulling her out. You had placed the saddle pad and turned around to get the saddle when you saw him. You hadn’t even heard the truck pull in.

“Saddling my horse now?” Rhett let out in his gruff voice.

“Hope that’s not a problem,” you chirped back.

“Thought I would be the only thing you ever saddled up,” Rhett started walking towards you, one arm behind his back.

“Well, if you’re lucky I’ll saddle you up later too,” you gave him a wink, “what’re you hiding?” You went over to where you had placed Sterling’s saddle earlier while getting Teaspoon’s out. Just as the leather was about to touch your hands, Rhett stopped you. His calloused hand wrapped around your wrist.

Rhett pulled your attention from the saddle, guiding you to turn towards him. As you turned to him, the arm behind his back came into view. It was a small bundle of flowers, a bundle of wildflowers. There was a simple small cream colored ribbon holding the collection of wildflowers together. You could make out the off white of the baby's breath, bright white and yellow of the daisies, the soft pink of a flower, and some purple tones of lavender. It made your heart swell seeing the flowers in front of you. Rhett had never been one for buying flowers, but he had a habit of buying them for special occasions.

You went to speak, mouth opening only for Rhett to stop you from speaking. “They reminded me of you.”

“Rhett,” his name was the only thing you could say. Maybe it was because you two hadn’t spent any quality, but the swell in your heart had multiplied at his words. Rhett had never been the best with emotions, but you had seen so much from him over the years. “Thank you.”

Rhett smiled softly, leaned forward, and placed a kiss on your cheek. He felt your fingers creep around the base of the bouquet, brushing against his. Rhett could never get over the way how your hands were still so soft compared to his. You always told him that it was because you moisturized, but he was just convinced that you were perfect with or without lotion.

“Go get Teaspoon warmed up,” Rhett nodded towards the Teaspoon, who was now peeking around the corner of the doorway at the two of you.

“‘Kay,” you gave him a smile with a small nod as you fully took the bouquet from him.

The sound of him moving the saddle hit your ears as you got to Teaspoon. You turned for a brief moment to look at him, fastening the front cinch and whispering to Sterling. The words were indecipherable, but you could hear the gruff of his voice no less. A huff broke your train of thought, pulling you back to face Teaspoon. She took a few steps forward only to shake her head up and down. A toothy smile broke out across your face, amused by her response. It was in moments like this that she felt like a child, being able to read the room between parents.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m coming,” you chuckled.

Your fingers wrapped around the left side of her bridle, then guided her away from the stable. Her steps were heavy next to you, hooves digging into the barely warmed dirt below her. When you stopped you undid the ribbon around the flowers Rhett had got you. You tied one end of the ribbon tightly around the stems of the flowers, keeping the bundled with as little length needed. The other end of the ribbon was being tied around the horn of your saddle. Once done, you stepped back to look at it.

“How’s that girl?” All Teaspoon did was barely tilt her head in your direction, looking back ahead without a sound. You rolled your eyes, “I’ll take that as a ‘fine’ then.”

You gripped the horn with one hand, grabbed the back of the seat, and placed one of your boots into the left stirrup. After a few readying bounces, you launched yourself up and swung your leg around to get your other boot into the stirrup. After shifting to get a little more comfortable, you gathered the leather reins in your hands. A tug to the right side of the reins had Teaspoon moving, taking heavy step by heavy step in the direction you’d chosen. As you had started to take a lap around the dried out grass, Rhett led Sterling out of the stables.

Rhett adjusted his cowboy hat after getting up in his saddle. A part of you wished he would have left the hat in the stables, hair out on display for you. Either way you knew you’d be seeing it sooner or later. Those light brown locks that had you daydreaming, imagining the feel of them between your fingers and tugging on them ever so lightly. Once he was half way over you noticed him moving towards you. He had one hand on the reins, the other resting on the horn of the saddle.

The two of you happily moved over to the gate, Rhett hopping down to unlatch and open it. After that the two of you took off in the large expanse of pasture. The sun was shining down intensely in the open space. Sterling’s gray mane was shimmering, Teaspoon’s looking like rays of sunshine. There was a soft crunch of dry grass under the hooves of the horses. It was obviously one of the first days of spring peeking through the veil of winter.

It started as a small trot between the two of you, taking your time to just bask in each others presence. It had been a while since you two were allowed to just ruminate with each other. Being able to be out in the pastures again was exhilarating, almost like a kid in a candy store. There was so much space to run and go, it’s like the possibilities were endless. The trot quickly turned into a gallop, then a race. Laughter bubbled from the both of you as your horses sprinted. The flowers Rhett had got you were resting against your knee, bouncing every now and then depending on the gallop. With each small nudge from them you were reminded of why he got them. Once you were finally ahead of him a small bit, you decided to call it.

“I win!” You shouted and looked back at Rhett. He was wearing a frown already, eyebrows knitted together.

“We didn’t even choose a finish spot!” Rhett yelled back amidst tugging on Sterling’s reins.

“Doesn’t matter,” you jested, guiding Teaspoon around and back towards Rhett.

Rhett relaxed back and let out a huff. He stopped Sterling next to you, Rhett’s eyes locked with your own. You feigned an innocent look, trying to act as if you didn’t randomly decide with the race was over. There was a smirk starting to form on Rhett’s face, making one start to form on your own face.

Appreciation was flowing through your veins, keeping your heart beating in that very moment. All you could do was stare at him and take in the features that you had spent days, weeks, months, even years memorizing. No matter what part of life he was at, he was always catching your attention. When the two of you were on the playground in kindergarten, across the lunch room in high school, how he looked after a bull ride, and even now, looking at you with a smile and smitten gaze. You leaned in, hoping he would too.

His lips met yours halfway, closing the gap between the two of you. It was anything intense, the position and space preventing that from happening, but it was loving anyways. Lips ever so soft, especially after he actually started using the lip balm you had bought him. Rhett smelled like it too, honey butter. It was the only scent you thought that wouldn’t be too bothersome. You pulled back slightly, leaving about an inch or two between your face.

“I missed you,” he whispered, as if he didn’t want the horses hearing.

“I missed you too,” you replied, then gave him a soft peck on the lips.

Before he could pull back fully, you snatched his hat off his head, placed it on your own, and took off. After a small chase you both came to a stop. You couldn’t help but smile, a playful thread weaving through you. Rhett stopped Sterling, hopping down, and walking over to you with Sterling’s reins in hand. You followed suit, getting down from Teaspoon and guiding her over near Rhett with you. Rhett looked at his hat on your head, flicking the brim of it up with his finger. His hair was a windblown mess, but you loved it.

“I think you got something of mine,” Rhett’s voice dropped, kindling a fire inside of you.

“Do I? I don’t remember taking anything from you, Mr. Abbott,” you feigned innocence again, something Rhett loved.

“I’m pretty sure you do, ma’ma,” Rhett ducked his head to look below the brim of his hat more. He was practically eye level with you now. “Hat looks pretty familiar t’my own, and y’know what they say ‘bout wearin’ a man’s hat,” he was laying it on thick now, letting his Wyoming drawl seep into his words.

“I don’t think I do,” you cascaded your fingers down his flannel clad chest, “might have to tell me.”

“I think I’d be able to do that,” his free hand snaked around your waist, tugging you closer to him.

“You could show me too,” you leaned towards him and ghosted you lips over his.

“Course ma’am, whatever you’d ask of me,” Rhett’s breath was hot against your lips.

Just before you were about to press your lips to his, Sterling let out a loud huff and Teaspoon whinnied. The both of you pulled back a little, chuckling at the horses. Rhett leaned over and pressed a kiss to your cheek quickly. His hand slipped from your waist, making you miss the warmth of his touch immediately.

“I can tell ‘nd show ya back at home, if you’d like?” Rhett teased, keeping the character up.

“I’ll have to take you up on that offer, Mr. Abbott.”

[yukidragon]

May we have a story about Jack's clingy side and uses his puppy dog eyes to make MC to cuddle with him longer? (He uses the puppy dog eyes whenever he wants something and it works 100% of the time) Jack kind of reminds me of a giant puppy.

I love this idea! Jack definitely knows how to channel puppy energy to his advantage, and my MC Alice definitely falls for it every time.

In fact, I love this idea so much that it inspired me to turn it into a quick writing prompt. I also remembered that I owe everyone a nice little Jack x reader fic from the poll I made last year, so I wrote this writing exercise in 1st person gender neutral perspective.

So here it is, just a short but sweet first draft story about clingy Jack giving his sunshine some puppy dog eyes and pleading to get a bit more cuddle time. I don't think any real warnings apply, though it does get a little suggestive. Also, I think this might count as GrovelCore?

Anyway, I hope you enjoy my writing, and consider leaving a comment please!💕

@channydraws @earthgirlaesthetic @sai-of-the-7-stars @cheriihoney @illary-kore @okamiliqueur @kurokrisps

...

It was nice to have moments like this, just the two of us on the couch cuddled up together. The way Jack wrapped me up in his big, strong arms made me feel so safe, so content. Even though I was tucked comfortably in his lap, he practically surrounded me with his warmth. It was the perfect way to spend a day off from work.

The show on TV was entertaining, but it wasn’t enough to draw my attention away from Jack for long. He didn’t seem to be paying attention to it at all. Every time I looked up at him, I never failed to see those beautiful dark brown eyes of his gazing back at me. His mouth was shaped in a gentle curve of a smile, his expression almost dreamy as he admired me with so much love and adoration in his eyes that it sent my heart racing. I had to look away when the butterflies in my chest fluttered so hard they were ready to burst out of me.

Fuck, I was so down bad for this man, I was down atrocious.

A gloved finger brushed against my cheek, slowly tracing the contours of my face until reaching my chin. The sensation sent a delicious shiver down my spine, and my eyes returned to Jack as he gently guided my face back towards him.

“Looks like the show’s over,” Jack said. I blinked, caught off-guard, before my eyes darted to the screen to see the credits scrolling by. His honeyed voice drew me back before I could get distracted from his loving gaze for long. “What do you want to do now, sunshine?”

The first thought that popped into my head made my cheeks burn and brought back those damn butterflies. The second thought reminded me to check the time.

Ah damn it. Curse must-watch binge-worthy television. Why must I always fall for your siren song of “just one more episode”?

“Not run errands, that’s for sure, but it’s getting late,” I said with a heavy sigh, banishing the butterflies and steamy thoughts to whence they came. “Groceries aren’t going to buy themselves, and I’ve got a bunch of other stuff I should get out of the way while I’m out too.” I sighed again, shoulders slumping.

Being a responsible adult dealing with all the responsible adult bullshit sucked sometimes. A lot of the time. Actually probably most of the time considering how many hours in a day got eaten up by a cringy job and entitled customers.

I twisted away from Jack and tried to stand, but his large muscular arms kept me locked up tighter than iron bars. I turned back to him with a questioning look, only to see him pouting at me.

“I know it’s important to be responsible, sunshine, but don’t you think you’ve been pushing yourself too hard lately?” he asked. “We have plenty of food to last a few more days, and you’ve been working overtime for the past five nights in a row. You come home too exhausted to do anything but sleep, then you go right back to work. It’s not good for you.”

“I know,” I said with a helpless shrug. “But what can I do about it? Bills aren’t going to pay themselves either.”

Jack adjusted his hold on me, not enough that I could slip free, but I could feel his hands glide slowly along my back, sending a shiver up my spine. “I know, but it’s just been so long since we’ve had any cuddle time,” he said, his pout making its way into his voice now.

I couldn’t help but chuckle a little at the way his lower lip jutted out just a little further. “You see me every day,” I teased, trying to lighten up the mood. “Besides, we woke up cuddling this morning, didn’t we? You sleep with me every night.”

“You’ve been too tired to cuddle lately,” Jack said, whining a little. “Even this morning, you didn’t really wake up until halfway through breakfast. This is the first chance in days that I’ve had to really have you all to myself.” He dipped his head down, closer to mine, and I couldn’t help but notice the way the TV’s gentle glow made his dark eyes shine. “I missed you, sunshine.”

His big soulful eyes tugged at my heartstrings, and his gentle caress along my back made me want to melt into him. “I missed you too,” I admitted after a moment. We couldn’t exactly talk when other people were around, and work had been too busy for us to even sneak a kiss without the risk of getting caught in the act.

 I was pretty sure Jack wouldn’t mind even if someone else could see him making out with me. In fact, I had a sneaking suspicion that he might even enjoy getting caught. Sometimes this man acted like he had no idea what it meant to feel shame.

Then again, Jack was always painted up like a clown 24/7. If he wasn’t embarrassed by the bright face paint or his silly jokes, then he probably didn’t know the meaning of the word.

Sometimes I wished that I could say the same. The idea of being seen making weird faces while holding onto the air left me feeling a level of cringe that not even the greeting at my job could match. It probably would be a kiss with tongue too knowing Jack.

The thought left me burning, both with mortification and the memory of the way his kisses made me feel.

Maybe it would be worth the embarrassment considering how good of a kisser Jack was.

As if reading my mind, Jack brushed his lips against mine, just a peck, but it was enough to snap my attention entirely to my boyfriend. “Then stay with me,” he said with a hint of desperation to his breathy voice. “Please?” He planted another kiss on my lips, just a little longer but still only a tantalizing taste of what he could offer me. “I need you.”

Jack finished off the last of my resistance by saying my name in that same pleading tone while looking at me with so much love and need in his beautiful dark brown eyes. His desperate voice and puppy dog eyes made me melt like cotton candy in water.

I gave in to him. I couldn’t help it. I was weak to him when he begged me like this, and I needed Jack just as badly as he needed me.

“Jack,” I sighed as I looped my arms around his neck and drew Jack in for another kiss. I could feel him smile against my lips, and he murmured my name again before his tongue slid into my mouth to get a taste of me.

Soon I was pinned against the couch, breathless and panting, with Jack looming above me. His arms were a cage that secured me there and ensured that I wasn’t leaving anytime soon. Not that I wanted to with the way his mouth moved along my neck, hot and wet. I couldn’t help but moan his name as he sucked on my skin, arching up into him.

Even before Jack started tugging at my shirt, I had a feeling that I wasn’t getting any errands done today, but I couldn’t bring myself to care. Every touch, every kiss, and every murmur of my name along with sweet praise made the world around us fade away, until nothing else existed but the two of us and our love.

[blurbfics]

There'd Better Be a Mirrorball | Azriel x OFC [part two]

Summary: A few weeks after initiating her training with the Valkyries, Eowyn decides to run some errands in Velaris. A self-date never hurt anyone, right?

Word Count: 5.5k

Warnings: none. briefly mentions the passing of a pet (my greatest fear).

Minors, do not interact.

A/N: so i technically listened to the ACOTAR series so a lot got lost in the void of my mind. if there's something SJM mentions in the novels that I forgot lets just pretend i didn't. also the image isn't exactly what I picture Eowyn's face covering to look like, but its similar enough. i'm also reluctant to call it a niqāb as it may contain religious connotations and i wouldn't want to offend anyone, nor does the story suggest it's due to religious beliefs. if there's anything suggesting differently from the reader's perspective, please let me know and I'll fix it immediately

part 1

"If I could go back to a time before now

Before I ever fell down

Go back to a time when I was just a girl

When I had the whole world

Gently wrapped around me"

Weyes Blood, A Lot's Gonna Change

In the weeks that followed her initial introduction to training with the Illyrians and the Valkyries, she felt a change within her.

Well, not considering how she’d almost quit by the end of the first week due to how sore she was. She’d had a change of heart when she saw the elation in Ananke when she finally managed to cut the ribbon, however. The cheer that erupted from the vocal priestesses and the look of accomplishment and pride on Ananke’s face was contagious enough for her to decide to stay. She might as well do that, she figured, for although the hefty daily exercises were strenuous on her body, they accomplished little to nothing to quiet her mind.

Dressed in comfortably loose skirts and a blouse in dark cool tones, she let out a weary breath, fixing the black laced mantilla placed over her head. From the middle of the dark fabric fell a thin silver chain across the center of her forehead, clasped onto the matching silver chain on the trim of the soft fabric covering the bottom half of her face.

Despite her slightly rattled nerves, opening one of the heavy doors leading out to the city of Velaris was somehow not as intimidating as it had been before. Immediately, her mind attributed it to her recent training, surely pulling her own body weight on a bar repeatedly for several sets had made it easier for her to open the heavy ancient doors, but she also knew it was more than that. It was the fact that it didn’t take her usual twenty minutes of steeling herself to leave the library— it only took eight.

That, she knew she couldn’t credit training for, entirely.

Although she’d never been one to easily make friends, oftentimes too lost in her own musings to seek further than surface-level conversations with her companions, she’d found an unexpected but welcomed sort of camaraderie with a few of the priestesses in the training ring, including Nesta and Emerie who, although weren’t priestesses themselves were oftentimes jumbled up together in name, if they weren’t being called Valkyries. Mirna, Desmodena, and Eowyn had only just joined the larger group of priestesses, making a total of ten priestesses training all at once in unison. The only separate group were the three original female fighters, who mostly trained with Cassian, or Azriel on the off chance that Cassian hyper focused on so-and-so’s form and dagger grip.

Still, it was Gwyn with whom she’d found herself spending more time with, although mostly outside of the ring as they walked through the library's many floors. Which, by extension, led to her growing friendship with Nesta and Emerie, the latter who she found took immense pleasure in making her laugh. Nesta, on the other hand, while not outright rude, was perhaps just as cynical as Eowyn herself, which gave way for an unspoken understanding— thick melted chocolate in texture, compared to the easy flowing nectar of her closeness to Emerie and Gwyn.

Her steps, brisk in nature but slightly stilted in discomfort soon fell back on the ease of slithering through busy city streets, a certain knowledge in the marrow of her bones that refused to forget something that was once so familiar. To walk through a busy city street wasn’t an easy thing to learn at once, but once learned, was something that was never forgotten.

The bell above the apothecary door signaled her entrance, pulling a hefty small fae from her book, which at a quick glance was clearly similar to the smutty romances the girls liked to read so much. She chuckled lightly under her breath, smiling at the herbalist gently despite the fact that the female couldn’t see anything but her dark eyes, and held it still, even as the fae watched her with clear unease, seeming half a second away from kicking her out the door.

“Good evening,” Eowyn greeted politely, “I’ve come to pick up an order from the Library.”

“Y-yes, let me get that for you,” the fae stumbled over her words, relief seeming to fall over her face as she turned and disappeared in the backroom.

Eowyn took that time to roam around the store, taking note of the array of trinkets sold, made of quarts and precious minerals and stones. The side of the wall displayed what looked like thousands of tins and small packages of teas, all displaying labels with what the remedies contained and what they were recommended for. She chuckled to herself when she took notice of the one labeled Love, although the ingredients were curiously not listed.

She took it in her hand, opening her mouth to call out to the herbalist and ask her what the special little tea contained when she felt a shift in the air. A second before the bell of the apothecary door could sound to signal someone else’s entrance, Eowyn flitted, hiding herself from view behind a tall shelf in the center of store, promoting a two-for-one deal on candles that were labeled with the same intentions of the teas in the wall behind her.

Ducking slightly to peek through the thin gap in the shelf she bit her tongue to keep herself from gasping in surprise at the sight of the Shadowsinger, who reached the counter in three strides, scarred hand impatiently slamming over the bell to ring for the owner.

“Coming! I’m coming!” her muffled yell called out from the back.

When a cold soft breeze touched her ankle, like the mist of a cloud but leaving no trace behind, she looked down to her feet to see Azriel’s shadows dancing around her feet. She grimaced slightly at the idea of being caught in the act. Not that she was doing anything wrong, of course, but the thought of him catching her hiding behind a shelf with a love drink in her hand made her cheeks flush.

She brought her index finger to mouth, signaling for the shadows to keep quiet but no sooner had she done so when Azriel’s voice called out. “I know you’re here, Eowyn.”

A shiver ran down her spine unexpectedly at the sound of her name coming from his lips.

“Traitors,” she hissed lightly to the shadows, quickly sliding the tin in her hands onto the shelf at her side before revealing herself.

“Hello,” she cleared her throat.

His face, always unreadable, remained so as he turned to face her, but she noticed the amusement glinting in his eyes before they came into contact with hers. In a fraction of a second, they widened ever so slightly, just barely enough for her to note the surprise before he schooled his features back into place.

“They said nothing,” he corrected, although one of his shadows curled around his ear. “I smelled you before I even came in. They did tell me however, that you seemed rather interested in buying a…love tonic, is it? Ah, sorry, a love tea.”

“That is something you don’t want to play around with, boy,” the herbalist interrupted, coming back from the back room with a heavy sealed box in her hands. She placed it on the counter with a huff, “You give that to your sick pets, you see. You boil it, let it cool, and put it in their water bowl. It’s for when they’re getting old and on death’s door. It helps keep them happy and untouched by pain until the time comes…” she drifted off, voice carrying a note of sadness. “I made it for my cat, you know. By my side for a hundred and seventy-one years, Love was,” she sighed, “I haven’t got a chance to finish the label.”

“I’m sorry for your loss,” Eowyn spoke immediately, fascinated by the herbalist's unrepressed emotions.

“Yeah well,” the herbalist tried to shrug it off, shyly wiping at her eyes. “Here ya go, my girl. You tell Clotho to take it easy on the sleeping dwale. Too much of that and you can grow dependent on it— and what’s worse is it loses its potency the more tolerance you build.”

“I’ll let her know,” Eowyn replied smoothly, not giving anything away, she was sure. Not even to the spymaster. “And thank you.”

“Now, what can I get for you?” She turned to the shadowsinger, but his gaze remained on Eowyn.

“I- do you need help carrying that back?” He interrupted himself to ask, but blinked at her when she made it disappear into the pocket realm without much effort.

“I’m good, thank you,” she smiled politely, deciding rather determinedly that she wouldn’t focus on the way he’d acted so out of character by teasing her of all things before being kind.

Not that he was typically rude or anything of the sort. He was just mostly…. there. Brooding. Face as emotionless and still as it was beautiful.

And did he say he smelled her when he came in? What the hell was that about?

“Have a good day!” She called out over her shoulder, cutting him off before he could insist as she sped out of the door and into the busy streets.

She made her way through the city, collecting pre-ordered packages from various stores and putting them in the pocket realm with the rest of her haul. By the time she made it to the Street of Iron, she was tired and hungry and more than a little dizzy from the amount of people huddling around her. She was used to being around no more than fifteen people at once, so to be going in and out of crowds for hours on end was starting to take a toll on her.

As was customary in the city, a bell signaled her entrance to the blacksmiths. The wave of heat suddenly wafted over her form, causing her to tighten her grip on her belongings, more than ready to step back outside. But she had an errand to run, a favor to do for her friend and she wouldn’t let Gwyn down just because it was hot inside the shop. 

After a quick inspection around herself to make sure there weren’t any lingering shadows following her about, she approached the counter, ringing the bell once to signal her entry.

“What can I do for you, lass?” a tall burly male asked from behind the counter, unshaven and with ash smeared across his face.

He looked familiar, in the way people originating from the same region look familiar, making Eowyn wonder how many families originating from the Winter Court resided in Velaris. And from other courts too, that is. 

“I have it under good authority this is where the Night Court's shadowsinger purchases his weapons,” she began to explain, “I’m looking to buy something for him, a blade. Something simple but something to his liking.”

The swordsmith gave her a curious, if not confused look. “The Shadowsinger hasn’t patronized this establishment in a few centuries, lass, but I reckon I still remember the Lord of Shadow’s taste.”

Lord of Shadows, huh? She almost snorted at the thought.

She considered his words to herself as he went off to search for what Gwyn had requested, if Azriel hadn’t bought any weapons from Eamon— if he was indeed the Eamon referred to on the store sign in the front— in centuries, how was this establishment his favorite?

She reminded herself that Gwyn had gotten that information straight from Mor, who was one of the most important people in Azriel’s life (and still continued to be—Gwyn had whispered conspiratorially one night as they talked in the lower levels of the library— even after being in love with the gorgeous blonde for well over five hundred years, before Elain was turned into fae. Eowyn had bristled in surprise at that, “isn’t Elain mated to one of the Autumn court sons?” she had asked, at that point so invested in the never ending drama that seemed to follow the members of the Inner Circle, that she didn’t care she had to finish writing her proposal to the High Lord for the funding of her greenhouse project she had planned, too entertained by their shenanigans. Gwyn had only nodded grimly).

So clearly, Gwyn knew what she was talking about.

When the blacksmith came back with a bronzed blade, showing it to her and exclaiming it was exactly the type of blade the Morrigan herself would pick out for the Shadowsinger, Eowyn took it. But not before her eye caught sight of something winking at her over the smith’s shoulder.

No, not winking or shining, exactly, considering it was so dark the blade itself seemed to absorb the darkness surrounding it. There was no light reflecting off of it whatsoever. Still… it called to her.

“May I see that one?” she asked, pointing at the blade.

“Oh I highly doubt the Master of Shadows would be interested in an obsidian dagger,” the smith shook his head but grabbed the blade anyway, turning it over in his hand to show her, “it’s a very fickle material, you see. The blade is made of obsidian stone, which is a type of volcanic rock that can break as easily as glass.”

“What's the point of making such a brittle weapon then?” she quietly echoed words she’d spoken long ago, musing mostly to herself.

“Ah, you see obsidian,” he began, his eyes suddenly lighting in nostalgic remembrance, “it provides for one of the sharpest edges that we know of.”

“So when it breaks, it leaves another jagged blade in its place,” she recited knowingly, not quite catching the way he nodded approvingly at her before he tilted his head, suddenly looking upon her differently.

Before he could ask her anything however, she proclaimed she wanted to purchase both blades and did so, making sure to have the blade intended for Azriel tucked within reach in the pocket realm, while fixing the obsidian blade in its sheath under her robes around her waist.

By the time she left the blacksmith’s shop, the position of the sun told her it was mid afternoon, as the sun only just began to inch towards the horizon. Feeling immensely proud of herself for successfully finishing her errands without needing to stop even once in alley to catch her breath or stumble into a restaurant, face-paled, and seemingly seconds away from either passing out or dying on the spot, she even felt further encouraged to continue on her adventure and perhaps indulge in a sweet treat for herself.

And so she did. With some kind of delicious seasonal concoction in her grasp, she picked out the most out-of-sight shaded table to sip at her spiced tea with steamed milk and simply… observed. She sat for the better half of an hour simply watching the fae live their lives, either rushing to work or strolling home. Some were shopping, others walked in groups, all beautiful and dressed to the tens, smelling strongly of wine and whiskey, and she found herself thoroughly enjoying herself. Remembering times when she was one of them.

When the sun inched even closer to the horizon, she finally stood, deciding to take the long walk back to the library, through the artist’s quarter, an avenue that she knew was a staple in the lives of the residents of Velaris.

One particular studio, not as boisterous or welcoming as others, caught her attention, or rather, a painting only barely visible from the window beckoned her inside. Needing to see the painting from up close, she didn’t hesitate to walk in, not noticing until a few minutes of her standing in front of the enchanting painting of a forest, too lost in the familiarity depicted, to notice the door had failed to signal her entrance, not having a bell above the door to do so, until she heard a strange sound come from somewhere in the back, a mix of a gasp and a yelp.

She turned to the sound immediately to find a rather pretty high fae, dressed in paint-splattered overalls, staring at her in what looked like confusion and a smidge of trepidation.

“Who are you?” The female questioned immediately and Eowyn could do nothing but blink back at her tone.

“Oh, I’m sorry, were you closing soon?” A quick look around told her the space she thought was maybe some kind of small exhibit actually contained no true coherency, no descriptions under the paintings, and certainly no invitation whatsoever from the windows that looked out into the streets of Velaris. Realization dawning on her, Eowyn couldn’t help the embarrassed grimace, “oh… this is- this is a private studio isn’t it?”

“Ah, yes?” The female confirmed, but it sounded more like a question.

“I’m so sorry,” Eowyn apologized again, shifting in place as her eyes shot to the door, seconds away from running out until the female spoke again.

“No, no need to apologize, I was expecting my mate to come in so I didn’t lock the door. Foolish of me, honestly,” she chastised herself. Then her eyes caught Eowyn’s and something about the gray-blue shade of them made something in her brain perk up at attention. “I- was it this piece that caught your attention?” She turned to the painting that had called Eowyn in like a siren’s song, “I’ll admit I don’t think I’ve looked at this piece again since I finished it,” she tilted her head to the side, considering, “have you been?”

But Eowyn only shook her head, unsure of how to respond. “It just.. felt familiar, I think.”

The female hummed but didn’t reply, eyes seeming to scan her. “Are you… a priestess?”

And something about the way she spoke, the strength in her voice despite the sliver of uncertainty, caused understanding to click into place. And if that wasn’t proof enough then the following cry emitted from a small bundle cradled within a tiny bassinet in the furthest wall from the entrance, semi-hidden behind a canvas, would’ve given her away.

“My Lady,” Eowyn gasped, immediately dropping into a quick curtsy, even as the High Lady walked over to her whining babe, “I apologize, I didn’t know this was your private studio. I truly had no intention of bothering you-“

“You’re not, don’t worry about it,” the High Lady waved her off, eyes focused on the fussing baby she now cradled into her arms, shushing the babe gently as she bounced and rocked him. “Well? Are you?”

Sorry? Of course I am, Eowyn almost said, still spiraling at the fact that she’d just casually stumbled into what was essentially her court’s matriarch’s chambers, even if it was no different than any other store in a rather public area of the city. Then she remembered what her High Lady had asked. “Oh, a priestess?” She confirmed, “yes, well… something like that. I uh, I work for Clotho in the Library, if that’s what you mean. I’m-“ she hesitated, unsure, “I’m friends with Nesta. Kind of.”

But the High Lady took no offense, instead she surprised Eowyn when she snorted, “‘kind of’ sounds about right, although from what I’ve heard, my sister has been doing a good job of making friends lately,” she smiled at her warmly, “I’m glad of it.”

Eowyn could only smile back, if a bit awkwardly once she realized the High Lady couldn’t see anything but her eyes.

“I-“ she cleared her throat, eyes snapping to the gurgling babe in her arms, “I’d like to offer my congratulations for a successful birth, if that’s not too intrusive of me to say. I… well, we heard about the difficulties you were facing when the High Lord asked us to help him research all those months ago, and- well, I’m just glad everything worked out in the end.”

“Me too,” Feyre smiled at her, turning her attention to look at her son adoringly.

“May I ask their name?”

“We named him Nyx,” her smile widened, seemingly pleased at her question and the opportunity to gush about her baby.

At Eowyn’s hesitation, Feyre looked back up at her, eyes encouraging. Shyly but encouraged by her warm eyes, she asked, “may I see him?” Her voice was soft and low, “I’ve never seen a babe before.”

“You haven’t?” The High Lady’s eyes widened in surprise.

She gently pulled back at the thin material to reveal a minuscule wrinkled little face, tiny fingers gripping at the air at nothing. Although the child had little to no hair, the few tuff of soft looking feathered hair were as dark as night, his eyes still glazed with the initial protective membrane of a newborn depicting no true color until the child’s third year of age, according to some of the books the female fae had read about fae infants.

Although the High Lady presented her son proudly, Eowyn took notice of the way she didn’t offer the babe to her nor allowed for Eowyn to get too close, in a way that was not only expected of her but entirely necessary for her to do as one of the rulers of the court and a new fae mother.

Eowyn didn’t mind, however, as she remained in place with her hands clasped behind her back, only watching the baby’s toothless babbling fondly.

“I haven’t,” she replied, “I was the youngest of quite a large family, and none of my brothers had any children before I left for university,” she found herself explaining, unsure of why she wanted the High Lady to trust that she would never do anything to bring harm to her or her child. The cynical part of her mind considered that it could never hurt anyone to be in the High Lady’s good side, but despite herself, logic was not driving her, it was an unexplainable sense of familiarity with the High Lady that did. As if she knew her, as if she owed it to her to be accommodating and gentle.

And truly, she deserved no less. She had saved Prythian from Amarantha, after all.

“Was that long ago?” Feyre asked gently, if slightly stilted and Eowyn grinned behind her veil, amused at the lingering humanity of her High Lady.

“I’m two-hundred and seventy-six years old,” she answered her unspoken question, “which means I’ve spent more than half of my life either with my nose in a book or talking about whatever I found in those books, which left little room to visit any place where children could be. I wasn’t exactly looking for them, either,” she admitted, not noticing when she’d lifted one of her hands, only her smallest finger held out near the babe, where he gripped her with surprising strength in his little fist.

“Perhaps Heracles would have been a more fitting name,” she suggested mildly, causing Feyre to chuckle, eyes alight with humor.

“You know of the human stories?” 

Eowyn nodded and hummed in response, “I’ve always found human legends and mythologies fascinating,” she confessed, “it took up much more of my research than was necessary—“

Suddenly a whooshing sound caught Eowyn’s attention, causing her head to snap to the door. Without thinking about it, she angled herself to stand in front of her High Lady and the babe, eyes set firmly on the door when it flew open, revealing Cassian.

Eowyn exhaled in relief just as Feyre chuckled behind her, “everything okay, Cass?”

His eyes flicked between the two females, releasing his own relieved breath, “yeah yeah, just looking for Eowyn.”

“Me?” She asked, startled.

“Clotho told Rhys she was expecting you a couple hours ago. We’ve been looking for you for about an hour now, missy,” he chided playfully, eyes back to their natural mirth now that he knew he didn’t have to search further for her. 

Embarrassed, she apologized to him profusely but he merely waved her away. “Really, it’s no problem. I'm just glad we found you,” but then his eyes glazed over slightly as if lost in thought.

Eowyn’s eyebrows scrunched, glancing at Feyre in concern only to have the High Lady chuckle at her reaction. “He’s letting Rhys know you’re fine.”

Ah, right. Daemati beings, their monarchs were.

Eowyn found herself slightly disappointed to leave mid-conversation, but she graciously thanked her High Lady for her time and apologized once again for invading her space. Feyre was quick to assure her, admitting she was curious to keep talking to her and even asked if she’d be willing to receive her at the library if she wasn’t comfortable joining her in the River House.

After agreeing to stay in touch, Feyre walked them out before locking the door behind them, not after assuring Cassian a half-dozen times that Rhys was already on his way to take both her and Nyx back home.

Eowyn and Cassian walked in comfortable silence in the direction of the library when she shivered slightly from the cold, mentally cursing herself for deciding to take the long way back earlier in the day. 

“You know, I could just… fly us back to the house,” he suggested mildly, not looking at her, “if you’re comfortable, of course.”

“I-“ she hesitated, mentally weighing her options.

“Or we can walk, I’ve no problem with that. It’s about two and a half miles back to the house, which is about a five minute flight but if you want to walk I’m sure you’ll warm up with the exercise.”

“Oh it’s not you,” she assured quickly, “I’ve just never… not been grounded before,” she explained awkwardly.

He only chuckled under his breath, eyes glinting with mischief, “you afraid of heights, Wynnie?”

The nickname and the challenge in his tone sparked something she had believed to be dead and buried deep within her, not realizing how present the sentiment was until that moment. It was a feeling she hadn’t felt since her formative years, a sibling-like teasing that was both mocking and cruel as it was gentle and sweet. She hadn’t been called that since… well.

“I’m not afraid of anything,” the sharp words were out of her mouth before she could think, as was any kind of sense and sign of maturity, “and don’t call me that.”

He chortled, seemingly taken aback by the quickness at which she replied, but his grin only grew and she knew she’d made a mistake to show her distaste for the nickname.

“Is that a yes to flying then?” When she nodded, he only smirked at her. “Good, my wings were getting cold. Now, here, I’m gonna hook one arm under your knees and the other around your upper back, maybe under your armpit if I need to adjust your weight, is that alright with you, Wynnie?”

When she agreed, with an exaggerated eye roll, if only to hide her nerves, not having been near a male in so long that even if she felt no attraction to the objectively beautiful male, she still felt herself stiffen at his proximity. He placed his hands exactly where he said he would, not seeming to falter the slightest under her weight before taking off into the skies. She held her breath, feeling the panic surge the higher they went, but once they were elevated high above the city streets, she found herself breathless for an entirely different reason.

“Oh wow,” she sighed under her breath, eyes glued to the city under her.

“Haven’t seen Velaris at night like this?” He sounded surprised, “how long have you been here, now?”

“About half a century,” she replied absentmindedly, taking in the array of city lights and life of the city of Night. “But you know we don’t leave the library… especially at night.”

He hummed in acknowledgment, “hm, and why were you out and about today then?” He asked, although not judgmental or intrusive, his tone carrying the same distantly familiar teasing lilt.

But the shift in the air, the sound of whooshing wings caught her attention, causing her to tear her eyes from the city lights and over Cassian’s shoulder to see Azriel quickly approaching them.

His eyes locked on hers, face as serious and emotionless as always, as he only offered her a nod in acknowledgment.

“I was running errands,” her voice trailed off, suddenly feeling too exposed.

They flew the rest of the way in comfortable silence, other than Cassian pointing out different sections: the Street of Iron, the Sidra to which Eowyn rolled her eyes and mumbled no, really? under her breath which encouraged him to pretend to drop her, laughing all the while. She remained silent for the rest of the ride, pale and clutching onto his shoulders with her nails, deciding on making a formal complaint to his mate for her to deal with as she saw fit, and she told him so when her feet landed softly on the landing pad in the House of Wind. 

She would’ve preferred being taken directly to the library entrance, but she kept that to herself, aware that it would cause an unnecessary trip around the other side of the mountain and she could just as easily take the stairs down. The fact that the general and the shadowsinger had taken the time to look for her was obtrusive of her enough.

And so she thanked the still laughing general, both for looking for her and for flying her home, to which he grinned graciously back at her, telling her he expected her at her best the following morning for training and bidding her goodnight over his shoulder as he made his way inside. 

She turned to look out at the city once more but was surprised to find Azriel unmoved from the spot where he had landed, half expecting him to blend into his shadows and disappear as he was prone to do.

“Oh,” she flinched slightly and watched as his gaze dropped from its place on hers and he moved his hands behind his back, “sorry. You startled me. I uh- goodnight?” she said slowly, unsure of how to act.

“You’re carrying an obsidian dagger,” he stated more than asked, “why?”

“Did you follow me?” She answered with a question of her own.

“If I had, I wouldn’t have looked for you for twenty minutes,” he replied plainly. Twenty. Not the hour Cassian had said he’d looked for her. She noticed his tone no longer held that hint of playfulness that it carried when they ran into each other in the city. She wondered if she’d offended him, somehow.

She figured he had a point and reached inside her robe to take out the blade, eyes locked on his as she flipped it in her hand to hand it to him, helm first. He took it, hand almost entirely enveloping her own as he did, but he didn’t linger on the touch, immediately pulling away with his eyes locked on the dagger. “It’s brittle.”

“It’s beautiful,” she corrected, “and sharp enough to inflict substantial damage.”

“This would be useless in battle,” he frowned at her, and while she noticed that his tone didn’t contain that typical patronizing male sense of omniscience, he was after all, only a male and did not see the bigger picture, “it would kill some soldiers, sure, but mostly cause superficial wounds, especially once it begins to chip and-“

“Become jagged and thus cut more wickedly as it remains sharp. You know, when properly forged, an obsidian edge can be so sharp it can skin the outer layer of an eye without so much as touching the layer underneath,” she sighed, thoughtfully, “and there is of course, the cultural aspects of it-“

“Which would belong to Illyrian traditions as this material only forms under the volcanoes deep within the mountains,” he finished for her without missing a beat, his own eyebrows scrunching together in thought, “what do you know about that?”

“More than you think,” she frowned back, not liking the way he made her feel perceived beyond what she was comfortable with. She took the dagger back, careful not to touch his warm skin although she was half frozen above the mountain, “I know they can be used for religious practices, the crystallized volcanic glass was believed to be the Mother’s spilt blood from the life she created, which hardened into an igneous rock devoid of all color,” she inspected the blade, looking up at him to see his eyes set on her rather than the dagger.

She inhaled sharply, “and anyway, I just liked it and don’t have to explain to you why I bought it,” she defended, sheathing the dagger before crossing her arms over her chest in what she hoped looked more like an indignant action of defense rather than the fact that she was beginning to shiver with cold.

“Right,” he muttered shortly, eyes glancing over her shoulder to the stairs leading into the library. She followed his gaze. “It’s getting late. You should head back inside. Goodnight, Eowyn.”

She nodded, opening her mouth to agree with him but when she turned back to him, he was gone.

part three

[arvandus]

Daily Drabble - The Mortality of Aging (Asmo x GN!Reader)

CW: hurt/comfort; argument with resolution

Asmodeus has always been your biggest cheerleader, your biggest supporter, the one who pampers you daily with self-care routines, and reassures you about how beautiful you are, regardless of how you feel about your body. He will do your nails without asking, take on spa days to celebrate his latest modeling gig, and worship every inch of you when he has you in his bed.

Which makes it all the more confusing as to why he suddenly started acting so different recently. His smile didn't quite reach his eyes anymore, his words about self care became more of an insistence rather than a fun activity rooted in self-love. The more he pressed, the more you withdrew, and the more you withdrew, the more upset he got.

You couldn't understand what had triggered this change in behavior from him. Was his sin of lust and vanity growing in strength? Was he finding it harder and harder to maintain his attraction to you? It didn't take long for old doubts and insecurities to creep back in, weeds taking root in a garden that had recently been left untended.

It came to a head, as all things do when the pressure becomes too much. An evening following a tiring day where all you wanted was to rest, to snuggle against Asmodeus's side and fall asleep the gentle touches of his fingers against your skin and his soft lips pressing tender good night kisses across your face. It was all you wanted, all you needed in this moment, but Asmodeus was oblivious to it - which was so unlike him.

"Come on darling, let's at least wash your face..."

"I already washed my face."

"But the first time you didn't use the right soap! I bought you that new one, it's gentler on your skin. Don't you remember?"

Actually, you didn't. You couldn't remember half of the skin care things he wanted you to use, and he always seemed to come home with more the next day.

"Look, it's not a big deal, I'll start using it tomorrow. I'm just really tired..."

"Nonsense, it'll be fast. The night time is the most important time for skin care. Come on, I'll do it for you."

"Asmo, I don't want to!"

But he was already getting up, trying to pull you up to join him.

"Come on, sweetie, it'll only take a minute!"

That was a lie... Asmo's skin care routines were more like thirty minutes, and you both knew it, and you were out of patience let alone minutes.

Anger finally bubbled enough to get past your lips and you yanked your hand out of his grasp.

"I said no! Jesus, Asmo! What is going on with you??"

Asmo froze for a moment, then his eyes welled with hurt tears.

"I just want to take care of you! Why won't you let me take care of you??"

"This isn't taking care of me! Lately you've been pushing your skin care stuff on me, trying to control my diet, telling me when I should go to sleep and wake up and exercise... this isn't taking care, of someone Asmo! This is controlling someone!"

"I'm not trying to control you! I just want you to take better care of yourself!"

"I take care of myself just fine. I don't need you micromanaging me. I've been feeling less like your partner lately, and more like a doll that you want to play with. I'm not a fucking toy, Asmo."

His hands were up in defense, pale palms open towards you like white flags of peace. "Of course you're not! Sweetie, I never said you were. But I know that sometimes... well, you can slack off a little bit--"

Oh now you were seeing red. Your hands balled into fists, and now you were sitting up on the bed on your knees, ready to run for the door.

But not after giving him a few choice words.

"Slack off? Slack off?? Are you fucking kidding me? Asmodeus, I work my fucking ass off, and you know it. Do you want to know why I'm too tired to do your stupid 25 step skin care routine? Because I worked, all fucking day, wrangling your brothers, studying for exams, indulging the Prince of the Devildom when he wanted to talk, help Barbatos run some errands, help Lucifer with paperwork..." You pressed your hands to your forehead, frustrated hot tears welling in your eyes. "But yeah, I guess I'm a fucking failure because I didn't wash my face right, or use the right cream. I'm sorry, I'm not perfect, Asmo. I'm sorry I'm not just like you. And I'm so fucking sorry if I'm an embarrassment to be around because I'm not pretty enough for you."

The tears finally slipped, running burning tracks down your cheeks. But despite your desire to leave, to run out of his door to leave him standing there dumbfounded, you couldn't. Not until you heard his response. Your eyes challenged him, daring him to push you that last little bit, knowing that if he did so, it might ruin more than just your evening together.

Asmo fell silent and his breaths went shallow, as if his chest had been hollowed out by the cutting edge of your angry rant.

"Is... is that what you think? That I don't love you anymore?"

You choked on your own air, his soft voicing cutting you just as much as your loud voice had cut him. "No, that's not what I meant--"

"Isn't it though?" he asked, brows furrowed.

His hand reached out to you, guided by the urge to touch you, but he hesitated. Then he balled it into a fist and his arm fell limply to his side. His eyes looked down at the floor and stayed there.

"I... I know what I am," he said quietly. "I know that I'm vain, and self-centered, and obsessed with myself... I never really seen it as a bad thing. Why would it bad to love yourself, to take care of yourself? Our bodies are the one thing we are allowed to have complete control over. So why not treat it like the shrine that it is? Treat it with respect, with love, and others will treat you that way too."

"Do you think that's what's happening?" you asked. "That I'm not loving myself enough?"

Asmodeus lifted his eyes to you, his unshed tears still trapped in his thick lashes. He studied you for a long moment, his amber gaze drinking you in, and you knew in that moment that he still loved you. Achingly, completely, and utterly loved you.

"Maybe..." he replied, so quietly, as if uncertain about his answer, as if it wasn't something he'd considered before a moment ago. "All I know is that you're changing. You're changing, and it terrifies me. And you don't even seem to notice or seem to care..."

"Changing?" your forehead wrinkled, your eyebrows pulling together in confusion. "Changing how?"

Asmo stepped towards you, closing the distance until you could feel the warmth of his body in the sliver of space between you. His eyes roamed over your face, meticulous and slow. His fingers came up and lightly traced along the corners of your eyes, then down your cheek to the corner of your mouth. Your breath caught in your chest, trapped by longing.

"Here...and here..." he said quietly. "Little lines that weren't there before. They're small now, but.... they'll grow, get bigger, deeper..." He slowly withdrew his hand.

Your hand came up and touched your own face, and finally you understood.

"These? They're just age lines, Asmo... every human gets them eventually..."

He gave a small, empty laugh, and his trapped tears finally fell, shining crystals stuck to the flawless skin of his cheeks.

"I know," he replied. "I know. But it means that eventually, I'm going to lose you. And I can't lose you. I can't."

His head dipped forward and rested against your shoulder, the soft locks of his hair pressed against your cheek.

The burning ember of anger finally went out beneath your veins, cooled by the sad tears that now began to fill your vision.

"Asmo..." you whispered. Your left hand came up to cup the back of his neck, while your right hand came up to run your fingers through his hair. Then, you gently lifted his head until he could look at you. "Look at me. That's not going to happen for a long long time."

"Long for you, darlin'. I'm an angle turned demon, remember? Time is different for me. Another sixty to eighty years is not nearly enough time with you."

His hands cupped your face as he stared at you, and you watched as the warm affection in his eyes darkened into sorrow.

"You're the first thing I've loved as much as myself. Maybe... maybe even more than myself. It hurts... like my heart is living outside of my body, fragile and defenseless..."

You rolled your eyes playfully. "I wouldn't say defenseless..."

Asmo gave a small amused scoff, like sunlight peaking out from behind dark, heavy clouds. But then it was gone again, hidden away by the shadow of his sadness. "You're defenseless against time."

Your own smile faded, and your hands quietly covered his as you put your forehead to his. "I know."

A heavy silence fell like fog around the both of you. Asmo's eyes were relaxed and downcast in thought as you breathed each other's air and basked in the warmth of your tentative embrace.

A heavy question began to eat away at you, and you knew you had to ask it before it devoured all of your hope entirely.

"Asmo... do you regret it?"

Asmo's eyes looked up to meet yours, the colors of his irises nearly iridescent to the point of distraction.

"Hm?" he replied. "Regret what?"

You swallowed the fear that chained your tongue and tilted your head down. "Do you regret loving me?"

Asmo's thumbs stroked your cheeks and he lifted your face back up to look at him, nose to nose.

"Never. Never ever. And don't you dare think I'll ever stop loving you, either."

Tears slipped past the barrier of your lashes to catch on his thumbs. "Even..." you voice broke, and you swallowed. "Even when I'm old and wrinkled and ugly?"

Asmo looked crestfallen, his eyes shining again with unshed tears. "You'll never be ugly to me."

You gave a wry laugh. "Don't lie to me Asmo, it's mean."

Asmo's smile faltered and his jaw clenched before his grip around your face tightened. Not enough to hurt, never to hurt... but enough to get you out of your own head, and make you focus your full attention on him so you could see every drop of love, every bit of honesty.

"I'm not lying to you. You're beautiful now, and you'll be beautiful then too. These" - his thumbs stroked the faint hint of crows feet kissing your eyes - "aren't ugly to me."

"But you hate them, you were trying to erase them--"

"Because they scare me, doll."

A stubborn silence between the two of you as you stared each other down, you with your doubt, and Asmodeus with his persistence. Finally, he sighed and pulled you against him in a hug.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I hurt you and made you feel like you aren't enough. I'll learn to love them, I promise. I just might need some time to get used to them."

Your arms tightened around him and you inhaled the scent of his cologne. "I love you," you muffled into his shirt.

His hold on you tightened, his lips brushing your ear. "I love you more."

[milaisreading]

Plushie incident in the morning

Pairing: Various Blue Lock x Reader

Warnings ⚠️: none in particular, Y/n uses she/her here. Reader is 18 here.

Summary: The Blue Lock project was both a pretty big success in the football world, but also with the fans who were watching it through the TV. Enter Anri introducing new merch not only in the form of the players, but also of their manager, (Y/n) (L/n). Everything was fine until the players came across the plushie. Chaos starts and Ego is regretting ever agreeing to this project.

It was a quiet and normal morning at the Blue Lock building, the players were still asleep, Ego was preparing some new exercises for them and (Y/n) was running some errands Anri asked her to. All in all, it was a really normal and boring morning for the (h/c) girl... until it wasn't.

Anri had given her the task to bring a box into Ego's office, this one she didn't recognize as one from their usual suppliers. So when she entered Ego's office, where he was talking about something with Anri, (Y/n) couldn't help but let her curiosity show.

"Teieri-san, Ego-san what is this thing about? Some new equipment?"

The two adults looked up at (Y/n) and the woman smiled brightly, running to where she was and taking the box from her.

"No, this is actually some of the new merch we are introducing today!"

"Merch? We are starting merch now?" (Y/n) asked confusedly then looked at Ego as Anri ignored her.

"This wasn't my idea, but JFU. If you asked me, you all are trash for merch."

"We?! What did I do?!" (Y/n) asked, offended at the man lumping her in with the rest.

'I didn't even do anything!'

"You are in this too! A lot of the watchers have a soft spot for you and in a survey JFU had, the fans really want merch of you too."

"O-oh..." Was the only response that came from (Y/n), who was embarrassed and flattered by Anri's claims.

Once the woman had opened the box, Ego and (Y/n) peeked inside, only to find plushies of the players.

"They are so adorable!" Anri exclaimed, rummaging through it.

"Found it! This is yours!" (Y/n) looked in disbelief at the item in Anri's hands. It was an exact replica of her in the staff uniform, just smaller and softer. It was creepy how well they replicated her. Same shade of (h/c) hair, same (e/c) color and a small smile adoring the plushie's face as it held a small (f/c) football.

"And what am I supposed to do with this now?" The girl wondered as Anri handed it to her.

"I don't know? Keep it in your room or something, the rest will probably do the same with theirs."

'This is so weird. I bet Baro will make fun of this.' (Y/n) thought, mentally preparing herself for the taller's words.

"Alright. Now that this is out of the way, go and do your duties. It's nearly 8 o'clock, the players will have to be awakened soon too." Ego clapped his hands, bored with the conversion the two had.

"Alright..." Anri sighed and (Y/n) said her goodbyes before walking out.

'This wasn't something I expected to wake up to.' She thought, looking down at the plushie, which was smiling up at her.

Carrying the basket with the uniforms all washed and ready for use, (Y/n) opened the door to the room all the current players shared.

"Wake up, unpolished gems! Time for breakfast and then off to training!" Ego's voice from the speakers boomed as (Y/n) heard the players groan, asking for a few more minutes.

"No." The girl held back a laugh from Ego's answer and put down the basket neat the door.

"Wake up, guys! Your uniforms are here too!"

"Nooo..."

"Just a few more minutes..."

"This is such a hassle."

The girl was about to speak up again, when one of the staff members from down the hall called for her.

"Coming!" She yelled, closing the door behind herself, completely forgetting she left her plushie on top of the basket.

Silence fell again and the players sighed in relief, thinking they got what they asked for. Gagamaru turned around in his futon to look at the door, inspecting the area.

'There is the basket with our uniforms... a (Y/n) pluahie... the door-'

The white/black haired player blinked as he looked at the basket again, the slowly sat up and rubbed his eyes.

"Am I hallucinating?" The boy wondered, getting up and walking to the basket, grabbing the soft item.

"It's soft too... but why does it look like (Y/n)?" The boy muttered, walking back to his futon, bot breaking eye contact with the inanimate object.

'Whoever made this was spot on. The plushie looks just as adorable and sweet as (Y/n).' Gagamaru thought, blushing a little as he patted its head.

"Did Ego-san and (Y/n) that easily give up on waking us up?" Isagi wondered as both him and Bachira stretched out.

"I hope so. I am still tired from yesterday." Chigiri yawned as Kunigami took of his covers.

"Hey!" Chigiri yelled as he sat up quickly, not liking how cold it felt.

"You all are so noisy, can't you be like Gagamaru a little bit?" Baro said, pointing at the said boy, who didn't even answer or look at him.

"What are you holding?!" Bachira suddenly yelled, getting up from his futon and running to the former Team Z member, who was by now pinching the plushie's cheek.

"Bachira! Shut up!" Reo yelled, making Karasu and Nagi wince at the loudness.

"You are all annoying." Otoya sighed as Kurona tried to slap his arm away.

Bachira ignored them as he inspected the small plushie in Gagamaru's hands, his grin widening when he realized who it was and he quickly took it from the boy.

"Adorable! Is this (Y/n)?! Where did you get it, Gagamaru?!"

"Hey, give it back." Gagamaru protested, upset that Bachira took the soft item like that.

'I found it first.' He pouted.

"I just want to see~"

Bachira said,annoyed that he didn't get to it first. Chigiri, Kunigami and Isagi look at the duo in confusion as the rest blinked in alarm at the mention on the manager's name.

"What do you have there?" Isagi said, getting up rather guickly as he inspected the item, recognizing the (h/c) hair. Chigiri, being a speedster, was already next to Bachira and took the item as he and Gagamaru argued over the toy.

"I found it first! Give it back to me."

"No! It's adorable just like (Y/n), I want to keep it."

Chigiri moved away a little and inspected the toy, a fond smile making its way on his face while Kunigami and Isagi were on either side of him, blinking down at the plushie.

"How did this come into our room? And why does it look like (Y/n)?" Isagi wondered, his hands trembling to grab it from Chigiri.

"I don't know, she doesn't seem like the person to buy stuff of herself." Kunigami answered back, blushing a little as he tried to grab it from Chigiri. But the boy as fast as he is, hugged it to his chest and dodged Kunigami.

"Hey!"

"We don't know why it's here, and for all we know it could be important to (Y/n). So in any case we should be gentle with it." Chigiri argued as the other 4 nodded their heads.

"Now that we have established that, I will claim it as mine till (Y/n) returns." The red head announced proudly, which caused the other others to glare at him.

"No way! Chigiri, I am by far the gentlest among you! I should take care of her!" Isagi said back, walking closer to his friend. Kunigami shook his head, equally annoyed at Chigiri's claim on the (Y/n) plushie.

"You are both being childish. Chigiri, I am the strongest of you all, I would do a better job in protecting (Y/n). Give me."

'Why does it sound like they are arguing over the real person? What is even going on?' Reo rubbed his eyes as he walked over to them.

"Hey! I found her first, Bachira stole her."

"I didn't steal! I was just faster!" Gagamaru and Bachira glared at each other. Using the distraction, Reo grabbed the plushie and turned away from the group.

"You all are acting rediculous over a stupid plush toy. Are you children or something-" Reo stopped in his tracks as he looked down at said item. The more he inspected the thing, the more he realized it looked just like the real (Y/n), just smaller. Blushing, he grabbed tightly onto it as Kunigami attempted to take it from him.

"On second thought, I think she would be much safer in my mansion."

"What?! Give her back!" Bachira grinned like a maniac as Nagi finally got up to look at the plushie as well. The boy looked in boredom for a few seconds, then nodded his head.

"Reo will buy it from you guys." Nagi said simply as the purple haired boy handed the plushie to him.

'So soft. Feels like that one time I fell asleep on her.' Nagi thought, hugging the toy protectively.

By now the chaos caught everyone else's attention as well, and the players tried to get a glimpse of the smaller (Y/n) as well.

"How much do you want? A thousand? Hundred thousand? Million Yen? Just say and it's yours." Reo argued, pissing the former Team Z members off even more.

"No! Now give me (Y/n) back, I laid my claim on her first!" Chigiri yelled.

"She isn't yours! Nagi, hand her over." Bachira yelled trying to jump at the white haired boy.

"Hmm? No, I like her here. Besides, it reminds me of that one time I slept on her." Nagi said absent-mindedly.

"You what?! When did that happen?!" Isagi asked the boy.

"You remember the time Baro tripped me and I couldn't play?"

"Lucky... Couldn't you have injured me, Kunigami?" Chigiri pouted, earning a glare from the orange haired boy.

"Chigiri, you ungrateful piece of shit-"

Gagamaru kept quiet as he started sulking in the corner.

"But I found her first..."

Niko shook his head at their behavior and kept quiet, but still sent a few side glances the inanimate object in Nagi's arms.

"Hmm? Oh! The plushie really just like (Y/n), can I have it?" Karasu wondered as Otoya poked its cheeks, blushing at how cute it was.

'I basically poked (Y/n)! Now I can die happily!' Otoya thought as Nagi slapped his hand away and glaring at the duo.

"No. Mine."

"Nagi, we are sharing." Reo added, stopping is argument with Bachira and Isagi for a moment.

"All of you shut up!" Baro yelled, grabbing the toy forcefully from the tall genius.

"Hey!"

Baro rolled his eyes as he took a look at the doll along with Kurona, both blushing at the replica of their crus-friend!

"Give me." The red haired boy said, making grabby hands at the plushie, but Baro sent him a warning glare.

"Move it, peasant. I will take care of (Y/n), besides unlike all of you I can treat her like a queen."

"A queen? Really?" Kunigami rolled his eyes.

"Damn right, because I am the king!"

"More like a donkey." Isagi commented.

"Come on, we can't fight over a plushie like that. (Y/n) would probably think we are stupid." Yukimiya said, earning silent nods from the team.

"That's why I suggest you guys can have the (Y/n) plushie, and I will take the real (Y/n)." Yukimiya said, fixing his glasses.

"Where did that come from?!"

"Hell no!"

"If anything (Y/n) would look better with me!"

"You all are being rediculous. I should be with (Y/n) since I can offer her anything she desires."

"Respectfully, fuck off Reo!"

"No!"

"Shut up! All of you are loud!" The room fell quiet as everyone looked at the annoyed Rin as he approached them, observing the doll in Baro's hands.

"I am the number 1 player here. You lukewarms are no competition against me, so you better hand the plushie to me."

"Forget it!"

The chaos got louder and the noise caught both Ego's attention from the office, and Anri's who was nearby. Inspecting through the camera, Ego facepalmed when he noticed they were fighting over that doll.

'I knew this was a mistake.'

Anri opened the door as Ego's voice boomed through the room, making everyone freeze up.

"What is going on here! I called you all to train on not fight over a plushie like a bunch of kids." The boys stopped and looked at the speakers, a little embarrassed by the fact that Ego caught them.

"Anri, confiscate that plushie. Don't even give it to (Y/n), she will probably forget it again somewhere."

"Alright!" The woman sighed, walking over to Baro and taking it from him. The boys deflated a little as they looked at the doll in Anri's hands and Ego sighed in annoyance.

"Whoever performs the best today will get the plushie tonight."

That part caused the players to perk up a little.

"Alright! That will be me then!" Bachira yelled.

"No, me! My special awareness will come in handy today!" Isagi argued.

"You lukewarm striker will not even be able to get to the goal."

Anri rolled her eyes at the argument and she knew she had to stop it before Ego has another tantrum.

"If you so much want a plushie of (Y/n), Blue Lock's website will launch it today. It's just some limited merch offer tho~"

With a laugh, Anri was out the door as the boys looked at her dumbfounded for a moment, then each took their phones.

"What a great day to be rich." Reo muttered as Nagi sent him a look.

"You better order me one too."

The same night the whole room was sending death glares towards Gagamaru as Anri handed him the plushie. He was today the top scorer and the only one who kept his peace during practice, much to Ego's delight. (Y/n) was for the whole day confused where she had left the doll and asked everyone around the building, but nobody knew.

'Maybe someone threw it away.' She shrugged and went on with her night routine. She somehow hoped the plushie of her would not do well and they won't use her face for these merch launches, but...

"Why are there so many boxes?! What did you guys even order?" (Y/n) questioned a few days later as the boys looked excitedly at them, but refused to open.

"Ohhh no reason! By the way, how did your merch do?" Bachira wondered.

"For some odd reason it went well. Just my luck..." (Y/n) said in annoyance, still unsure how her plushie did better than any of the others.